Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking and a faint, pale white light was spreading across the eastern horizon, dew still glistened on the leaves of the plane trees outside the city bureau. A black sedan silently glided to a stop at the gate. Its gleaming body shone with a cold, hard sheen in the dim morning light. The windows were covered with thick, dark tint, like two opaque pieces of black jade, making it impossible to see anyone inside.

He Feng was already waiting at the door, his police uniform crisp and clean. He personally went to greet them. The car door clicked open, and three men stepped out first, all dressed in matching Zhongshan suits, the dark blue fabric crisp and stylish. All three stood exceptionally tall, like three pine trees swaying in the wind, their demeanor calm and composed, their eyes carrying the sharpness and competence honed through years of experience in key departments. One glance was enough to tell they were no ordinary people.

He Feng quickly extended his hand, a perfectly measured, formulaic smile on his face: "Comrades, you must be exhausted from your journey here. I am He Feng, the director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, and I've come specifically to receive you. Please come in; fresh tea has already been brewed in my office. Let's go in, sit down, and I'll explain the situation in detail."

The leading man stepped forward, grasped his hand—his fingers were distinct, his palm firm and strong, exuding an aura that was not to be underestimated—and spoke in a deep, metallic voice: “Director He, you’re too kind. We are an inspection team sent by the provincial department, ordered to assist in the investigation of cases related to the coal mine. In the days to come, we will need Director He’s cooperation and support in the investigation.”

He Feng stepped aside to lead the way, his eyes subtly sweeping over the waists of the three members of the inspection team—the outlines of black holsters were faintly visible there, their taut lines clearly indicating they were armed. He felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that this was no ordinary assistance in the investigation; the real battle was about to begin.

Upon entering the office, they sat down according to their roles as host and guest. He Feng then heard them briefly introduce themselves: the leader, Captain Li Fan, had deep-set eyes and spoke with an undeniable certainty; the other two were Zhang Chuan and Zhao Ci. Zhang Chuan appeared taciturn, but his eyes were constantly scanning his surroundings, while Zhao Ci, being relatively younger, always carried a notebook, occasionally glancing down to jot something down. Although the three had their own duties, they exuded an unspoken understanding, clearly long-time partners.

He Feng's lips curled into a half-smile as his gaze casually swept over the two men behind Li Fan—one tall and imposing with eyes as sharp as an eagle; the other seemingly frail, yet his fingertips bore the calluses of years of handling guns. His tone held a hint of mockery: "Only three this time? Isn't that a bit few? After all, this isn't some street brawl or petty theft case; it involves much deeper waters."

Li Fan smiled and patted his arm with a steady hand: "There aren't many people, but they are all top-notch individuals carefully selected from various places. They are all top-notch in terms of investigation and tracking. Don't worry, as long as we can find out real problems and the chain of evidence is complete, we can take action to arrest people at any time. We will not hesitate or give the other party any time to react."

He Feng's smile faded, and his tone became more serious, tinged with helplessness: "Shouldn't we start investigating directly? To be honest, last time, because our Public Security Bureau didn't have enough authority, we couldn't investigate many places thoroughly—like the archives of some key departments and the back-end records of private clubs, we simply couldn't get in. It was very restrictive and frustrating to investigate like that."

Li Fan's gaze inadvertently swept over the police officers standing behind He Feng, his eyes filled with scrutiny. He Feng immediately understood, knowing that some things were inconvenient to say in front of everyone, and turned to Zhao Lei beside him, saying, "Zhao Lei, take these two comrades to the conference room to rest for a while, pour them some tea, and adjust the air conditioning to make them more comfortable. Mr. Li and I need to have a few words alone."

Zhao Lei nodded crisply, his voice booming, "Alright, Director!" He then politely gestured for the two men behind Li Fan to enter, leading them to the end of the corridor. He walked slowly, glancing into the open office to make sure it was clean and tidy before letting them in—clearly a thoughtful person.

Only He Feng and Li Fan remained in the office, and the air instantly fell silent. He Feng then straightened his expression and looked at the other man solemnly: "Mr. Li, you've come here for more than just to assist in the investigation, haven't you? Please let me know if you have any instructions, and I will certainly cooperate."

Li Fan smiled, waved his hand, and said calmly, "It's not really an instruction, it's just that I heard—the person you suspect now is Director Jiang Hu?"

He Feng had nothing to hide; after all, the other party was someone directly sent from above, someone he could trust, and there was no need to beat around the bush. He nodded, his tone certain: "That's right. After our initial investigation, direct evidence hasn't yet pointed to Director Jiang, but all the signs point to him—the interruption of several key leads, and the leak of internal information, all indicate that someone within the Public Security Bureau is involved, and their position is not low. Director Jiang is the most likely candidate."

Li Fan tapped his fingertips lightly on the smooth tabletop, making a soft "tap-tap" sound, as if he were pondering something. After a moment, he looked up and asked, "It seems you already have a plan in mind. Do you have one?"

He Feng leaned forward and lowered his voice, so that only the two of them could hear him: "Mr. Li, as you know, the people in our bureau have worked with Director Jiang for many years, so they probably all know him. If we make any moves, we might alert him. I see that these two comrades you brought are unfamiliar faces, but they are experts. Could we have them infiltrate first? For example, they could disguise themselves as new auxiliary police officers or logistics personnel, wander around the bureau unnoticed, and secretly gather information to see who Director Jiang usually contacts and what unusual things he does. Maybe we can find out."

Li Fan pondered for a moment, his fingertips hovering on the table, then nodded: "That's a good idea. Although risky, it's under their noses after all, but it's worth a try. Undercover investigation is their forte; they've done it before in much more complex environments." He changed the subject, pulling a document from his briefcase and pushing it in front of He Feng. "There's one more thing—it's been approved from above. You're authorized to conduct a comprehensive investigation into Jiang Hu, including his network of relationships, bank transactions, and all his properties. You're given all the authority; you don't need to worry about anything anymore. As for how to investigate and what methods to use, that's entirely up to you."