You'll Know Exactly Why You're Going Down

An old hand like Sun Long could hardly miss what Chen Hao meant. "Oh? Why don't you tell me, Mr. Chen? I'd like to hear what else Zhang Guojun has done today."

So Chen Hao recounted everything that had happened from beginning to end, particularly how Zhang Guojun had abused his authority to deliberately make things difficult for him and tried to pin a fabricated charge on him.

Of course, Chen Hao did not let the arrogant, overbearing Captain Zhao off the hook either.

By the time he finished, Zhang Guojun had completely wilted.

Bang!

Sun Long slammed his palm hard against the desk. The sound was not particularly loud, but to Zhang Guojun and Captain Zhao, it was more terrifying than an earthquake.

Captain Zhao, standing outside the door, could no longer stay on his feet. Before he even entered, he dropped to his knees with a thud.

"Zhang Guojun, as chief of the Police Station, you actually abused your authority to do something like this to Mr. Chen! You've utterly disgraced the Public Security Bureau. I'm removing you from your post right now," Sun Long snapped furiously.

Seeing the sorry state Zhang Guojun and Captain Zhao were in, Chen Hao finally felt his pent-up anger ease.

What he had not expected, however, was that Zhang Guojun—perhaps too furious to think straight—would still try to argue his way out in desperation. "Mr. Chen, you have to take responsibility for what you say. You smashed someone's car, and the victim called the police. I was only following standard procedure. How has that become bending the law for personal gain in your version?"

Seeing that Zhang Guojun still refused to repent, Sun Long glared at him in fury. "You're still arguing? Shut your mouth!"

"Wait, Director Sun. Since Chief Zhang says I've wronged him, I'll give him a chance to prove it." Unhurried, Chen Hao crossed his legs and looked at Zhang Guojun.

Now that Zhang Guojun saw he could not even keep his position, he was bound to lash out in desperation.

If he could prove that Chen Hao had been in the wrong first, there might still be room to salvage his position.

Zhang Guojun immediately shouted to Captain Zhao at the door, "Xiao Zhao, hurry up and bring me the surveillance footage you retrieved."

Still kneeling by the door, Captain Zhao froze when Zhang Guojun brought that up.

The surveillance camera at the intersection had indeed captured everything that happened between Chen Hao and Liang Hong, but Captain Zhao had felt awkward the moment he watched it.

The footage did not show Chen Hao smashing the car at all. Instead, it showed Liang Hong slowly driving his car into Chen Hao.

As for why Liang Hong's car had suddenly broken down, none of the officers who retrieved the footage could explain it.

Clearly, convicting Chen Hao on the basis of this footage would make no sense. If they really pursued the matter, Liang Hong, the driver, was the one who had been in the wrong first.

Seeing Captain Zhao frozen in place, Zhang Guojun snapped, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and get it!"

Captain Zhao had no way to voice his predicament. With so many people watching, he could only grit his teeth and bring over the footage.

Once the footage arrived, Zhang Guojun felt a little more reassured. As long as he could prove that Chen Hao had maliciously smashed the car first, Sun Long's anger toward them would ease somewhat, and the career he had worked his entire life to build would not go down the drain.

Yet as the footage played, Zhang Guojun's face gradually stiffened. By the end, his mouth hung wide open, and he could not utter a word.

"Wh-what... what is this? Xiao Zhao, did you bring the wrong footage?" Zhang Guojun demanded in disbelief.

Captain Zhao's face was rigid, his expression more miserable than if he had been crying. "Chief Zhang, this is the footage. I meant to show it to you, but there wasn't time!"

"Zhang Guojun, oh, Zhang Guojun! Is this how your Police Station handles cases?" Seething with anger, Sun Long pointed at the screen. "With footage like this, I'd certainly like to hear how you decided Mr. Chen was guilty."

At that moment, Zhang Guojun had nothing left to say. Inwardly, he cursed Liang Hong viciously. Of all the people you could have crossed, you had to pick someone even Director Sun treated with the utmost respect! And damn it, I actually believed you when you said he'd smashed your car.

But it was too late for regrets now. Zhang Guojun's future was probably finished.

Sighing in frustration at his failure, Sun Long stood and picked up the handcuff key. "The facts are quite clear now. Zhang Guojun abused his authority for personal gain and caused you considerable trouble, Mr. Chen. As his superior, I apologize to you on his behalf. I hope you'll be generous enough to overlook his offense. I'll make sure you receive a satisfactory resolution afterward."

Chen Hao was somewhat overwhelmed that Sun Long would set aside his status and apologize to him in front of so many people. Keeping up the act any longer would be going too far, so he quickly rose and held out his cuffed hands. "You're being too kind, Director Sun. I simply couldn't stand seeing a public servant do something that violated the law."

As soon as Sun Long unlocked Chen Hao's handcuffs, he said with utter seriousness, "Rest assured, Mr. Chen. I'll deal with this matter strictly."

Then Sun Long turned to Zhang Guojun and Captain Zhao. "You're both dismissed pending investigation. Take them away."

Soon, two officers came in from outside and led away Zhang Guojun and Captain Zhao, whose faces had turned ashen.

After they were gone, Sun Long finally smiled. "Mr. Chen, now that everything here has been settled, shall we go see Commander Chu?"

In truth, Chen Hao did not know this Commander Chu at all and was still completely in the dark. Hearing that they were going to see him made Chen Hao uneasy.

What if we meet and he says he's got the wrong person? How embarrassing would that be?

But Director Sun had come in person to invite him. Refusing him to his face would be deliberately making things difficult for him.

After turning it over in his mind for quite a while, Chen Hao finally smiled. "All right. Sorry for the trouble, Director Sun."

With Director Sun leading the way, Chen Hao walked out of the Police Station with his head held high. He even rode in the same car as Director Sun, making quite a few people envious.

As the car started, Sun Long said, "Mr. Chen, would you mind giving me your phone number? If you ever run into any trouble, just say the word. My name still carries a little weight in Zhonghai City."

Normally, Chen Hao would not even have dared dream of having such a powerful backer. Now that Sun Long was offering himself up, how could he refuse? He immediately exchanged numbers with him.

On the way, Sun Long and Chen Hao hardly discussed Commander Chu.

Having risen to his position, Sun Long was highly skilled at reading people. Since Chen Hao had already said he did not know Commander Chu, Sun Long assumed he was deliberately keeping quiet. Bringing it up again would only invite a rebuff.

The two chatted about everyday matters, talking and laughing, and grew a little closer.

Soon, the car stopped. "Let's go, Mr. Chen. We're here."

As soon as Chen Hao got out, he saw that they had arrived at the entrance to Zhonghai Military General Hospital.

The Military General Hospital only treated military personnel from Huaxia. Ordinary people could not even step through its gates, let alone seek treatment there.

Military jeeps were parked along both sides of the hospital entrance, and soldiers stood guard in the sentry post by the gate. It was clearly under tight security.

After getting out, Sun Long ordered the others to wait at the entrance and approached the gate with only Chen Hao and Zou Jian.

He had thought that, given his position, even if his car was not allowed inside, he could at least walk through the gate. Unexpectedly, the soldiers on guard refused him entry outright, leaving him deeply embarrassed.

Left with no choice, Sun Long found a number and dialed it.

"Hello, is this Commander Qiao, Qiao Shan?" Sun Long asked politely when the call connected.

Qiao Shan sounded somewhat impatient on the other end. "Speaking. Who is this?" he replied in a rough voice.

As director of Zhonghai City's Public Security Bureau, Sun Long was normally the one everyone treated with deference. But faced with these military big shots, he could only meekly play the underling. His eyelid twitched as he said, "Oh, this is Sun Long. I've found the person Commander Chu asked me to locate. We're at the gate now, but we can't get in. Could you please put in a word for us, Commander Qiao?"

Qiao Shan gave an "Oh," then said, "Hand the phone to the sentry. I'll speak to him."

The soldier in the sentry post took the phone. Upon hearing that it was Qiao Shan, he immediately straightened to attention. "Yes, Commander Qiao."

Only after being cleared did Sun Long and his companions enter the Military General Hospital.

They had barely passed the sentry post when Zou Jian could not help muttering, "The military really puts on airs these days."

"Keep your voice down. Don't talk nonsense," Sun Long hurriedly warned him.

Zou Jian could only shake his head with a bitter smile.

The moment they entered the Outpatient Building, they found chaos inside. Nurses and doctors were hurrying back and forth, leaving the three of them utterly bewildered.

Sun Long stopped a nurse and asked politely, "Hello, could you please tell me which floor Commander Chu is on?"

At his question, the nurse shook off Sun Long's hand and ran away without hesitation. The words she left behind stunned all three of them. "Commander Chu suddenly collapsed. They're trying to save him in the Emergency Room."

"What!"

All three looked horrified. Without stopping to ask more, they raced after the nurse.

When they reached the Emergency Room, they saw more than a dozen people pacing outside its doors, every face grave.

Each of these military men wore some number of flower insignia on his shoulders. Any one of them was more than Sun Long could afford to offend.

Sun Long had met Qiao Shan once before and recognized him immediately as he approached. "Commander Qiao, what happened?"

Qiao Shan glanced at Sun Long, then at Chen Hao and Zou Jian behind him, before drawing Sun Long aside. "Commander Chu suddenly fainted for no apparent reason. They're trying to save him now. We still don't know exactly what's going on."

Then Qiao Shan immediately added, "This must be kept confidential."

Sun Long understood there was a reason for this and quickly nodded. "Don't worry. I won't say anything."

"Who are they?" Qiao Shan glanced at Chen Hao and Zou Jian a short distance away.

"Oh, the one in uniform is my assistant. The young man is the person Commander Chu wanted to find."

"Him?"

Qiao Shan was Commander Chu's student and had followed him since childhood. Only yesterday, he had heard that Commander Chu was urgently searching for someone, and he had been intensely curious about that person's identity.

But now that he saw how utterly unremarkable the young man was, he lost interest in asking further questions.

Just then, the door to the Emergency Room suddenly opened.