Exactly!
The reason Zhou Yi dared openly challenge a full ministerial-level official like Zheng Qiren was the devoted care and support of his father-in-law.
There had to be limits to everything!
If Zheng Qiren had accepted Han Jianguo and Zong Weixin's proposed handling of the matter, Zhou Yi would not have been in a position to object, however dissatisfied he might have been.
He understood that even his conveniently acquired uncle, Wei Siqi, had to give some consideration to the dignity of the Zheng, Gong, and Sun families.
Removing Xing Zhaojia and the others from their posts was merely a stopgap measure. Once the storm passed, they could be reinstated or even promoted. As for a major administrative demerit, that barely stung at all.
Put plainly, Xing Zhaojia and the others would suffer a little for now and receive compensation later.
But Zheng Qiren's overbearing refusal to let the matter drop had crossed Zhou Yi's bottom line.
Unlike simply being removed from a post, dismissal from office was a serious administrative disciplinary penalty. Ordinary police officers who held no official post would face expulsion from the force instead. Director Zhou could never accept such an outcome!
They had rendered outstanding service, yet instead of being rewarded, they were to be dismissed from office or expelled. What kind of justice was that?
The same principle still applied: if he lacked the ability to intervene and stop this, he might have agonized over it. But now that he stood protected by his father-in-law's influence, if he watched such an injustice happen without doing anything, he might as well ram his head into Jian Shuyue and kill himself.
If one collision did not kill him, he could try a few more.
If that still did not work, he could try ramming into Tian