It was the third day since Zhang Hao had regained his freedom.
At his own Qinglian Club, he hosted a banquet for Feng Dehui, Deputy Secretary of the municipal Political and Legal Affairs Commission; He Yinghui, Deputy Procurator-General of the City People's Procuratorate; Tian Libo, Director of the municipal Justice Bureau; and Gong Zheng, head of the Criminal Trial Division at the city's Intermediate People's Court.
They were the same four men who had played cards with Director Zhou.
Despite never spending a day in prison and being treated like royalty in the Detention Center, Brother Hao was in anything but a good mood.
He had been arrested three times in a row, each one a resounding slap in the face.
Although his latest maneuver had restored some of his dignity, his authority and reputation had, in fact, suffered a crushing blow.
What did the people on both sides of the law in Changning City-including these four men before him-think of him now? Did they see Zhang Hao as a joke?
Why else had they all seemed so reluctant when he invited them over?
"Brother Hao, it's really not that we don't want to show you respect. The Municipal Party Committee is holding a political and legal affairs work conference tomorrow morning. We're just worried that if we overdo it tonight, we won't be in any shape for it," Deputy Secretary Feng explained with a smile.
"Exactly, Brother Hao. Please don't take it the wrong way," Director Tian and Deputy Procurator-General He chimed in.
"I see. All right, we'll wrap things up early tonight. Ten o'clock, then!" Zhang Hao wasn't unreasonable, and he readily agreed.
"Thank you for understanding, Brother Hao..."
At nearly midnight, Zhang Hao watched the political and legal officials indulging themselves with innocent-looking female college students in