Chapter 68: Chapter 67: Exploiting Loopholes? Don’t Even Think About It
Wang Hu and his team had their sights on a retired old woman, pinpointed after a meticulous investigation.
She was in her sixties and lived in a large, single-story apartment.
The apartment was 270 square meters and lavishly decorated. Only she and her husband lived there; their children had their own homes.
Clearly, this wasn’t something her job or pension could ever afford.
A quick check from the higher-ups confirmed their suspicions—they found records of transactions with Du Tao and his associates!
And she, like a cockroach—you kick one, and a swarm of little ones comes pouring out of the woodwork.
This woman...
...had implicated many more people!
Wang Hu was planning to arrest her himself.
But unfortunately...
"Heh. How ruthless."
In a luxury apartment with a private elevator entrance in Fujing District, Wang Hu took in the scene before him, a cold smirk on his face.
This was the target’s address.
Except...
"They hanged themselves."
Staring at the hanged body of the old woman, Xu Huo clicked his tongue in mock wonder.
They had hanged themselves from the lavish chandelier. Two ropes, two bodies: the target and her husband.
They were dead...
Dead before they could be arrested.
Xu Huo sniffed the air, the smell of smoke filling his lungs.
"They burned something, too. Not much. Probably the ledgers."
"Hmph!"
Wang Hu sneered. "Do they really think dying wipes the slate clean?"
A cover-up?
Not a chance.
After all, the ones running this investigation weren’t Xu Huo, Wang Hu, or even the Linlan City authorities.
Of course, it wasn’t like she was covering for anyone.
Frankly, her methods for taking bribes were crude and her position wasn’t high. She was a nobody, which made her perfect for Du Tao and his cronies to use when they needed to bury something.
With her methods, no one was willing to be her protector, let alone help her hide anything.
The reason they hanged themselves, Xu Huo believed...
"That’s what you get from someone with a law background. Fucking experts at finding loopholes."
Qian Hua, who had been trailing behind them, cursed loudly as he looked at the two bodies.
What loophole?
A way to avoid turning over their ill-gotten gains and instead leave the money to their children and grandchildren.
The legal mechanics are too complex to explain, but that was the essence of their actions.
As long as you die before the police arrest you, before you’re convicted in a court of law, it works.
A court can sentence a living person to death or let them rot in prison, but it cannot convict someone who is already dead.
If there’s no conviction, then naturally the ill-gotten gains can’t be confiscated.
But...
"These old folks were really dreaming."
A mocking smile touched Xu Huo’s lips as he scanned the opulent decor, the huge flatscreen TV, and the kind of furniture he would have struggled to enjoy even in his past life.
’No substance, no history, just a rotten family culture...’
’Heh. Their kids and grandkids have probably committed their own share of crimes. We can just clean them up while we’re at it.’
Wang Hu didn’t object.
They were dead set on cleaning house.
Loopholes?
Loopholes my ass!
Besides, even if they had anticipated this and made sure their children stayed clean, the money still wouldn’t be safe.
Nowadays, there’s a term called ’offshore fishing’.
And it has nothing to do with setting sail on the open ocean...
In short, they wouldn’t be able to hold on to this money.
They had died for nothing!
"How many are left?"
As police officers bagged the two bodies, Xu Huo turned to Wang Hu.
How many people were left?
Wang Hu paused, then held up one finger.
"One person?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow.
"One notebook."
Wang Hu grinned.
...
...
This time, Linlan City bled.
But it was all bad blood being drained.
The bleeding started on October 6th and didn’t stop until the 20th.
In those fourteen days, countless police cars must have run out of gas from constant use.
The detention centers and holding cells were filled to capacity.
Every industry and sector was whipped into shape.
The members of the Mutual Aid Association, in particular, were properly looked after. Those in the early stages of their illness, as long as it wasn’t terminal, saw their symptoms gradually ease.
Those in the mid-stages had their conditions brought under control, and even those in the late stages were given a sliver of hope.
If things went as expected, for the next few decades in Linlan City, and even all of Hanhai Province, no matter who else might suffer, it wouldn’t be this group of desperate people.
These people really weren’t afraid to kill...
...and they really weren’t afraid to use bombs!
"I’m beat. Absolutely beat. Dammit, they’re finally gone. I was about to pass out from exhaustion."
On October 21st, Qian Hua sat in his office, panting heavily.
Just this afternoon, some of the people who had been posted here from the provincial department left, and the number of local officials had thinned out as well.
And since they hadn’t heard any real criticism, in other words...
...they had dodged a bullet this time!
"How many were arrested in total—"
Xu Huo started to speak, but someone next to him promptly stuffed something into his open mouth. He chewed instinctively as sweet cream spread across his tongue.
He turned his head and saw Chu Xi, poised and ready to reload.
She was holding another cream puff, lying in wait, her eyes fixed on him like a predator, watching for the slightest crack in his defenses—an open mouth.
Xu Huo swallowed, then looked at Qian Hua and made a few hand signs.
His astounding learning ability meant he had already picked up sign language!
"Who knows? We had two major detachments making arrests, the province formed its own special task force, and the higher-ups sent a team, too."
Qian Hua waved his hand dismissively; he truly had no idea.
Besides...
"You don’t think Linlan City was the only one bleeding, do you?"
Qian Hua said with a grin, full of schadenfreude.
"You have no idea. The moment this case broke, all across Hanhai Province, all those bastards who were withholding wages, delaying final payments, and refusing to pay out for work-related injuries..."
"They were so scared they scrambled to pay everything back overnight!"
A smile spread across Xu Huo’s face.
Chu Xi’s eyes lit up. Unable to resist the juicy gossip, she savored the story, then pried open Xu Huo’s mouth and stuffed another cream puff inside.
"I’m telling you, every last one of them was terrified for their own skin. They were all scrambling to pay what they owed."
Qian Hua sighed. It had been a real eye-opener for him.
Xu Huo nodded in full agreement, chewing on the treat in his mouth.
Most of the world’s conflicts are simply about social standing.
This structure, which seems as solid as steel and concrete, is something history has shown to be a paper tiger.
Crooked businessmen prey on the weak and fear the strong. Showing weakness won’t earn you any pity, but if you stand up and threaten this paper tiger...
...then you’ll see their most spineless side.
"Some factories even improved their wages and benefits."
Suddenly, Wang Hu’s voice cut in.
He walked in from the office doorway and looked at Xu Huo as he spoke.
"And Jiang Hai—because he knelt, medical donations in Hanhai Province are guaranteed for the short term."
Two people who deserved to die ended up allowing a great many who deserved to live to do so.
The world was always this absurd.
Xu Huo chuckled.
The last time he’d felt this level of absurdity was during a case he investigated in his past life.
It had been a rape-homicide case. Xu Huo had wracked his brain for months without figuring out the logic. If it hadn’t been for a final, convulsive leap of insane thought, he never would have solved it.
"By the way, kid, have you eaten?"
Wang Hu suddenly spoke, changing the subject.
Food?
Xu Huo was about to say he hadn’t, but he realized his stomach had already been filled by the gold-medal "reloader" at his side.
He paused, and his answer changed.
"Just finished."
"Alright, then. Perfect timing. Let’s go."
Wang Hu grinned.
"Someone from the provincial department is here. They’re waiting for you in the office."