hotmtlnovel Chapter 649 Jiang Hu is arrested
Chapter 649 Jiang Hu is arrested
The team members following behind were a little confused—the expert Ma, who was usually decisive and efficient when directing operations on site, and who rarely even frowned when facing armed criminals, seemed like a different person now. The concern in his eyes was so strong that it was almost overflowing, and he couldn't hide it. Even his voice was trembling slightly. This was really unusual.
"Why is there blood on your face?" Ma Xin pointed to the conspicuous dark red spot on his left cheek, her heart tightening. She reached out to touch it, but stopped abruptly just before her fingertips touched his skin, as if afraid of hurting him. She asked urgently, "Where are you hurt? Let me see!"
Looking at her reddened eyes, as if brimming with tears, He Feng felt a gentle warmth spread through his body, as if something scalding had warmed his heart. The fatigue from the earlier battle had mostly dissipated. He gently pressed her hand, which was suspended in mid-air, the warmth of his palm seeping through the thin fabric. He shook his head, his tone softening, "Don't worry, I'm not injured. This is just some blood I got on my hands when I subdued those armed thugs; it's already dried." He paused, afraid she would dwell on it, and quickly changed the subject, "What crucial evidence have you found here?"
He had barely finished speaking when Jiang Hu was brought over by two team members, his arms twisted behind his back. His hair was a disheveled mess, his shirt collar was ripped open and covered in grime and bits of grass, and his trousers were smeared with mud. He looked utterly wretched, yet he forced a calm expression, his neck stiff. Upon seeing He Feng, he yelled, "Director He! What are you doing? First, you searched my office without a word, turning it upside down. Now you've used guns in the mine and injured my men. Don't you owe me an explanation? I'm the person in charge of the mine; it's registered with the city! You can't act so lawlessly!"
"Lawless?" Upon hearing this, He Feng's anger flared instantly, his temples throbbing. During this operation, in order to storm the mine and apprehend the thugs illegally possessing weapons, several of his brothers had been grazed by stray bullets. One of his team members, Xiao Li, had suffered a deep gash on his arm, nearly ruptured a tendon, and was still clutching his wound, his face as white as paper. These were his loyal brothers who had risked their lives for him; how could he tolerate this heartless mine owner so blatantly distorting the truth and making baseless accusations?
He stepped forward, pointed at Jiang Hu's nose, his voice as cold as iron pulled from an ice cellar, carrying a chilling aura: "Explain to you? You should first tell me what you've done! Reselling national mineral resources, colluding with outside dealers, lining your own pockets, making a fortune; ignoring underground safety regulations, using substandard support materials, resulting in three miners being injured in a collapse and still lying in the hospital; and even daring to possess standard weapons, instructing his men to resist law enforcement with guns, injuring my team members!"
With each word he spoke, he took a step closer, his imposing aura suffocating. Jiang Hu was so frightened by the ferocity in his eyes that he stumbled backward, his feet barely touching the ground, until his back slammed against the wall with a thud. His face turned from white to pale, his lips trembled, and his previous arrogance vanished.
"Which one of your crimes shouldn't have warranted your arrest?" He Feng's voice suddenly rose, making everyone's ears hurt. "Now you want an explanation? I think you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin!" As he spoke, he gestured with his chin to the team members behind him, his tone leaving no room for argument: "Read him the ledgers, transfer records, and the list of weapons we just found in his office. Let him listen carefully to how many crimes he has committed, and how many sentences he deserves!"
Jiang Hu opened his mouth, wanting to argue a bit more, but his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and he couldn't utter a single word.
He Feng didn't look at him again, but turned to Ma Xin. His tone was calm again, but with an undeniable decisiveness: "Ma Xin, take a few men and take all the evidence we found—ledgers, receipts, photos, and that box of hidden weapons—and inventory it all, seal it up, and take it back to the technical department for filing. Completely seal off this place, put up a cordon, and no one except our people is allowed to enter or leave, to prevent anyone from tampering with the scene or tipping off anyone."
"Understood!" Ma Xin nodded immediately, her eyes resolute. She turned and instructed her team members to begin counting the evidence, her movements swift and meticulous. Sunlight streamed through the steel frame of the mine, falling on He Feng's tense profile and on the evidence being sealed away one by one, as if foreshadowing the end of this heinous crime.
Ma Xin nodded, tightening the canvas bag full of evidence over her shoulder. The strap dug into her shoulder, leaving two faint red marks. She glanced back at Jiang Hu, whose arms were being held by two policemen. His usually arrogant face was now filled with panic, but Ma Xin's eyes held only a cold sense of satisfaction—this evidence was the result of the blood and tears of countless miners. She didn't say another word, turning and following the two officers out the door, her steps firm as if tapping a drumbeat. She had only one thought in her mind: the sooner these things were delivered to the interrogation room, the sooner the miners' grievances would be exposed, and the sooner the covered-up truth would be revealed.
Seeing this, Jiang Hu struggled like a dog whose tail had been stepped on, making muffled barks, probably trying to beg Ma Xin to show some leniency out of past affection, or perhaps trying to shout that he was innocent. He Feng, however, gave him a cold glance, his voice devoid of any warmth, like it had been quenched with ice: "Mine Manager Jiang, don't waste your energy, come with us. The interrogation room in the bureau is much cleaner than your filthy office."
"I want to see my lawyer! I have connections! You can't treat me like this!" Jiang Hu shouted, his neck stiff, trying to use his connections to exert pressure. The veins on his forehead throbbed, and spittle splattered onto the uniforms of the officers in front of him.
He Feng stepped forward, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing him so much that he dared not meet his eyes. His tone carried an undeniable authority: "Alright, now that you're here, nothing you say will matter. But remember, from this moment on, every word you utter will be recorded without exception and used as evidence in court." He knew in his heart that the best way to deal with this seasoned veteran was to keep quiet and avoid unnecessary words. The more he yielded, the more the other party would take advantage of him.
He Feng knew he had to act quickly. Jiang Hu had been able to run rampant in the mining area for so many years; he must have connections everywhere. Those intricate networks of relationships were probably already aware of the situation and were secretly maneuvering. If he couldn't seize the opportunity with solid evidence and firmly close the case, before long, a scapegoat might appear, allowing the real big fish to slip away unnoticed. He gave the officer holding Jiang Hu a sharp, unwavering look, signaling him to take him away immediately, lest Jiang Hu try anything more.