Official Career Storm
Chapter 468

Chapter 468: Chapter 468

"It’s nine o’clock."

Hou Wen reminded.

Song Guanchao grabbed his watch and glanced at it, smiling, "Secretary Hou is getting older and needs more time to think. Let’s extend the time, make it ten o’clock."

Ten o’clock arrived in a flash.

This time, without Hou Wen’s reminder, Song Guanchao grabbed his watch, checked the time, and said earnestly, "Secretary Hou, we have one more hour."

"I am willing to give you one last chance."

"As long as you nod your head now and cooperate proactively, the money that will be transferred later will be counted on your account."

He put down his watch again, facing Hou Wen with the dial, "This time, I am giving you five minutes, the last five minutes, Secretary Hou. I hope you don’t make a decision you’ll regret."

Hou Wen held a smile and silently watched him.

The ticking of the second hand was especially clear in the quiet interrogation room.

Five minutes passed.

Song Guanchao slowly picked up his watch and put it on his wrist, methodically saying, "Secretary Hou, I gave you many chances, and you didn’t cherish them. Don’t blame me for being ruthless."

He picked up his phone and made a call.

"Xiao Wu, organize all the interrogation records from the past two days. I will contact Secretary Wang later, and in front of County Magistrate Fu and Officer Liang, hand over all the interrogation records to Secretary Wang."

"Let all colleagues take a day off tomorrow morning."

Wu Yun had waited all day and hadn’t expected to receive this notification.

"So, are we not continuing the investigation?"

"The case is over now. Next, it will be handed over to the prosecutor’s office. The work of the Disciplinary Committee is completed."

"What about the money..."

"Money? What money? Oh, that money. It will be transferred in one more hour."

"Really transferred?"

"Could there be any doubt?"

After hanging up the call, Song Guanchao then called Fu Ying and Liang Jiajia, asking them to meet with Wu Yun and, in the presence of the three, hand over the interrogation materials to Secretary Wang.

During the call to Liang Jiajia, he additionally said a few more words.

"Officer Liang, after coordinating with Secretary Wang later, send Li Rui, Wang Meihua, and others directly to the detention center."

"Alright."

He then called Secretary Wang: "Secretary Wang, please go to the conference room at the guest house right now. All the materials from the Disciplinary Committee’s interrogations have been organized by Xiao Wu, and the handover is ready now."

Secretary Wang hadn’t slept; all the high-ranking officials in the city were staying up all night.

They were waiting for eleven o’clock.

"Handing over now?" Secretary Wang asked, "Is the work of the Disciplinary Committee completed?"

"It is completed. Please thank Xiao Wu and the others for me. If they are not busy, give them a couple of days off."

"Alright." Secretary Wang didn’t ask further, hung up the call, and immediately headed to the guest house, still curious.

What does it mean to make me go there for the handover at this time?

The departure of the Disciplinary Committee meant the police would enter the scene.

But they and the police had taken over the case simultaneously; now with the Disciplinary Committee leaving, the police might also have to leave.

Next, it should be handed over to the prosecutor’s office.

Eleven o’clock, can the money really be transferred?

...

"Secretary Zhang, are you asleep?"

Song Guanchao said, "In fifty more minutes, the money will be in the account, and I need you to go to the Finance Bureau. Please let me know after the money arrives."

Zhang Meilin replied, "I am at the Finance Bureau now."

He added, "Director Qin and Secretary Sun are also here."

Song Guanchao hummed a response and then called Lu Feng.

Because Disciplinary Committee officials were present, he didn’t use titles and simply said, "Go and book the entire Old Zhang’s Stalls on Preschool Road; I am taking people there to celebrate."

He continued to make calls, this time to Liang Hao, "Mayor Liang, in half an hour, contact Director Xu, Director Liu, Officer Liang... and have them go to Old Zhang’s Stalls on Preschool Road after eleven. I’ve reserved tables there, and tonight, we celebrate, no one leaves sober."

Liang Hao was a bit stunned when he received the call.

Are we celebrating now?

He even checked the time; it was only ten past ten.

"Okay..."

...

Song Guanchao continued making phone calls.

This time, he called Wu Qiangwei.

"Secretary Wu, have you gone to sleep?"

"Has the money been transferred yet?"

"It’s not even eleven yet, no rush."

Song Guanchao said, "I’ve made a reservation; the celebration banquet will be held after eleven. Will Secretary Wu attend?"

Wu Qiangwei didn’t know what to say for a moment.

We haven’t even received the money yet, and we’re already popping champagne?

"Call me when the money is transferred."

Song Guanchao shook his head and then called Wu Ming: "Secretary Song, what is it?"

"Take a trip to the Secretary’s house after eleven; the Secretary will need the car."

After saying this, he hung up, not even bothering to explain.

After the last call, Song Guanchao picked up a cigarette from the table, lit it, and just watched Hou Wen.

Hou Wen shook his head, raised his head, and said, "Secretary Song, stop wasting effort, these tricks are childish."

"If you want my cooperation, you should make an offer that tempts me."

"Not act like a circus clown performing this laughable act in front of me."

Song Guanchao looked into his eyes: "County Magistrate Hou thinks I’m putting on an act?"

Hou Wen did not speak, but his eyes conveyed a clear message.

Song Guanchao said, "Isn’t County Magistrate Hou, being so astute, curious about one thing?"

"Like, why haven’t I used the reduction of sentence as a leverage for you to return the embezzled funds from the beginning?"

Hou Wen raised an eyebrow, reflecting.

Indeed.

After his arrest, Song Guanchao had never mentioned reducing the sentence.

That was strange.

Generally, with such amounts of embezzled money, the authorities would clearly use sentence reduction as a bargaining chip to have the perpetrator return the funds.

Even returning a portion would be acceptable.

But aside from tonight, Song Guanchao had not mentioned it before.

Had he overlooked it?

If it were Director Qin, maybe.

But Song Guanchao managed to get him off the plane in a short span and quickly found Wang Meihua and the other two and captured them.

Clearly, he wasn’t someone who overlooked details.

There was only one possibility.

He was confident about retrieving the embezzled funds some other way.

Hou Wen felt a subtle unease.

He comforted himself; perhaps Song Guanchao was just being arrogant.

If he was so sure, why negotiate with him tonight?

Even pushing back the time again and again.

Song Guanchao saw his panic, tapping his watch: "It’s now seventeen past ten. County Magistrate Hou, would you like me to offer you another chance to choose?"

Hou Wen kept silent, his heart grappling with fierce turmoil.

His usually steady heart had been disturbed by Song Guanchao.

Something he had staunchly believed in was quietly starting to shake, showing cracks.

His rational mind told him it was impossible for Song Guanchao to retrieve the embezzled funds, absolutely impossible!

The money was in his offshore account, which was certain.

Only he could retrieve it from his account.

This wasn’t some complex mathematical problem; it was simply basic banking terms.

Yet Song Guanchao’s words really made him start to doubt himself.

"Five more minutes?" Song Guanchao’s voice like a devil’s temptation: "Secretary Hou, would you like another five minutes to think it over?"

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