The Strongest Master Venturing Urban
Chapter 139: Using Punishment?

Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Using Punishment?

Although Feng Huzhou just turned sixty this year, his mental state is remarkable, and he hardly looks like a man past his sixties.

If one didn’t know his actual age, many would think he was only forty-seven or forty-eight.

Thanks to his perpetually smiling demeanor and profound shrewdness, he earned the nickname "Smiling Buddha."

"Secretary Feng, I’ve finally met you!"

Wu Liang was so emotional upon meeting Feng Huzhou that he nearly burst into tears.

This expression of finding salvation in the face of imminent disaster was far too genuine to be faked.

"Mayor Wu, what brings you to me?"

Feng Huzhou, though his face remained full of smiles, was filled with confusion inside.

He barely knew the man, so what was this all about?

Motioning for Wu Liang to sit, Feng Huzhou poured him a glass of water.

Wu Liang wasted no time, gulping down the glass in one go before hurriedly speaking.

"Secretary Feng, I’m begging you for help! There’s a collapse at a black coal mine in Qingshi County, two people died, and I’m somewhat involved. You must help me get through this crisis!"

The smile at the corner of Feng Huzhou’s mouth momentarily froze as his sense of bewilderment deepened.

In his heart, he told himself: I hardly know this man, why should I help him?

Seeing Feng Huzhou’s silence, Wu Liang assumed he thought it was a difficult predicament, so he immediately added.

"If you can help me through this crisis, I can give you an extra three hundred thousand."

"Three hundred thousand? What are you even talking about?"

Wu Liang thought Feng Huzhou was putting on an act, so he quickly replied.

"Don’t worry, there’s no one else here. The reason I came to you first when trouble arose is because I completely trust you."

As Wu Liang’s words escalated in absurdity, the smile slowly faded from Feng Huzhou’s face.

"I have no idea what you’re talking about. I have other matters to attend to; please leave!"

Seeing Feng Huzhou issue an explicit order to leave, the fury in Wu Liang’s eyes immediately ignited.

"This is truly disappointing! Earlier, I gave you three hundred thousand to help me secure the Tianhai Municipal Committee Secretary position. When you failed me, I didn’t even bring it up! Now that I’m in trouble, you’re acting like you don’t owe me anything?"

Feng Huzhou was taken aback, asking him incredulously.

"Are you certain I took your three hundred thousand?"

"Definitely, the money was transferred by my wife through an overseas bank to Chen Bin."

Having been a public official for many years, Wu Liang naturally knew that there should be no trace when it came to gifting money.

Thus, whenever transferring funds or receiving payments, he would always have his wife open a new account abroad under a false identity.

Once a transaction was complete, the account would be immediately closed, ensuring absolute safety.

Now hearing that Feng Huzhou refused to acknowledge it, he suddenly felt a twinge of regret. In hindsight, he should have left evidence behind.

Scratching his head, Feng Huzhou felt increasingly clueless.

"Whoever you gave the money to, go find them. I don’t know this Chen Bin at all."

"Secretary Feng, given the urgency of the situation, you’re still putting on an act! If you think three hundred thousand isn’t enough, I can add another seven hundred thousand. As long as you help me survive the Qingshi Mountain coal mine issue, I’ll have my wife transfer the funds immediately!"

Never in his life had Feng Huzhou taken such unjust pressure, and he slammed the table in anger.

"Let me repeat myself: I’ve never received any benefits from you, nor do I know this Chen Bin. If you dare spout nonsense again, I’ll have security toss you out right now!"

At this point, Wu Liang was desperate and livid, pointing angrily at Feng Huzhou and shouting.

"Fine, you’re denying it, huh? If anything happens to me, you won’t get away with it!"

With that, he stormed out and slammed the door.

Sitting on the sofa, Feng Huzhou felt utterly baffled by Wu Liang’s behavior.

But judging by the man’s demeanor, it seemed he truly had sent some sort of gift.

Could it be that someone was using his name to deceive outsiders?

In an instant, the name Chen Bin mentioned earlier by Wu Liang flashed through Feng Huzhou’s mind!

Walking out of the office, Wu Liang was equally puzzled by Feng Huzhou’s reaction.

Having lived for decades, his skill in reading people was already impeccable.

Feng Huzhou’s reaction earlier truly didn’t resemble a performance.

Could it be that Chen Bin was using Feng Huzhou’s name to intentionally deceive him?

But after careful consideration, that seemed unlikely.

Chen Bin was merely a minor secretary; how could he dare to muster such boldness?

Furthermore, Feng Lei had explicitly said before that if anything happened, just find Chen Bin.

Thinking of this, Wu Liang concluded that Feng Huzhou had undoubtedly accepted the money but was unwilling to help now.

Meanwhile, in the Tianhai Municipal Committee Secretary’s office.

Cao Sanjin asked Deng Jiabao, "Is there any new progress with Huang Ming?"

The latter sighed softly.

"Nothing yet; no matter what I ask, he stubbornly refuses to speak."

"What about his secretary? Has he said anything?"

"Same story—I suspect they’ve coordinated in advance."

"Looks like we’ll need to take a tougher approach."

Deng Jiabao looked at Cao Sanjin in shock, slightly dumbfounded.

"Using torture might not be appropriate, right?"

"Torture? No, I mean we need a strategy to convince Huang Ming to talk sooner."

After pondering briefly, Deng Jiabao nodded.

Returning to his office, he swiftly issued orders to change interrogation tactics, demanding that Huang Ming and Zhou Jiajun’s cases be broken within two days!

Sure enough, armed with statements from Xie Shan and Xu Huwen, and constant psychological pressure from Deng Jiabao, Zhou Jiajun was the first to yield.

Ever since Zhou Jiajun had slept with Xu Huwen, he had not been aligned with Huang Ming.

Though he enjoyed Xu Huwen’s services daily, he always felt uneasy.

Fearing their affair might be exposed.

Now, with the chance to take down Huang Ming, he decided to deliver the fatal blow.

Even if Huang Ming didn’t end up in jail, he would still face dismissal.

Only if he were reduced to an ordinary person could Zhou Jiajun genuinely feel at ease.

After securing Zhou Jiajun’s confession, Deng Jiabao immediately placed the evidence in front of Huang Ming.

Initially, Huang Ming assumed this was a setup intended to sow discord, but when he saw the signature section bearing Zhou Jiajun’s handwriting, he finally couldn’t hold back and fell to his knees with a loud thud.

"I’ll confess, I’ll tell you everything! Please, I beg you, give me a chance to atone for my crimes!"

Huang Ming had initially been waiting for Wu Liang to pull strings and save him, but as time dragged on, there was no movement whatsoever.

Moreover, those close to him had confessed—if he didn’t speak now, he’d truly lose his opportunity.

With a cold sneer in his heart, Deng Jiabao responded.

"Had you realized this sooner, things wouldn’t have gotten so complicated. Get up and write everything you know down, don’t leave out a single detail!"

To secure leniency, Huang Ming confessed not only about the black coal mine incident but also about bribes given to Wu Liang, documenting it all meticulously.

Since this matter implicated the mayor, Deng Jiabao did not dare to make any unilateral decisions, immediately reporting the situation to Cao Sanjin.

Cao Sanjin, in turn, sped straight to the province to inform Peng Shaobo.

When Peng Shaobo received the news, he was furious.

He ordered the Provincial Disciplinary Inspection Commission to immediately establish a task force to investigate Wu Liang.

Moreover, the matter was assigned to the Provincial Disciplinary Committee Secretary for direct oversight.

The following morning.

As soon as Wu Liang stepped into his office, he was taken away by the Provincial Disciplinary Inspection Commission’s investigative team.

Upon hearing the news, Xu Tai immediately called Wang Jun.

He relayed the details of the incident.

Wang Jun chuckled, saying, "I believe it won’t be long before I’ll have to address you as Mayor Xu."

Xu Tai didn’t say much and directly hung up the phone.

However, in contrast to Wang Jun’s cheerful demeanor, Chen Bin’s expression grew increasingly grim.

He promptly found Xu Ruoxuan and used her phone to contact Feng Lei.

After explaining the situation, it didn’t take long for investigators from the province to arrive.

This time, the person being apprehended was none other than Chen Bin!