Chapter 126: Zhao Pengcheng's Confession

Upon hearing that Lin Liangming had confessed, Zhao Pengcheng did indeed panic for a fleeting moment. However, he quickly regained his composure, realizing this was merely a deception—an interrogation tactic employed by Yang Dong. The investigator was deliberately lying to him, hoping to trick him into rushing his own confession. Unfortunately for Yang Dong, Zhao was no novice fresh out of training. Having worked for many years and spent several years in the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, he was well-versed in such parlor tricks.

"You, young comrade, are bordering on inducing a confession," Zhao sneered, staring at Yang Dong with a smug expression, as if he had successfully exposed the investigator's scheme. "As a member of the Discipline Inspection Commission, you shouldn't be using such underhanded tactics!"

Seeing that Zhao’s mind remained sharp and that he had not suffered a mental breakdown despite days of repeated interrogation, Yang Dong couldn't help but sigh. These officials, bold enough to engage in corruption, bribery, and illegal conduct, certainly possessed some mettle. After all, any official daring to dip their hands into the till was by nature audacious. Being both bold and meticulous made such officials exceptionally difficult to handle. If he hadn't already possessed concrete evidence of Zhao's criminal activities, it would have been nearly impossible to infiltrate his defenses and achieve a breakthrough in such a short time.

"Is that so? You think I'm trying to induce a confession?" Yang Dong’s expression remained unchanged. He was not perturbed by having his methods exposed. This interrogation was a game of patience; it was about who could hold out longer, waiting for the other to reveal a flaw and be taken down in one fell swoop.

"If it isn't an induced confession, then what is it?" Zhao scoffed, shaking his head at Yang Dong with disdain. "Young comrade, your tactics are too amateur." There was a look of immense satisfaction in his eyes. Even if he couldn't escape, he was determined not to provide a single piece of evidence. If they had the guts, the Municipal Commission could conclude the case with zero testimony. He wanted to see if anyone at the Commission possessed the audacity to do that. He knew well that the disciplinary oversight groups from higher authorities were no joke; if they caught wind of procedural irregularities, heads would roll. Having worked in the discipline departments of other cities for years, he understood the system perfectly.

"Lin Liangming confessed that all the cash found in his home belongs to you," Yang Dong stated calmly. "He also disclosed where that dirty money came from. You two colluded to manipulate personnel affairs, interfering with various promotions and appointments within the Municipal Organization Department. Lin confessed that whenever the department decided to promote an official, before the news was leaked, you and he would approach the candidate, drop hints, and imply that a payment would secure the promotion. The official, unaware of the truth, would fall for the trap and pay up—at least several hundred thousand per transaction."

"Once the official was promoted, they wouldn't attribute it to standard organizational procedure; they would simply be grateful for your 'help.' As high-ranking officials in the Organization Department, you two were exploiting this information gap to line your pockets! To put it mildly, you were profiting from internal secrets. To put it bluntly, you were subverting the organization and using it to commit crimes! With your crimes reaching this magnitude, how do you still have the nerve to hide it? Where do you find the audacity to hold out?"

Bang!

Yang Dong slammed his hand on the table and roared at Zhao. Interrogation required strategy; there was a time for calm, a time for empathy, and a time for fury. Right now, Yang Dong had to show rage to instill fear. Zhao had relied on his past experience in the disciplinary commission to strip away his sense of awe for the organization, allowing him to use it for personal gain. But now, that sense of fear was returning.

Indeed, Zhao’s complexion visibly paled. He looked up at Yang Dong, his eyes filled with shock. "He... Lin Liangming... did he really confess?" At that moment, Zhao felt his blood pressure truly skyrocketing. Previously, he had faked high blood pressure to delay the interrogation, but now it was very real. He could not believe that his most trusted friend, Lin, had betrayed him. He hadn't believed Yang Dong earlier because he was convinced it was a bluff. But the details Yang Dong described were exactly how he and Lin had been operating. They had spent their time hunting for potential promotees and extorting them. It was a low-risk, high-reward scheme because the officials who paid were too afraid to speak out, and no one inside the Organization Department suspected them.

Of course, they weren't idiots; they had their red lines. They never targeted officials directly promoted by Secretary Wu Xinkai or Mayor Hou Yong, nor did they touch anyone above the deputy division level. They stayed in the shadows, focusing on promotions from deputy section to section chief, or section chief to deputy division, ensuring a near-hundred-percent success rate.

Now that Lin had spilled the beans, the dam had broken. "Fine, Lin Liangming, if you want to play dirty, don't blame me for being unrighteous," Zhao thought bitterly.

"Section Chief Lü, and this young comrade... I confess!" Zhao said, his face ashen as he looked at Lü Yanqing and Yang Dong. He didn't know Yang Dong's name, so he addressed him as 'young comrade.'

"Zhao Pengcheng, let me introduce you. This is Comrade Yang Dong, the chief of the Tenth Special Case Investigation Group of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection," Lü Yanqing said, noticing Zhao’s ignorance.