Chapter 69: Yang Dong Faces Interrogation

At the same time that Yin Tiejun spoke privately with Mayor Hou Yong by phone, events were unfolding in the temporary interrogation room of the Second Prosecutor’s Office in the City Procuratorate building.

“Comrade Yang Dong, please answer our questions directly!” Che Jinpeng’s expression was icy as he stared at Yang Dong, his voice stern.

Yang Dong straightened in his seat, a faint smile on his lips, and nodded. “Alright, I’ll answer.”

Che Jinpeng glanced at the two young prosecutors from the Second Prosecutor’s Office beside him.

The two young prosecutors immediately understood. One placed several written reports of accusations on the table. The other looked at Yang Dong, his tone grave as he began questioning. “Comrade Yang Dong, last September, the City Civilization Center applied for funds to purchase office supplies, requesting an amount of two million yuan.”

“This project was approved by you, correct?”

Yang Dong tried to recall, though the event was from last year, in truth it had been more than ten years ago. He had returned to life, and the distant memories were sometimes hazy. Yet he remembered this matter, for it was the only minor authority he wielded as leader of the Office Supplies Group during his time in the Municipal Administration.

Che Jinpeng watched Yang Dong’s effort to recall and couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. Feigning confusion to delay time, was he? Impossible.

“Well? Was it you who approved it?” Che Jinpeng pressed, his tone becoming sharper.

Yang Dong’s expression grew solemn as he fixed his gaze on Che Jinpeng and countered in a low voice, “Is this how the City Procuratorate enforces the law—using such a tone—when there’s no concrete evidence of my guilt?”

“Or, Director Che, have you already decided I’m guilty? Should I sign a confession now?”

Che Jinpeng gave a cold laugh. “Yang Dong, the fact that the Procuratorate has summoned you means we do have solid evidence.”

“For someone like you who has violated discipline, my attitude is already lenient.”

“Now, stop stalling for time and answer honestly!”

“Three hundred thousand yuan isn’t much, frankly—it doesn’t amount to a major crime.”

“The organization will treat you leniently; there’s no need to resist, right?”

At this point, Che Jinpeng’s tone softened, and even a hint of a smile appeared on his face as he spoke earnestly, as if Yang Dong truly had embezzled thirty thousand yuan, his words sounding utterly convincing.

“I, Yang Dong, am a Party member, and I have principles. I would never do such a thing. I believe the organization will not wrong a good comrade like me.”

“As for your question, yes, I approved it.”

“But the Civilization Center’s application for office funds was a normal business transaction. What’s the issue?”

Yang Dong replied, then immediately countered.

The young prosecutor continued, “But according to the testimony of the Center’s finance chief, you hinted at the time of approval that money would be needed for it to go through. Is that true?”

Yang Dong felt like laughing. These people were truly lawless—fabricating charges for Secretary Yin first, deliberately framing him. Now that Secretary Yin proved impenetrable, they turned to him.

“No such thing happened!” Yang Dong shook his head, his face calm.

“Comrade Yang Dong, the City Procuratorate has received a concrete, real-name accusation. The finance chief personally accused you of hinting at a demand for thirty thousand yuan last September sixteenth.”

“He had no choice but to hand over thirty thousand in cash to you!” Che Jinpeng added, his face righteous.

“So a baseless real-name accusation can be used to slander a comrade?” Yang Dong’s expression chilled as he confronted Che Jinpeng. “If that’s the case, I could file a real-name accusation against you, Director Che, claiming you extorted eight million from me last year. Would the Procuratorate open a case? Would you be investigated?”

“If everyone walks in with a real-name accusation, does that mean anyone can be brought in by your Procuratorate?”

Che Jinpeng remained unfazed, not even angry. He was here to establish Yang Dong’s ‘guilt’—the sooner, the better. Only then could they seize the initiative.

“I have nothing more to say. I did not embezzle or accept bribes, nor did I solicit them from anyone.”

“You can bring the accuser in to confront me!”

Yang Dong shook his head, his tone severe.

“The City Procuratorate has the right to protect the identity of real-name accusers. There’s no need for confrontation!” Che Jinpeng sneered. “Xiao Wang, show him!”

With a cold laugh, Che Jinpeng extracted a certificate issued by the Agricultural Bank from his briefcase.

The young prosecutor, Xiao Wang, stood up and handed the certificate to Yang Dong.

Yang Dong glanced at it—it showed that he had transferred thirty thousand yuan from his passbook half a month ago.

He frowned immediately. Their despicable tricks had no limits.

It truly was a coincidence. Over the years, Yang Dong had saved exactly thirty thousand yuan through frugal living.

And the Center’s real-name accusation claimed he had solicited thirty thousand yuan.

The numbers matched exactly.

In fact, these people had checked his account, seen the thirty thousand transferred, and made a big deal out of it.

The atmosphere in the interrogation room was tense; Yang Dong remained silent, infuriated.

Faced with people who disregarded rules and procedure, deliberately fabricating charges, a suffocating anger welled in his chest.

Everyone said that in recent years, the officialdom of Lingyun City had grown chaotic, the social atmosphere darker still.

But where was the chaos? Where was the darkness?

Perhaps, at this moment, he had seen the tip of the iceberg.

“Do you have anything else to say?” Che Jinpeng squinted and smiled with self-assurance, arms folded across his chest, looking down at Yang Dong.

The interrogation table was thirty centimeters higher than Yang Dong’s chair, imposing a psychological intimidation.

“Are you living in the last century? Can’t you check the transaction details?”

“The bank statement would make it clear where my thirty thousand came from!”

Yang Dong was unhurried, almost amused.

The so-called evidence chain was riddled with holes, just like the chain used to slander Secretary Yin.

Che Jinpeng laughed as well, louder and more confidently, making Yang Dong frown in confusion.

“Show him!” Che Jinpeng instructed Xiao Wang again.

Xiao Wang stood up, taking another paper to Yang Dong—a bank statement.

Yang Dong’s pupils contracted as he saw that the statement was entirely different from his real records.

On September nineteenth last year, his account was credited with thirty thousand yuan.

Then, the withdrawal happened at the end of February this year—the day he traded stocks.

Someone in the bank had deliberately altered the local bank data offline!

Che Jinpeng sneered. Was Yang Dong still going to resist?

“Just confess. Don’t make futile resistance.”

He spoke lazily, asking Yang Dong one last question.

His superiors were waiting for Yang Dong’s testimony and signature—he needed to earn his reward.

Time was slipping away.

Bang, bang!

Just then, the sound of someone tapping a microphone came from the interrogation room’s external equipment.

Then—

“Stop the interrogation. Everyone from the Second Prosecutor’s Office, step outside!”

Qi Dongqiang, dressed in prosecutor’s uniform, stood in the main monitoring room.

He watched everything unfolding in the interrogation room through the monitors.

He tapped the microphone and spoke in a heavy voice.

Che Jinpeng’s face changed rapidly as he shot up from his chair.

His heart sank.

This was bad…