The young policeman's face immediately fell again. He was merely the messenger, knowing nothing of the true situation, yet he dared not say he didn't know when questioned by the Chief, so he could only stand there with his head bowed, utterly silent.

"Go and find out what's going on, quickly!" The Chief waved his hand impatiently. This Chief, Xu Zeguang, was truly vexed and deeply frustrated at this moment.

Chief Xu Zeguang had been in the post of Director of the Lieshan County Public Security Bureau for five years. He was a city man, having connected with Yu Wenwu when Yu came down to be the Deputy Secretary, which led to his promotion from Deputy Director to Director.

It could be said that he was a typical member of the Yu faction. After standing for a while, his mood did not improve.

Regardless of how this matter related to Zhang Yang inside, he had to follow Secretary Yu's instructions. If he didn't make it known that he was acting on orders, who knew what new trouble might arise.

Sighing, he returned to the interrogation room. "Find a way to persuade that Zhang Yang to leave.

He cannot remain here!" After saying this, Xu Zeguang walked out, feeling that staying inside would only make him more suffocated, perhaps even to death. In all his years, he had never handled such a humiliating case—exerting so much effort to locate and arrest someone, only to be ordered to send them away before his backside had even warmed the seat.

What was most galling was that this person was unwilling to leave and intended to impose himself upon their Public Security Bureau. "Chief, Chief!" The young policeman from before returned, his face etched with a new layer of fear.

"What is going on?" Xu Zeguang glanced at him coolly, but the young policeman said nothing. He simply handed over a newspaper.

It was this morning's provincial paper, one subscribed to by all units, including the Public Security Bureau. The front page held nothing of interest, but flipping a page, Xu Zeguang froze the moment he saw the society section.

His entire face instantly turned ashen. This section dedicated a full quarter of its space to a single incident, accompanied by photographs.

The images were crystal clear: an arrogant young man, dressed in a police uniform, wielding a hammer and smashing a Mercedes-Benz. The young man's face was clearly captured.

The surrounding figures were less distinct, but it was apparent that none of them were upstanding citizens either; they too were holding objects and participating in the destruction of the vehicle. “Police or Gangster?

Why This Vicious Car Smashing?” Reading the headline softly, sweat immediately beaded on Xu Zeguang’s forehead. Given his connection with Yu Wenwu, he instantly recognized the young man’s identity: it was Yu Yong, the son of Deputy Secretary Yu.

He had even lent a hand when Yu Yong first joined the Public Security Bureau. The quarter-page spread featured a moderately sized photo, with the rest being text.

As Xu Zeguang read the words, the sweat on his brow increased. The content was highly detailed, directly identifying the individual in the police uniform, wielding the hammer and leading a group of clearly unsavory characters in smashing the car.

Not only was his identity revealed, but he was explicitly named as the future County Magistrate’s son. They had only stopped short of calling him the local gang leader.

Furthermore, all the names used were real. The reason for the attack was not elaborated upon in great detail, simply stating that due to a personal grudge, the future County Magistrate’s son, along with a retinue, had destroyed a luxury Mercedes-Benz valued at two million.

After finishing the article, Xu Zeguang’s forehead was completely drenched in cold sweat. He finally understood why Secretary Yu had ordered Zhang Yang's release and why reporters had arrived.

This time, it was truly no small matter; this issue was large enough to shake the heavens. Picking up the paper to examine it closely one more time, Xu Zeguang wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

Yes, it was indeed the provincial paper, and moreover, the foremost one, the one with the largest circulation across the entire province. Such a paper was directly governed by the Propaganda Department, and certain articles required their approval before publication.

Especially an article carrying such clear negative connotations—it would certainly have undergone rigorous review. The fact that an approved article was published meant something Xu Zeguang understood very well.

This was not the end of it, either. Once the provincial paper ran such a report, numerous other media outlets would likely follow suit, and television stations would probably descend as well.

That was the major problem. "Damn it!" Xu Zeguang suddenly slapped his thigh hard and exclaimed urgently.

Yesterday, officers from the Public Security Bureau had been to the scene and towed the smashed Mercedes back to the station. This was also at Secretary Yu’s behest; he knew his son had damaged someone’s property and wanted a chance to dispose of the evidence.

He hadn't expected this incident to break today, with the news breaking so swiftly, giving them no time to react. Xu Zeguang rushed downstairs.

This interrogation room was, after all, on the second floor. The car was in the small yard behind the Public Security Bureau.

He could only pray that no one had discovered the vehicle. He had to get rid of it immediately.

When he reached the back courtyard, he painfully shut his eyes. In front of the car in the courtyard, more than a dozen people were gathered, supervised by five or six surrounding police officers.

These dozen-plus people were constantly snapping photos with cameras, some were carrying video recorders, and one reporter was even filming, gesturing towards the Mercedes behind him while addressing the camera. The most tragic sight was the state of the Mercedes itself, its damage conspicuously evident, covered in numerous footprints.

The luxury car, smashed yesterday by the police, appearing today in the Bureau’s yard—Xu Zeguang realized he wouldn't be able to clear his name even if he had a thousand mouths to speak with, let alone when the situation was already so murky. Xu Zeguang knew that Yu Yong was not technically an officer of their county bureau, but these reporters and the crowd outside wouldn't care about those nuances.

Yu Yong was a police officer, and the car was at the Bureau; that was enough. "Director Xu is here!" Someone shouted, and immediately, reporters spotted him.

The host who was filming also noticed him, and the entire crowd surged towards him. Director Xu, for all his faults, had first-rate reflexes.

Seeing the reporters, he bolted and vanished in a flash. The Chief fled, but the reporters did not relent; they chased after him until Xu Zeguang ordered men to block the stairwell, preventing the journalists from coming upstairs.

However, knowing the Chief was present, they stopped photographing the car and instead crowded the stairwell, taking on the demeanor of people who would not leave until they had spoken to the Director. Arriving upstairs, Xu Zeguang's heart was still pounding wildly.

What time was it? So many reporters had already arrived.

Once the influence of the newspaper spread, countless journalists from other regions would flock here; he couldn't imagine how large the crowd would become. At that point, the Public Security Bureau would inevitably bear the brunt of the fallout.

Thinking of this, Xu Zeguang secretly cursed. He had been utterly ruined by Yu Wenwu and his son this time.

Yu Yong was truly reckless—committing violence while wearing his uniform, as if afraid people wouldn't know he was a police officer. "Zhang, where is Zhang Yang?

How is he doing?" Rushing back to the interrogation room, Xu Zeguang skipped drinking water and immediately shouted out. The officers in the interrogation room, completely unaware of the outside turmoil, looked at their Chief with utter bewilderment.

"He's still locked inside, Chief. He just refuses to leave!" one officer whispered.

"Take me to him, quickly!" Chief Xu wasn't stupid. He understood clearly that Zhang Yang remained the key figure in this affair.

Regardless of whether the article was related to him or not, Zhang Yang was the principal party involved, and they had to secure his cooperation first. If Zhang Yang was willing to speak on their behalf, everything could be smoothed over, perhaps even dismissed as a misunderstanding.

But if Zhang Yang refused to help, or uttered harsher words, the entire Public Security Bureau could suffer the consequences. Moreover, with this incident hitting the provincial paper, it would certainly alarm the city leadership.

How they would ultimately be dealt with remained completely unknown. In any case, the outcome would not be favorable; it all depended on whether the damage was minor or severe.

"Mr. Zhang!" Seeing Zhang Yang sitting inside with his legs crossed, the muscles on Xu Zeguang's face involuntarily trembled, appearing extremely unnatural.

Zhang Yang gave him a faint smile, then turned his head away, completely ignoring him. Zhang Yang knew he was the Chief, and the Chief’s expression confirmed that everything outside was unfolding exactly according to his plan.

Now, the director only needed to sit back and watch the show. No one understood the power of public opinion better than Zhang Yang.

Having lived through the internet age in his previous life, he knew exactly the momentum public sentiment could generate. Once you are targeted by public opinion, it means either disaster or sudden fame.

At such times, disaster is usually the more common outcome. He recalled the famous singer Chi, whose initial offense was not serious, and the Public Security Bureau had already closed the case.

However, when a reporter exposed the matter in print, running a headline like, ‘Star of the Screen, What in Reality,’ he instantly became the target of public scorn, leading to the case being reopened by the police and ultimately resulting in a sentence of several years. But without those few years, those famous prison-written songs would never have appeared.

Zhang Yang understood these dynamics best. He had arranged everything yesterday.

He knew the explosive power of such a report—a smashed luxury car, involving both police and triad members—news like that would be sought after in any era. "Mr.

Zhang, could we perhaps talk somewhere else?" Zhang Yang's refusal to acknowledge him made Xu Zeguang even more furious, yet he dared not show any displeasure on his face. The situation was already dire enough.

If these reporters discovered that the victim detailed in the newspaper report was currently detained by the Public Security Bureau, the problem would become exponentially worse. "No, I think this place is fine.

Oh, and has my lawyer arrived yet?" Zhang Yang finally spoke, but his words caused Xu Zeguang’s facial muscles to twitch several more times. Unwilling to leave and asking about his lawyer—if he could, Xu Zeguang would have loved to bite Zhang Yang a few times.

"Mr. Zhang, your lawyer has arrived.

Shall we bring him in, and we can all speak outside?" Xu Zeguang was forced to swallow his pride and beg Zhang Yang to step outside. He knew clearly that more reporters would gather soon, and making Zhang Yang leave would become much harder.

"That won't be necessary. My lawyer is here to help me file a compensation claim.

My car was smashed by your police here; there must be an accounting. That car is worth a considerable sum; I hardly need to spell out its value to you, do I!" Zhang Yang stated coldly.

Xu Zeguang paused slightly, then a wry smile returned to his face. Zhang Yang’s words clearly indicated he had no intention of settling.

No matter how much hatred Xu Zeguang felt, he was powerless, and dared not treat Zhang Yang improperly at this moment... Ninth update, very tired, Xiao Yu continues writing.

The next chapter should be updated around midnight. I hope those with monthly passes can continue to support me over these next two hours.

Such exhausting writing only allows for a half-minute break when I occasionally stop to check the pages. Seeing the monthly pass count increase is the greatest joy; no matter how tired I am, it feels absolutely worth it.

(To be continued... RQ)