District Chief Liang’s calculations were meticulous, but he never expected his status to count for nothing here.

He expected even less that the Municipal Bureau was coincidentally handling a case at the hospital, and that they discovered narcotics on his younger brother—drug use and trafficking were vastly different matters.

He understood then: his brother was finished.

He didn't know the exact quantity of the drugs, but he knew his brother well enough to be certain the amount wouldn't be small.

This kid lacked ability but possessed enormous ambition; whatever he did, he insisted on doing it big.

District Chief Liang had set him up with a renovation company, and pulling in a few jobs through his connections would have been no problem, but the boy complained that renovations made money too slowly—a mere few tens of thousands a month wasn't enough to spend. He insisted on getting into some kind of agency business, ultimately losing over a million, and it was District Chief Liang who had to clean up the mess.

Ever since discovering his brother was using drugs, District Chief Liang had been deeply worried that the kid would eventually cause trouble. Now, that worry had materialized; this time, his drug use had indeed led to a major incident.

The ambulance arrived just then; the driver, kicked severely by Long Feng, was still unconscious.

After the ambulance carried the driver away, District Chief Liang left with his secretary, offering no farewells to anyone.

He came in a hurry and left in a hurry, but a significant weight lifted from Huang Ze’s heart.

He hadn't anticipated such a sudden turn in the case. Now, the Municipal Bureau would definitely take over; this wasn't a case he submitted, but one they actively claimed, so it wouldn't affect him at all.

Moreover, discovering this drug use and trafficking case meant he might actually receive commendation.

For him, this might be the best possible outcome.

“Just a Deputy District Chief, acting so arrogant? Zhang Yang, don't worry about this; leave it to me. As long as his background isn't clean, I guarantee you'll be satisfied!”

Long Cheng finally spoke, delivering harsh words immediately.

The person who committed the offense was the District Chief’s brother, not the official himself. Even if people here knew the impure motive behind his visit to the police station, they couldn't detain him.

They couldn't detain him, but that didn't mean the matter would be dropped.

Huang Hai chuckled, “Brother Cheng, hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. I know this District Chief Liang; he isn't very broad-minded. If we let him stick around, he’ll eventually cause trouble for us brothers!”

Huang Ze’s eyelids twitched unnaturally.

What kind of people were these, discussing the downfall of a Deputy District Chief so casually, as if removing one was an easy feat.

If that were true, their influence was immeasurable. He realized he hadn't misjudged the situation today; at least by siding with Zhang Yang, he had placed himself on Zhang Yang’s side.

At that moment, he suddenly recalled something Zhang Yang had said earlier, about him being one of his own people.

One of his own—what a pleasant title. He now desperately wished to be one of them. Looking at these individuals, he could tell their power was substantial; latching onto their coattails would undoubtedly benefit him.

“Rest assured, if the District Chief proves troublesome, a Deputy District Chief—Hmph!”

Long Cheng snorted, a fierce glint in his eyes at the end.

Although Long Cheng wasn't in officialdom, the Long family's influence had long permeated it. This incident involved more than just Zhang Yang; Long Feng was implicated too.

Once Long Feng was involved, it became the Long family’s affair. If the Long family made a move, dealing with a Deputy District Chief was certainly manageable.

Even the District Chief would only present a slight complication. The Long family’s power was far greater than most people imagined, though this relied on the family’s collective strength; Long Cheng alone couldn't manage it, as the other man was an official.

“Lawyer Hu, the victim is right here. I won't concern myself with their other crimes, but I will pursue this act of bestiality to the very end!”

Zhang Yang added, causing Huang Ze to pause briefly, immediately recalling Zhang Yang's earlier report.

Judging by his demeanor, he intended to pursue these individuals relentlessly. Given the charge of drug trafficking, adding attempted rape wouldn't make much difference.

“Mr. Zhang, please don’t worry, we will fully cooperate with this case. Lawyer Hu, please come with me!”

Before Lawyer Hu could speak, Huang Ze preemptively declared his cooperation.

The situation was now crystal clear; only a fool would fail to make the right judgment now. While adding icing to the cake wasn't as good as offering help in the snow, it was certainly better than doing nothing.

“Mr. Zhang, please wait a moment, I need to check on the victims!”

Lawyer Hu hurriedly agreed, and Huang Ze led them toward the office where Nannan and the others were situated.

Hu Xin and Gu Cheng were inside; they had witnessed everything happening outside and were now dumbfounded.

They didn't know the identities of Huang Hai or Long Cheng, but they recognized the cars. None of the vehicles present were ordinary; judging by the cars, none of these people were simple figures.

They still didn't know when Zhang Yang had gotten involved with such young masters; among these people, they only recognized Young Master Su.

However, what transpired was deeply satisfying; none of these men seemed to fear that District Chief Liang, yet Liang himself had retreated miserably. This instantly alleviated much of the pressure they had felt earlier.

When the common people clashed with officials, not only Nannan and Xiaodai were scared; even they had felt apprehension.

Now that District Chief Liang had left, and in such a dejected manner, that burden on their hearts naturally vanished.

Huang Ze escorted Lawyer Hu and the others to that location, then took his leave. Lawyer Hu needed to assess the situation privately with the parties involved, and as the investigating officer, his presence wasn't appropriate.

“Since you’re all here, let’s have dinner together later!” Zhang Yang said cheerfully to the group. They had been eating when they heard he was at the precinct and immediately rushed over without finishing their meal; Zhang Yang would remember their gratitude.

“I almost forgot, I’m actually starving!”

Li Ya was the first to respond, clutching his stomach dramatically. After all that commotion, they were truly hungry, though perhaps not as exaggeratedly as he presented.

“No rush, I’ll call Secretary Jiao first; I need to handle this District Chief Liang matter promptly!”

Long Cheng waved his hand, taking out his phone and stepping aside to make a call.

Secretary Jiao was the District Secretary, ranking much higher than District Chief Liang—the top authority here.

Long Cheng had a decent relationship with Secretary Jiao, and now, moving against someone in his jurisdiction, it was proper etiquette to inform him first, lest it seem disrespectful.

“Thud!”

As Long Cheng went to make his call, the restaurant owner, who had been standing by all this time, suddenly felt his legs go weak, plopping down onto the floor.

He had desperately clung to Boss Liang earlier, relying entirely on District Chief Liang’s influence. Now, that powerful support clearly meant nothing to these men, who were actively planning to sever it.

If anyone else had said such things, he would have dismissed it as boasting, but these men were obviously different. When District Chief Liang was present, they genuinely hadn't treated him with deference; their words likely held weight.

If District Chief Liang fell, his own fate was sealed.

He then remembered Zhang Yang’s earlier warning about impending bankruptcy. For a businessman, bankruptcy was akin to a death sentence, the severest punishment possible.

“Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zhang, I was wrong! I’ll tell them to change, to change their statements, to tell the truth!”

The owner seemed to grasp the situation and immediately scrambled toward Zhang Yang, reaching out as if to grab his leg.

He was weeping pitifully, snot and tears streaming down his face as he spoke.

Zhang Yang frowned, shifting his foot slightly to evade the man; this display was too repulsive, and Zhang Yang wanted no part in being embraced like that.

“Who is this guy?”

Su Zhantao asked Mi Xue in astonishment. Mi Xue hadn't mentioned the owner's involvement earlier, so the others were unaware of the situation.

“He’s the owner of the restaurant…”

Mi Xue also shook her head in disgust and recounted the owner’s misdeeds while the owner lay on the ground, sobbing and begging Zhang Yang.

“Bastard! Not only did he fail to help his own employees when they were wronged, but he sided with outsiders!”

Before Mi Xue could finish, Young Master Su erupted in fury, stepping forward and kicking the owner hard in the backside. Unappeased by the first kick, he delivered several more in quick succession.

It wasn’t just him; Li Ya also rushed forward and joined the kicking spree. Huang Hai and Long Cheng, being more composed, managed to restrain themselves despite their strong urge to participate.

Quite a few police officers were present, but at this moment, they all turned their heads away, returning to their respective offices to busy themselves.

This was a precinct; physical assault wasn't appropriate here, but these individuals delivering the blows were certainly not people they could afford to offend. Furthermore, the restaurant owner deserved it. If their attire hadn't been different, some of the officers might have joined in kicking him.

Nannan and Xiaodai, who were being questioned by Lawyer Hu, both hurried to look toward the courtyard.

The owner had always been miserly. If their manager hadn't been kind, the two women wouldn't have stayed there long. Seeing the owner getting beaten now brought them a sense of satisfaction.

After kicking for a while until they were tired, Su Zhantao and Li Ya stopped.

The restaurant owner lay on the ground, groaning continuously. He hoped that letting these men vent their anger through a beating would be enough, and if they calmed down, his business might still have a chance of survival.

Lawyer Hu finished gathering the facts at this point and walked out of the room.

The case itself wasn't inherently difficult; the key issue was the restaurant staff’s testimony being unfavorable to Nannan and Xiaodai, but this wasn't insurmountable for Lawyer Hu.

Lawyer Hu advised Nannan and Xiaodai to first go to the hospital to get checked, at least obtaining a minor injury assessment, and then proceed to the Women's Federation to sue both the restaurant and that Boss Liang.

Two frail women being harassed by guests, with the restaurant offering no assistance—this narrative would easily garner sympathy from the Women's Federation.

Within the Federation, there were many elite women who strongly detested such matters. Gaining their support meant the case was halfway to success.

As for the restaurant employees, whether they changed their testimony or not didn't matter much; under mounting pressure, they would be forced to change it anyway, not to mention the precinct officers would conduct a thorough investigation.

The precinct was now completely on their side; handling this case would be much easier.

Once Lawyer Hu made his decision, everyone immediately set to work. Zhang Yang slapped his forehead; why hadn't he thought of getting the forensic examination first?

He was a doctor, yes, but not a lawyer. Lawyers prioritized actions beneficial to the case, whereas his primary thought was to get justice for his friends and ensure Nannan and Xiaodai were safe.

With different angles of thought, the resulting solutions were naturally different.

There is something scheduled for tonight, so the next update will be late, expected around midnight. My apologies to the readers.