Unfortunately, he couldn't get in; the hallway was narrow and had already been cordoned off by the police. Some patrons who hadn't yet left were watching the spectacle from a distance, inquiring about what was happening inside.

The exact details were impossible to glean, so they could only speculate among themselves. "The gun is here!" Chang Feng suddenly emerged, holding the separated pieces of the handgun and the magazine.

"I am Chang Feng, Director of the Inspection Department of the Provincial Public Security Bureau. This is my identification.

I disarmed him. I’d like to ask, what right does he have to point a gun at a civilian without cause?

Is this still the old society?" Chang Feng spoke slowly, his tone snapping into sharp severity on the last sentence. As he spoke, he tossed an ID badge to the captain.

Of everyone present, Chang Feng was the only one employed by a government department, and as someone from the Provincial Public Security Bureau, his rank surpassed that of the bureau chief standing there. "Provincial Bureau, Inspection Department, Director!" The captain was completely dumbfounded, taking the identification Chang Feng offered with a trembling hand.

The ID was indeed issued by the Provincial Public Security Bureau; it wasn't forged. As a criminal police captain, he had dealt with Provincial Bureau personnel before and recognized their official credentials.

However, back then, he was merely cooperating, and even ordinary staff from the Provincial Bureau carried themselves with an air of arrogance in front of him; different jurisdictions dictated different statuses. If mere personnel acted like that, what could be expected of a cadre at the Section Chief level?

A Section Chief—in Lieshan, that was equivalent to a County Head or Party Secretary. "D-Director Chang, hello!" The captain carefully handed the ID back to Chang Feng.

As he did so, his hands shook even more violently. The Inspection Department hadn't been established long, but it was a division specifically tasked with overseeing the police—the people they dreaded encountering most.

This man before him was the head of all inspectors in the province. Forget the captain; even the bureau chief beside him could be investigated however the Director saw fit.

That bureau chief was also somewhat stunned. After all that commotion, he hadn't expected a Director from the Provincial Bureau’s Inspection Department to show up.

To be fair, his own rank was insufficient for frequent interaction with the Provincial Bureau; otherwise, he would certainly have met Chang Feng before. "I was the one who took the gun.

This wasn't an assault on police, nor was anyone attempting to seize a weapon. And you people, flaunting your authority..." Chang Feng said sternly, while Li Ya turned away, suppressing a faint smile.

He truly lived up to being the only one among their group within the system; he wore his authority well. The one who disarmed the chief was Zhang Yang, yet Chang Feng took full responsibility without mentioning him.

Not mentioning Zhang Yang wasn't wrong, as Zhang Yang lacked the authority to take that action. Bringing him up would only complicate matters, whereas Chang Feng possessed the requisite rank to disarm the bureau chief without repercussion.

Chang Feng’s words were severe, and he glared at the bureau chief and the captain after speaking. His title as Director of the Inspection Department placed significant pressure on both men.

Sweat beaded on the captain's forehead; he had no idea what to say, merely staring down at the bureau chief beside him. Simultaneously, he regretted rushing over so hastily.

He thought of Zhang Yang again, branding him a jinx; nothing good ever happened when they encountered him. The matter of the bureau chief pointing a gun at an ordinary person could be blown up into a huge scandal or minimized entirely, depending on how this young Inspection Director chose to proceed.

"Why aren't you speaking? Did the state grant you authority just so you could lord it over people like this?" Chang Feng roared again.

This time, not only the captain was sweating; cold sweat was now pouring down the bureau chief's temples. Just as the captain had guessed, this situation was precarious.

If escalated, it could cost the chief his career, stripping him down to a civilian. After all, the Inspection Director himself had witnessed him holding a gun to someone's head.

If minimized, nothing might come of it. He wasn't aiming for the small outcome now, but he needed to figure out how to shift the blame, at the very least to save his position.

"D-Director Chang, I didn't know you were here. I was protecting the safety of the foreign guest.

Mr. Toda Yamata is a renowned Japanese entrepreneur who invests on behalf of the Japanese Imperial Family.

I was ordered by our Secretary Zhou to treat and protect him well. The reason I drew my weapon so quickly was purely for the foreign guest's safety; there was no other intention!" The bureau chief slowly explained, more sweat slicking his forehead as he spoke.

He had to use the foreigner as a shield first. As for County Secretary Zhou, he had indeed given the order, but only because this foreign guest was being brought in through his efforts.

Toda Yamata was someone who managed funds specifically for the Japanese Imperial Family—in simple terms, the chief financial steward for the Imperial Household, responsible for generating wealth for them. He had received word that Toda Yamata was bringing nearly ten billion Japanese Yen for investment in China, intending to build a massive auto parts factory requiring thousands of workers.

The chief had pulled strings to invite Toda Yamata, hoping to secure this investment through local promotion. If this investment deal succeeded, it would immensely benefit his future career path.

The County Political and Legal Secretary position was opening up soon, and with this achievement, he was certain to be promoted, potentially even stepping up another level in the future. This was an achievement of immense significance, one the county highly valued, granting him numerous preferential conditions.

Chang Feng let out a cold smile, fixing the bureau chief with a sharp gaze. After a moment, Chang Feng spoke quietly, "A foreign guest?

Are you truly considering the safety of the foreign guest?" "I swear, truly, it was for the foreign guest’s safety!" The bureau chief hastily raised his hand and swore loudly. His demeanor made Chang Feng frown involuntarily.

The way the chief swore looked more like a surrender than the composed assurance of a police officer. Whether his oath was true only he knew, but no one believed his claim that he drew the gun out of concern for the foreigner, as Chang Feng had seen everything clearly.

This was just an excuse, and Chang Feng didn't intend to pursue the matter to the end right there; he would allow the chief this explanation to let him step down for now. There were too many people here, and continuing the disturbance would look bad.

"Toda Yamata, an investor for the Imperial Family?" Zhang Yang suddenly interjected, glancing into the room with feigned surprise. However, the name Toda Yamata truly didn't ring a bell for him.

In his previous life, Zhang Yang had never dealt with Japanese people; he’d never visited Japan or accepted invitations from wealthy Japanese businessmen, making it even more impossible in this lifetime. What caught his attention most was "Imperial Family Investor." This reminded him of a case he experienced in his past life, around the latter half of '98, when a major fraud case erupted domestically.

A Japanese man had successfully defrauded several local governments across the country before fleeing with a huge sum of money. Later, an official who was defrauded jumped from a building in despair but didn't die, eventually being transferred to the hospital where Zhang Yang worked.

He learned about the incident from that patient. It had a massive impact but was never made public.

Thinking back now, the scammer mentioned then seemed to be Toda Yamata, who had used the guise of investing for the Japanese Imperial Family to perpetrate the fraud. The trick itself wasn't very sophisticated; a simple telegram to the Imperial Household would have revealed the truth.

Unfortunately, people at the time were mesmerized by the term "Imperial Family," assuming no one in Japan would dare impersonate them, so they failed to verify. Furthermore, once one person believed it, it gave confidence to others, and belief snowballed until the lie became accepted as fact, leading to immense losses.

Connecting the dots, Zhang Yang was almost certain that the person in the room was the fraudster he'd heard about in his past life, though he hadn't expected the scammer to target Lieshan County. On second thought, it made a certain kind of sense.

Lieshan County had poor transportation, lacked major regional advantages, and had no significant markets. Why would anyone place a huge auto parts factory there?

Only a fraudster would come here; their sole objective was to swindle money. Sadly, the local people wouldn't think that way.

Take the bureau chief, for example; they viewed this as luck falling from the sky, determined to secure the investment at all costs, unaware they were courting an illusion. "What Imperial Family investor?

He’s just a Japanese person!" Su Zhantao stood behind Zhang Yang. Hearing Zhang Yang mutter to himself, he spoke up indignantly.

Even he hadn't doubted the Japanese man's identity. "I'll return the gun to you for now.

You must immediately write a report on this matter. While the foreign guest's safety must be considered, overreactions are unacceptable!" Chang Feng finally relented.

He, too, hadn't doubted the Japanese man. In this era of Reform and Opening Up, many foreigners were indeed coming to invest in the country; an appearance from the Japanese Imperial Family wasn't necessarily strange.

Moreover, the title "Imperial Family" had successfully bluffed him. He was unaware that the Japanese Imperial Family rarely managed companies directly, let alone invested abroad.

If even Chang Feng was unaware, what could be expected of others? "Wait a moment, Brother Chang, come here for a second.

I need to tell you something!" Zhang Yang suddenly tugged at Chang Feng. Chang Feng, who was about to hand over the gun, retracted his hand when pulled.

The bureau chief, poised to receive the weapon, could only wait, silently cursing Zhang Yang under his breath, though he dared not utter a word. Zhang Yang pulled Chang Feng directly into the dining room where they had eaten; it was now empty.

Inside, Zhang Yang quietly told Chang Feng that Toda Yamata might be a fraudster. Based on the timeline, Toda Yamata might have already secured some funds through deceit.

"Are you sure?" Upon hearing Zhang Yang's words, Chang Feng’s eyes widened. If this was true, it would be a major case.

"I heard someone mention this person to me once. I can’t be completely certain yet, but a little investigation won't cost much.

Look closely into his background, especially check with the Japanese Imperial Household; you might find something amiss!" Zhang Yang shook his head slightly. He was certain, of course, but he couldn't state it outright; he couldn't explain the source of his certainty, so he used vague language.

Investigating, digging a little deeper, indeed wouldn't take much effort—and it would be best if they did. If any problems were uncovered, it would prevent losses, especially the kind Zhang Yang mentioned.

If local governments had already been swindled, the losses could be substantial. Some places, desperate to show achievements in attracting investment, would do anything.

………… Thank you, friends, for your support. We’ve reached 1437.

At least six updates; this is the fourth. Little Yu will keep writing; the fifth update will be around six in the morning.

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