When the leadership learned of the matter and gave it the evaluation of being "an inescapable responsibility," it signaled the leader was furious—and the leader’s anger meant profound dissatisfaction with them.

Within Sun Qi’s heart, the previous sense of stability had utterly dissolved.

It was hardly surprising; until now, it had only concerned the two young masters. Despite the confrontation, the young masters were unharmed, and the police officer who had offended them was severely injured.

Sun Qi denied that the two "young masters" were causing trouble, yet in the deepest recesses of his mind, that was precisely what he believed; he simply dared not admit it aloud.

But now, the Provincial Party Secretary himself had spoken. This elevated the matter to a critical level for him instantly. To handle this poorly, it was no exaggeration to say, would mark the end of his official career.

Though he had his own connections, this particular titan was his superior’s superior; eliminating him, should the need arise, would be effortlessly simple.

He walked back to his office in a daze, completely forgetting that people were still waiting for him in the conference room.

His mind was entirely consumed by Zhao Min’s final statement.

“Foolish!”

Standing before his desk, Sun Qi’s eyes suddenly widened. He smacked the top of his own head, cursing himself aloud.

Zhao Min’s words were grave, but the method for handling the situation had already been laid out for him.

Chang Feng—it had to be Chang Feng. How could he have forgotten Chang Feng?

Chang Feng was the very first person to notify him about this incident. Those two young playboys were supposedly close friends of Chang Feng, and Chang Feng, worried for their safety, had contacted him directly to report their identities.

Since Chang Feng was connected to them, the outcome of the case, if handled by Chang Feng, was almost entirely predictable.

The suggestion Zhao Min offered was, in effect, a clear indication of their stance.

This matter would not be dropped so easily. Parents would never tolerate seeing their children suffer losses. Director Zhou’s visit was for this very reason, and so was Zhao Min’s.

It was just that the two families were adopting different approaches.

Understanding all this, Sun Qi finally exhaled slightly and remembered the people waiting for him in the conference room.

He hurried back, and not long after, the meeting concluded. Niu Qian’s case was handed over entirely to Chang Feng for disposition. Chang Feng was, after all, the director of the Supervision Department, overseeing the police force. Since the root cause of the case was police dereliction of duty and abuse of power, assigning it to him was something no one could logically object to.

Director Niu strongly opposed the decision, but his objection was utterly useless; no one else would risk offending the two powerful figures for his sake.

“Yes, Director, I understand. Rest assured, I will investigate everything clearly and will not disappoint you!”

In a grand hotel not far from the Police Bureau, several people were relaxing in a luxurious suite. Chang Feng was taking a phone call in a corner.

Yang Ling had taken her sister, Yang Rui, into the bedroom, quietly comforting and counseling her. For a young woman to endure such an ordeal, it could induce thoughts of death. Yang Ling knew she absolutely had to watch over her sister now and offer proper guidance.

“What happened?” Huang Hai asked as soon as Chang Feng hung up the phone.

They were unaware of the events transpiring at the Police Department headquarters. They had still been discussing what methods they could use to destroy that man named Niu if it proved inconvenient for the families of Su Zhantao and Zhang Yang.

“The Director just said this case is assigned to me, and I need to ascertain the full truth as quickly as possible. Any difficulties in the investigation, the department will offer full support!”

Chang Feng shrugged, feeling somewhat bewildered himself.

It was his jurisdiction to handle this case, yes, but with so many people involved, it clearly exceeded the scope he usually managed. It was strange that the Director would hand such a complex case to him, granting him complete authority, with only departmental support and no interference or inquiry.

“Isn't that perfect? Young Master Su has the evidence. We’ll charge him with attempted rape, then throw in abuse of authority and framing an innocent person. Let’s get him sentenced to ten or twenty years first, and then we’ll find someone to finish him off in prison!” Li Ya declared fiercely. Leaving aside the connection between Yang Ling and Young Master Su, anyone would be enraged by such an incident. Even if a stranger were involved, he would step in to help. A police bureau leader who deliberately framed someone, had them arrested, and then intended to commit sexual assault—such a person was scum, merely wasting resources by existing.

“Li Ya, watch your mouth!” Long Cheng shot Li Ya a look, but a smile was playing on his lips, growing wider by the moment.

Zhang Yang frowned initially, then a smile followed. Even Huang Hai seemed to have a sudden realization, though Li Ya and Su Zhantao were still slightly confused.

“This time, we won't need to deal with him in prison; he’s finished either way!” Long Cheng said with a laugh. They had initially assumed such a high-profile case would require direct handling by a major figure, so they hadn't considered other outcomes. That’s why they had looked confused when the case was handed to Chang Feng.

But the confusion lasted only a moment. Now, they all understood, grasping the significance of the Police Department’s action. It seemed the Bureau had come under considerable pressure to entrust the entire handling of this case to Chang Feng. What was Chang Feng’s relationship to them? Giving it to him meant that however they wanted to twist Niu Qian, it was entirely up to them.

Framing an innocent, abuse of power, attempted rape—with a little maneuvering from Chang Feng, any one of these three charges could be solidified. There were plenty of witnesses here; once the stakes were made clear, no one would dare deny their testimony against Niu Qian. This was just the prelude; for such an arrogant man, no one would believe he hadn’t committed other offenses. Having a case hanging over him was enough. Once he fell into Chang Feng’s hands, all those other misdeeds could be squeezed out of him. In that scenario, his life and death would rest entirely in their control.

“I wonder which of your families put in the effort to pressure the Police Department this much? This is effectively handing the case over to us to manage ourselves!” Huang Hai said with a chuckle, glancing at Su Zhantao and Zhang Yang as he spoke.

Once pointed out, Li Ya and Su Zhantao also understood. They weren't dense; they had simply been too close to the situation to see clearly.

“Exactly. The Police Department is being incredibly generous this time. Even the Deputy Director couldn’t hold the line. Someone from both your families must have stepped in!” Li Ya chuckled. Chang Feng had previously informed them that the person who clashed with Su Zhantao and the others today was not simple; he had background, and it was within the same system. If the highest figures within their own system couldn't protect him, one could imagine the immense pressure the Police Department was under. The only ones capable of exerting such pressure were the families of those two young masters.

“Don't look at me; it has nothing to do with me. Zhantao called his father, immediately saying he’d been kidnapped. Getting this result is only normal!” Zhang Yang waved his hand. He hadn't mentioned Su Zhantao’s call earlier, assuming it was Su Zhantao’s father who had erupted in anger, forcing the Police Department to compromise. As for himself, he had only felt revulsion, so he hadn't given it much thought.

“Zhang Yang, you’re mistaken this time. The Director just told me that Director Zhou from the Government Office personally visited the department, but the suggestion to have Chang Feng handle the case came from Secretary Zhao, who also visited the department!” Chang Feng smiled lightly. None of their guesses were entirely wrong; the families of both had intervened this time. They had acted jointly, even Secretary Zhao personally appearing at the Police Department. It was no wonder the Department couldn't withstand the pressure.

Everyone understood: handing the case to Chang Feng was tantamount to handing it to them.

“Secretary Zhao went in person?” Long Cheng and Huang Hai were slightly stunned. None of them were ordinary people, and they immediately grasped the significance of Secretary Zhao making a personal appearance. Moreover, the directive for Chang Feng to take charge came directly from Secretary Zhao.

Even Su Zhantao looked at Zhang Yang with a degree of envy now, his heart feeling a bit sour. They were both sons. After his trouble, he had immediately informed his father, yet only a Director from the Government Office had shown up—an old man who wasn't truly one of his father's people. Zhang Yang’s situation was different; his father had shown up personally, offered strategies, and was practically stating, I’m here to avenge my son; you handle it, or I’ll make trouble for you. Compared this way, Su Zhantao naturally felt a bit choked up and uneasy. This time, it was he who had been wronged, while Zhang Yang was only implicated for helping him, yet the resulting treatment was drastically different.

Zhang Yang was also momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected the ‘resented father’ he had never met to help him in this way. Before, he had never even considered this person would intervene. Furthermore, when Chang Feng mentioned Secretary Zhao’s name, Zhang Yang had braced himself for another wave of discomfort, but to his surprise, there was no ill feeling in the end. He wondered if the contrast was the reason, or if the feeling of someone quietly caring was simply a good sensation. This time, Zhang Yang felt calm. Not repulsed, but not excited either, nor was there a shred of happiness or gratitude. This feeling was strange; it would seem unbelievable for anyone else, but for Zhang Yang, it was astonishing. He was acutely aware of the visceral rejection that this body inherently carried. This was already a remarkable change.

“Zhantao, Zhang Yang, since the case is in my hands, just wait for my good news. I’ll secure all the involved personnel today so they can’t scatter and cover their tracks. There are other individuals who need to be controlled as well. I have to leave now. You two rest here for now. Oh, and Zhantao, give me your ropes and photos—those are excellent pieces of evidence!” Chang Feng stood up. With the case assigned to him, the authority now rested on their side. But that didn’t mean the other party would surrender meekly. There was still a seasoned Deputy Director backing them. If the suspects were allowed to flee, securing evidence for a harsh judgment would become difficult; this was, after all, a society governed by law, and Chang Feng needed to be absolutely meticulous to prevent any room for gossip.

After Chang Feng departed, Yang Ling emerged from the bedroom. She had come out to inquire about the situation. Yang Rui was much better now; she had only suffered a scare, and thankfully, Zhang Yang had arrived in time, preventing any major harm. With her sister safe, she started worrying about Su Zhantao. She had heard that Su Zhantao had kicked the man’s lower body until it was ruined in an effort to avenge Yang Rui.

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