The questioning of Qin Siyang had been forced to stop because Qin Siyang had seized on their loopholes.
But when it came to questioning Zhao Longfei, Sun Linshou personally took charge from the very beginning.
Once bitten, twice shy.
Sun Linshou was no ordinary person either. Having learned from his previous experience, he was fully focused this time. His questions were airtight, making it much harder for Zhao Longfei to get out of them.
The main point of the questioning against Zhao Longfei was still his failure to act.
"Zhao Longfei, as the organizer of the crystal coin issuance meeting, why didn't you step in to rescue a guest when you saw him being assassinated by a wanted criminal?"
Zhao Longfei blew out a smoke ring, "I can't beat Lu Daoxing."
["Truth… False… Truth… False…"]
Just then, the sound of the lie detector malfunctioning came from the side.
Sun Linshou ordered, "Replace it."
"Yes."
But as soon as the new lie detector was turned on, it likewise began emitting electronic noises, ["Truth Truth Truth Truth Truth…"]
Sun Linshou frowned and had them replace the lie detector again.
This time, before the switch on the lie detector had even been pressed, it started shrieking wildly, ["Truth Uth Uth False Truth…"]
All the lie detectors had developed malfunctions that could not be repaired for the time being. They kept making noises in the conference room, creating complete chaos.
Sun Linshou looked unhappily at Zhao Longfei, "Principal Zhao, what did you do to our lie detectors?!"
Zhao Longfei innocently spread his hands, "Vice Minister Sun, I've been sitting right here the whole time. You saw that yourself. When would I have had a chance to do anything? If you ask me, the Ministry of Justice should spend some money and update its equipment in time."
As he spoke, Zhao Longfei raised his hand and pointed at the roomful of people, "So many people came together to investigate the case. Is that really necessary? You're wasting everyone's time, as well as the United Government's resources. Vice Minister Sun, why don't you loosen your grip and let everyone get some real work done? That way, you won't have to tire yourself out either. What do you think?"
Sun Linshou looked at him coldly, "How our Ministry of Justice operates isn't something you need to teach us. Principal Zhao should just take good care of South Glory University, reduce acts of improper conduct, and train more talent for the safe zone."
Zhao Longfei scratched the scar on the top of his head, "Fine, forget I said anything."
Sun Linshou continued, "Even without a lie detector, I can still conduct the questioning. Zhao Longfei, answer me this: Did you refuse to save Minister Jiang Yuanrui because you had a grudge against him, or because you were in contact with Lu Daoxing? Or perhaps Lu Daoxing was called here by you?"
"Vice Minister Sun, didn't I already say? I can't beat Lu Daoxing."
Zhao Longfei kept calling him "Vice Minister Sun," casually wielding a knife and stabbing straight into Sun Linshou's most painful spot, making Sun Linshou's face turn dark with anger.
"Can't beat him? He's the Tiger Card Eight of Diamonds, while you're the Tiger Card Nine of Spades. At the very least, you're evenly matched. How can you simply say you can't beat him? Do you have some other plan?"
"The Warren Chamber of Commerce's rankings can't exactly be taken as gospel. He used to be the Tiger Card Eight of Diamonds, but now he's the Snake Card King of Diamonds. Anyway, I think I can't beat him."
"Zhao Longfei, don't muddy the waters! Someone saw you interacting with Lu Daoxing. You'd better tell the truth!"
"Interacting? That's an injustice! I didn't say a single word to that wanted criminal Lu Daoxing! If you don't believe me, call that person here and let us confront each other. I'll provide the lie detector!"
"Even though you didn't speak, did you give Lu Daoxing a cigarette?"
Zhao Longfei froze, "Does giving someone a cigarette count as interacting?"
"Of course! If you weren't familiar with each other, how could you possibly give him a cigarette?"
"I gave him a cigarette because he asked me for one."
"He asked, and you gave it to him?"
Zhao Longfei frowned, "Vice Minister Sun, that's a strange question. I already told you, I can't beat him. He asked me for a cigarette. Did I dare not give it to him?"
Sun Linshou clenched his fists as he listened.
Good grief, Zhao Longfei had even managed to make that sound reasonable.
"Zhao Longfei, you aided a tyrant in his evil deeds. Have you ever thought about the consequences?"
Zhao Longfei crossed his hands over his chest, his smile unchanged, "I can't beat him. I can't beat him."
"You?!"
"If Vice Minister Sun thinks you can kill the Snake Card King of Diamonds, why don't you do it yourself instead of making things difficult for me, an innocent civilian who can't even truss a chicken?"
Zhao Longfei's shameless attitude left Sun Linshou with no way to proceed.
After asking a few more harmless questions, Zhao Longfei also walked away unscathed.
Sun Linshou brought the people from the Ministry of Justice with great fanfare and left without a sound.
He had originally intended to use Jiang Yuanrui's death to smear either Qin Siyang or Zhao Longfei and then take them away for investigation.
After that, he would have them pay to make the problem go away, communicate with Cui Canxun, and get Cui Canxun to give up some of the Ministry of Justice's crystal coin allocation to him.
But he hadn't expected that neither of them would have a single opening. They were hard as stones in a latrine.
Even though he had returned empty-handed today, he couldn't show his dejected state in front of his subordinates.
That was basic competence for someone in a position of authority.
———
Sun Linshou maintained the dignity of his position as vice minister and returned to the hotel where he was staying.
After entering his room, he sat down on the bed and finally let out a long sigh.
He couldn't help thinking back over everything that had happened over the years.
He had been serving as Vice Minister of Justice in the United Government for eight years already.
In those eight years, two different people above him had taken the position of Minister of Justice, yet he had still been unable to advance even half a step.
In a few more years, he would have to retire.
That half-step would turn from the obsession in his heart into a natural barrier he could never cross.
The last time Sun Linshou attended the Zhao Chamber of Commerce's inauguration ceremony, he had hoped to establish a relationship with the Zhao family and see if he could gain some push from them.
But the Zhao family had everyone carrying their sedan chair, with several commanders and ministers attending as well. No one had paid any attention to this frustrated and unfulfilled vice minister.
This time, after learning that the Zhao Chamber of Commerce was going to issue crystal coins, and that the United Government had the largest allocation, he believed that as the vice minister of the Ministry of Justice, he would at least get some allocation in his hands. He planned to use the resources from the crystal coin allocation to carry out an internal reform of the Ministry of Justice, try to build up an achievement that would attract attention, and advance another half-step.
Even if he couldn't beat Cui Canxun, being transferred to another department would also be fine.
But the Zhao family and Cui Canxun had gone too far. The Ministry of Justice's entire crystal coin allocation had fallen into Cui Canxun's hands, and he had received almost none of it.
Human nature seeks benefits and avoids harm.
Without any crystal coin allocation in his hands, sooner or later he would be completely sidelined by Cui Canxun.
Jiang Yuanrui's death had become his only chance to turn things around.
He wanted to use it to pry open the crystal coin allocation and fight for another chance for himself.
Unfortunately, neither Qin Siyang nor Zhao Longfei was an ordinary person, and his plan had failed.
Thinking of this, Sun Linshou couldn't help sighing at the way fate toyed with people.
"This half-step… is an entire lifetime…"
At this moment, his phone rang.
It was Qin Siyang.
Sun Linshou was slightly curious, but still answered the call, "Qin Siyang, what is it?"
["Minister Sun, there's no time to explain! Hurry and quietly go downstairs through the hotel's emergency exit, leave through the back door, then head to the main road! Principal Zhao and I are already on our way to pick you up!"]
Sun Linshou was confused, "Why?"
["Principal Zhao just got word that someone is going to kill you!"]
[T/N: I think I know what is going to happen.]
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