“Wait, this Secretary Xu is also a suspect. I need to inspect his car first, in case he tries to dispose of the evidence.”
Xiao Gang Yu said sternly.
Everyone looked at Xu Zhao.
Xu Zhao was clearly not happy, saying: “I just went to the bathroom, what’s it to do with me? Do you think I’m colluding with Director Hou for a few packs of cigarettes?”
Sha Rui Jin and Ji Chang Ming also thought it was unlikely.
Xiao Gang Yu insisted, “It’s hard to say. Let me inspect it and we’ll know.”
Xu Zhao was still reluctant, and said to Sha Rui Jin, “Secretary Sha, can you just randomly inspect a city party secretary’s car based on his unreasonable suspicion?”
Sha Rui Jin nodded slightly, “It’s indeed inappropriate to search Secretary Xu’s car without any evidence.”
Hou Liang Ping thought to himself: I should’ve refused the car search too.
Xiao Gang Yu said, “Then I demand that two people be assigned to watch Secretary Xu’s car. We’ll know if he’s involved after we review the surveillance.”
Ji Chang Ming nodded, “That’s fine.”
So they called two prosecutors to watch Xu Zhao’s car.
They headed to the surveillance room.
They retrieved the surveillance footage.
They carefully watched it again.
In the footage, Xu Zhao, covering his stomach with one hand, said something to Hou Liang Ping before leaving.
Due to the distance and angle, it was unclear whether Hou Liang Ping was asleep.
It only showed Hou Liang Ping sitting still in the driver’s seat.
Less than half a minute later, a car slowly drove up and parked next to his.
A man got out of the car, walked to Hou Liang Ping’s car window, and said something to him.
Then the man went back to his car and took out a few packs of cigarettes, reaching them into Hou Liang Ping’s car window. He then spoke to Hou Liang Ping again.
Afterwards, the man went back again, but was caught by Xiao Gang Yu, who had arrived just then.
After watching the surveillance, Hou Liang Ping understood how the cigarettes ended up in his car, and felt very depressed: “Secretary Xu just left and I took a nap. It was then that he threw the cigarettes into my car.”
Ji Chang Ming and Sha Rui Jin looked at each other, both seeing suspicion in each other’s eyes.
Both thought: Hou Liang Ping, that nap was too timely.
If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t believe it.
But this was Hou Liang Ping, would he really accept a few packs of cigarettes?
While harboring doubts, they were also confused. They couldn’t figure out the situation for a moment.
“Hou Liang Ping, even if you make up excuses, make them more plausible. Could this man possibly know you were going to take a nap, and deliberately come here to frame you?”
Xiao Gang Yu said.
“Is there a possibility that this man saw Hou Liang Ping taking a nap and spontaneously decided…?”
Ji Chang Ming found it extremely difficult to believe that Hou Liang Ping would accept gifts.
Everyone turned their attention to the man.
Xiao Gang Yu grabbed the man’s shoulder and sternly asked, “What’s your name?”
The man said, “Wang Tao.”
Xiao Gang Yu continued, “Wang Tao, why did you give Hou Liang Ping cigarettes? Was he napping at the time?”
Wang Tao said, “It seems like he was.”
Xiao Gang Yu said, “He either was or wasn’t, what do you mean ‘it seems like’?”
Wang Tao pretended to think for a moment, and said, “His state was hard to tell, it seemed like he was, but it also seemed like he wasn’t.”
His words confused the already bewildered group even more.
Xiao Gang Yu was furious, “Be honest, was Hou Liang Ping napping or not?!”
Wang Tao thought again, shook his head, and said, “I don’t remember.”
His words angered everyone.
Xiao Gang Yu even raised his hand to hit him.
Ji Chang Ming quickly stopped him, and then asked Wang Tao, “What did you say to Hou Liang Ping? Why did you give him cigarettes?”
Wang Tao said, “I asked him for directions, he helped me out, and I gave him a few packs of cigarettes as a thank you.”
Ji Chang Ming said sarcastically, “You sure are generous!”
Wang Tao said, “That’s just how I am, I rely on my parents at home and on friends when I’m out. Whoever helps me, I’m good to them.”
Hou Liang Ping and Sha Rui Jin both carefully observed his expression.
Neither found anything amiss.
“I want to ask you, is it against the law for me to give him a few packs of cigarettes? Why are you arresting me?!”
Wang Tao said indignantly.
“Do you know who he is! He’s the head of our Anti-Corruption Bureau. You giving him cigarettes is harming him.”
Ji Chang Ming said unhappily.
“Oh, really? No way!”
Wang Tao looked at Hou Liang Ping in surprise, then apologized with a face full of regret, “Sorry, I didn’t know your identity. I wouldn’t have given you anything if I had known.”
Hou Liang Ping was utterly depressed, but didn’t know how to explain.
The more he explained, the more trouble he got into.
He decided to just stay quiet.
“The question now is, was Director Hou napping or not? If he wasn’t, why didn’t he refuse?”
Xiao Gang Yu said sternly.
“Hou Liang Ping, come clean, were you napping or not!”
Ji Chang Ming slammed his hand on the table.
“I, I must have been napping…”
Hou Liang Ping said.
“What do you mean ‘must have’? Are you not even sure about your own state?”
Ji Chang Ming said angrily.
“I, ugh…”
Hou Liang Ping knew that even if he had been napping, he couldn’t undo the mistake.
He strongly suspected that Wang Tao was deliberately framing him.
The problem was that he didn’t know Wang Tao at all.
Wang Tao couldn’t have known in advance that he was going to take a nap, then prepared a few packs of cigarettes to frame him.
Hou Liang Ping even doubted whether he had temporary amnesia.
Had he been too tired lately?
“You! What am I supposed to say to you?”
Ji Chang Ming looked at him with exasperation.
“Director Ji, it’s just a few packs of cigarettes. It’s not that serious, is it?”
Xu Zhao said.
“There were five packs of China cigarettes in total, worth over two thousand yuan. It’s not enough to meet the sentencing standard. But Hou Liang Ping, as the head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, knowingly committed this offense, and that’s a serious issue.”
Ji Chang Ming said.
Simply put, it depends on how the higher-ups rule.
If they take it lightly, they can simply return the five packs of cigarettes, give him a verbal warning, or issue a warning within the party.
If they take it seriously, he could be expelled from the party and stripped of his position.
“As the head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, he’s taking bribes. This should be a more severe offense!”
Xiao Gang Yu said sternly.
“Director Xiao, it’s too much to say that it should be a more severe offense. We should handle it according to what offense it is.”
Ji Chang Ming said.
“I don’t agree. You see, while Hou Liang Ping didn’t take much, his circumstances are serious.”
Xiao Gang Yu insisted.
“Then what do you think we should do?”
Ji Chang Ming said.
“In my opinion, we should handle it as embezzlement.”
Xiao Gang Yu said.