NIP Chapter 22 Joint Investigation Team! What a huge hat!
Chapter 22 Joint Investigation Team! What a huge hat!
The next morning.
The joy of last night's revelry still lingered in the command center.
A piercing "sizzling" sound shattered the tranquility.
The fax machine in the corner started working without warning.
A piece of paper with a red heading was slowly and heavily ejected from the machine.
Qin Chuan's secretary instinctively walked over and picked up the paper.
His expression changed after just one glance.
He held the light piece of paper in his hand, but his steps felt like they were made of lead as he strode quickly toward Qin Chuan's office.
"The headquarters..."
Qin Chuan was reading the freshly released confession of Scorpion, which was enough to shock the entire Southwest, and he was in a good mood.
"What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic?"
He took the document and his gaze fell on the paper.
The smile on his face froze instantly the next second.
It was a red-headed document bearing the official seals of multiple departments, including the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Handong Province, the Provincial Public Security Department, and the Provincial Organization Department.
An urgent fax.
The document was written in a grand and dignified style, with every word resounding.
"In order to thoroughly study the heroic deeds of Comrade Qi Tongwei in the '116' counter-terrorism operation and to summarize and promote the valuable experience in this cross-border operation, the Provincial Party Committee has decided to establish a 'Joint Investigation Team'."
"The investigation team immediately headed to the southwest to conduct a 'review' and 'guide' the entire process of the '116' counter-terrorism operation."
"Bang!"
A loud bang!
Qin Chuan slammed his fist hard on the thick military table, causing the military water bottle on the table to bounce half a foot high before falling heavily back down.
"damn it!"
Qin Chuan's chest heaved violently, and his eyes instantly became bloodshot.
"What kind of bullshit post-mortem guidance is this?!"
"They're just here to smear others and unfairly target their interests!"
He practically spat out those words through gritted teeth.
The document's attachment contained a list of the investigation team members.
Team Leader: Qian Yong, Deputy Director of the Provincial Public Security Department.
Qin Chuan was familiar with this name; it was Tie Gan, whom Liang Qunfeng had promoted.
A quick glance at the names of the deputy leader and team members revealed a long list of well-known key figures within the "Han University Gang" faction.
This is hardly an investigation team.
This is clearly a political execution squad!
Even more insidious is the inconspicuous text at the end of the document.
"In order to protect the hero's physical and mental health and ensure that the investigation is not interfered with, it is recommended that Comrade Qi Tongwei temporarily suspend all his duties and fully cooperate with the investigation team during the investigation period."
Qin Chuan was so angry when he saw this that he trembled all over.
"Protect?"
"This is fucking a disguised form of isolation and interrogation!"
Once Qi Tongwei is under the control of this group, they can turn black into white, and turn tremendous merits into heinous crimes!
You're going to risk your life alone? That's disorganized and undisciplined!
You beheaded a drug lord? That's just individual heroism!
You're going to conduct a cross-border rescue? That would cause an international dispute!
Officials have two mouths; whatever they say, they're always right!
The news spread like wildfire throughout the entire brigade.
The "Sharp Sword" team members, who had just been worshipping Qi Tongwei like a god, were all in an uproar.
"Why should I?!"
"How dare they point fingers at Captain Qi for the credit he earned with his life!"
"I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this!"
Wang Meng's eyes were bloodshot, and he charged into the command post like an enraged lion.
"Commander-in-Chief! We can't just let them take Captain Qi away like this!"
"These office workers know absolutely nothing about warfare! All they do is stab you in the back!"
The entire command center was filled with righteous indignation and high spirits.
Liu Jianguo also rushed over upon hearing the news. This old policeman, who had spent half his life in the "police graveyard," was sweating profusely and pacing back and forth in a panic.
He rushed into Qi Tongwei's temporary dormitory and grabbed his arm.
"Tongwei! Are you still sitting there?!"
"Quickly, call Beijing! Call that Miss Ye, call the Ye family!"
"Any later and it will really be too late!"
Liu Jianguo was really anxious.
He knows this tactic all too well.
Once someone is taken away and put into their "program," they're truly helpless and have no one to turn to for help.
However, Qi Tongwei's reaction was unexpected by everyone.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed, slowly and meticulously wiping the rifle that had accompanied him as he fought his way out of the encirclement with gauze.
Upon hearing Liu Jianguo's words, he simply raised his head, showing no sign of panic.
"Old Director, don't worry."
His voice remained calm.
"I believe in Mr. Ye's promise, but it takes time for the promise to take effect."
"Now, I'd like to see what tricks we people from Handong can pull off."
He stood up, patted Liu Jianguo on the shoulder, and then looked at the soldiers outside the door who were speaking out for him.
Thank you everyone.
"Please trust the organization and trust me. I will fully cooperate with the investigation, and the organization will definitely make the fairest judgment."
The calmer he was, the more Qin Chuan and Liu Jianguo's hearts sank.
They knew this was not naiveté.
This is the most terrifying calm before the storm.
Qin Chuan kicked everyone out and locked himself in his office.
He smoked one cigarette after another.
The room was soon filled with smoke.
He was torn between his inner thoughts and his own conscience.
He has two choices.
First, passively cooperate. As required by the document, hand over the person and seal all records of their actions. This way, he can protect himself, avoid offending the powerful figures in Handong, and his career will not be affected.
Second, he would resist forcefully. He would use the excuse that "the operation is classified and requires approval from high-ranking military officials" to withstand the pressure and refuse to hand over the person. But that would mean that he would be fighting against the entire political and legal system of Handong Province all by himself.
does it worth?
Is he willing to gamble away half of his future for a young man he's only known for a few days?
In his mind, he saw Qi Tongwei's silhouette in Ghost Sorrow Gorge, alone with a gun, suppressing the entire scene.
The image flashed past of the two undercover agents who had been rescued, saluting him with tears in their eyes from their hospital beds.
The tombstones of those fallen brothers flashed by...
"Oh shit!"
Qin Chuan stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.
I lead soldiers! Not fucking politicians!
If he can't even protect the heroes under his command who risked their lives for their achievements, what kind of captain is he?
He grabbed the red secure phone abruptly, his fingers turning white from the force.
He dialed a number that was deeply etched in his heart.
On the other end of the phone was his former superior, an old general who, although retired to the second line, still wielded enormous influence throughout the Southwest Military Region and even at higher levels.
"Old commander, this is Qin Chuan!"
He quickly explained the whole story.
There is no embellishment, only the most objective statement.
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.
Every second felt like torture.
After a long while, the old general's aged yet steady voice finally rang out.
There was no discernible emotion in that voice.
"Protect your people."
"I'll figure out the rest."
Upon receiving this promise, Qin Chuan's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.
He hung up the phone, feeling his back was soaked with cold sweat.
Just then, his secretary knocked on the door again, looking nervous.
"Headquarters! News from the airport tower..."
"A civilian airliner that flew from Handong has just applied for a flight route and is expected to arrive at our military airport in three hours."
at the same time.
On a highway a few kilometers outside the headquarters.
Several black SUVs with ordinary local license plates, but clearly modified and with extremely high chassis, quietly parked on the side of the road.
Through the car window, several faces with buzz cuts and fierce eyes were coldly staring in the direction of the brigade's base.
In the passenger seat of one of the cars, a man with a scarred face picked up a walkie-talkie.
"The target is inside."
"The higher-ups have said that this is a 'joint investigation,' which may encounter resistance."
"Our task is to ensure that Qi Tongwei can cooperate with the investigation smoothly."