Rebirth of Corrupt Officials

The second prosecutor shook his head and walked out, sighing, “This is the first time I’ve seen something so strange…”

“Zhang Jian, what’s the matter? Are you worried? Have you encountered any difficult cases again?”

Walking towards them, Lian Cheng stopped to say hello.

As soon as Zhang Jian saw him, he saw a saviour. “I can’t do this interrogation job anymore. That Jiang guy kept looking at the sky. He even asked me to leave for a while. Even if the higher-ups approved a pardon for him, why is he still an attempted murderer? Why is he more arrogant than me? I can’t interrogate this man. You can take the amnesty statement. I hear he’s one of yours.”

Lian Cheng was stunned. Was he talking about Jiang Xiaochuan? He didn’t seem like the kind of person who would do something like that.

But… it seemed like a rare treat.

Zhang Jian was getting angrier as he spoke. He threw the document in his hand to Lian Cheng. “You, young people should go. There is no generation gap when it comes to communication. I am really old, old…”

“Inspector Zhang, you still have your imposing demeanour in court. Even the prosecutor doesn’t have your imposing manner in court. Don’t be self-deprecating.” Although these remarks were meant to be a joke, Lian Cheng was not used to these things. Most of what he said was from the heart, and it was pleasant to hear.

In a place like the high-level inspection, many people were, in fact, one-minded and went to fight against corruption and crime. Their supreme goal was to bring to justice all those who had dispelled party spirit. Here, people, even if the means were a little crooked, had clean thinking.

Lian Cheng might have seemed aloof and like The Untouchables, but he also seemed to have a knack for dealing with them.

Zhang Jian said and sighed, “I can’t compete with Old Yu… forget it, I’ll leave first. That one is still inside enjoying the scenery. He might have already gone to the corridor to keep a lookout. He’s also a man with a backbone, just like Secretary Zhang…”

He stopped suddenly, realizing that he had said the wrong thing.

Lian Cheng forgot it.

Zhang Qing’s matter was a thorn in the heart of all the high inspection and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

In the end, Zhang Qing admitted his mistake and was fired. However, the organization did not hold him accountable for any more crimes. In fact, it was only human nature to get revenge. The central government was not completely cold-blooded and heartless. Zhang Qing made contributions to cleaning up the mess, and everyone who interacted with him knew his impact. Moreover, it was a long time ago. It was too difficult to gather evidence about the past. There was no evidence at all. Even if Zhang Qing admitted it himself, he could not be convicted.

They never advocated using a stick to kill people. Zhang Qing just made a mistake for a moment, and this small stain on his record was not his entire character.

When Zhang Qing left office, how many people quietly wiped their tears?

Lian Cheng counted but forgot.

They all felt sorry for Zhang Qing, but he really had to leave.

Zhang Jian and his group of older prosecutors were friends with Zhang Qing; the word “deep” could hardly describe their relationship.

Before leaving, Zhang Jian said, “Zhang Qing once said that Jiang Xiaochuan had a strong backbone. I believe that now.”

Lian Cheng stood and watched him leave.

In this place, there were many enthusiastic disciplinary workers who regarded the national flag and the party flag as the most sacred existence. However, many people left later for various reasons. There were many with a passion that others could not understand…

And so on and so forth, this place always felt sacred.

Lian Cheng turned, went upstairs, and came into the interrogation room, only to find the men in charge standing outside, looking out the French windows.

As soon as he arrived, they saw him and said, “Deputy Director.”

Zhang Jian was right; Jiang Xiaochuan was really released.

He walked lightly. It was a fine day outside, but because it was winter, it was very cold, even with the sun shining.

But the sky was very blue; such a situation was extremely rare.

In the past, winters in Beijing were always overcast and grey.

Standing in front of the French window, Jiang Xiaochuan looked up slightly. His short hair had not been cut for a long time. In this warm place, he still wore a thick woollen sweater, seeming a little uncomfortable with the northern winter.

In the reflection of the French windows, he saw Lian Cheng.

As meticulous as ever.

“I hear General Yue is gone.”

“Natural causes.”

Lian Cheng guessed what he was going to ask, so he came back from Chengzhou and approved the news to tell Jiang.

Natural causes.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt relieved; he turned sideways, his eyes not turning around.

Yue Qingci stood in the void outside the French window, wearing a prison uniform, slowly walking over from the other side of the corridor, looking thin.

“Did you ever like me?” he asked, standing at the French window.

But Yue Qingci outside the French window did not answer and passed him by.

He turned his head, his gaze seeming to follow someone’s figure. In his memory, Yue Qingci grew further and further away. With a faint smile, he walked quietly from one end of the void to the other and disappeared.

Lian Cheng stood quietly behind him, looking at his long hair and reaching out to touch a wisp of it.

Yue Qingci disappeared.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt this very clearly.

He asked, and since the person was not real, there was no response.

“How is Xue Yan now?”

Lian Cheng’s fingers rested on the strand of hair, and he stiffened at the question. He stepped back, pulled back his hand, and smiled. “Your hair has grown long.”

Jiang Xiaochuan finally withdrew his line of sight and turned around. “Answer the question.”

“He made a full recovery,” Lian Cheng said. “Interestingly, he was in charge of the Qiao Yusheng case.”

It was a murder, and it was severe.

Jiang Xiaochuan did not expect fate to be so dramatic. Qiao Yusheng and Xue Yan had helped each other a lot, but in the end, they ended up like this. He had mixed feelings but felt that it did not matter too much.

Qiao Yusheng did not care about these things, and Xue Yan did not struggle.

Qiao Yusheng would gracefully owe a debt and paid them. He was so indifferent to accept everything at the time of shooting, including today’s outcome.

“His sentence could be life, could be a reprieve,” Lian Cheng added.

Jiang Xiaochuan curved his lips into a smile. “All is the ending that should have been.”

“Let me bring you something before I die.”

Lian Cheng reached into his bag and pulled out a simple thumb-sized hourglass containing something yellowish-grey. He spread out his palm and let the tiny hourglass shine in the light of the sky.

It was ashes.

Jiang Xiaochuan picked up the hourglass from his hand indifferently. Many things flashed through his mind. At last, he remembered Yue Qingci’s gold whistle and the rusty empty shell casings. The thing he held in his hand shook; the ashes swirled inside. He thought of the hourglass again.

Such a story was actually called change.

Too much changed in this life.

“Do you have anything else for me?” he asked Lian Cheng with a smile, holding it in his palm.

As a last resort, Lian Cheng took out the copper coin.

It was from a long time ago, with no wear and tear.

“A gentleman never steals a man’s love, so I will return it to its rightful owner.”

It was the second time Lian Cheng said that. The first time was when he saw the coin and spoke to Jiang.

Jiang reached out, but Lian Cheng tied the red string around his wrist and thanked him.

Suddenly, there was relative silence, so Jiang Xiaochuan turned to see the scenery.

Lian Cheng stood by his side, watching the events of the past year unfold like a lantern. “Earlier, Zhang Jian said you didn’t want to make a statement about the amnesty.”

“I don’t want to,” Jiang Xiaochuan answered very simply.

“Do you want to go with Qiao Yusheng?” Lian Cheng asked again.

Jiang Xiaochuan squinted at the blue sky outside. The wristband was circled with copper coins, and his palm pressed against the hourglass. “I don’t want to talk,” he said. “I just want to think about the past.”

“What happens when the memories are over?” Was he trying to dwell on the past? This was not the Jiang Xiaochuan Lian Cheng knew.

“When you’re done, move on.” This time, Jiang Xiaochuan opened his eyes.

“I want you to come to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection,” Lian Cheng said.

“I will be deprived of my political rights,” Jiang Xiaochuan said, knowing full well what he was implying.

But Lian Cheng was matter-of-fact. “It’s not life deprivation.”

“To what extent does the amnesty extend?” Jiang Xiaochuan turned to look at him.

“Where do you want to go?” Lian Cheng laughed.

“Even the Deputy Director trying to bargain, is this considered a win or a loss for a lone hero?” His thoughts rarely jumped like this. “Speaking of which, I always felt that when I was in Chengzhou, even the Deputy Director fought alone.”

“So, when two people are together, they are comrades-in-arms, aren’t they?”

Lian Cheng had a faint smile on his face, but his voice was clear, like the wind blowing under the sky outside.

Jiang Xiaochuan did not speak, just looked outside.

After a long time, he said, “The sky is so blue.”

Lian Cheng finally followed his line of sight and looked out. The domes of tall buildings were as blue as the sea.

“Well, it is blue,” he replied.

Note

Ah, finally, I was procrastinating so much to finish this novel. I hate the ending so bad T.T I even want to delete it. But eh, it is what it is huh. Don’t forget to support me everyone, the update is kinda slow for my other translations, so please be patient^^