The two of them didn't directly sell out Pan Youguang.
They must have been warned by him beforehand.
But now, even a blind man could see that Pan Youguang was involved in this matter.
Chen Zhongming spoke meaningfully, "If you've been wronged, you can talk to me, the mayor. Why must you hold onto District Chief Pan and refuse to let go?"
The two men fell silent and instead turned pleading looks toward Pan Youguang.
Pan Youguang said, "Don't worry. Follow Mayor Chen, and there won't be any problems."
Then he added, "Think about your families. Don't do anything foolish. Remember, though the law's net may be vast and wide, not a single fish escapes."
Only then did the two finally give up their struggle.
Chen Zhongming and He Kui both shot fierce glares at Pan Youguang, who pretended not to notice.
"Alright, let's not delay the exam venue's setup any longer. The day after tomorrow there's still another exam, we should leave the staff some time to clean up."
"Yes, sir."
Under Chen Zhongming's lead, the group began walking toward the exit of the examination site.
Chen glanced at He Kui, who was following behind him, "Director He, you're the key figure in this case. Shall we have a few words as we walk?"
"Alright."
He Kui didn't refuse and quickly caught up to Chen.
"Director He, I've long heard about your character. Meeting you today, I see your reputation is truly well-deserved."
He smiled and cast a glance at Pan Youguang, whose face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.
"Calm under pressure, masterful in planning, truly a model for the rest of us officials in the United Council."
"Mayor Chen flatters me."
"How could it be flattery? If it hadn't been for you yesterday, who knows what might have happened? We might not even have caught those two examiners."
Chen Zhongming knew he had not only solved a major case but also won favor with Qin Siyang. His mood was bright, and his words carried a faint, confident pride.
At the same time, his cheerful voice quietly tore apart the psychological defenses of the two examiners being escorted behind them.
They gradually began to realize, Pan Youguang might not be able to shield them anymore.
Chen patted He Kui's shoulder, "Director He, you're truly a sword of justice, wherever you go, justice prevails."
He Kui replied coldly, "Mayor Chen, justice has never been invincible."
"Hm?"
"If justice were invincible, Pan Youguang wouldn't be a district chief, and you wouldn't be a mayor."
"…"
"Mayor Chen, the reason I succeeded yesterday wasn't because justice was on my side, but because you were on my side. If your position and District Chief Pan's were swapped, yesterday's case would have died quietly with no resolution."
He Kui smiled faintly, "But that's fine. As long as justice can win, I'm willing."
"If it happens again, I'd still make the same choice, whether or not anyone stands with me."
After his words, silence fell over everyone.
Even Chen Zhongming's smile faded.
He hadn't expected He Kui to speak so directly and bluntly, with no hint of restraint.
Right to his face, he tore away the pretense and revealed the raw, ugly truth beneath it.
Even harder to deal with than the rumors suggested.
Even though He Kui had helped him accomplish something crucial, Chen still couldn't bring himself to like the man.
But—
It was precisely because He Kui was this kind of person that, despite Pan Youguang's interference, he'd still managed to keep those two examiners alive.
Thinking of that, Chen no longer felt like arguing with him.
Still, confusion lingered in his heart.
'Even if Pan Youguang let Cui Zhonghua take the two men away, so what?'
'At the end of the day, once this case comes to light, there is no way to cover it up.'
'Could it be… he has some other backup plan?'
Just as the group stepped out of the exam hall, a van suddenly screeched to a stop in front of them.
Two fully armed soldiers jumped out, raising pitch-black guns as thick as two fingers.
Bang! Bang!
Two shots rang out in quick succession, so fast that no one had time to react.
Chen Zhongming jerked his head around, the two captured examiners' heads had burst open.
Red and white sprayed all over the people nearby.
'Silencing them?'
Chen's eyes widened as he stared at the van and the two soldiers.
"Assailants! Prepare for combat!"
He pressed the button on his watch, an azure suit of armor immediately spread over his entire body.
Beside him, He Kui activated his own power, his muscles swelled, tearing his suit into shreds of fabric.
Cui Zhonghua and the others also triggered their Sequence abilities, readying for battle.
"Who are you? How dare you commit murder in broad daylight?"
At that moment, another young man stepped out of the van. He wore a special combat suit, sunglasses covering his eyes, a lazy grin hanging from his lips.
"Captain of the 12th Battalion of the Han Corps, Han Lingye."
He Kui said, "Even if you're military, killing criminal suspects still means you'll have to answer to the United Government!"
"Wait," Chen raised a hand to stop He Kui, "You're from the Han Corps? Your surname is Han?"
The young man impatiently picked his ear, "Did I not make myself clear enough just now?"
"What's your relationship to Commander Han Huizhi?"
"My grandfather. Why, you know him?"
Chen's heart sank.
'So this isn't going to end cleanly.'
"If you're from the Han Corps, why are you here today?"
Han Lingye smirked with contempt, "Who said soldiers from the Corps can't be here?"
"Then why did your men kill two criminal suspects?"
"Oh, they just have post-traumatic stress from fighting gods. Their minds get a little… unbalanced. When they see someone in handcuffs, they get the urge to eliminate evil for the people, right?"
"Yes."
"That's right, the Captain's absolutely right."
Chen clenched his fists.
Han Lingye's replies were perfunctory to the extreme. No amount of questioning would help.
"Alright then, Chief Chen. We'll handle this matter internally within the Corps. Goodbye."
"Stop!"
He Kui shouted, "Even if you're military, you can't just kill and walk away like nothing happened!"
"Not letting me leave?", Han Lingye took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of deep blue eyes, "Fine, I'll stay. Go ahead, find someone to cuff me."
Cui Zhonghua looked down in silence, showing no sign of stepping forward.
He Kui smiled bitterly, "No one? Then I'll do it myself. If there's a crime to bear, I'll take it! I refuse to believe you can walk out of here untouched once I haul you in—"
But Chen stopped him again.
He didn't like He Kui, but he wasn't about to watch him get himself killed.
"Chief Chen!"
"Director He," Chen sighed, "You might not understand how things work between the military and the government. This Han Lingye, even if you bring him to the state bureau, no one will be able to question him. They'll have to let him go."
He Kui's eyes widened in shock, then filled with bitter unwillingness.
It wasn't the first time he'd encountered someone beyond the reach of judgment.
There were always people steeped in sin, protected by mountains towering behind them.
But never, never had it been this humiliating.
Han Lingye chuckled mockingly, "As expected of Chief Chen, you know your place. Oh right, District Chief Pan, need a lift?"
Pan Youguang glanced at everyone around him.
He knew staying behind would change nothing.
"Much obliged, Captain Han."
"Let's go."
Pan climbed into the van with Han Lingye.
The van's shape shimmered. And in an instant, it transformed into an armored vehicle, roaring away into the distance.
Everyone present was dumbfounded. They didn't know it was a God-Hunting Artifact, they thought it was some new military tech.
He Kui, meanwhile, could only sigh and shake his head, "Truly, justice has never been invincible."
Chen Zhongming looked at him, then turned his eyes toward the direction where the armored vehicle had vanished, his expression complicated.