"Who are you? What gives you the right to speak here?" Liu Guangrong's face turned icy as he saw a young man like Chen Fei daring to mock him in public.

"The right?" The corners of Chen Fei's mouth curled into a smirk. "It seems Secretary Liu casts a wide net. I had no idea one needed qualifications just to speak these days. Apologies, but that's a new one for me." Now he finally understood why that Wang Yifa was so arrogant. As the saying goes, like master, like dog.

"Hmph!" Seeing that Chen Fei knew his identity yet still dared to use such a challenging tone, Secretary Liu's expression grew even more sullen. He turned to Wang Ye. "Director Wang, you have such an unruly commoner disrupting law enforcement at your crime scene. Shouldn't he be arrested?"

Arrested? A cold glint flashed in Chen Fei's eyes, but it was Director Wang Ye who bristled with anger. He shot back coldly, "Secretary Liu, I believe we police officers don't need outsiders telling us how to conduct an investigation."

"What did you say?" At those words, Liu Guangrong's expression turned incredibly foul.

He truly hadn't expected this. He, the esteemed County Party Secretary, had come in person, which should have been more than enough respect for Director Wang. Yet, the man was still 'ungrateful' and spoke to him in a near-confrontational tone. What was this supposed to mean? Was he looking down on him, Liu Guangrong?

With this thought, he immediately barked a cold order, "Fine! Very well! As the County Party Secretary, I now command you to make an arrest! Arrest this troublemaker for disrupting law enforcement right here in the County Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division office!" He aimed his words directly at the division's police officers.

As the county's nominal top authority, Liu Guangrong indeed had the right to bypass Director Wang Ye and order an arrest directly. The faces of the officers in the office instantly changed.

"What are you all standing around for? Didn't you hear Secretary Liu's order?"

At that moment, Du Yuanbing, the chief of the Xicheng Police Station who had been detained off to the side, suddenly sprang forward. A ferocious look on his face, he snatched a pair of handcuffs from an officer and strode toward Chen Fei. "Put your hands out. You're under arrest." As a station chief, he hadn't been cuffed earlier.

"So mighty. Truly worthy of a County Party Secretary, so impressive!" Chen Fei sneered at the sight. "But I'd like to ask, on what grounds are you arresting me? For so-called 'disruption of law enforcement'? The Director of the Public Security Bureau hasn't even said a word. Do you really think you know better than a veteran officer with decades of experience?"

These people are truly lawless!

"Shut up! You have no right to speak here!" Secretary Liu bellowed, his face a mask of contempt.

What right did a small fry like Chen Fei have to challenge him, Liu Guangrong? He's overestimating himself, courting death!

"Hmph! Shut up? I think you're the one who should shut up!" Wang Ye suddenly erupted. "Secretary Liu, you'd better get one thing straight. This is the County Public Security Bureau, and I, Wang Ye, am its director! Isn't it a bit much to bypass me and issue orders right in my presence?"

"What did you say? Wang Ye, have you lost your mind? How dare you speak to me like that?" Liu Guangrong was so furious he felt his lungs might burst. He couldn't believe Wang Ye would use such a tone with him.

The County Public Security Bureau fell under the jurisdiction of the county government, and he, Liu Guangrong, was its nominal head! He was the leader! For a mere director of a subordinate department to dare contradict him so openly… This… this is outrageous!

"Director Wang, do you have any regard for discipline or Party regulations? If you don't want your position anymore, you don't have to have it!" Liu Guangrong trembled with rage.

At this, Wang Ye's expression finally shifted. Although Liu Guangrong's influence was waning, he still possessed the power and authority to have Wang Ye removed from his post if he pushed things too far.

"Secretary Liu, let me ask you," Chen Fei suddenly interjected. "What's more important: the interests of the people, or the fact that your brother-in-law and that police station chief are corrupt, perverting the law to squeeze the people for their hard-earned money? As his brother-in-law, are you truly unaware of the crimes he's committed?"

"What did you say? You rabble-rouser!" Wang Yifa's face changed.

Du Yuanbing's face twisted into a ferocious scowl. He brandished the handcuffs and moved toward Chen Fei again, snarling, "Put your hands out! You're under arrest!"

"Corruption and perversion of the law? What if I know? What if I don't?" A faint, disdainful sneer finally touched Secretary Liu's lips. "It seems you want to die with a clear understanding. Fine, consider this secretary charitable. Let me tell you! In Chengyang County, I, Liu Guangrong, am the law! What I say goes!" He walked up to Chen Fei and poked him in the chest, his face dripping with mockery.

*In Chengyang County, I, Liu Guangrong, am the law. What I say goes!* A dangerous light flashed in Chen Fei's eyes.

"Is that so? Liu Guangrong, you're the law in Chengyang County? Why is this the first time I, Huang Tao, am hearing about it?" A majestic, wrath-filled voice suddenly boomed from outside the office.

Following the voice, an enraged Huang Tao strode in. Beside him was Zhong Bingyue, the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Committee of Northern Mountain City, and several other officials. All of them wore looks of fury, shocked that such a filthy scene could unfold in Chengyang County.

"Secretary Zhong? Mayor Huang!?" The moment the crowd, especially Liu Guangrong, recognized the newcomers, they were so terrified it felt as if their souls were about to flee their bodies.

These were the Secretary of the Municipal Discipline Inspection Committee and the Mayor himself! One was in charge of disciplinary inspection for all the cities, counties, and townships. The other was the second-in-command of a city with several million people. And he had just spouted that insane rhetoric right in front of them—that in Chengyang County, he, Liu Guangrong, was the law. What a joke!

Forget about being the law, he probably couldn't even hold on to his official post now! At this thought, Liu Guangrong's face went deathly pale.

"A misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding! Secretary Zhong, Mayor Huang, I had no idea you would grace us with your presence today!" Liu Guangrong stammered, sweat pouring down his face as he bowed.

Seeing his brother-in-law bowing and scraping before the two arrivals, addressing them as 'Secretary' and 'Mayor,' the previously arrogant Wang Yifa went numb. His legs began to tremble uncontrollably as a cold sweat broke out across his brow.

My God… a Secretary? The Mayor?

"A misunderstanding?" Huang Tao's body trembled with rage, his face an icy mask. "Are you implying that you can say such things as long as we aren't here?"

This was utterly outrageous! Even he, the Mayor of Northern Mountain City, couldn't imagine a County Party Secretary under his jurisdiction being so brazen as to openly declare such a thing! That in Chengyang County, he, Liu Guangrong, was the law! If that were true, it would be anarchy!

"No, no, Mayor Huang, that's not what I meant at all! It's all a misunderstanding!" Liu Guangrong pleaded, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Hmph!" Huang Tao merely gave a cold snort, then strode right past Liu Guangrong and headed toward Chen Fei.

"Mayor Huang, please don't misunderstand! I was just about to arrest him! He was disrupting law enforcement at our county's Public Security Bureau and inciting these rabble-rousers!" Du Yuanbing, thinking the mayor was walking toward him, suddenly remembered the handcuffs in his hand. His face paled as he frantically tried to explain.

"Rabble-rouser? I think you're the rabble-rouser! You're unworthy of that uniform you're wearing." Huang Tao shot Du Yuanbing a cold glare, then extended a hand to Chen Fei. "Mr. Chen, I apologize. We're late."

"Mr. Chen!?"

At these words, everyone—with the exception of the mentally prepared Wang Ye and Secretary Zhong—was utterly dumbfounded. Liu Guangrong, Du Yuanbing, Wang Yifa, Zhou Xuanzheng—they were all stunned into silence. It was inconceivable that the esteemed Mayor Huang would be so respectful, his tone so humble, toward such a young man.

Now they finally understood why the young man had been so confident, even daring to mock Secretary Liu. He had the Mayor of Northern Mountain City backing him!

"Xiaofei, you really know the mayor?" Yi Shu was speechless. He suddenly recalled Chen Fei mentioning it earlier, but they hadn't believed him. And yet… it was true!

"Of course it's true. Why would I lie to you?" Chen Fei smiled, then turned to Huang Tao and Wang Ye. "Uncle Huang, Director Wang, I'll leave the rest to you!" He knew that with things having reached this stage, his part was over. He promptly took the still-dazed Yi Shu by the arm and led him out of the Criminal Investigation Division office.

Upon seeing the city's mayor showing such deference to a young man like Chen Fei, Wang Ye felt a jolt. "I guarantee the mission's completion!" he shouted reflexively, as if he were a soldier receiving an order.

"Secretary Liu," Secretary Zhong said, stepping forward with a cold expression. "The Discipline Inspection Committee has reason to believe you are involved in serious violations of law and discipline. Please cooperate with our investigation." She had just announced his death sentence.

Although she had only heard that one sentence from Liu Guangrong upon arriving, it was more than enough. No scrupulous, self-disciplined, and law-abiding official would ever say such a thing. It was monstrous! To call yourself the law? What a joke! She looked at him with disgust. What a malignant tumor!

"I… I…" The world went black for Liu Guangrong, and he fainted on the spot.

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