Chapter 41: Everyone Knows Nothing About Power

There was also another piece of information, which could be considered good news. The robber was out of danger; he would not die, nor was there a risk of him becoming vegetative. However, since his head had suffered such a violent blow, it was inevitable that his nerves were affected, resulting in some localized functional impairments—damage that was irreversible.

That was the current situation.

In the end, Zhang Qing summarized, “Essentially, you’re out of major trouble. Now, it all depends on your attitude toward compensation and the final assessment of the suspect’s level of disability.”

“I’m not exactly short on money,” Ma Weimin frowned, “but paying compensation to a knife-wielding criminal—doesn’t that just feel wrong?”

Zhang Qing hesitated, then said, “You should accept it. His robbery will be handled in a separate case; that’s the prosecutor’s decision. Zhen Yuqi has become almost possessed about this. I’ve tried my best to help you, but she rejected everything I submitted. On behalf of the prosecution, her suggestion is: she’s inspected the scene and reviewed all the materials three times. Based on the circumstances and the environment at the time, she thinks the argument that the suspect ‘threatened everyone present’ isn’t convincing enough. The suspect had already completed the robbery by running, and although he was capable of harming someone, he didn’t. Your intervention was excessive and inappropriate, and the injuries you caused have no clear connection to his robbery.”

Ma Weimin was speechless about this so-called Zhen Yuqi.

Zhang Qing, uncharacteristically gentle, sighed. “I don’t like those kinds of legal bullies either. What she says may not be definitive, but that is her interpretation, and you can’t say she’s entirely wrong. There’s room for dispute and delay, and in my experience, the longer this drags on, the worse it’ll be for you. On one side is the institution; on the other, you’re just an individual. She’s drawing a salary, counting her years of service and performance, wearing the national emblem, and prepared for a war of attrition. What do you think your chances are? Sometimes you just have to accept it. There’s no official conclusion yet, but if you take the initiative to compensate, the prosecution won’t pursue it seriously. Even if Zhen Yuqi wants to make a fuss, her superiors would rein her in. That’s just how it is.”

Ma Weimin said, “So what you said that night about the ‘robber’s tactical control of the scene’—that was just nonsense, right?”

Zhang Qing’s face reddened slightly. “That was just my own interpretation, but these bureaucratic scholars seem to think differently from me. I don’t have an influential father, so it’s normal for my opinions to be ignored.”

Ma Weimin asked, “Then your suggestion to supplement my statement—to insist that ‘the robber saw me and ran at me with a knife’—does that logic still hold?”

Zhang Qing nodded, “It’s still usable, and it would be quite effective. But you know as well as I do that it’s fabricated—it’s a lie. Once it’s officially recorded, it can’t be changed, and it means you’re going head-to-head with the prosecutor. If your story gets debunked, you’ll be in serious trouble. Forget about a suspended sentence or a light punishment. ‘Leniency for confession, severity for resistance’ isn’t just a saying—it’s always been the rule.”

Ma Weimin thought for a moment. “Lying and making up stories is still not right, in my opinion.”

Zhang Qing agreed, “More or less, I think so too. After all, that was just a half-baked idea after I’d been drinking that night. I’m not a god; I make mistakes too.”

“Qingqing, I’ve noticed that since you met me, you’ve started to change—you’re becoming influenced and subdued by me,” Ma Weimin suddenly teased.

“I’m warning you, don’t talk to me like that. You’re making my skin crawl—it’s a weird feeling.”

…

After this visit to the police station, the female enforcer and the stay-at-home dad decided to act with integrity. They didn’t fabricate any details, nor did they add to their statements. It was as if they were simply signing in, going through the proper procedures to support Zhang Qing, to let others see that it was right for her to release Ma Weimin, that he wasn’t going to run off, and had even found a job at a big company.

This did help a bit, at least reassuring Zhang Qing’s superiors.

The only one whose attitude toward Ma Weimin had grown even less friendly was Qu Changfeng. Last time, there was really no grudge; this time, there finally was. He felt a chill in his chest, noticing that Zhang Qing seemed to be getting a bit too close to this handsome troublemaker. Something felt off.

But with so many people around and during working hours, Qu Changfeng held back from making trouble.

Finally, finding a chance when Ma Weimin went to the restroom, Qu Changfeng wanted to have a detailed talk with Zhang Qing. Unfortunately, just then Zhen Yuqi arrived and headed in his direction.

This made Qu Changfeng awkward—he couldn’t show his attitude toward Zhang Qing in front of Zhen Yuqi. The feeling from the other day when they’d gone clubbing together was still fresh; he hadn’t figured out her true character yet, but she was fun and lively, and he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet.

Qu Changfeng was well aware there’s a difference between someone suitable as a wife and someone as a lover; you have to deal with them separately.

So, Zhen Yuqi and Qu Changfeng started chatting in the corridor, laughing and joking together.

Zhen Yuqi wasn’t there just for Ma Weimin’s minor case—she had other business. But she happened to see Ma Weimin return from the restroom.

She was surprised. “You guys actually released him?”

Qu Changfeng’s face turned dark, but he couldn’t criticize Zhang Qing, so he replied vaguely, “Every family has its own difficult story. He wasn’t formally arrested by the prosecutor, just detained, and our internal consensus is that this was an act of righteousness, not a big deal. So the department could lift his detention. That’s how he walked out, just like that.”

Zhen Yuqi frowned, but after a moment, she saw Ma Weimin talking closely with Zhang Qing and said, “When you say ‘department consensus,’ you really mean Zhang Qing’s opinion, don’t you?”

Qu Changfeng became even more embarrassed and deflected, “Zhang Qing is one of our key senior officers, a pillar of the department. Her opinion is certainly important.”

Zhen Yuqi smiled but didn’t mention Zhang Qing’s questionable actions. She was smart enough to know that telling Qu Changfeng would have the opposite effect—whether he believed it or not, he wouldn’t be happy.

She glanced over again and said with a laugh, “I haven’t been here in days, and things seem to have changed a lot. It’s as if this has become Ma Weimin’s office. Look, don’t they seem like partners?”

This time, her words struck home. Qu Changfeng felt a chill in his chest, growing more annoyed the more he watched. He was increasingly unsettled.

Zhen Yuqi continued with a smile, “Did I say something I shouldn’t have?”

Qu Changfeng quickly put on a smile. “No, not at all. Zhang Qing is our police beauty, but there’s nothing between us.”

“Oh.” Zhen Yuqi nodded, deciding to stick around a bit longer, guessing that Qu Changfeng might be about to invite her out for drinks that evening.

To Zhen Yuqi, Zhang Qing was a clueless fool, blessed but unaware. She seemed to have no sense of power at all, not realizing how popular Qu Changfeng was. Never mind family background or marriage prospects—just being with him was a kind of benefit, wasn’t it?

Yet that violent woman with a screw loose, who assaulted a prosecutor on a whim, just went about her days without a care.

As far as Zhen Yuqi was concerned, even setting aside Ma Weimin’s legal troubles, he was leagues beneath Qu Changfeng in every other aspect—money, background, family, career—there was no comparison. She couldn’t even be bothered to list the specifics.

“Okay, maybe they’re equally good-looking, but what use is that? A pretty-boy weakling—could he really be so popular?” she thought, conceding that it might be Ma Weimin’s one advantage.

After a moment’s thought, Zhen Yuqi asked, “Isn’t the boss at Ma Weimin’s company someone named Qu, who’s an old acquaintance of your father?”

Qu Changfeng was caught off guard, thinking first of Yu Chengmin’s striking presence. Unfortunately, that woman was no ordinary person—even his father was wary of her.

Still, there was a connection. He decided he’d keep an eye on Ma Weimin, who was clueless about power, just waiting to see how he’d show off. Did Ma Weimin really think Qu Changfeng was out of options once he took off his uniform? He’d see soon enough.

His imagination running wild, Qu Changfeng promptly began to probe whether Zhen Yuqi was free that evening.

She was delighted but played coy. “Tonight… There’s nothing too important, but I did make plans in advance. Don’t get the wrong idea, Ming. I’d love to go, so how about we reschedule for tomorrow?”

Qu Changfeng was satisfied and nodded.

After a brief hesitation, Zhen Yuqi said, “Oh, never mind, I’ll just be straightforward. It’s not that important, I’ll call and cancel. Having a drink with you is always enjoyable.”

Now Qu Changfeng was exceedingly pleased…