MWC – Chapter 105 Mr. Commissioner

I AM DROPPING THIS NOVEL. IF ANYONE WANTS TO CONTINUE THEY CAN. IF POSSIBLE PLEASE SHARE THE LINK SO I CAN BINGE READ TOO.

He first returned home and had Sun Erniang arrange accommodations for Kuroki Saori. After checking on the sleeping Bizhu and feeling somewhat reassured, he sat by her bedside for a while. Then, Lu Ming got up, took a bath, changed his clothes, arranged for a vehicle, and headed to the Husky Hotel.

…

All the prosecutors and police officers had been summoned and were seated in a temporary meeting room on the third floor. Their epaulets shone, and their peaked caps were neatly lined up on the table, creating a very solemn atmosphere.

Sitting in the main seat was Commissioner Lu.

The assassination attempt on Lu Ming had alarmed the Grand Prosecutor’s Office, and Chief Maken was extremely furious.

First, the task force’s information was supposed to be confidential; second, they hadn’t even identified any members of the White Rose Movement, yet the deputy leader of the task force had already been ambushed by heavily armed assailants.

This indicated that there was a leak within the Grand Prosecutor’s Office, and it showed that the White Rose Movement had no regard for the office, which was a blatant challenge to its authority.

If Chief Maken had been reluctant to agree to Cheng Lingyu’s request initially and had intended to turn a blind eye even if the task force found anything, this incident changed everything.

Disrespecting the authority of the Grand Prosecutor’s Office was something Chief Maken could not tolerate.

No one, including the most powerful individuals in Donghai, could ignore the existence of the Grand Prosecutor’s Office in such a manner.

Lu Ming received a personal call from Chief Maken, expressing his condolences and informing Lu Ming that he would reinforce the task force and appoint him as the leader of the investigation.

Lu Ming smiled wryly. If someone of high status wanted to get rid of him, he might not object if they informed him in advance. But bypassing him and attempting to eliminate a key member of the secret task force was clearly a slap in the face, making him feel deeply humiliated.

Moreover, in his eyes, the White Rose Movement was like cockroaches that should live in the shadows.

The Chief Prosecutor of the Grand Prosecutor’s Office was already one of the most powerful figures in Donghai.

Shortly after Lu Ming hung up the phone, an official appointment letter designating him as a special commissioner for the “Harmony Flower” Operation Office was delivered.

Additionally, a notice was sent to every prosecutor about the establishment of the “Harmony Flower Operation Office” by the Grand Prosecutor’s Office.

The notice stated that the “Operation Office” was directly led by Chief Maken and commanded by a special commissioner who reported only to Chief Maken.

The “Operation Office” was not only tasked with combating the increasingly rampant racial crimes but also responsible for investigating corruption involving public officials and any misconduct or negligence by public officials.

The notice also reassigned all prosecutors and assistant prosecutors of the task force to the Operation Office and included a few more prosecutors.

Jordan was appointed as the deputy director of the office.

The prosecutors in the office were divided into three groups, each consisting of four prosecutors, generally comprising a deputy director of prosecution, a prosecutor, and two assistant prosecutors, with the deputy director acting as the group leader.

The newly added assistant prosecutors had not yet reported for duty.

Clearly, this “Operation Office” had temporarily become a permanent institution of the Grand Prosecutor’s Office, with several offices already allocated at the headquarters.

Furthermore, there was a special operations team, purely composed of armed personnel, led by Captain Cantona, with a force of twenty armed officers.

Upon reading the notice, Lu Ming could only smile wryly.

Chief Maken was indeed furious, but he was a shrewd figure who quickly turned this anger into a weapon.

He seized this opportunity as a chance to expand prosecutorial authority.

Establishing a permanent institution to investigate racial crimes, as well as public officials connected to racial organizations, was justifiable.

However, extending it to investigate all forms of corruption and misconduct by public officials was quite a stretch.

Although investigating and prosecuting public officials’ crimes was within the Grand Prosecutor’s Office’s remit, such cases were usually handled by independent prosecutors assigned to specific incidents.

Having a permanent institution for such investigations marked an expansion of prosecutorial authority.

But in this system, the expansion and contraction of prosecutorial power were always central themes of political struggle.

Moreover, Chief Maken was using Lu Ming as a test, a kind of expendable to probe his political adversaries.

If the Operation Office was eventually forced to disband, Lu Ming, a somewhat ambiguous advisor or special commissioner, would be the scapegoat. If he failed, he could be dismissed or relocated, which would not significantly affect the Grand Prosecutor’s Office’s authority.

The appointment was indeed ambiguous. Was Lu Ming now an external advisor or an official within the Grand Prosecutor’s Office?

It seemed he was in a gray area, neither entirely inside nor outside the formal structure.

Lu Ming could only smile wryly. Regardless, he would continue running for parliament and practicing law.

Public officials had to resign before running for parliament, but Lu Ming did not consider himself one, so he felt free to proceed.

Additionally, this world’s rules were not as strict as those in his previous life.

At the Grand Prosecutor’s Office, he was considered an official, now a leader of a permanent institution. All the prosecutors seated on either side of the long table were his subordinates.

Their gaze toward him had noticeably changed.

…

The prosecutors and police officers sat up straight. When Lu Ming’s gaze swept over them, the junior prosecutors, except for Wang Xiaohu, would lower their heads.

Commissioner Lu had now become an authority figure who could evaluate their performance and was clearly a favorite of Chief Maken. This special office reported solely to Chief Maken.

“Has the forensic report come out?” Lu Ming asked Gao Shinian, the leader of the first group of the office.

“Yes, there were eleven assailants, all dead on the spot, each killed with a single shot to the heart. They also had small wounds on their throats, but it’s unclear how those were caused…” Gao Shinian spoke with some suspicion. The bodyguard’s statement indicated he hadn’t fired many shots and was supposedly trapped in the car. It seemed there were other bodyguards, perhaps snipers with distinctive habits, marking their kills with throat wounds. Possibly, a notorious mercenary now followed Commissioner Lu, but this wasn’t worth delving into.

Lu Ming nodded. Bizhu was indeed very cautious, apparently using the enemies’ weapons for close-range kills.

“I’m already investigating the true identities of these assailants!” Gao Shinian added.

“The Special Action Group has sealed off the new branch of St. Anton Orphanage, and the third group is investigating if any staff are connected to the assailants.”

The speaker was Deputy Director Jordan, a calm and refined young Western prosecutor, clearly from a prestigious family.

“Good…” Lu Ming sighed. “I barely escaped with my life. Seeing all of you again feels like a second chance. Please, everyone, be careful from now on!”

“Yes, sir!” The junior prosecutors and police officers sat up straight and responded loudly.

Lu Ming was momentarily stunned and sighed inwardly. The taste of power was indeed different.

No matter how famous or competent a lawyer was, the respect they received was never like this.

With a slight nod, he stood up and said, “I’m going to check on the friends who were with me during the incident.”

All the prosecutors and police officers, including Jordan, immediately stood up. Though they were respectfully seeing their superior off, nearly all had eager expressions, even Jordan’s usually calm eyes showed a sparkle.

“Free to move about!” Lu Ming waved his hand. After taking two steps, Jordan followed, whispering, “Commissioner, could I ask Ms. Nicole to sign a photo from my collection? Just one…”

Smiling ingratiatingly, he was completely different from his usual composed self.

Lu Ming sighed, “I’ll talk to her. You know, she’s also been through a scare.”

“Yes, yes, we all know that, so we haven’t dared to disturb her since she arrived,” Jordan chuckled awkwardly.

Lu Ming nodded, “I’ll try my best.”

“Yes, yes, thank you, Commissioner!” Jordan smiled.

Seeing his obsequious demeanor, Lu Ming felt an urge to punch him in the nose. Seriously, in my eyes, you were a proud and outstanding young prosecutor. Was one Nicole worth this? Turning you from a Buddha to a flunky?

Nodding slightly, Lu Ming turned and left.