MWC – Chapter 139 This is Life

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

Jeff Stewart lay on the bed in a small room, about ten square meters, snoring loudly.

Lu Ming glanced through the small window on the door, shaking his head.

Liu Teng, standing nearby, spoke with a hint of sarcasm, “This guy, I think, is reluctant to leave. Free food and lodging, no work to do, like a pie falling from the sky.”

“When he wakes up, notify me immediately. If I’m not around, you come and get his statement. Ask him clearly about the kid from the Gao family, whether he really saw it firsthand, and if he truly pushed Mr. Deng into the water.”

Does the drowning still need investigation? Liu Teng was slightly stunned but then nodded, “I understand.”

Lu Ming initially turned to leave but suddenly stopped and scrutinized Liu Teng from head to toe, “What do you understand? Let me tell you, don’t fabricate anything. Just record exactly what he says, don’t lead his testimony! Don’t play smart!”

Liu Teng smiled apologetically, “Yes, don’t worry, commissioner. How could I do that?” Earlier, Liu Teng had noticed that Commissioner Lu seemed particularly intent on targeting the councilor Gao’s son. He wondered if Commissioner Lu was planning to run for councilor himself and needed to discredit Gao. Therefore, he thought of manipulating the drunkard’s testimony to yield the desired result for Commissioner Lu, not necessarily falsifying it, but subtly guiding it.

However, his intentions were immediately seen through and warned by Commissioner Lu, leaving him to smile sheepishly to avoid further embarrassment.

Lu Ming took a couple of steps, “Still no results from forensics?”

“Probably by tonight. I’ll call them again later to hurry it up.”

Lu Ming nodded and headed towards the elevator. Despite being only three floors, the office space was vast with many sections, hence multiple elevators.

…

On the third floor, in the campaign office, young men and women, mostly good-looking, wore identical yellow vests. They made the place lively, unlike the seasoned campaigners who had all been dismissed by Lu Ming.

The yellow vests, printed with slogans, were also Lu Ming’s idea.

Murong Xue was about to take the campaign staff to District 3 to chant slogans as instructed by Lu Ming.

Seeing Lu Ming enter, she quickly approached him. The lively office immediately quieted down.

“Tomorrow, a TV station wants to do an interview with me. Xiaoxue, they will contact you later. Confirm their questions and add one about whether there is a possibility of having a debate between candidates on television. This would allow more voters to see candidates express their political views firsthand and discuss them, not just on TV but also on the radio. After all, not even half of the households in the city have a TV, and the percentage is even lower in Beiguan.”

Murong Xue quickly jotted down notes, nodding continuously.

The campaign staff exchanged glances. Of course, the TV station would be eager to ask such a question.

If there were indeed TV debates for councilor elections, people from other districts or even provinces would be curious and want to watch, guaranteeing high viewership.

The problem was, who would want to debate directly with their boss on TV? It would be like seeking their own demise.

Their boss was known for driving even the mentally ill to normalcy.

Lu Ming smiled, “Young people, have a long-term vision. We are ushering in a great era.”

In his previous life, the first televised presidential debate in a western country happened a few years later, but the concept could have been implemented much earlier with existing technology.

The staff immediately applauded. As long as the boss said it, it was always right.

Suddenly, Liu Teng appeared at the door, panting, “Commissioner, the drunkard is awake!”

Lu Ming nodded, “You all continue your work!”

…

Stewart was still clamoring for alcohol, now holding a bottle of champagne and drinking messily.

“No taste…” He tossed the bottle aside, champagne gushing out.

Lu Ming entered, frowning slightly.

Assistant Prosecutor Xiao Zhao quickly grabbed a mop and broom to clean up.

“Give him a cold shower to sober up! Then bring him to my office.” Lu Ming gestured and walked out.

Immediately, several members of the action team moved towards Stewart, who started screaming in protest.

Leaving the room, Lu Ming coughed, thinking that the future relationship with this father-in-law might be challenging.

Back in his office, he reviewed some files. About half an hour later, the team members brought Stewart in, cleaned up and shaved, dressed in dry clothes.

Hmm? He looked much better.

Looking at Stewart, Lu Ming smiled.

Stewart rudely sat on the sofa, grabbing a cigarette from the table and lighting it with shaky hands, indicative of alcohol withdrawal.

Blowing smoke at Lu Ming, he said, “I heard you’re prosecutors. I want to see a lawyer. I’m going to sue you for illegal detention and assault, or you give me fifty dollars now, and we call it even!”

Lu Ming looked at him helplessly. What had turned Pamela’s dignified and elegant father into this scoundrel?

He instructed Assistant Prosecutor Xiao Zhao, “Call the legal aid office and ask them to send a lawyer.”

Then he turned to Stewart, “Mr. Stewart, you’re involved in a murder case…”

Before he could finish, Liu Teng rushed in, whispered a few words in Lu Ming’s ear, and handed him a document. It was a fax from forensics.

Reading it, Lu Ming saw that the broken bottle Stewart held was indeed the murder weapon that killed the maid Zhao Linghua. His fingerprints were the only ones on it.

Liu Teng turned to Stewart, “Sorry, Mr. Stewart, you are now officially a suspect in the murder of Ms. Zhao Linghua, so you will be temporarily detained for forty-eight hours for investigation.”

“Who’s Zhao Linghua? You’ve got the wrong person!” Stewart said nonchalantly.

Liu Teng sneered, “Zhao Linghua is the maid at Gao Depei’s house, responsible for the wine cellar! Now do you remember? Did you kill her to cover up your theft?”

“Impossible! I’ve stolen wine before, and she liked me, never cared. She even secretly gave me wine!”

Stewart suddenly clammed up, “I want to wait for my lawyer. I’m not talking to you. You’re framing me!”

Lu Ming looked at him, pondering for a moment, then said, “Mr. Stewart, I know your daughter very well. Therefore, I will hand over your murder case to the police and other prosecutors. My office will only handle the re-investigation of Uncle Deng’s drowning, where you are a potential witness.”

The case was complex, and Stewart’s lack of sharpness might lead to mistakes if Lu Ming continued to handle it, especially if Stewart’s murder case was also under his jurisdiction.

In court, this could become his biggest weakness.

Stewart sneered, “You’re lying again. I don’t even know where that brat is. You know she’s my daughter? Ridiculous!”

Lu Ming nodded, “Anyway, whether you committed murder is not my concern. Now, tell me, what did you see on the day Uncle Deng fell into the water?”

“I don’t know!” Stewart shook his head.

Lu Ming looked at him, “Your daughter’s name is Pamela, nicknamed Paula, right?”

Stewart was startled and looked up in shock.

Lu Ming continued, “Don’t you understand yet? You gave a testimony that you saw Gao Yulong push someone into the water. Then, when we found you, you were in the wine cellar with Zhao Linghua’s corpse beside you, holding the murder weapon. If it wasn’t really you who killed her, I hope you think carefully about what actually happened.”

Lu Ming waved his hand, “Take him to the holding cell and let him think it through!”

Stewart frowned, looking dazed as he was taken away.

Glancing at Liu Teng, Lu Ming said, “I only confirmed a few hours ago that he is the father of my good friend.”

That was indeed true.

Liu Teng chuckled, “Does that even matter? Why hand it over to someone else to investigate?” According to Federal Judicial Law and East Sea Government’s Moral Law, an independent prosecutor needs to avoid conflicts of interest only with relatives or those with economic ties. Of course, any acquaintance involved in a case must be reported, and the prosecutor decides whether to transfer it to a colleague. If the prosecutor handles it themselves, any mistakes will naturally be investigated by the internal affairs department.

Generally, if only an acquaintance is involved, it’s rarely handed over to someone else. Sometimes, knowing the person can be advantageous during the investigation.

Lu Ming smiled, “Better to hand it over to them.”

Liu Teng immediately understood that the commissioner and the drunkard’s daughter might be more than just good friends.

…

Seeing the hurried arrival of Hou Dexing, Lu Ming frowned.

The Northern District Prosecutor’s Office sending him was unusual.

Though the Prosecutor’s Office is directly overseen by the Grand Prosecutor’s Office, they still interact with key figures in the Northern District.

“Commissioner Lu, what further testimony do you need from him? Why must he stay with you? I’m investigating a murder case; we must prioritize!”

Hou Dexing urgently wanted to take the person away.

Lu Ming smiled, “I’m not insisting he stays here. I suggest you handle the case here. You conduct your investigation, and I take my testimony. We won’t interfere with each other. I have enough rooms, and there are only three of you—yourself and two detectives.”

“Commissioner Lu! Where I conduct my investigation is none of your concern!” Hou Dexing smirked. “Anyway, I’m investigating a murder case. I must take the suspect. Otherwise, I’ll call the Grand Prosecutor’s Office to see who’s right.”

“Prosecutor Hou, you…” Liu Teng glared, this guy was quite arrogant, just a small prosecutor, and Liu Teng himself was the Deputy Director of Prosecutions and a subordinate of Commissioner Lu.

But Lu Ming had already waved his hand, signaling for everyone to leave.

Soon, only Lu Ming and Hou Dexing were left in the spacious and luxurious office.

Lu Ming walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the neatly trimmed green lawn outside.

“Commissioner Lu, I truly don’t intend to oppose you…” Hou Dexing looked serious, “I’m just doing my job.”

But the flicker in his eyes showed that refusing Lu Ming’s request was quite satisfying for him.

Lu Ming turned to look at him, smiling, “Hou Dexing, do you really think I didn’t find out you tipped off the Yamaguchi gang in the Kato case? That Deputy Minister Cheng is unaware?”

“When we were strategizing, the Yamaguchi gang seemed to know in advance and were well-prepared. In court, we were initially at a disadvantage, but Deputy Minister Cheng and I had a plan to turn the tables!”

“You think no one knew what you did?”

Each word thundered in Hou Dexing’s ears, leaving him dizzy and pale, retreating a few steps, nearly collapsing.

“But since Kato committed suicide out of guilt, the case was considered resolved. I don’t know what Deputy Minister Cheng thinks, maybe he felt the case was satisfactorily concluded and didn’t want a scandal? Or perhaps you, always good at flattery, secretly ingratiated yourself with Deputy Minister Cheng, sending your sister to his bed?”

Hearing this, Hou Dexing turned even paler, wanting to argue but unable to speak.

Lu Ming sneered, “So at the time, I didn’t cause trouble.”

“What, you think, with Deputy Minister Cheng backing you, and now maybe some new connection, you can show off in front of me?”

Lu Ming smiled, slowly sat behind his desk, lit a cigarette, and leisurely took a puff, “Do you believe that tomorrow you’ll end up like Kato? If rumors about Cheng and your sister spread, and other nasty things too, what then?”

“When did I say anything?” Hou Dexing immediately understood Lu Ming’s implication, his face turning deathly pale.

If certain things known only to him were spread, especially damaging someone’s reputation and career, he would undoubtedly be found hanging or drowned the next day, assumed to have committed suicide due to some setback.

“This case, you handle your job, I handle mine. Just do it here in my office. Agreed?” Lu Ming stubbed out the cigarette.

Hou Dexing, lost in thought, quickly nodded, nodding vigorously.

“Get out, you dog!” Lu Ming suddenly felt immensely irritated.

Hou Dexing hurriedly scrambled out, stumbling to the door but straightening up as he opened it.

Lu Ming shook his head. There were many things he preferred to ignore. In this world, no one is perfect. People in power are certainly not saints; they wear different masks. To you, they might be a supportive senior, recognizing your abilities and value. To others, they might be a corrupt old lecher.

Thinking about it, Lu Ming shook his head, turned back, and slowly opened the window, breathing in the fresh air outside.

Suddenly, he remembered a classic saying.

Maybe this is life.