Chapter 192 The Best Way Out

Inside the hospital room.

Tan Mingzhao looked at Xin Chaojie with a smile and suddenly asked, "Uncle Xin, if I remember correctly, you're fifty-two this year, right?"

Xin Chaojie nodded slowly, "Yes, fifty-two."

"Sigh," Tan Mingzhao sighed, "The old guard generals who fought alongside my father back in the day are all getting old now."

Xin Chaojie nodded with a stiff smile.

"If nothing unexpected happens, in six or seven years, you'll get promoted to lieutenant general, return to headquarters as the head of a political affairs unit, and then wait for retirement." Tan Mingzhao looked at Xin Chaojie, "Actually, my father has always been very concerned about the future of you old generals, and he's been trying to find opportunities to pave the way for you."

Xin Chaojie felt a chill run down his spine when he heard this.

"But the military supplies being stolen has disrupted many of my father's plans." Tan Mingzhao said with a helpless tone, "The investigation team is here, and their main focus is on investigating our garrison. While we're clean, we can't let them run rampant in The Dragon City Rises, right?"

"Yeah," Xin Chaojie nodded expressionlessly.

The two men looked at each other, Tan Mingzhao's smile disappeared, and he said in a calm and powerful voice, "How about we just drop it? Let the matter end with that regimental commander. He's a traitor, and you're derelict in your duty. You retire early, maintain your dignity, keep your rank, and land safely, so you don't have to worry about the future."

"Hoo!"

Xin Chaojie let out a long breath, "Is this the commander's intention?"

"This is the best way out for you." Tan Mingzhao replied with a serious expression, "It's not that the higher-ups aren't trying hard to protect you, but blindly persisting and resisting the investigation team will only lead to further investigation. If they uncover something bad about your subordinates… the result might be worse than it is now."

These words were full of coercion, but Xin Chaojie understood that it wasn't that the old commander Tan Hengqiang was too ruthless, but that the problem originated in the Third Division. If the garrison corps wanted to avoid being implicated, they had to cut off the hidden danger with one stroke.

A brave man cuts off his wrist to stop the bleeding.

Xin Chaojie felt unlucky and aggrieved. He wouldn't have resisted if he had retired normally, but the meaning behind Tan Mingzhao's words was that he would be charged with dereliction of duty, and he would be forced to step down with a stain on his reputation. The honor he had fought for his entire career was not as glaring as this stain.

But could he refuse? As Tan Mingzhao said, if he angered the investigation team, they would dig endlessly, and perhaps his corruption, bribery, and buying and selling of official positions would all be exposed. At that point, he wouldn't just be landing with a stain; he might be stripped of his uniform and sent to a military court.

At this moment, Xin Chaojie knew he had no choice but to nod and say, "I trust the commander's wisdom. I'll listen to the higher-ups."

"Don't worry, Uncle Xin, I guarantee you with my character that as long as you do as I say, you'll definitely land safely in the end. Moreover, you have many family members in this Third Division, and several regimental commanders are related to you. The middle and high-ranking officers below are either your protégés or your core veterans who have followed you for many years. I can guarantee that these people's positions won't change after you step down, and they will gradually be given important positions in the future." Tan Mingzhao slowly stood up and added.

That's right, although Xin Chaojie had long chosen to lie flat, usually just engaging in corruption and wasting time, the foundation of his division was very good. Almost all of his core subordinates, from grassroots officers to core generals, were his direct descendants. This was also why Tan Mingzhao was so polite to him, because the Xin Chaojie family still had quite a bit of influence. Secondly, he was obedient and hadn't caused any trouble over the years, secretly creating a lot of wealth for Tan Hengqiang.

This time, Xin Chaojie was implicated in the military supplies theft purely because he was too unlucky, or rather, someone had plotted against him.

"Okay. I'll listen to the commander's arrangements." Xin Chaojie had already made his decision.

Tan Mingzhao looked at him, "Call the regimental staff officer of the 112th Regiment over here. I have something to tell him."

"Okay," Xin Chaojie nodded.

…

The regimental commander of the Third Division's 122nd Regiment of the garrison corps was the first regimental-level officer to be arrested. He claimed that he was drunk that night because he was entertaining friends, so he didn't promptly order his troops to seal off the road, which led to the escape of the hijackers.

This regimental commander was named Yang Gang, and he was also a veteran officer who had followed Xin Chaojie for many years. He had parents above him, and a wife and children below him, and his whole family depended on him.

Four o'clock in the afternoon.

Inside a teahouse across from the garrison headquarters hospital, the regimental staff officer of the 112th Regiment brought Yang Gang's wife to see Tan Mingzhao.

"Commander Tan, this is Yang Gang's wife," the regimental staff officer introduced politely.

Tan Mingzhao was obviously not as polite to the regimental commander's wife, and nodded with no expression on his face.

"Commander Tan! You must help my Lao Yang, he's really been wronged… He's worked in the garrison unit in The Dragon City Rises for so many years, his family is here, he has an official position, and the leaders above him treat him very well. He has no reason to steal military supplies! Someone is clearly framing him!" Yang Gang's wife said very excitedly.

"Don't shout, listen to me." Tan Mingzhao looked at her coldly, "I'll arrange for you to meet Yang Gang…!"

"Thank you, I'll definitely persuade him!"

"Don't interrupt me, listen to me!" Tan Mingzhao glared.

Yang Gang's wife immediately shut her mouth.

"When you see him, you have to work on him." Tan Mingzhao whispered to her.

Half an hour later.

Yang Gang's wife left the teahouse with a desolate expression. Before getting into the car, Tan Mingzhao's guard put a large leather suitcase in her car.

…

After talking with Yang Gang's wife, Tan Mingzhao spoke to the regimental staff officer of the 112th Regiment alone, "After Yang Gang's work is done, you go to the investigation team and report him!"

"Report him for what?" the staff officer asked.

"Report him for colluding with the enemy and participating in the theft of military supplies." Tan Mingzhao interjected, "Didn't you guys drink that day? You tell the investigation team that you were secretly meeting with Tongji Association people that day! Yang Gang accepted a large amount of bribes, so he decided to cooperate with their actions. I'll find a bank to help you create some large fund transfer records later!"

"But… but there's no upper-level connection to this, we haven't contacted the Tongji Association." The regimental staff officer was dumbfounded.

"Money makes the mare go!" Tan Mingzhao replied indifferently, "Lu Feng, Wei Xiangzuo, and the Code Farmer Association are all related to Su Tianyu! Just grab a few of their lackeys and make them talk, and that will implicate the Tongji Association! As long as the evidence is sufficient for the investigation team to close the case, this matter will be over! If that doesn't work, we can use the Chi army! Throw the clues to Zhao Weihu! They're outside the district, so unless the investigation team can wipe out the Chi army, they can't verify the testimony with Zhao Weihu in person! That's equivalent to a dead end, which will make it easier for the investigation team to close the case quickly."

"…!" The regimental staff officer looked at him in shock, not expecting that this matter could be handled in this way.

"You will also be suspended and dismissed, but you don't have to worry. Our garrison has so many businesses in The Dragon City Rises that it's enough to support you for the rest of your life."

"Understood!"

…

At the same time.

Su Tianyu called Da Bai, Wei Xiangzuo, and Lu Feng, and directly handed them a document, saying softly, "Yang Gang, follow this lead, investigate his recent situation and details!"