thebusnovel Chapter 338 He was asked to propose a settlement.
Chapter 338 He was asked to propose a settlement.
The room quieted down, with only the hum of the radiator and the soft patter of snowflakes hitting the glass outside the window.
Ling Yun stood by the window, and Wang Degui looked at him for a few seconds.
"President Ling," he said, "that Yang Peng is a salesman at Yixiang Group. Above him is a regional manager named Wu Yong. This whole thing was planned by the two of them."
Ling Yun turned around. "Do you have any evidence?"
Wang Degui took an envelope out of his pocket.
"Chen Jian's statement," he said. "I sent someone to find him. At first, he was defiant, but after my men talked to him, he told me everything. This is what he said; someone recorded it, and someone signed it."
Ling Yun took the envelope but didn't open it.
"Also," Wang Degui said, "that Yang Peng, the car he was driving that day was a company car from the Nanjing branch of Yixiang Group. I've even found out the license plate number."
Ling Yun nodded.
"Brother Wang," he said, "thanks."
Wang Degui waved his hand.
"Mr. Ling," he said, "I remember your help. This is nothing, it's just a small favor."
Ling Yun took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Zhao Hu," he said, "go check on Yang Peng, the salesman at Yixiang Group, and his regional manager, Wu Yong. Before I leave work today, I need to know where they live, where they usually go, and who they associate with."
"clear."
Two o'clock in the afternoon.
"Mr. Ling, we've found Yang Peng. He lives in the Qinhuai District, in a residential complex," Zhao Hu said. "He often goes to a bar at night, near Xinjiekou. His regional manager, Wu Yong, lives not far from him."
Ling Yun nodded.
"Let's go meet them tonight."
8 PM, Nanjing, Xinjiekou.
Neon lights flashed in colorful patterns outside a bar. Loud music emanated from inside, and the door opened and closed as people went in and out.
Ling Yun sat in the car opposite, looking at the door. Zhao Hu was next to him, holding a folder in his hand.
"Yang Peng went in at 7:30," he said. "He usually doesn't come out until 11 o'clock."
Ling Yun didn't speak, staring at the door and the people coming and going. Some people smoked at the door, some went in with girls in their arms, and some staggered out.
At 8:30, the door opened again.
A man in a dark blue suit walked out, stood in the doorway, and lit a cigarette. He was short and a little overweight, with neatly combed hair that gleamed under the neon lights.
Ling Yun stared at him, Yang Peng.
After he finished his cigarette, he turned around and went back inside.
Lingyun pushed open the car door.
"President Ling?" Zhao Hu was taken aback.
"You wait," Ling Yun said.
He crossed the street and went into the bar.
The room was dimly lit, and the music was so loud it hurt your ears. People were dancing on the dance floor, and others were drinking in the booths. He glanced around and saw Yang Peng sitting at the bar, talking to the bartender.
Ling Yun walked over and sat down next to him.
Yang Peng turned his head and glanced at him. Not recognizing him, he turned back.
"A whiskey, please," Ling Yun said to the bartender.
The bartender poured a glass and pushed it towards me.
Lingyun picked up his cup and took a sip.
Yang Peng was chatting with the bartender on the side, telling jokes and laughing loudly.
Ling Yun put down his cup, turned around, and asked, "Yang Peng?"
Yang Peng was taken aback. "You know me?"
Ling Yun nodded. "Can we chat for a bit?"
Yang Peng sized him up. He was wearing an ordinary down jacket and didn't look like a policeman or a thug. "Who are you?"
"Zhao Weiguo's friend."
Yang Peng's expression changed. He stood up, intending to leave.
Ling Yun grabbed his arm. "Don't rush, let's chat for a bit."
Yang Peng struggled for a moment, but couldn't break free. Ling Yun's hand gripped him like an iron clamp, causing him excruciating pain.
"What...what do you want to do?" His voice began to tremble.
"Let's find a quiet place," Lingyun said.
He pulled Yang Peng out, and the bartender behind the bar glanced at them but ignored them.
Stepping out of the bar, a gust of cold wind hit him, and Yang Peng shivered.
Lingyun pulled him into a nearby alley. The alley was dark, with only a street lamp in the distance illuminating a small patch of dim yellow light.
Yang Peng leaned against the wall, panting.
"What...what do you want to do?" His voice was still trembling.
Ling Yun looked at him. "Chen Jian, do you know him?"
Yang Peng's face turned pale. "I don't know him..."
"Don't you recognize him?" Ling Yun said. "You visited him at the hospital yesterday and brought him a fruit basket. You don't recognize him today?"
Yang Peng opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Ling Yun took a piece of paper out of his pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to him.
"This is Chen Jian's statement," he said. "He said you taught him how to stage an accident with Zhao Weiguo, and you even gave him a camera to record evidence. He said you planned it."
Yang Peng's eyes widened. "He...he's lying! I didn't do anything!"
Ling Yun put away the paper. "Then go tell the police." He turned and walked out.
"Hey!" Yang Peng caught up, "Wait a minute!"
Lingyun stopped.
Yang Peng stood before him, his face deathly pale, sweat beading on his forehead. "You... what do you want?"
Ling Yun looked at him. "The truth."
Yang Peng's lips moved, but he didn't say anything.
"You don't have to say it," Ling Yun said. "Then I'll hand this statement over to the police. The police will investigate. If they find out about you, think about the consequences."
Yang Peng's legs went weak. "I...I'll talk."
He leaned against the wall and slowly squatted down.
"It was...it was Wu Yong's idea," he said in a low voice. "After he learned about Chen Jian's situation, he said it was an opportunity to have Chen Jian stage an accident to extort money from Zhao Weiguo and get Zhao Weiguo imprisoned for two years. I...I was just the errand boy."
"Where's the camera?"
"I bought it," Yang Peng said. "At the electronics market, it cost five hundred yuan."
"Where's the video?"
"It's on my computer," Yang Peng said. "Wu Yong said to keep it; it might be useful later."
Ling Yun turned and left.
"Hey!" Yang Peng called from behind, "You...you're not going to call the police, are you?"
Ling Yun ignored him and walked straight out of the alley. Zhao Hu's car was already parked on the side of the road.
Ling Yun opened the car door and got in.
"President Ling?" Zhao Hu looked at him.
"Let's go to Wu Yong's house," Ling Yun said.
9:30 PM, a residential community in Qinhuai District.
Wu Yong lived on the sixth floor. Ling Yun knocked on the door.
A man in his forties, wearing pajamas and glasses, opened the door.
Who are you looking for?
"Are you Wu Yong?"
"It's me. Who are you?"
Ling Yun pushed the door open and walked in. Wu Yong took a step back. "What are you doing?"
Ling Yun sat down on the sofa. "Sit down and let's talk."
Wu Yong stood at the door, his expression changing as he watched Zhao Hu follow him in.
"Who...who are you?"
"Zhao Weiguo's friend," Ling Yun said.
Wu Yong's face also turned pale. He slowly walked over and sat down on another sofa, keeping a distance from Ling Yun.
"I...I don't know Zhao Weiguo."
Ling Yun looked at him. "Yang Peng told you everything."
Wu Yong opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"The Chen Jian thing was your idea," Ling Yun said. "We staged an accident with Zhao Weiguo to extort money. Yang Peng bought the camera, and the recording is on his computer."
Wu Yong's face grew paler and paler.
"What...what do you want?" His voice trembled.
Ling Yun didn't say anything. He took the paper out of his pocket and placed it on the coffee table.
Wu Yong glanced at it, his face turning even paler. "This...this is..."
"Chen Jian's confession," Ling Yun said, "is even more detailed than Yang Peng's."
Wu Yong's hands began to tremble.
"You...you're going to call the police?"
Ling Yun looked at him. "What do you think?"
Wu Yong's lips trembled. "I...I can pay compensation. Any amount is fine, just don't call the police."
Ling Yun stood up. "You'll pay?" He walked to the door, turned back to look at Wu Yong, and asked, "Can you afford to pay?"
Wu Yong stood there, frozen in place.
Ling Yun pushed open the door and went out, the door closing behind him.
Zhao Hu walked over and stood next to him.
"Mr. Ling," he said, "what do we do now?"
Ling Yun didn't speak.
He took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Brother Wang," he said, "take Chen Jian to the police station first thing tomorrow morning and have him propose a settlement."