Chapter 169: Irene's Suggestion

The soldiers moved swiftly and precisely. As they pressed the town chief's face against the ground, he continued to shout loudly, "Don't move! They won't harm you!" But as the soldiers applied more pressure, his voice gradually became muffled, eventually fading into unintelligible whimpers. The surrounding residents began to shed tears at this sight. What a good town chief he was! How could these people do this? When the town chief is taken away, who will care whether they can find wives or not? The soldiers ignored the town chief and the residents. The soldier holding the town chief down coldly announced, "Sir, you are under arrest for human trafficking, following orders from higher authorities. This operation is led by the Special Forces' highest action team, Seventh Unit! I will repeat: cooperate with the operation! Any resistance will result in immediate execution! Repeat, any resistance will result in immediate execution!" The town chief wasn't ignorant. The highest action team? Initially, he wasn't too scared, but upon hearing those words, he was suddenly terrified. Previously, the town chief thought he could rely on his connections to get him out of this mess. But now, he wasn't so sure. The highest action team usually deals with national espionage and other significant operations, right? Why would they be involved in a domestic human trafficking case? The town chief's face was scraped painfully against the floor. He struggled to lift his eyes to look around, catching sight of the well-dressed man who stood out from the rest. This man was clearly no ordinary person. He exuded an intimidating aura, appearing exceptionally dignified, and his gaze towards the town chief was filled with icy contempt. The town chief felt as though he was nothing more than an object in this man's eyes, which ignited a brief flash of anger within him. But before that anger could fully manifest, it was extinguished by the man's calm words: "Town chief, it's been a while since you've seen your old friend, hasn't it? This time, I’ve personally arranged for you to meet again." "In prison." A shiver ran down the town chief's spine. There was no need to elaborate on who that "old friend" was—it was his connection in the capital, the middleman who facilitated his high-end trafficking business. This was something the town chief had never mentioned to anyone. Not even his son or wife knew. Once, in a drunken stupor, he had boasted that their family had powerful connections in the capital, and that they could walk all over this small town. As for who these connections were, the town chief left that up to the imagination of the residents and his family. This way, no one knew the full extent of his influence, which made it easier for him to operate. Stefan observed the town chief's fearful expression, his ocean-blue eyes brimming with indifference. "You trafficked women, and now you’ve targeted my girlfriend? And I hear you were planning to marry her off? To whom? As for your son, he doesn't seem to be in the best of health." The town chief's pupils contracted as he shouted, "What are you going to do?" Stefan smiled slightly. "What can I do? You've committed heinous crimes, but your son’s hands are clean. It seems like there's something wrong with him mentally. I can arrange for him to receive humanitarian aid." If the town chief were foolish enough to believe that, he wouldn't have lasted all these years as the town chief. This man was threatening him! If he didn't cooperate, this man would put his son in danger! Even if the best-case scenario was his son being mistreated in an asylum, the town chief couldn't bear to see that happen! He would rather his son die here than live through that! What kind of life would that be? Stefan looked down at the town chief with cold detachment and said, "On behalf of the government, I formally notify you that you have been removed from your position, stripped of your political rights for life, and are to be immediately transferred to the third prison in A City for interrogation." The town chief's face turned ashen, and even under the soldiers' restraint, his body trembled and swayed. He looked utterly pitiful. The previously silent residents once again voiced their discontent. The crowd erupted in noise, but this time, Stefan glanced around at everyone and then looked back at the town chief, saying, "Did you share the billions you earned in the capital with your residents? The profits from human trafficking certainly involved the participation of your residents." With just a few words, Stefan sowed discord between the town chief and the residents. The crowd exchanged uncertain glances. Was this young man telling the truth? Did the town chief really have billions? Billions! Suddenly, someone from the crowd threw a rock, hitting the town chief squarely on the head. "You despicable scum! Earning money without sharing it with us, exploiting our labor!" "Yeah! How outrageous!" "We should beat him to death!" "Where is he hiding all that money? Could it be in this house?" "Brothers! Let's search his house together!" "I knew there was something fishy about how well-dressed he always was—his watch alone is worth millions! Get him!" The town chief, pale-faced, shouted, "He's lying! I never made that much money!" That explanation only made things worse. "Ha! So you were doing other deals behind our backs!" "I was worried I might be wrong about him! He's no good at all!" The town chief tried to explain further, but after several futile attempts, he finally faced reality. As a student of psychology, he knew that in this situation, individual will had dissolved, replaced by the collective will of the crowd. And that will was to rob, to get rich! The residents knew that Stefan was deceiving them. But they were willing to believe his words because it gave them a self-righteous excuse for their looting! Stefan smirked as he looked at the now-silent, defeated town chief. "This is the consequence of your involvement in human trafficking." Irene had been standing aside with her arms crossed, watching the scene unfold. She smiled. No wonder she had her eye on this man—just a few words, and he had thoroughly crushed the town chief’s spirit. What the town chief cared about most wasn't himself or his son; it was the loyalty of the residents he had painstakingly groomed. It gave him the illusion of being an emperor. As if with a wave of his hand, he could command the response of many. That was what the town chief truly valued. As the town chief was taken away, Stefan was about to wrap things up when Irene stopped him, saying, "That couple is still in the villa. Bring them here; I have some questions for them." "I suggest that one team escort the prisoners back while another investigates the town hospital." Stefan nodded. "Alright." The light in Irene's eyes shone even brighter. She loved men like this—decisive, intelligent, and capable of understanding her meaning with just a word. The reason for investigating the town hospital was simple. With so much human trafficking going on, most people would have to undergo medical examinations before being sold. Now, with economic development, buyers often wanted to see a health report before purchasing.