While the old county head was shouting and hollering, the other interrogation room remained relatively calm. Deng Shengli sat with a placid expression, confessing to his own transgressions. He knew perfectly well that at this stage, no one could or would come to save him. He had lost—utterly lost. Any further struggle would only earn him the additional charge of resisting the inevitable, which was entirely meaningless. He was destined to spend time in Handong's Fifth Prison, a facility with a specific ward dedicated to housing disgraced, corrupt officials. There were many people like Deng Shengli there.
After finishing his confession, Deng Shengli concluded with that classic, quintessential line: "I have long been lawless and undisciplined. I crossed the line between politics and business, polluting the political ecosystem and corrupting the atmosphere within the Party. My failure was predetermined, my downfall was certain, and this investigation was inevitable."
***
Chapter 332