243: Chapter 243 Enlarged Meeting of the Town Party Committee

The wind howled after the rain ceased.

Turbid, muddy water clung to the leaves of the holly trees in the courtyard of the Heishi Town Government.

The door to the office of Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong was locked tight, and the news that he had been taken away by the County Commission for Discipline Inspection swept through every office like a chilling gust of wind.

The cracks in the old order had widened to the point of being irreparable.

On the second floor, inside the Deputy Secretary's office, Zhu Wenhao was reviewing the reports in his hands.

At ten o'clock this morning, the Standing Committee meeting of the Qingjiang County Party Committee was set to convene.

That was the stage where Secretary Lu Guoliang, County Mayor Gu Mingchuan, Secretary Pang Jianguo, and others would lock horns.

The confession spat out by Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong would become the fuse that ignited the Standing Committee meeting.

In the small world of Heishi Town, he also needed to make his move.

Before the official red-headed document from the county arrived, he had to nail Secretary Qiu Dehai firmly to the pillar of shame and strip away his remaining authority completely.

Director Xu Jie pushed the door open and entered, holding a meeting minutes book.

"Secretary Zhu, the attendees for the expanded meeting have all arrived."

Zhu Wenhao placed his fountain pen on the pen holder.

"Let's go. Let's see what retreat Secretary Qiu has left."

The expanded meeting of the Town Party Committee was scheduled for nine o'clock sharp.

Inside the meeting room, smoke swirled.

At the long solid wood conference table, the heads of various stations and offices, along with the leadership team members, were all seated.

No one was whispering to each other, and even the sound of drinking water was kept extremely low.

To the left of the main seat, the empty chair of Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong was glaringly conspicuous.

Secretary Qiu Dehai pressed his hands against the tabletop; his face was sallow from years of staying up late, and his eye sockets were deeply sunken.

Last night, he had burned some old files in his office, but this action only intensified the panic in his heart.

He had no idea how much Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong had spilled in the detention room.

He had to stabilize the overall situation.

As long as the accountability document from the county had not been issued, he was still the legitimate top leader.

"Let's begin the meeting."

Secretary Qiu Dehai's voice was dry as he attempted to use his customary bureaucratic tone to set the tone for the day's situation.

"A few days ago, a minor accident occurred at the South Street drainage project, resulting in a road collapse. This is something we did not want to see. Currently, Comrade Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong is assisting the County Commission for Discipline Inspection in understanding the relevant situation."

He carefully weighed his words, characterizing the engineering corruption as an "accident" and whitewashing the detention and investigation as "assisting in understanding."

"At this critical juncture, the entire town must maintain composure. Do not believe rumors, do not spread rumors. The specific cause of the South Street accident must await authoritative verification from the county."

"Before the county issues formal documents, no department is to act rashly, and certainly, no one is to stir up panic."

Pushing, stalling, waiting, and relying on others—this was the old way of suppressing incidents at the grassroots level.

As long as he could stall until Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan exerted his influence at the Standing Committee meeting and suppressed this matter, his stature as the Town Party Committee Secretary would remain intact.

Zhu Wenhao sat in a side seat, toying with a black Parker fountain pen in his hand.

He did not follow Secretary Qiu Dehai's rhythm.

He tapped the pen lightly on the table, emitting a crisp sound that abruptly interrupted Secretary Qiu Dehai's evasive maneuvering.

"Wait?"

"The big pit on South Street is left exposed; ordinary people have broken their arms, and merchants cannot conduct business. The grievances of the masses have already reached the gates of the Town Government."

He threw out a pointed question: "Secretary Qiu asks us to wait, but can this collapsed mess fill itself in?"

Secretary Qiu Dehai's face tightened; being refuted in public made him angry and humiliated.

"Comrade Zhu Wenhao, engineering accountability is an extremely rigorous process. Since the County Commission for Discipline Inspection has already intervened, our grassroots Party Committee should not overstep our authority. Acting without authorization is likely to destroy the investigation scene; that is not in accordance with the rules!"

"Accountability belongs to the Discipline Inspection Commission, but emergency repairs belong to the Town Government!"

A loud, clear voice came from opposite Zhu Wenhao.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang picked up the teacup in front of him and set it down heavily on the table.

This man, known as a "good guy" in Heishi Town, had drawn his blade at this moment.

Secretary Qiu Dehai monopolized power, and Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong was arrogant and domineering.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang had not resisted before because he knew he could not fight the county-level backers behind these two men.

But now, the appearance of Zhu Wenhao had changed everything.

The butcher's knife of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection had been raised high, and Secretary Qiu Dehai could not escape his fate.

If he did not act decisively now to sever the ties of the old forces, he would remain a mere figurehead as Town Mayor forever.

"Ordinary people need to walk when they go out. The collapsed site is at risk of pipe network ruptures at any moment. If we wait for the county's determination, the people's feet cannot wait!"

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang straightened his posture and swept his gaze over the faces of the heads of the various stations and offices.

"I propose that the Town Government take the lead in immediately establishing a special task force for the emergency repair and aftermath of South Street. We must not only repair it immediately but also lay out all engineering accounts in the sunlight, inviting merchants and representatives of the masses from South Street to supervise the entire process!"

Secretary Qiu Dehai became anxious.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang was blatantly seizing administrative leadership.

"Town Mayor Luo, you speak big words lightly! Road repairs require funds!"

Secretary Qiu Dehai brought out the fatal weakness, "The accounts of the Town Finance Office have long been in the red; what will you use to fill that big pit!"

As long as the purse strings were held tight, the emergency repair task force would be just an empty shell.

"As for fund allocation, Director Xu Jie has already prepared a plan."

Zhu Wenhao leaned back into his chair.

Director Xu Jie, sitting in the back row, timely opened a blue folder.

"According to the inventory, in the town's special financial accounts, previous fines and confiscations from mining areas, as well as some non-tax revenues, can be specifically earmarked for the South Street emergency repairs."

Director Xu Jie spoke clearly and logically.

"The medical assistance for the injured masses has already been fully paid in advance by the Town Civil Affairs Office in coordination with the county hospital."

"The road repair project will hold a public tender this afternoon. All bidding processes and fund flows will be simultaneously posted on the town affairs bulletin board daily, subject to third-party supervision."

This plan was seamless, leaving Secretary Qiu Dehai absolutely no room for refutation.

Secretary Qiu Dehai's finger bones turned white as he slapped the edge of the solid wood table.

"Presumptuous! Such a large amount of fund usage, without repeated discussion by the Party Committee, and a Party and Government Office Director dares to directly read it out at a meeting? Do you still have any regard for me, the Town Party Committee Secretary!"

Zhu Wenhao looked directly at the exasperated Secretary Qiu Dehai and said only one sentence.

"The official hat is worn on the head, but the road is trodden under the feet of the common people. If the road collapses, the hat should also be loosened."

"Secretary Qiu, the road under the feet of the common people cannot wait for your emotions."

The heads of the various stations and offices lowered their heads, not daring to breathe loudly.

The Town Party Committee Secretary, who usually threw his weight around, was criticized thoroughly in the face of law and people's livelihood.

This group of grassroots bureaucrats knew best how to judge the situation.

With Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong falling from power and Secretary Qiu Dehai being forced into a corner by the Deputy Secretary and the Town Mayor, this broken ship was about to sink.

"The Armed Forces Department agrees with Town Mayor Luo Xingbang's proposal and will fully cooperate with the implementation of the emergency repairs."

The head of the Armed Forces Department was the first to express his stance, breaking the deadlock.

"The Finance Office guarantees that the fund turnover of the task force will be compliant."

This followed immediately after.

"The Urban Management Brigade is responsible for traffic diversion at the site."

When a wall is about to collapse, everyone gives it a push.

Those subordinates who used to revolve around Secretary Qiu Dehai were now scrambling to bypass him and pledge their loyalty to the new core of power.

Secretary Qiu Dehai slumped in the main seat, feeling a wave of dizziness.

These people who used to run to his house with local specialties during festivals turned their backs faster than flipping a book.

Nominally, he was the Secretary, but in reality, his power had already been stripped away.

The double wooden doors were pushed open.

Director Li Qiang, accompanied by two discipline inspection officers, walked into the meeting room with a steady gait.

"Sorry to interrupt your meeting."

Director Li Qiang stood inside the door and unfolded an official document in his hand.

"Under the instruction of Secretary Pang Jianguo of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection, the case of Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong has now entered the expanded investigation stage."

Director Li Qiang's gaze was like a knife, pinning itself onto Secretary Qiu Dehai's face.

"All historical ledgers and signed approval documents for the South Street project, from project initiation to acceptance, must be completely sealed by the Town Commission for Discipline Inspection and handed over to the Special Investigation Team of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection. No one is allowed to conceal or destroy them."

Expanded investigation.

This meant that everyone who had signed their name on the project initiation document back then was on the list for liquidation.

A chill seeped through every limb and bone of Secretary Qiu Dehai; this horse-slaying saber had finally fallen.

The meeting adjourned in a solemn and killing atmosphere.

Everyone filed out, and no one went to seek instruction from Secretary Qiu Dehai in the main seat.

Zhu Wenhao walked back to the Deputy Secretary's office.

Just as he took off his overcoat, the wooden door was knocked.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang walked into the room.