33: Chapter 33 Section Chief Ma is taken away

The car was filled with the orange scent of cheap car air freshener.

Deputy Division Chief Lao Sun leaned back in the rear seat, his head nodding rhythmically with the movement of the car, breathing in a steady snore.

This veteran comrade had long since cultivated the official survival philosophy of "don't listen, don't look, don't ask" to perfection.

Wu Dehai gripped the steering wheel tightly, his palms slick with cold sweat.

At the intersection ahead, the red light turned on.

He stepped on the brake, his whole body feeling as if his bones had been pulled out, and he let out a long sigh.

"Brother Hao." Wu Dehai said with the tremor of someone who had just survived a disaster, "Just now in the meeting room, if you hadn't tipped me off in advance, those envelopes from Political Commissar Wang Haitao... I really would have accepted them."

"Thinking about it now, my back is covered in cold sweat."

Zhu Yuntong turned his head, his gaze falling on the street scene rapidly receding outside the window.

"The bait given by others always has barbs on the hook."

"If you covet the small gains of the moment, what you end up losing is your entire life and future."

"Once the rules are established, only then can you save your life."

Wu Dehai nodded vigorously, completely convinced.

He had finally seen the true caliber of this young man.

Before the storm arrived, he sat calmly on the fishing platform.

This level of composure was something that ten Wu Dehais put together could not learn.

Municipal Government Compound, Mayors Office.

Secretary Li Changgeng rushed in without even knocking.

Mayor Su Changming was reviewing an urban construction report; he looked up, his eyes sweeping over his chief secretary with displeasure.

"Boss, over at the Development and Reform Commission... something has happened!"

Secretary Li Changgeng ignored the formalities and strode to the table.

"Director Liu from the Second Division of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection personally led the team and has completely sealed off Zheng Jianguo's office."

"The finance section and the key project approval section of the Development and Reform Commission, along with all relevant personnel, have all been detained for on-site questioning!"

Mayor Su Changming's hand holding the fountain pen hung in mid-air.

After a brief moment of distraction, he steadily placed the pen back on the pen holder.

"That old dog, Team Leader Qiu Rui, really has a keen sense of smell."

Mayor Su Changming picked up the thermos cup that had accompanied him for many years and took a sip of water.

"Zheng Jianguo is already a pile of mud, what more does he want to dig out from the coffin?"

In his view, this move by the Provincial Inspection Team was merely a routine formality, an aftershock of the Former Mayor Xiao Tianyou case.

When a person dies, the light goes out, and there is no proof.

The fire could never burn him, the new mayor.

But Mayor Su Changming always believed in cutting weeds and eliminating the roots.

"How much of the project data for Phase III of the Chengnan High-tech Industrial Park was kept on file at the Development and Reform Commission?" Mayor Su Changming asked.

"Zheng Jianguo went through the 'Director's Special Approval' process in a hurry, so there must be paper archives of the original approval documents and meeting minutes." Secretary Li Changgeng's forehead broke into a light sweat, "However, the Discipline Inspection Commission has now sealed the scene, and our people cannot get their hands in."

"It's just a pile of waste paper, ignore it." Mayor Su Changming crossed his fingers, "The project funds ultimately went through the Finance Bureau's accounts, and the money was transferred to the account of Shengda Construction."

"As long as the legal representative of Shengda Construction, Wang Jianguo, disappears from this world completely."

"Then this account will forever be a bad debt."

Secretary Li Changgeng's pupils constricted sharply; he understood his boss's meaning instantly.

"Rest assured, Boss."

"Gazi has already taken care of it."

"Wang Jianguo is already feeding the fish at the bottom of the river."

Mayor Su Changming nodded slightly, a look of satisfaction appearing on his face.

As long as the key person involved disappeared, even if Team Leader Qiu Rui turned Linjiang upside down, he could not convict Mayor Su Changming.

A gecko cuts off its tail to survive; he could sleep soundly without worries.

Night fell over Donghuwan Apartment.

Su Qinghan carried two plates of home-cooked dishes to the dining table.

One plate of stir-fried kale, vibrant and green.

One plate of braised hairtail, rich in sauce fragrance.

Zhu Yuntong walked out of the bedroom, still holding that copy of 'Thick Black Theory'.

He sat down at the dining table and picked up his chopsticks.

"This afternoon, the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection sealed the Development and Reform Commission." Su Qinghan sat down opposite him, serving rice as she spoke, "The bureau is buzzing with rumors, saying they are going to retroactively investigate all projects handled by Zheng Jianguo over the past three years."

"Making a feint to the east while attacking in the west."

Zhu Yuntong picked up the most succulent middle piece of hairtail, skillfully removed the fish bones with his chopsticks, and placed the snow-white fish meat into Su Qinghan's bowl.

"Team Leader Qiu Rui has long held the capital flow chart of Shengda Construction in his hands. His making a big scene at the Development and Reform Commission is just to intentionally flush out the snake."

"A snake will only come out of its hole if it is startled."

Su Qinghan happily ate the fish, her brain working rapidly.

"You mean... Mayor Su Changming will personally send someone to wipe away the traces of Shengda Construction?"

"Inevitably." Zhu Yuntong put down his chopsticks and wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, "With Zheng Jianguo dead, he thinks everything is fine. Now that the Discipline Inspection Commission is investigating with such fanfare, in order to keep his position as mayor, he will definitely choose to cut off all chains of material evidence."

In the ming dynasty, corrupt officials facing investigation by censors loved to use the method of "starting a fire."

An accidental fire could burn all evidence of their crimes clean.

Although modern people don't use fire, the logic of destroying account books and eliminating witnesses remains unchanged throughout the ages.

"The Treasury Division of the Finance Bureau is the final checkpoint where those funds flowed out." Zhu Yuntong's gaze landed on Su Qinghan, "The original vouchers for the funds are what Team Leader Qiu Rui wants most; he will definitely send someone to audit the accounts."

"Don't worry, you've been on the job for less than two months, so the fire from the illegal approval won't burn you. However, your operation of accessing the 'Shengda Construction' transaction records in the system will definitely leave traces."

"What do you want me to do?"

"When the fake is treated as real, the real becomes fake." Zhu Yuntong picked up his water glass, his gaze deep. "The biggest advantage for a newcomer is that they are allowed to make mistakes."

"Go to work as usual tomorrow and keep an eye on the office." Zhu Yuntong instructed, "Mayor Su Changming's people will definitely come."

Su Qinghan nodded in agreement.

She was well aware of the danger involved; once caught by Mayor Su Changming, she, his own daughter, could at any moment become another discarded pawn he used to quell the situation.

But at the gambling table of power, retreating meant being smashed to pieces.

This meal was eaten in unusual silence.

The next morning, scattered cold rain was still falling over Linjiang.

Municipal Party Committee residential compound, Villa No. 4.

Secretary Zhu Tianhe sat at the dining table, eating deep-fried dough sticks in a leisurely manner while looking through the day's Municipal Party Committee internal reference briefing.

Li Juan sat opposite him, holding a cup of hand-drip coffee.

"Have you heard about the Development and Reform Commission?" Li Juan asked nonchalantly, "People from the Discipline Inspection Commission went straight in and sealed the office."

Secretary Zhu Tianhe took a sip of warm soy milk and closed the briefing.

"When the Discipline Inspection Commission takes action, they must have obtained conclusive clues. Zheng Jianguo's hands aren't clean, so it was only a matter of time before problems were uncovered."

His mind was now filled with the blueprint of power that his son had painted for him.

Yesterday afternoon, Political Commissar Wang Haitao had the nerve to call, his words so humble that he might as well have called him "My Lord" over the phone.

The feeling of holding real power and controlling the fate of others allowed Secretary Zhu Tianhe, who had been a "punching bag" for many years as the Executive Vice Mayor, to taste the true sweetness of power for the first time.

He finally understood his son's words.

Never be a puppet who is only responsible for clapping and conveying documents.

"Zhu Wenhao, that kid, has been doing quite well in Division Two recently." Secretary Zhu Tianhe wiped his hands with a napkin, his tone filled with irrepressible pride, "Deputy Minister Zhou tipped me off yesterday that the recommendation material for the Development and Reform Commission was drafted by Zhu Wenhao. The writing was sharp and experienced, and the Organization Department has already listed him as a key training target."

Li Juan put down her coffee cup and glanced at him.

"Do you even need to say that? I think he looks more like an official than you do now. That old leader of yours, Minister Xiao, really has a keen eye for people."

Secretary Zhu Tianhe stood up, and Secretary Gao Ming was already waiting outside the door holding an umbrella.

"Let's go, to the Municipal Party Committee for a meeting."

Secretary Zhu Tianhe stepped out of the gate.

In this game of chess in Linjiang, he was finally qualified to sit in the position of a player.

Municipal Finance Bureau building, Treasury Division.

Su Qinghan walked into the office in her high heels.

Section Chief Ma Jiancheng was focused on playing 'Dou Dizhu' on the computer screen, humming an unknown tune.

The other few veteran staff members were huddled together, whispering about something, and when they saw her come in, their voices immediately lowered.

Su Qinghan sat down at her workstation, pulled open the bottom drawer, and cast a seemingly casual glance over the entire office.

Nine-thirty in the morning.

The office door was pushed open violently.

Two Discipline Inspection Commission staff members in black uniforms and solemn expressions walked in quickly.

The air in the entire office froze instantly.

Section Chief Ma Jiancheng's hand trembled, he clicked the mouse wrong, and before the "Spring" special effect on the screen could explode, he had already lost everything.

"Who is Section Chief Ma Jiancheng?" one of the Discipline Inspection Commission staff asked, his voice devoid of any emotion.

Section Chief Ma Jiancheng stood up in a panic, his legs trembling.

"I... I am."

The other person stepped forward, took out a detention notice stamped with a bright red seal from his briefcase, and flashed it in front of him.

"Comrade Section Chief Ma Jiancheng, come with us."

"There are some issues with the accounts that require your assistance in the investigation."

Section Chief Ma Jiancheng, who was about to retire, felt his legs go weak and almost collapsed to the floor.

The two Discipline Inspection Commission staff members lifted him up from his seat, one on each side, and walked toward the door.