66: Chapter 66 Tail Docking

Jiangnan Provincial Party Committee Organization Department, general office hall.

Three men in dark suits pushed open the door and entered, walking at an extremely rapid pace.

Without showing any credentials or greeting anyone, they walked straight toward the deputy director's office.

Without knocking, they pushed the door straight open.

The leader walked up to the desk and pulled a document from his inner pocket.

"Comrade Zhang Ming, this is a detention notice from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. Please account for your issues at the specified time and location."

Zhang Ming's hand, holding a pen, froze in midair. He did not argue.

He stood up, flanked by two men on either side, and was led out of the office hall.

The entire process took less than two minutes.

The dozen or so staff members in the hall stared at each other in disbelief; it had been many years since the Discipline Inspection Commission had come directly to the Organization Department to take someone away.

From the end of the corridor came steady footsteps.

Office Director Chen Jian of the Organization Department stepped into the hall.

"Are you done with the work at hand?"

"The comrades from the Discipline Inspection Commission came to ask Deputy Director Zhang about some matters. That is standard organizational procedure."

"Our daily work here cannot stop."

"Do what you are supposed to do, and put away those useless distractions."

With just a few words, he stabilized the situation, and the hall resumed its previous busyness, though the sound of typing was much quieter.

Chen Jian turned and walked quickly toward the minister's office.

He knocked twice with his knuckles and pushed the door open.

Minister Xiao Dingyu was reviewing a municipal-level cadre evaluation list.

"Minister."

"People from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection just came and took Zhang Ming away. The paperwork was in order."

Without even raising his head, Minister Xiao Dingyu turned a page of the document, his fountain pen drawing a circle next to a name.

"I am aware of this."

"I took the initiative to coordinate with Secretary Chen of the Discipline Inspection Commission. Zhang Ming is involved in some disciplinary violations, so I suggested to Secretary Chen that Deputy Secretary Guo Changchun intervene early and take him away first to prevent any complications."

"Over the next few days, the Discipline Inspection Commission will need to verify many personnel files and entry/exit records. You will represent the office and cooperate fully."

"In addition, go to Minister Liao's office and ask him to come over."

Chen Jian nodded in agreement and withdrew.

Silence returned to the office.

Minister Xiao Dingyu leaned back against his high-backed chair, his gaze drifting past the red walls and green trees outside the window.

Last night, he was drinking tea at Elder Li's home, and Elder Li had personally poured him a cup.

"Dingyu," the old patriarch said, holding a purple clay teacup. "My son-in-law Tianhe has done quite well in Linjiang this time. He has methods and a clear strategy. As his former leader, you should also lend some support from behind."

"Since you took over the mantle of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department Minister, you have acted too steadily and kept too low a profile over the past two years. The Organization Department is a crucial department in charge of cadres; if you only seek stability, you should occasionally make some waves and let your voice be heard."

"As for my old bones, I live day by day and can still hold on for a bit longer. While I can't charge onto the front lines anymore, I can still cheer you on from the rear and help stabilize the situation."

At this point in his recollection, footsteps sounded outside the door.

Executive Deputy Minister Liao Changxing pushed open the door and entered.

This executive deputy minister, when walking around the workplace on ordinary days, always had his hands behind his back and his chest puffed out, accustomed to issuing orders.

He walked into the office, naturally intending to head toward the leather sofa in the reception area.

"Comrade Liao Changxing, come and sit here."

Minister Xiao Dingyu did not exchange pleasantries with him in the sofa area as he usually did.

Sitting behind his desk, he raised his hand and pointed at the hard-backed chair specifically reserved for subordinates reporting their work.

Executive Deputy Minister Liao Changxing's steps paused slightly.

At this level, the arrangement of seats was in itself the most direct form of language.

"Minister, do you have a work assignment for me?"

"What is the current progress of the preparatory work for the province-wide open selection for the Young Cadre Training Class?"

Executive Deputy Minister Liao Changxing straightened his back. "The examination venues in all municipalities and prefectures have been finalized. The unified exam papers printed by our province were all distributed to the local municipal Organization Departments yesterday. At nine o'clock tomorrow morning, the exam will start simultaneously across the province. Everything is normal."

"Everything is normal?"

Minister Xiao Dingyu repeated those words.

"Normal enough for the exam papers to fly all over the place, right into the private residence of a grassroots candidate?"

"Zhang Ming, your personal liaison, was taken into detention by the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection just ten minutes ago."

"What shady business he committed in Linjiang City, and to what extent he has disgraced the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department—I believe you, as the executive deputy minister, are probably well aware."

Sending Zhang Ming to deliver the exam questions was something he had privately authorized.

He hadn't expected the matter to be exposed, nor had he expected the Discipline Inspection Commission to act so quickly, arresting someone directly in the office.

But having weathered the ups and downs of officialdom for many years, he said, "Minister, I truly have no knowledge of what Zhang Ming did."

"If he accepted bribes or practiced favoritism and fraud during the examination work, I resolutely support the organization in strictly investigating and punishing him! Our Organization Department absolutely cannot tolerate such scum!"

Minister Xiao Dingyu watched his performance with cold eyes.

"Whether he has issues and who is involved will naturally be determined by the organization. Deputy Secretary Guo of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is personally leading the investigation of this case. I also hope that you are completely clean in this matter."

"Given the current complex situation, you should go back and rest well for the next few days. Hand over the daily executive work of the Organization Department, including tomorrow's province-wide exam coordination, to Deputy Minister Qi Tian. Avoiding any suspicion is best for everyone."

Suspension and self-reflection.

Executive Deputy Minister Liao Changxing pressed both hands on the armrests of the chair, about to stand up and argue his case.

Handing over power at this critical juncture was tantamount to allowing himself to be slaughtered at will.

"Minister, suspending my work based solely on a subordinate being under investigation does not comply with organizational regulations, does it? I request to participate in daily work."

"Comrade Liao Changxing, do not put up a stubborn resistance."

"Do you really think the Discipline Inspection Commission doesn't have ironclad evidence, yet dared to come directly to the Organization Department to arrest someone? If you insist on not leaving this last shred of dignity for me or yourself, then I will convene a Party committee meeting this afternoon and announce the evidence handed over by Linjiang City one by one in front of all Party committee members."

"Is this the situation you want to see?"

The Linjiang Municipal Public Security Bureau? Evidence?

Everything was completely ruined.

Executive Deputy Minister Liao Changxing stood up, without another word of rebuttal, turned, and walked out of the office.

Crossing the corridor, he quickly turned into the emergency exit, pulled out his phone, and dialed Division Chief Liu Haiping's number.

The call connected.

"Division Chief Liu, something terrible has happened. Zhang Ming was taken away directly from his office by Guo Changchun's men."

Executive Deputy Minister Liao Changxing spoke at an extremely rapid pace.

"With Zhang Ming inside, he won't last the night."

Division Chief Liu Haiping's head buzzed on the other end of the line.

"What's going on? Why did they suddenly arrest him? Have you found out what case they launched the investigation for?"

"They say it's clue evidence transferred by the Lin'an Municipal Public Security Bureau, and Xiao Dingyu has directly suspended me."

"This matter definitely has everything to do with your daughter. Call your daughter's phone right now and see if you can still reach her."

Liu Haiping rapidly pressed the keys on his desk landline, dialing Liu Xiaolei's number.

After a brief pause.

"We're sorry, the subscriber you dialed is powered off..."

The cold, mechanical electronic female voice reached Executive Deputy Minister Liao Changxing on the other end of the cell phone through the landline's speakerphone.

"It's over."

Losing contact meant that Liu Xiaolei had already been detained.

"Liu Haiping, listen to me," Executive Deputy Minister Liao Changxing lowered his voice, gritting his teeth. "If the Discipline Inspection Commission comes for you, you must stick to one story: you wanted to get the exam questions for your daughter's future and privately contacted Zhang Ming to ask for them. The entire process has absolutely nothing to do with me, Liao Changxing."

"If this fire burns upward and drags me down too, we will all die. If I remain on the outside, there is still room for me to pull some strings. That is the only way it benefits you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Executive Deputy Minister Liao Changxing hung up immediately.

Division Chief Liu Haiping listened to the busy tone from his phone.

He knew the procedures of the Discipline Inspection Commission too well; once they secured Liu Xiaolei, the next step would be breaking Zhang Ming, and finally closing the net on him.

With no time to think, Division Chief Liu Haiping hurriedly requested leave from the Secretary-General of the Provincial Government.

He went downstairs to get his car, stepped on the gas, and headed straight for the Provincial Party Committee Family Residential Compound to seek help from his elderly father.

This was currently his only saving grace.

At the same time.

The office of the Deputy Secretary of the Linjiang Municipal Party Committee.

Secretary Zhu Tianhe was reviewing the current progress with his son.

"Zhu Wenhao. Reliable news has come from the province. Zhang Ming was taken away from the Organization Department."

"With Zhang Ming arrested this time and Liu Xiaolei's confession solidified, this matter can be considered practically in the bag, right?"

On the other end of the line, Zhu Wenhao was flipping through the resume list of Linjiang City's cadres.

Hearing his father's conclusion, his movements stopped.

"Father, it is far too early to pop the champagne."

"The evidence is ironclad, they were caught red-handed, and the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection has also taken action. Is there really still room for them to turn this around?" Secretary Zhu Tianhe was puzzled.

"In officialdom, there is no such thing as an absolute certainty."

"The old patriarch of Liu Family sat in the number two position of the Provincial Party Committee for so many years. Who can guarantee that he hasn't cultivated connections and resources in The Capital?"

"No matter how solid the evidence is, once it reaches Division Chief Liu Haiping's level, there is still room for flexibility in the scale of punishment."

"What kind of flexibility?" Secretary Zhu Tianhe pressed.

"Shedding the tail to survive, or sacrificing the chariot to save the general."

"As long as Elder Liu is willing to sacrifice some resources to pull strings at the top, he can completely push all the blame for leaking the exam questions onto Zhang Ming and Liu Xiaolei, claiming that Liu Haiping merely failed to educate his daughter properly. Following the principle of 'learning from past mistakes to avoid future ones, and curing the sickness to save the patient,' the higher-ups might just give Liu Haiping a serious warning within the Party and transfer him away from his powerful position in the Provincial Government Office, sending him to the CPPCC or some low-profile bureau to serve as a deputy director and lie low."

"As long as his administrative rank is not demoted, once he sits out these two years of scrutiny on a cold bench, he can undergo a makeover and make a comeback in another locality at any time under the operation of Liu Family's resources. Like grass after a spring breeze, he will rise again."

Secretary Zhu Tianhe had seen far too many of these unwritten rules where one pretends to take one path while secretly taking another.

"It won't really turn out like that, will it? Then after all the effort we've spent, we can only watch him get laterally transferred? How can that be acceptable? What should we do?"

"What to do depends on the thoughts of the top leader of our Jiangnan Province, Secretary Lao Liguo."

"This kind of egregious corruption case, which involves a powerful division chief of a provincial organ, the executive deputy minister of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department, and even retired senior cadres, ultimately does not have its final decision-maker in Minister Xiao Dingyu or the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission. The final say lies on the desk of Secretary Lao, the number one leader of the Provincial Party Committee."

Secretary Zhu Tianhe was completely bewildered. "Then how should we influence Secretary Lao?"

Zhu Wenhao said, "I have a way," and spoke a few words over the phone.

Secretary Zhu Tianhe said, "Will that work?"

Zhu Wenhao said, "Just do as I say."

Having finished speaking, he hung up.

Secretary Zhu Tianhe gritted his teeth, picked up the phone, and made a call.