217: Chapter 217 Chen Liang's Considerations

When Director Zheng Feng of the Provincial Public Security Department received the call, he was in the conference room listening to a case report.

His secretary pushed the door open and whispered something in his ear. He immediately stood up, said "Meeting adjourned," grabbed the car keys from the table, and strode out.

When Director Zheng Feng's car drove into The Government Compound, the security guard at the gate saluted.

He parked the car and walked quickly into the building. The elevator door happened to be open, as if it were waiting specifically for him.

When Director Zheng Feng knocked and entered, Secretary Chen Liang was standing by the window, with his back to the door.

Hearing the sound, he turned around and pointed to the sofa opposite him.

Director Zheng Feng sat on the sofa, his back straight, hands resting on his knees, his posture as upright as if he were attending an important interview.

He was an official promoted by Minister Ma Fuqiang, and he knew a bit about this new leader; he was all too familiar with this leader's style.

Back in Hanzhong Province, Secretary Chen Liang was known for striking hard against criminals.

He knew how to talk to anyone, wearing a beaming smile in front of superiors, but acting like a cold, sharp blade in front of criminals.

The cases he handled were dealt with ruthlessly, and not a single criminal he targeted ever escaped.

The common people gave him the nickname "Nemesis of Crime"; this nickname wasn't blown out of proportion by the media, but earned through his own hard work.

Secretary Chen Liang didn't beat around the bush. He sat down on the chair opposite Director Zheng Feng and crossed his legs.

"Director Zheng Feng, there is a matter I need you to handle."

Director Zheng Feng replied immediately, his tone as firm as if he were taking an oath, without a hint of hesitation.

"Secretary Chen, please go ahead."

"In Lvjiang City, there is a man named Zheng Ze, the youngest son of Zheng Dongguo. You have worked in the public security system for so many years; you must have heard of this person."

Director Zheng Feng nodded, his fingers tightening slightly.

Of course he had heard of Zheng Ze's name—the former neighborhood bully of Lvjiang City, who relied on his father's influence to commit all sorts of evils. Later, for some unknown reason, he suddenly went abroad, only to return recently.

He didn't know exactly what Zheng Ze had been doing, but he knew that anything that could make Secretary Chen Liang personally name him was definitely no small matter.

Secretary Chen Liang leaned back in his chair, his gaze landing on Director Zheng Feng's face. That gaze was like a searchlight, scanning back and forth over Director Zheng Feng.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Director Zheng Feng; it was just his habit to confirm that the person taking on the task was in the right state of mind before assigning it.

"I want you to keep a close eye on this person."

"Every move he makes—who he meets, what calls he makes, where he goes—you must keep track of it all. Furthermore, dig deep into evidence of his crimes."

"Everything he has done in Lvjiang City over the past few years—running casinos, loan sharking, forcing his way into construction projects, bullying businesses—I want you to investigate every single thing clearly."

"Do not be afraid of offending anyone, and do not be afraid of who might be implicated. Whoever you find, that's who it is—whether they are a retired old leader or a current official."

Director Zheng Feng's Adam's apple bobbed. This was no small task.

Although Zheng Ze was a playboy, the Zheng family behind him had operated in Lvjiang City for decades. Their roots were deep, and their protégés and old acquaintances were spread throughout every corner of the city.

To touch Zheng Ze was equivalent to hacking off the thickest branch of the great tree that was the Zheng family.

But he did not hesitate. He had followed Minister Ma Fuqiang for many years and had long since been labeled with his faction.

"Secretary Chen Liang, rest assured. I will make arrangements as soon as I return; I will not let you down."

Secretary Chen Liang nodded, stood up, and walked to the window, turning his back to Director Zheng Feng with his hands in his trouser pockets.

"I have learned a bit about this person, Zheng Ze. He spent two years abroad and thinks that upon returning, he can still command the wind and rain as he did before."

"What he doesn't know is that the current Fengtian Province is no longer the Fengtian Province of his father's time."

"He holds silent shares in Cuican Fireworks and has even stepped forward on behalf of that boss to pull strings with city leaders."

"You must investigate all these matters clearly."

"Additionally, his private life is very undisciplined; his relationships with women are chaotic, and there are many women involved with him. I suspect that many of these were forced, so pay attention to collecting evidence in this regard as well."

"Understood."

"Alright, you may go. Remember, be fast."

"With this kind of person, if you give him time, he will find ways to destroy evidence, collude on testimonies, or even run away. You must form a complete chain of evidence in the shortest possible time."

"Yes."

Director Zheng Feng stood up, saluted, turned, and walked out.

"Brother Ma, I'm in the office. There is a matter I'd like to discuss with you."

His voice was a bit more intimate and less serious than when he had been speaking to Director Zheng Feng earlier.

"Alright, come over."

On the other end of the line, Minister Ma Fuqiang's voice was steady and deep, carrying the tolerance and trust of an older brother toward a younger one.

Secretary Chen Liang hung up the phone and headed straight for Minister Ma Fuqiang's office.

The door to Minister Ma Fuqiang's office was open. When Secretary Chen Liang walked in, Minister Ma Fuqiang was sitting on the sofa, with two cups of tea placed on the coffee table in front of him, clearly prepared in advance.

For a Political and Legal Affairs Commission Secretary to drop by the office of a Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee was not common in official circles, but it wasn't rare either.

Minister Ma Fuqiang pointed to the sofa opposite him and picked up his teacup to take a sip.

Secretary Chen Liang sat down opposite him and then began: "Brother Ma, I have already assigned the matter of Zheng Ze to Director Zheng Feng."

"Keep a close watch on him, dig up evidence of his crimes, and investigate every single thing he has done in Lvjiang City."

"But I've been thinking, just watching Zheng Ze might not be enough. Behind him is the entire Zheng family, and the Zheng family has operated in Lvjiang City for decades; their roots are very deep."

"Although the old man doesn't acknowledge this son, the blood relationship is still there; you can break the bone but the tendons are still connected."

"In the event that the Zheng family stands on Zheng Ze's side and works against us, we will be in a passive position."

"Rather than waiting for them to act, we should strike first."

"Cut off the entire Zheng family faction in one stroke. They are just residual old-school forces anyway, occupying the latrine without relieving themselves for years; it's time to make room for others."

Minister Ma Fuqiang didn't speak, but picked up his teacup and drank slowly.

He understood Secretary Chen Liang and knew what kind of temper he had.

This man had worked his way up from a street thug to the Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission by daring to fight and not leaving himself any retreat.

In his eyes, an enemy was an enemy; either don't fight, or if you do, fight to the death.

This personality allowed him to repeatedly achieve remarkable feats in the Crackdown on Organized Crime, and also allowed him to advance rapidly in his official career.

But Minister Ma Fuqiang was different. He had been in leadership positions for a long time, and his perspective on problems was different from Secretary Chen Liang's.

Secretary Chen Liang saw enemies; he saw the political ecosystem.

Secretary Chen Liang thought about winning the battle; he thought about long-term stability.

Cutting off the entire Zheng family faction in one stroke sounded satisfying, and doing it would also be satisfying, but what then?

The Zheng family had operated in Lvjiang City and even Fengtian Province for decades, with protégés and old acquaintances spread throughout every corner. How many people would be wrongly injured if they cut it all off in one stroke?

Would the political scene in Fengtian Province fall into turmoil because of this?

Secretary Chen Liang could ignore these consequences, but he could not.

He put down the teacup and leaned back against the sofa.

"Secretary Chen Liang, I understand your feelings. Zheng Ze is indeed someone who needs to be dealt with."

"But to cut off the entire Zheng family faction in one stroke—have you thought about it? The Zheng family has operated in Lvjiang City for decades; it's not something you can just cut off because you say so."

"Among those people, some are indeed inactive, acting recklessly, or are even corrupt elements; those who need to be purged must be purged."

"But there are also some who are old comrades who worked hard their whole lives following Comrade Zheng Dongguo, who were diligent in their work, and who have no major problems in their personal conduct."

"Is it fair to cut them all off together? Is it appropriate? What will they think? What will others think of us?"

He paused, his tone softening a little, carrying the steadiness of deep foresight and the tone of someone guiding a younger colleague.

"Zheng Dongguo hasn't left yet; if we take action against his old subordinates at this time, what will others say?"

"Some things don't sound good when spread around, and it's unfavorable for us too. My meaning is, keep a close watch on Zheng Ze first."

"Take him down. As for the others, there's no rush to act."

"Watch the wind direction, see their attitudes, and see if they will jump out to oppose us in order to protect Zheng Ze."

"For those who jump out, leave none of them. For those who don't, don't move for now."

"Take it slow, cut them off step by step. This way, it won't cause too much of a shock, nor will it give people ammunition against us."

Secretary Chen Liang was silent for a moment, then picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Minister Ma Fuqiang's words appealed to both reason and emotion.

He knew Minister Ma Fuqiang was right; cutting off the entire Zheng family faction in one stroke was satisfying, but it would lead to endless trouble.

He was no longer a street thug; he was the Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and every decision he made could affect the fates of countless people.

He couldn't just act on his own temper; he had to consider political influence, social effects, and public opinion.

Secretary Chen Liang took a deep breath, put down the teacup, nodded and said, "Brother Ma, you are right. I might have been a bit hasty just now; thinking that the animal Zheng Ze might be detrimental to Comrade Weidong made me angry."

"How the old leader treated us, you and I both know. Without the old leader, we wouldn't be where we are today."

"Now someone wants to touch his son, and I can't stay calm."

Zheng Ze: "Family, what did I even do?"

Zheng Dongguo: "If I had known, I would have wiped it on the wall..."

Zheng Wan: "Good riddance!"

Minister Ma Fuqiang stood up, walked over to Secretary Chen Liang, patted him on the shoulder, his tone carrying the understanding and comfort of an older brother toward a younger one.

"Secretary Chen Liang, we aren't young anymore; now is the world of the young."

"Comrade Weidong is more mature than we imagined, steadier than we imagined, and more capable than we imagined."

"He doesn't need us to take action for him; he only needs us to watch over him from behind and not let him be wronged."

"Leave the matter of Zheng Ze to Director Zheng Feng."

"He can handle it well, and he will handle it well."

"We just need to wait and see the results."

"As for other matters, there's no rush, take it slow."