226: Chapter 226 He knew what was good for him

The night in the provincial capital was quiet and deep.

In Minister Ma Fuqiang's office, the lighting was soft. A chessboard was set on the coffee table, with black and white pieces intertwined in a complex pattern; the game had reached the middle stage.

Secretary Chen Liang held a black piece, hesitant to place it. His gaze wandered over the board, but his thoughts were clearly elsewhere.

Minister Ma Fuqiang picked up his teacup for a sip, glanced at him, and spoke in an indifferent tone.

"You're distracted; you're bound to lose this game."

Secretary Chen Liang slapped the black piece onto the board, leaned back against the sofa, picked up his own teacup, and, without drinking, spun it in his hand.

"Brother Ma, news has come from Lvjiang City. Zheng Ze has confessed; he's taken the fall for all the charges."

Minister Ma Fuqiang showed no surprise. He looked down at the board, reached out, and removed a white piece from a surrounded position, placing it into the bowl.

His movements were light, as if he were performing an insignificant task.

"It was expected. Zheng Dongguo has been rising and falling in the official circles for decades; what kind of storms hasn't he seen?"

"If he didn't even have the resolve to cut off his own arm to save his life, he wouldn't have reached his current position."

"He knows that Zheng Ze cannot be saved. It's not that we won't allow it; it's that Zheng Ze brought this upon himself."

"All he can do is act before we do. That way, he can at least earn a reputation for righteousness in putting justice before family, and leave a way out for Zheng Xin."

Secretary Chen Liang sneered, a trace of mockery appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"That old bastard knows his place."

"If he didn't know his place and insisted on protecting that good-for-nothing son of his, then when we made our move, it wouldn't just be one playboy who got hurt."

"Even though he has retired, the connections he built in Lüjiang City, his eldest son Zheng Xin's affairs in Baishui City, and the loose ends he left behind from his time leading Lüjiang City—any one of these would be enough to cause him major trouble."

Minister Ma Fuqiang picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and sipped slowly.

After Secretary Chen Liang finished speaking, he spoke unhurriedly, his voice low and carrying the composure of a seasoned strategist.

"There's no rush regarding Zheng Dongguo. He is a thing of the past; moving against him brings us no benefit."

"It's common for people to be forgotten once they leave their posts, but smashing the teacup would make us look too unrefined."

"After all, he worked in Fengtian Province for decades; if he didn't have achievements, he at least had hard work. The other veteran comrades are watching, and we cannot let them feel discouraged."

Secretary Chen Liang put down his cup, leaned forward, folded his hands on his knees, and looked intently at Minister Ma Fuqiang.

"Brother Ma, I had Director Zheng Feng collect some materials on Zheng Dongguo."

"Not to mention anything else, just during his time in charge of Lüjiang City, those development zone projects, land transfers, and engineering bids—which one could withstand close scrutiny?"

"And his eldest son, Zheng Xin, serving as mayor in Baishui City, hasn't been shy about lining his pockets over the years either. If you want to move against him, I can provide the ammunition at any time."

Minister Ma Fuqiang waved his hand. "Let's put Zheng Xin's matter aside for now. He is not our target; moving against him is meaningless and would only alert the enemy."

"The most important thing now is to stabilize the situation in Lüjiang City; we cannot let Zheng Ze's affair cause unnecessary turmoil."

"Secretary Lin Juncai has already coordinated with Deputy Secretary You Chuan; the leadership team in Lüjiang City is united on this matter."

"That is enough."

"As for Zheng Dongguo, just keep those incriminating materials in your hands; don't release them."

Secretary Chen Liang was silent for a moment. "Brother Ma, what do you think will happen to Zheng Dongguo next? Zheng Ze is finished, Chairman Zheng Yan is a businessman and cannot enter politics, so the Zheng family's only hope is Zheng Xin."

"Do you think he will take the initiative to negotiate with us to protect Zheng Xin?"

Minister Ma Fuqiang smiled faintly, a look of profound understanding of the world in his expression.

"Negotiate? What does he have to negotiate with us? His chips were used up long ago."

"All he can do now is stay obediently in his hospital bed and wait for the day he breathes his last."

"If he is smart, he should confess everything before he dies and clean up all the loose ends; that way, he can at least leave a way for his eldest son to survive."

"If he isn't smart and still wants to struggle in his final moments, then we wouldn't mind helping him die a little faster."

Secretary Chen Liang said nothing more. He looked down at the board, picked up a black piece, and placed it in an inconspicuous spot.

Minister Ma Fuqiang looked at that move, frowned slightly, then relaxed, a smile of approval appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"That's not a bad move; it has some structure, not just random play without a plan."

"Learned it from you."

Secretary Chen Liang smiled too, his expression now a bit more intimate and casual.

"Brother Ma, do you think that brat Comrade Weidong knows that we uncles are clearing mines for him behind the scenes? Let's hope we aren't doing all this for nothing, only for that brat to be ungrateful."

Minister Ma Fuqiang placed a white piece, completely cutting off the black dragon; the game was decided.

He leaned back in his chair and looked at Secretary Chen Liang.

"Whether he knows or not is not important."

"What matters is that when he is on the front lines charging into battle, he doesn't need to worry about being shot in the back."

"This is the responsibility of us uncles, and it is also what we can do for our old leader."

Secretary Chen Liang fell silent. He certainly knew what Minister Ma Fuqiang was talking about.

With old leader Xu Tianhua in that position in Yancheng, how many people were watching him, how many wanted to pull him down?

He was up front bearing immense pressure; if they couldn't hold down the fort in Fengtian Province for him in the back, then what use were they as his old subordinates?

Outside the window, the night was dark and heavy; the office was very quiet.

Secretary Chen Liang stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the thousands of lights outside, standing there for a long time.

Minister Ma Fuqiang leaned back on the sofa with his eyes closed, not knowing if he was resting or thinking.

The chessboard on the coffee table hadn't been cleared. The black and white pieces were still intertwined like an unfinished battle; both sides were exhausted, but neither dared to let go first.

"I'll head back now, then."

Minister Ma Fuqiang opened his eyes and nodded without getting up.

Secretary Chen Liang walked to the door and said, "Brother Ma, I've told Director Zheng Feng to keep an eye on Zheng Xin."

"Some things need to be kept in our own hands for us to sleep well; after all, they are brothers by blood."

"Even if he knows this is the inevitable trend, it's hard to guarantee that if he gains power in the future, he won't throw things back at us."

Minister Ma Fuqiang gave a hum of acknowledgement, and Secretary Chen Liang left.

Things reaching this point couldn't really be blamed on anyone. Simply looking at the matter from the perspective of what is 'correct' is, for people at their level, quite laughable.

Having reached their level, it's more about tangible political interests.

The Zheng family was detrimental to Xu Weidong's growth, so they had to clip the Zheng family's wings.

Don't be fooled by the fact that both sides have compromised over a playboy; in reality, the Zheng family still couldn't stomach their meals.

A sharp sword was hanging over their heads; having been officials for so many years, who could guarantee their own behinds were clean?