57: Chapter 57 Storm!

(Thanks to everyone for the gifts, extra update! Extra update!)

In the last week of May, in Shengjing City, the provincial capital of Fengtian Province, a silent storm was brewing.

In the office building of the Provincial State Security Department, the atmosphere was so tense it felt like it could be wrung out like water.

Three days ago, based on an overseas tip-off, they raided and destroyed an overseas organization's den in the suburbs of Shengjing City, which was disguised under the guise of "cultural exchange."

The search operation went smoothly, and the confiscated documents and electronic equipment filled an entire room.

But what truly shocked everyone was the content within those documents.

A folder named "Morning Sun Plan" detailed all the information about how this organization had been trafficking women and children overseas through secret channels over the past five years.

Times, locations, numbers of people, handover methods, and even photos.

The young faces in those photos—some had terrified eyes, some had numb expressions, and some were just children.

The Director of the Provincial State Security Department looked at those photos, his hands trembling.

He immediately ordered the search scope to be expanded, following the clues to investigate to the very end.

Three days later, the clues pointed to an abandoned textile factory on the outskirts of Shengjing City.

On the surface, it was an old factory waiting for demolition, but in reality, there was a hidden world underground.

A remodeled basement was partitioned into over a dozen small rooms, holding more than twenty young women and five children inside.

The youngest child was only three years old.

When the Public Security Bureau officers rushed in, those women huddled in the corners like frightened animals.

The few men responsible for guarding them were pinned to the ground before they could even react.

A woman asked with a tremble: "Who are you?"

"Police."

The leading officer squatted down, his voice trembling slightly.

"We are here to save you."

The woman froze for a few seconds, then burst into tears.

That day, the Shengjing City Public Security Bureau destroyed this den of sin and arrested everyone involved.

From the guards to the middlemen, from the liaisons to the boss behind the scenes, not a single one escaped.

When the news reached the province, the entire Fengtian officialdom was shaken.

Because this was no longer just a simple criminal case!

Overseas organizations, cross-border trafficking, women and children... these words strung together were enough to make anyone's scalp tingle.

Deputy Secretary Zhang Honglian of the Provincial CPPCC Party Group turned himself in the day after the news broke.

That morning, he got up as usual, ate breakfast, read the newspaper for a while, and then asked his driver to take him to the Provincial CPPCC.

The car stopped at the entrance, but he didn't get out; instead, he told the driver to keep driving.

When they reached the entrance of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, he got out of the car and said to the guard at the gate: "My name is Deputy Secretary Zhang Honglian, and I have come to turn myself in."

The staff member who received him later recalled that Deputy Secretary Zhang Honglian was very calm at the time, so calm that it was as if he were talking about something unrelated to himself.

He confessed to all the facts of his alleged crimes, including but not limited to accepting huge bribes, using his position for personal gain, and shielding and condoning underworld forces.

Subsequently, the case was transferred to the higher-level Discipline Inspection Commission, and Deputy Secretary Zhang Honglian was sent to Yancheng.

After arriving in Yancheng, Deputy Secretary Zhang Honglian confessed the news that his son had fled to the Lighthouse Country with a huge sum of money, as calmly as if it weren't his own son.

"He spoke to me on the phone before he left, saying he was going first and to take care of myself."

"I knew what he meant."

The Discipline Inspection Commission staff member immediately asked: "Did you know he was suspected of committing crimes?"

Deputy Secretary Zhang Honglian was silent for a long time, then nodded.

"I knew, but he is my son."

This sentence, "He is my son," made everyone present fall silent.

After Deputy Secretary Zhang Honglian was taken away, an even larger storm began.

In early June, Shenghong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. was put under investigation.

This company was a star enterprise in Fengtian Province, with businesses covering medical devices, biotechnology, and health and wellness industries, with an annual output value of billions.

Chairman Bai Feng was a member of the Provincial CPPCC, and General Manager Bai Xinghe was a Municipal People's Congress representative, quite prestigious in the Shengjing business world.

The day the investigation team moved in, the company's employees were all stunned.

Three days later, Chairman Bai Feng and General Manager Bai Xinghe, father and son, were arrested.

The charges were organizing, leading, and participating in an underworld-style organization, illegal detention, intentional injury, and organizing the sale of human organs.

Each one, if singled out, would be enough for a death sentence.

Meanwhile, An Xin, the Director of the Health Supervision Division of the Shengjing Municipal Health Bureau, was placed under internal investigation.

She was General Manager Bai Xinghe's wife and Bai Bing's mother...

When An Xin was taken away, she was in the middle of a meeting in her office.

The people from the Discipline Inspection Commission pushed the door open and presented their credentials; she didn't say a word, put down the documents in her hand, and followed them out.

After she left, the conference room was deathly silent; no one dared to move.

Next was Hou Ping, the Director of the Shengjing Municipal Health Bureau, who was placed under internal investigation.

The Executive Deputy Director of the Fengtian Provincial Health Department was placed under internal investigation.

The Executive Vice Mayor of Shengjing City was placed under internal investigation.

The Vice Governor in charge of health was placed under internal investigation.

One after another, like dominoes, they fell neatly and cleanly.

In those days, the Shengjing officialdom was in a state of panic.

No one knew who would be next, and no one knew if they would be implicated.

By mid-July, the storm finally reached the highest level.

A Deputy Director of the Health and Family Planning Commission voluntarily turned himself in to the Discipline Inspection Commission.

His downfall brought out more unknown inside stories.

How deep those inside stories went, outsiders had no way of knowing, but one thing was certain.

After him, the storm came to an abrupt end.

Comrade Weidong heard about the aftermath from his father. On an evening in late July, Xu Tianhua called.

The father and son chatted a bit about recent events, and Xu Tianhua suddenly said: "Comrade Weidong, do you know how this matter ended?"

Comrade Weidong replied: "I heard, that Deputy Director of the Health and Family Planning Commission turned himself in."

"That's not all."

"There is an old comrade above who retired early."

Comrade Weidong was stunned for a moment and said: "Retired early?"

"Yes."

"Originally, he could have worked for another two years, but because of this matter, he couldn't continue working."

"He voluntarily proposed early retirement, which can be considered an explanation to all parties."

Comrade Weidong was silent; he knew what level of person the "old comrade" his father mentioned was.

To be able to make such a person retire early, the intensity of this storm was much greater than he had imagined.

"Dad, that matter overseas..."

Xu Tianhua smiled and said: "You have become smart. Political struggles have always been life-or-death."

"Besides, some things were indeed done too excessively. The big boss has long wanted to clean up certain people, and this time was just a convenient excuse."

Comrade Weidong asked worriedly: "Are you okay?"

Xu Tianhua laughed lightly: "What could happen to me? I am the commander-in-chief, investigating others, not myself."

"The big boss even specifically praised me, saying I dared to tackle hard cases and take responsibility."

Comrade Weidong breathed a sigh of relief.

"But Comrade Weidong, I have an idea and want to hear your opinion."

"Please go ahead."

"Do you still want to stay in Hukuang Township?"

Comrade Weidong was stunned for a moment and didn't speak.

Xu Tianhua continued: "You did a good job down there this time."

"But the situation in Hukuang Township is too complicated."

"Although the den in Qili Village was destroyed, the people involved are still there, and there will be many subsequent struggles."

"Those people won't let it go. They won't dare to come openly, but they will try every possible way to trip you up in secret."

Xu Tianhua paused, his tone carrying some paternal concern: "Comrade Weidong, do you want to change places?"

"Dad, I will listen to your arrangements."

On the other end of the phone, Xu Tianhua was silent for a few seconds.

He didn't expect his son to agree so readily. This child had always had his own ideas since he was young; once he made up his mind, nine oxen couldn't pull him back.

When he graduated from college, he could have returned to the provincial organs in Shanxi Province or returned to Hanzhong Province to be a little Hanzhong King, yet he insisted on taking the selection exam for civil servants to go to Lvjiang City.

Now that he was asked to leave Hukuang Township, he surprisingly didn't put up a fight.

"Comrade Weidong, you have grown up."

Comrade Weidong smiled and said: "Dad, I'm twenty-four, not a child anymore."

"In my eyes, you will always be a child."

Xu Tianhua also smiled and said: "Alright, since you agreed, I will make arrangements."

"I will say a word to Minister Ma Fuqiang and let him help you with the operation."

"I don't know anyone in Lvjiang City, so I can only leave it to Uncle Ma and the others to handle."

Comrade Weidong smiled helplessly: "Okay, thank you, Dad."

His father was right; although the den in Qili Village was destroyed, the roots were still there.

Those people hiding in the dark would not give up.

If he stayed, he would only become their target.

In early August, Lvjiang City successively released two personnel appointments.

The first was that Minister Sun Ping, the Executive Deputy Minister of the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department, was promoted to a member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee and Minister of the Organization Department.

When the news spread, no one in the Lvjiang officialdom felt surprised.

Minister Sun Ping was already the executive deputy, with sufficient qualifications and a solid background.

Moreover, he was Secretary Bai's man, and Secretary Bai was now the Governor of Xishan Province...

More importantly, Minister Sun Ping had been looking after Comrade Weidong since his first day in Lvjiang.

This keen eye for talent had finally paid off.

The second appointment attracted even more attention.

Comrade Weidong, the Deputy Party Secretary of Hukuang Township, was transferred to be the Deputy Party Secretary and Executive Deputy Director of the Changyuan County Public Security Bureau.

The level remained unchanged, still at the deputy section level.

But anyone with a discerning eye knew this was a promotion.

As the Executive Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau, he would preside over daily work and hold real power.

Moreover, Changyuan County had just changed its Political and Legal Affairs Commission Secretary and Public Security Bureau Director. Qiu Ping was Secretary Lin Juncai's man, and Secretary Liu Qingfeng was Police Chief Zheng Xilin's man; now, with Comrade Weidong added.

With these three people together, the political and legal system of Changyuan County had been completely reshuffled.

The day the news spread, Secretary Hu Dakui sat in his office for a long time.

He looked at the red-headed document on his desk, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

That young man was leaving.

When he first arrived, Secretary Hu Dakui didn't take him seriously.

When he left, Secretary Hu Dakui found that he didn't even have the qualification to breathe a sigh of relief.

Because he was still there, while those more capable than him had already fallen or left.

Committee Member Chen Qing was under internal investigation...

Secretary Xu Qing was taken away...

Deputy Secretary Zhang Honglian turned himself in...

The Bai family father and son also went in...

One after another, like dominoes falling.

And he, Secretary Hu Dakui, was still the Party Secretary of Hukuang Township.

But he knew this was only temporary.

Those people had fallen, and the next one might be him.

He originally just wanted to give the young master something to do; who would have thought it would directly pierce the sky...

God knows how much he regretted it!

If those big shots behind the scenes knew that this earth-shattering storm was initially just because he wanted to give the young master some work...

I'm afraid those big shots could swallow him alive!

The day Comrade Weidong left Hukuang Township, Director Li Zhongmin came to see him off.

"Comrade Weidong, if you have anything in the future, just call me anytime."

Comrade Weidong nodded and said: "Director Li, take care."

Director Li Zhongmin smiled and said: "What do I have to take care of? The things that need to be done haven't been finished yet."

"The cases in Qili Village still need to be investigated further."

"Those who acted as protective umbrellas for Village Secretary Wei Dabiao and the others still need to be ferreted out one by one."

Comrade Weidong looked at him and suddenly said: "Director Li, have you thought about changing places?"

Director Li Zhongmin shook his head and said: "No."

"I just want to stay in Hukuang Township, finish the work here, and then we'll see."

Comrade Weidong was silent for a few seconds, then reached out his hand.

"Director Li, take care."

Director Li Zhongmin held his hand and shook it vigorously.

"Comrade Weidong, you take care too."

Comrade Weidong turned and got into the car; the car slowly started and drove towards the county seat.

Director Li Zhongmin stood at the entrance, watching the receding car, and didn't move for a long time.

In the distance, in the direction of Qili Village, those rescued women were slowly beginning a new life.

When the car drove out of the territory of Hukuang Township, Comrade Weidong looked back.

It was still the same, only that the sky had become a little bluer...