414: Bigger fish

A layer of cold sweat broke out on Xia Quan's back, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

“But he’s the deputy director of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision… someone from our own ranks, how could he…”

He found it hard to believe that such a character was hidden within the department responsible for supervising discipline.

One must know that he himself was only a director, and Tangshan’s rank was only half a step below his, yet he could pull strings right under his nose. The water behind this was too deep.

Li Yang snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping over the documents on the table, his tone laced with chill.

“This is just the beginning. Judging from the Liteli chess piece, the opponent’s layout is very deep, and they would never only plant one Tangshan.”

He paused, his eyes turning sharp as knives.

“Moreover, for someone of Tangshan’s rank to be willing to run errands and deliver messages, it indicates that there must be an even bigger figure above him. The ‘big fish’ hidden in the Discipline Inspection Commission is probably even bigger than we anticipated, and in an even more crucial position.”

Cold sweat trickled down Xia Quan’s temples. He suddenly remembered something, his voice tightening.

“Then… then those seemingly unrelated cases before, could they also be…”

“Very likely.”

Li Yang interrupted him, his tone grave.

“This is not an isolated incident; it’s a net. Tangshan is just one knot in the net; we must follow this thread and pull out the entire net.”

He stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the gray sky.

“It seems this battle will be a tough one.”

The deputy director of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision isn't even the biggest fish… So, going up, wouldn't it be the current supervision director? Or even… the two deputy Secretaries?

Xia Quan felt a chill run down the back of his neck, and his breathing even hitched for half a beat.

He dared not think further, his fingertips unconsciously clenching his clothes, only repeating in his heart:

It must be that he was overthinking; how could those high-ranking and powerful individuals… He could only hope that both he and Secretary Li were overthinking.

Meanwhile, Li Yang was looking out the window, his gaze fixed on the Imperial flag fluttering atop the administrative center, his thoughts already churning.

He had worked with the two deputy Secretaries of the Discipline Inspection Commission many times. They were always meticulous in their conduct and had close personal ties with Ou Ben and An Cheng. Their stance had never deviated, so they could largely be ruled out as suspects.

But apart from them—those directors holding real power, the deputy directors in charge of different fields, who seemed to perform their duties separately on a daily basis—who could guarantee that none of them were secretly colluding?

“It seems the water in here is much deeper than what we’ve seen.”

Li Yang slowly spoke, a hint of somberness in his voice.

“One move affects the whole situation. If they dare to plant a chess piece within the Discipline Inspection Commission, they will never be satisfied with just a deputy director.”

He turned around, his gaze falling on Xia Quan, his eyes firm.

“Xia Quan, from now on, I grant you all the authority of the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission and the supervision director.”

As he spoke, he raised his hand and opened the administrative management system, quickly operating on the light screen. A series of complex permission keys flashed, finally settling on the “Permission Transfer Confirmation” interface.

“What you need to do is secretly investigate all personnel at the director and deputy director levels within the Discipline Inspection and Supervision system—their communication records, financial flows, abnormal whereabouts in the past six months, and even private contacts with external personnel. Do not miss a single detail; investigate boldly and thoroughly!”

Xia Quan looked at the flashing permission indicator on the light screen, feeling his heart pound.

This was almost entrusting the core investigative authority of the entire Discipline Inspection system into his hands. This trust was as heavy as a thousand jun, instantly bringing tears to his eyes, his voice trembling slightly.

“Secretary Li, this… this is too…”

“No need to say more.”

Li Yang interrupted him, his tone brooking no argument.

“Only you can do this now. Remember, absolute secrecy. No one, except me, can know your investigation direction. Not even Speaker Ou Ben, for now.”

Xia Quan took a deep breath, straightened his back, and nodded vigorously.

“Please rest assured! I will investigate thoroughly and will not fail your trust!”

He raised a hand to wipe his face, suppressing the feeling of being overwhelmed, only determination remaining in his eyes—no matter how deep the water was, he had to wade through it, even if an abyss lay ahead.

Li Yang looked at his tense yet resolute profile and nodded slightly.

This confrontation was destined not to be easy from the start, and now, they were finally going to lift the most dangerous veil.

One must know that such a full delegation of authority in a department was extremely rare in the Empire's administrative system, far beyond a simple