Chapter 414: Sensitivity (Part 2)

Hou Weidong floated on the surface of the hot spring water, chatting with Su Mingjun. Amidst the rising steam, he stole glances at Guo Lan, who looked like one of the Seven Fairies descending to earth.

He had a duty to accompany Chen Zaixi, so he could not stay long. After a brief exchange, he swam toward the corner where Ji Daolin and Chen Zaixi were relaxing. He joined them in the pool, no longer swimming alone, and enjoyed the warmth of the early summer hot spring alongside the group.

A short while later, Su Mingjun came over to greet Ji Daolin. The delegation from the Organization Department began to emerge from the water one by one. Guo Lan and the two female comrades from the Provincial Party Committee’s Organization Department also rose from the pool. They walked toward the changing room along the other side of the pool, moving with the grace of models.

Hou Weidong had known Guo Lan for several years. Usually, her attire was simple and slightly conservative. But here at the Tuocheng Hot Spring, having removed her outer coat, her skin appeared ivory-white through the mist. She wore a pale blue swimsuit that revealed her slender and tall figure. From the side, her chest was not overly large, yet not small either—exquisite and well-proportioned. From behind, her waist was very thin, forming an elegant curve.

Even in a swimsuit, she remained reserved and unassuming, quiet rather than flashy.

Hou Weidong pretended to enjoy the sunshine, but his eyes tracked Guo Lan’s figure like an infrared-guided missile. Xiaojia was in the late stages of pregnancy, Li Jing was breastfeeding, and he had lost contact with Duan Ying. He had not had sexual intimacy for a long time. Suddenly seeing Guo Lan’s waist, which seemed graspable with one hand, made his throat tighten.

Soon, the three women disappeared into the swirling mist. Hou Weidong even let out a long sigh. Although the women had left, there was still sunshine, the hot spring, and the spring breeze. They chatted about topics unrelated to officialdom, feeling relaxed and happy. At 11:20, Ji Daolin’s group finally rose from the pool and headed to the small guesthouse.

At lunch, since the investigation team had reached the basic conclusion that there was “no evidence of wrongdoing,” everyone was free of psychological burden. The hosts and guests talked happily, enjoying a harmonious atmosphere.

In the afternoon, Chen Zaixi, head of the First Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, led his team back to Lingxi. As soon as they entered the city, Chen Zaixi received a call from Liao Ping, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.

“Director Chen, where are you? You’re back. Good. Come to my office immediately. I want to hear the specific details.”

After hanging up, Chen Zaixi, who had been in a relaxed mood, felt puzzled. What’s going on? Why does Secretary Zhong care so much about this minor case? He had originally planned to go home and rest, but after receiving Liao Ping’s call, he felt it was inappropriate to delay. He drove directly to the Provincial Party Committee compound.

After brief pleasantries, Liao Ping got straight to the point. “Talk to me in detail about the investigation process.”

Chen Zaixi did not know Liao Ping’s intent. He organized his thoughts and recounted the investigation details from the past few days.

Liao Ping asked calmly, “In Shazhou, besides Zhou Changquan and Ji Daolin, who else knows about this matter?”

“Zhong Yang, Deputy Secretary of the Shazhou Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Hou Weidong, Deputy Director of the Municipal Party Committee Office and Zhou Changquan’s personal secretary. Both of them have been involved in this matter all along.”

“What is your impression of this investigation? Just talk about your feelings; there is no need for concrete evidence.”

Chen Zaixi said, “The First Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office deployed its best personnel for this investigation. Based on the clues in the whistleblower letter, we investigated thoroughly and indeed found no disciplinary violations. Of course, there are some negative phenomena in the Shazhou Finance Bureau, such as exceeding standards for vehicle allocation, office supplies, and living expenses.”

Liao Ping asked again, “The whistleblower described things so clearly, and the letter was written with such precision. I estimate it was written by someone inside the Shazhou Finance Bureau. Personally, I feel the authenticity is very high.”

Hearing Liao Ping say this, Chen Zaixi became slightly displeased. “Our inspection team speaks with evidence. At least, there are no problems on the books.”

Liao Ping detected the subtle dissatisfaction in Chen Zaixi’s tone and smiled. “I am just sharing my personal feelings. Of course, everything must be based on evidence.” He then carefully questioned Chen Zaixi about the details of the case, particularly the attitudes of Zhou Changquan and Liu Bing. “What were the attitudes of the two main leaders in Shazhou, Zhou Changquan and Liu Bing, toward this matter? What did they say? How did they handle the reception arrangements?”

“I spent five days in Shazhou and did not meet with Mayor Liu Bing. All reception duties were handled by Zhou Changquan.”

Chen Zaixi explained further, “When we arrived in Shazhou, we met with Zhou Changquan and specifically instructed him to keep matters confidential. Therefore, we did not contact the government side. Zhong Yang, Deputy Secretary of the Shazhou Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, helped coordinate. Zhong Yang is a veteran of the discipline inspection system and has assisted the Provincial Commission with many cases. He should be trustworthy.”

After chatting for an hour and a half, Chen Zaixi finally left Liao Ping’s office. Liao Ping’s slightly abnormal behavior gave Chen Zaixi a hint of understanding. The higher-ups of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection had already set their sights on Shazhou. Perhaps, investigating this letter was merely a probing move. As a veteran of the discipline inspection system, Chen Zaixi did not ask Liao Ping for his true intentions; he simply answered every question honestly and without reservation.

Liao Ping organized his thoughts in his office for a while, then called Comrade Xiao Jiang, another unremarkable member who had accompanied Chen Zaixi, into his office. After Xiao Jiang reported his findings, Liao Ping took a file without a cover from a metal cabinet and went to the office of Gao Xianglin, Secretary of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.

After entering, he deliberately closed the office door.

Gao Xianglin had been transferred from a neighboring province in 1996. In 1997, he investigated a nest of corruption cases in the Provincial Department of Transportation. In 1998, he turned the Maoyun region upside down, triggering a major earthquake in the local officialdom. Investigating two major cases in three years made this nearly sixty-year-old member of the Provincial Standing Committee and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission famous. For a time, he was respectfully called “White Bao Gong” in Lingxi. “White” referred to his fair skin, and “Bao Gong” referred to his swift and decisive style in handling cases, which led to the downfall of many corrupt officials.

“How did it go? Any收获 (harvest/findings)?”

Liao Ping shifted on the leather sofa, finding a comfortable position, and said, “Secretary Gao, you really have a god-like ability to predict events. The accounts were balanced out. Kong Zhengyi’s network of connections is indeed deep.”

Gao Xianglin smiled confidently. “You must recognize the difficulty of handling this case. Although Kong Zhengyi is only a department-level cadre, he has served as the Director of the Finance Bureau for many years. His network of connections is deeply entrenched, with invisible ties up and down the hierarchy. It is like pulling one hair and moving the whole body. Our discipline inspection cadres must not only dare to act but also know how to act. Otherwise, if we fail to kill the snake, we might get bitten.”

He extended his right hand and tapped the air twice. “Discipline inspection cadres must possess two essentials: first, accurate vision, and second, ruthless execution. Accurate vision means being able to identify corrupt elements while not wronging any innocent person. Ruthless execution means striking with lightning speed, giving corrupt elements no chance to catch their breath. Therefore, before our resolve is firm and the evidence is not yet sufficient, there is no need to let Chen Zaixi know about Kong Zhengyi’s other matters.”

This trip to Shazhou was supposed to be covert, yet Kong Zhengyi still managed to alter the previously verified account books. This made Liao Ping fully convinced of Gao Xianglin’s capability. He counted on his fingers. “During Chen Zaixi’s trip down there, only two main leaders of Shazhou, the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, and the Deputy Director of the Municipal Party Committee Office knew the situation. Among these five comrades, someone might have tipped off Kong Zhengyi.”

Gao Xianglin shook his head. “Not necessarily. The scope of this whistleblower letter is broad. Relying on Kong Zhengyi’s network, he would definitely have received advance notice. However, from this probing situation, it appears that Zhou Changquan intends to protect Kong Zhengyi, while Liu Bing’s relationship with Kong Zhengyi is merely average. This is consistent with the information we have. In the next step of our work, we can avoid certain links.”

Liao Ping continued his report, “This time, under the guise of investigating the whistleblower letter, Xiao Jiang, following prior instructions, pulled out the Finance Bureau’s revenue and expenditure vouchers, current accounts, and bank deposits. We did indeed find some problems.”

Xiao Jiang was not from the First Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office. Since this case involved significant financial matters, Liao Ping used this as an excuse before departure to specifically add Xiao Jiang, who was proficient in finance, to the team. Such temporary team formations were common in the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Chen Zaixi would not have found it unusual.

Hearing that Xiao Jiang had found problems, Gao Xianglin said, “Talk about the specific situation.”

While Gao Xianglin and Liao Ping were discussing matters behind closed doors, Zhou Changquan took Hou Weidong to inspect the site of the Shazhou Cigarette Factory. On the way back, the car detoured to the Southern New District. Zhou Changquan spontaneously decided to check the proposed site for the “Four Major Teams” (the Party Committee, Government, Congress, and CPPCC).

“Should we notify Gao Jian?”

“No need. I just want to look at the site myself. Don’t call him; he is already exhausted enough.”

The two men stood at the proposed site, feeling the wind and basking in the sun. Hou Weidong felt that Zhou Changquan had something on his mind. Their relationship had improved significantly, so Hou Weidong had fewer reservations. He asked skillfully, “Secretary Zhou, are you not feeling well? Perhaps we should go back and rest early. It’s too open here, and the wind is strong.”

Zhou Changquan suddenly asked, “What is your opinion on this investigation by the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection?”

Hou Weidong spoke frankly, “The First Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office has not come to Shazhou to investigate cases for three years. This time, they came for such a minor case. Personally, I feel that such minor cases should be handed directly to the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection. There is absolutely no need for Chen Zaixi to make the trip personally.”

Zhou Changquan praised him, “You noticed this matter, which shows you still have political sensitivity.” His expression then turned serious. “After Chen Zaixi announced the investigation results, I felt something was not right. Who is Gao Xianglin? He is the Iron Bao Gong of Lingxi. The cases he handles are mostly unexpected. I fear this time, the drinker’s intent is not in the wine.”

Hou Weidong did not have a direct impression of Gao Xianglin. Following Zhou Changquan’s line of thought, he said, “Could it be that the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection has grasped some situation?”

Zhou Changquan said, “This matter is beyond my jurisdiction. To forge iron, one must be strong oneself. As long as one has a clear conscience, one need not fear someone knocking on the door at midnight.”

Hou Weidong understood Zhou Changquan’s true thoughts best. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Stability overrides everything. Shazhou is in a period of rapid development. If a municipal leader or a leader of an important department gets into trouble, it will cause irreparable political impact on Shazhou. I suggest that the Municipal Party Committee hold a special discussion on integrity and anti-corruption in the near future.”

Zhou Changquan shook his head. “If the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection has really set its sights on us, it definitely won’t be an ordinary figure. This integrity education will only be conducted among cadres at the department level and above. Let’s see how these comrades understand the situation.”