Chapter 211: As Wished (Part 2)
The meeting concluded. Hou Weidong and the staff from the County Party Committee Office stood in the corner of the conference room. Lin Yihang left first. Ji Daolin, flanked by Zhu Yan and Zhao Lin, walked toward the door.
Ji Haiyang, a member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee, quickly walked to the back row and instructed, "Liu Tao, Ren Lindu, Hou Weidong, follow me to the small guesthouse of the County Party Committee."
Ji Haiyang’s official car was a Santana 2000. He looked exhausted, his back slightly hunched. Liu Tao, Ren Lindu, and Hou Weidong sat in the back seat. Ji Haiyang remained silent, and so did they. The only sound in the car was the faint hum of the engine.
"Put on some music."
There was only one cassette tape in Ji Haiyang’s car, unchanged for over two years. The driver didn’t ask questions and simply inserted the tape. The car’s audio system was excellent. A song with a foreign folk style began to play, its melody soothing and romantic: "Look how bright the evening wind is, shining with golden light."
Ji Haiyang suddenly turned his head. "Hou Weidong, starting tomorrow, you will report to the Secretariat Section of the County Party Committee Office. Your primary duty will be to serve Secretary Zhu."
After saying this, he looked straight ahead again, watching the trees passing by. His voice sounded slightly tired. "An important responsibility of the County Party Committee Office is to serve the leadership. Working here requires strict discipline and a strong emphasis on confidentiality. 'Sharp eyes, quick hands, diligent legs, and a tight mouth'—these eight characters are the basic requirements for staff in the County Party Committee Office. Liu Tao is a veteran here; he should take some time to explain the work requirements to Hou Weidong."
Zhu Yan had high standards for his personal staff. Since arriving in Yiyang, he had assigned two full-time secretaries, neither of whom satisfied him. Hou Weidong was the third. Ji Haiyang himself was not entirely satisfied with Hou Weidong, mainly because of Hou’s history of breaking rules in Qinglin Town. This incident demonstrated that Hou Weidong did not always play by the book.
However, Zhu Yan had a good impression of Hou Weidong, leaving Ji Haiyang with no choice but to accept the arrangement. Today, he used the car ride to give Hou Weidong a few warnings.
The County Party Committee Guesthouse was an ordinary small courtyard. The walls and buildings were constructed in the early 1980s. Its most distinctive feature was the abundance of shade trees. After the Southern Tour speech in 1992, the county government funded a renovation of the courtyard, primarily upgrading the internal facilities. The project cost nearly one million yuan, a significant sum for 1992.
Although the exterior of the renovated guesthouse looked ordinary, the interior had reached the standard of the Provincial Party Committee Guesthouse. The county had specific regulations regarding its use: only leaders at the Shazhou municipal level, as well as the heads of major bureaus such as the Construction Commission and Transportation Bureau, were eligible to stay there. Superior leaders of lower rank had to stay at the Yiyang Hotel.
Hou Weidong had heard of the fame of the County Party Committee Guesthouse. As he followed Ji Haiyang inside, he thought to himself, "This guesthouse has a big reputation, but in terms of the external environment, it is not as good as Han Lake in Shadaosi."
After turning several corners and passing through a grove of trees, several separate courtyards appeared. Each courtyard was surrounded by a low wooden fence. The houses were typical "matchbox" structures, made of red brick, clean and simple, yet subtly exuding an aura of authority—a unique quality that Han Lake lacked.
The living room was equipped with a cabinet-style air conditioner, set to twenty-six degrees. When Ji Daolin entered the room, a waitress poured water into the teacups and then left quietly.
Only Ji Daolin, Zhu Yan, and Zhao Lin were in the room. Ji Daolin dropped his official demeanor. He took out a pack of cigarettes and said, "Secretary Zhu, try these. They are said to be special supply cigarettes from the Hongta Group, though I don't know if they are genuine or not."
Zhu Yan had a heavy smoking habit. He took a deep drag and said, "Not bad. Good cigarettes." Zhao Lin only smoked occasionally. He smiled and said, "I am ignorant about cigarettes; I have no ability to judge them."
The three men chatted for a while. Suddenly, Ji Daolin’s expression turned serious. "Secretary Zhu, Secretary Zhao, I invited you two here today to brief you on a matter."
"Recently, the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection have received numerous举报 letters (reporting letters) accusing You Hong, the Director of the Yiyang County Public Security Bureau, of acting as a protective umbrella for local thugs. This has led to local construction enterprises being controlled by gangsters, which is the embryonic form of organized crime. Comrade Changquan attaches great importance to this matter and has issued specific instructions."
Zhu Yan took the reporting letters. The bold, thick penmanship of Comrade Ye Changquan immediately came into view. The instruction was simple: "If the reflections in the letter are true, heavy blows must be struck. Comrade Daolin is requested to handle this matter swiftly and eradicate evil completely." The last four characters were noticeably larger, with some strokes extending out like cleavers.
"According to Comrade Changquan’s instructions, the Shazhou Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Procuratorate, and the Public Security Bureau have dispatched a joint investigation team. They have secretly entered Yiyang. After a period of investigation, it has been confirmed that the reflections in the letter are basically true. Although there are discrepancies in specific details, the basic facts are accurate."
Under the current system, leaders in key positions such as County Party Secretary, County Mayor, and Public Security Bureau Director are原则上 (in principle) required to serve in places other than their hometowns. Zhu Yan and Ma Youcai were both from outside the area. Although You Hong was originally from Zhenzhou, he moved to Yiyang at the age of ten and grew up there. He listed his native place as Zhenzhou, so he was considered a cadre transferred from another region.
Zhu Yan realized the seriousness of the problem. His face turned pale. He said, "The Yiyang County Party Committee will firmly implement Comrade Changquan’s instructions. We will not show leniency to troublemakers like You Hong."
Ji Daolin nodded. "You Hong has worked in the Yiyang Public Security Bureau for over twenty years. He is highly vigilant, and his counter-reconnaissance network is particularly deep. To avoid alerting him, the first investigation team is conducting inquiries under the pretext of investigating gun cases, while the second team is investigating based on the content provided in the reporting letters."
"No matter how cunning the fox is, it cannot outsmart a good hunter. Currently, the evidence verified by the investigation team is sufficient to place You Hong under shuanggui (mandatory questioning)."
Zhu Yan and Zhao Lin listened intently, afraid to miss a single word. At the same time, they felt anxious, worried that too many people might be implicated, turning this into a nest of corruption, which would severely damage the reputation of the Yiyang County Party Committee.
A slight smile appeared on Ji Daolin’s face. "One of the most accurate pieces of evidence is that You Hong’s official car is a genuine smuggled vehicle. A major car smuggling case broke out in Guangdong earlier this year. The Central Government has repeatedly warned against such activities. As the Director of the Public Security Bureau, You Hong is committing crimes despite the warnings."
"I reported my thoughts to Comrade Changquan, and he agreed with my approach. We will use the smuggled car as the pretext to place You Hong under shuanggui, legally search his home, and deliver a sudden blow that leaves his network no time to react."
Zhu Yan said, "Please let me know what I need to do, Comrade Daolin." In his heart, he cursed, "This You Hong is truly bold. Using a smuggled car as his official vehicle is digging his own grave."
"Secretary Zhu, please call You Hong and ask him to come here. We will place him under shuanggui immediately. To facilitate the investigation, the team will take You Hong back to Shazhou."
Zhu Yan picked up the phone and called You Hong. In a calm but unquestionable tone, he said, "You Hong, come to the small guesthouse of the County Party Committee."
As the County Party Secretary, he held absolute authority in the county. He could summon subordinate cadres to meet him at any time, whether it was early morning or during a heavy rain. He never needed to provide a reason, nor did he ever explain himself.
As the Director of the Public Security Bureau, You Hong naturally knew Zhu Yan’s rules. He said to Deputy Director Zhang and others who were drinking, "You keep drinking. Boss Zhu is looking for me."
Driving his modified imported car, You Hong hurried to the County Party Committee Guesthouse. Because Zhu Yan’s tone on the phone was so normal, he did not suspect that this was a trap.
Upon entering the compound of the County Party Committee, Ji Haiyang, Liu Tao, and others were standing in the yard. You Hong smiled at Ji Haiyang and said, "Old Ji, why are you standing in the yard? Are you free tomorrow? I’ll come find you. The police cars at the police station are almost scrap metal. Not only can they not perform official duties, but we are afraid they will fall apart just driving on the road."
Ji Haiyang and You Hong were old acquaintances and often joked when they met. Although Ji Haiyang had not heard Ji Daolin’s conversation, the sudden appearance of six or seven strangers at the County Party Committee Guesthouse, combined with Zhu Yan’s stern expression, made him sense that something was wrong.
Shortly after You Hong entered the room, his roar was heard: "On what grounds are you placing me under shuanggui? I want to see Secretary Zhu."
Several low reprimands came from inside the room. You Hong’s voice rose higher. "I want to see Ji Daolin. Let him come out too."
The investigation team consisted of four people: one from the Commission for Discipline Inspection, one from the Procuratorate, and two from the Public Security Bureau. They had prepared a plan in advance. Seeing Ji Haiyang’s agitation, two strong public security officers silently rushed forward. Both had handcuffs ready, prepared to cuff You Hong first.
Seeing this posture, You Hong knew the situation could not be resolved peacefully. He did not know how much information these people had, but he knew that if his deeds were exposed, execution was inevitable. Unwilling to be bound helplessly, he raised his arms and tried to shake off the two men.
The other two people in the room saw You Hong resisting and rushed forward together. The four men grabbed his arms and waist, quickly pinning him to the ground and forcibly handcuffing him.
Hou Weidong stood outside the door with Ji Haiyang. Hearing the sounds from inside, he was so shocked that he could have fit an egg in his mouth. Ji Haiyang’s face was dark. He thought to himself, "You Hong acted too flamboyantly. It was only a matter of time before he got into trouble. This Ji Daolin is academically trained, and his actions are indeed clean and efficient."
With handcuffs on, You Hong knew the situation was irreversible. He said to the person who had rushed at him first, "I am the Director of the Public Security Bureau. For the sake of the reputation of the police, cover this thing with your clothes when you take me out."
You Hong was well-known in the Shazhou public security system. Luo Jinhao, a police officer from the Shazhou branch, had graduated from the Law Department of Shazhou College and had even attended You Hong’s criminal investigation classes. He maintained a respectful demeanor and said, "I understand, Director Luo."
Ji Daolin, Zhu Yan, and Zhao Lin were all standing in the guest room on the second floor. The three remained silent. A staff member from the Commission for Discipline Inspection came upstairs and reported, "Secretary Ji, You Hong has been controlled." Ji Daolin said, "Immediately transfer You Hong to Shazhou. Search his home and office."
After You Hong was taken away, Ji Daolin said, "The search will be led by the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Shazhou Procuratorate, with the Yiyang Procuratorate providing active cooperation."
Having arranged all matters, Ji Daolin relaxed. He said, "Secretary Zhu, the serious business is done. We should also relax a bit. Standing Committee Member Ji is outside. Call him up. The four of us can play a game of Double Knockout."
Hou Weidong was following Zhu Yan as a staff member of the County Party Committee Office for the first time. He had not expected to witness such a shocking scene. He turned to look at Ren Lindu, who was also dumbfounded.
The Days in Qinglin