Chapter 315: The Investigation (Part 1)

In April, the Lingxi Provincial Party Committee issued a document adjusting the leadership of certain regions, appointing Ren Maoyun as Deputy Secretary.

This announcement sent shockwaves through the political landscape of Yiyang, akin to a minor earthquake.

Ren Maoyun’s movement signaled a major reshuffle in Yiyang’s officialdom. Ambitious officials, like insects awakening from their winter slumber in spring, immediately stirred from their hiding places, calculating how to cultivate relationships and secure favorable positions. Meanwhile, those already occupying comfortable seats adopted the vigilant protectiveness of a hen guarding her chicks, fiercely defending their status.

However, the situation in Yiyang was complex. Although Yang Senlin served as the Deputy Secretary presiding over the County Party Committee’s work, his tenure in Yiyang was short. Under the relentless pressure and obstruction from Ma Youcai, his authority was somewhat compromised. This left many cadres in Yiyang in a difficult bind: trying to please both sides was too costly and risked offending everyone, while betting everything on one person carried the danger of losing everything if that person fell from grace.

Hou Weidong had previously been ordered to investigate the Yiyang Agricultural Products Company, a move that had deeply offended Ma Youcai. This grievance was significant and not easily forgotten. Hou Weidong was fully aware of this; his attitude toward Ma Youcai was one of respectful distance—maintaining a normal superior-subordinate relationship, which in official circles often implied a lack of closeness.

He cautiously extended a tentative olive branch to Yang Senlin. He did not seek promotion under Yang’s wing; he only hoped for a smooth transition.

On April 16th, the weather was fine and sunny, with fluffy white clouds drifting across a vast blue sky. It was a time of vibrant spring, perfect for outdoor activities.

In the morning, Zhang Mushan, the CEO of Qingda Group, arrived in Yiyang. In this county town, Qingda Group had invested in a large cement plant and two medium-sized machinery factories. These were substantial investments even for Shazhou. The county leadership paid close attention to Qingda Group’s activities. Upon hearing of Zhang Mushan’s arrival, Yang Senlin personally led a delegation including Yang Dajin, Director of the Party Committee Office; Hou Weidong, Director of the New Management Committee; and Su Ming, Party Secretary of Qinglin Town, to accompany him.

They visited the cement plant on Tiebei Mountain in Qinglin. The foundation work for the factory buildings was complete, and normal production was expected to begin early in 1999.

Zhang Mushan was satisfied with the progress of the Tiebei Mountain Cement Plant. After leaving the factory, his hunting instinct resurfaced. He said to Yang Senlin, "Secretary Yang, you handle myriad affairs every day. You should take some time to rest. Let me introduce a sport that is absolutely refreshing."

Yang Senlin showed interest. "A project recommended by Boss Mushan must be good. But let’s skip golf. If I ever get addicted to that, I’d have to travel all the way to Lingxi to play, which would be exhausting."

Zhang Mushan chuckled. "Hunting. Wangri Village in Qinglin is a natural hunting ground. When I first came here, I even borrowed Type 56 semi-automatic rifles from the Armed Forces Department. It’s a lingering habit from my military days; just touching a gun gets me excited."

Yang Senlin immediately instructed Yang Dajin, "Contact the Armed Forces Department and have them send a few guns over." He then asked Zhang Mushan, "Boss Mushan, what kind of guns did you mention earlier? Type 5… something?"

Zhang Mushan smiled. "Secretary Yang, no need. I’ve made preparations for today." His subordinates were incredibly sharp; like magicians, they retrieved three hunting rifles from the trunk of the car. The barrels were thick, looking quite imposing.

"These three guns are legitimate; we have the necessary permits," Zhang Mushan explained, mindful that Yang Senlin, as a county official, had to strictly abide by the law.

There were three guns. Zhang Mushan took one, and Yang Senlin took another. Hou Weidong and Yang Dajin exchanged polite refusals before Yang Dajin finally took the third gun. Su Ming, as the leader of Qinglin Town, along with Village Party Secretary He Hequan, acted as guides. Together with Zhang Mushan’s personal attendant, the group of six plunged into the woods. After a short while, several gunshots echoed through the dense forest, though no cheers were heard due to the thick foliage.

Hou Weidong, Ren Xiaowei, and several drivers waited idly outside the woods. The drivers were quite familiar with Hou Weidong. After chatting for a while, Yang Senlin’s driver suggested playing a card game called Shuangkou. They placed the cards on the hood of the car, disregarding the poor conditions, and enthusiastically began playing.

Ren Xiaowei had worked in the County Party Committee Office for over a year, yet she still maintained the cheerful demeanor of a sunny girl. The drivers liked her, and everyone chatted and laughed together, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Hou Weidong thought to himself, People in the County Party Committee Office are known for their internal struggles. This girl has impeccable interpersonal skills, which is truly impressive. Achieving this requires more than just a cheerful disposition; it demands keen observation and political acumen. With this in mind, he observed the sunny girl out of the corner of his eye. As she calculated the cards, her expression was focused, her nose slightly wrinkled, appearing both serious and mature.

By 1:30 PM, the six-person hunting group had not yet emerged from the forest. The card players had something to occupy their minds, so they could endure their hunger. However, the two people watching the game kept checking their watches and pacing back and forth.

Hou Weidong asked one of the drivers to take his place in the game and went for a walk. Soon, he returned, chewing on a white flour steamed bun. The bun contained shredded vegetables, crunching loudly as he ate, which made the hungry men drool.

"Director Hou, where did you get that? You can’t eat it all by yourself," one of them joked.

These drivers were accustomed to driving for county leaders and carried themselves with some arrogance. Although Hou Weidong had been their former leader and was currently the head of the New Management Committee, they joked with him casually, without any stiffness.

Hou Weidong ate his bun heartily, smiling but saying nothing, which distracted everyone from their card game. After a while, a sturdy woman in her fifties appeared, carrying a basin filled with noodles. Her son was a middle school student, considered an intellectual in Shangqinglin, and now worked as an accountant at the Dogback Bay Quarry, earning a monthly salary of over a thousand yuan. Because of this, the entire family treated Hou Weidong with great respect. When Hou Weidong mentioned needing some food, the head of the household shouted, "Wife, cook some noodles and put in ten eggs!"

Everyone ate the noodles, chewing vigorously on the eggs. Yang Senlin’s driver, a man in his thirties who had recently been transferred from the military, had previously driven for the Division Chief of Staff. He had excellent driving skills and understood protocol. He exaggeratedly said, "Damn, this egg noodle is so delicious. I’ve already eaten three bowls."

Ren Xiaowei held a coarse bowl and ate with great relish. She said, "Director Hou, let’s cook another basin. The leaders will probably be coming out soon." Hou Weidong turned to the woman and said, "Our leaders went hunting inside; they’re sure to have a catch. Please boil a pot of water so we can clean the wild pheasants later."

The woman accepted the task happily and left.

Ren Xiaowei watched with wide eyes and said, "Director Hou, I really admire you. The relationship between cadres and the masses is quite strained nowadays, yet you have such high prestige."

The township government is the most grassroots level of government, dealing directly with the people. Implementing party policies relies entirely on this group. Their main tasks included "collecting grain and urging payments, and enforcing forced abortions." After the fiscal and tax reforms in 1994, the financial difficulties of grassroots governments became obvious. To maintain operations, township governments imposed additional burdens layer by layer. Consequently, the antagonism between cadres and the masses became severe. The phrase "installing防盗 doors to prevent theft and to prevent cadres" became a joke that wasn’t really a joke.

For this reason, Ren Xiaowei was puzzled by Hou Weidong’s unusual prestige.

"Actually, the common people are the easiest to deal with. They are rural residents who, apart from their thin layer of land, have nothing. Under decades of survival pressure, they are the most pragmatic people. If you give them tangible benefits, they will sincerely support you. If you try to take money from them, they will dare to use knives and cause mass incidents."

"So, you’re saying you brought them benefits in Shangqinglin?"

Hou Weidong said proudly, "I initiated the construction of this road. Without the highway, Shangqinglin was the poorest area in Yiyang County. With the road, they can rely on the mountains for their livelihood, and many farming families have seen a leap in their living standards."

He added, "Farmers near the suburbs have the worst relationship with the government. The reason is simple: urban development requires land. In a county-level city at our level of development, this is an unsolvable contradiction."

Hou Weidong spoke eloquently, and Ren Xiaowei listened with genuine interest.

Zhang Mushan, Yang Senlin, and the others emerged from the forest, carrying their guns and holding a wild pheasant. They looked radiant with joy. As they approached, Zhang Mushan said, "I’ll call Secretary Yang once I’ve arranged the meeting with the person I invited."

Hou Weidong didn’t know who Zhang Mushan was inviting, but intuitively, it must be a key figure from the provincial capital. As a private entrepreneur who had reached such a level, Zhang Mushan had extensive connections. Arranging a meeting for a county party secretary should not be difficult.

However, Hou Weidong guessed wrong this time. Given Yang Senlin’s background, he didn’t need Zhang Mushan to make introductions. The person Zhang Mushan had invited was another powerful private entrepreneur from Lingxi.

At 8:00 PM, after seeing Zhang Mushan off onto the highway, Hou Weidong, exhausted from accompanying guests all day, returned to his home at Shazhou University. As he was drinking water, the mobile phone on the coffee table rang tirelessly again. Hou Weidong had no energy to answer immediately. It was only on the second ring that he picked it up.

Hou Weidong said hurriedly, "Minister Su, sorry, I was in the bathroom." Su Mingjun replied, "I’m at the pedestrian street in Yiyang. Do you have time?"

Hearing that Su Mingjun was in Yiyang, Hou Weidong grabbed his phone and ran out. He found Su Mingjun at the pedestrian street, and the two headed straight for a Chongqing-style restaurant.

"This time, the Shazhou Discipline Inspection Commission is leading the charge. It’s an investigation team, and I am the deputy leader," Su Mingjun said.

"What kind of case requires your personal involvement?"

"There’s a whistleblowing letter accusing Ma Youcai. The province and the city have received many such letters. Secretary Changquan attaches great importance to this and has ordered Secretary Ji of the Discipline Inspection Commission to lead the investigation."