166: Chapter 166 Su Qinghan Makes Her Appearance

Su Qinghan stepped over the threshold, her well-tailored black uniform hugging her tall and slender figure perfectly.

Without any redundant decorations, her long hair was tied up behind her head, and her eyes carried a natural coldness.

Entering the doorway, she was in no hurry to speak.

Her cold eyes swept around the office.

They passed over Director Li Qiang, whose face was livid, swept past Secretary Chen Jianjun, who was suppressing his anger, and finally locked onto the only man sitting upright in the host seat—Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang of the Qingjiang County Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Su Qinghan raised her brow slightly and cast a sidelong glance at Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang.

That gaze was extremely cold and detached, carrying a hint of condescending scrutiny.

Then, she turned around and spoke to Zhu Wenhao, who was standing in front of the desk.

"Secretary Zhu, I am Su Qinghan from the Third Inspection Office of the Linjiang Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection."

"The Linjiang Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection has received the relevant materials previously submitted by the Heishi Town Commission for Discipline Inspection regarding the case of Heishui Village's Village Secretary Zhang Dahai. After evaluation by the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, given the complexity of the case and the high likelihood that the files involve public officials from Qingjiang County..."

"...to ensure independence and fairness in handling the case, I have been specially dispatched to deliver the final decision document from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection to you."

As soon as she finished speaking, she pulled a document out of her briefcase.

"This is the 'Decision on Upgraded Jurisdiction over the Heishui Village Case' personally signed and issued by Secretary Li of the Linjiang Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection."

Su Qinghan held the document with both hands and steadily presented it to Zhu Wenhao.

Zhu Wenhao reached out to take it, his eyes quickly scanning the paper.

The document from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection carried the weight of the law in every word and sentence, highly structured and leaving no room for dispute.

He closed the document, held it between his fingers, turned around, and handed the decision letter directly to Director Li Qiang, who was standing beside Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang.

"Director Li," Zhu Wenhao said in a calm tone, "didn't you have questions just now? This document is your answer."

He pressed the document down in front of Director Li Qiang.

"You are no longer qualified to manage this matter now."

Director Li Qiang looked down at the document from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, the official seal on it stinging his eyes.

He opened his mouth, his usual overbearing attitude completely vanished.

Obedience of subordinates to superiors was an ironclad rule.

No matter how powerful the Qingjiang County Commission for Discipline Inspection was, before the Linjiang Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, it could only bow and obey.

Director Li Qiang held the document with both hands and stiffly placed it in front of Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang.

Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang stared at the 'Decision on Upgraded Jurisdiction,' his expression shifting unpredictably under the fluorescent light.

The reaction speed of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection far exceeded his estimates.

From the occurrence of the incident in Heishui Village until now, in just a few short days, the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection had not only accepted the town-level report that bypassed the county, but had also directly issued the upgraded jurisdiction document in the name of the top leader.

If there weren't an extremely powerful force operating behind the scenes, it would have been absolutely impossible to complete such a tedious approval process.

This time, the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection had come with menacing momentum, determined to succeed.

According to the routine case-handling logic of the discipline inspection system, since the higher authority had clearly intervened, the local Discipline Inspection Commission should take the initiative to avoid conflict of interest, hand over all files and suspects, and then withdraw from the matter.

At this point, Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang could easily take the opportunity to back down, lead his people back to Qingjiang County, and throw this hot potato away.

However, he could not retreat.

Before coming to Heishi Town, Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan had given him strict instructions in his office, and those warning words still rang in his ears.

Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang understood Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan's meaning, and his bottom line was also very clear: no matter what, the people from the County Commission for Discipline Inspection had to stay in Heishi Town and must have a hand in this case. Even if it was just as an observer, they had to muddy the waters and control the source of information.

He needed a step to break the deadlock, an excuse that would allow him to stay in Heishi Town legitimately.

Just as the office fell into a dead silence, a slightly hurried sound of footsteps came from the corridor outside.

"Secretary Tian, why did you come in person?"

The voice arrived before the person did.

Secretary Qiu Dehai, the Party Secretary of Heishi Town, strode into the office.

Behind him, Director Xu Jie of the Party and Government Office followed with calm steps.

As soon as Director Xu Jie stepped over the threshold, her gaze landed squarely on Su Qinghan.

The two women met face-to-face in this cramped space.

Director Xu Jie's gaze lingered on Su Qinghan's uniform for half a second, silently assessing the other's aura.

Su Qinghan's senses were extremely sharp. Sensing the gaze from the side, she tilted her head slightly.

Their gazes met silently in mid-air and instantly parted.

There were no words, no hostility—only the wariness and measurement of top hunters encountering their own kind in an unfamiliar environment.

The surrounding men had all their attention on that document, and no one noticed the fleeting undercurrent between these two women.

Secretary Qiu Dehai quickly walked to the desk and proactively reached out both hands to shake Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang's hand.

Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang took the opportunity to stand up, naturally pushing the decision letter from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection aside.

He looked at Secretary Qiu Dehai, his mind racing; the step to break the deadlock had delivered itself right to him.

"Secretary Qiu," Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang said as he shook Secretary Qiu Dehai's hand. "Our County Commission for Discipline Inspection originally thought that the Heishui Village case would have a bad influence locally, so we planned to send some capable personnel to help look into it and guide the work of your Town Commission for Discipline Inspection. After all, we are all on the same side, and things are easier to discuss behind closed doors."

He changed the subject and sighed.

"However, the comrades from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection have now arrived with the document, clearly stating that the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection is taking full charge. If our county intervenes further, it will lack legitimacy. I suppose there is no longer any need for the County Commission for Discipline Inspection to remain here to guide you."

Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang stared into Secretary Qiu Dehai's eyes, passing the buck with precision.

"Secretary Qiu, you are the top leader of Heishi Town. What do you say about this?"

These words were a needle hidden in silk.

Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang was clearly hinting to Secretary Qiu Dehai: The master behind both of us is Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan, and we are allies in the same camp. Now that the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection is taking the case away, I, as a county official, have been stripped of my reason to intervene. If you don't find a way to keep me here, and the task assigned by Secretary Qin cannot be completed, you, the Town Party Secretary, will have to take the blame.

Several pairs of eyes in the room converged in unison on Secretary Qiu Dehai's slightly chubby face.

Secretary Qiu Dehai only felt his throat go dry.

If he followed Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang's words and said 'the county doesn't need to worry about it,' he would be publicly undermining Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan; if he insisted on keeping Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang to interfere in Village Secretary Zhang Dahai's case, he would be openly defying the orders of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection.

It was a dead end either way.

In his mind, he frantically replayed the situation Director Xu Jie had reported to him in the office just now.

Weighing the pros and cons, Secretary Qiu Dehai gritted his teeth.

"Secretary Tian, this..." Secretary Qiu Dehai rubbed his hands together and forced a smile. "Just now in the office, I heard Director Xu Jie report that the comrades from the County Commission for Discipline Inspection have the intention of comprehensively rectifying the work style of our Town Government."

He braced himself and continued.

"I also feel that our Town Government's work style has indeed been somewhat lax recently, and it is high time for a thorough rectification."

Secretary Qiu Dehai took off his own face and threw it to the ground to be trampled on.

"Then I must trouble Secretary Tian of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection to have your elite forces stay and station themselves in Heishi Town to help us sort out our work style, and suppress those unhealthy tendencies."

After saying this, Secretary Qiu Dehai only felt a churning in his stomach.

As a dignified Town Party Secretary, in order to keep the people from the County Commission for Discipline Inspection in the town as lookouts, he had actually taken the initiative to admit in front of his subordinates that the government organs under his governance had a corrupt work style, begging the higher authorities to investigate him.

What a humiliation.

But in order to keep the County Commission for Discipline Inspection here, he could only stick his face out to be slapped.

Without waiting for Deputy Secretary Tian Wenguang to respond, Secretary Qiu Dehai hurriedly glanced at his watch.

"Secretary Tian, I still have an extremely important task in my office that I must return to handle immediately. I won't stay here any longer."