197: Chapter 197 Mayor Qian

In the world of Heishi Town, no secret could ever be kept.

The moment the county finance department's earmarked funds hit the town's special account, the news sprouted wings and flew to every corner of the office building.

For this grassroots compound, which struggled to pay full wages and relied on debt to get by, this massive sum was nothing short of rain after a long drought.

Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong was the shark that had caught the scent of blood.

Without pausing, he strode into the office of Town Mayor Luo Xingbang and pulled the door shut behind him.

"Town Mayor, that massive sum allocated by the county finance department has arrived."

Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong took a seat in the guest chair.

"We can finally clear some of those bad debts from the end of the year. The people working under us have slogged through the year; if we pay out some benefits, everyone can have a decent New Year."

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang did not reciprocate his enthusiasm.

"I received a call from the County Government Office," Town Mayor Luo Xingbang said, picking up his teacup. "The County Mayor specifically instructed that this money is compensation to be returned to Heishui Village and belongs to earmarked fiscal funds. No one is to misappropriate it."

Earmarked funds must be used for their intended purpose; this was an inviolable red line.

Yet in corners lacking supervision, this red line was often rendered meaningless.

Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong let out a sneer.

"Town Mayor, isn't this the same rhetoric the county uses every time they allocate funds? When has it ever been anything more than thunder without rain?"

"Those bumpkins in Heishui Village, what's the difference if they get it sooner or later? We'll just borrow it for a quick turnover, and once the tax revenue comes in next year, we'll pay it back. Who could possibly find fault with that?"

Robbing Peter to pay Paul was the most common sleight of hand in grassroots financial management.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang made no comment.

Seeing his demeanor, Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong understood.

"I'll go to the Finance Office and process the paperwork right now. I'll take responsibility if anything happens."

With that, he pushed the door open and left.

The door closed.

The mildness in Town Mayor Luo Xingbang's eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp gaze.

He pressed the intercom on his desk and called in his liaison, Xiao Li.

Xiao Li entered and stood at attention.

"Last time, when I had you arrange for Zhang Rui to follow Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong to the Finance Office, what did you discover?" Town Mayor Luo Xingbang asked.

Xiao Li stepped forward half a pace. "Town Mayor, Zhang Rui captured a few photos, as well as some raw data from the accounts."

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang tapped his fingers rhythmically on the desk.

Over the past few years, relying on the influence of Secretary Qiu Dehai, Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong had been arrogant and overbearing in his position as Executive Vice Mayor, meddling in the approval of various town projects.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang had endured in silence, merely waiting for a chance to deliver a fatal blow.

The arrival of Zhu Wenhao was that opportunity.

This Deputy Secretary acted without scruples and possessed vicious methods; he even dared to openly confront the Deputy Secretary of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Since Zhu Wenhao had made it clear he intended to clean up the ranks of Heishi Town, Town Mayor Luo Xingbang did not mind handing him a lethal blade at this moment.

"Have Zhang Rui make three copies of these materials," Town Mayor Luo Xingbang instructed methodically.

"Send one copy to the Town Guesthouse and hand it to the County Commission for Discipline Inspection."

"Send one copy to Secretary Chen Jianjun of the Town Commission for Discipline Inspection."

"And have the final copy delivered to Zhu Wenhao."

Xiao Li nodded and took note.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang shifted his tone, emphasizing the details. "Remember, do not let anyone discover the source. The content of the whistleblower letter must be solid. Don't just mention one incident; attach all the accounts and photos."

"To be safe, do not handwrite or print the text on the letters. Go buy some old newspapers, cut out the characters one by one, and paste them onto white paper. Do you understand?"

"Understood. I will handle it personally." Xiao Li withdrew.

The office returned to silence. Town Mayor Luo Xingbang picked up his teacup and drank the bitter tea.

The way of officialdom lies in leveraging influence.

Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong was courting death, insisting on touching those earmarked funds at such a sensitive time; this would inevitably trigger a violent conflict.

And just as the conflict erupted, Director Li Qiang, who was stationed there by the County Commission for Discipline Inspection, Secretary Chen Jianjun of the Town Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Zhu Wenhao himself would all simultaneously receive anonymous whistleblower letters.

With three powerful agencies converging, this case would be airtight.

It was worth noting that recently, in order to show his loyalty to Secretary Pang of the County Party Committee, Director Li Qiang had been acting like a mad dog, biting anyone he saw.

Once the whistleblower materials were in his hands, he would not show a shred of mercy.

Moreover, those raw accounts not only implicated Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong, but also led the way to implicating Chairman of the People's Congress Zhang Jianming.

Killing several birds with one stone.

Using Zhu Wenhao as an invincible blade to eradicate the political rivals who had been suppressing him all along.

Outside the Town Government building, the cold wind swirled with fallen leaves.

Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong walked on his way to the Finance Office, the abacus in his mind clicking loudly.

He was in such a rush to misappropriate this massive sum, but it was certainly not for the high-sounding reason he claimed—what he called "end-of-year benefits for cadres and staff."

What he truly needed to cover was the bad debt from the project in his brother-in-law's hands.

The year before last, the town had repaired a section of the drainage ditch on South Street. Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong had used his authority to force the contract onto his brother-in-law, who had absolutely no qualifications.

The work was shoddy, but the books were made to look impeccable.

His brother-in-law couldn't come up with the advance funds and owed a mountain of high-interest debt; he ran to his house every day crying and wailing, forcing him to find a way to get money from the Town Government treasury.

This final payment for the project, by a rough estimate, would eat up a full two-thirds of the earmarked funds.

As for the remaining third, he planned to distribute it equally among the heads of the town's departments and officers under the guise of year-end subsidies.

If everyone got a piece of the pie, who would step forward to expose the source of the money? "The law does not punish the masses" had always been the best talisman for the corrupt.

As long as the benefits were shared, everyone would collectively turn a blind eye.

Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong even mocked Zhu Wenhao in his heart.

A green kid, what did he know about the grassroots ecosystem? Just because the common people made a fuss, he'd actually hand out real money? That was stupid.

Holding the money in one's own hands and using it as a bargaining chip to manage interpersonal relationships—that was the essence.

The Finance Office was located in a single-story building at the back of the government compound.

Pushing open the security gate, Director Liu Zhiqiang was sitting in front of the computer checking the monthly account details.

Seeing Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong swagger in, Director Liu Zhiqiang stood up and went to greet him.

"Executive Vice Mayor Qian, why have you come in person?"

Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong sat down on the sofa in a sprawling manner.

"Old Liu, that sum from the county finance department, it's already been credited to our account, right?"

Director Liu Zhiqiang nodded in response. "Yes, it just cleared."

"That's perfect. Make a form immediately. I'm approving this money now," Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong said imperiously. "Pay the final installment for the South Street drainage project. Transfer the rest to the Town Government's logistics coordination account to prepare for the year-end benefits."

Hearing this, Director Liu Zhiqiang's face showed difficulty.

He did not reach for the appropriation form in his drawer.

"Executive Vice Mayor Qian, you are well aware that this is earmarked funding specially approved by the county," Director Liu Zhiqiang said, citing the regulations. "According to financial discipline, earmarked funds must be used for their intended purpose and cannot be used to pay off project arrears or distribute benefits. If an audit comes down, this will be a major incident."

Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong's face darkened, and he let out a heavy huff.

"Rules are made by people. Which year hasn't our own people handled the county audits? I told you to process the payment, so do it. If something happens, I, the Executive Vice Mayor, will take the fall. What are you afraid of!"

Director Liu Zhiqiang still refused to back down.

He knew the details of this money all too well.

Just an hour before the funds arrived, Director Xu Jie had come to the Finance Office in person and issued an extremely stern warning.

This money was compensation that Zhu Wenhao had squeezed out of the county, enduring pressure from all sides.

Whoever dared to touch even a single cent would be walking straight into the line of fire.

"Executive Vice Mayor Qian, Deputy Secretary Zhu attaches great importance to this money," Director Liu Zhiqiang said, bringing up his backer. "Director Xu Jie specifically instructed that every single cent must be distributed to the villagers of Heishui Village without any delay."

"You also know what the situation is like outside right now. Director Li Qiang from the County Commission for Discipline Inspection is still watching from the guesthouse, and Director Zhang Qiu has just been taken away. We cannot afford to provoke Deputy Secretary Zhu."

These words were reasonable, but they completely ignited Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong's arrogance.

"Cannot afford to provoke? How many days has he, Zhu Wenhao, even been in Heishi Town! I've worked in this compound for over a decade; when did it become his turn, a mere greenhorn, to set the rules!"

Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong stood up and loomed over Director Liu Zhiqiang.

"He says it can't be touched, so I'm going to touch it! Print out the paperwork for me, and I'll go find Town Mayor Luo Xingbang to sign it myself. With the joint approval of the Town Mayor and the Executive Vice Mayor, let's see what kind of storm that Zhu fellow can stir up!"

The weight of official authority was suffocating; Director Liu Zhiqiang was backed into a corner, cold sweat seeping from his forehead.

If he didn't comply, someone as vengeful as Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong would have plenty of ways to ruin his career during evaluations later. If he did comply, he would offend Zhu Wenhao, and his fate would be even worse than Director Zhang Qiu's.

Just as Director Liu Zhiqiang was caught in a dilemma, not knowing how to respond.

The partially open security gate of the Finance Office was pushed open from the outside.

A crisp, capable female voice sounded from the doorway.

"Who is this, daring to touch the life-saving money of the common people?"

Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong looked toward the sound.

Director Xu Jie stood by the door.

She was wearing a well-tailored dark grey professional suit, with narrow-rimmed half-frame glasses perched on the bridge of her nose.

She didn't shout, nor did she show any blustering anger; she just stood there quietly, yet she brought with her an undeniable sense of oppression.

She had intended to come to the Finance Office to verify the exact time the funds arrived, but unexpectedly, she had stumbled upon this scene.

When Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong saw who it was, he forced himself to maintain the airs of a town official.

"Director Xu Jie. The Party and Government Office is overstepping its bounds," Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong retorted. "The allocation of Town Government funds is within my duties as Executive Vice Mayor. It's not for a Party and Government Office Director like you to point fingers."

Director Xu Jie stepped over the threshold and walked steadily toward the desk.