218: Chapter 218 The Storm of Liquidation is Inevitable

At the end of the corridor, a sliver of light shone from the Town Party Committee Secretary's office.

Zhu Wenhao raised his hand and pushed the door open.

Only one desk lamp was on in the room, its light circle pressed very low; Secretary Qiu Dehai sat behind the large desk.

That top leader, who had been full of vigor and ambition when they first met, had already shed his luster.

His back was hunched, his hair disheveled.

The ashtray on the desk was piled high with cigarette butts, and the air was filled with the smell of tar.

Seeing Zhu Wenhao enter, Secretary Qiu Dehai pointed to the reporting chair: "Secretary Zhu, sit."

Zhu Wenhao's gaze swept past the wooden chair, his pace not stopping.

He bypassed the oppressive zone of the desk and walked straight to the guest sofa, sitting down calmly.

The roles of host and guest were reversed, and the atmosphere shifted.

The two men sat meters apart, in silent confrontation.

The clues from the case during the day reorganized and arranged themselves in Zhu Wenhao's mind.

At noon today, Police Chief Zhao Gang knocked on the door of his office with a black USB drive; it had been found on Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi.

Hidden within this tiny electronic piece were the rotten accounts of human favors in Heishi Town over the past decade.

The list of tributes from the former Police Station chief, the dividends from dry shares during holidays; the flow of money for the former Executive Vice Mayor, every single transaction was clearly marked.

The most fatal part was that a folder named "Hai Series" was listed separately in the account book; it recorded the details of Secretary Qiu Dehai's receipts over the years.

The cash equivalent of expensive local specialties during holidays, the kickbacks from town-owned project contracts, and even the secondary distribution after the Heishui Village compensation funds were withheld.

Years, amounts, descriptions—everything was perfectly aligned.

Police Chief Zhao Gang asked for instructions on the next arrest operation.

"Follow the vine to find the melon, verify secretly," Zhu Wenhao gave the order. "Carry out round-after-round of surprise interrogations on Accountant Zhang Cai, Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi, and others. The confessions must be made into an ironclad case. Once the personnel involved in the files are verified, intervene directly and seal the files."

Not only had there been a breakthrough on the police line, but Director Li Qiang had also come to the office to greet him.

Director Li Qiang held a kraft paper bag containing anonymous whistleblower materials. Not only were there account books detailing Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong's inflated costs and shoddy work on the South Street drainage project, but there was also a video attached regarding Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong tampering with core data in the Finance Office.

"Secretary Zhu, the materials have been delivered to our doorstep. They specifically name the Executive Vice Mayor. Should we investigate or not?" Director Li Qiang asked for instructions.

"Investigate. Since someone wants us to investigate, then we will investigate," Zhu Wenhao gave the strategy immediately. "However, we must start from the drainage equipment collapse incident reported in the materials and thoroughly stir up the waters of Heishi Town. Only when the water is muddy can we fish."

Investigate Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong openly, and investigate Secretary Qiu Dehai secretly.

Zhu Wenhao required Police Chief Zhao Gang and Director Li Qiang to fight on two fronts, attacking the project corruption of the Executive Vice Mayor on the surface, while actually peeling back the layers to find the fatal weak point to launch a lethal blow against Secretary Qiu Dehai.

If you don't strike, don't strike. If you do, strike to kill.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

A series of violent coughing sounds pulled Zhu Wenhao's thoughts back to reality.

Secretary Qiu Dehai stubbed out the burnt-out cigarette in the ashtray and rubbed his face hard, trying to regain his former prestige in front of his subordinate.

"Comrade Zhu Wenhao," Secretary Qiu Dehai cleared his throat. "The matter of the South Street drainage project has caused too much of a stir. The collapse caused injuries, and the common people on the streets are full of complaints. The impact is very bad."

He shifted the topic.

"However, everything must be analyzed objectively. That area in the South Street was originally a mud pond in the early years, and the foundation is unstable. Now that a large-scale collapse has occurred, we cannot rule out the possibility that the geology itself is the problem. We cannot rush to put labels on cadres just because an incident occurs."

Secretary Qiu Dehai relit a cigarette.

"The town should find a professional municipal-level exploration company to come and drill for samples. Once we have a scientific conclusion on what the problem is, we will prescribe the right medicine. We cannot believe everything we hear."

This was a strategy of substituting a peach tree for a plum tree, intending to use the long-winded geological exploration process to delay the pace of the Discipline Inspection Commission's handling of the case. Once the front was stretched, much of the evidence would be wiped clean in the dark.

Seeing that Zhu Wenhao did not answer, Secretary Qiu Dehai continued to excuse his top general.

"Taking a step back, even if there are flaws in the project quality, that is the responsibility caused by the construction party cutting corners. As the Vice Mayor in charge of the project, Comrade Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong at most has a management responsibility for inadequate supervision. If we really want to pursue accountability, the acceptance departments below that are responsible for checking and signing off should bear the main responsibility."

What a move to sacrifice a pawn to save the knight.

To protect his money bag, Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong, he was willing to push the entire acceptance team out to take the blame.

Zhu Wenhao stretched his arms.

To govern people, one must first follow their intentions, inflate their arrogance, and then seize their power.

"Secretary Qiu Dehai's words have some truth," Zhu Wenhao said in a steady tone. "We must indeed speak with facts. With such a large collapse lying there, if we just say the geology has problems, the common people won't believe it. Inviting an exploration company to characterize it is in accordance with procedure."

Hearing these compliant words, the fingers of Secretary Qiu Dehai holding the cigarette relaxed a bit. He had originally thought that this Deputy Secretary would bite hard on the project case. Now it seemed that, faced with the intertwined personnel relationships of the Town Government, this young man also knew how to be flexible and compromise.

"It proves your overall view is very strong that you can have this understanding," Secretary Qiu Dehai climbed up the pole. "Since you also feel that there is inside information in this matter that needs to be investigated, then why don't you talk to Director Li Qiang about it?"

Secretary Qiu Dehai was beating around the bush in the middle of the night just to use Zhu Wenhao to suppress the Discipline Inspection Commission.

Everyone in the town knew that Director Li Qiang now followed Zhu Wenhao's lead; as long as Zhu Wenhao spoke, the investigation into the South Street project could be halted.

Rain hit the withered lotus, and the night wind seeped in through the window gap, causing the desk lamp's halo to flicker.

Zhu Wenhao straightened up.

"Secretary Qiu Dehai. The Discipline Inspection Commission handles cases based on independence."

"Our Town Party Committee intervening rashly to interfere with the specific investigation work of the discipline inspection organ—do you think that is good?"

He mercilessly rejected the other party's probing.

"Besides, Director Li Qiang listens to the instructions of Secretary Pang of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection. Our township-level organization is already within their scope of supervision and examination. We go to pressure the case handlers to make them change the scope of the investigation..."

"You can't say it like that. Local stability is also the big picture. After all, Comrade Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong is an important member of the Town Party Committee leadership team..."

"Secretary Qiu Dehai."

Zhu Wenhao left no room for maneuver.

"If you have objections to the direction of the case handling by the County Commission for Discipline Inspection, as the direct person in charge of Heishi Town, it is far more appropriate for you to report the situation to the higher-level Party Committee than for me to interfere."

Zhu Wenhao looked at that face squarely, laying the other party's hidden trump card nakedly on the table.

"A few days ago, you drove out of the provincial road and went straight to the Qingjiang County Party Committee compound. You must have made a long report in Secretary Qin's office, right?"

Secretary Qiu Dehai's breathing lost its rhythm.

His trip to the county seat to ask for reinforcements, which he thought was seamless, was already under the control of this young man.

"Not only that," Zhu Wenhao added fuel to the fire. "Secretary Tian, the Executive Deputy Secretary of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection, doesn't he also often run to Secretary Qin to report work, right?"

The fig leaf was completely torn off.

The bottom line was stripped clean. Zhu Wenhao clearly delivered a signal: I know exactly who your backer in the county is, your running around these past few days, and even the movements of your allies—I am clear about all of it.

The once high-and-mighty Town Party Committee Secretary was now like a trapped beast whose scales had been stripped away.

Secretary Qiu Dehai's fingers holding the cigarette trembled, and a long piece of ash fell onto the solid wood desktop, crumbling into powder. He opened his mouth to refute, but his throat was too dry to make a sound.

"Since it involves major disputes over personnel and projects..." Secretary Qiu Dehai forcibly regained half a point of composure. "Alright then. Next week we will hold a Town Committee meeting to collectively discuss the follow-up handling plan."

Delaying is the last struggle when there is no way to retreat.

He attempted to use the quagmire of collective decision-making to dilute the culpability of Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong.

Zhu Wenhao did not entangle further. Today's goal had been achieved: to shatter his psychological defense line and let him fall into chaos amidst panic and suspicion.

"It's late."

Zhu Wenhao stood up and straightened the hem of his overcoat.

"Then I won't disturb Secretary Qiu Dehai's rest. Some accounts, after all, must be settled."

Without waiting for Secretary Qiu Dehai to reply, Zhu Wenhao turned and walked toward the main door.

His leather shoes stepped on the floor tiles with a steady gait.

Pushing open the wooden door, he merged into the dark night rain of the corridor.

Inside the office, Secretary Qiu Dehai slumped into his chair, the cigarette burned to the end, scorching his fingers, but he didn't let go.

The storm of reckoning was unstoppable.