245: Chapter 245 Qiu Dehai Suspended from Duty

Late at night, on the second floor of the Heishi Town Government, the office of the Town Party Secretary was tightly sealed, doors and windows shut.

Secretary Qiu Dehai sat listlessly behind the large slab desk, the ashtray in front of him piled high with cigarette butts.

He dialed Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan's private number; it rang seven or eight times before finally being answered.

"Secretary Qin, Director Li Qiang of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection has gone mad! They have obtained Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong's confession and are threatening to audit the South Street ledgers. This fire is about to burn me!"

From the other end of the line, only a heavy breath could be heard.

"What are you panicking about?" Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan's voice was extremely suppressed. "Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong is biting people, and you're just going to lose your head? He managed the project, and he signed the papers. As the top official, at worst, you're guilty of negligence. As long as you stay steady and keep those bad accounts buried in your stomach, no one can convict you."

"But..."

"Shut up!" Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan barked, cutting him off. "The sky isn't falling! Stay put in Heishi Town and don't go around making calls and acting erratically. Otherwise, no one can save you."

A busy tone sounded; the call was unilaterally disconnected.

Secretary Qiu Dehai's hand holding the receiver froze in mid-air.

He understood now.

This wasn't Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan protecting him; it was clearly a warning to shut up and let him carry the entire blame for Heishui Village and South Street alone.

Sacrificing the pawn to save the chariot—the cruelty of the officialdom struck him squarely in the forehead at this moment.

At the same time, in the Deputy Secretary's office.

Zhu Wenhao stood with his hands behind his back in front of the window, watching the streetlights outside the compound blur into patches of dim, yellow shadows.

Director Xu Jie pushed the door open and entered, placing a thick folder flat in the center of the desk.

"Secretary Zhu, the list of all projects in Heishi Town exceeding one million yuan over the past three years, along with the project approval documents and acceptance records, have all been organized," Director Xu Jie reported.

"More than sixty percent of these projects were carried out by shell companies."

Zhu Wenhao turned and walked to the desk.

"Changes in the heavens are not to be feared, and public opinion is not to be worried about. There are always people who think the law cannot punish the masses and like to hide festering sores under a fig leaf."

"The County Party Committee Standing Committee meeting is the stage where Secretary Lu Guoliang, County Mayor Gu Mingchuan, and Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan battle. To save himself by cutting off his tail, Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan will surely use the pretext of the grassroots 'big picture' to try and pin the entire case on Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong."

He flipped to the first page of the register.

"This list is the weapon we have prepared for Secretary Pang Jianguo."

Zhu Wenhao gave the order.

"If anyone in the county tries to downplay this, take these materials directly to the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection. The roads we build must be safe and smooth for the people; we cannot tolerate any shoddy workmanship. Whoever wants to muddy the waters, I will smash their pot."

In the office of the County Mayor of Qingjiang County, the lights were blazing.

County Mayor Gu Mingchuan sat at his desk, carefully reviewing the "South Street Collapse Emergency Repair and Fund Coordination Special Project" submitted by Heishi Town.

This proposal, drafted under the leadership of Town Mayor Luo Xingbang, was well-organized with clear funding sources.

In particular, the clause regarding a "three-party supervision mechanism—joint verification by the Town Government, County Audit Bureau, and community representatives"—caught County Mayor Gu Mingchuan's eye.

This was Zhu Wenhao's handwriting.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang was a mediocre official who wouldn't act without seeing immediate profit; he could never have written such a brilliant strategy that seamlessly integrated public livelihood with legal standards.

Zhu Wenhao's move was not just about repairing roads; it was about establishing rules for Heishi Town.

Using the eyes of the common people to keep a close watch on officials—this was the root solution.

The office phone at the corner of the desk rang; he picked it up, and it was Secretary Pang Jianguo.

"Old Gu, the preliminary investigation report is clear," Secretary Pang Jianguo's voice sounded. "Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong's confession, combined with the dual contracts for the South Street project, points directly to Secretary Qiu Dehai and several corrupt officials in the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau. Tomorrow's Standing Committee meeting will be a tough battle."

"The troops are ready, and the provisions are prepared," County Mayor Gu Mingchuan took off his glasses. "Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan has been acting like a tyrant in the county for years, interfering with project approvals. This time, it's time to let him taste the consequences of his own actions. Let's stand together and completely lift the lid on this."

The next morning.

Qingjiang County Party Committee building, Standing Committee meeting room.

In front of the long oval conference table, the atmosphere was oppressive.

Secretary Lu Guoliang sat in the main seat, with County Mayor Gu Mingchuan on his left and Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan on his right.

The standing committee members sat upright; the teacups in front of them were steaming, but no one touched them.

"Let's begin."

Secretary Lu Guoliang scanned the room and got straight to the point.

"The South Street collapse in Heishi Town nearly cost lives. The Discipline Inspection Commission received a report and acted swiftly. Comrade Secretary Pang Jianguo, please report the situation."

Secretary Pang Jianguo opened the file.

"According to the preliminary investigation by the County Commission for Discipline Inspection, Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong of Heishi Town used his position to facilitate illicit transfers of benefits, inflated costs, and cut corners during the South Street drainage project. Currently, he is in detention and has confessed to the disciplinary and legal violations committed by himself and related personnel."

Secretary Pang Jianguo raised his eyes and looked around.

"Not only that. According to Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong's statement, supported by relevant transfer records and audio recordings, Secretary Qiu Dehai knowingly signed off on the project approval despite knowing the construction company's qualifications were falsified, and accepted huge bribes."

As soon as these words were spoken, one could hear a pin drop in the meeting room.

Secretary Pang Jianguo delivered the final conclusion: "I propose the immediate suspension of Secretary Qiu Dehai for investigation, and an expanded, in-depth investigation into Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong's case. We will not tolerate any involvement from personnel in county-level agencies."

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan's expression darkened slightly; he cleared his throat and interrupted.

"Secretary Pang Jianguo, the County Party Committee has always supported anti-corruption efforts."

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan employed a stalling tactic.

"But grassroots work is complex. The trouble in Heishui Village has just been settled, and now removing the top official of the Town Party Committee will easily trigger overall instability in the Heishi Town leadership team."

He paused. "Since Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong's issues have been verified, just punish him severely. But we cannot expand the scope of the crackdown based solely on the accusations of one corrupt individual. Some flaws in project signatures and approvals are inevitable. We should still focus on 'learning from past mistakes to avoid future ones' and 'curing the sickness to save the patient,' while maintaining the overall situation of the county's economic development."

The Executive Vice County Mayor continued.

"Secretary Qin is right. As far as I know, Director Li Qiang's handling of the case in Heishi Town was a bit too hasty, and there is even a suspicion that he was influenced by the emotions of individual township officials. This tendency toward over-expansion is worth guarding against."

County Mayor Gu Mingchuan picked up his teacup and moistened his throat.

"The two of you speak of the big picture and stability."

"The big pit on South Street was filled with construction waste; a single rainstorm could cause the main road to collapse. Can such life-endangering construction work really be called a 'flaw'?"

He pulled several copies of receipts from his briefcase and pushed them to the center of the table.

"These are the abnormal tax invoice records for the South Street project, retrieved overnight by the County Audit Bureau, as well as the unauthorized signature records from a certain deputy director of the County Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau."

"Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong's confession is supported by this solid documentary evidence. A single piece of evidence is not enough, but the evidence here is like a mountain; I will not allow anyone to use 'maintaining stability' as a fig leaf."

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan was pushed into a corner and was about to lash out in rebuttal.

"Enough."

At the head of the table, Secretary Lu Guoliang tapped his fingers on the table twice; the sound was not loud, but it brought the argument to an abrupt halt.

Secretary Lu Guoliang's gaze pierced straight at Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan.

"Comrade Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan."

"You are in charge of the county's political, legal, and petition work. In Heishi Town over the past few years, village bullies have run rampant, bad debts for projects have piled up like mountains, and residents have constantly petitioned. The County Party Committee has failed to notice such a rotten situation and has not established an effective early warning mechanism."

The reprimand in these words was heavy as a thousand jun.

Secretary Lu Guoliang was not discussing the fate of Secretary Qiu Dehai; he was publicly holding Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan accountable for his negligence.

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan suddenly realized that Secretary Lu Guoliang had no intention of protecting him; he intended to use the Heishi Town case to completely strip him of his voice in the County Party Committee.

"I..." Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan opened his mouth, but Secretary Lu Guoliang waved his hand to stop him.

"If the team is rotten, you have to cut away the flesh and gouge out the sore. Covering it up will only lead to the whole body rotting."

Secretary Lu Guoliang made the final decision.

"The County Party Committee approves Comrade Secretary Pang Jianguo's proposal."

"Secretary Qiu Dehai is suspended for investigation. The case of Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong will be expanded and investigated to the end. No matter who is involved, the County Party Committee will not tolerate it!"

Secretary Lu Guoliang turned to look at the head of the County Organization Department.

"The Organization Department should immediately prepare a plan for adjusting the Heishi Town leadership team. Grassroots political power cannot be paralyzed for even a moment."

The situation was settled.

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan slumped in his chair, his vision swimming with darkness.

At this moment, the old order of Qingjiang County was torn apart by these combined forces.

The meeting adjourned.

County Mayor Gu Mingchuan returned to his office and immediately called Zhu Wenhao.

"Zhu Wenhao, Secretary Qiu Dehai couldn't be saved," County Mayor Gu Mingchuan reported the results over the phone. "Secretary Lu Guoliang made the decision himself, and the notice of suspension for investigation will be issued immediately."

Zhu Wenhao held the receiver, looking at the sky clearing up outside the window.

"Understood, thank you for your hard work, County Mayor."

Zhu Wenhao showed no wild joy; his mood remained as calm as an ancient well.

Removing a grassroots pest was merely clearing obstacles for the people's livelihood; the true game was never just about a single city or a single pool.

"However," Zhu Wenhao changed the subject slightly, "the commotion in Heishi Town is too great. Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan has suffered such a big loss, and I fear the people behind him will not sit idly by."

On the other end of the line, County Mayor Gu Mingchuan's expression turned serious.

"Are you saying there will be moves from the city?"

"The trees want to be still, but the wind will not cease. Some people in the halls of power do not want to see the local government become clean," Zhu Wenhao concluded. "But we will meet force with force; no one can take away the position of Heishi Town."

Ending the call, Zhu Wenhao turned to Director Xu Jie.

"Immediately post the emergency repair plan drafted by Town Mayor Luo Xingbang for the whole town to see."

"Let the common people see that the Town Government is not a cash machine for bureaucrats, but the backbone that builds bridges and roads for them."

With the law established, the hearts of the people were won over.

The power transition in Heishi Town had already fallen into his palm.