198: Chapter 198 Your position is probably going to change.

Wang Shoucheng described Wang Mancang's two million—every transaction's time, location, and method of payment—in even greater detail than Wang Mancang's own confession.

By the end, he covered his face with both hands, his voice leaking through his fingers:

"I was forced into this. The county's finances are so difficult, and after working for so many years, I haven't reaped any benefits..."

Guo Qiang did not respond to his remark and continued to ask:

"Besides Wang Mancang, is there anyone else?"

Wang Shoucheng's body stiffened for a moment.

"Liu Jianqiang."

He said the name through gritted teeth, "He gave me three hundred thousand to put in a good word for him regarding the road construction project. He is Lu Bingkun's nephew, and Lu Bingkun made the introduction."

Guo Qiang and Lin Dong exchanged a glance.

Lu Bingkun, Standing Committee Member of the Cangyun County Committee and Executive Deputy County Magistrate.

"What role did Lu Bingkun play in this matter?" Guo Qiang pressed.

"Liu Jianqiang is his own nephew. He asked me to take care of him, and I said I could, but there had to be some token of appreciation. Later, Liu Jianqiang delivered three hundred thousand, and I took it. As for whether Lu Bingkun took anything himself, I don't know."

Guo Qiang quickly jotted down a few lines in his notebook, closed it, and stood up.

"Wang Shoucheng, we will further verify the information you have provided. Let's stop here for today's conversation."

Wang Shoucheng looked up, his eyes full of pleading:

"I confessed voluntarily, can that count as..."

Lin Dong interrupted him expressionlessly, "Whether it counts or not is for the law to decide."

That same evening, Lu Bingkun was brought to the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection's case-handling center.

Unlike Wang Shoucheng, Lu Bingkun appeared very calm from the moment he walked through the door.

He sat in the chair and even smiled:

"I knew this day would come."

Guo Qiang got straight to the point, "What is your relationship to Liu Jianqiang?"

"My nephew."

"How many projects has he contracted in Cangyun County?"

"I don't know. I don't get involved in his business dealings."

"He gave Wang Shoucheng three hundred thousand. Did you know that?"

Lu Bingkun's fingers trembled slightly, but he still wore a smile on his face:

"That's his business, it has nothing to do with me."

Guo Qiang placed a call record on the table:

"The night before Liu Jianqiang won the bid for the Cangyun County ring road renovation project, you spoke with him four times. The last call lasted seventeen minutes. Tell me, what were you talking about?"

Lu Bingkun's smile finally faltered.

He lowered his head and remained silent for nearly twenty minutes. When he looked up again, the calmness in his eyes had shattered completely.

"I took one hundred thousand. Liu Jianqiang gave it to me, calling it a 'thank-you fee.' I introduced him to Wang Shoucheng, and later he connected with Wang Mancang, secured the project, and gave me the one hundred thousand."

Guo Qiang stared at him, "Only one hundred thousand?"

Lu Bingkun's eyes began to shift evasively.

Lin Dong added calmly from the side, "Deputy County Magistrate Lu, you have been in charge of education and finance in Cangyun for many years. You know better than anyone about the holes in the accounts regarding the Hope Primary School construction funds and the education funding for rural primary and middle schools."

This sentence was like a knife, piercing precisely into Lu Bingkun's weakest line of defense.

His face turned pale in an instant, his lips trembled a few times, and finally, he closed his eyes.

"Two hundred thousand."

His voice was squeezed out from between his teeth, "I misappropriated two hundred thousand in total from the Hope Primary School construction funds and education funding. Part of it was used to fill holes at home, and part of it... was spent."

After saying this, he seemed completely drained, slumped in the chair, and could not utter another word.

Guo Qiang closed the transcript, stood up, and looked back at him as he reached the door.

Lu Bingkun kept his head down, his shoulders trembling slightly.

The incandescent light overhead shone on his thinning hair, and a few white hairs shone glaringly under the light.

In the hallway, Lin Dong whispered to Guo Qiang, "Cangyun County is so poor that they can't even equip the guesthouse with air conditioning, yet they are getting richer one by one."

Guo Qiang remained silent, pushed open the door at the end of the hallway, and the night wind, carrying the chill of winter, poured in.

He took out his phone and dialed the number of Secretary of the Commission for Discipline Inspection, Lu Zheng.

"Secretary Lu, both Wang Shoucheng and Lu Bingkun have confessed. The chain of evidence is complete; we can close the case."

On the other end of the line, Lu Zheng's expression was heavy. After a few seconds of silence, he said slowly, "Compile the materials completely, and I will report it to Municipal Committee Secretary Shen."

The next day.

After hearing Lu Zheng's report, Shen Nianqiu slammed his hand onto his desk.

The teacup jumped, and water splashed onto the documents.

"Parasites! The people of Cangyun County are suffering so much; how could they bring themselves to do this!"

Lu Zheng sat opposite him, saying nothing.

He knew Shen Nianqiu's temper and knew there was no need to interrupt at this moment.

Shen Nianqiu stood up and paced back and forth in the office, his chest heaving violently.

"Wang Shoucheng is a cadre managed by the province. Follow the procedures to report it to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and let the province make the decision. As for Lu Bingkun's issues, your Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection should handle it according to the rules. If they need to be transferred, transfer them. Don't let a single one get away."

Lu Zheng nodded, "Rest assured, Secretary Shen. The chain of evidence is complete, and we can transfer the case at any time."

He paused after speaking, then changed the subject, "The projects in Cangyun County are currently being pushed forward, and the county cannot be without a backbone."

Shen Nianqiu stopped pacing and glanced at him.

"I will recommend a candidate to the Provincial Committee."

He put down his teacup and suddenly looked up at Lu Zheng, "Secretary Lu, what do you think of Comrade Zhao Yang?"

Lu Zheng smiled.

"Secretary Shen, the mixed-ownership reform of the Tongan Die-Casting Machine Factory was his idea. Have you forgotten?"

The Secretary handles personnel; since the Secretary asked, Lu Zheng naturally would not miss the opportunity to strongly support his protégé.

Shen Nianqiu nodded; that reform had indeed been handled beautifully.

Lu Zheng continued, "After arriving in Cangyun, he brought in Cenjiang Industrial to open an online specialty store, and the sales volume exceeded five thousand orders in two months. He also attracted Tianyu Industrial to invest in building a factory, signing contracts worth over forty million. How many years has it been since Cangyun had such a large investment project?"

Shen Nianqiu listened, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk.

"It is good, but he is too young. Cangyun is a national-level poverty-stricken county with a weak foundation and many conflicts. I'm afraid he won't be able to hold the line."

He paused, then added, "I am considering the position of Executive Deputy County Magistrate. Do you think he is capable of handling it?"

Lu Zheng picked up his teacup and took a slow sip. When he put the cup down, his eyes held a bit more seriousness, "Secretary Shen, Zhao Yang is twenty-eight this year. He has already been awarded a first-class merit at the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, carried out state-owned enterprise reform in Tongan, and brought in tens of millions in investment to Cangyun."

He paused, then said, word for word, "Age is not the issue; the issue is whether one can get things done."

Shen Nianqiu stared at Lu Zheng for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.

"You, usually your words are watertight, but today you are rarely so straightforward."

Lu Zheng also smiled, "It concerns the hundreds of thousands of people in Cangyun; I won't use bureaucratic jargon with you."

Shen Nianqiu leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed outside the window.

The sky over Tongan City was gray, and the winter sun was mostly obscured by clouds, but in the distance, there was a gap, letting through a sliver of light.

"Alright, I understand." He withdrew his gaze, his tone returning to the steadiness of a Secretary.

Lu Zheng stood up, nodded, and turned to walk out.

In the hallway, Lu Zheng took out his phone and sent a message to Zhao Yang, "The case has been concluded and reported. Your position is likely about to change."