northernbook Chapter 139 Want to escape punishment because of the sheer number of people?
Chapter 139 Want to escape punishment because of the sheer number of people?
The sky over Handong was so overcast it looked like it was about to drip water.
The so-called "rally" held by the provincial party committee had just ended when the underground communication lines of the entire Handong officialdom were almost burned out.
Local government officials who would normally never speak to each other were now acting like long-lost brothers, exchanging enthusiastic phone calls. In particular, those black Audi A6s, not far from the provincial government compound, disappeared into various secluded high-end clubs in Jingzhou.
The moment the teacups clinked and the steam rose, the alliance of offense and defense was formed.
Their plan was shrewd: the law doesn't punish everyone. No matter how powerful Qi Tongwei is, can he arrest all the officials in the province? As long as everyone keeps quiet and submits only trivial complaints, this so-called "three-day deadline" will ultimately become a joke.
Late at night, Qi Tongwei's personal cell phone vibrated.
Caller ID: Li Dakang.
"Tongwei, are you asleep?" Li Dakang's voice sounded tired, and the background noise was very loud, like he was at a construction site.
Qi Tongwei leaned back in his office chair, an unlit cigarette between his fingers, his eyes fixed on the map of Handong on the wall: "Secretary Li, you're not calling at this hour to ask about my sleep quality, are you?"
"You've made a huge fuss this time," Li Dakang said bluntly. "My phone has been ringing off the hook tonight. Many veteran comrades have told me that you're engaging in 'cruel official politics,' that you're damaging the political environment of Handong. Tongwei, if the water is too clear, there will be no fish. If you kill all the fish with this one stroke, who will do the work?"
"The fish died because they were sick," Qi Tongwei sneered. "Secretary Dakang, you and I both know that most of the fish in this pond aren't fish, they're leeches. They don't work, they just suck blood."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
"I'm afraid you'll suffer the backlash," Li Dakang sighed. "They've banded together now, preparing a soft resistance against you. If you can't come up with decisive measures in three days, this inspection team will be useless, and there will be plenty of people laughing at you then."
"Then let them see." Qi Tongwei lit his lighter with a snap, the flame reflecting in his cold eyes. "I'm afraid they won't stick together. Only if they stick together can I take them all out at once."
After hanging up the phone, Qi Tongwei looked out at the deep night, a bloodthirsty smile curving his lips.
Seeking warmth in groups?
This fire of mine is specifically for burning down chained ships.
……
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Provincial Public Security Department, Supervision Team Office.
Zhao Donglai looked at the thin stack of documents on the table, his dark face turning purple with anger.
"This is outrageous! They're treating us like fools!"
Zhao Donglai grabbed a "self-inspection report" and slammed it on the table: "What utter garbage is this! That Wang Youcai from Yantai City wrote a thousand words, all about apologies for 'insufficient in-depth study' and 'too few visits to grassroots levels.' He didn't mention a single word about the three million yuan technical guidance fee!"
"And then there's Lin Cheng, who admitted that 'the standards for hospitality sometimes exceeded the limit.' Is eating a few extra meals considered corruption?"
Zhao Donglai pointed at the pile of scrap paper: "Director, from over a dozen cities and prefectures across the province, and hundreds of officials involved, all they've submitted is this kind of meaningless nonsense. They've conspired to fight us to the bitter end!"
This is the unspoken rule of officialdom.
As long as everyone speaks and acts in unison, even the provincial party secretary can't do anything about it. After all, you can't just dismiss all the people doing the work.
Qi Tongwei sat behind his large desk, his black police uniform jacket draped over his shoulders. He wasn't looking at the reports; he was toying with a golden bullet in his hand.
That was the last glorious bullet he left for himself at Lone Eagle Ridge.
"As expected." Qi Tongwei's voice was terrifyingly calm. "If they were that easy to back down, they wouldn't have climbed to that position."
"What should we do then?" Zhao Donglai was pacing anxiously. "They're going down to inspect tomorrow. If we don't have some solid credentials, these old foxes will definitely have a hundred ways to fool us."