Chen Fengnan was forty-six that year, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, a straight nose, and a square mouth-a face that inspired trust.
Two years earlier, he had been promoted from director of the Xifeng County Finance Bureau to deputy county magistrate of Dongji County.
He now oversaw departments including the county Finance Bureau, Transportation Bureau, and Industry and Commerce Bureau.
He was capable, upright, and well regarded.
He was County Magistrate Yan Xiangyu's most effective aide.
Looking at the tissues Zhou Yi held out to him, Chen Fengnan's expression shifted slightly, but he quickly gave a mild smile. "Thank you, Zhou. I'm not hot. I'm not sweating."
Not sweating?
Why don't I believe that?
The man in that video, working away with his head down and panting like an ox, had sweated buckets!
"Take them anyway. You may not be sweating now, but you might be in a moment." Zhou Yi placed the tissues in front of him, his words loaded with meaning.
Yan Xiangyu and Zhang Xinsheng's gazes snapped back to Deputy County Magistrate Chen's face.
Just as a gong was judged by its sound, words were judged by what lay beneath them.
The implication behind Zhou Yi's words was not difficult to grasp.
Yet neither County Magistrate Yan Xiangyu nor discipline inspection secretary Zhang Xinsheng could quite believe it.
It was hardly surprising that an official like Song Chengquan had fallen into corruption, but neither had imagined that the seemingly upright Chen Fengnan had also abandoned the principles and integrity expected of a leading official.
Cold sweat trickled down his temples. Chen Fengnan instinctively picked up the tissues and dabbed at his forehead with a trembling hand.
In the end, he had needed the tissues Zhou Yi gave him after all.
Zhou Yi watched the hypocrite coldly.
In his previous life, a major reason Yan Xiangyu's campaign against organized crime had failed was that Chen Fengnan, the traitor, had secretly tipped off Zeng Xuedong, Fu Pingjiang, and Xie Zhaolong.
But the man was so skilled at maintaining his facade that Yan Xiangyu had never suspected him, and by the time he noticed something was wrong, it was already too late.
Question: What was the shortest time needed to bring down a criminal gang that had entrenched itself in Dongji County and tyrannized its people for years?
Answer: Just one day!
At 12:23 a.m. on August 3, 2005, gang leaders Zeng Xuehua and Zeng Yuqiang were arrested along with their men, thirty-one people in total.
Together with the twenty-four arrested on the street the previous day, that made fifty-five, marking the complete destruction of the Zeng Gang, one of Dongji County's three major criminal forces.
For County Chief Yan, who had only just drawn up his battle plan and was preparing to launch the first stage of his campaign against organized crime, this was nothing short of a dream opening!
He had only summoned Zhou Yi the day before. He had only just decided to target Zeng Xuehua first. Before he had even exerted himself-no, before he had done anything at all-the brothers Zeng Xuehua and Zeng Yuqiang had already fallen!
Why had it gone so smoothly?
A quick review of how events had unfolded made one fact clear.
It was not that the Zeng Brothers were incompetent. They had simply been unlucky enough to run into Zhou Yi.
It was as though fate had decreed that, from the moment that white van nearly hit Zhou Yi, the outcome for Zeng Yuqiang, Zeng Xuehua, and the others had already been sealed.
As Yan Xiangyu looked at that straight, upright figure, a curious glint flickered in his eyes.
Hadn't the timing of the appearance of those so-called "People of Chaoyang Street" been a little too convenient?
If it really was a coincidence, wasn't Captain Zhou's luck almost absurdly good?
But whether it was luck or something else, a cat that caught mice was a good cat. As long as Zhou Yi's loyalties were "red," Yan Xiangyu would employ him-and give him important responsibilities!
Overnight, the political landscape of Dongji County changed dramatically.
The criminal organization led by Zeng Xuehua and Zeng Yuqiang was uprooted.
Deputy County Magistrate Chen Fengnan, county Finance Bureau Director Qu Yuanhui, County Public Security Bureau Executive Deputy Director Song Chengquan, General Office Director Li Wenli, Criminal Investigation Brigade Captain Lu Yaohua, Political Instructor Luo Rui, and others were taken away that same day by investigators from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and the County Commission for Discipline Inspection.
Two days later, Yan Xiangyu, deputy county Party secretary, secretary of the County Government Party Group, and county magistrate, chaired a special meeting of the County Government Party Group on ideological work. Just as Executive Deputy County Magistrate Zeng Xuedong was about to speak, three staff members from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection appeared in the meeting room.
At the sight of Qiao Hongli's unmistakably stern face-the deputy secretary of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and director of the Supervisory Bureau-Zeng Xuedong felt cold all over. His limbs went weak, and he slumped helplessly into his chair.
What was coming would come in the end. It was all fate.
Zhou Yi, oh, Zhou Yi. Heaven sent you here just to screw with me, didn't it?
The investigation of a succession of deputy division-level, section-level, and deputy section-level officials exposed a criminal case involving collusion among village officials, government officials, and gangsters, along with exchanges of power for money and sex. It shook all of Anji County and drew close attention from Anping City's leaders.
Municipal Party Secretary Zhou Zhiyuan issued instructions requiring discipline inspection and supervisory agencies at both city and county levels to investigate everyone involved thoroughly and pursue the case to the end, no matter how far its connections reached.
He also ordered the Dongji County Party committee and government to launch an immediate targeted crackdown on organized crime and criminal elements, with no leniency.
The favorable wind Yan Xiangyu had waited for in vain in his previous life had now descended from the heavens and blown straight into his face!
With this "imperial sword" of authority in hand, he could legitimately launch the second strategic phase of his campaign against organized crime.
On August 7, the Dongji County government established a leadership group for the special campaign against organized crime.
County Magistrate Yan Xiangyu personally took command, with county discipline inspection secretary Zhang Xinsheng and County Public Security Bureau Director Lei Ming as deputy leaders. Members included County Justice Bureau Director Jin Yugui, County Public Security Bureau Deputy Director Zhang Liping, and County Public Security Bureau Public Security Management Brigade Captain Zhou Yi...
Normally, as the Criminal Investigation Brigade was a core force in the campaign against organized crime, its captain or political instructor would certainly have been on the group's membership list. Unfortunately, Lu Yaohua and Luo Rui were both under investigation by the discipline inspection authorities, and their downfall was already a foregone conclusion.
Thus, at Yan Xiangyu's direction, the County Public Security Bureau Party Committee deliberated and decided to put Zhou Yi temporarily in charge of the Criminal Investigation Brigade. Meanwhile, Deputy Director Zhang Liping took over the work previously overseen by Song Chengquan.
The anti-organized-crime group had many members, but the few before Yan Xiangyu were the only ones he truly trusted.
"Zhou, tell us how we should proceed with the next stage of our work."
In the meeting room, Yan Xiangyu looked at Captain Zhou, his gaze full of encouragement.
Zhou Yi considered for a moment, then offered his recommendation.
"The destruction of the Zeng Gang will undoubtedly serve as a powerful deterrent to Dongji County's remaining criminal forces. At the same time, however, it will force them to close ranks, making it harder for us to strike."
"Under these circumstances, I recommend that we continue picking them off one by one and focus our efforts on a single target."
Yan Xiangyu nodded and asked with a smile, "Fu before Xie, then, or Xie before Fu?"
"Fu before Xie!" Zhou Yi answered without hesitation.
"Why?" Yan Xiangyu pressed.
"Because you can use your influence over Xie Zhaolong to make him stand aside for the time being and watch us deal with Fu Yu. Is that right?" discipline inspection secretary Zhang Xinsheng suddenly interjected.
Zhou Yi paused in surprise, then sighed inwardly.
He had known he would have to face this question eventually.
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