An oppressive gloom hung over the Secretary's Office Meeting underway in the Provincial Party Committee's small conference room.
Nine people were present: Provincial Party Committee Secretary Yan Huafeng; Provincial Governor Zheng Qisheng; Provincial Party Committee Deputy Secretary and Political and Legal Affairs Commission Secretary Zhu Changlei; Executive Vice Provincial Governor Liu Libin; Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Xu Jianxun; Organization Department Head Cao Cheng; Publicity Minister Ou Qingwen; Ganquan City Party Committee Secretary Shen Tongyu; and Provincial Party Committee Secretary-General Zhao Liangde.
With more than half the standing committee assembled, they were discussing two main issues. The first was how to classify and punish the breaches of personal conduct committed by Wen Mosheng, vice chairman of the Ganquan City Federation of Literary and Art Circles and chairman of its Writers Association. The second was the slow progress of the disciplinary investigation into Ganquan City's Executive Vice Mayor Zhou Shiyuan.
Ordinarily, neither issue might have amounted to much. But with the Inspection Team stationed in Jiangnan and the Officialdom Killer watching like a hawk, even Yan Huafeng and Zheng Qisheng dared not take them lightly. They had no choice but to proceed with caution.
They wanted to spare Jiangnan too much humiliation, yet could not let the Inspection Team think they were treating these matters lightly or merely going through the motions. It was a genuine test of the Jiangnan Provincial Party Committee leadership's political wisdom.
"Wen Mosheng committed serious breaches of personal conduct and demonstrated moral depravity. Severe punishment is only right. I don't understand what there is to hesitate over!" Deputy Secretary Zhu Changlei said expressionlessly.
Deputy Secretary Zhu was a powder keg these days. Even in front of the Provincial Party Committee Secretary and the Provincial Governor, he made no attempt to hide his displeasure.
Anyone would be unhappy