About half an hour earlier, Chai Xiongwei had received a call from He Bin, deputy secretary-general of the Provincial Party Committee and director of its General Office.
The two had been classmates in the Party School's class of 1992, but they had never been particularly close and seldom kept in touch.
After He Bin joined the Provincial Party Committee General Office and Chai Xiongwei became mayor of Anping City, however, their relationship had flourished. They were practically brothers born to different parents.
And brothers, naturally, had no need to beat around the bush.
So Deputy Secretary-General He Bin had said bluntly, "I hear there's a young man named Zhou Yi in your Municipal Public Security Bureau who seems to have some connection to Secretary Jian's family. You'd better tread carefully!"
Although he had used three vague phrases-"I hear," "seems," and "you'd better"-his intended meaning was perfectly clear.
Mayor Chai had understood instantly, but when he asked exactly how Zhou Yi was connected to Secretary Jian's family, He Bin said he didn't know.
Whether he genuinely didn't know or was only pretending didn't matter. What mattered was confirming that a connection existed.
Chai Xiongwei had therefore called Song Haiping immediately. Fortunately, he had been just in time.
Zhou Yi!
Chai Xiongwei was no stranger to that name.
Wang Dongsheng had mentioned him, Zhao Yue had mentioned him, and Fu Pingjiang had brought him up recently as well.
Why would a mayor stoop to targeting a mere deputy-section-level official? Besides wanting to lock horns with Zhou Zhiyuan, he was also acting at Fu Pingjiang's request, avenging his son's arrest while taking the opportunity to cut off one of County Magistrate Yan Xiangyu's right-hand men.
Less than two months after taking office, Zhou Yi had staged his own havoc in heaven, turning Dongji