Chapter 11: The future remained unknown
In an office at the Central Party School, a vice principal was speaking privately with Executive Vice Principal Mu Qin. "After all, Gao Canghai does have achievements to his credit. Xinyuan Group alone pays ten to twenty billion in taxes every year. He has done many pioneering things, such as bringing the world's most famous motor races into China. Zhenhai Refining Works, which he once headed in Ningxi, ranked eighteenth on Fortune magazine's list of China's top one hundred listed companies the year he stepped down. It was one of the ten largest refineries in the Asia-Pacific region. And his impact and contributions during his time governing Ningxi are still considerable to this day."
Old Madam Mu had always been one of the senior officials who opposed delaying the investigation into Gao Canghai, and now someone was trying to sway her. She listened silently throughout. Even after he finished, she said little, simply waiting quietly.
Only after a long while did Mu Qin lift her teacup and take a sip. She set the lidded cup on the desk with a soft clink and said, "I know many people want to protect that boy from the Gao family, but privilege and private gain cannot become the currency of the political realm. Otherwise, why would we uphold Party spirit and principles? Powerful armed forces and armies can overthrow a government and sustain a decaying shell, but they cannot preserve its vitality forever. Only upholding truth and correcting mistakes can ensure that a political party remains evergreen. Old Zheng, do you agree with me?"
The weathered-looking man's face turned pale, then ashen. In the end, he nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Despite the resistance, despite the vested interests serving the Gao family, there were still voices higher up