Li Dakang took a stand
Lin Yanzhou's order suspending new projects and new investments citywide and requiring a fresh review of projects that had yet to break ground instantly froze Jingzhou's seething political and business circles solid.
District leaders, heads of bureaus, commissions, and offices, and all manner of contractors and developers feeding like bloodsuckers on the Guangming Peak project-who had been watching from the sidelines, some even preparing to laugh at the new mayor-immediately erupted.
Ding Yizhen's phones, along with those of several relevant deputy mayors and secretaries, were instantly inundated with calls.
"Mayor Ding! What's going on? We've already submitted the report for the supporting infrastructure project at our district's new energy industrial park. How can they just halt it like this?"
"Sir, this won't do! We've already reached an agreement with the investors. They're coming next week to sign. How am I supposed to explain this sudden suspension? They'll say there's something wrong with Jingzhou's business environment!"
"Mayor Ding, you have to find a way! Our company's performance for the entire year rides on this project, and the bank loan has already been approved. If everything suddenly freezes, our funding chain will break!"
Ding Yizhen's phone grew hot in his hand from all the calls. As he listened to the complaints and pleas for help from powerful figures of every stripe, he cursed Lin Yanzhou a thousand times over. This move of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" was vicious: it had directly shifted the pressure of the entire city's development onto Ding Yizhen personally.
He was now not only the commander-in-chief of Guangming Peak but also the "chief culprit" behind the standstill of projects across the city. If he could not resolve the trouble at the Qingshui River, he would be Jingzhou's sinner.
He called Zhao Ruilong again, audible despair in his voice. "Ruilong! I've made up my mind. Hand them over now. Everyone's coming to me! I can't hold out anymore!"
Zhao Ruilong's tone had also lost its earlier composure. "What are you panicking for! I've drawn up the list: the director of the municipal environmental protection bureau, the general manager of the water utility group, the executive deputy head of Guangming District, and the standing committee member and deputy head of Qingshan District. Hand those four over first. Get all their 'materials' ready and let Cheng Du 'uncover' them! Immediately, right now!"
This time, Ding Yizhen hesitated no longer. At this life-or-death juncture, selfishness gained the upper hand.
He immediately activated his network of connections, gradually "leaking" the long-prepared "evidence of crimes" through covert channels to Cheng Du, who was frantically searching for a breakthrough.
Meanwhile, in the Party secretary's office in the municipal Party committee building, the secretary had just reported Lin Yanzhou's "one-size-fits-all" order and the enormous upheaval it had triggered.
Li Dakang slammed his palm onto the heavy rosewood desk. "Nonsense! Utter recklessness!" In a rare loss of composure, he demanded, "What does Lin Yanzhou think he's doing? Shock therapy? Burying the entire city's development alongside his own investigation?! This is classic bureaucratism and departmental self-interest!"
Frightened, the secretary lowered his head, not daring to respond.
Li Dakang picked up his teacup and took a sip. Of course he understood Lin Yanzhou's purpose. He was using absolute power to force a showdown, forcing Li Dakang to take a stand, forcing Ding Yizhen to submit, and even forcing all the forces in Jingzhou to choose sides.
Though crude, Lin Yanzhou's move occupied the moral high ground of "people's livelihoods" and "environmental protection," leaving him unable to refute it publicly.
Moreover, Zhao Lichun had only just been transferred away, and with Li Dakang at a critical juncture in seeking further advancement, Jingzhou absolutely could not descend into chaos, much less produce a staggering major case.
He extinguished the cigarette in his hand. Picking up the red secure telephone on his desk, he dialed the direct line of Zhang Shuli, secretary of the municipal commission for discipline inspection.
"Comrade Shuli, this is Li Dakang. The Qingshui River pollution incident has had an extremely adverse impact and provoked a strong public reaction. An investigation relying solely on the public security system may not be comprehensive enough. I suggest that the municipal commission for discipline inspection immediately establish a special task force and intervene early, conducting a parallel investigation into any possible dereliction of duty, malfeasance, and improper transfers of benefits! Dig deep and investigate thoroughly. No matter who is involved, pursue it to the end. Show absolutely no leniency!"
This move both responded to Lin Yanzhou's actions and demonstrated the municipal Party committee's stance and resolve. More importantly, it reclaimed control of the investigation for the Party committee, preventing Lin Yanzhou from making too much of the matter and letting him eat his fill in one sitting. It was also a form of "severing ties"-using the discipline inspection commission's blade to clean house and prevent a collapse-style corruption scandal from affecting the overall situation; using public security's blade to eliminate the bloodsuckers clinging to the Guangming Peak project would instead improve the quality of its construction while also making Lin Yanzhou offend the forces behind those bloodsuckers, achieving three things in one stroke.
"Yes, Secretary Dakang! The commission for discipline inspection will resolutely carry out your instructions and immediately assemble an elite team to intervene!"
In an interrogation room at the Guangming Branch Bureau, Cheng Du stared intently at the latest "breakthrough" report his subordinate had handed him. The municipal environmental protection bureau director's name stood out on the report, and the chain of evidence was outrageously clear.
An excited smile spread across his face. "Good! Very good! Keep digging! Follow this lead and dig deeper!"
He felt he was getting infinitely close to the "big fish" Lin Yanzhou wanted, unaware that what he had dug up were merely the "small fry" Zhao Ruilong and Ding Yizhen had painstakingly prepared.
Because of Lin Yanzhou's freeze policy, Jingzhou instantly entered its most brutal phase. Everyone laid out their trump cards, hoping to find that life-saving straw and avoid going down in the first wave.
At that moment, Lin Yanzhou was sitting in his office, listening to Chen Mo's report on the movements of the various parties.
"Sir, Secretary Li Dakang has already ordered the municipal commission for discipline inspection to join the investigation. There seem to be unusual moves on Ding Yizhen's side. Our monitoring has detected signs of abnormal fund transfers in several key accounts. Also, this just came in-the preliminary investigation report submitted by Director Cheng Du."
Lin Yanzhou took the report, glanced over the list, and a trace of cold mockery curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Cutting off an arm to survive? Decisive enough." He lightly tossed the report onto the desk. "Tell Cheng Du he's handled the case very well, but it's still not enough. Also, send Secretary Zhang Shuli a copy of this report."
He wanted to see how Li Dakang would handle this list.