Chapter 486: with translation of chapter title

On the sixth day of the first lunar month, the Nanyuan City Government Office was busy preparing for the first meeting after the holiday the next day, at which the Mayor would speak on behalf of the Municipal Party Committee and the City Government; Deputy Secretary Su Xiang Hai and Executive Vice Mayor Wang Hong personally reviewed the speech draft.

Several members of the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee came to the City Government, queuing up to report work to Mayor Lu Fan, embodying the ancient saying to the fullest: "With a new emperor comes a new set of ministers."

Under normal circumstances, when a new leader takes office, after familiarizing themselves with the situation they will begin personnel adjustments, placing their confidants in key positions to effect a turnover of the old and new. On the one hand, this is to eliminate the influence of the previous leadership; on the other hand, it is to better implement their own will and governing philosophy, and if necessary, they will not hesitate to take action against some people.

Now the situation is even more special: Wang Haiyang, this great tree, has fallen; when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter, and some may face disaster. If they can cling to Mayor Lu Fan's "thigh," they might turn danger into safety. If the Municipal Party Committee Secretary protects someone, the provincial authorities will give them face, and all the more so since this secretary is Lu Fan, a rising star in the Huayuan Province officialdom.

They were not mistaken; while listening to the report, Lu Fan was also observing each member of the Standing Committee, already beginning to plan the next adjustment of the Standing Committee lineup.

After work resumed in the afternoon, the head of the Municipal Party Committee's United Front Work Department, Wang Jianjun, was reporting his plans for this year's united front work when Lu Fan's phone rang.

He looked at the screen; it was Secretary Haoguangqi calling. Lu Fan gestured for Wang Jianjun to step out, then answered the call, saying, "Secretary, good!"

"Lu Fan, just now the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection came to report; Wang Haiyang has disclosed some issues involving some leading cadres of Nanyuan."

Lu Fan firmly declared: "Secretary, the Nanyuan Municipal Party Committee and City Government will shelter no corrupt official, no matter who is involved; we will investigate and deal with them resolutely, showing no leniency, letting no corrupt party member escape punishment under Party discipline and state law!"

"Alright, then I will arrange for the Commission for Discipline Inspection to go to Nanyuan; please cooperate. This time the Nanyuan leadership team has suffered a blow, so you should prepare in advance and plan the candidates for the vacant posts; the Provincial Party Committee will fully consider your opinions."

"Thank you for your support, Secretary!"

As the workday was drawing to a close, the Standing Committee members finally finished reporting their work, and Secretary-General Dou Zhengyang brought the reviewed speech draft in for the leaders to vet.

Lu Fan, while looking at the draft, said: "Dou Zhengyang, spend these few days learning more about the Municipal Party Committee Office; I intend to recommend you to go over there."

Although both are secretary-generals, the two are absolutely not comparable; Dou Zhengyang clenched his fists, suppressing his inner excitement and joy, and said in a low voice: "Thank you, Secretary, for your patronage; I will surely perform my duties conscientiously in my service work and will not let down the Mayor's trust!"

At six in the afternoon, Du Wenlong, head of the First Inspection Division of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, called and said: "Brother Fan, I'm going to Nanyuan tomorrow to carry out the mission."

Lu Fan replied: "The First Inspection Division handles Nanyuan; I expect you to come down. Wenlong, who are involved?"

Although confidentiality rules prevented Du Wenlong from leaking information, he didn't care and replied directly: "Brother Fan, quite a few people are to be moved—the Organization Department, the United Front Work Department, the Secretary-General, plus the Xijia County magistrate, the Shexian Party secretary and magistrate, the Commerce Bureau, and the Disabled Persons' Federation—all were implicated by Wang Haiyang; I expect these people will ultimately have to 'confess'!"

After hanging up, Lu Fan immediately called Public Security Bureau Chief Tian Xian, instructing him to strengthen surveillance of the "key" individuals to prevent any accidents.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month, at nine in the morning, Du Wenlong, head of the First Inspection Division of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, came to Lu Fan's office; Deputy Secretary Su Xiang Hai, Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection Secretary Fang Yang, Executive Vice Mayor Wang Hong, and Public Security Bureau Chief Tian Xian were also present.

After Du Wenlong presented the documents, he said: "Please, Mayor Lu, cooperate with the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection's work and take custody measures against the relevant persons."

Lu Fan glanced at the documents and said: "The Nanyuan Municipal Party Committee and City Government will firmly implement the decisions of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, and will fully cooperate with Director Du's work. Chief Tian, are they all in the office now?"

Tian Xian nodded and said: "They are all in the office, none out of sight."

Lu Fan said to Du Wenlong: "In that case, Deputy Secretary Xianghai will coordinate with the several standing committee members over at the Municipal Party Committee, Executive Vice Mayor Wang Hong will coordinate with the bureau chiefs over at the City Government, and Secretary Fang Yang will assist Director Du's work; you may now proceed separately."

At 9:30, Du Wenlong knocked on the office door of Cao Zhengbo, head of the Nanyuan Municipal Party Committee Organization Department, entered, and said: "I am Du Wenlong of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, Cao Zhengbo; there are some matters you need to explain to the commission."

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengbo felt his head buzzing, his face turned pale, his lips trembled slightly but he could not utter a sound; his eyes were filled with fear and despair, as if he had instantly lost all strength, his body went limp in the office chair involuntarily, and he stared at Du Wenlong before him with a dazed expression.

Du Wenlong had seen this situation many times before; there were even cases worse than Cao Zhengbo's, and plenty of people had wet themselves.

"Take him away!" At Du Wenlong's order, staff quickly stepped forward, lifted Cao Zhengbo out of the office, down the building, and openly placed him into a vehicle in the Municipal Party Committee compound.

Today is the first day after the Spring Festival holiday; at eleven o'clock a city-wide leading cadres meeting will be convened, and the compound is not only filled with government officials but also basically all county and district leaders have arrived.

Seeing the organization department head being escorted into the vehicle, it was obvious that the commission for discipline inspection was "taking people"; everyone was stunned! After Municipal Party Committee Secretary Wang Haiyang's downfall, Nanyuan now has another heavyweight leader being "taken down"!

The cadres found it inconvenient to gather around, but they all leaned out of the windows to watch and whispered among themselves.

But no one expected that the show was far from over; the commission for discipline inspection's big operation of detaining people had only just begun!

Soon after, the Municipal Party Committee secretary-general was escorted to the Municipal Party Committee compound, likewise shoved into a vehicle, and an uproar arose upstairs again!

Next, the head of the United Front Work Department, the chief of the Commerce Bureau, and the chairman of the Disabled Persons' Federation, one after another, were successively stuffed into the vehicles.

Before long, Xijia County Magistrate Tian Shanchu, Shexian Party Secretary Gu Yu, Shexian Magistrate Bai Yunpeng, and others who had been visiting upstairs awaiting the meeting were also brought to the compound and stuffed into the vehicles.

Everyone counted up: a full three members of the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee and seven division-level leaders had been "taken down" by the commission for discipline inspection in plain sight! This situation means that the evidence of their violations of law and discipline is solid, and there is no possibility of their returning!

Such a shocking scene deeply moved the hearts of all leading cadres in Nanyuan City, giving them a vivid and profound lesson in anti-corruption and integrity; this is exactly what Lu Fan aimed to achieve—a strong deterrent effect on Nanyuan's leaders—and Du Wenlong naturally understood and cooperated wholeheartedly.

At eleven in the morning, the city-wide leading cadres meeting convened—it was the first working day after the Spring Festival holiday, the first meeting held, and also the post-holiday recentering meeting.

Mayor Lu Fan emphasized at the meeting that in 2022, through the united efforts of the city's broad cadres and masses, the city's comprehensive economic strength had risen to a new level, ranking second in the province in the comprehensive evaluation! Currently, the Municipal Party Committee and City Government have launched a major project planning effort, through extensive research, service, and problem-solving, to identify and resolve issues, easing the difficulties and contradictions in economic and social development. After spending a safe and harmonious Spring Festival, all levels of leading cadres in the city should quickly recentering, achieving "person returns, heart returns, action begins," and swiftly throw themselves into the bustling undertaking.

Then Lu Fan solemnly said: "Today, everyone has seen that a batch of corrupt elements in Nanyuan City have been subjected to investigation by the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. Hopefully this will serve as a warning, having undergone a profound integrity education, ideological tempering, and spiritual cleansing. Comrades, please bear in mind that regardless of one's position, if one breaks through the integrity bottom line and touches the red line of discipline and law, they will surely suffer severe punishment under Party discipline and state law!"

As leading cadres, we must firmly uphold our ideals and convictions, strengthen our sense of responsibility and mission, keep a clear mind at all times, cherish this sacred and honorable duty, constantly cultivate political virtue, constantly reflect on the harms of greed, constantly hold self-discipline in heart, always maintain a clean and self-disciplined work style, firmly establish correct outlooks on life, values, and power, take cases as mirrors, and at all times be clear-headed and sober before discipline, contributing our strength to building a clean and upright political ecosystem in Nanyuan.

Currently, our city's anti-corruption struggle remains severe and the task arduous; the Municipal Party Committee and City Government will certainly persist in a zero-tolerance attitude toward punishing corruption, increase the intensity of investigating and handling violations of discipline and law; strengthen the supervision, management, and education of Party cadres, enhance constraints and oversight over the operation of power, and advance in unison the goals of not daring to corrupt, being unable to corrupt, and not wanting to corrupt.

Furthermore, I want to emphasize one point: nobody is a sage, who can be without fault? Leading cadres are also human and will make mistakes. But knowing one's mistakes and being able to correct them is the greatest virtue! Voluntarily confessing to the disciplinary inspection agency demonstrates courage and self-awareness, and is also a special kind of "responsibility".

The commission for discipline inspection has already gathered some evidence, which involves certain leading cadres present here; please remember, paper can never wrap up fire!

For cadres who voluntarily confess their problems, the organization will uphold the principle of punishing past offenses to prevent future ones and curing the sickness to save the person, weighing the seriousness of the circumstances, differentiating treatment, combining leniency with strictness, handling according to rules and discipline, will give cadres the opportunity to reform themselves, actively guide them onto the right path, and encourage them to repay the organization's trust through concrete actions and regain popular support.

But if you persist in obstinacy and refuse to repent, when the "board" strikes your head, the only road ahead is to be shackled and thrown into prison!

Lu Fan's speech left many attendees feeling anxious and uneasy, after all, those without faults are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns; everyone wondered whether the commission for discipline inspection really had the evidence, or if the mayor was merely trying to scare them.

After the meeting ended, Deputy Secretary Su Xiang Hai followed Lu Fan to the City Government, reported in detail on the Municipal Party Committee's work for the day, and then straightforwardly expressed his desire for advancement.

Lu Fan considered it and said: "Xianghai, wanting to advance is a good thing; I will give your idea serious consideration. But you also know that the Municipal Party Committee and City Government only have the power to recommend; the final appointment still rests with the Provincial Party Committee."