Chapter 510

Hu Jia Yu returned to the Discipline Inspection Committee and immediately summoned Deputy Secretary Deng Guoqiang to the office, assigning him to go to Nanyuan City to investigate and verify, and emphasized "one case, double investigation"! Investigate false accusations and framing strictly according to regulations, discipline, and law!

Before Deng Guoqiang could leave, Governor Liu Linghao's phone call came through, saying: "Jia Yu, just now the Municipal Party Secretary and I exchanged views on your report letter about Lu Fan, let me share my opinion."

Deng Guoqiang hurriedly said: "Please give your instructions, Governor!"

Liu Linghao continued: "Nanyuan City is at a critical stage of high-quality economic development; officials engaging in entrepreneurship inevitably touch upon some people's vested interests, and we must prevent those with ulterior motives from 'pointing black at white' (making false accusations). After clarifying the facts, the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee must firmly back and encourage entrepreneurship among officials, so that those who work hard do not shed tears and those who take responsibility have no worries behind. At the same time, we must make a clear stand against false accusers, making it clear that petitioning and reporting are not tools for retaliating against the capable; whoever engages in false accusation and framing must pay a heavy price! We must make false accusers feel dread and have restraint, leaving them no opportunity to exploit."

Deng Guoqiang replied: "Okay, we will certainly implement the Governor's instructions; during the investigation we will send out a strong signal of backing and encouraging officials engaged in entrepreneurship and drawing swords against false accusers, establishing a clear orientation of upholding righteousness, eliminating evil, purifying the turbid and promoting the clear."

On the morning of July 17, Du Wenlong, head of the first supervision room of the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee, led 12 cadres seconded over, full of killing intent, heading to Nanyuan City to launch an investigation into the four major "charges" against the report of Lu Fan.

Xi Jia County Chief Li Qian showed great indignation when facing the investigation team; a county chief actually burst out scolding, and finally she said angrily: "Director Du, even if they insult my reputation it doesn't matter, but they cannot use this to slander Municipal Party Secretary Lu! Municipal Party Secretary Lu is of high moral character, upright and aboveboard, with firm will, having ideals, pursuits, and achievements; uniting and leading the city's cadres and masses, bearing burdens and striving, striving for advancement, taking initiative, working solidly, having done how many good deeds and practical deeds, it absolutely cannot be because I have suffered slander and defamation! I swear on my party principles that up to now I have never had a meal alone with Lu Fan, nor been alone with him even once; if there is half a false statement, I can resign immediately!"

Not only was Li Qian's attitude resolute, her husband specially drove to Xi Jia County to prove her innocence; likewise filled with righteous indignation, he gave his heartfelt praise to Municipal Party Secretary Lu Fan.

Next, Du Wenlong found the dozen or so entrepreneurs mentioned in the report letter; they all looked shocked, each swearing they had never engaged in bribery, and up to now they had never even seen Municipal Party Secretary Lu's face.

In the past two days, the matter of Municipal Party Secretary Lu Fan being reported has been spreading wildly in Nanyuan City; cadres and the masses generally share the consensus that the reporter is truly damn bored, such people should have children without an asshole! Even if such a good official as Secretary Lu "takes a little", what of it? He has only been in Nanyuan for a short time, yet he has brought earth-shaking changes to the city; for such a "corrupt official", we only wish there were fewer, not that we mind having more.

The common folk don't fear corruption, they fear you not doing things for them! This is a helpless saying; corruption and graft persist despite bans, once they occur they become major cases, nested cases, linked cases, the amounts of corrupt money are staggering one after another; the masses deeply hate and resent it, feeling helpless yet resigned, they've grown accustomed to it, so expectations for good officials have greatly lowered; as long as you do practical things and good deeds, everything else doesn't matter.

In less than two days, Du Wenlong had "closed the case", forming a detailed investigation report and submitting it to the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee.

Soon, the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee issued a public notice: To genuinely protect the enthusiasm of Party cadres for entrepreneurship, promptly clear the names of leading cadres subjected to false reports, effectively send out a strong signal of eliminating evil and upholding righteousness, purifying the turbid and promoting the clear, and continuously foster a clean political ecosystem, now publicly releasing the case of Nanyuan City Municipal Party Secretary Lu Fan being falsely accused and framed, specifically as follows……

The notice pointed out that reporting accusations and reflecting problems are basic rights of cadres and the masses, but they must be based on facts, objectively and truthfully reflect the situation, not fabricate or distort facts, and certainly not intentionally false accuse, frame, or slander others. A few individuals, due to unrealized personal interest demands or unresolved disputes with others, vent their personal grievances by maliciously reporting based on groundless rumors or even deliberately fabricated false issues; these actions disrupt reporting order, waste supervisory and disciplinary resources, damage the political ecosystem, and pollute social morals; the Provincial Discipline Inspection and Supervision Commission will investigate thoroughly and handle strictly.

After the notice was issued, it caused an uproar in Nanyuan City. People discussed it widely, expressing support and recognition for Municipal Party Secretary Lu; many ordinary folks said that such a public-serving good official as Secretary Lu should continue in office! The reporters should be arrested!

Du Wenlong did not return to the provincial capital, but stayed in Nanyuan City to continue investigating the "false accusers", pointing directly at the Municipal People's Congress Director Ma Jinming; "to not reciprocate is impolite!" He made up his mind, determined to help Brother Fan remove the "stumbling block"!

Ma Jinming once served as the Party Secretary of Tong County; Du Wenlong sent a team straight into his "old nest".

The Party Secretary of Tong County, Yang Yanwei, and the County Chief Wang Fan are cadres promoted by Lu Fan, especially Wang Fan, who was transferred down from the position of Deputy Secretary-General of the City Government; naturally they wholeheartedly cooperate with the Discipline Inspection Committee's investigation, conducting a 15-year reverse check! They will carry out a "dragnet"-style investigation of the projects implemented by Ma Jinming.

Du Wenlong, on the other hand, led a team to conduct a comprehensive and meticulous "re-examination" and "diagnosis" of Ma Jinming's work during his tenure as Executive Vice Mayor; Mayor Su Xiang Hai and several Vice Mayors naturally opened the door wide, and the departments over which Ma Jinming had jurisdiction—development and reform, finance, human resources and social security, state-owned assets, etc. —also gave full support, comprehensively sorting out the projects and funds implemented during Ma Jinming's tenure in charge.

Soon the news reached Ma Jinming's ears, after all he had many connections in Nanyuan City. Although Lu Fan had adjusted the heads of most departments, he had no time to attend to deputy positions.

Ma Jinming originally intended to give Lu Fan some trouble and vent his anger, but he never expected the Discipline Inspection Committee to be indiscriminate about right and wrong, turning the investigation back on himself—what a tremendous folly!

Although he was unwilling, the Discipline Inspection Committee's investigation made him panic and feel uneasy, because his backside was indeed not clean; how could he withstand scrutiny?

In just three days, Du Wenlong found out that Ma Jinming owned six properties and had over 3 million in deposits under his name.

Although the amount is not large, given Ma Jinming's normal income, he could not have accumulated such wealth.

On July 20, the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee investigation team came to the Municipal People's Congress and for the first time summoned Ma Jinming.

Suddenly hearing someone knock on the door, the irritable Ma Jinming impatiently said, "Come in."

Du Wenlong pushed the door open, presenting his credentials and the summons.

Ma Jinming glanced at it once and instantly turned pale, the summons bearing a big red seal!

His heart raced, his palms sweated, he forced a faint smile on his face, but inside he was filled with fear and unease. At the same time he was relieved that it was only a summons, not detention, indicating there was still room for maneuver.

He struggled to stay calm, expressed his cooperation with the organization's investigation, and followed Du Wenlong to the hotel, meanwhile thinking about how to respond to this investigation.

Upon reaching the hotel room, Ma Jinming sat in a chair with his hands tightly clasped, his eyes constantly shifting, observing his surroundings like a beast trapped in a cage, his inner turmoil restless. He knew this was only the beginning, and the days ahead would be extremely difficult.

I thought the Discipline Inspection Committee would ask about the "report" on Lu Fan, but Du Wenlong didn't mention it at all, asking instead: "Director Ma, you have worked 38 years, your salary plus bonuses total 3.04 million, am I right? Yet you have deposits of 3.85 million under your name, plus six properties with a total value of 12.51 million; your assets or expenditures clearly exceed your lawful income, the gap is huge—please explain to the Discipline Inspection Committee the source of your enormous unexplained wealth."

"What's a few million?" but Ma Jinming couldn't say you were nitpicking; he racked his brains, thought hard, decided to sacrifice the small for the big, and said: "Director Du, first I want to admit my mistake to the organization; since taking up a leadership post, I have relaxed my own demands, not tightening the string of self-discipline, thinking that accepting gifts from comrades is just mutual courtesy, so I didn't refuse. Just taking the Spring Festival as an example, every year hundreds of subordinates come to 'pay New Year respects'; even if they each bring two packs of cigarettes, that's one or two thousand each, accumulating over time, I never imagined I had committed such a serious mistake; please organization, criticize and educate me!"

Du Wenlong gave a faint smile and said: "Your excuse is perfect, Director Ma, you're well versed in party discipline and regulations, trying to find a loophole? I'll tell you clearly, for acts that harm the masses' interests and involve accepting gifts and gift money, the Discipline Inspection Committee has always had Zero Tolerance and repeatedly prohibited them.

The "Regulations on Disciplinary Actions for Accepting and Giving Cash, Valuable Securities, and Payment Vouchers by Leading Cadres at All Levels" Article 4, Paragraph 1 stipulates that regardless of amount, one shall receive a Party disciplinary sanction of warning or higher, up to expulsion from the Party, or be ordered to resign, be removed from office, be dismissed, etc., as organizational handling. Those reaching the threshold for criminal case filing shall be defined as bribery crimes; where criminal liability must be pursued, they shall be transferred according to law to the procuratorate for review and prosecution.

The amount involved in your case has reached the tens of millions level; you surely understand how serious the consequences are! Based on the clues currently in hand, I can file a case against you right now!

Ma Jinming had nothing to say; let alone tens of millions, if the organization brings charges against you, embezzling just 5,000 yuan can lead to case filing, double expulsion, and even imprisonment!

"Director Du, I realize I have committed a serious mistake; I am willing to return the illicit gains and ask the organization for lenient handling!"

"Confess and be lenient, resist and be strict; tell us about any other issues!"

"Damn it, 'confess and be lenient, sit tight in prison, resist and be strict, go home for New Year', then explaining further really lands you in trouble!"

As for other issues, Ma Jinming was as if his mouth were glued shut, saying nothing unless Du Wenlong could produce ironclad evidence.

Du Wenlong wasn't in a hurry either; matching wits with such an old fox, patience is indispensable, but no matter what, capturing him is a must!