Chapter 627

It was past ten o'clock when Lu Fan went to the provincial Party Committee office; tomorrow he will have at least dozens of documents to review and give his opinions on.

Before his hands even warmed up, Cheng Haohao came in and then left; the director of the Provincial Health Commission, Wang Dong, requested a meeting.

Everyone had arrived, so Lu Fan could only meet them briefly; in fact, there was no need to meet now.

After Wang Dong entered, he respectfully said, "Secretary Lu, I'm here to report on work."

Lu Fan smiled and said, "Actually you shouldn't come to my place; who knows, there might be countless eyes watching this door."

Wang Dong replied, "Secretary, you don't need to worry; I'm a transferred official, basically nominal, so whether I come or not makes little difference."

Lu Fan neither agreed nor disagreed, saying, "One who can endure poverty, withstand loneliness, and resist temptation can maintain prosperity! Wang Dong, what aspect of work were you responsible for at the Health Commission before?"

"Secretary, I served as director of the Comprehensive Evaluation Department of the Health Bureau and director of the Nursing and Rehabilitation Department, mainly responsible for hospital evaluation and assessment, work style construction, hospital inspections, nursing management, and the building and management of the rehabilitation system; I've done this for twenty years."

Lu Fan laughed and said, "Then you're an expert in these areas; since you're not busy now, I'll assign you a task."

"Please give your instructions, Secretary; I will certainly give it my all."

Lu Fan said, "As everyone knows, a drug goes through many steps from the laboratory to the patient's hand—such as R&D, clinical trials, production, distribution, retail, and so on—with layers of agents and layers of markups, causing a huge gap between factory price and selling price; this is an important factor in the persistently high medical costs."

"Can you, as an expert, explore an effective system that lets manufacturers distribute drugs directly to hospitals, cutting out layered subcontracting, effectively squeezing out the inflated moisture in drug prices, forcing down prices, and bringing drug prices down?"

Wang Dong gave a bitter smile and said, "Secretary, there are many methods, and many people can think of them, so why haven't they been implemented? Mainly because the interests in the supply chain are too great; touching their cheese will inevitably provoke the fiercest backlash. Moreover, this huge interest chain includes many leading cadres at all levels, who have long formed a community of interests—pull one thread and the whole body moves."

Lu Fan replied lightly, "Reform will inevitably touch the interests of some people, but only a small minority. When the time is ripe, I can make this decision; at the very least we can try it on the grasslands. It's merely a matter of removing a few 'roadblocks' and throwing them into the river; for the vital interests of the broad masses, we can, if necessary, sacrifice a small number of 'diehards.'

Wang Dong, some things must be done by someone; otherwise, how can the people's interests be safeguarded? How can society progress? 'The sick should be treated, medicine should be effective' will always be the people's earnest and powerful demand. Medical issues are fundamental social problems; if solved well, the people gain benefits and society becomes harmonious. Otherwise, they will provoke all kinds of social contradictions, even cause social turmoil, deeply shaking the foundations of governance. The medical and health cause should always emphasize public welfare; I hope you can devote effort to this, research a scientific and feasible plan, and break through the institutional barriers.

"Let us work together to resolutely discard the phenomena of using drugs to support medical care and using medical care to support people, and genuinely resolve the corruption and entrenched problems in grassroots medical care."

Lu Fan's words somewhat moved Wang Dong; as a medical practitioner for many years, he possesses the bottom line and conscience of a healer, deeply aware of the problems in this system, and has felt anguish countless times. Yet reality and the passage of years have eroded his original aspiration, causing him to withdraw and refrain from going along with the tide.

Now, Lu Fan has awakened his deepest sense of mission; a glint of determination flashed in Wang Dong's eyes, and he firmly replied, "Secretary, as long as you need it, I will surely accomplish this task. Once you have made up your mind, I will charge ahead, devoting my responsibility to writing the original aspiration and mission."

Lu Fan nodded heavily and said, "Good, I hope to see your plan as soon as possible; the work must be implemented down to the people's hearts."

"Remember, we are not lone actors; Secretary Hong Tao has always been concerned about medical issues! For thousands of years, the people's beautiful wish to have their illnesses treated will surely become reality in our generation's hands, simply because we keep the people in our hearts and always rise early and stay late for their comfort and suffering."

With an excited mood, Wang Dong returned to the Provincial Health Commission; thereafter he became silent and reserved, no longer paying attention to internal squabbles of the unit—each day he either went to the countryside or was on the way there. At night, the light in his office was often on.

After Sun Yu established the special case team, he immediately went to the prison and conducted interrogations of Yun Lianfeng and the 16 leading cadres of the prison who had been dealt with.

These 16 individuals received various punishments—expulsion from the Party, removal from public office, Party probation, administrative demotion, rank reduction, reduction of retirement benefits, etc. —none of them were investigated for criminal liability.

When the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee again sought them for talks, some people spoke incoherently and even urinated themselves on the spot.

Sun Yu, with a determination to win, launched the fiercest attack on Yun Lianfeng and these 16 people, and employed means to conduct an in-depth investigation of their personal assets, probing them thoroughly.

For a while, the entire judicial system was in a state of panic, with many people discussing how Lu Fan's first salvo had actually reached this field. However, upon reflection it could be considered understandable—after all, his wife had been angered, and not making a big fuss still counts as being a man? Blame it on the bad luck of some people; who would have thought Lu Fan would come to the grasslands to take office? There's no regret medicine in the world, people don't grow eyes in the back of their heads, and aside from admitting misfortune, there's nothing else to do.

Therefore, Lu Fan's first shot was seen as justified; at most a few people muttered in private that the Discipline Inspection Committee secretary was settling personal scores, lacking vision, etc., but it couldn't stir up any waves.

But as Sun Yu's investigation deepened, many realized that the Yun Lianfeng case was no longer simple, especially the leaders of the judicial system, who were in constant panic.

On July 25, Sun Yu's interrogation of those 16 individuals made a breakthrough, uncovering their interest-transfer relationship with the Provincial Prison Administration Bureau.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Lu Fan and Du Wenlong listened together to Sun Yu's report on the special case work.

"Secretary Lu, Secretary Du, after comrades' day-and-night struggle, the special case work has achieved breakthrough progress; according to interrogation results, the two deputy directors of the Provincial Prison Administration Bureau, the office director and deputy director, the Prison Administration Division, Education Reform Division, Penalty Enforcement Division, Internal Investigation Division, Political Department, etc., a total of 24 people have engaged in illegal and disciplinary conduct……"

After hearing the report, Du Wenlong asked, "Regarding these 24 people, is it only based on statements, or do we have some evidence?"

Sun Yu replied, "Reporting to Secretary, they are all one-sided statements."

Du Wenlong pondered briefly and said, "According to the Supervision Law, if the person under investigation has not made a statement or confession, and the evidence meets the statutory standard, the case facts can be determined."

Sun Yu, the special case team should focus on three aspects: comprehensively collecting documentary evidence, gathering testimony from all angles, and tracing the destination of illicit money and goods, thereby forming mutually corroborating, complete and stable evidence chains.

The focus should be on investigating these 26 people's benefits, specific requests, abnormal operations, bribery details—such as amount, time, place, environment, motive—and especially on details that those who did not personally experience or participate in the wrongdoing cannot recount; we should ask them more 'why's, exhaust other possibilities, and leave no loopholes for recantation or rebuttal.

Lu Fan added, "Illicit money and goods, as stable physical evidence, will inevitably leave traces or records. Sun Yu, don't worry about the trivialities; as long as it helps the case, you can act freely—use any means you can, and I will take responsibility for any problems."

First, check the gap between the lawful income of these 26 people's families and their current assets; second, pay attention to whether there is abnormal income at specific time points; third, use investigative measures to search the residences or related locations where these 26 people might conceal illicit money and goods, focusing on gathering evidence and seizing relevant items.

Once we have grasped a certain amount of evidence, we can directly take measures against them and turn the case into an ironclad case that can withstand scrutiny!

Sun Yu nodded firmly and replied, "Please rest assured, Secretary; I know what to do!"

In the afternoon, Du Wenlong and Lin Changping came to report the plan for the special rectification action inside the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee.

After hearing the report, Lu Fan instructed, "Discipline inspection and supervision cadres hold certain power, attract high social attention, and have many eyes watching us. The discipline inspection and supervision organ is not a natural 'safe box', nor do its cadres possess natural 'immunity'; to forge iron one must be strong oneself, so solving the 'blind spot under the lamp' issue is crucial and urgent."

I suggest launching the special action officially on August 1, adhering to the principle of 'cutting inward,' with the courage of a 'strong man breaking his wrist' to remove the 'bad apples' from the discipline inspection ranks, clean house and purify ourselves, demonstrating that the anti‑corruption department covers no shortcomings and shows no leniency. We must warn all discipline inspection and supervision cadres across the province with a clear zero‑tolerance attitude and concrete actions that rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and fighting corruption absolutely does not mean giving them a free pass or showing favoritism; no one should harbor a fluke.

Du Wenlong replied, "Please rest assured, Secretary; we will surely set aside face, expose shortcomings and reveal ugliness, make this special action create momentum and achieve results, thereby attaining self-purification, self-improvement, self-renewal, and self-enhancement, striving to build a discipline inspection and supervision force with high political quality, loyalty, integrity, responsibility, strong professional capability, and daring and skill in struggle, to promote high-quality development of discipline inspection and supervision work throughout the province."

On July 26 at 10 a. m., after two days of 'scouting,' Sun Yu, accompanied by several discipline inspection cadres, 'felt his way' to the residence of the director of the Provincial Prison Administration Bureau and had a professional locksmith open the anti-theft door.

Not worrying about how to 'steal' money, but only about how to hide it! Corrupt officials rack their brains, investing in artworks, real estate, or the stock market.

To avoid risks, hiding money at home is the choice of most corrupt officials, and the methods are constantly innovating—hiding in fish ponds, gas cylinders, toilets, pillowcases……

Stashing money at home is relatively simple and also comparatively 'safe'—after all, the probability of illicit funds being exposed due to burglars entering the house or toilets flooding is much lower.

"What feeling is most satisfying? Counting money at home!"