Chapter 307: with translation of chapter title

With Jiang Huantian's current status and position, meeting Lin Dongfan is a piece of cake; just one phone call, and Lin Dongfan could not possibly avoid seeing him.

The reason he had Chu Jinsong step forward to arrange the meeting.

Nothing more than wanting to show a little sincerity—first, to demonstrate his regard for Chu Jinsong; second, to have a private talk behind closed doors with Lin Dongfan, without attracting attention.

Chu Jinsong also understood this point.

After returning home and finishing dinner, Chu Jinsong asked Lin Dongfan to accompany him for a walk outside; as they walked, they chatted: "Your speech at today's meeting stirred up panic among many people."

"I just wanted to see how certain people would react." Lin Dongfan smiled faintly into the wind.

Chu Jinsong also chuckled, and at once he knew that what Lin Dongfan wanted to see was not the reactions of those low‑level county‑section officials, but rather the reactions of Liu Yishou and Feng Weishan.

Liu Yishou of the Provincial Procuratorate, nicknamed "Liu Yishou who keeps a hand back," has always been a fence‑sitter, swaying left and right to gauge the wind.

As for Feng Weishan, although his time taking over from Secretary Sun as head of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission has been short—less than half a year—his foothold in Jianglan Province is not shallow.

Regarding the arrest of Gao Peng, Feng Weishan has never publicly expressed support.

This matter has caused the Anti‑Corruption Bureau to grumble somewhat.

Chu Jinsong solemnly reminded Lin Dongfan: "Giving Liu Yishou a warning is no problem; as for Provincial Committee Deputy Secretary Feng Weishan, I suggest we not push him too hard."

"Why?" Lin Dongfan asked.

Chu Jinsong said: "Feng Weishan was promoted by Secretary Jiang; his conservative stance on the Gao Peng matter is mainly because Secretary Jiang previously wanted to maintain balance and did not want to move against Gao Peng."

As they walked, they soon reached the riverbank.

Chu Jinsong leaned on the railing, gazing at the night scene across the river: "Officialdom is like this night—although there are dazzling neon lights, its true hue is murky and hard to see through at a glance. The panic that is visible mostly stems from helplessness or innocence; those who carefully conceal their panic are the real tigers."

"So by your saying, did I just sing a lonely solo on stage today?" Lin Dongfan smiled lightly, unbothered.

Chu Jinsong chuckled: "It's not quite that I sang a lonely tune; when some people sense danger, they might leap over the wall in desperation and launch a covert counterattack."

"Then who do you think that big tiger is?" Lin Dongfan asked.

Chu Jinsong bluntly voiced his thought: "Feng Weishan's predecessor—Sun Fucheng."

Sun Fucheng, nearing retirement age, was transferred in April this year to the Provincial CPPCC as a transitional post, where he currently serves as a vice‑chairman.

Chu Jinsong added: "Remember when Secretary Liang was still in office, Sun Fucheng was always secretly opposing him, which made even arresting Xiao Yunce a difficult task."

"I recall that matter; the resistance back then was indeed great." Recalling the initial investigation of Xiao Yunce's case, without Secretary Liang Jingzhong's iron‑fisted support, they really could not have moved against Xiao Yunce.

Lin Dongfan asked: "Now that Sun Fucheng has been sidelined to the second line, he shouldn't be able to stir up any waves, right?"

"Don't underestimate him," Chu Jinsong said with a smile. "Although he has stepped down from a position of real power to the second tier, he has many disciples. Moreover, he is the father‑in‑law of Zou Yugang."

"Father‑in‑law?"

Lin Dongfan looked astonished.

Chu Jinsong explained unhurriedly: "Sun Fucheng's daughter, Sun Zhiqing, was a pop singer in her youth, strikingly beautiful, and later married the second son of the Zou family, Zou Feiyun."

"So, in other words, is Sun Fucheng riding on his daughter's halo to reach his current position?" Lin Dongfan asked incredulously.

Chu Jinsong merely smiled, offering no comment on the matter.

This is embarrassing.

Because Chu Jinsong himself is the same—he got his chance to rise from Nanzhou to Wuzhou and become a local power broker by marrying his daughter off to a prince.

"Father‑in‑law prestige through one's daughter—nothing wrong with that; otherwise, why would one have a daughter so beautiful?"

Chu Jinsong reminded Lin Dongfan with deep meaning: "Although Zou Feiyun is only a few years older than you, the Zou family's roots run deep. To eradicate this Zou family tumor, merely arresting Gao Peng is insufficient; you certainly cannot budge the Zou family's foundation. This case must be tackled by going after Sun Fucheng."

"Understood; I'll organize my thoughts later and report to the Bureau."

Lin Dongfan felt no pressure, for having lived two lifetimes he already knew the Zou family's ultimate fate; he only needed to pinpoint the core entry point precisely, and he was confident he could root out this great malignant tumor for the motherland.

The breeze by the river was refreshing, like the delicate jade hands of a gentle woman lightly stroking his face.

Lin Dongfan, feeling at ease, launched into small talk: "Dad, after Lingxi gave birth to the child, she never returned to Wuzhou; do you miss her?"

"If you want her to come to Wuzhou to keep you company, call her yourself; don't count on me to help." Chu Jinsong saw through Lin Dongfan's little thought at a glance and smiled: "I don't miss my daughter—not one bit."

Lin Dongfan was speechless—what a top‑notch father‑in‑law.

Chu Jinsong steered the conversation back to officialdom: "After the meeting dispersed today, Secretary Jiang sought me out; he wants to talk with you alone. You must seize this opportunity. If you can win his strong support, investigating Sun Fucheng's affair will become much easier."

"Secretary Jiang can't sit still," Lin Dongfan laughed. "I already guessed he would summon me."

Chu Jinsong smiled: "You've turned Jianglan upside down; now everyone there feels insecure. The more people are arrested, the greater the responsibility of this Provincial Committee Secretary. His anxiety is understandable. As I know, the reason Secretary Liang was laterally transferred to the impoverished Xirong Province was partly due to lax supervision of conduct and discipline. This Secretary Jiang will learn from his predecessor's lessons; he certainly does not want to repeat the mistake."

"Perhaps."

In Lin Dongfan's view, the cause of Secretary Liang Jingzhong's transfer to Xirong Province ultimately stems from the Lin and Zou families wrestling each other; the so‑called "lax discipline supervision" is merely a surface excuse.

It is precisely because Secretary Liang Jingzhong's prospects were crushed.

Only then did his uncle Lin Zhenhua have no choice but to launch a desperate counterattack, conducting a comprehensive investigation into a series of Zou family problems.

Fortunately, Secretary Liang Jingzhong is also someone who can bend and endure pressure; although Xirong Province is poor, as of now Old Liang seems to be doing quite energetically there.

Especially after the Qingshu great earthquake occurred.

He relied on a single earthquake‑drill exercise, saved countless people, and has already successfully erected a historical monument that no one can surpass; his governance reputation stands there.

Lin Dongfan curiously asked: "Dad, in your view, what do you think Jiang Huantian will talk to me about tomorrow?"

"He has already spoken with me several times, urging you to stay calm and not swing a big knife wildly." Chu Jinsong patted his pocket, realizing he had forgotten to bring cigarettes.

Lin Dongfan quickly produced a cigarette and handed one over.

Then he took out a lighter to light the old man's cigarette.

He lit one for himself as well.

Lin Dongfan exhaled a puff of smoke and, with a meaningful smile, remarked: "Dad, don't you think Secretary Jiang's mind is a bit off?"

"Don't talk nonsense." In Chu Jinsong's view, Secretary Jiang is not simple.

Lin Dongfan laughed: "This time I'm really not talking nonsense; the Provincial Committee Secretary's chief of staff, Kuang Chaosheng, is Gao Peng's man. Secretary Jiang could have used anyone, yet he chose Gao Peng's person and still asks me to stay calm—isn't that a joke?"

"He has his own personnel standards; don't guess wildly, and certainly don't hastily lump him together with Gao Peng." Chu Jinsong wore a solemn expression, fearing that his son‑in‑law might make a misstep and create a formidable enemy.

Chu Jinsong took a puff of smoke and again reminded Lin Dongfan: "Your uncle certainly doesn't want you to make too many enemies; in your actions you must keep some restraint, cannot go to the extreme of extermination."