Chapter 816: Officialdom Earthquake, Voluntary Surrender

The image of Yuan Ben Zhong being taken away by the Discipline Inspection Commission spread across all WeChat groups in Wuzhou's official circles the next morning.

Although the authorities had not yet issued an announcement.

But someone had taken a photo of him being escorted into the car—wearing pajamas, shirt buttons mismatched, hair messy like a bird's nest, and the silver handcuffs on his wrists glinting in the morning light.

Accompanying text: 'Bureau Chief Yuan of the Land Resources Bureau was taken away by the Discipline Inspection Commission last night at a hotel, suspected of being caught in the act of soliciting prostitution.'

A single stone stirred up thousands of waves.

If Zhou Hongwei's downfall earlier had people wondering whether it was accidental or due to offending someone,

then Yuan Ben Zhong's mishap made everyone clearly realize an objective fact—this was not accidental, but the anti-corruption storm was escalating!

Moreover, this storm stirred up by Lin Dongfan seemed beyond the Party Secretary Wang's power to stop.

The following morning.

The conference room on the third floor of the Environmental Protection Bureau.

The weekly bureau meeting, which should have started at nine on Tuesday, was already half past nine and not everyone had arrived. Bureau Chief Tang Yuchao sat in the chief seat, his face so dark it seemed water could drip from it.

The department heads below whispered among themselves:

"Have you heard? Bureau Chief Yuan last night..."

"I saw it early; the photos have gone viral."

"They say Mayor Lin personally went to arrest him."

"Good heavens, this is too ruthless..."

"Quiet!"

Tang Yuchao slammed his hand on the table, and the conference room instantly fell silent.

Tang Yuchao looked around, his voice hoarse: 'Before the meeting, let me say two things. The city is currently conducting a work-style rectification; everyone knows what they should and shouldn't do. Figure it out for yourselves. Don't later blame me for not warning you when something goes wrong.'

He spoke solemnly, but those underneath detected a different tone—how could Bureau Chief Tang's words sound like he was talking about himself?

"Alright, let's get down to business."

Tang Yuchao opened his notebook: 'Have the rectification plans for the issues raised by the provincial environmental protection inspection team last week been prepared? The Pollution Control Section, you go first.'

The head of the Pollution Control Section hurriedly stood to report.

But Tang Yuchao was obviously absent-minded.

He turned a pen in his hand, eyes fixed on the notebook, yet not a word sank in.

His mind was full of what happened last night.

Yuan Ben Zhong had been arrested.

Who would be next?

Zhou Hongwei had implicated Yuan Ben Zhong; who would Yuan Ben Zhong implicate in turn?

Tang Yuchao thought about how many meals he had shared with Yuan Ben Zhong, how many fishing trips they had taken at Bibo Pond, how many drinks they had enjoyed at the Yunshui Yao club...

And those 'local specialties'...

Those 'tokens of thought'...

Those 'little gestures between friends'...

The more he thought, the more anxious he became, and his pen snapped onto the desk with a 'pa'.

In that moment.

Everyone present turned their gaze toward him.

"Chief Tang?" the office director asked softly.

"Nothing." Tang Yuchao picked up his pen, forcing composure: "Continue."

The meeting proceeded in an unusually dull and oppressive atmosphere.

Everyone spoke about work, but no one's thoughts were actually on work.

After the meeting adjourned.

Tang Yuchao returned to his office and locked the door.

He sat in his chair, staring at the map of Wuzhou City on the wall for a full ten minutes.

Then he opened the drawer.

From the bottom layer he pulled out a kraft paper bag.

Opening it, he found six bank cards, four property deeds, and two shareholding proxy agreements.

He looked at these things.

His hands began to tremble.

All these years, Tang Yuchao had believed he could possess these assets thanks to his own abilities, a manifestation of personal competence.

Now looking at them, he only felt they were scalding hot.

The anti-corruption sword wielded personally by Lin Dongfan has now become an unstoppable trend; no one can stop it! This is the power and confidence of the Jing circle's princeling—even the Municipal Party Committee Secretary Wang must remain silent!

Judging from the current momentum.

Lin Dongfan, he's about to launch an operation against the entire Wuzhou officialdom...

Just as he was thinking, his phone suddenly rang.

Tang Yuchao jumped in fright, saw it was his wife calling, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hello?"

"Old Tang, are you alright?" his wife's voice urgent: "I heard Yuan Ben Zhong got into trouble—you two aren't usually together..."

"Don't talk nonsense!" Tang Yuchao cut her off: "I'm not close with him; it's just work-related interaction."

"His wife anxiously expressed herself: 'But I heard the wife of Section Chief Wang say that you two went fishing together last month...'"

"I said I'm not familiar!"

Tang Yuchao let out an urgent shout, then lowered his voice: "I'm in a meeting, I hung up."

He hung up the phone, collapsed in the chair, his whole body went limp.

Not familiar?

How could it not be familiar?

Yuan Ben Zhong knows his affairs, and he knows Yuan Ben Zhong's affairs. They are in the same boat; if the boat capsizes, nobody can escape.

Unless...

Tang Yuchao had a thought flash through his mind.

He suddenly sat upright, his eyes fixed on the phone on the desk.

That red internal line phone can directly dial the Discipline Inspection Commission.

His hand reached out, then withdrew.

He reached out again, then withdrew again.

Repeated three times.

Finally, he gritted his teeth, picked up the receiver, and dialed the number of the Discipline Inspection Commission.

Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission office building.

Shi Liantang was listening to Sun Yongwen's report on the progress of the Yuan Ben Zhong case.

Sun Yongwen said: "Yuan Ben Zhong has partially confessed, admitting that his expenses at Bibo Tan were all paid by Su Qingyu, and also admitting he received kickbacks from Su Qingyu. But he pushes all responsibility onto 'personal connections,' claiming those money were 'loans' and 'investments' between friends, refusing to admit bribery."

Shi Liantang sneered: "Loans? Investments? Any IOU? Any investment agreement?"

"None." Sun Yongwen shook his head: "He says they were all oral agreements."

"Continue the interrogation." Shi Liantang said: "Focus on breaking through his ties with the Zhao Group and the land projects he handled. Especially that plot in East City, where the floor area ratio was raised from 2.0 to 2.8—there's definitely something fishy."

As he was speaking, the office door was knocked.

A young cadre pushed the door open, expression somewhat odd: "Secretary Shi, the director of the Environmental Protection Bureau, Tang Yuchao, has come, saying... saying he wants to voluntarily confess."

Shi Liantang and Sun Yongwen exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

"Where is he?" Shi Liantang asked.

The young cadre replied: "In the reception room."

"I'll go take a look."

Shi Liantang stood up.

As he reached the door, he turned back to Sun Yongwen and said: "Continue interrogating Yuan Ben Zhong; if necessary, you can leak the news of Tang Yuchao's arrival to him. Just say Director Tang has already voluntarily confessed."

"Understood."

Sun Yongwen nodded, understanding implicitly.

In the reception room, Tang Yuchao sat on the sofa, both hands tightly gripping a thermos cup.

Today he deliberately wore the plainest suit, no tie, hair uncombed, looking utterly exhausted.

Seeing Shi Liantang enter, he hastily stood up: "Secretary Shi..."

"Please have a seat."

Shi Liantang sat opposite him, gesturing for the staff to pour tea: "Director Tang, why did you come today?"

"I..." Tang Yuchao licked his dry, cracked lips: "I came to voluntarily confess."

He spoke with great difficulty, each word as if squeezed out of his throat.

Shi Liantang nodded.

To the staff member taking notes nearby, he said: "Let's begin."

"Secretary Shi, I... I've worked at the Environmental Protection Bureau for so many years, I've made many mistakes." Tang Yuchao lowered his head, not daring to meet Shi Liantang's eyes: "I've accepted gifts from some enterprises, and... also helped some enterprises get green lights in approvals."

"Give specifics." Shi Liantang said calmly.

"In 2018, the environmental impact assessment report for Zhao Group's Cloud Peak Mountain Villa project originally had some indicators not up to standard. I... I took 200,000 from them and got the report approved."

"In 2019, the West City chemical plant exceeded emissions standards; according to regulations it should have ceased production for rectification. I took 150,000 from the plant manager, only fined them a bit, and didn't make them stop production."

"In 2020, Su Qingyu of Green Wild Landscaping gave me a house in the East City New District, 120 square meters, the property certificate written under my brother-in-law's name..."

Tang Yuchao listed them one after another, his voice growing lower and lower.

As he spoke later on.

He already spoke with a sobbing tone: "Secretary Shi, I know I was wrong. I am willing to return the illicit gains, willing to accept organizational handling. I only beg... only beg for leniency..."