Chapter 86: Provincial Party Committee No. 1 Furious

The day after Emperor No. 1 was sealed off.

The Nanzhou Daily's front-page headline read, "Corpse in the fridge! Female university student brutally killed," and gave a detailed report on Zhou Yao's murder.

In this report:

The reporter referred to Yin Jiujiu as a certain Yin, whose main suspected charges were gang-related and evil crimes, including but not limited to intentional homicide, mass brawling, and organizing prostitution.

Jiang Kecheng, referred to as a certain Jiang, who served as deputy chief of the Changming Sub-bureau, had long acted as a protective umbrella for black‑evil forces, mainly suspected of shielding and tolerating criminal organizations of a triad nature.

As soon as this report came out, public opinion quickly swept the entire internet.

Corpse in the fridge!

Such horrifying content, beyond ordinary people's imagination, instantly became gossip after meals for the common folk.

But what shocked the senior leaders was not the corpse in the fridge, but the long‑standing chronic ailments of Nanzhou's officialdom, which had deteriorated to the point of disregarding human life.

The aftermath of the September 28 forest fire has not yet subsided!

The bodies of the eleven victims were still warm when Yang Shoushan's son, Yang Tao, who ran a pig farm, disappeared while on a petition trip, and his whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

One wave had not yet settled when another vicious case of a corpse in the fridge was exposed.

This was like a loud slap hard across the face of Provincial Party Committee No. 1 Secretary Liang. Secretary Liang summoned Director Qi of the Provincial Public Security Department to his office and berated him for over an hour.

The next day.

The Jianglan Province People's Daily devoted a full page to follow‑up reporting, with the main headline: "No forbidden zones in anti‑corruption and anti‑black efforts; firmly safeguard social stability!"

This headline was far more solemn than that of the Nanzhou Daily.

It also revealed the province's attitude and determination toward anti‑corruption and anti‑black work—no forbidden zones! This also meant that Yang Qing could detain Jiang Kecheng without first reporting to superiors, and that would be fine.

Provincial Party Committee No. 1 Secretary Liang, accompanied by leaders of the Provincial Public Security Department, personally went to Nanzhou for an inspection.

And in Nanzhou he convened a special meeting on anti‑corruption and anti‑black efforts.

Secretary Liang lashed out at the meeting:

"For years, Yin Jiujiu has run rampant in Nanzhou, lawless and reckless!"

"On one hand he oppresses the common people and treats lives as trash, stirring up public resentment; on the other hand he corrupts leading cadres, severely damaging the government's image!"

"Are you all blind?"

"This didn't happen in a day or two, or even a year or two! You've watched a petty thug grow into a black‑evil force that can cover the sky with one hand!"

"Over the years, how many lives has Yin Jiujiu taken?"

"Is it really only Zhou Yao?"

"I fear this isn't that simple—investigate it thoroughly! No matter the rank of the cadres involved, pursue it to the end, show no leniency!"

……

For Chu Jinsong, this was undoubtedly a day of getting hammered.

As the Deputy Secretary of the Nanzhou Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, Chu Jinsong bears primary responsibility for Nanzhou's political conduct, discipline, and social stability.

Even if it hurts, he must endure it.

After all, it was his good son‑in‑law Lin Dongfan who stirred up the hornet's nest, but Chu Jinsong does not think Lin Dongfan did anything wrong in doing so.

A hot potato must be handled by someone.

If you don't handle it, I won't either.

Who will handle it?

Or should we let the hot potato take root and keep growing?

Chu Jinsong also gathered from Secretary Liang's words that Liang's fury stemmed mainly from the day coming too late, not from blaming Chu Jinsong for stirring up the hornet's nest.

Secretary Liang's term in Jianglan Province is drawing to a close, and he does not want to leave a mess behind when he steps down.

This bears on whether Secretary Liang can advance to the central leadership in the future.

After the meeting.

Chu Jinsong privately expressed his stance to Secretary Liang: "Secretary Liang, the Provincial Anti‑Corruption Bureau and our Municipal Public Security Bureau have already joined forces in the investigation. Rest assured, during your term I will surely deliver a satisfactory answer."

"Jinsong, you're a cadre I promoted myself; you should know my temper." Secretary Liang, face set, snapped: "I came to Nanzhou today not to hear your empty talk!"

Hearing this, Chu Jinsong gave a helpless, wry smile.

Feeling that the old leader's scolding was not wrong—holding in one's shit only to say one will surely shit it out later—isn't that just empty talk?

What the old leader wants to hear is frankness.

Chu Jinsong gave a sheepish grin: "I made the arrests the night before, and the next morning the story was in the papers. I admit I deliberately stirred up a city‑wide uproar, and I did not first report to the province……"

"Give me an explanation!"

Secretary Liang still wore a cold expression.

Chu Jinsong said: "The Executive faction's influence runs from Nanzhou up to the province, deeply entrenched. Even if I fully cooperate with the Provincial Anti‑Corruption Bureau, I would still be blocked at every turn. If the matter blows up, it might serve to shake the mountain and deter the tiger, facilitating later action. If I had first sought approval from the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the news might not have made the front page."

When the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission was mentioned, Secretary Liang fell silent.

The province, too, is a patchwork of fiefdoms, especially now that everyone knows Liang Jingzhong is about to be transferred, and their fear of him is waning.

Secretary Liang stood with his hands behind his back, lost in thought for a while.

He again complained to Chu Jinsong: "No matter what, you should have first greeted me. Now you've acted on your own—strike first, report later. If I don't step forward to back you, you're bringing about your own ruin."

"The last time I was framed, you later reminded me not to be bookish but to act decisively, and I followed your instructions." Chu Jinsong assumed a respectful student's posture.

Secretary Liang chuckled: "You actually threw my words back at me as a shield—you've really grown a spine and lost some of your bookishness."

He paused for a moment.

Secretary Liang added: "Before I leave, if you can't rise or get into the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, have you thought about what your future will be?"

"I've considered it—either retire to the second line and await retirement, or be wrapped in horsehide and die on the battlefield."

Chu Jinsong has thought about this far more than that.

He once thought that retiring to the second line wasn't so bad—at his age, he could no longer strive, and learning to let go was not a bad thing.

But now he doesn't think that way.

Now he neither wants to step back to a secondary line nor die wrapped in horsehide, because his son-in-law hasn't yet found his footing; as his father-in-law, he can't just wash his hands of it.

Chu Jinsong frankly told Secretary Liang: "To be honest, I want to advance, so this time I cannot possibly admit defeat easily."

"That's good."

Secretary Liang seemed to have been waiting for Chu Jinsong to say that.

Secretary Liang sat down in Chu Jinsong's office chair, then asked him with interest: "That Lin Dongfan from the Anti-Corruption Special Task Force—he's your son-in-law, right? I'd like to meet him."

"Now?"

Chu Jinsong felt it was rather sudden.

Secretary Liang smiled faintly: "What, are you still afraid I'll steal your son-in-law? Go ahead and call him over—I have no unmarried daughter to take, so I can't steal your prized son-in-law."

"Secretary Liang was joking, I'll call him over right away."

This tumultuous life made Chu Jinsong momentarily hard to adapt; one moment the old leader was scolding him for acting first and reporting later, the next moment he wanted to meet his son-in-law.

He also didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.