Chapter 348: The Decisive Battle Between the Top Two Leaders!

Tang Ye stepped hurriedly into the Municipal Government building, went straight to Du Chengfeng's office, and reported the case situation concisely.

After listening, Du Chengfeng's brows twisted into a knot, his face full of disbelief: "Cao Zhengchun embezzled so much money, yet he was so stingy toward his daughter? I really don't know what he was aiming for by embezzling all this money!"

Tang Ye's expression dimmed, and he said in a low voice: "Perhaps it was vanity at work. His father encountered a car accident three years ago and needed a huge sum for treatment, but Cao Zhengchun didn't provide the best medical plan for his father, and the old man passed away soon after."

As a scholar well-versed in literature, Du Chengfeng had always placed extreme importance on the word "filial piety."

At this moment, the veins on his forehead bulged slightly; he was clearly infuriated by Cao Zhengchun's conduct.

After a long while, he let out a long sigh: "Cao Zhengchun is just an ungrateful bastard! By comparison, Guo Mingzhou of Suiyuan County, who took risks to commit robbery to pay for his father's medical treatment, is somewhat more sympathetic. But having said that, whether it's Cao Zhengchun or Guo Mingzhou, both walked the crooked path and will trip sooner or later. I'll call Secretary Zhou now; you wait a moment."

Having said that, Du Chengfeng dialed Zhou Chengwu's number: "Secretary, there has been progress in the Cao Zhengchun case. According to the clues provided by Lin Ru, we have seized a large amount of cash in the villa at the Shuimo Jiangnan residential complex."

A brief instruction came from the other end of the line: "Have Little Tang come to my office."

Hanging up the phone, Du Chengfeng turned to Tang Ye and said: "Secretary Zhou wants to hear your report personally. You know the case best, go in."

Tang Ye nodded slightly, quickly organizing his thoughts for the report in his mind, and followed behind Du Chengfeng to knock on the door of Zhou Chengwu's office.

"Little Tang, tell me the details of the case." Zhou Chengwu put down the document in his hand and looked at Tang Ye with eyes like torches.

Tang Ye took a deep breath, his voice carrying an unconcealable heaviness: "Secretary Zhou, Cao Zhengchun has already been taken away by the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. This case is even more serious than we anticipated; the preliminary investigation shows the amount involved exceeds 200 million."

"What?" Zhou Chengwu took off his glasses and rubbed his temples forcefully, his face full of shock and heartache: "A Department-Level Cadre actually embezzled so much! It is simply lawless! How is his attitude toward pleading guilty?"

Tang Ye sighed softly: "Surprisingly cooperative; perhaps he knows his crimes are grave and wants to strive for lenient treatment. In his mansion, we not only found bundles of cash but also detailed ledgers."

"Bang!" Zhou Chengwu's palm slammed heavily onto the desk, splashing the tea in the cup: "Truly, one can know a person's face but not their heart! The person in charge of the entire city's financial power is actually a giant rat! Once this gets out, where will Hanzhou's face be?"

"What's even more sigh-inducing is that before being taken away, he specifically requested to sit quietly in the villa for a few minutes." Tang Ye's tone was full of emotion: "He said he wanted to feel the taste of being surrounded by money one last time; he probably also understood that he would never come back in this lifetime."

Zhou Chengwu's expression was grave, and he admonished earnestly: "Stubbornly refusing to repent even when death is imminent—this kind of 'confession' is merely an instinct for survival. Little Tang, you must take this as a warning and always hold the bottom line of clean governance."

Tang Ye wondered to himself how it had turned to him.

He quickly straightened his back and responded with a firm gaze: "Please rest assured, Secretary Zhou, I will definitely keep the mission in mind and never fail the organization's trust!"

Zhou Chengwu turned to look at Du Chengfeng, his eyes revealing a resolute and swift decisiveness: "Immediately convene a meeting of the leadership team; we must study a response plan as soon as possible."

Du Chengfeng looked troubled and reminded him: "Mayor Xiao is still in Yanjing and cannot return for the time being..."

"Something this big cannot wait!" Zhou Chengwu's tone was unquestionable: "We must discuss a handling plan immediately to minimize the negative impact!"

Tang Ye's heart was boiling with excitement!

The battle between the top two leaders—the decisive moment was about to arrive!

Xiao Jingyu took the official car of the Municipal Office in Beijing and slowly stopped in front of his old leader's residence.

The courtyard with blue bricks and grey tiles was quiet and peaceful. The old leader was holding a spray bottle, focused on watering the flowers and plants in the yard. Seeing Xiao Jingyu arrive, a smile immediately bloomed on his face: "Little Xiao, come in and sit!"

Xiao Jingyu carefully placed the gift box in the corner and said respectfully: "Teacher Chen, this is a local specialty from Hanzhou, just a small token of my appreciation; please don't mind it."

The old leader smiled and chided: "It's enough that you came; why bring things? I'll accept it this time, but if you are this polite next time, I won't have it!"

Xiao Jingyu hurriedly apologized with a smile: "There will absolutely not be a next time!"

At this moment, the nanny, Xiaohong, brought over a cup of fragrant tea. Xiao Jingyu nodded in thanks and turned to ask the old leader with concern: "Is Xiaohong taking good care of you?"

The old leader's lips curled into a gratified arc: "You have always been thoughtful in your work, especially in handling this matter! Since your teacher's wife passed away, I have been alone, and I owe it all to this child, Xiaohong. She is meticulous and understands calligraphy and painting; not only does she take care of my daily life properly, but she can also accompany me to discuss poetry and painting, relieving much of my loneliness."

Xiao Jingyu breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and said earnestly: "You have worked hard for half your life for Hanzhou and Huai Province; even after retiring to the second line, you still keep the people in your heart. Taking good care of you is a responsibility we juniors should fulfill."

The old leader's gaze was profound, and he sighed softly: "Little Xiao, I have also heard a little about the affairs in Hanzhou. I heard that since Little Zhou arrived, the relationship between you two hasn't been very harmonious?"

Xiao Jingyu looked helpless and gave a bitter smile: "He was sent by the province, and I have always cooperated fully. He wants to grasp the economy, so I run around to attract investment; he wants to engage in anti-corruption, so I took down Wang Xingjian without a word. But he is pressing step by step, which is truly hard to handle."

The old leader was silent for a moment, then said earnestly: "Little Xiao, remember to go with the flow. Now that Little Zhou's momentum is strong, you might as well avoid the sharp edge for now."

Xiao Jingyu nodded solemnly, his tone full of helplessness: "You are right; I shouldn't act on impulse."

The old leader patted his shoulder and comforted him: "Don't be discouraged; I will keep an eye out for you. Some positions may not be as high-ranking and powerful as Mayor, but they can ensure your stability."

Xiao Jingyu felt moved inwardly; although the old leader had been away from officialdom for many years, his eyes were still like torches, and a few words had made him suddenly enlightened.

When leaving, Xiao Jingyu called Xiaohong aside and quietly stuffed a red envelope into her pocket.

Xiaohong hurriedly declined: "Brother Xiao, this won't do! I have a salary; I cannot accept this."

Xiao Jingyu gently pressed her hand: "It's almost the New Year; this is my heart. You've worked hard these past two years; the old leader is satisfied, and I keep that in mind. Don't worry, what I promised you will definitely be done next year."

A complex emotion flashed in Xiaohong's eyes, and she thanked him in a low voice.

Inside the official car on the return trip, Xiao Jingyu closed his eyes to rest, repeatedly chewing over the old leader's words.

Suddenly, the secretary, Li Miao, sitting in the passenger seat, finished a phone call, his expression panicked: "Mayor, just received news, Cao Zhengchun has been taken away by the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection working group!"

Xiao Jingyu opened his eyes abruptly, a sharp pain in his heart, and his hand pressed against his chest involuntarily.

He never expected that Zhou Chengwu would actually take advantage of his absence in Yanjing to play dirty and launch a surprise attack!

"Are you alright? Do you want to go to the hospital?" Li Miao asked anxiously.

Xiao Jingyu braced himself, took out a Quick-Acting Heart Pill and swallowed it, gritting his teeth: "No! Book a flight immediately; if there are no flights, then buy train tickets. Return to Hanzhou as soon as possible!"

Xiao Jingyu knew deeply.

If he didn't rush back immediately, the situation might spiral completely out of control...