Chapter 1002: A Gentleman Should Keep His Tools Hidden Until the Right Moment to Act

The phone rang for a while before Old Zhou answered.

"Su Yang, how are things on your side? Any leads?"

Su Yang said, "The investigation on my side shows it's just some people with ulterior motives, trying to create chaos to smear me and hold me accountable. As a result the matter got out of control; originally their plan was only to cause a disturbance, no one would die. But they didn't expect it would end with deaths."

"After the deaths, they moved the crime scene to a project construction site. Of course, it was later clarified that this was done by some people in Guantan Gou Zhen to curry favor with the county's top leaders. Tonight, the town's Deputy Party Committee Secretary and Deputy Town Mayor on duty have already turned themselves in."

"But this also brings up another issue: there's a Sha He in the town, and for many years they've been illegally mining it, causing severe soil erosion. Although the river has run dry, some vegetation remains nearby, yet they cut all those plants down to facilitate sand extraction."

"You know Xi Bei is very windy and sandy; every March and April the yellow sand fills the sky. In recent years some places have spent great effort on tree planting, but here they go the opposite way."

If it were ordinary Common People doing the illegal mining, I could turn a blind eye and treat it as if nothing happened. Our locals live in harsh conditions; secretly taking some sand to make ends meet is no problem.

"But you know, this comes from the top down—from town officials and village cadres to county officials, and I even suspect city officials have formed a powerful interest group. They're no longer mining secretly; they're openly extracting sand, even using professional machinery."

"All local government personnel have been implicated, and they all share the profits. Although the town mayor turned himself in, he's merely a scapegoat; the real beneficiaries are still out there enjoying impunity."

"Moreover, they already know I'm about to take strong action on this, yet they act brazenly because they think this is a case no less than the one during Geng Miao's era; I wouldn't dare touch it at all. If I did, it would involve seventy or eighty officials of various ranks."

"How many officials are there in an entire county? If that's the case, the Cultivation Organization will have a different view of me, perhaps even see this as a provocation."

In the past, I would have turned hostile on the spot; even if I didn't become Vice County Magistrate, I would have lifted the lid. But I calmed down, realizing that would only give others leverage and expose my own shortcomings.

"Besides, the sand extraction has already been halted, at least for now. If they repeat it later, I'll throw this problem to Secretary Zhang."

Zhou Weiguo was quite pleased: "It seems you've become much more mature. Whether you're dealing with a single person—be it a Secretary or a County Magistrate—so long as you stand on truth and truly consider the Common People and collective interests, some friction is no big deal."

"But when the scope is this large, extreme caution is required. As you said, your county has had incident after incident, each tied to you. Even if you act correctly, the organization will be especially careful about assigning you roles in the future."

"I think I've figured out who is behind this, because orchestrating such a large-scale illegal mining scheme requires a highly respected figure to control it. Although you all have laid your cards on the table, I believe he'll pull back in the short term; the fact that these few have turned themselves in is a good proof."

"It's fine to talk in grand terms, but you must stop this behavior; you cannot let them continue. A gentleman should keep his tools hidden until the right moment to act; if you act rashly, you're a brute."

"Do as you think appropriate, but I repeat: any authority that should be handed over must be handed over. You only need to focus on doing your investment promotion work well; stay out of other matters. Even those involving the Discipline Inspection Commission and the Public Security Bureau should be handled by those two departments themselves. Of course, at the Standing Committee meeting you have the right to voice opinions."

"One thing you must be cautious about: the senior officials, especially the local senior officials, wield great influence; their network is hard to imagine. In your county's situation, many County Standing Committee Members were likely promoted by those senior cadres. Of course, past promotions weren't as transparent as now; many things aren't visible on the surface, so don't act hastily, and don't share certain matters with others."

Su Yang gave a heavy nod; he had actually sensed this matter, and deep down he really didn't want such a thing to happen.

As for the current County Standing Committee Members, after Ye Xianggao and Wen Qiren's group were directly taken down, the remaining members have provided him with substantial support both in his work and in the present Standing Committee.

If it weren't for these people, Lieshan Xian's work wouldn't have progressed so smoothly. Zhou Ruohan had also told him this; in just a few years he has experienced a lot, but never a backstab. If his mind isn't strong enough, if he doesn't build mental resilience, he might not be able to endure it.

He asked, "Dad, I heard Ruo Han say Zhou Kai wants to go to a lower county for training, and the location has already been set?"

Old Zhou said, "Right, Zhou Kai is even younger than you, but honestly, this kid, like most Jingcheng youths, has a high starting point. Even now he's a Division-level official, and this time he's going straight into the County Standing Committee, mainly overseeing investment promotion."

"I know what you're thinking; grassroots work is tough, and someone like him who lacks experience will be hard to handle. But the matter should be viewed from two angles: rather than constantly suppressing him and making him unhappy, it's better to let him go and forge his own path."

"When he truly realizes he's not cut out for it, he'll come back on his own. Flowers grown in a greenhouse are too delicate to withstand the wind and rain outside, but even if we tell him, he may not listen; only personal experience teaches."

"Besides, you know our family situation; if it were someone else I could refuse outright, but with your third uncle's family I indeed owe something. He's an adult now, should know what should be done and what shouldn't; if he can achieve results, that's fine."

"Alright, you don't need to worry about his affairs, nor attend to him; even if something happens to him, it won't affect me, nor you."

Su Yang was about to say something when the office door was knocked.