Chapter 1015: Must Conduct Appraisal

Although Zhang Jiangbo still wore an angry expression, he stopped his steps; otherwise, given Su Yang's unconventional nature, if he were to recount those embarrassing incidents from his time in Jingcheng, Zhang would never be able to salvage his dignity again.

Anything else?

Su Yang said: "Secretary Zhang, I request that my bank statement be sent to the Provincial Public Security Department for authentication to prove my innocence."

"Also, the two people who keep accusing me of bribery are temporarily detained at the Lie Shan Public Security Bureau; they will be released only after this matter is fully clarified."

"Finally, regarding the balance in my account, should we explain it publicly to everyone?"

The anger on Zhang Jiangbo's face cleared up the moment he heard "explain the balance," his gaze becoming clear.

"Regarding the source of your income, no need to explain; I can confirm your income is legitimate, and if necessary, I can explain the details to the superior department."

"As for your suggestion to send your bank flow to the Provincial Public Security Department for verification, I agree as well."

"As for these two individuals, let them suffer a temporary inconvenience until the truth is known; if it turns out we were right, we'll give them appropriate compensation, including lost wages."

"But if they are here to frame us, then we will handle them accordingly—no leniency, no mercy."

At this moment, he wished he could vanish instantly, return to the office, and carefully review: today's situation had victory in his grasp, so why did Su Yang turn the tables against him?

As County Party Secretary, one or two mistakes are tolerable, but constant failures are not; otherwise, it's not just about whether he can keep his foothold and seize power, but about the constant risk of being transferred away.

Although he lacks grassroots experience, he knows this: a County Party Secretary, especially a high-ranking one like him, if he cannot control the overall situation, the superior organization will view it as a sign of insufficient ability.

Normally, the best outcome for someone like him would be a transfer to another county to continue as the top leader; if he fails to perform, he'll likely be sent back where he came from, because that shows he simply isn't cut out for the role.

Zhang Jiangbo has already set the tone; others naturally won't say more, and since they're not blind, with someone like Su Yang they'd best unite; if they can't, they'll keep their distance, otherwise Qi Guohui will end up like him.

Last time he feigned unconsciousness; this time he truly passed out. Rumors they'd only heard about are now happening right before their eyes.

Even the eloquent Chen Bo couldn't find words; the scene was too explosive, surpassing his understanding of cadres as a group.

Zhou Yanru and Hou Junlai finally breathed a sigh of relief; if this incident really dragged Su Yang in, they would indeed feel some guilt. They reaped the benefits, gained the interests, and left Su Yang to take the blame—if word got out, they'd truly be stabbed in the back.

Zhao Nanxing said nothing, leaving the Public Security Bureau with a cold face. He had thought that, as County Magistrate, his special status would let him control Su Yang, but discovering Su Yang was impervious to both soft and hard tactics, he tried to mobilize collective advantage to 'gang up' on Su Yang—yet gained nothing. Later, when Zhang Jiangbo arrived, he thought it was a sure thing, only to end up with a bruised and swollen face.

Before Zhang Jiangbo arrived, they had repeatedly hit walls in the standing committee and on major decisions, but at least they hadn't been beaten to a black-and-blue face.

After returning to his office, Su Yang couldn't help but break into a smile; he had indeed been holding back great frustration. This group always comes in high spirits but leaves with tails between their legs—clever Ma Su this time probably won't have a good day.

At that moment, a knock came from the door, followed by Chen Bo's voice: "County Magistrate Su, are you in?"

Su Yang replied: "Just come in; why knock?"

After Chen Bo entered, he got straight to the point: "County Magistrate Su, what just happened? Do you really have over three million in your account? You're totally a tall, rich, handsome guy! If it were me, I'd just lie around—why bother working?"

"And why was Secretary Zhang's expression so odd? Qi Guohui was speaking up for him, so why did he slap him?"

"Originally, this might involve someone's privacy, so she shouldn't ask, but a woman's curiosity surpasses a man's; if she doesn't look into it, she probably won't sleep tonight."

Su Yang said: "Actually, this is simple; this money was actually given to me by Secretary Zhang and them."

Su Yang then briefly recounted what happened at the Jingcheng club, without elevating those people's identities too much, and he omitted some details.

Upon hearing this, Chen Bo suddenly understood: "No wonder—if I were Secretary Zhang, I'd want to beat Qi Guohui to death on the spot. Even as a foot soldier, you need to read others' expressions; charging ahead blindly, that slap he received was not unjust."

"Speaking of which, you once had twenty million and even bought a courtyard house in Jingcheng—something us ordinary folks could never dream of!"

Su Yang said: "Just good luck, and I never expected those Jingcheng playboys to be true to their word—what they say, they do. Of course, this money is almost spent; what I keep is for future living expenses, so no one can accuse me of bribery or corruption."

Chen Bo nodded, then said: "If we ever run into trouble making a living, couldn't we just borrow money from you? Hahaha!"

"By the way, regarding this matter, I suddenly think there's an issue: you originally assigned this project to Secretary Hou and Secretary Zhou; logically, they're the people they trust most, so why did this happen suddenly, and yet they seem completely unaware?"

"Today's incident is just someone being overly clever, turning this solid evidence into a loophole; otherwise, they would have succeeded today."

Su Yang shook his head slightly: "I also find this suspicious, but as long as those two are at the Lie Shan Public Security Bureau, we need not fear the investigation won't uncover it. Anyway, it's time for me to go to Jingcheng to expedite the highway and Yingbin Dadao project, lest further complications arise."

"After today's incident, both Secretary Zhang and County Magistrate Zhao will likely stay low for a while."

After returning to his office, Zhao Nanxing immediately summoned Ma Su.

Ma Su also knew what had just happened; because of her own cleverness, Qi Guohui got a slap straight to the hospital emergency room. Yet even if she was at fault, she put on a pitiful act, tears streaming as she entered, saying: "County Magistrate Zhao, this isn't my fault—I meant well, I wanted to leave Su Yang no room to maneuver; who knew he was so crafty?"

Zhao Nanxing's face remained as dark as ink: "Come over, walk up to me and say it."