Chapter 578

Chang Kai, who had been thrown down and landed face-first in the mud, let out a miserable cry. The office floor was paved with relatively hard red bricks, and he really knocked his head hard on the brick. This kind of sour-refreshing taste, only he himself could feel; others couldn't.

"What are you doing? I wasn't even opening the door? Are you trying to kick the door in? That's not exactly civilized behavior; if it were street thugs, it would fit their style. But if it's the leaders of the investigation team from the province and city, then that would be a bit..."

Su Yang stopped speaking at that point, because there were still several people standing behind him; if he continued, he would be denying the whole investigation team face. One must gauge the proper measure in everything, knowing when to stop.

"Comrade Su Yang, hello. This is the head of this investigation team, Secretary Gao Fujun, and the rest are members of the investigation team. We've come this time to ask you to cooperate and explain the matter of the posts that have been circulating online these past two days." A staff member of the County Discipline Inspection Commission immediately stepped forward and said.

Only then did Su Yang pretend to have fully reacted: "Oh, it's the provincial leaders. Hello, leaders, I'm Su Yang. This matter is quite troublesome, making you travel all this way—really sorry about that."

Gao Fujun glanced up and down at Su Yang, thinking to himself: "You little brat, you're really not something that can be easily dealt with—daring to toy with an investigation team sent by superiors, you're probably the first." Although he thought that, he said aloud: "Go to your meeting room. Regarding some circumstances, we need to investigate you; you must honestly and fully explain what happened, otherwise no one can save you, and you'll also have to pay a price."

Su Yang grunted in acknowledgment, then led the crowd toward the meeting room.

At that moment, Chang Kai struggled to get up from the ground, wiped the blood from his face, and shouted: "Su Yang, don't be arrogant; we've already grasped your criminal facts. This interrogation is first giving you a chance to confess. Your behavior has already affected the image of cadres throughout the province, and as a cadre promoted in violation of regulations, you inherently have many problems. Just now you even refused to cooperate—your guilt is compounded!"

Su Yang didn't even turn his head; he roughly guessed which side Chang Kai represented.

Unexpectedly, Chang Kai continued: "You summon all the cadres from the township, wake up those living in the township government; we want these people to observe, to publicize this shameful behavior, so they can take it as a warning."

He really wished to blow things up, and the bigger the better, so he could gain more trust from Gao Liang.

"Secretary Chang, this probably isn't necessary, after all this is just Comrade Su Yang's personal matter; there's no need to summon all the cadres at this time." said a Discipline Inspection Commission staffer following behind Gao Fujun.

On the way here, Gao Fujun had briefly briefed him, so he already knew the purpose of this visit. Chang Kai's such intense behavior indeed exceeded their expectations, so since Gao Fujun wasn't in a position to speak up, it naturally fell to him to say.

Unexpectedly, at that moment Su Yang said: "It's fine; I actually wanted to prove my innocence in front of all the township cadres, so having everyone present would be good."

His fundamental purpose in having everyone present was to let the person lurking in the township who was stirring up trouble behind the scenes also come to the scene, so that even if Li Xiangdong and his associates made a move, it would be more convenient and avoid raising suspicion.

Gao Fujun gave Su Yang a deep look: "This kid really is out of the ordinary; he doesn't mind making such a disgraceful matter public before everyone." Of course, this matter likely was already known by the township cadres, and some of them were even at the foot of Mount Xiushui that very day.

Since Su Yang said that, he then said: "Wait a moment, if all the township cadres come, you can ask them one by one about Comrade Su Yang's performance in daily work."

Chang Kai then jumped in again: "Right, Secretary Gao is correct; we should ask them individually, so they can tell us about Su Yang's usual embezzlement, bribery, and extortion, so we can also grasp the situation."

Many cadres in the township actually live in the office because they're busy with work; when the vehicles arrived outside just now, those who weren't asleep had already gotten up.

Having heard the commotion outside, they had already come out of the office. They had previously heard various noises, but actually seeing people from the province and city arrive was still a shock—indeed, in the history of Xiushui Township, it's the first time provincial officials have come down.

"Did you all hear that? Is there a deputy township secretary? Let everyone gather! Don't be afraid of him; in daily life he bullies you with his position as township Party Committee secretary, treating this top post as a tyrant's scepter, making you afraid to speak up. This time the provincial-municipal joint investigation team has come to investigate his illegal and disciplinary violations. So say whatever you have—don't fear his retaliation."

After saying that, Chang Kai then shouted toward the courtyard: "Where is the deputy township secretary in charge of work? Come lead us to the meeting room!"

But the people of the township government stood where they were, not moving at all. They're certainly not fools; don't they understand the Su Yang matter?

Even if they harbored resentment deep down and had pulled some small tricks behind the scenes, they really lacked the guts to step forward and take action against Su Yang—after all, the fates of the previous township secretary, township Party Committee secretary, and deputy secretaries lie before their eyes.

Moreover, they had already been caught with something on them by others, but Su Yang hadn't pressed the matter, nor let it be investigated further. The key is the Su Yang affair—they now know it inside out; even when it happened in Huatian Town, they hadn't lacked experience with such things, and in the end, weren't those people still fine?

Seeing no one move their feet, Chang Kai's face instantly fell. In the system, face is paramount, especially when a superior is before a subordinate—it's all about saving face. Yet now he felt no less than being urinated on by a crowd while they asked, "How does it taste? Can you smell the urine?"

"Don't you all understand what I'm saying? I'm Chang Kai, deputy secretary of the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission, and I now order all of you to come to the meeting room! You must tell us everything you know about Comrade Su Yang's illegal and disciplinary violations, in full detail; otherwise, you're covering up and condoning, and will likewise be dealt with by the disciplinary authorities!"

Yet he so blatantly pulled out his superior's authority to give orders—this would work anywhere else, not just in a township but even in the county government—but the people of Xiushui Township simply wouldn't budge.

Some even turned and went back to their offices—indeed, those who turned back were Xie Siyang and Gao Peixia, with Gao Peixia being dragged along.