Chapter 738: A Single Hair Moves the Whole Body

Zhou Weiguo chuckled and said, "Yes, achievements are achievements, mistakes are mistakes; we can't slam the whole thing shut, we can't let our comrades lose heart. As for this incident…"

"In my view, leaders at every level do bear responsibility, but which specific level to hold accountable is still up for discussion. Of course, as far as I know, in Jingcheng the Party Organization Department's Deputy Minister Fang and the Discipline Inspection Commission's Deputy Secretary Zhou are steering the matter."

"Fang is an old colleague of ours; I'll talk to her and give her a bit of face. As for Deputy Secretary Zhou, I'll speak with him personally. Although some officials in the provincial party leadership are indeed out of line, the reprimand can't be slapped on the class leader himself."

Sha Rui, hearing this, hurriedly thanked, "Then thank you, brother; when I go to Jingcheng later I'll be sure to repay you. By the way, the provincial party committee is currently planning to cultivate a batch of young county‑ and division‑level cadres; comrades like Su Yang certainly meet the criteria."

"Especially given the situation in Lieshan County, letting him shoulder a temporary burden serves as early training. Of course, his experience is still shallow, so he may need some time to settle."

From Zhou Weiguo's side came a hearty laugh: "Hahaha, old leader, you can't give Su Yang special green‑light treatment just because of our connection—that would draw criticism. Also, I've heard Da Cheng's work has not been going smoothly lately; after all, he's under Governor Xingbang, who is a very forceful man."

Sha Rui said, "Both of them are very strong‑willed and capable, but when it comes to economic development, I think Da Cheng is still visionary; when support is needed, I'll definitely back him."

In a few words the two settled the matter. Secretary Sha wants a smooth tenure, and Zhou Weiguo's demand is simpler: Su Yang must not be punished together with the entire Lieshan County Party committee because of this. For Sha Rui, that's just a matter of a cough.

After hanging up, Sha Rui let out a long sigh and shook his head. In the end, he's still a proper high‑ranking official, while Zhou Weiguo is merely a second‑in‑command.

But some things can't be compared, like he's already past his prime, especially in the most peripheral province, and will soon retreat to a secondary role. Yet Zhou Weiguo, though only a deputy, has a rapid rise, favored by superiors and backed by two major families.

If no major mistakes occur, in two years he'll officially become the top leader of Jiangnan Province. There's even a rumor that after assuming Jiangnan's top post, Zhou Weiguo will move straight into the bureau.

Though it's a rumor, it can't be baseless. At just 52 in two years, his age is an advantage, yet there are many strong rivals for further promotion. Who can say whether variables will arise then?

But one thing is clear: what Zhou Weiguo can achieve now, even the top leader of Ganzhou Sheng can't. That's reality—rank is rank, status is status, but connections are connections, and the three differ fundamentally.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xingbang's office was brightly lit; he kept smoking there, looking very depressed.

Wu Dachun said, "Boss, is this matter that troublesome? Liu Zhengyang originally left with his tail between his legs. Even after he went to a central enterprise and became its head, he's only a deputy‑minister level. I heard Vice Governor Huang personally went to the airport to receive him—that's already giving him plenty of face. Could he really shake our provincial structure?"

Zhao Xingbang glanced at his secretary, then shook his head: "Your view is too one‑sided; even if a central enterprise head is only deputy‑minister level with high prestige, Huang Da Cheng wouldn't personally go to the airport."

"He went to the airport not because of Liu Zhengyang, but because of Liu's elder—Liu Lao—the whole family, the people aligned with their clan. Politics isn't as simple as it looks; at this level many issues aren't judged by rank."

"Just now Da Cheng said Liu Zhengyang isn't coming to our provincial party committee or government; he's heading straight to Lieshan County. That shows his attitude toward this matter; I think someone this time may not be able to sit still."

Wu Dachun awkwardly scratched his head; he's been the boss's trusted aide for years, otherwise he wouldn't say such things. Still, he mustered courage and asked, "Boss, could this affect you?"

Zhao Xingbang shook his head: "I don't know, most likely not; after all I've only been in Ganzhou Sheng for half a year, many issues are historical leftovers. Forget it, no need to overthink—since he's decided to go to Lieshan County, let him. When did our project team set out?"

Wu Dachun said, "They left an hour ago; this time the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary personally led the team."

Zhao Xingbang nodded, "Alright, then let's call it a day; if the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Looks like Bai Jia is taking this shift."

At the same time, Deputy Secretary Wang Huaizhong paced back and forth; the Lieshan County issue had blown up far beyond his expectations. Geng Miao's gang had gone mad, which surprised him, and what he hadn't foreseen was that this reckless group actually targeted Liu Zhengyang's daughter—purely courting death. This time the Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary himself led the team, so the punishment will be severe; after much deliberation he pulled out his phone and sent a message out.

In the hospital at that moment, Geng Le had just been emergency‑bandaged; the bleeding stopped, but the concussion remained.

Geng Le shouted, "Brother, that stinky bitch still dares to hit people; today I must skin her alive! And that Deputy Chief Sun Chengjun, he pointed a gun at me—if he weren't there, how could that bitch dare hit me? Isn't he still at the Public Security Bureau? I'm going to deal with him right now; I'll go to the bureau's interrogation room and finish him, then make him have no way to live and no way to die!"

Geng Miao said, "Now the person is inside the Public Security Bureau, so this is hard to handle. Even if we have great power, we can't do this inside the bureau; it would only give them more leverage. But we can't let it end here—just now we received news that Su Yang has already been taken away. Tomorrow morning Sun Chengjun will definitely be dismissed, and everything in the bureau will be under our control; then you can deal with him however you like."

Geng Le still shouted, "I won't let that Su Yang have it easy either; ask where he's locked up. Tomorrow morning send people over and deal with him directly!"

Geng Miao was about to speak when his phone buzzed with a message. He glanced at it, and his complexion changed dramatically.