Chapter 27: Taking It by Storm

Wu Yunqiu continued, "Today, Qian Dazhi must be removed from his post, and his related responsibilities must be investigated. Secretary Lei, what do you have to say?"

Upon hearing this, Sha Junhai and the others were stunned. Lei Lizhou was a man of prudence and few words, known as the "Iron-Faced Judge." In Ninghai County, he had always been a neutral party. Sha Junhai had tried to recruit him into his camp several times, but was politely rebuffed. Until the day before yesterday, when Wu Yunqiu approached him, he had been struggling with a difficult decision: should he stand with Wu Yunqiu or with Sha Junhai? In the end, he chose to take a gamble, insisting on the justice and fairness expected of a Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission. In a sense, this meant siding with Wu Yunqiu.

To Lei Lizhou, the situation in Ninghai had reached a point where drastic measures were necessary. If things continued as they were, the "Sha Faction" would only grow stronger, and there might soon be no room left for him. Although Wu Yunqiu was a woman, she possessed great resolve and, more importantly, had a powerful background that made her fully capable of challenging Sha Junhai. Thus, Lei Lizhou decided to stake his political future on this move.

Lei glanced at his notebook, cleared his throat, and said, "Following an investigation by our commission, we have discovered that Qian Dazhi owns five properties."

This statement was like a thunderbolt, causing the faces of those who had just opposed the motion to change instantly. Ignoring their gazes, Lei continued, "Two in Ninghai County, two in Donghua Prefecture, and one in the provincial capital."

The room collectively gasped. A low-ranking official holding a department-level position possessing five properties, including one in the provincial capital? Even with a standard salary, he could not afford these in sixty years of work, even without eating or drinking. It was clear that the income used to purchase these properties was illicit. Qian Dazhi was corrupt, and not just in small amounts.

Sha Junhai, Ou Huasheng, Feng Zhikuan, and Luo Fasen looked at one another, their faces flushed and grim. The slap to their faces had come all too quickly. Clearly, Wu Yunqiu’s maneuver to "pull the firewood from under the cauldron" had caught them off guard. They knew she had met with Lei Lizhou earlier, but they had never imagined the Discipline Inspection Commission had secretly and swiftly conducted such a thorough investigation into Qian Dazhi.

Having just spoken in defense of Qian Dazhi, would they now be suspected of collusion or sharing in his illicit gains? After all, everyone knew Qian Dazhi was one of Sha Junhai’s men. For a moment, the four men were speechless, cursing Qian Dazhi internally as a fool.

Wu Yunqiu pressed, "Secretary Lei, is this certain?"

Lei continued, "Furthermore, Qian Dazhi has three mistresses, each living in one of his properties, and one of them has even borne him an illegitimate child."

At this, everyone lost their composure, their expressions turning to horror. Sha Junhai cursed under his breath: *Qian Dazhi, you idiot. You brought this upon yourself; don't blame me for not saving you.*

"Is there evidence?" Wu Yunqiu asked.

Lei pulled a file from his briefcase and looked at He Shinian. "Secretary He, please distribute these to the standing committee members."

He Shinian had prepared this file and was already aware of its contents, but he complied, handing a copy to each member. As they read, their faces turned increasingly ashen. The file detailed keeping mistresses, bribery, extortion, and even coercing young women into losing their virginity.

Sha Junhai’s face shifted from iron-gray to a dark, sickly pallor. Knowing that the evidence left no room for recovery, he immediately scrambled to distance himself from Qian Dazhi. "Qian Dazhi is a cancer to the Party and the country. That we only now discover such a black sheep among our ranks is unacceptable. Punish him! He must be severely punished!"

Following his lead, Feng Zhikuan, Ou Huasheng, and Luo Fasen also chimed in. Feng added, "Qian Dazhi’s crimes are beyond enumeration. To think such a corrupt element held the position of Party Secretary for so many years—I suggest we place him under 'Shuanggui' (internal investigation) immediately."

He Shinian thought to himself that the turn of events had been so swift that these men couldn't even keep up. Faced with ironclad evidence, no one dared to defy Wu Yunqiu’s decision. At this moment, anyone with a shred of sense knew they had to stand on her side, even if only temporarily and against their will.

Wu Yunqiu had won this round through careful preparation and planning, and through the cooperation of Lei Lizhou. Of course, the primary catalyst was the evidence He Shinian had obtained through Li Zhaoyang. Without that, the outcome might have been very different.

This defeat instilled a sense of wariness in Sha Junhai and his allies, mixed with deep-seated resentment. If Sha Junhai ever discovered that He Shinian was the one who had prepared the evidence to take down Qian Dazhi, he would surely stop at nothing to destroy him.

Wu Yunqiu had been in Ninghai for three months, rarely speaking up or appearing in the media. She had seemed gentle, but today’s events revealed her inner steel. The committee reached a unanimous decision regarding the investigation into Qian Dazhi.

Wu concluded the meeting: "Secretary Lei, the Discipline Inspection Commission has independent authority. Please proceed with the resolution."

Lei acknowledged, stood up, and went outside to make a call.

On the ground floor, Qian Dazhi was sitting comfortably, chatting animatedly with the staff and sipping tea, fully convinced that Sha Junhai would save him. He had no idea that his fate had already been sealed. As he laughed, two uniformed officers quietly approached him.

Qian, unaware of what was happening, asked politely, "Hello, comrades, is there something you need?"

One of the men displayed his credentials. "Qian Dazhi, we are from the Discipline Inspection Commission. Please sign this document and come with us."

Qian scanned the document, his pupils constricting. "What law have I broken? Why are you placing me under investigation?" He stammered, "Wait, comrades, is there some mistake? I am the Party Secretary of Nanping Town!"

"It is you. Please sign and cooperate with our work."

"No, you must be mistaken! I... I need to see Mayor Sha!"

As he spoke, he suddenly struggled to his feet, attempting to bolt toward the exit. The two officers were quick, pinning him down immediately. Qian fought desperately, his emotions spiraling into hysterical shrieks that echoed throughout the office building.

Hearing the commotion, the faces of Sha Junhai and his group grew even darker. Qian Dazhi was finished, and in this battle, Wu Yunqiu had achieved a total victory. Looking at the defeated expressions of Sha and his men, He Shinian knew that from this day forward, he was firmly marked as one of Wu Yunqiu’s people. He could only hope for her continued rise; otherwise, his own political career would be in grave peril.