Chapter 34: Creating a Disturbance at the County Committee Office with Pesticide

He Shinian’s stern rebuke sent a jolt through Liu Dajin.

"Liu Dajin, you are, at the very least, a Party member and a man. Since you have done wrong, you should stand tall and take responsibility instead of seeking shelter."

"Let me tell you, in the face of justice, no amount of shelter can hide the truth."

"As long as Secretary Wu shows mercy, I, Liu Dajin, swear I will turn over a new leaf, live as an honest man, and serve the people."

He Shinian smiled. Was Liu Dajin genuinely foolish, or just pretending? Did he really think that because he had engaged in corruption and bribery, a meeting with Wu Yunqiu would make his troubles vanish? The impartiality of the law was not subject to the whims of individuals. Even with the power Wu Yunqiu held, she would never condone the existence of criminals.

"Director Liu, please get up. It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but I truly cannot. You must fend for yourself. My advice is to act proactively and confess for leniency."

With that, He Shinian turned to leave, but Liu Dajin grabbed him. As he stood up, he pulled a brown paper envelope from his bag and thrust it into He Shinian’s hand. It was thick. Judging by the weight, it contained at least fifty or sixty thousand yuan.

Good grief. Liu Dajin was actually attempting to bribe him.

"Director Liu, what is the meaning of this?" He Shinian asked coldly.

"Just a small gesture, Secretary He. Please, accept it."

This was Liu Dajin’s last resort. If He Shinian accepted the envelope, there was still hope; if he refused, Liu Dajin was finished.

He Shinian felt a deep sense of disgust and repulsion toward such bribery. Any shred of pity he had for Liu Dajin vanished. He said sternly, "Liu Dajin, take your things and look after yourself."

Without a hint of courtesy, he shoved Liu Dajin out the door and slammed it shut. Outside, Liu Dajin stood with the heavy envelope, his eyes bloodshot and his heart full of despair.

Just then, Qiao Yina walked over. "Shinian, he was your former colleague. He just wanted to see Secretary Wu; why wouldn't you help him?"

He Shinian didn't want to answer. If she knew how Liu Dajin had made things difficult and targeted him back at the Land Bureau, he wondered if she would still be able to say such things. Furthermore, with Liu Dajin suspected of corruption, how could He Shinian possibly help him?

Seeing his silence, Qiao Yina continued, "What did he give you just now? Was there money in it? You only needed to arrange a meeting; wouldn't that money have been yours?"

He Shinian was shocked. He looked at her and said, "A gentleman loves wealth, but he acquires it in the right way. How could I ever accept such ill-gotten gains?"

***

Qiao Yina clearly didn't understand. In her view, as the secretary to the Party Secretary, arranging a meeting between Liu Dajin and Wu Yunqiu would be an effortless task. Why would He Shinian refuse a chance to earn tens of thousands of yuan without a second thought? In her mindset, which official these days didn't accumulate wealth, take red envelopes, or skim off the top?

"I don't get you. Our department leaders all take red envelopes, drive luxury cars, live in big houses, and go on trips and shopping sprees every year."

"And it’s not just the leaders. Ninghai is in the middle of a major infrastructure construction year; even a small section chief is flooded with red envelopes, gifts, and shopping cards."

He Shinian turned to her with a warning tone. "Yina, what others do is their business, and we can’t control it. But I am telling you, we must never accept such things. By the way, did you return those gifts from last time?"

Qiao Yina gave a soft "hmm," but her eyes flickered away.

To He Shinian's surprise, the next morning, as he arrived at the County Committee office by bike to join Fang Jie in picking up Wu Yunqiu, he saw Liu Dajin huddled in a corner. His hair was disheveled, and he was clutching a bottle of pesticide.

"Liu Dajin, why are you here?"

Liu Dajin seemed not to have slept. His face was sallow, his eyes were red and swollen, and his expression was vacant.

"I need to see Secretary Wu."

He Shinian said, "Secretary Wu is very busy today and has no time to see you. Please, go back."

Liu Dajin shook his head firmly. "If I don't see Secretary Wu today, I will die right here at the County Committee."

Only then did He Shinian realize that the bottle in his hand was glyphosate. Good heavens. It was highly toxic. One swallow would burn through his insides; death would be certain.

He Shinian’s gaze sharpened. "Liu Dajin, put that down. Do you have no sense of Party discipline? No sense of manhood left?"

Liu Dajin remained unmoved by the verbal lashing. With no other choice, He Shinian told Fang Jie to go pick up the Secretary while he stayed behind to prevent any accidents. After Fang Jie left, He Shinian called Kong Zhengyou, asking him to come and take charge of the situation.

When Kong Zhengyou heard that Liu Dajin might drink pesticide, he was terrified and rushed over immediately. Liu Dajin heard the content of the call and cursed, "No matter who comes, it won't matter. If anyone dares to stop me from seeing Secretary Wu, I will drink this poison and die right here."

"Liu Dajin, please, be calm."

"Calm? I can't be calm. When things were good, they were the ones living the high life and chasing women, but now that there's trouble, they're making me the scapegoat. I want justice! I want to see Secretary Wu!"

He Shinian thought to himself that the discipline inspection commission had brought down a "tiger" at the section level, yet it had shaken a "cat" like Liu Dajin into such a panic. If you had practiced self-discipline, taken nothing, and stood upright, would you be in this mess?

***

The pitiable always have their hateful aspects. By now, security guards had gathered around, but seeing Liu Dajin’s volatile state, they didn't dare approach.

To prevent a tragedy, He Shinian couldn't afford to hesitate. Catching Liu Dajin off guard, he lunged forward, grabbed his wrists, and snatched the bottle of pesticide away. The security guards seized the moment to pin him down.

"Let go of me! What are you doing? I need to see Secretary Wu!"

"What should we do?" one of the guards asked.

He Shinian said, "There are people coming and going; it looks bad. Take him to the security office and secure him to a chair. I’ve already notified his unit leaders to come and collect him."

They didn't wait long before Kong Zhengyou arrived in a flurry, accompanied by two police officers.

"You damn fool, Liu Dajin, what are you doing? This is the County Committee! Is this a place for you to throw a tantrum?" Kong Zhengyou barked the moment he saw him.

"Hmph, Kong Zhengyou, you're no better. You were the first to enjoy the perks, and you were the most active when it came to chasing women."

"Now that there's trouble, you dump it all on me. I'm not playing along. Push me too far, and I'll make sure you all go down with me."

Kong Zhengyou’s expression darkened. Without another word, he ordered the two officers to take Liu Dajin away. As he was hauled into the car, Liu Dajin kept shouting, spilling all of Kong Zhengyou’s dark secrets.

Kong Zhengyou looked grim, but he apologized, "Secretary He, I’m sorry for the trouble."

He Shinian handed him the bottle of glyphosate. "Please pass this on to the police officers, Director Kong."

Kong Zhengyou looked at the bottle, his heart skipping a beat. It was a close call. If Liu Dajin had lost his composure and actually drunk it there, it would have been a catastrophe. Either way, he would have been held responsible.

"Understood. Thank you, Secretary He. I will certainly cooperate with the police in handling this matter."

After Kong Zhengyou left, He Shinian breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing it was still early, he returned to his office. Shortly after, Fang Jie and Wu Yunqiu arrived. Wu Yunqiu walked in front, with Fang Jie following behind carrying her bag.

He Shinian quickly stepped forward to take the bag, signaled for Fang Jie to leave, and followed Wu Yunqiu into the office. Once inside, he poured her tea. She asked, "I heard something happened just now?"