Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 229 Land Acquisition and Demolition Scams

hang up the phone.

Wu Zhiyuan knew that Lin Xue's request to come to Xindian Town was less about conducting grassroots research and more about taking the opportunity to visit his former subordinate.

Lin Xue and Wu Zhiyuan were not just in a superior-subordinate relationship; she could see the shadow of her first love in Wu Zhiyuan.

In the past two years, due to the special nature of his work in the National Security Bureau, and the fact that he spends a considerable amount of time abroad, he has actually met with Lin Xue very few times.

Wu Zhiyuan felt a little excited to see his old leader again.

The doctor came out of the emergency room: "Secretary Wu, the patient is out of danger."

The gastric lavage was performed promptly, and the patient's vital signs are currently stable.

However, they still need to be observed in the intensive care unit for 24 to 48 hours to prevent delayed neurotoxicity or intermediate syndrome.

Overall, the patient was taken to the hospital very promptly and the treatment was appropriate; it was fortunate amidst the misfortune.

Wu Zhiyuan grasped the doctor's hand and said, "Thank you for your hard work! You'll need to be careful with the follow-up medical treatment and care to try your best to avoid any long-term effects."

Li Lamei's family members also gathered around.

Wu Zhiyuan patted Li Lamei's son on the shoulder: "You heard it too, the doctor said he needs to rest and be observed."

You can leave one or two people here, the rest of you go back and rest, and come back tomorrow or the day after.

There are doctors and nurses here, and the town will also arrange for people to assist you, so you can rest assured.

Regarding the house, I keep my word, and we will launch an investigation as soon as possible.

Li Lamei's son said, "Secretary Wu, this time, we all believe in you."

Back in his office, Wu Zhiyuan called Wu Changchun over.

"You must have heard about Li Lamei's suicide attempt in Changchun, right?"

"I heard about it. It caused quite a stir. It's fortunate that no one was hurt."

Secretary Wu, you called me here because of an investigation into this matter?

"Yes! As the secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, supervision, discipline enforcement, and accountability are your primary responsibilities."

On the surface, today's incident appears to be an extreme act by Li Lamei, but where does the root of the problem lie? It lies in the land acquisition and demolition on Xindian Avenue!

Forced demolition, unfair compensation, poor attitude of officials, and disregard for the demands of the people...

This series of problems reveals just how weak the concept of serving the people has become among some of our cadres!

How simple and brutal were their work methods?

Furthermore, were there any violations of rules or laws behind this?

Wu Zhiyuan emphasized: "Changchun, this is not an ordinary petition dispute. This is an event that could lead to serious social consequences and severely damage the image of the Party and the government!"

"This must be investigated, and thoroughly investigated! I'd like to hear your opinion, from the perspective of the Discipline Inspection Commission, how should they intervene? What difficulties might they encounter?"

"Secretary Wu, the Xindian Avenue project was a key project for the town last year, and Mayor Zhang Ping personally oversaw it."

However, this project was undertaken by Qingshan County Youdong Road and Bridge Company, and all demolition compensation and land sale revenue went through Youdong Company's accounts.

The owner of Youdong Company is named Qin Youdong. Some people say that he is a classmate of Mayor Zhang Ping, but whether they are really classmates is unknown.

The town government provides full support, but I don't know much about the specific cooperation and profit-sharing arrangements between Youdong Company and the town government.

Wu Zhiyuan frowned: "Is it going through Youdong Company's accounts? Or is the money being made by Youdong Company, and the town government is just cleaning up their mess?"

Or perhaps the town government only receives a small share, while some people's pockets are bulging?

"Secretary Wu, this cooperation model is nominally a government-enterprise cooperation, with shared benefits and shared risks."

However, in practice, the risks, such as resistance to demolition, public petitions, and pressure to maintain stability, are almost entirely borne by the town government.

As for the profits, we can't see all of Youdong Company's accounts, but as far as I know, the demolition compensation and construction costs they advanced in the early stages were all included in the costs.

The revenue from land sales first covers their costs and reasonable profits, and the remainder is then shared with the town's finances according to a set ratio.

How much the town gets depends entirely on how Youdong Company keeps its accounts.

However, at the beginning of this year, the town's government officials received their bonuses retroactively from last year. Each permanent employee received 3,000 yuan, and each temporary employee received 1,000 yuan, all provided by Youdong Company.

Wu Changchun paused for a moment, then continued, "Qin Youdong is a very good man."

Mayor Zhang's car, a brand new Passat, was purchased last year from Youdong Company at a discounted price—essentially a giveaway.

Wu Zhiyuan asked, "Didn't Youdong Company and the town government sign a contract in Changchun?"

"It should have been signed, but I haven't seen it."

Wu Zhiyuan tapped the table with his knuckles. Although it was a criticism, it was not harsh, but rather earnest: "Changchun, you are the secretary of the town's discipline inspection commission, the person in charge of the specialized agency for intra-party supervision."

"For projects involving major infrastructure projects across the town, government-business collaborations, and large sums of money, we should proactively fulfill our supervisory responsibilities and not remain indifferent."

"Secretary Wu, your criticism is correct. The town's discipline inspection commission has indeed fallen short in fulfilling its supervisory responsibilities."

However, in some cases, things may not be as you expect.

The Xindian Avenue project was positioned as a "town mayor's project" and a "number one project" from the very beginning. It was personally initiated and coordinated by Mayor Zhang.

All the negotiations and coordination, including discussing cooperation terms and signing contracts with Youdong Company, were handled by Mayor Zhang Ping, Deputy Mayor Liu Shuang, and Director Zhao Weizhong of the Town Construction Office. Even the then Town Party Secretary Hu Jinlong might not have known the specific details, let alone our Town Discipline Inspection Commission.

It's not that we don't want to pay attention or get involved; it's that others simply don't want to, and won't allow, the Discipline Inspection Commission to get involved.

Mayor Zhang Ping has stated on multiple occasions that development is the fundamental principle, and the Discipline Inspection Commission should provide more support and fewer obstacles, integrating supervision with service.

Wu Zhiyuan understood Wu Changchun's difficulties.

At the township level, if the township discipline inspection commission does not receive the support of the main leaders of the township party committee and government, it is like a deaf person's ear—just for show.

If the main leaders of the town's Party committee and government are powerful and deliberately "enclose" certain areas to prevent supervision from reaching them, the secretary of the discipline inspection commission will often find himself in a dilemma: he wants to supervise but cannot, and not supervising would be dereliction of duty.

Wu Zhiyuan said solemnly, "Changchun, we can temporarily set aside the objective reasons of the past."

But now, as the town's Party Secretary, I have made it clear that I fully support the Discipline Inspection Commission in fulfilling its supervisory responsibilities.

The Xindian Avenue project, including the cooperation with Youdong Company, must be brought under supervision.

The Li Lamei incident is a breakthrough point. The town plans to set up an investigation team, with me as the team leader and you as the deputy team leader. The first step is to investigate whether Li Lamei's demolition compensation was fair and whether any town or village officials were suspected of violating laws or regulations...

Wu Changchun is gone.

To truly uncover the shady dealings in the Xindian Avenue project cooperation, especially the flow of funds and the distribution of profits, one must have access to the core contracts and accounts.

And all of this is certainly in the hands of Mayor Zhang Ping and his most trusted deputy mayor Liu Shuang and urban construction office director Zhao Weizhong.

Wu Zhiyuan made a phone call and summoned Liu Shuang to his office.

Liu Shuang was in her forties, tall, and as thin as a bamboo pole.

Judging from his "malnourished" appearance, it seems that no one would believe it if someone said that he ate and drank excessively and embezzled public funds.

"Secretary Wu, you wanted to see me?" Liu Shuang entered the room with a smile on his face and a respectful expression.

"Mayor Liu, please sit down." Wu Zhiyuan gestured to the chair opposite him. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

Liu Shuang sat down, leaning slightly forward: "Secretary Wu, please speak."

"It's about the Xindian Avenue project, especially the cooperation with Youdong Company."

Wu Zhiyuan got straight to the point, "You're aware of Li Lamei's situation; it's had a very bad impact."

To properly handle the aftermath, it is essential to clarify the details of the project itself, especially the demolition compensation policy, the cooperation model with Youdong, and the financial accounts.

As the supervisor in charge and the person in charge of the specific implementation, you are the most familiar with the situation.

"Tell me about the contents of the cooperation agreement signed between the town government and Youdong Company, the division of rights, responsibilities, and benefits between the two parties, the procedures for fund transfers, and the basis for setting the demolition compensation standards."

Liu Shuang's eyes flickered: "Secretary Wu, Mayor Zhang is in overall charge of this project. My main role is to execute it and coordinate with Mayor Zhang and Youdong Company."

The compensation standards were determined in accordance with the aforementioned guiding documents, taking into account the actual situation in our town, and were reviewed by the town mayor's office meeting.

Wu Zhiyuan remained calm and continued to ask, "What is the revenue sharing ratio between the town government and Youdong Company?"

Is the demolition compensation paid in advance by Youdong or by the town?

I heard that the bonuses given to government officials at the end of last year came from Youdong Company. What kind of situation is this?

Liu Shuang hesitated for a moment and said, "Secretary Wu, I'm not really clear about these specific financial and contract details."

The profit-sharing arrangement was agreed upon by Mayor Zhang and General Manager Qin, and there should be a written agreement between them.

The funding process involved Youdong first paying the demolition and construction costs, and then the proceeds from the land sale went into their company account.

As for the bonuses for the staff, that's a small reward from Youdong Company to support the town's work, a token of appreciation for the hard work of the staff. It's a form of corporate sponsorship of the local government, and also intended to boost morale and better advance the project.

Wu Zhiyuan asked some more questions, but Liu Shuang either gave evasive answers, downplayed the issues, or shirked responsibility, never getting to the heart of the matter.

Wu Zhiyuan was furious: "Don't try to play games with me here and try to smooth things over!"

I am now speaking to you in my capacity as the Party Secretary of the town to understand the situation!

As a Party cadre and a state civil servant, you are first and foremost responsible to the organization and to Party discipline and state laws, not to any particular individual!

If you continue to cover up your actions, clinging to wishful thinking and believing that you can get away with anything by clinging to certain people, then let me tell you, you've miscalculated!

There's definitely something wrong with Xindian Avenue. Do you think you can get away with it? Does anyone think they can protect you?