Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 282 Taking the Second Wife Route

Geng Dongqing frowned. Wu Zhiyuan was the first to jump out and oppose it, setting a very bad precedent.

Wu Zhiyuan continued, "According to our preliminary verification, the collapse of the Wanshan Bridge has resulted in four deaths."

This number clearly indicates a major accident.

According to the aforementioned regulations, the primary responsibility for accident investigation should legally fall under the jurisdiction of the Longcheng Municipal People's Government.

As the location of the accident, Qingshan County certainly has a responsibility to fully cooperate with the higher authorities' investigation, and to do a good job in all aspects, including scene protection, evidence preservation, personnel control, and comforting the families.

However, directly establishing a county-level investigation leading group and taking full responsibility for investigating the cause of the accident and determining liability is clearly inconsistent with the division of powers for investigating major accidents as stipulated by laws and regulations.

Unauthorized investigations that exceed one's authority are not only without legal basis, but could also lead to a series of serious consequences.

First, the authority of the investigation's conclusions will be questioned...

Geng Dongqing finally couldn't hold back any longer and interrupted Wu Zhiyuan: "Comrade Zhiyuan! This is a Standing Committee meeting to discuss the handling of a major accident, not a legal seminar!"

You spout off regulations and rules, spouting grand theories with such conviction!

Let me ask you this: now the bridge has collapsed, people are dead, the public is waiting for an explanation, and the higher authorities are waiting for a report. The situation on the ground is changing rapidly.

You're sticking to the rules here, arguing about whether it's overstepping authority or not. Does that solve anything?

Can you reassure the family members? Can you control the situation?

Geng Dongqing became increasingly angry as he spoke, and slammed his knuckles heavily on the table: "In my opinion, this is a typical case of dogmatism and bureaucracy!"

When faced with a problem, instead of thinking about how to solve it, they first think about how to shirk responsibility and how to avoid getting involved!

The establishment of the leading group is to get things started as soon as possible and to stabilize morale; this is a political task! It is the most important issue at present!

Do you even understand what it means to have a sense of the big picture? What does it mean to have political responsibility?

Ding Yi spoke up: "Secretary Geng, please calm down."

The Standing Committee is one of the highest forms of deliberation and decision-making within the Party, which inherently requires the full promotion of democracy and the pooling of wisdom from all parties.

Comrade Zhiyuan's right to offer his views and suggestions on the authority and procedures of the accident investigation, based on national laws and regulations, is a normal manifestation of intra-party democratic life.

The purpose of our meetings is to allow everyone to speak freely, put problems on the table, analyze the pros and cons clearly, and thus make the most scientific and realistic decisions.

If there can only be one voice, then what's the point of having a Standing Committee?

Ding Yiyi's words were subtle yet incisive, both criticizing Geng Dongqing and Xu Jin for rudely interrupting others' speeches and clearly upholding Wu Zhiyuan's right to express his opinions in accordance with laws and regulations.

She paused, then turned to Wu Zhiyuan: "Comrade Zhiyuan, please finish your statement."

Wu Zhiyuan said calmly, "I humbly accept Secretary Geng's criticism."

Regarding the authority to investigate the accident, it's not that I, Wu Zhiyuan, am being pedantic, but rather that the national regulations are clearly stated in black and white.

Four people died; it was a major accident. The investigation authority lies with the city.

This isn't a question of whether our county wants to or can, but rather a question of whether it should and should not.

If we bypass the regulations now and set up our own leading group to investigate, even if we eventually find a result, how credible will that result be?

Can it withstand scrutiny? What if the victims' families disagree, or there are questions from the public? How will we explain ourselves?

Geng Dongqing listened with a furrowed brow, but he didn't want to interrupt again.

Wu Zhiyuan continued, "Secretary Geng suggested that our county set up its own leading group to investigate. His initial intention was certainly good; he wanted to get to the bottom of things as soon as possible. I can understand that sentiment."

However, setting aside the significant death toll, even if we conduct our own investigation and are as fair and transparent as possible, outsiders will inevitably have doubts.

It's like an athlete acting as a referee; no matter how accurate your judgment is, others might still feel that you're biased towards your own people.

Therefore, my idea is very simple and straightforward.

Since the state has clearly stipulated that if three or more people die, the city should investigate, then we will follow the regulations.

This is not shirking responsibility; it is following the rules of the game, being responsible to superiors, and being responsible to oneself.

The truth cannot be covered up, and the responsibility cannot be escaped.

The more we try to cover it up and try to handle it internally, the bigger the explosion might be in the future, and the more serious the damage will be...

Geng Dongqing's face darkened. He knew that there was no point in arguing with Wu and Ding anymore.

Now, he must rely on his control of the Standing Committee to win the support of a majority of the Standing Committee members and forcefully pass his proposal.

After all, the Standing Committee's rules of procedure dictate that the minority must submit to the majority.

Geng Dongqing took a sip of tea, trying to calm himself down.

"Alright, the discussion about the legal provisions can now come to an end."

Our county is conducting its own investigation first, not to replace the city's investigation, but to better cooperate.

The key is to lay a solid foundation and thoroughly understand the situation so that we can provide the most accurate and comprehensive information when the municipal investigation team arrives, and assist them in completing their work most efficiently.

Isn't this being responsible to superiors and beneficial to the work?

He paused, his gaze sweeping over several Standing Committee members, whom Geng Dongqing considered to be his own people.

"Comrades, this is a critical time."

Establishing an accident investigation leading group and immediately initiating the work is the most urgent and effective measure at present.

I hope everyone can support this proposal from the perspective of the overall work of the county and from the perspective of maintaining the overall image and stability of Qingshan County.

Only when we reach a consensus and make a resolution can we better carry out our work. Everyone, please express your opinion.

Geng Dongqing's gaze first fell on Cheng Tanzhi, the deputy secretary of the county party committee.

Cheng Tanzhi was a close confidant of Geng Dongqing, and the two had always had a good relationship.

When Geng Dongqing was the Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Party Committee and Director of the General Office of the Municipal Party Committee, Cheng Tanzhi was a section chief in the General Office of the Municipal Party Committee.

When Geng Dongqing was the county head, Cheng Tanzhi was the executive deputy county head.

As expected, Cheng Tanzhi unconditionally supported Geng Dongqing: "Secretary Geng's proposal is based on the actual need to find out the truth as soon as possible and stabilize the situation, and the starting point is good."

I understand Secretary Geng's anxiety. However, shouldn't the determination of the death toll be made more rigorously?

After all, it was late at night, and the fish was pulled out of the river. Was there any possibility of misjudgment?

For example, did these people fall into the water for other reasons, such as accidentally driving their car into the river?

Is it possible to establish a direct and unique causal relationship between the bridge collapse and their falling into the water?

This might require more authoritative and detailed medical examination and on-site reconstruction to determine, right?

Cheng Tanzhi's words, seemingly a rigorous discussion of the cause of death, were actually an attempt to find a loophole in the death toll of the bridge collapse. As long as no more than three people died directly from the bridge collapse, it would not meet the criteria for a major accident, thus giving the county a sufficient reason to lead the investigation.

Lang Wenping, a member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, is a straightforward person. He strongly disagreed with Cheng Tanzhi's blatant lies and bluntly stated:

I disagree with Secretary Cheng's viewpoint.

The bridge suddenly collapsed in the middle of the night, and several cars fell into the river. The people who were pulled out of the river were dead.

Now we are being told that the person may not have been killed by the bridge collapse, but may have fallen in first, or that they were driving poorly and ended up in the river?

Isn't this a joke? Isn't this just being a scoundrel?

To use an inappropriate analogy, it's like someone walking down the street being crushed to death by a flowerpot falling from an upper floor.

Instead of immediately investigating why the flowerpot fell and whose responsibility it was, we were pondering:

Does this person have a heart condition? Did they suddenly have a heart attack and collapse, and then get hit by a flowerpot?

So the flowerpot might not be responsible; it's just that the plant itself isn't feeling well?

Geng Dongqing's face was gloomy, and Cheng Tanzhi looked embarrassed.

Lang Wenping continued, "I strongly oppose the establishment of any county-level accident investigation leading group! This is an overreach of authority!"

I oppose any words or actions that attempt to distort the facts or obscure the nature of the accident!

I support Comrade Zhiyuan's opinion, which is to immediately, truthfully, and comprehensively report the accident situation and cooperate with the city in thoroughly investigating the cause of the accident!

Geng Dongqing clearly violated regulations, and the other Standing Committee members dared not express their support, because they would all be held accountable if the higher authorities investigated.

During the vote, the majority either opposed or abstained.

Geng Dongqing was confident of victory, but he did not expect the situation to collapse so quickly.

The Standing Committee meeting ended hastily.

After the meeting, Geng Dongqing called Huang Xiaoyong to his office.

Lang Wenping flew into a rage: "I was blind back then to promote a bunch of useless bastards like you!"

That bastard Bi Yuan said his bridge was as solid as a rock, and now look? The bridge has collapsed!

It's a shoddy construction project! It's a shocking case that could land a bunch of people in jail!

Once the authorities take real action and investigate thoroughly, which link from design, bidding, construction, supervision to acceptance can withstand scrutiny?

Bi Yuan cut corners and used inferior materials; he can't escape punishment!

"You, the deputy county head in charge, do you think you can escape?"

Huang Xiaoyong said cautiously, "Secretary Geng, we can't just sit here and wait to die. Since the city's investigation is unavoidable, we can find another way to influence the city's investigation team's conclusions."

Geng Dongqing's tone softened slightly: "Just say it directly, stop beating around the bush."

"We can go to Mayor Wen, Secretary Geng. Doesn't Mayor Wen trust you a lot?"

Geng Dongqing shook his head: "Trust is one thing, but Mayor Wen is a cautious person. He might not accept gifts or money."

Huang Xiaoyong smiled mysteriously: "I've also heard that Mayor Wen is very cautious, but he is a powerful and influential man, and he has also made the mistakes that most men make."

This time it was Lin Xue, not him, who became the municipal party secretary, because Mayor Wen had some romantic escapades.

Secretary Geng, we can take the route through the wife, or more precisely, the second wife route. That is, we can find Mayor Wen through his mistress, have her whisper in his ear, and make the investigation conclusion lean towards force majeure.

Once the cause is determined to be extreme weather and geological disaster, the bridge collapse becomes a natural disaster rather than a man-made one. At most, the county will be held responsible for inadequate supervision, and Bi Yuan will only have to pay some compensation. It's a case of minimizing the damage, making everyone happy.