Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 306 Election Backlash

Wu Zhiyuan realized the seriousness of the situation.

If what Wang Meili said is true, then it's not just ordinary networking, but bribery.

He lowered his voice and asked, "Director Wang, please be more specific. How did the connections work? Who were these people contacting you? What gifts did they bring?"

"A deputy director of the county statistics bureau, who is also a woman, is someone I know well. She is also a representative of the county people's congress."

She asked me to go shopping with her privately and gave me the latest iPhone as a gift.

I refused, but she said a friend asked me to give it to her. I said I shouldn't accept something for nothing.

She said, "Isn't the county people's congress about to start?"

She didn't explicitly tell me who to vote for, but she kept praising Cheng Tanzhi, saying that he was experienced and knowledgeable about economic work.

They even said this election is crucial to Qingshan County's development over the next few years, and that representatives should choose wisely to elect someone who can truly lead the team. Isn't the implication obvious?

Wu Zhiyuan asked, "What about that phone? Did you return it to her, or did you keep it?"

Wang Meili said, "County Chief Wu, I know exactly what I can accept and what I can't say."

What is this if not bribery? Of course I can't accept it.

But I deliberately said that Cheng Tanzhi is indeed quite capable and understands economics, and I would consider him when voting.

She talked for a long time, but I insisted on not accepting the money and only agreed to help.

Actually, I was just kidding her. On the day of the official vote, it was all a secret ballot. How would she know who I voted for or didn't vote for?

She had no choice but to tell me to keep it a secret, saying that she was only doing what was entrusted to her and was simply fulfilling her duty.

County Chief Wu, I haven't told this secret to anyone except you.

Because I completely trust you; we were old colleagues back in the forestry bureau.

As she spoke, Wang Meili gave Wu Zhiyuan a meaningful look.

Wu Zhiyuan said with a serious expression: "Director Wang, it's good that you can stick to your principles."

But this matter is probably not as simple as you think.

They may look for you, but they will also look for others.

Giving away cell phones and handing out calls are just the visible things.

There are probably many more promises and deals that are unseen.

On the surface, this county people's congress session appeared calm, but beneath the surface, tensions were running high.

Wang Meili nodded: "Yes, to put it dramatically, bribery in elections is a crime against the world, and most people wouldn't dare to do it. But Cheng Tanzhi has this idea."

Wu Zhiyuan frowned: "It's not entirely because Cheng Tanzhi is bold; there must be someone instigating and supporting him behind the scenes."

He didn't spell it out.

As the county party secretary, Geng Dongqing certainly hoped that the county head would listen to him.

But it's clear that Ding Yi is disobedient.

For some major projects, Ding Yi might not agree with whomever Geng Dongqing wanted to give them.

Cheng Tanzhi was always someone Geng Dongqing trusted. If he were the county magistrate, Geng Dongqing would have even greater control.

At the city level, there is a power struggle between Wen Changcheng and Lin Xue.

Ding Yiyi is Lin Xue's man, while Cheng Tanzhi and Geng Dongqing are Wen Changcheng's men.

If Cheng Tanzhi is elected through a process where the delegates choose someone else, Wen Changcheng will most likely protect him.

However, Lin Xue may investigate whether there were any illegal or disciplinary violations behind the election, citing reasons of going against the organization's intentions.

Cheng Tanzhi took the risk precisely because he saw himself as a pawn in the power struggles of the bigwigs.

He knew perfectly well that the only candidate designated by the organization as the county magistrate was Ding Yiyi, but the organization's intentions ultimately had to be implemented through a legal election.

Once enough votes are cast, the die is cast, and even if superiors have objections, it will be difficult to overturn the decision.

Moreover, with Wen Changcheng backing him up and Geng Dongqing secretly manipulating things in the county, even if he crossed the line, he had enough confidence to take a gamble.

Wu Zhiyuan was all too clear about the overall situation: the power struggle between Lin Xue and Wen Changcheng in the city, when it came down to Qingshan County, was a contest between Ding Yiyi and Cheng Tanzhi for the position of county magistrate.

Geng Dongqing was eager to replace the disobedient Ding Yiyi and promote the obedient Cheng Tan to the position, so that he could firmly grasp the power over personnel, projects, and finances in the county.

Wu Zhiyuan instructed, "Director Wang, the information you provided is very important. You must not leak a single word of it. If word gets out, not only will you be targeted, but you will also alert the enemy and make them destroy all the evidence."

Wang Meili said with a charming smile, "Don't worry, County Chief Wu, I'm keeping my mouth shut. By the way, where do you live?"

Wu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "It's temporary housing in the county."

"House number?"

Wu Zhiyuan gave the house number because Wang Meili had revealed important information.

"County Chief Wu, next time I have important information, I will personally come to report it."

After Wang Meili left, Wu Zhiyuan felt that the matter was of great importance and went to Ding Yiyi's office.

It was already time to leave work.

Ding Yiyi was still engrossed in reading documents at her desk.

Wu Zhiyuan mentioned the issues that Wang Meili had raised privately.

Ding Yiyi exclaimed in surprise, "No way? Cheng Tanzhi is that bold?"

"County Chief Ding, at first I didn't believe it either. But Wang Meili's story was so detailed and detailed, including the time, place, people, and items, it didn't seem like she was lying, and I doubt she would dare to spread rumors."

Moreover, don't you think Cheng Tanzhi's recent activities have been unusually frequent?

He visited many towns and villages, offering condolences, conducting research, and holding symposiums, which seemed to have exceeded the scope of his normal work.

Ding Yi pondered for a few seconds and said, "Now that you mention it, I do remember."

During this period, Cheng Tanzhi was indeed very busy, going to the grassroots level almost every day. Today he would visit enterprises in the industrial park, and tomorrow he would visit farmers in the township.

At the time, I just thought it was a year-end visit and didn't think much of it. Now it seems that it was a way of using research as a pretext to solicit votes.

Wu Zhiyuan chimed in, "This can't really be considered campaigning, because it's using work as an excuse to build relationships with the representatives. Even if the higher-ups know, it's hard for them to find fault with it."

However, simply becoming acquainted with the delegates is not enough to secure their votes; there must be a significant amount of bribery involved.

For example, someone might want to give Wang Meili a fruit phone, and perhaps shopping cards, other gifts, or something similar.

Wang Meili confiscated it, but that doesn't mean others confiscated it.

Whom did those who accepted bribes vote for?

Ding Yiyi said solemnly, "Zhiyuan, some people are bribing voters and forming alliances. I can't just sit here and wait to die, but I can't lose my composure either."

My idea is to first verify the authenticity of Wang Meili's information.

Furthermore, are these small actions limited to a small area, or have they already spread to more than half of the representatives?

If it's only in a small area, it can be contained in time;

If this has already become a trend, then this National People's Congress session will likely stir up quite a storm, and may even directly undermine the legitimacy of the election.

"County Chief Ding, you have considered things thoroughly. It is not advisable to alert the enemy now."

I'll first figure out Cheng Tanzhi's subtle actions, and then take the next step.

"Zhiyuan, the People's Congress is next week, and time is of the essence. We will report to Secretary Lin once we have sufficient and conclusive evidence."

Back in the temporary housing, Wu Zhiyuan dialed Hu Lijin's number.

Hu Lijing is the deputy mayor of Xindian Town and a representative of the county people's congress.

Perhaps we can learn some information through Hu Lijing.

After exchanging a few words with Hu Lijin, Wu Zhiyuan got straight to the point: "The People's Congress meeting is coming up soon at the end of the year. As a county People's Congress representative, have you received any unusual contacts recently?"

Hu Lijin was silent for a few seconds, then stammered, "No, no. The representative's duties are all arranged by the county; there's nothing unusual about it."

Wu Zhiyuan said in a deep voice, "Mayor Hu, we worked together for a period of time, I know your character well, and you should trust me."

The matter I'm asking you today concerns principles, discipline, and most importantly, your future. Don't hold back; tell me everything. I won't harm you.

Hu Lijing was still hesitating.

Wu Zhiyuan continued to try to persuade him: "Mayor Hu, tell me the truth."

I'm not interrogating you, I'm helping you.

Do you know that there's a bad trend going on in the county right now? Some people are doing shady things and trying to manipulate the election.

Getting involved in this kind of thing is a huge problem; at best you'll be punished, at worst you'll lose your job.

I'm reminding you because I don't want you to make a mistake.

Of course, if this doesn't apply to you, then I assume you're overthinking it.

If you've accepted something you shouldn't have, you can't compound the mistake; there's still room for maneuver.

Hu Lijing finally couldn't hold back anymore: "County Chief Wu, I did accept something I shouldn't have."

Here's what happened. Last week, Hu Quanyou, who runs a farmhouse inn and engages in special breeding in Lanshan Village, and is also a county people's congress representative, organized a private dinner party.

Those who attended the dinner were all county people's congress representatives from our Xindian Town. At first, it was just a get-together to strengthen relationships, but I thought they were all acquaintances, so I couldn't refuse and went.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became increasingly lively, and Hu Quanyou's words began to take a turn for the worse.

He said that the election of the county head at this People's Congress is a major event for Qingshan County. If the election is successful, the county will have hope for development; if it is unsuccessful, it may take a detour.

He said that Cheng Tanzhi's work over the past few years has been remarkable, as he not only understands economics but is also very pragmatic.

Although County Chief Ding was sent by the city, he was not familiar with the situation in the county, and some of his practices were out of touch with reality and too rigid in his adherence to rules.

Hu Quanyou also explained how to select other candidates, saying that the representatives should cast their sacred vote for the right person for the economic development of Qingshan County.

When I heard that, I knew something was wrong and I knew what was going on.

As we were leaving, Hu Quanyou gave each of us a small gift.

Seeing that everyone else had accepted them, I felt it inappropriate to refuse.

When I got home, I found a shopping card worth 5,000 yuan.

There was also a small note with the following words: "For Qingshan to develop, pragmatism is key. Choosing the right people makes the road easier."