Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 326 The Refined Interests of Officials

During the Spring Festival, Wu Zhiyuan visited Xu Youwei and other former leaders in Jiangzhou. Geng Dongqing, naturally, also took the opportunity of the holiday to visit them and maintain good relations.

During this holiday, Geng Dongqing received millions of yuan in cash, securities, and gifts from his subordinates and business owners.

To be honest, there aren't many.

After all, he wasn't an ordinary person; he was a county party secretary who could have a dream at night and have that dream come true the next day.

Some people "paid tribute" to Geng Dongqing, and Geng Dongqing also had to "pay tribute" to others, such as Wen Changcheng.

Wen Changcheng wasn't particularly greedy; given his rank and power, accepting a million or so yuan a year would make him an honest official. However, he was very cautious, and he would generally refuse to accept money or valuable gifts.

Some leaders, though not inherently corrupt, still care a lot about whether their subordinates offer New Year's greetings.

He didn't care how much money or gifts his subordinates gave him; instead, he linked New Year's visits to whether his subordinates respected him or were part of his faction.

Wen Changcheng is spending the Spring Festival in Jiangzhou this year.

On the same day that Wu Zhiyuan went to Xu Youwei's house in Jiangzhou, Geng Dongqing and Bi Yuan went to Wen Changcheng's house.

Bi Yuan is the boss of Biyuan Group. He is very wealthy and has a net worth of several billion yuan.

Geng Dongqing and Bi Yuan have an unusual relationship; they use each other and are deeply intertwined.

In fact, behind the vast majority of high-ranking officials stands more than one private business owner.

Similarly, behind the vast majority of private business owners stands more than one official.

Geng Dongqing and Bi Yuan racked their brains trying to figure out what to give Wen Changcheng.

If you offer money or gold, Wen Changcheng will most likely refuse, which would backfire.

If you were to offer Wen Changcheng expensive cigarettes and alcohol, designer watches, diamond jewelry, or cordyceps, he would most likely refuse.

Bi Yuan bluntly told Geng Dongqing, "Wen Changcheng is not averse to money. How many people in the world truly regard money as dirt?"

If we take a more covert approach, I don't believe Wen Changcheng will refuse.

Geng Dongqing squinted and asked, "Old Bi, you're experienced, what should we give Wen Changcheng?"

"A piece of calligraphy or painting. I've heard that Wen Changcheng is knowledgeable about calligraphy and painting, but that's just hearsay, and I don't know if it's true."

"What kind of calligraphy or painting should we send?"

"That's not important. You can just spend ten thousand yuan to buy a fake."

"A fake worth around ten thousand yuan?"

"Yes, whether it's authentic or not is not important. Many leaders collect calligraphy and paintings not because they truly love art, but because of their monetary value."

"But a fake painting or calligraphy doesn't seem to have much value."

"Secretary Geng, the value of calligraphy and paintings cannot be accurately measured. The key lies in whether anyone is willing to pay a high price to buy them."

Geng Dongqing praised, "Old Bi really has a lot of ideas."

Bi Yuan said smugly, "Secretary Geng, I've been in the business world for many years. What kind of leaders haven't I seen? What kind of gift-giving methods haven't I tried?"

Some people prefer to be straightforward, while others prefer a more discreet approach.

I already know a little about Wen Changcheng's habits and hobbies.

He is unlikely to accept money or gifts.

However, he might accept a piece of calligraphy or painting as a gift, because it is a refined hobby.

I used to deal with a provincial official who had a fondness for unusual stones.

Geng Dongqing asked, "Where can we buy that fake painting? We need to choose something decent, not something too cheap."

"Don't worry about that. I've already had someone prepare it. They've chosen a copy by a famous artist from the Qing Dynasty. The brushwork is excellent, the mounting is exquisite, and it looks very antique."

The original works of this master artist are worth millions on the market. If we manipulate the auction process, it would be perfectly reasonable for our copy to fetch a few million at a friendly price.

When we arrived at Wenchangcheng's place, we said it was a gift from a friend, and since we didn't know much about it, we asked him to help us appraise it or handle it on our behalf.

If Wen Changcheng is willing to accept it, I will recommend him to an auction house to auction the calligraphy and painting when the time is right.

That auction house is owned by a friend of mine, and I will have a middleman buy the painting.

The exact amount I spend depends entirely on my mood and needs. Hundreds of thousands are fine, millions are fine too.

Geng Dongqing understood. Bi Yuan first gave Wen Changcheng a fake item, and then encouraged Wen Changcheng to send the fake item to a designated auction house for auction.

Normally, a fake is a fake, but Bi Yuan bought this fake at the price of a genuine piece through an intermediary.

For example, by spending two million to buy this fake, Wen Changcheng obtained two million in a very discreet way.

Of course, Bi Yuan could also spend five million or even ten million to buy it.

Before the paintings and calligraphy were auctioned, the value of fake paintings and calligraphy was only around ten thousand yuan.

Even if the disciplinary committee investigates, the price of the calligraphy and paintings can only be calculated at around ten thousand yuan.

Of course, if Wen Changcheng receives several million yuan after the fake paintings and calligraphy are auctioned off, then the amount of the bribe will be calculated based on several million yuan.

But before the auction, the calligraphy and painting were only worth tens of thousands of yuan.

This provides protection for both the bribe-giver and the bribe-taker.

Wen Changcheng's home is on the first floor of a garden villa.

There is a large courtyard on the first floor.

Geng Dongqing had already contacted Wen Changcheng in advance.

Wen Changcheng, dressed in casual clothes, opened the door himself.

"Comrade Dongqing, General Manager Bi, Happy New Year. It's so cold, yet you still made a special trip. Please come in."

"Mayor Wen, Happy New Year! I wish you a Happy New Year!" Geng Dongqing said with a smile.

The living room is spacious and bright, decorated in an elegant but not luxurious style, with a faint aroma of tea in the air.

Wen Changcheng's wife brought over tea and a fruit platter, exchanged a few polite words, and then went back to the inner room, leaving the men to talk.

"Dong Qing has done a good job in Qingshan County. Several economic indicators improved significantly last year. Considering it's a poor county, it's quite an achievement." Wen Changcheng sat down on the main sofa, picked up his teacup, and spoke calmly.

Geng Dongqing humbly said, "It's all thanks to the effective leadership of the municipal government and Mayor Wen; we were just carrying out the directives."

Qingshan has a weak foundation and many areas that need improvement, so it cannot do without the support of the city.

Geng Dongqing's words had a hidden meaning.

He didn't say that the municipal party committee and government leaders were capable, but only that the municipal government leaders were capable, even though Wen Changcheng was also the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee.

Because the municipal party secretary is Lin Xue, and Lin Xue and Wen Changcheng are outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds.

When Geng Dongqing said this, it was twofold: first, to flatter Wen Changcheng, implying that the development of Qingshan County was the result of Wen Changcheng's effective leadership; and second, to imply that he was one of Wen Changcheng's men.

Wen Changcheng smiled noncommittally and turned his gaze to Bi Yuan: "President Bi's Biyuan Group is a key tax-paying enterprise in Longcheng City and has made a great contribution to the economic development of Longcheng City."

However, the Wanshan Bridge collapsed last year, which caused a lot of trouble at the time.

I've put in a lot of effort to handle this properly.

Fortunately, the final outcome of this matter satisfied all parties involved.

Wen Changcheng's words, seemingly stating facts, actually killed two birds with one stone.

This is a warning to Bi Yuan: Your company has made a huge mess, causing a terrible impact and putting me, the mayor, and even the city in a very passive position.

It was also a reminder, or rather, a way of taking credit, that I withstood the pressure and used my connections at a crucial moment to minimize the impact of this matter.

Bi Yuan was a seasoned veteran; how could he not understand Wen Changcheng's implied meaning?

"Mayor Wen, I feel both ashamed and grateful that you brought this up."

The Wanshan Bridge incident was caused by the lax management and construction oversights of our group's subsidiary, which led to such a major accident, tarnishing the reputation of the county and city, and causing Mayor Wen enormous trouble.

After this happened, I couldn't sleep for nights on end, and the stress caused my hair to turn quite a bit gray.

To be honest, at that time I thought I might not be able to get through this.

If it weren't for Mayor Wen's foresight, decisive action, and personal coordination of all parties, our Biyuan Group would probably have suffered far more than just crippling damage.

I, Bi Yuan, and our Biyuan Group will always remember your kindness in turning the tide, and we will never forget it for a moment.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to extend New Year's greetings, I've shamelessly come with Secretary Geng today. Besides offering my thanks, my main purpose is to personally express my gratitude to Mayor Wen!

Wen Changcheng smiled calmly: "Alright, let's not dwell on the past."

Businesses inevitably encounter obstacles and setbacks during their development. The important thing is to learn from these lessons, standardize management, and prevent similar problems from recurring.

It's good that you recognize the seriousness of the problem and have this attitude.

The city's determination to support enterprise development and maintain overall stability remains unchanged.

Bi Yuan nodded quickly: "Mayor Wen's teachings are right. The lesson is too profound. We have made a comprehensive rectification and will never dare to make the same mistake again."

From now on, I will definitely abide by the law, operate in a standardized manner, generate more tax revenue and employment for Longcheng, and not cause trouble for the leaders.

After a pause, Bi Yuan seized the opportunity to say, "It's almost the New Year, and Secretary Geng and I are both thinking about Mayor Wen's concern. We had to come and wish you a Happy New Year in person to express our gratitude."

Wen Changcheng waved his hand: "I appreciate the thought. I'm just happy that you came to see me and have a chat."

Now that the higher authorities have repeatedly emphasized strict discipline, those traditional customs are no longer necessary.

You've probably heard what kind of person I am.

To avoid the hustle and bustle of the Spring Festival, I came to Jiangzhou. Many people don't know where I live. Dongqing is an exception.

Bi Yuan picked up the brocade box containing the calligraphy and painting and placed it on the tea table beside him.

"Knowing that Mayor Wen is a refined person, how could we dare to bring ordinary New Year's goods to you?"

However, I accidentally acquired a little gadget before the New Year. I'm a rough and uncultured person who only knows how to build houses, roads, and bridges, and I know nothing about these things.

I heard that Mayor Wen is very knowledgeable, especially in traditional culture, so I thought I'd take advantage of the New Year to ask you to take a look and appreciate it.

If the item is decent, you can keep it to play with in your spare time;

If it doesn't meet your standards, please consider it a favor and give me some pointers so I can know how to pay attention in the future.

Wen Changcheng's gaze fell on the brocade box: "Oh? What treasure is it that makes President Bi so interested?"

Geng Dongqing picked up the conversation: "It's a painting. A landscape by a minor figure from the Qing Dynasty, the brushwork is quite interesting."

After Lao Bi got it, he was unsure of what to do. Knowing that I occasionally like to flip through picture books, he showed it to me.

With my limited knowledge, I dare not make any judgments, but I think Mayor Wen is the real expert.

I brought this over today while I was visiting to offer New Year's greetings. Please have a look and let us see what it's like.

The two of them, in a back-and-forth exchange, cleverly transformed the act of giving gifts into a discussion of seeking advice and sharing refined interests.

Bi Yuan opened the clasp of the brocade box.

Inside was a scroll, which slowly unfurled to reveal a landscape painting.

Layer upon layer of mountains, misty ink, complete with inscriptions and seals, exquisite mounting, and an antique charm.

Wen Changcheng observed carefully, sometimes leaning closer to examine the details of the brush and ink, and sometimes stepping back half a step to observe the overall style. He looked at it for three or four minutes before slowly speaking: "The paper is old, and the ink is deep. It imitates the style of the 'Four Wangs' and shows considerable effort."

These kinds of authentic works by famous artists with a clear provenance are rare on the market and command high prices.

However, this piece ultimately lacks the charm and confidence of the genuine article.

In my opinion, this is a high-quality forgery, imitating the style of Wang Shimin, but it is not his work. It should be the work of a master from the late Qing Dynasty or the Republic of China period.

If you put it on the market, it could be displayed as a decent replica, and it would be quite elegant.