Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 82 The Young Female Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission

Shen Chenlin was a centrist, trying not to offend either side, and also giving Xu Youwei and Ai Kun a way out.

The meeting fell into a brief silence.

Ai Kun and Zhang Xiaotian exchanged a glance.

They realized that if they insisted on rejecting Ding Yiyi, Xu Youwei and Lin Xue would likely also firmly reject Yuan Jin, which could even affect the other candidates they had proposed.

Overall, they recommended more cadres to be adjusted or promoted this time than Xu Youwei did.

If we stick to this list, they have the advantage.

After all, Xu Youwei had only been in Longcheng for a short time, and even if he wanted to promote him, he didn't have anyone he could trust.

A head-on confrontation would not benefit either side.

Zhang Xiaotian spoke up: "The current advocacy of breaking away from seniority-based promotion is to put more responsibility on young cadres."

Heroes have emerged from among the young since ancient times. Gan Luo, during the Warring States period, was sent as an envoy to the State of Zhao at the age of twelve. He used his wisdom and strategy to help the State of Qin win more than a dozen cities and was appointed as a high minister by the King of Qin, which was equivalent to the prime minister in later times.

This child was not looked down upon because of his young age. On the contrary, he shouldered the heavy responsibility of the country with his real abilities. This shows that youth is not a shackle on ability, but may be an advantage of daring to try.

I agree with Minister Chen Lin's opinion. I have no objection to the other candidates either. Can we consider them for now and submit them to the Standing Committee for discussion?

Ai Kun readily agreed: "Yes, when we appoint cadres, we ultimately look at whether they can get things done, not how many years of seniority they have accumulated."

Comrades Ding Yiyi and Yuan Jin, though young, are both outstanding; let's proceed according to Minister Chen Lin's suggestion.

Seeing that the main objective had been achieved, Xu Youwei went along with it, saying, "I agree with everyone's opinion."

The appointment of cadres is a major matter; we must be bold enough to break with convention, but also proceed cautiously and steadily.

Then we will submit this proposal to the Standing Committee for review.

Lin Xue naturally had no objections.

This seemingly intense personnel battle has finally come to a temporary end with both sides taking a step back and compromising with each other.

This five-person group meeting had no absolute winners, but there were no real losers either. It was more like a precise power "division" based on a comparison of strengths.

Xu Youwei successfully placed Ding Yiyi and Lang Wenping into the Discipline Inspection Commission, consolidating his leadership over the discipline inspection front.

Ai Kun then allowed Yuan Jin to effectively control the Finance Bureau, thus protecting the purse strings.

Every personnel promotion is the product of struggle and compromise.

Behind this lies a balance of power, an exchange of interests, and a far-reaching plan for the future.

A new balance has begun to form amid the probing and competition between the two sides.

……

Xu Youwei asked Wu Zhiyuan to accompany him to the temporary command post set up by the provincial anti-gang office at the city's armed police detachment camp.

Zhang Wanlin is dead, but the special investigation team is still here.

Just before leaving, Xu Youwei asked Wu Zhiyuan to call Lang Wenping.

The driver currently on the road is Hu Dahai, who was recommended by Lang Wenping.

Lang Wenping has not yet been officially appointed and is still the head of the First Secretariat Section, but barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will soon be promoted to deputy secretary of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Xu Youwei said in the car, "Wenping, the reason I'm taking you to the task force headquarters this time is to let you familiarize yourself with the situation in advance."

Although your official appointment hasn't been finalized yet, the work of the Discipline Inspection Commission is special, especially when it involves a major case like Zhang Wanlin's; time is of the essence. You need to get into the role as soon as possible.

Lang Wenping nodded gratefully: "Thank you for your trust, Secretary Xu! I will definitely study hard and adapt to the requirements of my new position as soon as possible."

Xu Youwei nodded: "The Zhang Wanlin case involves a wide range of issues and has a complex background."

The task force seized a large amount of evidence from his multiple residences and offices, which may involve violations of discipline and law by some party members and cadres, or even acting as "protective umbrellas."

After a preliminary screening by the police, these materials will be transferred to the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection for further investigation and processing in accordance with the law.

Secretary Lin Xue is over there too. You need to listen more, observe more, and learn more, assisting Secretary Lin in receiving, sorting, and conducting preliminary analysis of the materials.

Lang Wenping stated, "Secretary Xu, I understand, and I will fully cooperate with Secretary Lin Xue's work."

The car drove into the city's armed police detachment camp and stopped in front of the temporary command post building.

After getting out of the car, Xu Youwei, Wu Zhiyuan, and Lang Wenping went straight to the conference room.

Lin Xue, secretary of the municipal discipline inspection commission, and Chen Xiangyang, deputy director of the provincial public security department, were already waiting.

Liu Zhenwu, deputy secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, has returned to the provincial capital. Chen Xiangyang is now the temporary head of the command center.

An unfamiliar face appeared in the conference room.

This was a beautiful woman around thirty years old. Unlike Lin Xue's serious demeanor, she had a faint smile on her face.

The woman greeted Xu Youwei: "Hello, Secretary Xu!"

Xu Youwei did not know her.

Lin Xue, as always, remained aloof and elegant, and introduced, "This is Comrade Ding Yiyi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Qingyan County Party Committee and Secretary of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection."

Xu Youwei smiled and shook hands with Ding Yiyi: "Comrade Yiyi, welcome to our support."

Ding Yi smiled modestly and said, "Secretary Xu, you flatter me. It's all part of my job."

Lin Xue then introduced Lang Wenping and Wu Zhiyuan.

Ding Yiyi wore a misty blue silk shirt paired with smoky gray high-waisted suit pants. Her long hair was loosely tied into a low bun, and she smiled with her dimples, looking like a friendly girl next door.

Appearances can be deceiving. Ding Yiyi, who seems gentle and weak, investigated and dealt with many petty corruption cases in Qingyan County; during her secondment to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, she participated in the investigation of several corruption cases involving provincial-level officials and played an important role.

Ding Yiyi's character overturned people's stereotypical impression of female discipline inspection cadres as rigid and serious.

Ding Yiyi shakes hands with Wu Zhiyuan.

Although Wu Zhiyuan was only a deputy section chief, while Ding Yiyi was about to be promoted to the full division chief level, Wu Zhiyuan was Xu Youwei's secretary, so Ding Yiyi thought highly of Wu Zhiyuan.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xu Youwei got down to business, turning his gaze to Chen Xiangyang: "Comrade Xiangyang, how is the situation?"

Chen Xiangyang pointed to several sealed boxes and equipment with seals piled up in a corner of the conference room: "Secretary Xu, Secretary Lin, we have seized a lot of criminal evidence, as well as some bribery records and videos of some officials having fun at the club and Villa No. 5."

Chen Xiangyang operated the computer, projecting images and summaries of some key evidence onto the large screen.

The screen flashed past notebook pages recording names and amounts, screenshots of videos from the club, and charts showing the flow of funds.

Chen Xiangyang said, "Secretary Xu, Secretary Lin, judging from the evidence seized from Zhang Wanlin's multiple dens, this case not only involves organized crime, but also systemic and widespread corruption."

Preliminary investigations indicate that at least several dozen officials are suspected of accepting gifts and bribes. This is only partial evidence; some evidence has not yet been found.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was heavy. Once this evidence was confirmed, it would trigger a major upheaval in Longcheng's officialdom, no less significant than the death of Zhang Wanlin.

Xu Youwei tapped the table with his knuckles: "Comrades, the situation is more serious than we imagined."

This is not the depravity of a few individual officials, but a deeply entrenched network of vested interests, a malignant tumor eroding the very fabric of Longcheng.

Eliminating Zhang Wanlin's criminal gang was only the first half of the case. The key is to uncover the "parasites" and "protective umbrellas" hidden within the ranks, and to complete the "second half" of the investigation. This is also the true test of our political resolve and investigative capabilities!