Chapter 112: Take the Opposite Approach?

"This way of handling the case won't work."

Yang Dong spoke, not out of a desire to intentionally belittle Lyu Yanqing's team, but because applying standard disciplinary inspection tactics against Zhao Pengcheng, who himself had once served as a cadre within the Commission for Discipline Inspection, was simply ineffective.

Lyu Yanqing's expression turned awkward. Even if the statement was true, it wasn't something meant to be said aloud. This Yang Dong was a bit too blunt—still young, he thought.

"We have taken note of his background. Six years ago, he was transferred from his position as Deputy Director of the Party Conduct and Integrity Supervision Office of the Shiyuan City Commission for Discipline Inspection to become the Deputy Minister of the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department. Logically, as an official from out of town, he shouldn't be involved in such matters."

Lyu Yanqing emphasized this point. His First Special Investigation Team wasn't incompetent; they had certainly reviewed Zhao Pengcheng's resume. Yet, aside from knowing Zhao possessed a certain level of experience in disciplinary work, they had no other leads.

"This isn't about whether he 'should' or 'shouldn't' be involved. Who says an official from out of town can't commit crimes?" Yang Dong waved his hand, cutting off the speculation—it was meaningless. "Haven't you heard the saying? 'The monk from out of town knows how to chant the best scriptures.' Besides, you know how much power a Deputy Minister of the Municipal Organization Department wields. When it comes to the promotion of deputy section-level cadres, he is more than capable of interfering."

No official involved in personnel management is simple. While the Organization Department usually follows the lead of the top official, and that top official follows the City Party Committee Secretary, there are always exceptions.

"Zhao Pengcheng is in charge of the First Cadre Division?" Yang Dong noted the internal division of labor on Zhao's file. The First Cadre Division? Wasn't that the department overseen by Lin Liangming, the father of Lin Yaodong? Did that mean Zhao Pengcheng was Lin Liangming's direct superior? This was getting interesting.

Yang Dong’s mind raced, and a bold idea began to take shape. "We need to do the exact opposite of what he expects!" He stared at the documents, a mysterious smile spreading across his face.

"Do the opposite? How so?" Lyu Yanqing struggled to keep up with Yang Dong’s train of thought. It wasn't that Lyu was unintelligent; it was that Yang’s logic jumped too rapidly for him to follow. Had he worked with Yang longer, he would have grown accustomed to it.

Lu Yike and Jiang Hu had also struggled with Yang’s leaps in logic at first, but they had since adapted.

"As someone with extensive experience in disciplinary work and counter-surveillance, if we want to obtain evidence of Zhao Pengcheng's illegal activities, we must make him lower his guard. The best way to catch a fox is to let it show its tail!"

As Yang Dong explained, Lyu Yanqing finally caught on to his investigative strategy. He understood the concept, though he remained unsure of the exact method. "Team Leader Yang, what do you intend to do?" he asked.

At that moment, he didn't even realize that, bit by bit, the initiative of the First Special Investigation Team had slipped away. He had become caught up in Yang Dong’s logic, effectively making Yang the lead in their working relationship.

"Release Zhao Pengcheng!" Yang Dong looked directly at Lyu Yanqing. He wasn't joking; he was perfectly serious.

"What? Release him? How can we do that?" Lyu Yanqing was startled, a cold sweat breaking out across his skin. "What if he flees? If he escapes with funds and causes a loss of state assets, how will the Lingyun City Commission for Discipline Inspection answer to the Provincial Committee, or even the national authorities?"

Lyu found Yang Dong’s suggestion outrageous and reckless.

Yang Dong remained silent, allowing Lyu to voice his objections. Only after Lyu had finished did he continue. "Team Leader Lyu, I’m not saying you should let him go for real. Keep up the surveillance, even keep it covert. We just want to map out his social circle, see who he interacts with, and determine if this detention has triggered him to make a move. That is the purpose of my proposal."

Yang Dong explained his reasoning clearly. Whether Lyu chose to adopt it was up to him. After all, the Tenth Special Investigation Team was only there to assist the First; this didn't fall within his primary scope of work. If the case failed, the blame wouldn't land on him. Selfishly speaking, his own personnel promotion to deputy section level was already in the works, and he had no need to take such massive risks—especially involving a Deputy Minister of the Municipal Organization Department.

He only remained proactive because he would be seconded to the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection for the next two years. He wanted to build good relationships with the staff here; it was necessary for his future work.

Lu Yike, Deputy Director of the First Disciplinary Inspection Office, was deputy section level. Lyu Yanqing, Deputy Director of the Case Review Office, was also deputy section level. These were his future professional connections. Success required mutual support. Yang Dong was already laying the groundwork for his two-year secondment.

Add to that Hou Donglai and Hou Shuangquan from the Municipal Procuratorate, Jiang Hu from the Municipal Public Security Bureau, and Yu Baijiang and Song Yue from the Kaiyang County Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division—these were the first of his peers he had encountered. But these calculations remained locked in his mind.

"There is still too much risk," Lyu hesitated. He didn't dare make the call, and he certainly didn't dare take a gamble. Sometimes, the desire to avoid mistakes outweighs the desire for achievement—a mindset common among many officials.

"Risk and opportunity go hand in hand, Team Leader Lyu. You need to think this through. If you use standard methods, you won't get a confession out of Zhao Pengcheng. The longer this drags on, the worse it will be for your team."

Yang Dong couldn't make the decision for him. Lyu paced back and forth in front of the hotel, his mind in turmoil. Releasing Zhao was a massive gamble. If it paid off, the reward would be huge. If it didn't, the situation would only become more complex and severe.

Watching Lyu’s hesitation, Yang Dong felt a pang of disappointment. Disciplinary investigators needed courage; without it, they could barely fulfill their duty to supervise, let alone conduct investigations after a breach. Compared to Lu Yike, Lyu lacked that specific drive and decisiveness. Of course, that was just on the surface—perhaps the difference between them was actually the backing they possessed, which gave Lu Yike the confidence to be bold.

"Perhaps... we should ask for instructions from our superiors?" After pacing for a minute, that was all Lyu could manage to offer.