Chapter 131: A Conversation with Secretary Guan

Inside the office of Guan Mushan, the Secretary of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection.

"If you want water, pour it yourself!"

Guan Mushan, hunched over his desk, glanced up at Yang Dong standing before him and gestured toward the thermos. Without a word, Yang Dong stepped forward, dumped out the old tea leaves, brewed a fresh cup for Guan, and placed it on the desk.

"Getting into character quickly, are we?" Guan Mushan smiled, capping his fountain pen and looking up.

"Leader, please, don't tease me," Yang Dong replied with a helpless, bitter smile. It was only a month ago that he had flatly rejected Guan Mushan’s offer to become his secretary and transfer to the Commission. He hadn't even considered it then—he had simply said no. Yet, here he was, having come full circle back to the same position.

"Enough. I’m not going to hold a grudge against a young comrade like you," Guan Mushan said, waving off the pleasantries. It had always been his intention to mentor Yang Dong, though the decision to keep Yang seconded to the Commission had been suggested by his own former mentor. He had leveraged that influence to secure the approval of Mayor Hou Yong, who had obliged. As for whether Yin Tiejun would be pleased with the arrangement, that was of no concern to Guan. If Yin had an issue, he could take it up with the old leader himself.

Guan Mushan’s expression turned serious. "I called you here for two reasons."

Seeing the shift in tone, Yang Dong straightened up. "I’m listening."

"Sit down," Guan Mushan said, gesturing to a chair. "It hurts my neck to look up at you standing there."

"Understood." Yang Dong sat. He didn't stand on ceremony; he knew that as the future secretary to the Secretary, maintaining too much distance would be counterproductive.

"What is your take on the Zhao Pengcheng case?" Guan Mushan asked, taking a sip of tea and spitting out a stray leaf. "According to the final report from the First Task Force, the case was solely the work of Zhao Pengcheng and Lin Liangming—two brazen individuals who colluded to exploit businessmen, using fraud and deception to fleece cadres who were slated for promotion."

Guan Mushan wanted to grasp the pulse of his department, and he couldn't rely solely on middle management; he needed to hear from those on the ground. Yang Dong, as the head of the Tenth Task Force and a participant in the Zhao investigation, was the perfect person to ask.

"Leader, if I speak the truth, will you be upset?" Yang Dong asked tentatively.

Guan Mushan chuckled. "Did I bring you here to listen to you lie? Speak your mind. As the Secretary of the Commission, I’m not about to set a trap for a junior deputy section-level official." He knew full well that Yang Dong’s probation period had ended; he was now a bona fide deputy section-level leader.

"Very well, then," Yang Dong said. "The Zhao Pengcheng case is far from that simple." He knew the long-term impact of this case from his previous life, and he was confident in his assessment.

"Go on," Guan Mushan prompted, leaning back in his leather chair.

"I participated in the interrogations," Yang Dong continued. "Zhao Pengcheng’s confession only mentioned his own crimes and those of Lin Liangming. That in itself is abnormal. The Municipal Organization Department is too large not to have noticed their actions. Minister Gu Tong isn't deaf or blind. Why did the Organization Department play dumb? You personally brought Minister Gu to the scene, and he heard the conversation between Zhao and Lin at that dinner table with his own ears."

"Before leaving, Minister Gu demanded that the Commission investigate strictly, but warned against 'over-expansion.' I understood the subtext of his words. Minister Gu was using this opportunity to clarify his own position. He personally detests such behavior, but he is constrained by circumstances—which is why he didn't want the Commission to broaden the scope of the investigation. Of course, this is merely my speculation. I await your guidance."

Guan Mushan frowned. "Gu Tong has been the Minister of the Organization Department for less than a year. He hasn't fully consolidated his power yet. Since you’re going to be my secretary, I’ll speak plainly behind closed doors. Both the Commission and the Organization Department are under immense pressure. In fact, the decision to prioritize the investigation into the Organization Department was something Gu Tong and I discussed beforehand. He wants to use the Zhao case as a catalyst to clean house."

Yang Dong suddenly understood the bigger picture. The Organization Department was making a move, and the Commission was providing the muscle. These two standing committee members had formed a strategic alliance to pressure the Municipal Party Secretary, Wu Xinkai. It was obvious that both Zhao and Lin were protégés of Secretary Wu.

While outsiders might view this as a purge of Wu’s faction, that was a dangerous oversimplification. At the end of the day, these individuals had broken the law, taken bribes, and abused their power for profit. The cleanup was entirely in line with the latest directives from the Provincial Commission. There was no argument to be made against it.