Chapter 136: A Difficult Conversation

At this moment, the Secretary of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection stood before the door of Room 1309—his own office.

Xin Yao watched them with a beaming smile as they emerged from the elevator. The Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection’s operations were certainly communicated to the county-level discipline departments in advance, so Secretary Xin Yao was undoubtedly aware of their arrival. Yet, the County Commission had not sent anyone to meet them; instead, it was Song Sifeng’s group that had done the honors. That, in itself, was quite interesting.

Regardless, Xin Yao was not only the Secretary of the Commission for Discipline Inspection for Kaiyang County but also a Standing Committee member of the Municipal Commission. In terms of both rank and position, he was Yang Dong’s absolute superior. Facing him, Yang Dong had to maintain a demeanor of courtesy and respect.

He walked a few quick steps forward to stand before Xin Yao.

"Secretary Xin, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Yang Dong did not offer his hand, merely greeting him politely. When facing a superior, a subordinate must not initiate a handshake; one may only extend a hand if the leader does so first. To reach out first would strike the leader as discourteous, ill-bred, and ignorant of protocol.

"Comrade Yang Dong, hearing your name a hundred times is not as good as seeing you once. I’ve heard so much about you; I’m glad to finally meet you in person."

Xin Yao had nothing particularly striking about his appearance—a square, sturdy face typical of a man in his forties. He smiled as he extended his hand to shake Yang Dong’s, offering a word of praise. The compliment was neither hypocritical nor hollow; he was genuinely impressed. Yang Dong, formerly a minor clerk, had managed to turn the city upside down, drawing the attention of both the Mayor and the Municipal Party Secretary. It was a remarkable feat; even Xin Yao lacked such capability.

"Comrade Yanqing is here as well. Please, come in!"

Xin Yao greeted Lü Yanqing with a beaming face, gesturing for the group to enter. From start to finish, he remained enthusiastic, though not particularly subtle. He might as well have told Yang Dong and his team directly that this was his territory. It was curious; from the very first centimeter they had crossed into Kaiyang County, Song Sifeng and his cohorts had repeatedly emphasized that this was their turf. Now, the County Discipline Secretary was doing the same, both implicitly and explicitly.

The work ahead would not be easy. They had barely arrived in Kaiyang County and had already been dealt two "welcoming blows." Worse, these blows were delivered with high-level finesse, cloaked in the guise of welcoming the "imperial envoys." In the world of bureaucracy, if one did not remain vigilant, one would be picked clean to the bone.

Yang Dong led his team into Xin Yao’s office.

"Sit, please, everyone sit!"

Seeing them enter, Xin Yao pointed toward the chairs, gesturing for them to be seated. He maintained the full presence and mannerisms of a host—which, of course, he was. Although Xin Yao was a Standing Committee member of the Municipal Commission, his work focus remained firmly on Kaiyang County. As a member of the County Standing Committee and Secretary of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection, he had to keep his eyes on the county at all times. With so many members on the Municipal Commission, his position there held little practical power, whereas in the county, he was the fourth-ranking official. Xin Yao knew exactly where the true weight of his authority lay.

With nineteen officials in Kaiyang County now embroiled in the case, the County Discipline Secretary certainly had his own calculations.

"Taste this tea. I swiped it from Secretary Tan’s office—top-grade Biluochun."

For a County Discipline Secretary to personally brew tea for them was perhaps a bit too enthusiastic. And excessive enthusiasm usually signaled a problem: either a favor to be asked or a trap to be laid. To Yang Dong, it felt like both.

"Secretary Xin, you are too kind. Please, let me do that." Lü Yanqing stood up to take the teapot, but Xin Yao stopped him.

"Sit down. You are imperial envoys from the Municipal Commission; I must take good care of you. Otherwise, if I see Secretary Guan one day, I’ll be the one getting a lecture."

Xin Yao pushed Lü Yanqing back into the sofa with a smile before pouring the tea himself. His words seemed like jokes, but they carried deep subtext. By mentioning the tea from Secretary Tan and the potential criticism from Secretary Guan, he was hinting that he drank the same tea and used the same water as Secretary Tan, implying they were on the same side. Simultaneously, by mentioning the possibility of being reprimanded by Secretary Guan, he was signaling his own dilemma—caught between the county leadership and the municipal authorities. It was a message to the envoys: he was in a difficult position, and they should be understanding.

Xin Yao did not know Yang Dong personally, so he could not speak too bluntly; he had to resort to ambiguity. While he had met Lü Yanqing a few times, she was not the primary target. The focus had to remain on Yang Dong, for he was the one holding the "Sword of Authority."

"We must savor Secretary Tan’s tea and see how it compares to the tea Secretary Guan serves," Yang Dong said, giving a nod to Lü Yanqing and playing along with the joke. Whether it was a joke or something else depended entirely on how the listener chose to interpret it.

"Indeed, it’s fragrant. Secretary Tan must be a man of refined taste in tea," Lü Yanqing said, taking a sniff and a sip, then sighing in admiration.

Jiang Hu sniffed his own cup and couldn't help but frown. *Isn't this just leaves? It’s bitter—what’s there to drink? Refined? I’d say he’s 'muted'—drinking this tea has probably made him unable to speak.*

"Good tea, truly good tea," Hou Donglai echoed, wearing an expression of pure enjoyment. Hou Shuangquan said nothing, merely offering a smile. Little Li, or Li Ziheng, was even quieter; he was virtually invisible.

Yang Dong set his teacup down and looked up at Xin Yao. There was no need for further riddles; it was time to get straight to the point.

"Secretary Xin, you surely know the purpose of our visit. The case of Zhao Pengcheng, former Deputy Director of the Municipal Organization Department, involves nineteen officials from Kaiyang County. Among them is Deputy County Magistrate Zhao Guojun. There is also the Director of the County Tax Bureau, Yang Xu; the Director of the County Water Conservancy Bureau, Dong Wenfang; and the Director of the County Bureau of Industry and Commerce, Hai Bin. Beyond them, there are the Party Secretary of Ping'an Town, the Mayor of Xiashui Town, the Party Secretary of Laiyang Township, and the Mayor of Anliang Township. The rest are deputy section-level officials from the county and townships."

"Before I left for Kaiyang, Secretary Guan instructed me to ensure the Zhao Pengcheng case is handled thoroughly and firmly, and that both the Municipal and County Commissions must execute this without compromise. Secretary Xin, as a leader of our Municipal Commission, I trust you will support our work. Secretary Guan told me to learn from you and seek your advice upon arrival, so please, do not hold anything back. You are one of our leaders; you must stand behind the comrades of the Municipal Commission."

Yang Dong had combined a specific list of the nineteen officials with a veiled threat referencing Secretary Guan’s instructions, followed by a compliment regarding Guan’s trust in Xin Yao. Finally, he pulled Xin Yao into the camp of the Municipal Commission. This combination of soft and hard tactics left even Xin Yao impressed.

Xin Yao stared at Yang Dong with a serious expression, inwardly shocked. This did not behave like a young official with only a few years of experience. However, he was about to disappoint Yang Dong. He might be a member of the Municipal Commission, but he was, first and foremost, a member of the Kaiyang County Standing Committee and the County Discipline Secretary.

"Whatever instructions you imperial envoys from the Municipal Commission have, we at the Kaiyang County Commission will follow them! You decide, and we will execute them to the letter without compromise."

Yang Dong’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart sank. The initial communication had not gone well.