Chapter 19: Xu Yuncai Makes His Move

Wu Sancai stepped out of the hotel where Yin Tiejun was being held and turned to the few men beside him. “It’s getting late. You should all head back.”

“Yes, Director Wu, we’ll be going now.”

“You should get some rest, too.”

They were all thoroughly exhausted; the hotel didn’t only hold Yin Tiejun, but other cadres under double regulations as well. They’d been on duty for a long time, and now that Wu Sancai had given the word, they left at once.

Ji Hongyu, his face dark, turned to Wu Sancai. “Director Wu, I really don’t like this Yang Dong.”

“Holding fast to his principles—he’s a good comrade. Why don’t you like him?” Wu Sancai asked with a genial smile.

Ji Hongyu shook his head, brooding. “I just don’t. The sight of him annoys me.”

“Ah, sometimes the way people click—or don’t—is just that peculiar. Some strangers feel like old friends at first meeting, and others are natural enemies,” Wu Sancai mused. “But enough talk; go get some rest, Hongyu.”

With that, he waved him away with a smile.

“Director Wu, I’m going to speak with my uncle about this. It’s best to send that seconded Yang Dong back where he came from!” Ji Hongyu, simmering with resentment, turned and departed.

Watching Ji Hongyu drive away, Wu Sancai’s lips curled with a trace of mockery. “Just a kid in his twenties, already a deputy section chief—just because you’ve got a well-placed uncle? Pity you’ve got no political sense, not much brains either.” He sneered, holding nothing but contempt for someone who’d climbed the ladder through family ties.

He’d deliberately fanned the flames just now, wanting to use Ji Hongyu to get at Yang Dong through his uncle, Secretary Ling Zhenting. If Yang Dong didn’t leave, they’d never be able to deal with Yin Tiejun.

He took out his phone and dialed a number.

After a few seconds, the call connected.

“Secretary Xu, that Yang Dong fellow is watching things very closely. I couldn’t get in,” Wu Sancai reported in a low voice.

“What? You can’t handle some seconded youngster?” came Xu Yuncai’s voice, full of surprise and disbelief. With Wu Sancai on the scene, he’d thought that boy would be easy to brush aside.

“That kid may look young, but he’s shrewd—quick to slap labels on people. He questioned whether we were interfering with the investigation, even threatening the city discipline inspection team. With that kind of accusation, I couldn’t push further without making things worse.” Wu Sancai was frustrated; he was usually the one putting hats on others, but now Yang Dong had turned the tables on him.

“There’s something odd about that one, and I still don’t know what he’s really about,” Xu Yuncai admitted, nodding in agreement.

“By rights, he was seconded personally by Secretary Guan, so he should be Guan’s man. But then Secretary Wei stepped in—first securing Yang Dong’s secondment, then appointing him as leader of the Tenth Group. Now I’ve got a headache trying to figure out whose side he’s really on. Who’s backing him? And he came from the Municipal Office—I suspect he’s connected to Yin Tiejun,” Wu Sancai added.

Xu Yuncai’s tone grew cold. “Whatever the case, Yang Dong needs to be kicked out. If Yin Tiejun proves his innocence, there’ll be no peace for us. Yin Tiejun is the Municipal Secretary General—he’s got real power.”

Xu Yuncai’s office was thick with smoke, the ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts. He’d been wracking his brain for some way to get rid of Yang Dong, but nothing had come to mind.

“Secretary Xu, could we get the Municipal Office to intervene?” Wu Sancai suddenly brightened, struck by an idea.

“Oh? Go on, I’m listening,” Xu Yuncai said, interested. Wu Sancai was a master of intrigue; after all, he’d orchestrated the entire setup that now had Yin Tiejun accused of embezzling half a million—right down to the fabricated evidence.

“Secretary Xu, what about Deputy Secretary General Tian Guanghan? Maybe we can use him,” Wu Sancai suggested with a sly chuckle.

Xu Yuncai immediately grasped the line and began to elaborate. “You crafty old fox, you really are something. Old Tian has to be brought into this. If Yin Tiejun falls, he stands to gain the most. No reason we should do all the work while he reaps the rewards.”

He grinned, all slyness and calculation.

“Old Wu, you’ve been a full section chief for some years now, haven’t you?” Xu Yuncai asked suddenly.

The question made Wu Sancai’s heart race. “Yes, Secretary Xu, eight years now. From deputy office director to head of the Cadre Supervision Office—still stuck in place.”

It irked him; he was a seasoned section chief, but craved advancement. He was already over fifty—if he didn’t move up soon, he’d be stuck for good.

“Third Discipline Inspection Office Director Lao Li is about to retire. I’m thinking of recommending you to take over. The directors of our city’s first to fifth discipline offices are all deputy bureau level. Work hard, Old Wu—if we get this done, you won’t be left empty-handed.”

The hint was unmistakable: nail the Yin Tiejun case, and everyone would move up together.

“Don’t worry, there’ll be no mistakes. If it comes to it, I’ll pay someone to rough up Yang Dong—keep him in the hospital for a couple of weeks,” Wu Sancai vowed. For that deputy bureau-level post, he’d do whatever it took.

“Good, let’s do it,” Xu Yuncai concluded, ending the call. After a few minutes, he picked up the phone again and dialed another number.

“Old Tian, do you know who this is?”

Tian Guanghan had just finished dinner and was writing in his study when the call came. Hearing the familiar voice, he recognized it immediately.

“Ah, Secretary Xu! What can I do for you?” He called him “leader” out of courtesy—Xu Yuncai was a full bureau-level deputy secretary of the city commission, while Tian Guanghan was only a deputy bureau-level deputy secretary general in the government. They were in different systems, so technically neither outranked the other, but the formality was customary.

“No need for ‘leader’—if I don’t become deputy mayor, I won’t be your superior,” Xu Yuncai sighed, his voice heavy with worry.

Tian Guanghan’s heart skipped a beat. Did he really care if Xu Yuncai became deputy mayor? Not really. What he cared about was whether he himself could become Secretary General. Xu Yuncai’s implication was clear: if he didn’t get promoted, Tian Guanghan wouldn’t either, because Yin Tiejun might make a comeback. If that happened, neither of them would advance.

One Yin Tiejun was enough to block both their paths.

Tian Guanghan quickly grasped the meaning and grew agitated. “Secretary Xu, what’s happened?”

Xu Yuncai sighed. “There’s trouble with Yin Tiejun’s case. You’ve probably heard the city commission set up an investigation team, and the Tenth Group took over the case. Now I can’t get involved.”

The news left Tian Guanghan chilled.

“The Tenth Group has that much authority?” he pressed, anxious about his future.

“Oh, right—does your office have someone named Yang Dong seconded to us?” Xu Yuncai changed tack.

“Yang Dong? Why do you mention him?” Tian Guanghan asked, puzzled.

“Don’t get me started. Your Yang Dong is the leader of the Tenth Group. He’s as stubborn as a mule—unyielding, inflexible. My people can’t even get in to see Yin Tiejun. I mean no offense, just saying—a man that dedicated should be back in your office, not wasted here.”

“I have to run, Old Tian. We’ll talk later,” Xu Yuncai said, hanging up.

Furious, Tian Guanghan threw the phone aside and slammed the desk as he stood. “Yang Dong, what are you up to? Trying to clear your old boss’s name? Dream on!”

He paced his study in a rage, then snatched up the phone and dialed again.

“Lin Yaodong, you’re on duty tonight, right? Issue a formal letter from the Municipal Office to the city commission and its organization department, requesting the immediate recall of Yang Dong to our office. Don’t ask questions—just do it!”

He slammed down the phone, staring into the night, his eyes cold and deep.

“Yin Tiejun, you’ll never return to the Municipal Office in this lifetime! Four years ago, you suddenly came down from the province to become Secretary General, stealing my path. If not for you, I might already be deputy mayor! You’ve held me back for four years—why should an outsider like you get ahead? Because you were once Su Yuliang’s secretary? Hmph! Distant help won’t save you now. Even Su Yuliang can’t help you! You’re finished.”