January 2, 2014, Jingzhou City, Handong Province.
The new year had just begun, and the Handong International Hotel was hosting the Guangming Peak Project Development Coordination Meeting.
As night fell, the Guangming Peak Project Development Coordination Meeting, which had been going on for a day, transitioned into a reception. The venue was bustling with guests, filled with clinking glasses and lively chatter.
The reception was hosted by Ding Yizhen, the project's chief coordinator and also the Deputy Mayor of Jingzhou City and the Secretary of the Guangming District Party Committee.
Investors surrounded Ding Yizhen like stars around the moon, offering toasts and showering him with flattery. Flattery was as abundant as the flowing wine.
Ding Yizhen beamed with pride and confidence. However, he was unaware that the pinnacle of his career was already counting down.
Meanwhile, another meeting was quietly taking place at the Provincial Party Committee, discussing how to handle this Deputy Mayor Ding.
"Land and mineral resources have always been areas where our leading cadres are prone to problems," said a voice.
"Previously, a deputy mayor in charge of these matters in Jingzhou, along with a deputy director from the provincial department, fell from grace because of these positions," another voice added.
"It seems our Deputy Mayor Ding Yizhen in Jingzhou has also encountered problems," a third voice commented.
"The Anti-Graft Bureau of the Supreme People's Procuratorate has concrete evidence proving that Ding Yizhen is suspected of illegal activities involving a large sum of money," a voice stated.
In the office of Gao Yuliang, the Deputy Secretary of the Handong Provincial Party Committee and the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, Chen Hai succinctly presented the situation to the leaders gathered there.
More than half an hour earlier, Chen Hai, the Director of the Anti-Graft Bureau of the Handong Provincial Procuratorate, had received a call from Hou Liangping, the Investigation Section Chief of the Anti-Graft Bureau of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
Hou Liangping requested Chen Hai's assistance in apprehending the criminal suspect Ding Yizhen in Handong. However, Hou Liangping hadn't finished processing the arrest warrant for Ding Yizhen.
Without the proper documents, Chen Hai dared not act on his own and reported the situation to Ji Changming, the Chief Procurator of the Handong Provincial Procuratorate. Ji Changming also felt hesitant to act without proper authorization.
Merely a phone call, and just a phone call from an investigation section chief of the Anti-Graft Bureau, demanding the arrest of the Deputy Mayor of the provincial capital city of Handong, seemed too rash.
Ji Changming reported the situation to Gao Yuliang, leading to this meeting. Gao Yuliang instructed Ji Changming and Chen Hai to report on Ding Yizhen's matter to the Provincial Party Committee.
Also participating in the discussion were Ding Yizhen's superior, Li Dakang, the Standing Committee Member of the Handong Provincial Party Committee and the Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee, and Qi Tongwei, the Director of the Handong Provincial Public Security Department.
Originally, this matter had no direct connection to Qi Tongwei. He was in the meeting room only because he happened to be reporting on work to Gao Yuliang.
Considering that apprehending Ding Yizhen might require the cooperation of public security officers, Gao Yuliang simply let Qi Tongwei participate in the meeting.
Gao Yuliang didn't realize that this unintentional act of including Qi Tongwei in the meeting provided Qi Tongwei with the opportunity to arrange Ding Yizhen's escape.
After listening to Chen Hai's report, Gao Yuliang questioned sternly, "A deputy mayor of our province has encountered problems, and we don't know about it. How did they find out?"
Clearly, this was a dereliction of duty in cadre supervision in Handong. The Anti-Graft Bureau had discovered the issue, but Handong hadn't. This indicated a failure of cadre supervision in Handong.
Ji Changming explained, "Secretary Gao, it's like this. An investor tried to bribe a section chief in a national ministry to approve a coal mine project. The deal didn't go through, and the section chief refused to return the money. The investor reported the section chief, and in the process, also reported Ding Yizhen."
Gao Yuliang grasped the situation and looked at Li Dakang, asking, "So, this coal mine involved in the case is in our Jingzhou City?"
Li Dakang nodded, "If it involves Ding Yizhen, it must be a coal mine in our Jingzhou. We are currently undertaking coal mine resource consolidation in Jingzhou, and Ding Yizhen is the one overseeing this work."
Ji Changming added, "Therefore, the investor who bribed the powerful section chief in the national ministry also bribed our Deputy Mayor Ding."
Qi Tongwei, who was seemingly uninvolved, suddenly spoke up, "Secretary Yuliang, Secretary Dakang, have you considered putting Ding Yizhen under investigation by the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission first?"
This suggestion seemed reasonable, a standard procedure: handling Ding Yizhen through the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission would allow Li Dakang, the Standing Committee Member and Ding Yizhen's superior, to maintain face.
Gao Yuliang, the old fox, looked at Qi Tongwei without revealing his thoughts. He understood his protégé's intentions: Qi Tongwei was eyeing Li Dakang's vote.
Qi Tongwei, the Director of the Handong Provincial Public Security Department, aspired to become Deputy Governor next. To achieve that, he needed to secure votes in the Standing Committee. Li Dakang's vote was crucial.
Therefore, Qi Tongwei suggested putting Ding Yizhen under investigation at this critical juncture, hoping to curry favor with Li Dakang.
Handling Ding Yizhen through the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission was most advantageous for Li Dakang, as it would keep the power to investigate in his hands, leaving him with more room for maneuver.
Li Dakang naturally agreed, "I agree with Comrade Qi Tongwei's suggestion. Let the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission investigate Ding Yizhen first."
Beyond currying favor, Li Dakang understood Qi Tongwei's deeper intentions: to create conflict and opportunities to help Ding Yizhen escape.
Although Gao Yuliang was an old fox, he could only see the surface layer: Qi Tongwei's attempt to curry favor with Li Dakang.
Only Li Dakang knew Qi Tongwei's deeper intentions: to provoke conflict, creating opportunities to help Ding Yizhen flee.
It wasn't that Gao Yuliang, the old fox, was senile, but rather that Li Dakang was now a time traveler with foresight.
It could only be said that Qi Tongwei had hidden his true intentions well. Even his mentor, Gao Yuliang, couldn't imagine the depth of his connection with Ding Yizhen.
What Gao Yuliang didn't know, Li Dakang did: if Ding Yizhen spilled the beans, Qi Tongwei, who defied fate, would be finished!
Therefore, Qi Tongwei, who appeared outwardly detached and relaxed, was the most anxious of the five present.
Ding Yizhen's sudden downfall, with concrete evidence uncovered by the Anti-Graft Bureau of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, was a blow to Qi Tongwei's head, like a heavy mallet.
There was little room for Qi Tongwei to save himself. Trying to suppress the matter privately was clearly impossible; Qi Tongwei didn't have that much power.
Qi Tongwei had only one path to salvation: make Ding Yizhen keep his mouth shut!
Expecting Ding Yizhen to remain silent was unrealistic. To silence him, either he would never be able to speak again, or he wouldn't need to speak.
Eliminating him meant silencing him permanently, while sending him abroad meant he wouldn't need to speak.
Time was too tight. Moreover, Ding Yizhen's actions had already been exposed. Eliminating him at this point would be foolish. Everyone would know there was something fishy going on, and the authorities would inevitably investigate thoroughly.
Therefore, sending Ding Yizhen abroad became Qi Tongwei's only option. And to send Ding Yizhen away, Qi Tongwei desperately needed time.
Time was needed to get the word out, arranging for Ding Yizhen's departure abroad. Time was also needed for waiting for the flight to take off and for the flight to cross the border.
Most importantly, Qi Tongwei needed time to complete the first step, to spread the word. This would ensure Ding Yizhen's escape before he was apprehended.
Therefore, Qi Tongwei proposed that the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission investigate Ding Yizhen. He could predict that Li Dakang would support it, while Ji Changming and Chen Hai would oppose it.
Li Dakang would support it because it benefited him. Ji Changming and Chen Hai would oppose it because they wouldn't be able to account for it to the Anti-Graft Bureau.
Qi Tongwei aimed to exploit the conflict between Li Dakang and Ji Changming, Chen Hai, triggering their arguments and delaying tactics, thus buying him time to send out the signal.
Unbeknownst to him, the most skillful hunters often appear in the guise of prey. Qi Tongwei intended to use Li Dakang, but Li Dakang, in turn, intended to use Qi Tongwei!
This so-called "defier of fate" was nothing in Li Dakang's eyes, just someone who couldn't control his own greed. Ultimately, greed would devour him!
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