Leaving the provincial government compound, Hou Liang Ping asked the question on his mind: “Chief Prosecutor Ji, what does Secretary Sha mean by ‘groupings’ and ‘cliques’?”
Ji Chang Ming said: “In recent years, the cadre ranks of our Hanzhou have become quite complex, and the phenomenon of forming cliques does exist.”
Hou Liang Ping asked curiously: “Then which group or clique do you belong to?”
Ji Chang Ming replied calmly: “Me? I belong to no group, no clique. It’s great that way, so no one takes me seriously.”
Hou Liang Ping laughed and said: “Good, then how about we form a clique together?”
“You?” Ji Chang Ming teased, “Liang Ping, you came here with a birthmark; you belong to the Hanzhou University group.”
Hou Liang Ping was surprised: “I just arrived in Hanzhou and I’m already part of the Hanzhou University group?”
Ji Chang Ming asked: “Did you graduate from the Law Department of Hanzhou University? Was Secretary Gao Yu Liang your teacher in the past?”
Hou Liang Ping nodded: “Yes, I, Chen Hai, Qi Tong Wei, we all graduated from the Law Department of Hanzhou University. Gao Yu Liang was our department head.”
Ji Chang Ming said with a smile: “So, I’ll tell you the truth, the heads of all major departments in our Hanzhou legal system are from the Law Department of Hanzhou University.”
Hou Liang Ping was surprised: “Is Hanzhou University that amazing?”
“It’s that amazing! Students from other universities, other law schools, they don’t have the same opportunities in our Hanzhou legal system as students from the Law Department of Hanzhou University.”
Ji Chang Ming continued, “So, there are some rumors circulating. Back in the day, Secretary Chang established the Whampoa Clique, and now Secretary Gao Yu Liang has established the Hanzhou University group.”
Hou Liang Ping jokingly said, with a dismissive air, “So, should I go pay my respects to my teacher?”
Ji Chang Ming chuckled: “Whether you go or not is your business, I have no say in it. And then there’s another group called the Secretary Clique, led by Li Da Kang, because Li Da Kang was the secretary of our provincial Party Secretary Zhao Li Chun back in the day.”
Speaking of Zhao Li Chun, Hou Liang Ping suddenly remembered something else: “Hey, when I was in Yancheng, I heard that Secretary Zhao Li Chun recommended Gao Yu Liang to the higher authorities, not Li Da Kang.”
Ji Chang Ming nodded: “I heard that too, but now that Secretary Sha Rui Jin has arrived, well… I’ll tell you more later.”
Some words, when they reached his lips, Ji Chang Ming decided it was better not to say them for now. It’s unwise to reveal too much to someone you barely know. He and Hou Liang Ping hadn’t reached the point where they could open their hearts to each other.
Hou Liang Ping gave a wry smile: “I never expected the situation in Hanzhou to be so complex.”
Ji Chang Ming said: “It is a bit complex, but don’t be afraid. Think of it as walking into a storm.”
Hou Liang Ping retorted: “You and Chen Hai haven’t been in the storm for a while now?”
Ji Chang Ming sighed: “I’m old. I’m retiring in a year.”
Hou Liang Ping quickly comforted him: “Chief Prosecutor Ji, you don’t look old at all. Even if you were old, your will shouldn’t weaken. I was your soldier back in the day.”
Back when he had just graduated from the Law Department of Hanzhou University, Hou Liang Ping was assigned to work at the Hanzhou Procuratorate. He stayed there for over a year before he was transferred to Yancheng through Zhong Xiao Ai’s connections.
Ji Chang Ming perked up: “Yes, even if I’m old, my will shouldn’t weaken.”
Hou Liang Ping echoed: “Yes!”
He couldn’t let the old prosecutor’s will decline. Otherwise, Hou Liang Ping’s work would be extremely difficult. For instance, Hou Liang Ping needed Ji Chang Ming to share some of the pressure. He couldn’t withstand the counterattack of Hanzhou officials alone.
Ji Chang Ming suddenly realized: “Wait, I was in the Public Prosecution Division back then, and you were in the Economic Investigation Division. You weren’t my soldier.”
Hou Liang Ping argued: “Even if not a direct soldier, you are still a soldier. I’m charging into battle for you this time.”
Ji Chang Ming chuckled: “You little monkey, you’ve been gone for over a decade, let’s see if I can still manage you.”
Hou Liang Ping was quite humble: “Even if the monkey is capable, it cannot escape the Buddha’s palm. I’m back in your hands this time.”
Even though he sounded confident, he knew that without Ji Chang Ming’s support, it would be impossible to make any progress in Hanzhou.
Being parachuted into the Hanzhou Anti-Corruption Bureau, a stranger in a strange land, without Ji Chang Ming’s support, the people below might not listen to him, Hou Liang Ping.
Cliques exist in every organization, it’s a normal phenomenon. It’s just a matter of the size and level of the groups.
Hou Liang Ping quickly sensed the presence of cliques. As soon as he arrived at the Anti-Corruption Bureau, he was met with Lu Yi Ke’s hostile attitude.
…
After the Standing Committee meeting, Gao Yu Liang returned to his office and pondered for a while, trying to figure out why Li Da Kang had intervened on behalf of Qi Tong Wei.
It must be said that Gao Yu Liang was very thoughtful. In reality, Li Da Kang simply didn’t want to be used as a pawn by Sha Rui Jin, and he also disliked the smugness of Tian Guo Fu.
But Gao Yu Liang insisted on analyzing Li Da Kang’s psychology, inevitably overinterpreting Li Da Kang’s actions. This is what they call being too clever by half.
Therefore, Gao Yu Liang was very troubled. He couldn’t figure out what Li Da Kang was up to. Was he trying to win him over to oppose Sha Rui Jin, or was he trying to win Qi Tong Wei over as a follower?
After thinking for a long time without reaching a conclusion, Gao Yu Liang deliberately called Qi Tong Wei to his office. On the surface, they talked about Sha Rui Jin’s freeze on personnel promotions. In reality, Gao Yu Liang was probing Qi Tong Wei.
“Back then, you cried at Zhao Li Chun’s grave, crying so much that everyone in Hanzhou knew about it. Even today, at the Standing Committee meeting, people brought it up, and I had to save face and explain for you!”
“And you, you went to see Chen Yan Shi yesterday to dig up the ground. I asked you to save me some trouble, but you still went! Then Secretary Sha mentioned it at the Standing Committee meeting as a joke, saying he should nominate you for a model worker in rural grassroots!”
The probing didn’t happen right away. As soon as Qi Tong Wei entered the office, Gao Yu Liang, who was fuming with anger, first gave him a good scolding. Gao Yu Liang was truly disappointed in this former favorite student of his.
Even though Qi Tong Wei had a thick skin, he was still uncomfortable at this moment. He could only say awkwardly: “Teacher, I’m sorry for the trouble. I just thought of going to see Old Chen. I didn’t expect him to have such a strong prejudice against me.”
“Humph!” Gao Yu Liang snorted, “You should think about this. Would Old Chen accept you going to see him now? Your tricks are so transparent, how could you escape the scrutiny of an old comrade like him?”
“Teacher, I… I was wrong.” Qi Tong Wei’s face became even more uncomfortable. Even though he was usually eloquent, he didn’t know how to argue this time, so he simply admitted his mistake.
Gao Yu Liang stopped scolding him and changed the topic, softening his tone: “Tong Wei, who do you think is most worried about Ding Yi Zhen’s arrest?”
Qi Tong Wei didn’t expect his teacher to suddenly change the topic. He hesitated for a moment before answering: “It should be Secretary Da Kang, right? Ding Yi Zhen escaped, but the Guangming Peak project seems to be calm for now.”
Gao Yu Liang didn’t believe it: “For a political achievement project, would Li Da Kang dare to take such a big risk to let a corrupt official escape?”
Qi Tong Wei explained: “It’s not just the Guangming Peak project, it should also be the Sha-Li partnership. After all, Governor Liu only has four months left.”
Gao Yu Liang shook his head: “Sha-Li partnership? Li Da Kang’s performance today, it’s hard to say if there is a Sha-Li partnership. He helped me and you twice at the Standing Committee meeting today.”
Qi Tong Wei was surprised, with an incredulous expression: “Teacher, Secretary Da Kang helped you and me? Have you already made up with him, and are you going to join forces against Secretary Sha?”
Gao Yu Liang observed Qi Tong Wei’s expression without revealing anything. Seeing that Qi Tong Wei’s surprise didn’t seem to be fake, he said: “You cried at Zhao Li Chun’s grave, and Li Da Kang said it was a sentimental moment. You dug up the ground for Old Chen, and Li Da Kang said it was for a good reason.”
This is Gao Yu Liang’s brilliance. He didn’t directly probe Qi Tong Wei. Instead, he first gave him a good scolding to disrupt his state of mind, and then he suddenly mentioned something unbelievable. At this point, Qi Tong Wei would definitely not have time to put on a disguise.
Qi Tong Wei was stunned for a moment, then he quickly understood. He couldn’t help but sigh: “Thank goodness for Teacher and Secretary Da Kang for helping me. Otherwise, my hope of becoming Deputy Governor would be completely gone.”
Gao Yu Liang sighed: “You have basically no hope. Secretary Sha’s intention is very clear. He doesn’t want you to become Deputy Governor, and not just you, the appointments of all proposed candidates are frozen, and they have to go through the organizational process again.”
Qi Tong Wei was immediately very dejected, his face full of melancholic depression. He was reluctant, but he also understood that there was nothing he could do, because Secretary Sha Rui Jin had the right to veto.
Gao Yu Liang was much calmer. He was going to call Li Da Kang. He had finished probing Qi Tong Wei, and he was satisfied with the results. The next step was to probe Li Da Kang to see what he was thinking.
On the other side, Sha Rui Jin was also on the phone, asking Tian Guo Fu to come to his office. Whether anyone had tipped off Ding Yi Zhen and helped him escape, this must be thoroughly investigated.
To break the deadlock and rectify the Hanzhou officialdom, Sha Rui Jin decided to use two blades simultaneously: one was Hou Liang Ping’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, and the other was Tian Guo Fu’s Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission.
…