Xu Zhao was hesitant for a moment, wondering if he should take the opportunity to arrest Lu Zheng Pin.
But after glancing at the others, Xu Zhao hardened his heart and said, "Whether you've committed a crime or not has nothing to do with whether you obey my orders."
His words struck fear into everyone present.
It seemed Xu Zhao was determined to make an example of a few of them today.
His ruthless approach instilled a sense of awe in them.
It meant that anyone who dared to oppose him would face dire consequences.
Lu Zheng Pin panicked, "Secretary Xu, I haven't offended you. Please, just give me a chance!"
Xu Zhao slammed his hand on the table, his voice cold, "Lu Zheng Pin, mind your language! If you're innocent, why are you making such a fuss?"
Lu Zheng Pin jumped at the sound of the table being slammed, his face contorting with a mix of embarrassment and despair.
"Director Lu, please come with us."
An Xin repeated.
"No, I haven't committed any crime. I won't go with you without evidence!"
Lu Zheng Pin's expression hardened, resolute.
An Xin felt a pang of helplessness.
They didn't have any concrete evidence of Lu Zheng Pin's crimes, so they couldn't force him to go with them.
It seemed they would have to interrogate Dong Wei Gang first.
Xu Zhao had been keeping tabs on Lu Zheng Pin, hoping to find his secret stash of funds.
However, Lu Zheng Pin hadn't visited his secret stash in recent days, so Xu Zhao hadn't been able to find it.
Just as everyone thought the matter had been put to rest, Lu Zheng Pin made a shocking statement, "I want to report Xu Zhao for corruption, collusion with the underworld, and bribery of the former Secretary of the Han Dong Provincial Party Committee, Zhao Li Chun!"
The room fell silent, shock rippling through the crowd.
Many stared at Lu Zheng Pin in disbelief, their eyes wide.
Others secretly looked at Xu Zhao, including An Xin.
Xu Zhao's expression and gaze mirrored that of Li Da Kang when he was angry.
"Director Lu, you need to be responsible for your words. There are serious consequences for making false accusations without evidence."
Deputy Secretary Yan Yang Xue stated sternly.
It wasn't enough that Lu Zheng Pin was accusing Xu Zhao, he even dragged Zhao Li Chun into it.
Zhao Li Chun was now a powerful figure in Beijing.
If Zhao Li Chun were to get angry, it would likely spell trouble for all of them.
"Qiang Sheng Group, Gao Qiang!"
Lu Zheng Pin glared at Xu Zhao, his eyes fierce, like a trapped beast.
That look seemed to say, "You still have time to back down. Otherwise, we'll go down together."
Hearing the name Gao Qiang, Meng De Hai and An Xin were both taken aback.
They were currently investigating Gao Qiang.
However, they had yet to discover any connection between Gao Qiang and Xu Zhao.
If there truly was a connection, then this matter would be a major scandal.
...
Could Xu Zhao back down now?
Obviously not.
To back down in front of so many people would be tantamount to admitting Lu Zheng Pin's accusations.
So Xu Zhao suppressed his anger and rage, giving a faint smile, "Gao Qiang, I know him. He's a well-known entrepreneur in our Jing Hai city. What, is there a problem with him?"
Lu Zheng Pin scoffed, "Don't play dumb. Everyone knows how Gao Qiang got rich."
Xu Zhao gave a disdainful smile, "How he got rich is none of my business. Meng De Hai and Xu Wu Ping are here today. You can report him to them."
Lu Zheng Pin turned to Meng De Hai, then to Xu Wu Ping.
Meng De Hai pretended to sip his tea.
Xu Wu Ping turned his head away, refusing to even look at him.
Lu Zheng Pin knew that these two men were probably too afraid to oppose Xu Zhao.
Xu Zhao hadn't cornered them, so they didn't see a need to risk it.
"Xu Zhao, you're good. You've scared everyone off. But don't get too cocky, I'll report you to the Han Dong Provincial Procuratorate. Just like you reported Hou Liang Ping."
Lu Zheng Pin said.
"Go ahead, do it."
Xu Zhao leaned back in his chair, his attitude nonchalant.
"Alright, you've left me no choice."
Lu Zheng Pin didn't waste any more time, rising from his seat and walking out of the conference room.
As he passed by Dong Wei Gang, Lu Zheng Pin gave him a look, hoping he would hold out a little longer.
As long as Dong Wei Gang didn't reveal him, he would have enough time to make his report.
Dong Wei Gang understood what he meant and nodded subtly.
Satisfied, Lu Zheng Pin walked out quickly.
No one noticed a mosquito quietly landing on Lu Zheng Pin's shoulder.
......
After Lu Zheng Pin left, An Xin and the others took Dong Wei Gang away, closing the conference room door behind them.
The atmosphere in the conference room was awkward.
Especially when Xu Zhao scanned the room, many people couldn't meet his gaze, clearly feeling nervous.
After a moment of silence, Xu Zhao said, "Next, I'd like to discuss Jing Hai's economic development."
Seeing that he still had the composure to talk about this, everyone couldn't help but admire him.
Was Xu Zhao really not afraid at all?
He spoke about economic development for over half an hour.
Xu Zhao announced the end of the meeting, picked up his documents, and was the first to leave.
Meng De Hai quickly caught up to Xu Zhao, "Secretary Xu, I need to report something to you about this Gao Qiang matter."
Xu Zhao continued walking, "Go on."
Meng De Hai said, "Gao Qiang may be involved in hiring hitmen, colluding with the underworld, and is a very dangerous individual. We've been investigating him for years but haven't found any concrete evidence yet."
Xu Zhao replied, "It's fine, keep investigating."
Meng De Hai was a little surprised, "Alright, I'll follow your instructions."
Watching Xu Zhao's brisk departure, Meng De Hai thought, "Secretary Xu, are you truly innocent, or are you just putting on a show?"
Xu Zhao's performance was so convincing that even he couldn't tell.
Not just him, but the other officials as well.
They discussed what had just happened, trying to glean some information from the situation.
"Lu Zheng Pin went to the Provincial Procuratorate to report him. This is going to blow up, let's see how Xu Zhao handles it."
"He wouldn't really report Zhao Li Chun, would he? It might even implicate us."
"I didn't bribe Zhao Li Chun, so what do I have to worry about?"
"......"
"Do you think Xu Zhao will have a plan to deal with the Provincial Procuratorate?"
"We've all underestimated Xu Zhao. From his behavior today, he's no pushover."
"Right, even I was scared."
"He wouldn't actually hire assassins to..."
"You think this is a movie?"
"Everyone, go back and take care of your own business. Don't end up like them."
"I don't have anything to take care of."
They continued their discussions as they walked out of the municipal party committee building.
Then they each got in their cars and drove away.