Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 125 Abbess Miejue

a new day.

Lin Xue called Wu Zhiyuan to her office.

"Zhiyuan, do I have a lot of nicknames?"

Lin Xue's question caught Wu Zhiyuan off guard.

Lin Xue does indeed have many nicknames, such as Abbess Mischief, Black Widow, Tiger Mother, Iron Lady, etc.

But can he just say it directly?

Lin Xue noticed Wu Zhiyuan's hesitation and smiled encouragingly, "Zhiyuan, don't have any worries, I want the truth."

Helpless, Wu Zhiyuan had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Privately, some people say you're an iron lady, while others say you're a ruthless abbess."

Lin Xue stared at Wu Zhiyuan and asked, "Is that all?"

Wu Zhiyuan would never dare to use the nickname "Tiger Mother," so he could only say, "And Black Widow."

"Is there anything else?" Lin Xue pressed.

"Secretary Lin, that's all I know."

Lin Xue chuckled self-deprecatingly, "I never imagined I had so many impressive titles behind me!"

Then, she said seriously, "Zhiyuan, this is what happened."

This morning, a whistleblower somehow got hold of my office phone number and called me directly.

He said he wanted to meet me in person and talk to me alone, and he also mentioned that he had written me a letter of complaint about Chen Zhenglei some time ago.

He made it clear that he only trusted me and not anyone else.

Lin Xue paused for a moment, then continued, "Guess why he specifically wanted to see me?"

He said it was because he had heard about my nicknames—Iron Lady, Abbess Mischief, and so on.

He said that these nicknames show that I am a leader with strong principles, who is not afraid to offend people, and who dares to take real action.

He felt that only by handing the materials over to him could the investigation truly proceed, preventing them from disappearing without a trace and ultimately ending up in the hands of the accused.

Wu Zhiyuan understood that these seemingly disrespectful nicknames had become a kind of guarantee of credibility in the eyes of the masses, a source of confidence for whistleblowers to entrust the truth.

Lin Xue stood up, walked to the window, her back to Wu Zhiyuan, and said in a serious voice, "I don't care what others call me."

In the position of secretary of the discipline inspection commission, to hesitate or be overly cautious out of consideration for personal relationships or fear of offending anyone is the greatest dereliction of duty!

Lin Xue turned around and looked at Wu Zhiyuan: "Therefore, I must meet this whistleblower! This is not only a potentially very important clue, but also a weighty trust."

Wu Zhiyuan said cautiously, "Secretary Lin, I understand your desire to meet the whistleblower in person. This reflects your emphasis on the clues and your trust in the people."

However, I believe there are several risks involved in your meeting alone with an unidentified whistleblower you have only contacted by phone:

First, security is hard to guarantee, and we cannot completely rule out whether this is a test or even a trap for you;

Second, as the secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, you are a conspicuous target. If word gets out, it could easily alert the enemy.

Third, it can easily give others grounds for accusations that you don't follow proper procedures in handling cases and that you contact whistleblowers alone.

He observed Lin Xue's expression and, seeing that she was listening attentively, continued to suggest, "Secretary Lin, if you trust me, could I contact the whistleblower on your behalf first?"

I can explain to the other party that you are a key leader of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, and meeting you directly would attract too much attention. Out of responsibility for the safety of the leads and the progress of the investigation, I, as the person in charge, will make the initial contact.

If the other party truly possesses important information and genuinely wants to report it, it should be understandable.

I will record the entire process and give you a full report as soon as I get back.

Lin Xue pondered for a moment and said, "Zhiyuan, do as you say. You go to see the whistleblower on my behalf."

Safety is paramount. Choose a safe meeting place and observe your surroundings.

The key is to determine the authenticity and value of the clues, as well as the reliability of the whistleblower.

Subsequently, Lin Xue contacted the whistleblower.

After some communication, the whistleblower finally agreed to the plan for Wu Zhiyuan to meet on his behalf, but insisted that the location must be designated by him and that only Wu Zhiyuan could come.

In a relatively quiet teahouse in the old town, Wu Zhiyuan met the whistleblower—a man wearing a baseball cap and a mask.

Wu Zhiyuan spoke up: "Hello, I am Wu Zhiyuan. Secretary Lin sent me to meet with you."

The whistleblower said, "You used to be Secretary Xu's secretary, right? Secretary Xu was a good person and a good official; it's a pity."

The whistleblower's words stirred something within Wu Zhiyuan.

The other party not only knew his identity, but also felt sympathy and approval for Xu Youwei, which was a good starting point for getting closer and building trust.

"Thank you for remembering Secretary Xu." Wu Zhiyuan said with a touch of emotion, "When Secretary Xu was in office, he was selfless and devoted himself to public service, which offended some people. It is truly regrettable that he ended up like this."

He paused, looking at the other person with sincerity: "Therefore, we must not let those who embezzle, break the law, and harm the interests of the country and the people go unpunished."

This is why Secretary Lin Xue, and we, insisted on thoroughly investigating every valuable lead.

The whistleblower lowered his voice and got to the point: "I'm looking for Secretary Lin because I have some materials about Chen Zhenglei that I think are very important, but I don't dare to give them to others easily."

Wu Zhiyuan said, "I understand your concerns. Please rest assured, I am here today on behalf of Secretary Lin to hear the situation and receive the materials."

We will keep the leads strictly confidential and handle them in accordance with laws and regulations.

Could you elaborate on the situation? Or, did you bring any relevant documentation?

The whistleblower took out a black plastic bag from his backpack: "Everything is in here."

Chen Zhenglei and Zhou Hualong had a special relationship. Zhou Hualong was in charge of several major projects in Longdong District, including the new administrative center plaza and greening upgrades, as well as the renovation of several main roads.

Putting everything else aside, just take that greening improvement project. The budget of 90 million yuan was so inflated it could fill a boat, but it still got the green light all the way because Chen Zhenglei put in a good word for it.

Does Zhou Hualong really think there's such a thing as a free lunch? He received special treatment from Chen Zhenglei.

Chen Zhenglei is a very cautious person. On the surface, he is honest and easy-going, but in reality, he is very greedy and lecherous. Wang Xingxing from Rising GG Company is his mistress.

If someone he doesn't know well gives Chen Zhenglei cash, he won't accept it. He'll return it on the spot, and if he can't return it, he'll hand it over to the disciplinary committee.

Chen Zhenglei was very discreet in accepting bribes. A boss named Zhao Zhao wanted to ask Chen Zhenglei for a favor, so he gave him a painting by a famous artist. In fact, the painting was a fake; he had bought it for 1,000 yuan at a street stall.

Chen Zhenglei knew it was a fake. Six months later, through an intermediary, he sent the painting to an obscure auction house in another province for auction.

It was eventually sold to a mysterious buyer for a high price of three million. Isn't that just giving away money in disguise?

"You people in the Discipline Inspection Commission should know that even if we have evidence that Chen Zhenglei accepted calligraphy and paintings from celebrities, because they are forgeries, the amount of the bribe can only be determined based on the actual value of the calligraphy and paintings, which is 1,000 yuan."

The whistleblower took a sip of tea and continued, "Chen Zhenglei's bribery was meticulously planned; he tried every possible means to clear his name. Besides the auction of calligraphy and paintings, there was also the even more outrageous 'double sale' of a property."

Wu Zhiyuan was taken aback: "Double sale of the same property?"

The whistleblower nodded and said, "I have reviewed the relevant laws. If a seller sells the same property twice, it constitutes a breach of contract. The buyer has the right to terminate the contract and demand that the seller refund the full amount of the purchase price and corresponding interest. The buyer can also claim punitive damages not exceeding one time the amount of the purchase price already paid."

Chen Zhenglei used this trick. He bought an apartment from a development company with cash.

The development company deliberately sold the same house to another unsuspecting buyer, constituting a serious breach of contract.

Then, Chen Zhenglei's wife sued the developer, demanding the termination of the contract, the return of the purchase price, and punitive damages equal to double the amount already paid.

With conclusive evidence, clear legal provisions, and the developer's acceptance of the penalty in court, the court ruled in accordance with the law, supporting all of the plaintiff's claims.

In this way, Chen Zhenglei rightfully received a compensation of over one million yuan.

This money is perfectly legitimate, coming from a court judgment; no one can find fault with it.