Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 286 Sugar-Coated Bullets

When an old man in his sixties learned that the city's investigation team had arrived, he rushed up to Jiang Xiaoli and said, "Leader, you must stand up for us ordinary people!"

This bridge was built with substandard materials; it's a shoddy construction project!

I saw with my own eyes that the sand they used was river sand, unwashed, and had a high mud content!

The steel bars were too thin, there weren't enough to go around, and the cement grade was also substandard.

You must investigate thoroughly; you must get to the bottom of this. You can't let them get away with this!

Huang Xiaoyong roared at the staff around him, "What are you doing? Who let him in? Take him away right now!"

Jiang Xiaoli waved his hand to stop him: "County Chief Huang, let him speak. The sky won't fall down."

The old man said angrily, "You officials are so wicked!"

You won't even give ordinary people a chance to speak? How can we expect you to investigate the real cause of the bridge collapse?

I worked as a bricklayer in Wanshan Town my whole life.

This bridge has so many problems, it's no wonder it collapsed!

When it opened to traffic at the end of last year, I said that this bridge wouldn't last ten years, and I never expected it to collapse in less than a year!

Jiang Xiaoli's tone softened a bit: "Grandpa, the situation you reported is very important."

However, investigations require evidence and cannot rely solely on personal subjective judgment.

The issue you raised involves specific material specifications and construction techniques, which require professional testing to determine.

Rest assured, our investigation team will conduct a comprehensive and thorough investigation, including verifying the issues you mentioned, such as the source of the sand and gravel, the specifications of the steel bars, and the grade of the cement.

If a problem is indeed found, we will not let any person responsible get away with it!

Jiang Xiaoli turned to Geng Dongqing and said in a serious tone, "Secretary Dongqing, the people have questions and complaints. This is supervision of our work and also helps us to find out the truth."

The question raised by this fellow villager is very specific and targeted.

I think it is necessary to make the procurement, inspection and usage records of raw materials such as sand, gravel, steel bars and cement one of the key points of the next step of the investigation.

"Shouldn't these be among the documents your county has sealed off?"

Geng Dongqing was flustered, but forced himself to remain calm: "We have them all. The county will definitely cooperate with the investigation."

"That's good." Jiang Xiaoli nodded, then turned to the old man, "Fellow villager, you can go back now. We've noted down what you reported and will investigate it thoroughly."

Please trust the organization and the law; they will give you a fair explanation.

Geng Dongqing found a private moment and whispered to Huang Xiaoyong, "Jiang Xiaoli's attitude seems to have changed a bit."

Although he still sided with us, the old man's outburst brought the investigation of raw materials to the forefront.

This shows that he also doesn't want to take responsibility and must only do a good job of making a show of things.

It seems the wind blowing from Li Li's side isn't all-powerful either.

Huang Xiaoyong whispered a few words to Geng Dongqing.

Geng Dongqing nodded: "I think that's a good idea. You should tell Bi Yuan to make sure the city investigation team is well taken care of tonight."

Huang Xiaoyong quickly replied, "Okay, no problem. There's no cat that doesn't eat fish. I don't believe Jiang Xiaoli doesn't eat fish."

Once he gets involved, he'll be in the same boat as us. He won't be able to extricate himself from the situation, and he won't be able to stay out of it even if he wants to!

Biyuan Mountain Villa, Lanyue Pavilion.

Outside the window is a meticulously maintained artificial lake view, while inside is an antique-style Chinese luxury decoration.

The dishes are the highest-standard private cuisine of the resort, and the wines are 30-year-old Moutai and famous French wines.

We were full and satisfied.

Geng Dongqing said loudly, "Thank you for your hard work, everyone in the investigation team. The resort has some special services, so please relax tonight."

The investigation team consisted of eight members: seven men and one woman.

The woman was a middle-aged woman around fifty years old. She was the deputy director of the Municipal Emergency Management Bureau, named Yin Xueyao, and also the deputy leader of the investigation team.

Yin Xueyao's name sounds beautiful, but her appearance is quite ordinary.

Her skin wasn't very fair, she wasn't tall, about 1.6 meters, and she was quite plump, not the voluptuous type.

In short, she was a woman of very ordinary appearance, with no outstanding features.

Jiang Xiaoli feigned hesitation and said, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

Huang Xiaoyong quickly explained, "Secretary-General Jiang, there are no special services, just ordinary services."

Jiang Xiaoli tentatively asked Yin Xueyao, "Director Yin, since Qingshan is being so polite, shouldn't we accept their offer?"

Yin Xueyao smiled slightly: "Secretary-General Jiang, you are the team leader, we will listen to you."

Jiang Xiaoli said, "Then let everyone make their own arrangements. Anyway, we're all staying at the resort."

The resort offers a one-stop service for dining, accommodation, and entertainment, divided into two areas: one open to the public and the other closed to the public for internal use only.

The investigation team stayed in an area open to the public and could be reimbursed for their accommodation expenses at their unit according to the prescribed standards.

When traveling on business, you can stay anywhere, even in a five-star hotel, without violating regulations. However, there are clear accommodation fee standards, and you must pay for anything exceeding those standards yourself.

Therefore, there was no problem with the investigation team staying at Biyuan Villa.

Some members of the investigation team went to the gym, some went to the traditional Chinese medicine massage room, and some received acupuncture and physiotherapy.

Accompanied by Huang Xiaoyong, Jiang Xiaoli walked towards the most secluded and luxurious Jingxin Garden, the deepest part of the villa.

The environment here is serene, with exquisite rockeries, bamboo groves providing shade, and a pool of clear water shimmering under the moonlight.

"County Chief Huang, this resort is simply a paradise on earth!" Jiang Xiaoli exclaimed.

"We specifically chose this place so that the leaders could relax."

Huang Xiaoyong closed the door and took out a golden, exquisitely crafted seated statue of Shakyamuni Buddha from a black backpack.

The Buddha statue is not large, but it is quite heavy, and it emits a golden light under the lamp.

The Buddha statue has a kind face, and the lotus petals on the pedestal are layered, with every detail lifelike.

"Secretary-General Jiang, this golden Buddha was personally consecrated by a highly accomplished monk from Mount Wutai who had been in seclusion for many years. It can ward off evil spirits, protect the home, increase blessings and longevity, and ensure a smooth career in government."

This is just a small token of my appreciation; please accept it with a smile.

Many officials are actually quite superstitious, and Jiang Xiaoli is no exception.

Huang Xiaoyong had heard about it before.

Jiang Xiaoli's eyes were fixed greedily on the golden Buddha, as if he wanted to hold it in his arms right now.

However, he said insincerely, "Isn't this sentiment too heavy?"

The investigation team was entrusted with a heavy responsibility by the municipal party committee and government.

Our task is to thoroughly investigate the cause of the Wanshan Bridge collapse, clarify responsibilities, learn lessons, and give a responsible explanation to our superiors and the people.

This process must be conducted in accordance with laws and regulations, be objective and impartial, and withstand any scrutiny.

Jiang Xiaoli then changed the subject: "Of course, investigations must be based on facts and we must look at the issues comprehensively and dialectically."

We cannot disregard the objective environment and conditions at the time, nor can we ignore the tremendous efforts made by comrades at the grassroots level, nor can we allow individual unexpected events to affect the hard-won overall development and stability of a region.

I believe the city will take all factors into account and make a practical decision.

Huang Xiaoyong quickly said, "We in Qingshan County have absolute trust in the investigation team and will fully cooperate to do our job well and provide all the necessary information to ensure the smooth progress of the investigation and to find out the truth as soon as possible."

Huang Xiaoyong's gaze fell on the golden Buddha: "Secretary-General Jiang, this is really just a small token of my appreciation. If you don't accept it, I'll feel really bad, and I'll be letting down this consecrated Buddha statue!"

Jiang Xiaoli put on a reluctant expression: "Since County Chief Huang is so kind, then I will respectfully accept his offer."

However, this is a one-time exception, a one-time exception!

Over there, in Yin Xueyao's room, a handsome young man knocked on the door.