Siheyuan: I am Banggeng's uncle

Chapter 718 Nothing is difficult in this world if you set your mind to it!

The next morning around 7:00 AM, after having breakfast at home, Jia Dongming rode his bicycle to the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.

"Good morning, Director!"

"The mornings are good for you!"

As Jia Dongming entered the security department building, his subordinates greeted him politely and respectfully.

When Jia Dongming saw his subordinates greeting him, he did not act arrogantly because he was a leader. Instead, he was approachable and would stop every now and then to exchange a few pleasantries with them.

"Dingling! Dingling! Dingling!"

Around 8 a.m., Jia Dongming finished his work and was about to drive to the municipal bureau when the phone on his desk suddenly rang.

Hearing the phone ring, Jia Dongming reached for the receiver and politely greeted, "Hello! This is Jia Dongming. May I ask who this is?"

"Comrade Dongming! This is Zhang Zhitao. I just received a call from the disciplinary department saying that Xue Qinghua, the former deputy director of the Grain Bureau and now the deputy director of the Municipal Government Office, committed suicide last night." Zhang Zhitao's voice came through the phone as soon as Jia Dongming finished asking his question.

Upon hearing Zhang Zhitao's account and learning of Xue Qinghua's suicide, Jia Dongming's face showed shock. Thinking of the ledger he hadn't handed over, Jia Dongming solemnly reminded Zhang Zhitao, "Captain! Based on the evidence I currently have, Xue Qinghua wasn't the mastermind behind this case. Behind Xue Qinghua, there's a big fish hiding. Xue Qinghua's sudden suicide means the other party must have received advance notice."

Upon hearing Jia Dongming's explanation, Zhang Zhitao also showed a shocked expression. He quickly asked Jia Dongming for confirmation, "Comrade Dongming! What did you say? There's a big fish hiding behind Xue Qinghua. Are you sure it's true? You know, the disciplinary department has already determined that Xue Qinghua is the mastermind behind this whole affair."

Upon hearing Zhang Zhitao's question and sensing the shock in his tone, Jia Dongming replied with absolute certainty, "Captain! I am absolutely certain of this. Based on the evidence I currently possess, Xue Qinghua is only the number two figure in this corruption case. There is someone behind him, and this person's position should be quite high, perhaps even capable of influencing the disciplinary department."

Upon hearing Jia Dongming's explanation, Zhang Zhitao immediately understood the implication. Considering the sensation this case had caused in Beijing, Zhang Zhitao reminded Jia Dongming, "Comrade Dongming! This case has already caused a huge stir in Beijing. The disciplinary department has already decided to close the case. If you raise any objections now, unless you have sufficient evidence, otherwise..." "Captain! I have a ledger on hand. This ledger records the names of those who shared the spoils, but the names are all replaced with pinyin letters. The income amounts in the ledger perfectly match the expenditure amounts recorded in one of the ledgers we found in Wen Xiaoyu's house. Xue Qinghua's name is only listed second in this ledger, and there's another name marked with the pinyin 'L'." Hearing Zhang Zhitao's reminder, and remembering the ledger he had hidden, Jia Dongming interrupted Zhang Zhitao before he could finish speaking.

Upon hearing Jia Dongming's explanation and learning that Jia Dongming possessed an account book, Zhang Zhitao's expression turned serious. He asked Jia Dongming in a very stern tone, "Comrade Dongming! Since you have an account book, why didn't you report this to me beforehand?"

Upon hearing Zhang Zhitao's question and considering his inner suspicions, Jia Dongming replied in a very serious tone, "Captain! It's not that I'm hiding anything, but I wasn't sure at the time whether the problem was internal or within the disciplinary department. Now that the disciplinary department hastily closed the case, I think the problem lies with them."

Upon hearing Jia Dongming's reply, Zhang Zhitao immediately understood the meaning behind Jia Dongming's words. A helpless expression unconsciously appeared on his face, and he complained to Jia Dongming in frustration, "You little comrade, you even doubted me. Tell me, what should I say about you?"

Hearing Zhang Zhitao's complaint, Jia Dongming replied helplessly, "Chief! It's not that I don't trust our comrades, but I've only recently started working part-time at the Municipal Bureau, and I'm completely unfamiliar with the situation here. We've only just begun investigating this case of corruption, and the key suspect was silenced right under our noses. This makes me suspect there's something wrong inside, so I had no choice but to resort to this measure and temporarily conceal the existence of the ledgers."

Hearing Jia Dongming's explanation, Zhang Zhitao fully understood Jia Dongming's reasons for doing so. Thinking of the "big fish" Jia Dongming mentioned, Zhang Zhitao smiled and asked Jia Dongming, "Comrade Dongming! Since you believe that there is a big fish hiding behind Xue Qinghua, and the disciplinary department is already preparing to close the case, what are your plans?"

When Zhang Zhitao asked for his opinion, Jia Dongming pondered for a moment before replying with a serious expression: "Captain! Although Xue Qinghua is dead, I believe there is still someone who knows who the big fish behind Xue Qinghua is. As long as we catch this person, everything will naturally come to light. We might even be able to pull out the radish and bring out the mud along with it, and help the disciplinary department clean house in the process."

After learning of Jia Dongming's plan, Zhang Zhitao immediately understood who Jia Dongming was referring to. He reminded Jia Dongming, "Comrade Dongming! I heard that Gui Laoqi is very tight-lipped. Chen Weiguo from the FT District Branch has been interrogating him since yesterday until this morning, but he still hasn't been able to get anything out of Gui Laoqi. Your chances of finding out the identity of the black market's mastermind from him are probably very slim."

Upon hearing Zhang Zhitao's reminder, and recalling the interrogation process Chen Weiguo had described to him the day before, Jia Dongming confidently said to Zhang Zhitao, "Captain! Nothing is impossible for a willing heart! Gui Laoqi's stubbornness is only temporary. I believe that as long as we can find Gui Laoqi's weakness, we will be able to pry open Gui Laoqi's mouth."

Hearing Jia Dongming's answer and sensing the confidence in Jia Dongming's heart, Zhang Zhitao smiled and said to Jia Dongming, "Xue Qinghua just committed suicide, and the disciplinary department is in a hurry to close the case. This is indeed a bit abnormal. Since you intend to continue investigating, then continue investigating. If you need any assistance from the Municipal Bureau, you can call me anytime."

(End of this chapter)