Right path to power

Lin Xiao shook her head and put down the phone, a cold smile reappearing on her face.

He didn't quite understand why Cai Zili was so concerned about the work in Zhenxing District.

It's because he once worked in Zhenxing District, and Yang Songfeng was his former secretary.

Or are you genuinely worried that the Zhenxing District's investment attraction efforts will be affected?

Lin Xiao couldn't immediately tell whether this was out of public interest or personal motives.

But one thing he was very clear about was that he would follow his own ideas and push the rectification of Zhenxing District to the end.

His uncle, Wang Yuanze, promoted him from acting county head to district party secretary so that he could thoroughly solve the problems in Zhenxing District.

Therefore, he must do his best no matter what.

More importantly, he hasn't yet realized that there's something wrong with his path.

He was well aware that only by producing tangible results could he silence certain people.

Although there are still some units and townships that have not been visited, the problems discovered so far are enough for him to vigorously promote reforms.

Without further hesitation, Lin Xiao instructed Ji Xiuwu to summon Liao Daming, the chief prosecutor of the district procuratorate, and Zhong Haibo, the director of the district public security bureau, to his office.

Soon, the two arrived one after the other.

Lin Xiao got straight to the point: "The recent case of the person in charge of Huanyu Plastics hiring someone to commit assault has attracted a lot of attention in society, and city leaders have also called to inquire about it. I am generally familiar with the case. The main reason I invited you here today is to understand the case handling process and see if the investigation was conducted in accordance with regulations and laws, and whether there were any oversights."

Lin Xiao knew in his heart that the facts and evidence were irrefutable and he was not afraid of investigation. What he feared most was that there would be flaws in the case handling process, which would give certain people in the city a handle to use against him.

Zhong Haibo said confidently, "Secretary Lin, the branch office has been extremely cautious from the very beginning of the investigation, strictly adhering to the case-handling procedures throughout. All evidence was repeatedly verified before being finally secured. The entire chain of evidence is complete and clear, and the characterization of the suspect is completely compliant and legal, with no problems whatsoever."

Liao Daming added, "Secretary Lin, after receiving the materials, the district procuratorate immediately organized a capable team to conduct a preliminary review. We confirmed that the facts of the case transferred by the public security organ are clear, the evidence is solid, and it meets the standards for prosecution. Therefore, we have decided to file a public prosecution with the district court in accordance with the law."

Because this case has attracted so much attention, we must handle it impartially and without bias. We will not give the suspect special treatment or downgrade their case simply because they reside in a company within the industrial park, nor will we deliberately increase their punishment. Our entire process will be conducted in accordance with laws and regulations and will withstand scrutiny.

Lin Xiao nodded slightly: "Comrade Da Ming is right. The more attention we receive, the more we must make the case airtight and withstand any test."

This applies not only to this case, but to all other cases as well. As long as the investigation is fair and just, we have nothing to fear from anyone who might find fault. We can even proactively disclose some details to the public to set the record straight and accept public oversight.

Zhong Haibo's eyes lit up: "Secretary Lin, then the branch office can hold a case briefing, invite the media to attend, and release relevant information about the case, so that we can take control of public opinion."

Lin Xiao cautioned, "The idea is good, but you must be careful to maintain a proper balance."

Zhong Haibo immediately replied, "Understood. We will have the Legal Affairs Team strictly review and approve the press release, only stating the verified facts and not revealing any details of the investigation."

Liao Daming added, "The procuratorate will not participate in the public announcement. Once the case enters the prosecution stage, we will carry out relevant work in accordance with legal procedures."

Lin Xiao nodded: "Then let's arrange it that way. However, the purpose of speaking out is to clarify rumors, not to create a media frenzy. Remember that."

"Yes, Secretary."

The two responded in unison.

After finishing their business, the two got up to say goodbye.

Watching Zhong Haibo's retreating figure, Lin Xiao nodded slightly, thinking that this new director was quite reliable.

Just as they reached the door, they bumped into District Chief Yang Songfeng, who was walking over with a sullen face. The two quickly greeted each other.

Yang Songfeng stopped and said in a deep voice, "We need to be careful with Zhou Huayu's case. I think we could try to mediate between the two parties first?"

Zhong Haibo smiled slightly: "District Chief, rest assured, we are handling the entire case with utmost rigor and caution, and we will resolutely handle it in accordance with the law."

Yang Songfeng glared at him, then turned to Liao Daming: "Prosecutor Liao, the procuratorate must carefully oversee this matter. Don't rush into handling it just because of high public attention. We must maintain a proper balance and absolutely not let it affect the overall investment attraction efforts of the district and even the city."

Liao Daming smiled slightly as well: "District Chief Yang, I'm not very knowledgeable about economic matters. But please rest assured, the procuratorate will handle this according to the law and will absolutely not cause any trouble for the district or the city."

As Yang Songfeng watched Zhong and Liao exchange questions and answers, his expression grew increasingly grim.

"The district head is here? Please come in."

Lin Xiao's voice came from the inner room. Yang Songfeng glanced coldly at the two of them and then went in.

"District Chief, I was just about to talk to you about something."

"I also have something to discuss with the Party Secretary."

Yang Songfeng spoke in a calm tone. His attitude toward the leader, who was much younger than him, was always neither humble nor arrogant, and he never showed the humility of a deputy.

Lin Xiao smiled and said, "Then the district head will speak first."

This was in the secretary's office, so Lin Xiao naturally had to control the pace of the conversation.

Yang Songfeng didn't stand on ceremony and said seriously, "Secretary, I want to talk to you about Zhou Huayu's matter. The city leaders called specifically, asking us to treat this matter with caution, to prioritize the overall situation of the district and the city, and not to let this matter affect the image of Zhenxing District or even the entire city."

Moreover, the district was recently in talks with Fengyuan Leather Group about a collaboration. They plan to build a leather city in our Zhenxing District, and the negotiations have now reached a crucial stage. It would be a real shame if Zhou Huayu's situation continued to escalate and scared away investors.

Lin Xiao listened calmly, but secretly pondered in her heart.

The Fengyuan Leather project was started before he took office.

Putting aside the fact that while cracking down on polluting enterprises in the industrial park, they also want to introduce a highly polluting leather city, Lin Xiao felt that the project was not feasible just from what he learned from Xie Guangyan that the shareholders behind Fengyuan Leather Group were relatives of city leaders.

However, Lin Xiao did not point it out on the spot. Instead, he said in a calm tone, "Comrade Songfeng, we should certainly pay attention to economic development, but we cannot exchange the bottom line of the law for investment."

Besides, Zhou Huayu is Zhou Huayu, and other companies are other companies. As long as they abide by the law, we will definitely protect their legitimate rights and interests.

We shout every day that everyone is equal before the law. If someone is considered superior or treated specially just because they have invested in Zhenxing District, and can disregard laws and regulations, then how can we set an example?

You just spoke with Director Zhong and Prosecutor Liao, so you should know that the evidence chain in this case is complete and accurate, and the characterization of the case by the public security organs and the procuratorate is reasonable and legal.

Even if, hypothetically, Comrade Xu Wenbo only suffered minor injuries, that wouldn't affect the nature of the incident. Therefore, let's patiently await the outcome.

Yang Songfeng persisted, saying, "Secretary Lin, the incident has already happened. We need to solve the problem, but we also need to consider the subsequent impact."

Zhou Huayu made a mistake due to a momentary lapse of judgment; he can be made to pay compensation and accept a fine. However, once he is sentenced, the impact will be difficult to reverse. Rumors will spread, investors will become hesitant, our investment promotion efforts in Zhenxing District will be severely hampered, and economic development will be dragged down.

The handling of cases must also consider the overall social impact. My idea is to try to persuade Comrade Xu Wenbo. If we can obtain the victim's forgiveness, the judicial authorities can consider a lighter sentence.

Furthermore, the organization will take Xu Wenbo's subsequent appointment into consideration based on his overall performance. This is a solution acceptable to all parties. As long as Secretary Lin doesn't object, there's still room for maneuver.

After speaking, Yang Songfeng stared intently at Lin Xiao, putting all the pressure on him.

Lin Xiao first gave a cold laugh, then his smile faded and his expression turned serious: "I don't believe that this kind of muddling through can truly solve the problem. Even if we smooth things over, the root of the problem will still remain."

Everyone must adhere to the bottom line of obeying laws and regulations before doing anything. Everything else must be built upon this foundation.

Xu Wenbo suffered severe fractures and injuries; this is an objective fact. He deserves compensation. As for his appointment, it must be carried out strictly according to organizational procedures and absolutely cannot be used as a bargaining chip.

My stance is clear: I support the judicial organs in handling cases independently in accordance with the law, and the district party committee and district government will not interfere in specific cases.

The point of this incident is to send a clear signal—in Zhenxing District, no one, regardless of their status, is above the law. Furthermore, we will not be swayed by any vested interests.

Lin Xiao spoke firmly and remained calm, showing no sign of backing down.