Nominal: My senior brothers are all big shots

A province-wide conference on clean governance was held in the auditorium of the Provincial Party Committee.

The auditorium, capable of holding over a thousand people, was packed to capacity; all officials at the provincial level and above were present. A white banner with red lettering hung above the stage—"Provincial Leading Cadres' Conference on Integrity and Clean Governance." No one spoke; even breathing was hushed. Everyone knew perfectly well what had happened in the past few days.

Chen Haitao sat in the center of the podium, his face ashen, the speech in front of him crumpled from his grip.

Liu Minghui sat next to him, his expression equally grim. The atmosphere in the entire venue was as heavy as the sky before a storm.

Chen Haitao stood up and walked to the podium, his gaze sweeping over every face in the audience. A long silence followed, so long that some began to shift uncomfortably. "Comrades," he finally spoke, his voice hoarse, like sandpaper scraping wood, "we're here today to discuss only one thing—the serious disciplinary and legal violations of Tan Ruping, Wang Dahai, Cheng Fumin, Ouyang Qing, Xie Tianlin, and others."

The audience was completely silent. Chen Haitao's voice grew louder and louder: "These people are cadres of our Party, public servants. What have they done? What do they think they are? Accepting bribes, abusing their power, acting as protectors of organized crime, and colluding with unscrupulous businessmen. The Huaqiang bombing case, fifty-two lives lost—their shadow is behind it! The girls imprisoned, humiliated, and trampled on on the eighth floor—their shadow is behind them too!"

He slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacup to bounce and spill tea all over the table.

No one in the audience dared to move. "I, Chen Haitao, have worked in Ningwan for so many years, and I have never felt such heartache, such anger, such humiliation as I do today!"

His voice echoed in the auditorium, like the roar of a wounded tiger, "Tan Ruping is my deputy, and we've worked together in the same team for many years. I never realized that standing next to me was a wolf in sheep's clothing!"

He took a few breaths, trying to calm himself down, and lowered his voice, but the chill only intensified: "The Provincial Party Committee firmly supports the ZJ Committee's decision. Tan Ruping, Wang Dahai, Cheng Fumin, Ouyang Qing, Xie Tianlin, and others must be severely punished according to the law, without any leniency!"

A round of applause erupted from the audience, but it quickly fell silent.

Chen Haitao continued, "Party organizations at all levels throughout the province must take this as a warning. Every Party member and cadre must examine themselves and reflect deeply. Have we ever relaxed our standards? Have we ever been blinded by power? Have we ever succumbed to temptation? Self-examination and self-correction are not just a formality or a formality. Anyone with problems should proactively confess to the organization. The organization will give you a chance. By the time the organization comes looking for you, it will be too late."

His gaze swept across the audience like a knife: "Tan Ruping, Xie Tianlin, and others are cautionary tales."

Liu Minghui took the microphone, stood up, and his face turned ashen.

He was a few years younger than Chen Haitao and was originally a likely candidate to succeed Chen as provincial party secretary, but now it's all over. "Comrades, Secretary Chen spoke very well just now. Let me add a few words."

His voice was low, but every word pierced everyone's ears like nails: "Tan Ruping, Xie Tianlin, and others are not just corrupt officials, they are traitors. They betrayed the Party's trust, betrayed the people's expectations, and betrayed the oath they took when they raised their right hands."

His voice suddenly rose: "They thought that with power they could do whatever they wanted. They thought that with connections they could rest easy. They thought that with money they could get away with anything. They were wrong. The Party and the people will not let them go, the law will not let them go, and history will not let them go!"

He paused, his voice lowering further, but the chill in his voice intensified: "Governments at all levels throughout the province must immediately conduct self-examinations and rectifications. Especially in key areas such as urban construction, land resources, environmental protection, and work safety, each area must be investigated and reviewed thoroughly. Anyone with problems must confess. Anyone who tries to cover things up will be the next Tan Ruping."

After the meeting, Chen Haitao returned to his office, closed the door, and stood alone by the window. The sunlight outside was bright, but he felt cold.

He had worked in Ningwan for so many years, starting from the county level, then rising to executive vice governor, governor, and finally provincial party secretary, each step taken with trepidation. He could have gone even further, gone to Beijing, climbed the ladder of success, and then retired with dignity. Now, all of that is gone.

There was a knock on the door behind him. Chen Haitao didn't turn around, his voice weary: "Come in."

Liu Minghui pushed open the door and came in, his face also grim. He walked to the sofa, sat down, and remained silent for a long time before saying, "Old Chen, you and I both know what happened this time. Tan Ruping and his gang have ruined us terribly."

Chen Haitao turned to look at him, gave a bitter smile, and asked, "Minghui, do you hate him?"

Liu Minghui paused for a moment, then said, "I hate you. I hate you to death. I could have taken over your job, but now it's all gone."

Chen Haitao sat down opposite him and sighed, "Do you think I don't hate it? I've worked in Ningwan for so many years, conscientiously and cautiously. I could have gone to Beijing, climbed another step, and retired with dignity. Now? I can only retire as the provincial party secretary. You and I both know how much the benefits have changed."

He paused, his voice lower: "But have you ever thought about those who died in the explosion, those girls imprisoned on the eighth floor, those families whose lives were destroyed by Guo Yonglin and Qiao Wuzhou—they don't even have the chance to retire."

Liu Minghui fell silent. Chen Haitao stood up, walked to the window, and said with his back to Liu Minghui, "Minghui, it's a fact that Tan Ruping ruined us. But we still have a chance to do one thing—to uproot them from this land of Ningwan. Qi Tongwei, Lin Feng, and those people are capable. They need support, so we'll give them support. They want manpower, they want money, they want policies. I can't vent my anger, but I want to see them vent it."

Liu Minghui stood up and walked to his side: "Me too. I can't climb the steps anymore, but I can watch those who harmed me be brought down one by one."

The two stood by the window, gazing at the gray sky outside. Chen Haitao suddenly laughed, a bittersweet smile playing on his lips: "Minghui, do you think Tan Ruping will regret it now that he's in the detention center?"

Liu Minghui also smiled, but the smile was equally bitter: "Whether he regrets it or not is none of our business. All I know is that he's finished."

The downfall of Yongsheng Group and Hengfa Group, and the investigation of Tan Ruping, Xie Tianlin, and others, were like a belated rainstorm, washing away the filth that had accumulated in Ningwan Province for many years.

People took to the streets not to celebrate, but to set off firecrackers.

On the busiest commercial street in Jiangwan City, firecrackers went off simultaneously from several shops, the crackling sounds echoing one after another, as if bidding farewell to an old era.

Some clapped and cheered, some wept with joy, and some stood by the roadside looking up at the sky, murmuring to themselves, "Heaven has eyes, Heaven has eyes!"