Nominal: My senior brothers are all big shots

The call ended. Lin Feng stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the sky over Pingjiang was hazy and gray, and the distant mines were shrouded in smog, their outlines obscured. He stood there in silence for a long time, then turned around, picked up the phone on the table, and dialed Lei Ming's number.

"Director Lei, is Zhao Tiejun safe?"

Lei Ming said, "It's safe. We were evacuated last night."

Lin Feng said, "Okay. Arrange for someone to report the break-in at Zhao Tiejun's residence to the Municipal Public Security Bureau. Open a case and investigate."

Lei Ming said, "Understood."

Lin Feng dialed Qian Shumo's number again. "Secretary-General Qian, pass on the notice: a city-wide cadre meeting will be held tomorrow morning at nine o'clock. There is only one topic—where is Pingjiang headed, and how to rectify the order of the rare earth industry."

Qian Shumo said, "Okay, Secretary Lin. I'll notify them immediately."

Lin Feng put down the phone and sat back down in his chair.

He opened the drawer, took out the list, and looked at it. Liu Zhi, Huang Zhiqiang, Han Ligang, Wei Guoan, Zhao Anguo... these names flashed before his eyes one by one.

He knew the online posts were just the beginning, and there would be many more tricks to come. But he wasn't afraid.

He picked up a pen and wrote a few words in his notebook: Take the initiative.

He couldn't wait any longer. He had to disrupt their formation before they were ready. He wanted to make them panic, throw them into disarray, and force them to reveal their weaknesses.

The news of Sun Decai's detention circulated in Pingjiang's official circles for three days.

Over the course of three days, some people suffered from insomnia, some deleted their records, some booked plane tickets, and some made phone calls in the parking lot late at night.

Lin Feng didn't rush to make a move; he was waiting for his opponent to reveal a weakness on his own.

He knew that Liu Zhiyuan would not sit idly by and wait for his doom.

The online posts are a signal. The other side has begun to retaliate, but he doesn't intend to passively respond. He wants to take the initiative.

The notice for the city-wide cadre meeting was issued on the fourth day after Sun Decai was arrested.

The theme of the meeting was summed up in one sentence: "Where is Pingjiang headed?"

When Qian Shumo was drafting the notice, he asked Lin Feng if he wanted a milder title. Lin Feng said no, this was fine. Qian Shumo didn't ask any further questions. He knew that the title itself was a statement.

The meeting is scheduled for 9:00 a.m.

At 8:30, the municipal party committee auditorium was already full.

A sea of ​​faces filled the room, including all deputy-division-level officials, principal leaders of district and county governments, and heads of municipal departments. Some were whispering, some were flipping through documents, and some were looking at their phones. The atmosphere was somewhat tense, like the stifling heat before a storm.

Liu Zhi arrived at the perfect time, neither too early nor too late.

He walked into the venue with a steady gait and a calm expression. He sat down in his seat on the stage, opened the folder in front of him, and began to look through it. Huang Zhiqiang followed behind him and also sat down on the stage, his expression unchanged, but the pen in his hand kept twirling.

Li Jianping arrived early and had been sitting on the stage for a while.

He wrote a few lines in his notebook, then crossed them out.

Zhao Liangyu sat next to him, upright and serious, her eyes fixed straight ahead.

Du Chenglin sat on the other side, head down, seemingly lost in thought. Sun Xiaomei and He Yongchang were talking in hushed tones, but stopped when they saw Lin Feng enter.

Lin Feng walked up to the stage and sat down in the main seat. He glanced at the crowd below, a sea of ​​heads, hundreds of eyes fixed on him. He didn't have a prepared speech; there was only a glass of water in front of him.

"Comrades, let's start the meeting." Lin Feng's voice was not loud, but it was clear and echoed in the auditorium.

"The theme of today's meeting is 'Where is Pingjiang Heading?' Why this theme? Because Pingjiang is at a critical juncture. The problems in the rare earth industry have reached a point where they must be resolved. The Sun Decai case is just the tip of the iceberg."

The audience was completely silent. Liu Zhi paused for a moment while flipping through the documents, but quickly resumed.

Lin Feng's voice was steady and powerful: "Sun Decai, former director of the Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources, is currently under disciplinary review and supervisory investigation by the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection for suspected serious violations of discipline and law. His problems are not just his personal problems, but also reflect the deep-seated problems that have long existed in the Pingjiang rare earth industry. Illegal mining, illegal production, smuggling, lack of supervision, and rent-seeking—these problems did not form overnight, nor can they be solved overnight. But today, we must show our attitude and take action."

He picked up a document from the table and held it up. "This is the 'Work Plan for Launching a Special Rectification Campaign in the Rare Earth Sector,' which was just issued by the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government. Let me briefly brief you on its main contents."

He opened the document and read it aloud page by page. Scope of the crackdown: All rare earth mines, rare earth processing enterprises, and rare earth trading enterprises in the city. Key areas of focus: Illegal mining, unauthorized production, smuggling, dereliction of duty in supervision, and rent-seeking. Steps: Thorough investigation, concentrated rectification, and establishment of rules and regulations. Measures: Shutting down some, rectifying some, and transferring some to other jurisdictions.

After reading it aloud, he closed the document and looked at the audience.

"Comrades, this rectification campaign is not just a formality or a passing fad. The municipal party committee's attitude is clear—no matter who is involved, no matter their rank, no matter their background, we will investigate to the end and never back down."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word pierced everyone's ears like nails. Some people in the audience lowered their heads, some exchanged glances, and some were writing something in their notebooks.

Liu Zhi's face was ashen, but he didn't look up, keeping his eyes fixed on the folder in front of him.

Huang Zhiqiang remained silent, put down his pen on the table, and did not pick it up again.

Li Jianping's expression was calm, but a barely suppressed excitement lingered deep in his eyes. He had worked in Pingjiang for so many years, enduring exclusion and suppression, and had never felt hopeful like this before. Zhao Liangyu sat ramrod straight, her gaze sweeping across the audience, as if trying to memorize the expressions on everyone's faces.

Sun Xiaomei kept her head down, her expression unreadable. He Yongchang was expressionless. Du Chenglin also kept his head down. Ye Jin, dressed in military uniform, sat ramrod straight, like a statue.

Lin Feng continued, "To ensure the smooth progress of the rectification work, the Municipal Party Committee has decided to establish a special rectification leading group for the rare earth sector, with myself as the group leader and Comrades Liu Zhi and Li Jianping as deputy group leaders. An office has been set up under the leading group, composed of capable personnel drawn from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Municipal Public Security Bureau, the Municipal Natural Resources Bureau, the Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, and the Municipal Market Supervision Bureau. At the same time, the Municipal Party Committee will dispatch special inspection teams to conduct full-process monitoring and supervision of the rectification work in all districts, counties, and departments. Those who fail to perform their duties or are perfunctory will be held strictly accountable. Those who shield or condone wrongdoing, or act as protective umbrellas, will be dealt with severely."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over every face in the audience.

"I know some people are worried that the crackdown will affect economic development, employment, and social stability. What I want to say is that chaotic order cannot bring real development. Illegal mining, smuggling, and rent-seeking are not development; they are malignant tumors. If these malignant tumors are not removed, Pingjiang's rare earth industry will never go far, Pingjiang's economy will never be strong, and the people of Pingjiang will never live a good life."