Official excuse: I've put you on patrol in Handong, and the whole province is in a panic.

The Standing Committee's agenda had come to an end. The Secretariat collected the last document, and Sha Ruijin glanced at his watch before closing the materials in front of him.

"Comrades, we have finished discussing all the topics for today. Regarding the follow-up work, I would like to emphasize three points."

Tian Guofu sat on the right, his fingers resting on the table, his gaze fixed on Lu Jinghe.

Lu Jinghe hadn't turned a page of the document in his hand since the beginning; the pages were stuck on the same page, and even the corners were wrinkled from his twisting.

Before Sha Ruijin could finish speaking, Tian Guofu raised his hand.

In the conference room, someone looked up, someone put their pen back in the pen holder, and Lu Jinghe's gaze followed.

Sha Ruijin paused, "Comrade Guofu, is there anything else?"

"There is one issue that needs to be discussed by the Standing Committee."

"Today's agenda has been distributed to everyone in advance, and the secretariat has also confirmed it." Sha Ruijin looked at him. "If any agenda items are added at the last minute, they must be reported and approved according to the procedures."

Tian Guofu smiled and said, "I've already applied."

Sha Ruijin picked up the cup, touched the rim to his lips, then put it back down. "Reported?"

"I submitted it, but it wasn't approved."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Jinghe leaned his back closer to the chair.

Sha Ruijin put down his pen. "Comrade Guofu, you can't let emotions cloud your judgment at work. What do you want to talk about?"

Tian Guofu looked at Lu Jinghe, "Luzhou Crescent Lake Waterfront Food City."

Lu Jinghe traced a line on the table with his fingertip, then quickly looked up and said, "Secretary Sha, this project is still in the research stage, and the Luzhou Municipal Party Committee is organizing its feasibility study."

"How long has the research been going on?" Tian Guofu asked.

Lu Jinghe glanced at Sha Ruijin. "The project is quite complicated, involving scenic area planning, ecological protection, employment arrangements, and historical issues. It definitely requires careful consideration."

"It has been fourteen days since the last Standing Committee meeting."

"Fourteen days is indeed a tight timeframe for a large project."

"It takes fourteen days to investigate a food court that's operating illegally?"

Lu Jinghe's Adam's apple bobbed. "Secretary Tian, ​​you can't say that. Crescent Lake Food City involves hundreds of employees, and surrounding businesses also rely on the project for their livelihood. Taking rash action could easily trigger a chain reaction."

Tian Guofu opened the blank notebook in front of him. "So what did you research?"

"We visited relevant departments and listened to the opinions of enterprises."

"What about the visit records?"

It's being processed now.

"Where are the photos from the scene?"

"It's also being compiled."

"Where's the test report?"

Lu Jinghe's hand paused at the edge of the paper. "The environmental protection department has already arranged for sampling."

Tian Guofu turned to Sha Ruijin and said, "Secretary Sha, Comrade Lu Jinghe spoke very completely, but he didn't mention the investigation's conclusions at all."

Sha Ruijin gently raised his hand. "Comrade Guofu, the project is complicated and we can't just look at one aspect. Comrade Lu Jinghe will continue to push it forward after he goes back. We'll discuss it again when the complete results are available."

"When?"

"Wait until the research is finished."

"When will the survey end?"

Sha Ruijin looked at him and said, "This needs to be arranged by the Luzhou Municipal Party Committee based on the actual situation."

Tian Guofu leaned back in his chair. "Then I'll explain the actual situation on behalf of the Luzhou Municipal Party Committee."

Lu Jinghe turned his head to the side, mentally counting all the people he could think of.

The Crescent Lake project was personally promoted by Gao Yuliang when he was working in Luzhou. Zhao Ruilong was in charge of the investment, and Zhao Lichun also made arrangements. The project was given the green light from site selection to approval, and even the environmental impact assessment procedures were split into several documents for supplementary processing.

Later, when he took over as the Party Secretary of Lüzhou City, Sha Ruijin only said "careful investigation" at the Standing Committee meeting, without giving a time limit or any handling opinions.

Lu Jinghe understood the weight of those words.

Dragging it out.

They dragged it out until the whistleblower got tired, until the media changed the subject, and until the Zhao family found a new breakthrough.

So after returning to Luzhou, he didn't even really establish a research team. The environmental protection department reported whatever it was supposed to report, and the housing and construction department stamped whatever it was supposed to stamp. If anyone asked, he would just say that the materials were still being compiled.

Now that Tian Guofu has brought the issue to the Standing Committee, he can only continue to lean towards caution.

"Secretary Tian, ​​Crescent Lake is a key project for Lüzhou, involving overall planning and local development. We really can't draw conclusions based on just a few reports."

How many copies of the whistleblower report are there?

"I don't know."

"You didn't know that Yi Xuexi, the director of the development zone, has filed a formal complaint against you?"

Lu Jinghe's lips moved slightly. "I know."

"The environmental protection department detected excessive levels of pollutants twice, and you weren't aware of it?"

"The test data needs to be verified."

"Residents have complained for three consecutive years, and you didn't know?"

"We are addressing all the concerns raised by the public."

Tian Guofu closed his notebook. "Lu Jinghe, you've said so much, but in the end, you only have one sentence left."

Lu Jinghe looked at him. "What did you say?"

"We must not touch Zhao Ruilong."

A chair leg scraping against the floor came from the conference room.

Lu Jinghe's face flushed. "Secretary Tian, ​​please watch your words."

"You know that's an unpleasant thing to say?"

"I'm talking about work."

"Then explain the work clearly."

Tian Guofu raised his hand, and his secretary led several staff members into the conference room, each carrying a stack of documents.

Upon seeing the words on the cover, Lu Jinghe immediately gripped the seam of his trousers from under the table.

Investigation report on environmental pollution and illegal construction at Crescent Lake Food City.

Sha Ruijin looked at Tian Guofu, "Have you finished your investigation?"

"The undercover team completed the verification last night, and the report was delivered to me this morning."

"The province has not received any reports."

"I've reported it, but no one has approved it."

Tian Guofu pushed a report in front of Sha Ruijin, saying, "Since the formal investigation has been delayed, I can only find out the facts first."

The secretary distributed the materials to each member of the Standing Committee, and the sound of pages turning filled the air.

Tian Guofu looked at those people who were reading with their heads down, and his chest heaved a few times.

"Yi Xuexi offended a group of cadres in Luzhou because of this matter, and was even scolded to his face for not knowing the bigger picture, but he still submitted the report materials."

"Villagers near Crescent Lake say that the lake water has changed color, there are fewer fish and shrimp, and in the summer, there is a smell of oil near the food court."

"Media from within the province have conducted both overt and covert investigations, and media from other regions have also come. Criticism articles have been deleted, and columns have been suspended, but complaints have never stopped."

"For so many years, everyone has known it was against the rules."

Tian Guofu pointed to the report on the table, "Why are you still operating?"

No one responded.

"Because the boss's name is Zhao Ruilong, and Zhao Lichun is standing behind him."

"We talk about serving the people every day, but when it comes to this project, we start talking about development, stability, and historical issues."

His voice grew faster and faster, and the documents on the desktop made a soft thud as he pressed them with his palm.

"I'd like to ask everyone here, is this our service attitude?"

Lu Jinghe looked down at the report; the first page was written very clearly.

The food court was built on water without obtaining complete planning permits, its sewage treatment facilities have long been substandard, some of its business buildings exceed the approved scope, and its sewage pipelines are directly connected to the ditch on the west side of Crescent Lake.

The subsequent sampling data was even more direct, showing that the oil concentration exceeded the standard and the ammonia nitrogen index exceeded the limit multiple times, indicating that the landscape water body has been continuously polluted.

According to the report's conclusions, all illegal buildings should be demolished, and the operators should bear the costs of landscape restoration and environmental damage, with no compensation for the land occupied.

This conclusion leaves no room for interpretation for anyone.

But Lu Jinghe knew that the Standing Committee meeting never really discussed whether the project was in violation of regulations.

They were discussing whether Zhao Lichun would lose face because of this.

Sha Ruijin turned to the last page of the report, his finger hovering over the recommendations for handling the situation.

"Comrade Guofu, you can't just do things recklessly; you have to be mindful of the big picture and consider the overall situation."

Tian Guofu looked up. "What do you mean by 'the big picture'?"

Sha Ruijin did not answer.

"Is the ecological environment of Luzhou a matter of overall importance?"

Tian Guofu continued, "Crescent Lake supplies drinking water to 5.7 million people. Isn't drinking water safety a top priority?"

"Since when has the business interests of a son of an official become more important than the drinking water of ordinary people?"

Sha Ruijin held the pen, twirling the cap twice between his fingers.

Tian Guofu turned his gaze to Li Dakang, "Secretary Dakang, you worked in Luzhou."

Li Dakang raised his head.

Do you know how this project was approved back then?

"The specific circumstances of that year are too far in the past, and a lot of materials need to be re-verified."

"When you were in charge of Luzhou, the Crescent Lake project had already begun construction."

"My responsibilities don't lie here."

"You signed the relevant meeting minutes."

Li Dakang's face flushed. "That was just a meeting approval."

"You knew it was an illegal construction, yet you never voiced your objections."

"At that time, the project's procedures were still being finalized."

"It's been perfected over a decade?"

Li Dakang opened his mouth, his finger touched the report on the table, then he withdrew it.

Tian Guofu looked at him and said, "Secretary Dakang, I am very disappointed in you."

Li Dakang lowered his head and said nothing more.

Tian Guofu turned around and looked at Gao Yuliang one last time.

Gao Yuliang had just turned to the approval documents in the report when his fingers rested on his glasses frame, his gaze behind the lenses lingering on a line of approval comments.

"Secretary Gao, the project was approved when you were in office in Lüzhou."

Gao Yuliang looked up and said, "The approval process back then was in line with the policy environment at the time."

Is the policy environment permissible for occupying waterways?

"The project falls under tourism development and has undergone collective research."

Can a collective study replace an environmental impact assessment?

"This matter needs to be considered in the historical context."

Can historical background wash away pollution?

Gao Yuliang pressed his finger against the frame of his glasses. "Comrade Guofu, you don't understand the situation back then."

"I didn't know, so I looked it up."

Tian Guofu pushed a copy of the approval document over, saying, "You signed the first land use application for the project, you approved the second expansion of the business scope, and you requested the relevant departments to coordinate the third supplementary procedures."

Gao Yuliang's breathing became rapid, and his glasses slid down his nose.

"If there is a mechanism for tracing leadership responsibility, whoever signed the document will have to explain the situation."

Tian Guofu stared at him. "You're now pushing all the problems onto Lu Jinghe, letting him take his time investigating and dragging things out. Do you even care about the interests of the people?"

Gao Yuliang gripped the edge of the table, rubbing his fingertips back and forth on the wooden surface.

"I……"

Once that word was uttered, no further words could be uttered.

After Gao Yuliang fell silent, the only sound in the conference room was the rustling of pages turning.

Sha Ruijin glanced at the expressions of everyone present, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"Comrades all have their own difficulties. The situation in Handong cannot be simply viewed as right or wrong, black or white. Many issues need to be considered comprehensively within the overall context of development."

Tian Guofu looked at him. "So?"

Sha Ruijin put down his cup. "This food court can't be demolished."

Lu Jinghe looked up at Sha Ruijin, whose shirt was soaked with sweat.

Once those words were spoken, things took a direction.

No matter how complete the report is, as long as the provincial party secretary makes a clear statement, Lüzhou can continue to delay and then find another excuse, such as a planning adjustment, to complete the procedures for the project.

Tian Guofu scanned the entire conference table.

Some people were looking down at their materials, some were putting their pens back in their folders, and some were wearing tired smiles.

Everyone knows that Crescent Lake should be demolished, but everyone also knows that Zhao Lichun has not yet fallen.

Tian Guofu reached out and picked up the report. "Since the Standing Committee is not prepared to take action, the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection will proceed according to its own procedures."

Sha Ruijin looked up. "Comrade Guofu, what do you want to do?"

"A formal case has been filed against the Yueyahu Food City for environmental pollution, and the relevant leaders will be held accountable for their inaction."

Tian Guofu closed the report and said, "Today, a rectification notice was issued, requiring the demolition of illegal buildings and the restoration of the Crescent Lake landscape within a specified period. If the order is not fulfilled by the deadline, the relevant units and responsible persons will be held accountable."

"The disciplinary committee needs to go through approval procedures to file a case."

"The procedures have been completed."

"When did you finish it?"

"last night."

Tian Guofu placed his phone on the table. "The minutes of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection's Party Group meeting, the investigation team's verification records, and the original data from the testing agency are all here."

Sha Ruijin looked at it for a few seconds, but did not reach out to take it.

Lu Jinghe breathed a sigh of relief at this moment.

The Discipline Inspection Commission will initiate the investigation first. Lu Zhou only needs to follow the regulations after receiving the rectification notice. If problems arise in the future, he can shift the responsibility back to the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission.

At least in this hurdle, he won't have to face the Zhao family alone.

"Secretary Tian, ​​Lüzhou will resolutely obey the arrangements," Lu Jinghe said. "After receiving the rectification notice, we immediately set up a special working group to carry out the demolition and restoration in accordance with the law."

Tian Guofu glanced at him and said, "Secretary Lu, don't put it too nicely."

"I'm telling the truth."

"Then sign for it today, move in today, and seal up the operating facilities today."

Lu Jinghe's smile froze on his face. "Could we allow for a preparation period?"

"What are you preparing?"

"Personnel placement, material transfer, and construction organization."

"I'll give you three days."

"this……"

"We'll give you three days for the demolition; an ecological restoration plan will be developed separately."

Lu Jinghe pursed his lips and could only nod, "Okay."

Sha Ruijin pushed the materials in his hand towards the edge of the table. "Since Comrade Guofu has already made arrangements, the province, in principle, supports the rectification in accordance with the law."

Tian Guofu didn't sit back down. "In principle?"

"The specific implementation should be combined with the actual situation in Lüzhou."

"Secretary Sha just said it couldn't be demolished, but now he's saying he supports rectification." Tian Guofu looked at him. "Which statement should we follow?"

Sha Ruijin's face darkened. "Comrade Guofu, pay attention to the discipline of the Standing Committee."

"I've been paying attention."

As soon as Tian Guofu finished speaking, his secretary quickly walked to his side and handed him the phone.

He glanced at the screen and tapped his finger on the desktop.

"slow."

Sha Ruijin slammed his hand on the table, and the cup lid jumped.

"Secretary Tian, ​​you've interrupted the meeting time and time again. Do you have any regard for the discipline of the Standing Committee? Do you even respect me as the top leader?"

Everyone in the conference room looked up.

From Comrade Guofu to Secretary Tian, ​​only two words were changed in the title, but the difference in their relationship is already obvious.

Tian Guofu put his phone away. "Sorry, I just received a new message that I do need to report to the Standing Committee."