Official statement: Tongwei is dead! You chose Ruijin, didn't you?

Late at night, in a heavily guarded conference room, the lights were on and the air was thick with smoke.

Those who can hold meetings in this room in the middle of the night are all powerful figures who can shake the officialdom with a stomp of their feet.

Tonight, they were jolted out of bed by this "magical realism" incident from Handong.

"Take a look, everyone." A high-ranking official, seated at the head of the round table, slammed an urgent internal report onto the table, his face ashen.

"Gao Yuliang, deputy secretary of the provincial party committee and secretary of the political and legal affairs committee of Handong Province, jumped off the roof of the sixth floor of the provincial party committee building this afternoon, and also hit the car of provincial party secretary Sha Ruijin."

The report from Handong stated, "He suffered multiple comminuted fractures throughout his body, but has been treated and is temporarily out of danger."

The meeting room was deathly silent.

The high-ranking official in charge of discipline inspection was the first to stub out his cigarette, his tone barely concealing his anger:

"Nonsense! This is an absurd political accident! Sha Ruijin was sent to Handong to be a squad leader and to straighten out the political environment, not to be a demolition expert!"

A vice-ministerial level official jumped off a building in front of the top leader before being interviewed by the organization—this sets a precedent!

"If foreign media found out about this, what would their headlines be? 'Major Purge in Handong Officialdom: Deputy Secretary's Blood Splattered on the Roof of a Red Flag Car'?"

The bigwig in charge of personnel snorted coldly, tapping his knuckles on the table.

"Where is Comrade Sha Ruijin's political acumen? Does he think he's filming an anti-gangster drama? Does he think he can just blindly go on a killing spree with a sword of Damocles?"

Another high-ranking official in the political and legal system frowned slightly and said in a deep voice:

"Gao Yuliang has problems and is involved in certain cases. This can be investigated, and must be investigated! But how should it be investigated? What's the pace?"

We mustn't create chaos, and we certainly can't drive veteran comrades to despair! Anti-corruption is a means, but maintaining stability is the bigger picture!

Now look what's happened. Someone risked their life to overturn the table, using their life to "appeal to the emperor" before the entire nation. Can Sha Ruijin bear the blame for this?

"What's the name of that anti-corruption bureau chief who led the team to Handong? Hou Liangping, right?" The disciplinary inspector flipped through the documents in his hand, his eyes sharp.

"With the approval from the Supreme People's Procuratorate, he's caused a huge uproar in Handong. What's his father-in-law, the Zhong family, saying?"

"The Zhong family? They're running away like mad right now." The organization's leader sneered.

"Gao Yuliang's suicide has turned the situation in Handong into a 'political nuclear contamination zone,' where anyone who gets involved will perish. If the Zhong family dares to come out and protect Hou Liangping at this time, they will be inviting trouble."

The high-ranking official in the main seat swept his gaze across the crowd and made the final decision:

"Since that's the case, let's act swiftly and decisively. First, establish a joint central supervisory team overnight, and send it to Handong tomorrow. Second, before the supervisory team arrives, the Handong Provincial Party Committee should suspend all major personnel appointments and decisions."

……

The air in the Hantong Provincial Party Committee compound was a bit chilly in the early morning.

Sha Ruijin sat at his large desk, his eyes bloodshot, having not slept all night.

The red phone on the table had just been disconnected.

The call was from Beijing, and it conveyed only two instructions: the supervisory team should be stationed there, all major decisions should be suspended, and the working methods should be re-examined.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated that he was "suspended from his post," the unspoken message in official circles was deafening—Sha Ruijin, you've lost control, and the central government no longer trusts you.

Sha Ruijin rubbed his temples in pain.

He was parachuted into Handong, intending to use swift and decisive measures to create a perfect political resume as "Handong's Upright Official," but it was shattered by Gao Yuliang's leap.

Gao Yuliang lay in the intensive care unit, his body covered in casts, yet he became the biggest winner in this game.

As long as Gao Yuliang has a breath left, Sha Ruijin will be roasted on the fire forever.

"Gao Yuliang, you old fox, you even schemed against me in your death..."

Sha Ruijin gritted his teeth, his voice filled with deep helplessness and fear.

Meanwhile, at the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee office building.

Li Dakang, the municipal party secretary, was standing in front of the large floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the rising sun, holding his signature water glass in his hand.

Xiao Jin, the secretary-general of the municipal party committee, pushed open the door and walked in, his expression excited and barely suppressed, revealing his gossip: "Secretary Dakang, there was a huge mess in the province last night..."

"I know." Li Dakang blew on the tea leaves in his cup.

"Secretary Yuliang experienced freefall and incidentally did some bodywork on Secretary Sha's Hongqi car."

Xiao Jin was taken aback and didn't dare to respond to this hellish joke. He quickly reported the key information:

"We received a call from Beijing; the central supervisory team will arrive today. I heard that Secretary Sha has been asked to 'suspend decision-making,' and Director Hou's case has also been halted by the Supreme People's Procuratorate."

Li Dakang paused in his tea-drinking motion.

He is all too aware of the current situation.

Gao Yuliang's leap was tantamount to overturning the power table in Handong.

Sha Ruijin angered the public, and the moment the supervisory team arrived, it was time for him to be suspended from his duties.

Gao Yuliang lay half-dead in the hospital, the local faction in Handong was leaderless, and Hou Liangping's troublesome sword was forcibly broken.

At this point, for Li Dakang to even think about "replacing" him as the provincial party secretary was a fool's idea.

The top leader of the provincial party committee must be appointed by the central government; it's not up to a mere municipal party secretary to covet.

But Li Dakang can do another thing—be the "stabilizing force" of Handong Province.

Did Ding Yizhen run away?

That was Ding Yizhen's corruption; Li Dakang was at most a poor judge of character.

Sun Liancheng is doing nothing? He's been sent to the Youth Palace to stargaze.

Li Dakang had the least connection with the Zhao family and focused solely on GDP growth, with remarkable achievements.

Now that the political landscape in Handong has completely collapsed, what does the central government need most?

It's stable!

The economy cannot collapse!

Who can stabilize the economic situation in Handong?

Only him, Li Dakang!

As long as he remains unscathed from this political storm, once the storm passes and Governor Liu steps down, who else but him, the "reform pioneer," could hold the position of governor or the actual "person in charge" of Handong?

"Xiao Jin," Li Dakang turned around and slammed his water glass down on the table.

"Cancel all those ridiculous meetings in Jingzhou City today. Arrange a car; I need to go back to the Provincial Party Committee."

"Secretary, going to the provincial party committee now..." Xiao Jin hesitated, "Won't we get ourselves into trouble by wading into this mess?"

"You know nothing!" Li Dakang sneered.

"A strong wind reveals the strength of the grass, and adversity reveals the loyalty of a minister. Handong is in complete chaos right now, and Secretary Sha is under immense pressure. As a comrade, how can I stand idly by? I must go and make a statement: Jingzhou's GDP will not drop by a single penny because of the changes in the provincial party committee!"

Li Dakang strode towards the door.

……

Two hours before the supervisory team arrived, Sha Ruijin convened the last meeting of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee.

Although the suspension order has not been officially issued, the words have already been spoken to this extent, and Sha Ruijin is basically sitting on the sidelines at the meeting.

The atmosphere in the conference room was extremely strange.

Zhao Donghui, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Gao Tianhe, Minister of Organization; Zhao Heping, Minister of Publicity; Liu Shuang, Director of the Development and Reform Commission; and Li Dakang, Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee, were present as observers.

The Political and Legal Affairs Committee was absent due to Kao Yu-liang's "comminuted fracture".

The meeting was ostensibly to "study the aftermath of the Gao Yuliang incident."

In reality, the old foxes present knew perfectly well that this was a meeting for "collusion and reconciliation."

Everyone should clean up their own messes and clearly define their responsibilities, so that they don't have conflicting accounts when the supervisory team comes.

Sha Ruijin sat in the main seat, his voice hoarse:

"Today's meeting has only one theme: to go through the ins and outs of Comrade Gao Yuliang's fall. Everyone, please share your thoughts."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Donghui spoke first.

Zhao Donghui usually speaks in a evasive manner, but today his evasive maneuvers were fraught with deadly intent:

"Secretary Sha, I have to say a few words that may not be pleasant to hear. The Central Committee sent Secretary Sha to Handong to advance the anti-corruption campaign while maintaining stability. Of course, Secretary Gao's problem must be investigated."

But... how many years did Secretary Gao work in Handong?

When the comrades from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection arrived, there wasn't even a transition period beforehand when the provincial party committee informed them; they went straight to taking people away from the provincial party committee building.

Gao Yuliang comes from a political and legal background and has a strong personality. Won't this provoke a backlash?

"What I mean is, in handling this matter, was there a more politically astute option? This is a question that our provincial party committee leadership should deeply reflect upon."

After he finished speaking, the conference room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Zhao Donghui was practically pointing his finger at Sha Ruijin and yelling: "It's your ugly behavior that drove someone to jump off a building, don't drag us down with you!"

Sha Ruijin's eye twitched, and he swallowed his anger: "Continue."

Organization Minister Gao Tianhe then spoke, his mouth full of official jargon and platitudes:

"Organizational work should focus on policies, respect veteran comrades, and adopt an attitude of treating the sick and saving lives..."

Although no names were explicitly named, every sentence was aimed at accusing Sha Ruijin and Hou Liangping.

When it was Liu Shuang's turn, he sneered and said more bluntly, "Anti-corruption is not the goal; stability is the overall situation. Is it worthwhile to demolish a load-bearing wall just to catch a few rats?"

After everyone finished speaking, the ball was passed to Li Dakang.

Everyone looked at Li Dakang.

Everyone knows that Li Dakang is Sha Ruijin's favorite. At this time, he should take a couple of bullets for Sha Ruijin, right?

Sha Ruijin also looked at Li Dakang, his eyes filled with anticipation:

"Comrade Dakang, what do you say?"

Li Dakang leaned forward slightly, placed his hands on the table with his hands crossed, his expression serious, and carefully chose his words: "I have a few words to say, which may be from a different perspective than everyone else's."

Everyone pricked up their ears.

Li Dakang paused for two seconds before slowly speaking:

"I witnessed part of what happened yesterday in the provincial party committee compound. Secretary Gao jumped from the sixth floor. My car happened to be there at the time, and I will report this truthfully to the central supervision team."

Sha Ruijin's heart tightened.

Li Dakang continued:

"But I want to emphasize that my judgment at the time was that the disciplinary committee's investigation was highly confidential, and the main leaders of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the provincial party committee were present. As a municipal party secretary, I had neither the qualification nor the obligation to get involved."

In order not to interfere with the organization's investigation, I chose to leave immediately. I believe this is the most basic rule.

The meeting room fell silent for a moment.

Zhao Donghui silently gave Li Dakang a thumbs up in his heart: What a clever trick of shifting the blame, what a clever escape!

This statement, on the surface, is a statement of facts, but in reality, it is a declaration to everyone (including the upcoming supervisory team):

I was there when Gao Yuliang jumped off the building, but I did nothing and did nothing, because that was Sha Ruijin's and the Discipline Inspection Commission's business!

I, Li Dakang, am a law-abiding good boy. Not a single ash will be put on my head!

Upon hearing these words, Sha Ruijin's heart sank to the bottom.

Li Dakang's words did not alleviate any of his pressure; the entire speech was about protecting himself.

Looking at his seemingly harmonious but actually estranged colleagues, Sha Ruijin suddenly realized with sorrow—

From the moment Gao Yuliang smashed the roof of his car, the so-called "Sha-Li pairing" and the so-called "Handong New Deal" had completely failed.