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

The Provincial Party Committee Guesthouse served as the temporary command center for the supervisory team.

A stack of yellowed paper files lay flat on Qin Yuan's desk. These were the original land appraisal reports for Guangming Peak, which Gu Changfeng had extracted from old files unrelated to private lending from the Intermediate People's Court more than a decade ago, following his instructions.

The old handwriting on the paper, every set of valuation data, and every blank approval column, reveals the gray interest network that connected the development of Guangming Peak and the supporting funds for Lingang back then.

Zhou Zhengming leaned forward and pointed to the core calculation section of the report, his tone objective and restrained:

"Team Leader Qin, this original assessment deliberately undervalued the actual value of the land by nearly 40%. This low-price calculation was finalized by Ding Yizhen in coordination with the Shanshui Group. This report significantly reduced the land transfer fee, directly creating the potential loss of billions of yuan in state-owned assets."

On the surface, it's part of the Guangmingfeng old town renovation project; underneath, it served as a bridging channel for the Zhao and Chen families' original port-related funding.

Qin Yuanzhou tapped the cover of the case file lightly with his fingertips, his gaze falling on the unsigned approval signature, and listened quietly to the complete story.

"Back then, Sun Liancheng, as the head of Guangming District, immediately noticed that the assessment data was seriously distorted and resolutely refused to sign off on it. Li Dakang was focused on accelerating urban construction and boosting GDP, and he wanted to get projects implemented as soon as possible and fulfill his promises to attract investment. He was unwilling to postpone the project and delay the progress, so he tacitly allowed Ding Yizhen to bypass the head of the district and arrange for the deputy district head in charge to go through the approval process without going through the proper channels."

Zhou Zhengming clearly separated the powers and responsibilities, saying, "Li Dakang was subjectively eager for quick success and instant benefits and allowed his subordinates to operate in violation of regulations. The person who really operated the land transactions, connected with the Zhao family, and managed the gray funds in Lingang was Ding Yizhen."

The workers' rights protest at Dafeng Factory is merely a superficial expression of livelihood issues. The entire chain of interests is rooted in the Lingang planning during Zhao Lichun's early tenure, with the Chen family acting as a front and backing agent.

Qin Yuanzhou looked up and asked, "How does Li Dakang plan to deal with our investigation now?"

"The Jingzhou Party Committee just submitted a notice of preparation for the meeting. Li Dakang is going to convene a special meeting to investigate historical land issues in the city."

A faint, knowing smile appeared on Zhou Zhengming's lips. "He knew that his oversight of letting Ding Yi violate the rules and prioritizing political achievements over supervision was obvious. But he wanted to use a city-wide self-inspection campaign to shift the focus away from the single plot of Guangmingfeng and the old supply chain in Lingang, and to push most of the responsibility for the direct illegal operations onto Ding Yizhen, thus downplaying his own leadership responsibility for the oversight failure."

Qin Yuanzhou picked up the file and slowly flipped through it: "I know what he's up to. Li Dakang is a pragmatist at heart, and his political achievements are the foundation of his career. He didn't directly take any land benefits, but his lax supervision and relaxation of regulatory red lines for the sake of projects are real shortcomings."

Now that the Zhao family has fallen and clues related to the Chen family are gradually surfacing, he fears that if we follow the trail of Guangming Peak, we might uncover the early port-related projects, which could lead to long-standing conflicts of interest at the highest levels. Therefore, he is proactively conducting a self-investigation, hoping to limit the conflict to the level of local cadres in Jingzhou and cut off any leads that could be traced upwards.

"Should we call off this conference immediately?" Zhou Zhengming asked for instructions.

"There's no need to stop them."

Qin Yuanzhou shook his head slightly, his eyes revealing a strategy of checks and balances. "He took the initiative to set up the platform for self-inspection, and we took the opportunity to enter the field to supervise. This way, we can maintain the overall stability of the local economy without disrupting it, and firmly grasp the initiative in the investigation."

Zhou Zhengming was momentarily puzzled: "If we attend the meeting as observers, won't outsiders mistakenly think that the supervisory team approves of Li Dakang's attitude towards rectification?"

"Attending without being present does not equate to agreement; full supervision is the most effective constraint."

Qin Yuanzhou walked to the administrative division map of Handong on the wall, pointed to the Jingzhou area with his fingertip, and said, "You will bring Lei Ming from your office to the meeting. Lei Ming is incorruptible in handling cases, and people in the industry call him the Cold-Faced Yama. The two of you will sit in the second row of the dais, and you will not speak publicly throughout the meeting. You will only take notes on all the contents of your self-investigation."

"The grassroots cadres from the land, planning, and housing construction departments in the audience, seeing the inspection team closely monitoring them, naturally dared not hide the truth. Li Dakang wanted to downplay the deep-seated old problems through self-examination, but from now on, all investigation clues and handling plans must be submitted to the inspection team for review first. He can no longer control which issues to investigate superficially and which clues to investigate in depth."

Zhou Zhengming instantly understood that this strategy, seemingly a concession, was actually a radical move that directly took away Li Dakang's control over the pace of the investigation.

"I'll now arrange the meeting arrangements." Zhou Zhengming stood up, ready to depart.

"Wait a minute, let's go to the Provincial People's Hospital." Qin Yuanzhou raised his hand to stop him.

Zhou Zhengming asked with slight doubt: "To see Gao Yuliang?"

"That's right."

Qin Yuanzhou's gaze was deep. "Sun Liancheng's willingness to hand over the sealed original assessment files was facilitated by Gu Changfeng at Gao Yuliang's behest. This pledge of loyalty carries considerable weight. Sending him this message is both an olive branch for redemption and a test."

"We need to observe his reaction after learning that Li Dakang has conducted a self-investigation, and see if he can provide more in-depth clues about the connection between Lingang, the Zhao family, and the Chen family."

Gao Yuliang has been deeply involved in Wuhan's political and legal system for decades and is fully aware of the intricate web of vested interests. His informed testimony can piece together the old stories from the Zhao family era.

……

Special needs ward of the First People's Hospital of the province.

Gao Yuliang leaned against the headboard, his torso and limbs wrapped in high-polymer plaster, only his upper body could move slightly.

Wu Huifen sat on the edge of the bed slowly peeling an apple, and the two maintained their distant yet dignified way of getting along.

After the incident of jumping off the building and causing serious injury, Gao Yuliang had already escaped the certain death situation. He knew that the supervisory team was willing to give him a buffer to redeem himself by making amends. He only needed to release some key clues to exchange for leniency.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Wu Huifen tactfully put down the fruit knife, made an excuse to get some hot water, and quietly closed the door, leaving the two of them alone to talk.

"Secretary Gao, your complexion is much better than it was a few days ago."

Zhou Zhengming pulled up a chair and sat down, skipping the formalities and getting straight to the point.

Gao Yuliang gave a faint smile: "Thanks to the organization's careful care in arranging the ward, even though I'm covered in plaster and can't move around easily, I can still recuperate peacefully."

"I came here today specifically to inform you of something: the original assessment files of Guangming Peak that Sun Liancheng had sealed have been completely handed over to the supervisory team, and the chain of evidence has been completed."

Gao Yuliang showed no surprise, simply nodding slightly: "Sun Liancheng is clear-headed. He saw through the traps in the land project early on and prepared evidence to protect himself. Now that the situation has turned against him, he can only secure a safe retirement by handing over the materials."

"Li Dakang has already received word and is preparing for a city-wide special investigation into unresolved land issues." Zhou Zhengming observed Gao Yuliang's changing expression and continued to deliver the information.

Gao Yuliang raised an eyebrow, a hint of world-weary amusement in his eyes: "Our pioneer of reform in Jingzhou is about to take the stage again for a self-rectification drama."

"He intends to use a large-scale self-inspection to divert attention, shift the direct responsibility for land violations to the fugitive Ding Yizhen, and downplay his own leadership responsibility for oversight failures."

Zhou Zhengming reiterated the supervisory team's response plan: "We will send people to attend and supervise the entire process, and all self-inspection materials will be submitted to the supervisory team for review."

Gao Yuliang clapped his hands softly, a knowing smile playing on his lips, then let out a muffled groan to composed himself.

"Team Leader Qin's move was truly brilliant. Li Dakang wanted to use the self-examination to cultivate an image of responsibility, but the supervisory team directly embedded itself into the supervision system. If he were to delve deeper into the clues, it would inevitably uncover the early interests of the Zhao and Chen families behind Ding Yizhen in Lingang; if he deliberately conducted a superficial investigation and covered up deep-seated old accounts, it would be resisting the organization's verification, leaving him in a dilemma."

Zhou Zhengming waited quietly for his deeper analysis, which was precisely the core purpose for which Qin Yuanzhou had sent him.

Gao Yuliang's smile faded, his gaze turned solemn, and he clearly outlined the responsibilities of each party, no longer unilaterally attributing the blame to Li Dakang:

"The core problem with Li Dakang is that he prioritizes political achievements and puts the economic growth rate of Jingzhou first. He turns a blind eye to the illegal operations of his subordinates, but he never gets involved in substantive corruption such as land resale, connecting with Shanshui Group, and transferring bridge funds in Lingang."

"His first move in this city-wide self-inspection was to push Ding Yizhen to the forefront as the core person responsible, attributing all direct violations to the deputy mayor, using an old case involving a fugitive to cover up the gray transactions in the top-level planning of the Lingang project back then. The second step was to designate the deputy district head who signed the document back then as having made mistakes at the implementation level, compressing his own problems to 'lax supervision and lack of oversight,' and minimizing his own punishment to the greatest extent possible."

"As for Ding Yizhen, Li Dakang may secretly cut off the communication channels between domestic witnesses, accounts and Ding Yizhen overseas, to prevent the testimonies related to the Zhao and Chen families that Ding Yizhen has in his possession from being transmitted back to China, and to avoid digging into the root of the 23-year-old Lingang old city renovation through Ding Yizhen."

Zhou Zhengming was shocked after listening to this analysis, which clarified the multiple layers of interests and distinguished the problems of Li Dakang, Ding Yizhen, and the Zhao and Chen families.

"The clues you have compiled are clearly structured and have extremely high reference value for subsequent case handling. We will immediately investigate and verify the relevant witnesses and accounting channels."

Zhou Zhengming stood up, his tone carrying a clear signal of goodwill, "Secretary Gao, please focus on recovering. We will need your cooperation in providing corroborating evidence to investigate the old grievances related to Zhao Lichun and Lingang. All meritorious service will be taken into consideration in the final decision."

These words are tantamount to a clear promise that performing good deeds to atone for one's crimes could lead to leniency.

A huge weight was lifted off Gao Yuliang's shoulders.

Zhou Zhengming paused briefly at the door of the ward, then turned back and said, "Rest well. We'll come back to connect with more leads later."

The door closed, and Wu Huifen returned with hot water, her face full of worry.

After Zhou Zhengming walked away, Gao Yuliang turned to look at her and suddenly said, "Huifen, let's go and get the remarriage formalities done."

Wu Huifen's water glass wobbled slightly, her eyes filled with astonishment. After a long silence, she finally spoke up to refute:

"You're currently embroiled in a series of land-related cases, and the organization is conducting a thorough investigation. If you remarry now, people will only assume we're colluding and giving the same story, and I'll be implicated in the investigation as well. Our private divorce and maintaining a respectable public image were for our own survival; why go against the grain and create trouble for ourselves?"

Gao Yuliang slowly shook his head, clarifying the differences between the current situation and that of earlier years:

"In the past, drawing a clear line was to avoid trouble; now, remarrying is to seek stability. I have been cooperating with the supervisory team to sort out many old accounts involving the Zhao family, the Chen family, and Guangmingfeng. I have a solid record of meritorious service, and the final punishment will not be a heavy sentence."

To the outside world, remarrying would appear as a tender gesture of unwavering devotion between spouses who have been married for decades. To superiors, it would send a signal that there was no division of interests within my family, nor any deliberate collusion to sever ties, thus mitigating any negative characterization of me.

"I am bedridden due to injury and unable to go out. There are many peripheral leads among retired cadres and their families. If you come forward to contact them, it will not arouse suspicion."

You only need to casually inquire about rumors circulating about the Lingang and Guangmingfeng projects from years ago, without touching any core files or financial records, so you won't be at risk of being implicated in any legal cases.

Wu Huifen's fingertips repeatedly traced the surface of the glass, her mind weighing the pros and cons, still filled with concerns:

"The supervisory team will definitely question the motives for remarrying. If the explanation is unclear, they will directly accuse us of deliberately covering up the case, which would be counterproductive."

"Just tell the truth."

Gao Yuliang gave a clear and logical explanation: "I only said that I was thinking about our decades-long marriage, and that I couldn't bear to see me seriously injured and without anyone to take care of me. It was purely out of a desire to keep me company, and there was no calculation of any benefit involved. It is reasonable and will not attract excessive scrutiny."

Wu Huifen remained silent for a long time, her eyes wavering but she dared not make a decision easily. She said softly, "I need to consider this matter carefully. I will give you an answer tomorrow."