Power and Wealth

Chapter 1853

The New County Government Building.

Well, maybe it’s not appropriate to call it that anymore.

On this flat piece of land, now somewhat resembling a ruin, two members of the provincial investigation team were busy taking pictures with their cameras, clicking away silently. They weren’t saying much, just going through the motions, as they were unsure how to handle this situation. Even the team leader, Cheng Wei, might not have had a clear plan yet. They’d follow standard procedure, report the findings to their superiors, and wait for further instructions. This unexpected twist threw off their original expectations—previously, with clear evidence, they could have easily controlled some of the key leaders in Jiaolin County and launched a detailed investigation. However, an unexpected element now is complicated matters, necessitating consultation with higher-ups.

One photo...

Three photos...

Five photos...

After gathering all the on-site evidence, Dong Xuebing approached.

"Director Cheng, is there anything else you need to investigate?" he asked.

Cheng Wei glanced at him. "Even though the building is demolished, we still need to verify the financial details. Please cooperate with us."

Dong Xuebing nodded. "Alright, I’ll have someone take you to check the records. I have a lot on my plate today—moving offices, organizing things, and handling various county tasks. I hope the colleagues from the province understand."

Given Dong Xuebing’s stance, Cheng Wei didn’t expect him to join the inspection or anticipate full cooperation. "No problem; we’ll get to the bottom of this."

Dong Xuebing turned to Meng Hanmei, "Director Meng, please take the provincial colleagues to the records."

"Sure," Meng Hanmei responded without hesitation. She gathered a few staff members and led the way to the car.

Cheng Wei and the provincial investigation team followed in their vehicles to investigate the financial details of the new county office building. Although they maintained a stance of "investigating thoroughly and showing no leniency," the leaders of Jiaolin County could sense a shift—the investigatory team’s attitude was no longer as aggressive as when they first arrived. Seeing the demolished site had visibly softened their demeanor. They likely realized that it wouldn’t be easy to severely penalize the county officials under these circumstances even with further digging.

The investigators left, and the Jiaolin County leaders gathered together.

Deputy Secretary Wei Zhixuan let out a deep sigh of relief—he had been quite tense moments before.

Chang Lin chuckled, giving Dong Xuebing a thumbs-up. "Secretary, that was a brilliant move. You shut them up completely."

Zhang Dongfang’s attitude had softened considerably as well. After all, Dong Xuebing hadn’t backstabbed him earlier; instead, he helped cover for everyone. Naturally, Zhang Dongfang couldn’t afford to give him the cold shoulder now. "Did you know this was going to happen beforehand?"

Dong Xuebing waved it off. "I don’t have eyes in the back of my head. How could I have known in advance?"

"It was Dong Xuebing," Cheng Wei replied. "And it's clear that it was his decision alone. It seems the rest of the county was unaware."

"Dong Xuebing..." With a hint of admiration, the leader said, "This guy really does have some skills."

Cheng Wei understood the implication—that the investigation was likely aimed at Dong Xuebing this time. Still, he hadn't handled it properly and was worried about being blamed by his superiors.

However, it seemed the leader wasn’t upset with him. If they had genuinely understood Dong Xuebing, they would have known he was never easy to deal with. A director of the provincial disciplinary committee's second office wasn’t enough to match him. Let alone Cheng Wei even if the leader had personally arranged the investigation, they likely wouldn’t have been able to take action against Dong Xuebing. It wasn’t a matter of rank or political experience, but because... Dong Xuebing was too unpredictable. He always managed to do something unexpected to resolve any crisis he faced. His way of handling crises was something no one could foresee. This precisely made Dong Xuebing difficult for many leaders and political rivals to handle. He was just too tricky.

"Alright," the leader mused for a moment. "Just gather some information and then wrap it up. As long as you can give the public a proper explanation."

A "proper explanation"?

Meaning find someone to take the fall?

Shouldn't the person taking the fall be too high-ranking? Just enough to alleviate the situation?

"So, are we not handling Jiaolin County anymore?" Cheng Wei asked.

The leader responded, "No need. Just send the details to the other investigation teams."

Cheng Wei understood, "Rest assured, we will complete the task as promised." He knew the investigation couldn’t go much further here. At best, they could find something minor to explain away and move the responsibility onto lower-level leadership. However, the higher county leadership would likely be untouched. This investigation was essentially over.

Meanwhile, Dong Xuebing received a call from Fang Wenping.

Fang Wenping immediately asked, "You demolished the new county office building yesterday? How did you know?"

Dong Xuebing chuckled, "I just thought that building was too extravagant and luxurious, so I demolished it. Heh, you know how I am. When I want to do something, I do it." Since they had become closer, Dong Xuebing had become more casual with her.

Fang Wenping, unsure whether to believe him, replied coldly, "This decision of yours saved you. You should count yourself lucky. Otherwise, this matter wouldn’t have been so easily settled."

Dong Xuebing raised an eyebrow and is waiting for this response: "So, what you’re saying is that it’s already resolved?"

"I've received word that the investigation team will likely withdraw from Jiaolin County this afternoon. That’s it," Fang Wenping said and abruptly ended the call without warning.

Hearing this, Dong Xuebing couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief!