Chapter 32: Confrontation

Sun Guozhong recounted the events. Although he stood up to take responsibility, he subtly shifted the blame to Deputy Public Security Bureau Chief Lu Hongguang and the chief of Lijuan Police Station, among others, saying that Feng Weiwu also had his contributions, and that the subordinates had merely overreacted. He implied that Mayor Ma's drastic actions had ulterior motives.

Mayor Ma sneered, "Comrade Guozhong, I was a few minutes late because I was on the phone with Deputy Public Security Bureau Chief Lu Hongguang to confirm this matter. According to my knowledge, it was you who insisted on removing the names of others from the report and replacing them with Feng Daxia's name. What contributions did Feng Daxia make in this entire case? The five criminals were apprehended by Du Long alone, and Feng Weiwu was beaten helplessly. If it weren't for Du Long's bravery, he might have been killed on the spot. Feng Weiwu had no contributions during the interrogation either. It was Du Long who identified the two fugitives. It is normal that Feng Weiwu's name was not in the police report. This is an abuse of power and using it for personal gain! Secretary Wang, I have said what I need to say. Now, please, Secretary Wang, give your opinion on how to handle this matter."

Before Wang Shuwei could speak, Feng Jianwen stood up and said, "Here, I sincerely admit my mistake. Feng Weiwu is my nephew, and I did not fulfill my duty as an uncle to educate and guide him. I should not have given the Public Security Bureau incorrect instructions based on his one-sided account without verifying the facts, which led to Comrade Guozhong misunderstanding my intentions and acting against principles. I humbly request the organization to review and handle me!"

Seeing that the Deputy Mayor had self-criticized, Sun Guozhong hurriedly followed with his own self-criticism. After he finished, Wang Shuwei said cryptically, "Comrades Jianwen and Guozhong have both made profound self-criticisms. Now, everyone, please share your opinions on how to handle this matter."

Yuming City's Party Committee member and Deputy Mayor Huang Yongqiang, who usually had a good relationship with Feng Jianwen, said with a smile as soon as Wang Shuwei finished speaking, "Even sages make mistakes. A good comrade is one who can admit and correct their mistakes. Besides, this is not a serious violation; it was just a misunderstanding. Deputy Mayor Feng has already self-criticized, so let's just drop it."

Yuming City's Party Committee member and Deputy Mayor Li Rixin said, "I think this matter, though small, has a very negative impact. As Mayor Ma said, if the top is not upright, the bottom will be crooked. This shows how chaotic the Public Security Department has become. If we do not handle this matter seriously, it will happen again, and the situation will spiral out of control."

Everyone spoke up, taking clear stances and using sharp words, which was very different from their usual behavior. Clearly, they had divided into three factions: the pro-Ma faction was the largest, the pro-Feng faction was also significant, and the neutral faction, which remained silent, was the smallest.

Wang Shuwei keenly noticed this and felt somewhat displeased. He still had over a year before his term ended, yet these people were already forming factions and vying for power, completely disregarding him as the old secretary!

Wang Shuwei coughed heavily, and the meeting room instantly fell silent. Wang Shuwei was still in charge, and it was time for him to speak. His gaze swept over everyone's faces and finally settled on Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Lin Xufeng: "Alright, everyone has expressed their opinions. Xufeng, as the Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary, why haven't you spoken?"

Lin Xufeng adjusted his glasses and smiled, "I didn't expect this matter to spark such heated discussion. It seems everyone feels that our Discipline Inspection Commission has not done its job well..."

This cold joke was not funny at all, and everyone's faces remained tense. However, Wang Shuwei smiled. Lin Xufeng continued, "In my view, Deputy Mayor Feng did not make any serious mistakes. He just made a wrong call at the wrong time, which led to Chief Sun making a wrong judgment. Deputy Mayor Feng has already publicly self-criticized, so I don't think it's necessary to continue. However, Chief Sun's issue is more serious. As a state official and an old party member, you should always uphold party principles, regardless of the circumstances. How could you alter the report? This is a serious mistake. I personally suggest that Chief Sun receive an intra-party warning and be ordered to correct his mistake, ensuring that the true heroes receive their due recognition. What do you think, Secretary Wang?"

"Intra-party warning?" Mayor Ma scoffed inwardly, but Wang Shuwei smiled and said, "I think it's fine. Let's do it this way. Comrades Jianwen and Guozhong, remember this lesson and be vigilant in the future. Jianwen, you haven't finished your report, have you? Continue."

Feng Jianwen had no heart for the report and quickly wrapped up his weekly summary in a few words. The others were also exhausted from the previous debate and soon finished their reports. Wang Shuwei said, "Everyone has made good progress this week. I hope you continue to do so. Guangming, keep a close eye on Wuxi County. Don't let things get out of hand."

Mayor Ma replied, "Please rest assured, Secretary Wang. I will pay close attention to this matter and handle it personally if necessary."

Wang Shuwei nodded and said, "I am relieved. Let's conclude the meeting here. Dismissed."

Although Mayor Ma had caught Feng Jianwen off guard during the meeting, his mood did not improve after the meeting. His thoughts returned to the matter of being recorded.

Was Zhang Xing really the mastermind? Does Zhang Xing have the nerve to do this? What is he trying to achieve? Mayor Ma felt that the matter was not so simple. Zhang Xing was not a secretary he had personally brought up. Although the young man always showed him great respect, he still could not escape the shadow of the Secretary-General of the Municipal Government, Zhou Zhenhua, who was Wang Shuwei's confidant. Could Wang Shuwei be behind this?

Mayor Ma quickly dismissed this thought. If Wang Shuwei were really behind it, Zhang Xing, a mere secretary, would not have been involved. Recalling Zhang Xing's recent behavior, Mayor Ma was deep in thought.

"Zhang Xing, come in for a moment." After returning to his office, Mayor Ma called Zhang Xing over and gave him a deep look. Zhang Xing felt uneasy under his gaze, unsure where he had gone wrong. Mayor Ma then withdrew his gaze and said, "Have the documents been sent out? Have you received any calls from Wuxi County?"

Zhang Xing replied, "They have all been sent out, especially the document sent to Wuxi County. I personally instructed that it be delivered urgently. It shouldn't be delayed. We haven't received any calls from Wuxi County. Should we call them to check?"

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