Chapter 55

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Xie Yan had never seen anyone eat the noodles she made like Yang Jie, who devoured them as if they were some rare delicacy, not only finishing all the noodles but also drinking the soup to the last drop.

Seeing Yang Jie's satisfied expression, a happy smile appeared on Xie Yan's face.

Getting up early to make breakfast and being busy all morning, Xie Yan naturally wanted to hear some nice words. Yang Jie's performance made her happier than any verbal praise.

Walking into the county party committee compound, Yang Jie noticed that many people were pointing and whispering about him. He knew it must be because of the incident at the Chengguan police station yesterday afternoon. Just starting his job, he had already become a focal point in the county party committee compound. He had intended to be low-key, but reality had given him applause and cheers, leaving him at a loss.

Entering the office, Guo Ziqiang took an exaggerated step forward, looking at Yang Jie as if he were an alien, "Director Yang, you're really something! Five members of the Standing Committee all came out to support you, even the son of Secretary Liao was arrested."

Even the usually cold and proud Liu Fei was staring at Yang Jie with curiosity. There were several versions of the rumors about the incident at the Chengguan police station yesterday afternoon. One version said that the county magistrate had instructed someone to frame Yang Jie, leading to his arrest, which enraged Secretary Zhou, who then led five members of the Standing Committee to rescue Yang Jie.

Another version said that Yang Jie and Secretary Liao's son, Liao Kai, had a fight over a beautiful woman, which led to the conflict involving factions within the county party committee.

Yet another version said that because Luo Song was under investigation, the chief of the Chengguan police station, Wen Peng, had arrested the investment hero Yang Jie to avenge Luo Song, but it backfired, and Wen Peng ended up in trouble instead of Yang Jie.

With so many versions flying around, it was no wonder everyone was speculating.

"Don't talk nonsense! What support? That's not true!" Yang Jie denied Guo Ziqiang's words. "Secretary Zhou and the others went to the Chengguan police station for an inspection, not for any individual. Do you understand? It's working hours now, don't gossip. A grown man, how can you be more gossipy than Liu Fei?"

"Director Yang, don't deny it. The news has spread throughout the county party office. There are many versions, but if you don't tell us what really happened, we promise not to spread it." Guo Ziqiang chuckled, not taking Yang Jie's words seriously.

Seeing Guo Ziqiang's curious face and his determination to get to the bottom of things, Yang Jie frowned and said, "Just started work, and you're not doing your job, just gossiping. Do you think the Foreign Affairs Office is so idle? Go and compile all the information about the Chinese and overseas Chinese in the county. I'll check it this afternoon!"

Guo Ziqiang stopped following Yang Jie, his face showing disappointment. He smiled and walked towards the filing cabinet, saying, "Director Yang, I heard that the county police arrested over a dozen people last night, and this morning, the Discipline Inspection Commission and the Audit Bureau have already sent people to audit the accounts of the Agricultural Machinery Bureau and the Wuh River Hotel."

Yang Jie, who had learned from Xiao Wu that last night she had told Yang Hua about the arrangements made by Liao Guojin and Guo Xin, understood that the county police had acted to arrest those who had covered up for Liao Kai.

The involvement of the Discipline Inspection Commission and the Audit Bureau indicated that Yang Hua had made some progress during the interrogation last night and had reported it to Secretary Zhou. Therefore, they were auditing the accounts of these two units to cut off Liao Guojin's hopes.

Sure enough, as soon as work started in the afternoon, it was announced in the county party office that Secretary Liao Guojin had submitted a report to Secretary Zhou, citing health issues, to step down to a secondary position.

Liao Guojin was only around fifty, and at his age, he could have served another term. By applying to step down now, he was essentially trading his political future for Secretary Zhou's leniency in the Liao Kai case and other disciplinary violations.

News continued to spread, and Secretary Zhou accepted Liao Guojin's application to step down, agreeing that he would stop all work and rest at home until the higher authorities approved it.

The auditors who had entered the Agricultural Machinery Bureau and the Wuh River Hotel withdrew after Liao Guojin's application to step down.

Yang Jie was not foolish. After learning this news in the office, he quickly understood that Liao Guojin was trading his position on the Standing Committee for leniency in the Liao Kai case.

Such political bargaining made Yang Jie very unhappy, but he was not Secretary Zhou, and even if he wanted to oppose it, he had no power to do so.

Before work ended, Yang Jie received a call from Chen Yinglong.

Chen Yinglong was inviting Yang Jie to dinner on behalf of Yang Hua. Chen Yinglong had already discussed it with Yang Jie the day before, so Yang Jie did not refuse and readily agreed.

After work, Yang Jie sat in the office for a while, waiting for about ten minutes before leaving the office and walking out of the county party committee building.

Seeing Chen Yinglong waiting outside the county party committee compound in a red Xiaoli 7100, Yang Jie approached and said, "Brother Chen, I'm really sorry. I had some unfinished business just now, making you wait."

"Brother, don't be so formal. I just got here. Get in the car quickly!" Chen Yinglong opened the car door, letting Yang Jie sit in the passenger seat before driving out of the compound.

"Brother Chen, how is the investigation into Liao Kai's case going?" Yang Jie asked, concerned, looking at Chen Yinglong, who, though tired, still had sharp eyes.

Chen Yinglong glanced at Yang Jie. Normally, he wouldn't discuss case details with outsiders, but since Liao Kai's case was closely related to Yang Jie, he didn't hide it. "Last night, Director Yang received an anonymous call. The mysterious caller revealed everything about Liao Kai's activities over the years.

The time, place, and people involved were clearly stated. We used this information to interrogate Zheng Yuan and Fan Shaozheng separately, and it didn't take long to break their defenses. They confessed to all the crimes they committed with Liao Kai over the years. To prevent them from recanting later, we recorded their confessions as evidence."

"So Liao Kai won't escape legal punishment?" Yang Jie asked, maintaining a calm expression.

"Last night, the criminal investigation team arrested over a dozen people who had covered up for Liao Kai. We obtained some confessions, but they did a good job of covering up the cases. Most of the victims had already settled privately, and when we talked to them today, they were unwilling to testify against Liao Kai.

Therefore, it's not easy to convict Liao Kai. However, Zheng Yuan and Fan Shaozheng committed a robbery three years ago that left the victim disabled. Along with other theft and assault cases, if convicted, they could face sentences of over ten years."

Chen Yinglong didn't tell Yang Jie that Secretary Zhou had already called Director Yang, instructing him to handle Liao Kai's past issues leniently if no other serious crimes were found, meaning Liao Kai might be released after a period of detention.

"So Liao Kai won't be sentenced?" Although Yang Jie had already expected this result, he still wanted confirmation from Chen Yinglong.

"He probably won't be sentenced, but he will be detained for six months, undergo labor reform, and pay a fine. That's inevitable!" Chen Yinglong's words made Yang Jie feel a bit better.

If Liao Kai could escape punishment just because Liao Guojin stepped down, it would be incomprehensible. Six months of detention, labor reform, and a fine were minor punishments, but with Liao Guojin stepping down, Liao Kai would lose his support and wouldn't be able to cause much trouble in the future.

"Causing so much trouble, and just getting six months of detention. Having a good father really makes a difference!" Yang Jie's words made Chen Yinglong shake his head and smile bitterly.

"Bro