Rebirth of Corrupt Officials

“Mayor Jiang, I heard some bad news yesterday. Are you okay?”

As soon as he walked to the elevator, Jiang Xiaochuan heard a worried voice.

He turned around and saw that it was Deputy Mayor Li Qiusheng. He was in charge of Taiwan affairs, which was basically a fictitious position. However, he still held the title of deputy mayor.

Li Qiusheng and Qin Yu were two real idlers in the city government. They went around their daily work and went around their business. What they loved most was watching the excitement.

They rarely had any conflicts of interest with others, so even if they were idle people, in a broad sense, they were quite popular.

However, Jiang Xiaochuan really didn’t have much affection for Li Qiusheng now.

Li Qiusheng made it clear that he was just wanted to know the fun.

But Jiang Xiaochuan was not easy to mess. He smiled, stood next to Li Qiusheng, shoulder to shoulder, looked at the indicator light in front, and said: “It is indeed very tricky, but just follow the procedures.”

First of all, Jiang Xiaochuan admitted that he found this matter very difficult. He agreed with Li Qiusheng’s words and would not make the conversation between the two people too stiff. However, the second half of his sentence was a hidden rebuttal.

He said, “Following procedures” was a sign of a clear conscience. Following procedures without any favoritism made him appear much more magnanimous.

No matter how marginal Li Qiusheng was, he was not a simple figure who didn’t know a twist and turn of a word. After he understood this sentence, he suddenly admired this astonishingly young deputy mayor, Jiang Xiaochuan.

This was a new blood injected into the city government, but would this new blood be assimilated by the old blood, or would it bring an earth-shaking change?

Li Qiusheng suddenly became curious. He touched his chin and smiled at Jiang Xiaochuan when the elevator door opened. “Mayor Jiang, you are doing quite well.”

Jiang Xiaochuan paused and turned his head. Looking at Li Qiusheng, he didn’t understand the meaning of this sentence.

It was a pity that Li Qiusheng was not prepared to say what he meant. He just patted Jiang Xiaochuan on the shoulder and entered the elevator one step ahead of him. “Come, enter the elevator, Mayor Jiang.”

Patting on the shoulder – the most typical move between seniors and juniors.

But Jiang Xiaochuan would not think that the meaning of this action was so simple.

What does Li Qiusheng mean?

In the elevator, Jiang Xiaochuan and Li Qiusheng didn’t say a word to each other. When they got out of the elevator, they just nodded to each other and left.

.

He met many clerks from other government departments in the corridor. He raised his wrist to check the time and found that he was almost late today, but he was not late yet.

But today’s atmosphere… seemed a little weird.

Although there were many smart people in the entire city government, after all, there were still some who couldn’t be trained and were more straightforward and innocent. When they saw Jiang Xiaochuan coming, some looked at him secretly.

Their eyes turned to meet his and they immediately shrank back.

It seemed like something happened and he didn’t know it yet.

Jiang Xiaochuan suppressed the doubts in his heart and said with a smile: “Everyone came very early today.”

“Mayor Jiang is early too…”

Everyone greeted him with smiles.

Jiang Xiaochuan shook his head, “I came late today, not as early as you, hahaha, you have to work hard in the morning.”

Everyone agreed again, and then watched Jiang Xiaochuan pushed open the door of the deputy mayor’s office.

Jiang Xiaochuan’s face looked a little gloomy as soon as he walked in. Something seemed wrong.

“…Okay, I understand. I will inform Mayor Jiang about this. Thank you…”

“Well, goodbye.”

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Wei Lai put down the phone, frowned, and looked down. He wrote something on a document with a very serious expression.

Jiang Xiaochuan heard what he said while talking on the phone, looked at his expression, and related to some abnormal situations he had just seen outside, and asked directly: “What happened?”

As soon as he saw Jiang Xiaochuan coming, Wei Lai stood up immediately, “It’s… about the former secretary Zhang Xiaoli… Mayor Jiang, please wait a moment.”

He put away the many papers scattered on the table. The ink marks on the white A4 papers seemed to be very new. The corners were a little curled.

He handed these documents to Jiang Xiaochuan, and then said: “There are some… photos that appeared on the Internet. They were from last night. I just received the news and haven’t had time to sort it out yet. Sister Zhang, she looks like…”

Wei Lai’s words were a bit choppy, but Jiang Xiaochuan understood.

He looked at the paper in his hand, felt the temperature, and looked at the printer next to it with the light on, knowing that this thing had really just been printed.

As expected, it was Zhang Xiaoli’s business.

Looking at the information in his hand, Jiang Xiaochuan was very calm, and even relieved she had finally done this.

He maintained a stoic expression, merely nodding in response. “Thank you for your hard work. I’ll check in. Keep me posted on any updates.”

“Okay,” Wei Lai replied, adjusting his glasses.

Jiang Xiaochuan settled into his office, delving into the internet-sourced information.

The influence of the internet had surged in recent years, exposing a blend of information. Numerous officials faced downfall through online revelations. Would Zhou Qian share a similar fate?

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Zhou Qian, the deputy mayor of Chengzhou City, was on the way to get married, engaged in an affair with another deputy mayor’s secretary. The woman found herself pregnant by the deputy mayor and now sought solace within the public.

The news of the marriage and this pregnancy was undeniably attention-grabbing.

The ruthlessness of Zhang Xiaoli’s action caught him off guard.

This situation left him contemplating its severity. Ignoring someone else’s expanding belly was undoubtedly a despicable act.

However, Zhang Xiaoli’s actions were anticipated.

He vividly recalled every word spoken to her, absentmindedly rubbing the copper coin on his wrist. A fleeting smile crossed his face before it settled into a composed expression. While he might have excelled as an official, meeting the high standards of being a genuinely good person proved elusive.

In today’s political landscape, being a good official didn’t necessarily equate to being a good person; there existed a substantial gap between the two.

Jiang Xiaochuan, known for his strategic mindset, keenly observed the dynamics between Zhang Xiaoli and Zhou Qian. He had noticed Zhang Xiaoli’s call to Zhou Qian, where, despite her seemingly frivolous demeanor, a trace of sincerity and embarrassment lingered. A woman’s innocence and happiness were palpable.

Zhang Xiaoli, despite her competence, fell prey to the blindness of love, a stark contrast to her usual astuteness.

Anticipating the doomed fate of Zhou Qian and Zhang Xiaoli’s liaison, Jiang Xiaochuan expected her to seek refuge with him.

Though Zhang Xiaoli’s resignation should have gone through the regular channels, her tearful encounter with him, coupled with his desire to exploit her situation, led him to directly accept her resignation letter.

Zhang Xiaoli, a shrewd woman, sought not only to resolve her predicament but also to leverage Jiang Xiaochuan’s assistance.

In providing her with a clear path, Jiang Xiaochuan played his part in the unfolding drama.

Discerning intentions often becomes challenging; the crucial factor was whether the desired outcome aligned with everyone’s wishes.

Jiang Xiaochuan could already foresee Zhou Qian’s inevitable downfall.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Qian, upon his rebirth, became the first to set a clandestine trap.

Jiang Xiaochuan furrowed his eyebrows, recalling Jiang Encheng’s peculiar belief that thicker brow flesh denoted intelligence.

In his childhood, he believed his brow area was too thin. Each attempt to pull the skin made it red and swollen.

Was intelligence truly linked to such trivialities?

He inexplicably smiled, lowering his hand to examine his fingers.

What defines smart people?

Was embezzlement without detection a mark of intelligence?

In his previous life, Jiang Xiaochuan might have thought so, but Lian Cheng, a man in his current life, altered his perspective in the final days.

Lian Cheng, straightforward and insightful, had a heart akin to a copper coin’s square hole despite his smooth exterior.

True intelligence often veered toward stupidity, and Jiang Xiaochuan aspired to embrace such simplicity.

Without violating his conscience, he aimed to live with clarity. In death, fame wasn’t his goal.

Zhang Xiaoli’s ruthlessness, exposing herself to bring down the unfaithful, had stirred the internet into a frenzy.

As Jiang Xiaochuan browsed, he pondered how many within the municipal building were doing the same.

Zhang Xiaoli, his secretary, naturally prompted scrutiny. Could this scandal be linked to him?

Moreover, she was seduced by Zhou Qian’s antics, sounded oddly amusing.

Yet, Zhang Xiaoli likely shared incriminating details with the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Considering her intelligence, she might have informed Lian Cheng.

Recalling Lian Cheng’s appearance the previous night, Jiang Xiaochuan felt a subtle connection.

Glancing at the time of the online news release, he was momentarily stunned.

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Approaching lunchtime, he turned on the lounge TV and tuned in to Chengzhou TV’s third news package. A week ago, Zhou Qian stood confidently on a podium, discussing government policies with an air of normalcy.

However, Jiang Xiaochuan’s attention wasn’t on Zhou Qian’s face. He observed the audience below, noticing their gazes directed toward a particular corner, only those nearby catching the subtle disturbance. Distant attendees remained oblivious, engrossed in careful listening.

Post-Zhou Qian’s speech, he descended with a smile, disappearing from the camera’s view.

Whispers erupted in a corner of the live TV scene.

Throughout the next half-hour meeting, Zhou Qian never reappeared.

Jiang Xiaochuan, watching the meeting conclude in the image, maintained an ocean-deep calm in his eyes.

Turning off the TV, he left his office composedly.

In the realm of officialdom, as in life, actions had consequences.

The swift and flawless execution by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection caught him off guard. A subtle weight settled in his heart. The boss had decided to take significant action, and now he hoped for a swift resolution of his self-examination letter—a peril and an opportunity.

After all, people clung to hope.

Strolling down the corridor, an uneasy atmosphere seemed to envelop everything.

“Have you heard? Mayor Zhou seems to have been double-regulated…”