In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 233 Changes Brought About by Power

Chen Yunming could guess that Liu Hanwen's goal was to pacify Kaibang. Since the financial supplement involved so many Wuhou, he would certainly not act rashly.

But he dared not gamble, even if it was only a one percent chance.

Xu Zhigao is still in Nankaido and could turn his gun on me at any time.

This is why he wanted to kill Li Mufeng.

It's highly unlikely that Li Mufeng will confess; even if he did, he wouldn't survive, given the large number of martial arts masters involved in the financial supplements.

But Chen Yunming also didn't want to gamble.

If he can't hold on any longer and confesses in a moment of madness, then Liu Hanwen will have a huge handle on him.

The federal government has never had any military officers go to jail or be sentenced, but quite a few have been forced to retire or be dismissed.

The consequences of losing a political struggle are dire.

There have even been instances where a defeated warrior was forced to commit suicide in order to allow a fourth-tier superhuman to advance.

The financial supplements have a significant impact; their revelation is enough to get Chen Yunming dismissed from his post.

Sometimes politics is like gambling. When choosing a side, you gamble everything. When embezzling, you gamble that you won't be investigated. When pledging allegiance, you gamble that your superiors won't fall.

But it's not worth it for Li Mufeng; the cost and return are disproportionate.

He's just an actor, not a graduate of a prestigious university in the capital, nor someone with outstanding achievements, exceptional abilities, or impeccable political credentials...

"Vice Chairman Chen, what do you think?"

Liu Hanwen's question brought Chen Yunming back to reality.

He said, "Since we're going to fight, let's expand the scope and sweep through the entire Confederate District, so that we won't cause trouble when industries relocate inland."

Liu Hanwen was clearly not going to fall for it, and shook his head, saying, "One must take things one step at a time. Since we've confirmed that they're from the Kyoto Gang, then we should prioritize taking them down."

"We can strike at the Kyoto gang first, and then formulate further plans."

Chen Yunming nodded and said, "Okay."

Refusal is impossible.

Since the attack on the police station is a fact, this is just a pretext. Liu Hanwen will bring up the issue of attacking Ping Hsin State no matter what.

If his own people lost, then Liu Hanwen's claim would be even more legitimate.

Conversely, if the murderer is not caught, Chen Yunming can also say, "The murderer may not be in Pingbang District, and we need to expand the scope of our crackdown."

The outcome will not change; just because you win a fight doesn't mean you can openly say you're protecting gangsters.

Liu Hanwen couldn't directly say that he wanted to target Chen Yunming's forces.

Many things are best left unsaid; there's no need to bring them out into the open.

The day Chen Yunming loses completely, the news broadcast will say, "Chen Yunming betrayed the Federation, was disloyal to the people, disregarded the law, and endangered society."

What should be put on the table is the victor's declaration, not the bugle call to charge.

An hour later, the Daozheng Bureau meeting concluded.

A special action plan centered on "eliminating organized crime in Pingkai State and maintaining order in the relocation of industries in the Confederate region" has been officially finalized, with all responsibilities and implementation paths clearly defined.

The operation was carried out in two phases, the first phase being the siege of the city.

Pingbang District was sealed off, prohibiting any personnel from entering or leaving, to prevent the suspects from moving around.

The goal is to target the core forces of the "Kyoto Gang" within the Pingkai State, including their monopolistic control over building materials transportation, warehousing and logistics, as well as their associates hidden in grassroots management, to achieve the triple objectives of "dismantling their hideouts, arresting key members, and cutting off their funding."

The second phase involves an extended investigation period, during which the seized assets will be put up for tender and sold to maintain social stability, while simultaneously establishing a long-term reporting mechanism for clues related to organized crime.

Liu Hanwen knew that Chen Yunming would definitely make a move, but he didn't care.

You can run away, but you can't hide. As long as you wipe out the Kyoto gang and plant your own people, that's fine.

They would eliminate a state and then install their own people there to prepare for the relocation of industry.

The officials at the provincial level left the provincial administration building one after another.

Chen Yunming left by car, with Secretary Wang driving and observing the leader's expression.

He didn't seem that angry.

In officialdom, there are wins and losses; as long as you still have capital, you will eventually win it all back.

Moreover, their core interest is financial supplements.

Based on the content of the meeting, it is clear that Liu Hanwen did not intend to crack down on financial supplements.

Chen Yunming closed his eyes to rest, his mind racing as he quickly sorted out the current situation and formulated a counterattack strategy.

About 15 minutes later, he opened his eyes and said, "Go and do three things for me later."

Secretary Wang, who was driving, straightened up and adopted a listening posture.

"First, help me contact the representatives of major pharmaceutical companies in Cangwu and have them contact the Life Supplements Committee to put pressure on Liu Hanwen."

Liu Hanwen wouldn't listen, but the situation is different when someone is putting pressure on you versus when no one is putting pressure on you.

The Life Supplement Committee wields considerable influence, putting significant pressure on Liu Hanwen.

"clear."

"Second, the Confederate District issued a directive to crack down on illegal religious forces."

The people won't protest if there's a crackdown on gangs, because it's essentially like the master killing the dog.

Many citizens have low levels of education. Even before the Great Cataclysm, the Eastern Federation experienced uneven development.

In many places, theocracy is still preserved.

But that doesn't mean the vast majority of working people are blind; they see clearly what is good and bad that directly affects them.

Compared to the mafia, the federal government generally enjoys a higher level of goodwill among its citizens.

Because whenever there is a food shortage, the federal government distributes disaster relief food to try to avoid large-scale starvation deaths.

In contrast, most gangs have been relentlessly exploiting their fellow villagers to the point that federal officials have had to intervene and issue warnings from time to time.

To prevent large-scale riots by the public.

Even if Chen Yunming were to manage the Confederate District himself, he couldn't just be focused on making money.

Over the years, his main tasks have been combating extremist terrorist organizations, stabilizing order in various states, and ensuring the basic survival of the people.

Only with stability can production be achieved; even cattle and horses need to be fed and have shelter.

However, the federal government only guarantees basic survival needs; a higher quality of life is not their responsibility. When material life is scarce, people seek spiritual comfort.

In the state, religion is rampant, and in many places, religion has replaced gangs as part of the ruling machine.

The federal government's crackdown on religion makes it easy for riots to break out.

Whenever an uprising occurs, special counter-terrorism forces are needed to suppress it, thereby diverting their resources.

Chen Yunming could not stand idly by and watch Ping Kai Bang be besieged.

Four p.m.

Chen Yunming returned to the Department of Finance and Taxation, and before he could even settle in, his daughter called again.

"Dad, when will Mufeng be able to come out?"

"It will be soon. You stay at home and are not allowed to go anywhere."

"how long?"

“I will have the housekeeper watch over you for at least a month.”

"Ugh, I feel like I'm going to get moldy after a month. I want to go out and have some fun."

"It passed quickly."

After comforting his daughter, Chen Yunming returned to his work.

He needed to prepare contingency plans for how to re-administer the Confederate district should a mass riot break out and be suppressed.

Also, we can take advantage of Liu Hanwen's influence to strike at some religious forces.

Some religions have become states within a state. We usually don't care about them, but now is the perfect time to bring them out and crack them down.

It can both strengthen federal rule and divert attention.
-
Saturday, April 16th.

Lu Zhao made an appointment with Zhang Hong to take his mother to see a doctor in the morning, and made an appointment with Li Dongxue in the afternoon. He also had to have dinner with his junior sister Lin in the evening.

Otherwise, Lin Xuemei will make a scene again, saying she's living like a widow.

Lu Zhao wondered who taught her this, but he felt that Lin, his junior, was becoming increasingly difficult to deal with lately. In the past, if he said even a few words to her, she would storm off in a huff.

Now I'm getting thicker-skinned, and I don't get angry when I criticize myself anymore. I'm not as willful anymore, and my level has obviously improved.

Lu Zhao received a call from Li Dongxue when he woke up in the morning.

What time should we meet?

"Around 1 p.m., I made an appointment with a doctor for my mother this morning."

"Then I'll go to your house."

"Row."

Nine o'clock in the morning, Songya Community, Linjiang District.

Lu Zhao drove to pick up Zhang Hong first, and then they went to Songya Community together.

As he walked down the street, strangers greeted him, and everyone treated him with great respect.

Zhang Hong joked, "Comrade Lu's reputation is widespread."

Lu Zhao said helplessly, "What reputation? It should be called infamy."

Zhang Hong looked puzzled and asked, "Aren't you a hero?"

Lu Zhao's deeds were reported in newspapers for some time, and he even gave a speech at the anniversary of the Great Patriotic War at the beginning of the year.

Lu Zhao explained, "When I first returned to Cangwu, those reporters and paparazzi harassed my family, so I used my connections to resolve the issue."

"Then a large group of police officers came and arrested the reporters."

When Lu Zhao first returned, the residents of the community looked at him as if he were an animal in a zoo.

The shameless older women always like to get handsy, which is very annoying.

When Lu Zhao used a little bit of his power to call the police and have the reporter arrested, everyone's attitude changed.

No one in the neighborhood dared to cricket at the Lu family's house anymore.

“Now my neighbors are probably afraid of offending me and getting arrested by the police.”

Zhang Hong understood and said, "There's nothing we can do about it. People are afraid of becoming famous, just like pigs are afraid of getting fat. It's better to have others fear you than to have someone take advantage of you."

"And this isn't necessarily a bad thing; your family will likely receive a lot of preferential treatment. After I graduated as a medical superhuman, I was also frequently visited with gifts."

Lu Zhao did not deny it, saying, "It does have benefits."

Recently, my sister-in-law has been going out, and everyone who sees her calls her "sister." My mother's constant complaints about the arguments upstairs have also stopped.

The quality of community services in Songya Community has suddenly become very high, and the street office also provides door-to-door repair services for appliances and furniture.

Lu Xiaotong was assigned better accommodation at school and sat in the first row of the classroom. School leaders and teachers all showed her concern and care.

She received a scholarship, entered the top class, and Lu Xiaotong's name appeared in every evaluation and award.

The world seemed to become a better place overnight, and there were more and more good people.

Everything is getting better gradually.

Lu Zhao never used his power for personal gain, nor did he seek special privileges for his family. But once power is in his hands, everything will be in his favor.

Power is like the sun, and people are like sunflowers. Those who control the sun have the power to control its light.

Or perhaps the people support the leader, and the leader nurtures the people, with the two complementing each other.

Lu Zhao believed in the latter, saying that water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.

When a leader truly sees himself as the sun, he is more prone to collapse. Conversely, when a leader does not see himself as the sun, he is closer to the sun.

How one exercises power and how one understands power is entirely up to the individual.

Lu Zhao led Zhang Hong to the front door, where they could hear Lu Xiaotong's clear, loud laughter coming from inside.

Take out the key and open the door.

The sounds of TV dramas, the steam from the pressure cooker in the kitchen, the sound of water from washing clothes on the balcony, cheerful laughter, and conversations mixed with local dialects... a jumble of sounds assaulted my senses.

A feeling called home made Lu Zhao relax slightly.

Not every family is happy, and not every family relationship is beautiful.

At least Lu Zhao has beautiful family relationships.

(End of this chapter)