Nominal: Who isn't a son-in-law?

Ding Yue's palms were already sweaty. He knew Yi Xuexi's uprightness and understood even more clearly what investigating the municipal party secretary meant.

Jingzhou is unlike other places in Handong. The officialdom in Jingzhou is deeply entrenched. Li Dakang is a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee. Previously, Jingzhou was ruled by him alone. Now, Jingzhou Mayor Ye Qian has aligned himself with Governor Chu, which has won over some people and broken the deadlock.

But now it's clear to anyone with eyes to see that Li Dakang has now aligned himself with Secretary Sha, and that's no less impressive.

Moreover, these small fry have no right to comment on what the higher-ups do.

Thinking of this, Ding Yue opened his mouth, wanting to remind everyone of the importance of this matter, but when he met Yi Xuexi's unwavering gaze, he swallowed his words and simply nodded stiffly, "Please give your instructions, Secretary Yi, and I will definitely cooperate."

Cooperate, but don't simply follow orders.

I'll do whatever you tell me to do. Every word I say is your order. How can a lowly director like me refuse an order from a secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission?

"First, it's confidential." Yi Xuexi held up one finger, his tone resolute. "From the moment you walked out of this office, only you and I knew about this."

"You must personally select the participants; they must be the most reliable and discreet people in this office. Submit the list to me for review. Do not leak this to any of the supervising leaders, including the deputy secretary of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, and absolutely do not alert anyone on Secretary Li Dakang's side, understand?"

"clear."

Ding Yue nodded honestly.

"Second, verify its authenticity." Yi Xuexi pointed to the USB drive on the table with his second finger. "Give this to the technical department and just say it's for 'classified image identification.' Make sure they produce a formal technical report before the end of the day."

"You must personally oversee the entire process of confirming whether the videos and images have been spliced ​​or tampered with, and whether the people and scenes are real. The technical department's appraisal report must be sealed and handed to me directly, and must not pass through anyone else's hands."

"ah"

"Secretary Yi, this...this..." Ding Yue finally couldn't help but look up, his eyes filled with fear.

"If the technical department asks about the content of the evaluation, I..."

"You don't need to say anything more," Yi Xuexi interrupted him. "Just tell me my order: a classified investigation. Director Ding, what are you afraid of?"

"Party discipline is as firm as a mountain, and the law of the land is merciless. Anyone who disobeys will be dealt with according to disciplinary regulations and severely punished without exception!"

"Secretary Yi, it's not that I'm afraid of doing the work, it's just that this matter is too complicated. Secretary Li is the top official in Jingzhou and a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee. If we just investigate like this, will it be..." Ding Yue finally couldn't help but remind him.

"What's the panic?"

Yi Xuexi's face darkened. "Will this offend someone? Will it affect my future? Or will it affect your position?"

"Let me tell you, you must have heard about my quick learning nature over the years. Before I came here, I was at the same level as you. After all, the clouds have parted and the moon has risen. Since Secretary Sha and Secretary Tian have made an exception and promoted me, I have to do my job!"

"If things really get out of hand, I'll just go to Huangshan Village to guard the reservoir. At least I'll have a clear conscience!"

Yi Xuexi said firmly, then looked intently at Ding Yue, "Or are you saying that you, the director of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office, have something to hide?"

"No, Secretary Yi, I assure you, I am an honest and law-abiding person, and I can withstand any investigation."

Upon hearing this, Ding Yue immediately raised his head and assured him.

When faced with Yi Xuexi, you have to say no, whether you have it or not. If you hesitate even slightly and get investigated, even if there is no problem, it will still affect your reputation.

Seeing this, Yi Xuexi's expression softened, and he nodded, saying, "I hope you mean what you say."

Then, he held up a third finger. "Third, investigate the motive for the whistleblower. Arrange for two people to secretly verify the whistleblower's identity, investigate his past interactions with Comrade Li Dakang, and investigate his motives for the whistleblower, whether there is any possibility of false accusation or framing. Again, keep the whole process confidential, and report the results directly to me."

Ding Yue frowned. "Secretary Yi, this is really hard to investigate. It was sent by a foreigner who has already fled abroad. The police have already investigated once. He came and went suddenly. His place of residence is normal. He has not had any contact with any other suspicious persons."

Yi Xuexi frowned. This matter was even more unusual, especially since it involved foreigners. After thinking for a moment, he waved his hand and said, "Then let's put this aside for now. Make sure the first two points are done well."

"Director Ding, you've been in the Discipline Inspection Commission for eight years; you should know the rules. The Discipline Inspection Commission's duty is to supervise all Party members and cadres, from the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee down to the grassroots staff, without exception. The whistleblower letter is right here, and the evidence is on the USB drive. If we don't investigate, we're derelict in our duty; if we selectively investigate, we're committing malfeasance."

After a pause, Yi Xuexi picked up the kraft paper envelope, put the USB drive inside, and placed it in Ding Yue's hand: "I know you've heard about my personality and think I'm straightforward and will cause trouble."

"But let me tell you, my integrity, which I readily learn, only applies to matters of principle. When we investigate, we investigate according to procedure; when we verify, we verify according to evidence. We are only the determiners of facts, not anyone's weapon, nor are we deserters in any matter."

Ding Yue reached out and took it, nodding repeatedly, saying, "Secretary Yi, your words are profound; I was too narrow-minded."

"What's with all this talk about profoundness? Why is that all you people are saying? Even the comrades below have picked it up."

Yi Xuexi frowned and said that if he remembered correctly, Zhao Lichun had said this back then, and Li Dakang also said it every day. The two of them spread it so much that all the cadres in Handong had learned it over the years, and even he sometimes misspoke.

"Alright, go ahead," Yi Xuexi waved his hand. "I need to see the technical department's appraisal report in my office at six o'clock this afternoon, and the preliminary findings of the investigation should also be reported at the same time."

"Yes, Secretary Yi, then I won't bother you any longer."

Ding Yue felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly got up to take his leave.

In the office, Yi Xuexi watched his retreating figure and sighed softly.

He knew that Ding Yue's fear was a microcosm of the fear of many cadres in the Jingzhou Discipline Inspection Commission, who were afraid of offending Li Dakang and their superiors. He didn't blame the other party; it was only human nature, after all, not everyone was Hai Rui.

"Ring ring ring"

Just then, his phone rang. He picked it up and saw it was his wife calling.

Yi Xuexi frowned. His wife, Mao Ya, rarely called him while he was at work.

"Xiaoya, what's wrong?"

"It's crashed! My phone's crashed!" Mao Ya shouted, his voice so loud that he moved his phone further away.

"What exploded?"

"Tea, tea is selling like hotcakes!" Mao Ya said happily. "These past few days, since you went to Jingzhou, so many people have come to buy tea from our hometown. It seems that Secretary Sha really recommended it to us. The secretary of Jinshan County even came to thank us and said he wanted to thank you."

Upon hearing this, Yi Xuexi smiled. "Are the farmers selling their tea very well?"