The game of power begins with the police officers at the local police station.

After thinking for a moment, Ma Chunlan still called Liu Youguang. Chen Shi was Liu Youguang's man, so even if Chen Shi had asked to investigate her, she still had to report to Liu Youguang.

The disciplinary committee needed Liu Youguang's approval to investigate cadres at or above the deputy section chief level.

The call was answered quickly.

"Hey, Old Ma."

Ma Chunlan stood up: "Secretary Liu, I need to report to you that this morning, someone distributed materials at the Education Bureau to report Director Chen, just like distributing leaflets. Director Chen called the Discipline Inspection Commission, requesting their intervention to clear his name."

Upon hearing this, Liu Youguang immediately knew what was going on. On the morning of July 6th, Chen Shi had reported to him about the expert review panel, his tone turning somber: "Old Ma, someone is deliberately causing trouble. From July 15th to August 15th, the Education Department will send an expert review panel to assess the nine counties that have received special education funding. If the Discipline Inspection Commission is investigating the head of the Education Bureau at this time, what will the expert review panel think?"

Chunyang County is facing a severe fiscal deficit and simply cannot afford the funds to build three key high schools. The county must secure the 1 billion yuan in special education funds allocated by the Provincial Department of Education for this project.

"I don't need to say anything more, Lao Ma, you know what to do, right?"

Ma Chunlan thought for a moment and said, "Secretary Liu, I will investigate the materials used to report Director Chen before July 15th and clear his name."

After hanging up the phone, Ma Chunlan personally led a team to the Education Bureau.

Chen Shi hung up the phone, looked at Huang Ming and the others, and said in a deep voice, "Secretary Ma will personally lead a team to the bureau to investigate later. You all go about your work. The Discipline Inspection Commission will give me an explanation and also give everyone a conclusion."

Huang Ming and the other three exchanged glances. They hadn't expected Chen Shi to dare to send the Discipline Inspection Commission to investigate, which meant that there was no transfer of benefits between him and Donghai Zhencheng Group, and that he could withstand scrutiny.

The four left the office. Wang Zhikai returned to his own office, furious. This Dong Xuexi had ruined his plans. He took out his phone and called Lei Liangping.

The call was answered quickly: "Director Wang."

"Old Lei, what's going on? Why did this Dong Xuexi leave the complaint materials scattered around the Education Bureau, just like my childhood friend? Didn't I tell you to tell him it was a real-name complaint?"

"Director Wang, I asked him to file a formal complaint under his real name, and he also said he would file a formal complaint under his real name with the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection. How come he went to the Education Bureau and scattered the complaint materials? I'll call him now to verify this."

"It's too late. Chen Shi called the Discipline Inspection Commission right in front of us. Secretary Ma personally led a team to investigate. The fact that Chen Shi dared to do this shows that he has no business dealings with Donghai Chengzhen Group."

Lei Liangping looked terrified. If he couldn't get Chen Shi transferred out of the Education Bureau this time, he would be finished.

Dong has studied to the very end, but I haven't.

"Director Wang, once I've learned from Dong and implemented this plan, if he changes his mind halfway through, I'll go to the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and file a formal complaint against Chen Shi. I'm going all in."

Wang Zhikai thought for a moment: "Going to the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection to file a formal complaint against Chen Shi now will not help. The County Commission for Discipline Inspection has already intervened in the investigation, and the complaint materials are scattered in the Education Bureau. The Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection will only think that someone is dissatisfied with Chen Shi and is forcing the Commission to investigate Chen Shi."

This is a major taboo within the system. When a leader wants to investigate someone, there are considerations on the leader's part. You can't force a leader to comply by distributing whistleblower materials.

"For now, we should do nothing and observe the situation. Chen Shi has no leverage over us."

Lei Liangping, looking dejected, said, "Okay."

After hanging up the phone, Lei Liangping called Dong Xuexi three times in a row, but no one answered. Lei Liangping realized something was wrong. Could it be that Dong Xuexi had taken the whistleblower materials to join Chen Shi?

Chen Shi was in his office waiting for Ma Chunlan when Yang Xiaobo walked in and said, "Director Chen, Secretary Ma has arrived at the Education Bureau."

Chen Shi quickly stood up: "Let's go greet them."

Ma Chunlan got out of the car, and Chen Shi walked out of the office building, quickly stepped forward, and said with a smile, "Secretary Ma, welcome to the Education Bureau."

Ma Chunlan smiled and said, "Director Chen, no one dares to welcome us; you're the first."

Chen Shi smiled and said, "If you have the people in your heart, isn't the investigation by the Discipline Inspection Commission a way to protect cadres?"

Chen Shi led Ma Chunlan to the office.

The two sat down in the reception room, Yang Xiaobo poured Ma Chunlan a cup of tea, and then left the office.

Ma Chunlan's face turned cold, and she said seriously, "Director Chen, where are the complaint materials? Let me see them."

Chen Shi stood up, handed the report materials on his desk to Ma Chunlan, who took them and read them carefully.

He put down the complaint materials and solemnly said, "Director Chen, please provide a detailed explanation of the three points in the complaint materials."

Ma Chunlan called her entourage in, turned on the recording device, and then told them to leave.

The office door closed, and Chen Shi asked, "Secretary Ma, may we begin?"

Ma Chunlan nodded, and Chen Shi said solemnly, "Regarding the first point in the report, which says that I indulge in hedonism and renovated a KTV room for myself, I would like to clarify here that this was not a KTV room renovated for me, but a cadre activity center renovated by the Education Bureau."

The finance department has detailed accounts; please have the comrades from the Discipline Inspection Commission investigate and verify this.

The second complaint is against Yang Xiaobo, the director of the Party and Government Office, Xiao Guang, the deputy director, and Yang Bin, the driver. In less than six months, they claimed to have reimbursed more than 300,000 yuan, saying that I instructed them to do so. The finance department has detailed accounts, and the reimbursements were processed through normal procedures. I only signed the documents. I have to sign for any reimbursement exceeding 10,000 yuan. This is a regulation of the Education Bureau. I did not instruct them to reimburse the money.

Please send comrades from the Discipline Inspection Commission to go down and verify the situation with them personally.

The third accusation is that I have engaged in improper conduct with Donghai Zhencheng Group. The bidding process for three key high schools, divided into three sections, was conducted in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. The person in charge of the bidding was Huang Ming, the deputy director of the Education Bureau. I was not specifically in charge of the bidding process. I request that the disciplinary committee investigate this matter.

After Chen Shi finished speaking, Ma Chunlan turned off the recorder and smiled, "Director Chen, this is a normal questioning by the Discipline Inspection Commission. I will go down and conduct a detailed investigation into the three allegations. Once the investigation is complete, I will give you a satisfactory answer."

Chen Shi said with a relaxed expression, "Secretary Ma, I would like to trouble your comrades from the Discipline Inspection Commission to help me investigate. Otherwise, I will be wrongly accused and I will have no way to defend myself. I can only wait for your investigation."

Ma Chunlan said in a low voice, "Secretary Liu has given instructions that it will not affect the expert review panel of the Education Department."

Chen Shi said with a grateful expression, "Thank you very much, Secretary Ma."

Ma Chunlan walked out of the office and instructed staff to question Yang Xiaobo, Xiao Guang, and Yang Bin.

He went to Huang Ming's office in person to question him. After leaving Huang Ming's office, he led a group to the finance department to check the accounts and asked Ren Changlin, the head of the finance department, whether the reimbursement procedures were legal and compliant.

The Discipline Inspection Commission questioned relevant personnel at the Education Bureau for a day. The next day, Ma Chunlan ordered an investigation into Chen Shi and his family, as well as other personnel related to Chen Shi, to determine whether any large sums of money had been deposited before or after the bidding process.

Ma Chunlan also took the opportunity to investigate Huang Ming and his family to find out if any large sums of money had been deposited into their accounts within a month before and after the bidding process.