In name only: The land of Handong, I shall rule its fate.

"Secretary-General Xiang!"

Sha Ruijin straightened his back instantly, answered the phone, and greeted the caller in a steady yet respectful manner.

"Let's sit down and talk."

A cool, authoritative voice came through the microphone, yet strangely imbued with a youthful spirit.

"OK."

Sha Ruijingang, who had lifted his buttocks, sat back down.

"Comrade Ruijin, do you understand the impact of conducting live-streamed political interviews in Handong?"

Secretary-General Xiang asked.

"clear!"

Sha Ruijin's mind became more active than ever before: "Even if there are precedents in other provinces, the influence of the Clean Handong initiative will definitely surpass that of the past."

"so…"

"After making the decision, the provincial party committee strictly controlled the review of the broadcast content, addressing the core issues and contradictions while also stopping short of making a direct point."

"At the same time, Comrade Pan Lin from the provincial publicity department is constantly monitoring audience feedback and data to ensure the correct guidance of public opinion and to crack down on certain unscrupulous individuals who use methods such as editing and montage to escalate issues."

"Please rest assured, Secretary-General Xiang, and please rest assured, the organization. Handong has made full preparations and will keep all impacts within the established framework, without overstepping any boundaries."

Sha Ruijin assured.

"Was the idea for this program proposed by Comrade Tong Li, the Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee?"

Secretary-General Xiang suddenly asked.

Sha Ruijin was puzzled, but he still spoke cautiously, not daring to be careless in the slightest. "Yes, the proposal for a clean and honest Handong is based on Comrade Tong Li's long-term work experience in the government, propaganda and discipline inspection systems, while also drawing on the advanced experience of other provinces. After we discussed and formed an initial plan together, it was submitted to the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee for approval by the members of the leadership team."

"The consensus of the team members?"

Secretary-General Xiang's voice suddenly turned cold. "Why did Comrade Tian Guofu of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection cast a clear dissenting vote? You and Comrade Tong Li failed to persuade a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee who is in charge of discipline."

"Yes...yes!"

Sha Ruijin's forehead was already covered in a fine sweat. "Comrade Guofu, based on the uncertain risks after the program aired, exercised his authority to cast a dissenting vote at the Standing Committee meeting."

"However, considering the complex situation in Jiangdong City, if the bad trend cannot be curbed in time, it is very likely to become the next Chuzhou. In order to avoid repeating the Chuzhou incident and to keep the alarm bells ringing, Comrade Tong Li and I explained the necessity of promoting the program at the Standing Committee meeting, and it was recognized by other members of the leadership team."

"Furthermore, in the actual implementation of the program, the suggestions of Comrade Guo Fu and the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection were fully considered and adopted."

"Most importantly, the problems in Jiangdong City are not limited to Cao Minde and Chang Hui; many more cadres are involved. But... Secretary-General Xiang, I'm sorry, the Handong leadership has not yet been able to find any definitive evidence."

"Therefore, we adopted Comrade Zhiyuan's proposal to process them in batches and empty Jiangdong, so that the hidden bad elements would surface on their own and be captured in one fell swoop."

Sha Ruijin wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand again and again. He was really nervous. This was a critical moment of life and death. If the higher-ups stopped the show, his last bit of prestige as the class monitor would be shattered, and he would have no choice but to leave in disgrace.

It created a shameful historical record.

"Comrade Kobayashi..."

Secretary-General Xiang's tone changed slightly. "Comrade Ruijin, turn on the speakerphone. I want to have a chat with Comrade Xiaolin. Members of the Handong leadership team can listen in."

"yes!"

A bitter feeling welled up in Sha Ruijin's heart. Sigh, Lin Zhiyuan really is different from his superiors. They changed their attitude as soon as they heard his name.

"Secretary-General Xiang!"

Lin Zhiyuan greeted the phone that was handed to him.

"Comrade Xiaolin, I would like to hear your opinion on the necessity of launching this program."

"That's what Secretary-General Xiang said."

"Yes, Secretary-General Xiang."

Lin Zhiyuan sat up straight, his hands clasped together. "In my opinion, the disadvantages of hosting a program in Jiangdong City outweigh the advantages, but for Handong as a whole, it will present a completely different result."

"This is also the fundamental reason why I agreed to Comrade Tong Li's proposal."

"Handong is one of the pioneers in the country. Pioneers have to try and make mistakes. Long-standing contradictions were obscured by the rapid economic prosperity. Under the leadership of Secretary Lichun and Secretary Zhiping, Handong lived up to expectations and completed its historical mission."

"But I have to admit it."

"The course of history has reached a turning point. The rate of economic growth will inevitably slow down year by year, and the accumulated contradictions will intensify. Coupled with the feedback from the domestic and international environment, the occurrence of events such as the Jingzhou Dafeng Factory incident and the shantytown incident is not accidental, but an inevitable product of the contradictions intensifying to a certain extent."

"Jingzhou is afflicted with an illness, Lüzhou with a minor cold, Chuzhou with a major illness, and now Jiangdong is also showing signs of illness. The other cities are in roughly the same situation."

"Past experience is no longer entirely applicable to the present."

"It's okay to have symptoms, but you must have regular checkups to keep them within the doctor's treatment scope, from minor conservative treatments to major surgeries."

"We can see this, but ordinary people may not; fear will breed and spread."

"Rather than being out of control."

"It would be better to give the outside world a one-time shock, and then continuously reduce its scale, dissect the big problem into a series of small problems, solve the small problems, and then solve the big problem in this way, so that the outside world will passively adapt, accept and recognize it."

"Report complete!"

Lin Zhiyuan fell silent.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Kobayashi, you're playing the boy who cried wolf game."

Secretary-General Xiang's voice became sterner, "What if the wolf really comes?"

"When friends come, we welcome them with wine and meat; when wolves come, we prepare swords, spears, and clubs!"

Lin Zhiyuan replied.

"What a fine array of swords, spears, and clubs!"

Secretary-General Xiang chuckled lightly, "It seems Comrade Xiao Lin is very confident in his control over Handong. Alright! If any uncontrollable aspects arise during Handong's implementation of the integrated media live broadcast program, I'll hold you accountable."

Ok?

Lin Zhiyuan's eyes widened.

No!

Is that correct?

The proposers and promoters were clearly Sha Ruijin and Tong Li. Lin Zhiyuan was just someone who raised his hand in this matter. So many people raised their hands, why should he be blamed?

Is there any fairness left?

Is there no law left?

They're really just targeting him.

"Don't think that Mr. Wang and I can't see through your little schemes. You bear the responsibility for the size of the allocation you take."

Secretary-General Xiang snorted coldly, "That's settled then. If you have any objections, come to my office to report."

"This is also an additional indicator resulting from the request you made to General Manager Wang before the New Year."

"besides…"

"Compile all the progress into a booklet and hand it over to Comrade Xu Changhe for information."

"that's all."

The call was disconnected.

But the expressions on the faces of the standing committee members in the meeting room were all complicated. They looked at each other, and finally their gazes settled on Lin Zhiyuan.

Does this mean that Lin Zhiyuan has been given control, or is it simply a matter of letting him hold onto his assets?