Nominal: The Handong Game, the Energy System's Counterattack

After the first Standing Committee meeting concluded, the entire management of Handong was filled with unease due to the news that had been circulating.

The appointment and removal procedures for 125 officials at the bureau level or above have been frozen, requiring the Organization Department and the Discipline Inspection Commission to re-examine and verify the procedures and restart the process.

Many high-ranking officials on this list felt as if the sky had fallen when they heard the news.

Many elderly comrades who are nearing the end of their lives have taken leave, and many have even been hospitalized.

Many departments are experiencing operational problems, and there's no one to sign off on projects.

However, no one dared to speak out at this time.

Later, news broke that the director of the Jingzhou Public Security Bureau had been detained.

Lu Yike, the director of the First Investigation Division of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Provincial Procuratorate, along with other members of the division, were suspended from their duties and placed under investigation by the Discipline Inspection Commission.

In addition, there were reports from the aftermath meeting of the 116 Incident in Jingzhou City.

This silenced the entire cadre ranks in Jingzhou and even the whole of Handong, causing them to quietly suppress their thoughts.

As the saying goes, "A new broom sweeps clean," and everyone knows that the new provincial party secretary will make some moves.

But the fire at this first Standing Committee meeting was just too big.

From the information that has been released, it is clear to anyone with eyes to see that the new Secretary Sha is cracking down on the two biggest power groups in Handong.

Now everyone's eyes are on Gao Yuliang and Li Dakang.

Did the two of them bow down to the new class monitor, or...?

Among them, Qi Tongwei was the most panicked upon receiving the news.

The news spread, and the new provincial party secretary even brought up his story of hoeing the fields to make fun of him.

Li Dakang criticized him for crying at the grave during the Standing Committee meeting, and the blame for the mass incident at Dafeng Factory was also thrown on him.

It's fair to say that Qi Tongwei's reputation is utterly ruined within the entire circle of Standing Committee members and senior officials.

Given the current situation, his position as a deputy provincial-level official is virtually nonexistent.

It was nearly 10 p.m. when Gao Yuliang returned to his villa.

As soon as he got back, he lay exhausted on the sofa.

"Why are you so late today, and so tired?" Wu Huifen asked Gao Yuliang as she sat down with her coffee.

"This new Secretary Sha is not to be underestimated," Gao Yuliang said with his eyes closed, his voice filled with deep weariness.

He knew what the Discipline Inspection Commission was doing today; he was sitting next to Tian Guofu, listening to his orders.

This Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Tian Guofu underestimated Gao Yuliang. He held him back from leaving, as if he was afraid Gao Yuliang would tip him off? What a despicable person.

"He invited Chen Yanshi over and gave us a lesson."

"Talk about history, tradition, and spirit."

"In short, they subtly negated the current political environment in Handong and severely criticized the current state of the cadre team in Handong."

"Isn't this what was expected?" Wu Huifen seemed quite relaxed about it. "Isn't this how it always is when a new broom sweeps clean?"

"But I didn't expect that all 125 officials at the bureau level or above would be frozen at once."

"Looks like something big is about to happen," Gao Yuliang sighed. "I'm afraid we won't be able to live like this anymore."

"Hmph, it's better this way, it's better this way." Wu Huifen's tone seemed to carry a hint of resentment. "Handong should have been thoroughly cleaned up a long time ago, it's outrageous."

"Hehe..." Wu Huifen laughed with a hint of sarcasm when she heard Lao Gao's words.

They are the beneficiaries of the old system in Handong, and now they say it should have been rectified long ago?

When Zhao Lichun was in power, why didn't you, Gao Yuliang, talk about rectification? After all, you were the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee and the secretary of the political and legal affairs commission; you must have had the power to make changes.

Gao Yuliang looked at Wu Huifen, his old face growing warmer. He knew why Wu Huifen would say that, so he didn't respond.

"Secretary Sha's actions, though unexpected, were also reasonable." Gao Yuliang sat up and wiped his glasses.

"The people I can't understand the most are Governor Liu and that new Standing Committee member, Vice Governor Zhou Chuyi."

"Governor Liu? Isn't he going to retire? He didn't express any opinions at the previous Standing Committee meetings."

Upon hearing Gao Yuliang's words, Wu Huifen asked rather cautiously.

"Yes, everyone knows he's retiring."

Gao Yuliang put on his glasses and looked out the window. "But today's Standing Committee meeting reminds me of Governor Liu when he first came to Handong."

"Such a change?" Wu Huifen was also astonished. "You mean, it's related to the new vice governor?"

"I do have this suspicion." Gao Yuliang seemed somewhat unsure about the current situation. "Otherwise, there's no way to explain Governor Liu's changes over this period of time."

"Governor Liu's son went to work in a ministry, the very same ministry that Governor Zhou used to work in."

"Is Governor Liu free from worries?" Wu Huifen asked.

Gao Yuliang nodded. "The key is Governor Zhou's background."

"Background? Is there anything special about it?" Wu Huifen asked.

"A pride of the energy sector, Minister Sun's son-in-law, a former outstanding county party secretary, whose father is still in that seemingly peripheral but actually very powerful department."

"Zhou?" Wu Huifen thought for a long time, but couldn't figure out which leader it was.

"Don't even think about it, Zhou Zhenhua, the deputy director of the safety production committee under the institute." Gao Yuliang sighed.

"In the official information released to the public, there has always been a downplaying of his father's information, and I only learned about it later."

"After 08, this department has received more and more attention."

Upon hearing this, Wu Huifen opened her mouth wide, but didn't know what to say.

"You mean, Governor Liu is paving the way for him? Preparing..." Wu Huifen suddenly realized something, "No, his age."

"That's exactly what I don't understand." Gao Yuliang knew what Wu Huifen was referring to. "He's only forty-two years old and just became a vice-minister."

"Even if it's just paving roads, this is too early. We should focus on achieving more political accomplishments."

"However, they jumped out at the first meeting of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, and it can be said that they secretly swayed the situation of the meeting in cooperation with Governor Liu..."

"It's clear that Governor Liu and his colleagues have some respect for the new provincial party secretary, but not much."

"For me, and for Li Dakang..."

Gao Yuliang didn't want to say that Governor Liu and Zhou Chuyi didn't seem to like them very much either.

"What exactly is their purpose?"

......

Qi Tongwei, who was extremely anxious due to the various news reports, barely slept all night.

He rushed to Gao Yuliang's office early the next morning.

Pushing open the door, Qi Tongwei saw Gao Yuliang sitting behind his desk, a pile of documents spread out in front of him, his glasses off and placed on the table, rubbing his temples.

Hearing footsteps, Gao Yuliang looked up and his gaze fell on Qi Tongwei's face.

"close the door."

Qi Tongwei closed the door as instructed and sat down opposite Gao Yuliang.

The atmosphere in the office was heavy, with the air filled with the mixed smells of strong tea and tobacco.

Qi Tongwei noticed that there were cigarette butts in Gao Yuliang's ashtray, indicating that the situation was more serious than he had thought.

However, he didn't think too much about it. He looked around and lowered his voice.

"Teacher, is this new Secretary Sha planning to create another Shajiabang?"

Qi Tongwei was very clever; he could make his own guesses based on the information he received, even if others couldn't see it.

"What Shajiabang? What are you talking about?" Gao Yuliang almost choked on Qi Tongwei's first words and frowned as he looked at Qi Tongwei.

"Teacher, please don't hide it from me anymore. I know everything that happened at the Standing Committee meeting."

"None of these cadres have been touched; they've all been frozen out by this new provincial party secretary," Qi Tongwei said somewhat resentfully.

"You're quite well-informed." Gao Yuliang pursed his lips and leaned back, not knowing whether to be angry or laugh at Qi Tongwei.

I don't know whether to call him smart or stupid. He didn't do anything with the rat poison, yet he claimed that the other party was trying to sabotage Shajiabang.

"Teacher, I want to thank you. Under such circumstances, you stood up for me despite the immense pressure you faced."

"Teacher, isn't Secretary Dakang going too far?"

"I'm usually very careful and attentive to his expression; I practically treat him like my own father."

"He actually pulled this trick on us behind our backs..."

"Stop talking!" Gao Yuliang interrupted Qi Tongwei directly. "You think I haven't lost face enough already?"