Nominal: Starting with an entrance exam for a PhD in Economics at Peking University

But given his current level and access to information, those hidden matters are beyond his reach.

He was even clearer that whatever the higher-ups were planning, he only needed to do his job well.

Since there are no instructions from above, maintaining the status quo is the optimal solution at this stage.

If Hou Liangping wants to cause trouble, let him do it.

However, Yi Xuexi will not rashly expand its scope—it's easy to cause trouble and get burned.

Whether his idea was influenced by Dong Dingfang's previous remarks is a matter of opinion.

---

Office of the Provincial Party Secretary.

With a solemn expression, Tian Guofu handed a stack of documents to Sha Ruijin.

Sha Ruijin looked grave. Instead of opening the document immediately, he asked, "Is the evidence solid enough?"

"I've checked it several times, there's absolutely no problem," Tian Guofu nodded.

Sha Ruijin flipped through the documents, page by page, shaking his head and sighing as he read: "Xiao Gangyu and Liu Xinjian were both stubbornly refusing to speak, but unexpectedly, they found a breakthrough with Ouyang Jing. What a pleasant surprise."

Tian Guofu nodded, his face also showing emotion: "Yes. To go far in one's career, a qualified and principled partner is extremely important. In recent years, many officials have been dragged down by the people around them."

“This Ouyang Jing is vain, greedy, and unaware of her own problems; she has a lot of issues.”

Sha Ruijin kept flipping through the documents, then asked, "When you reported a few days ago, you said she received $800,000 from the Shanshui Group, which was deposited in a Swiss bank. How come the documents now say $1.3 million?"

Tian Guofu laughed: "She still had a glimmer of hope and concealed 500,000. But since we know she has assets overseas, we will definitely investigate to the end. This Ouyang Jing has a weak will. We don't even need to use overseas forces. With a little guidance and intimidation, she confessed everything."

To be honest, Ouyang Jing's discovery was purely accidental.

Her matter had originally been resolved.

Her bribery was systemic, and it was impossible to investigate it thoroughly.

Later, Li Dakang sold her house to pay off her debts and narrowly escaped punishment. She and her daughter Li Jiajia then waited to be transferred to the procuratorate for trial.

Later, Liu Xinjian and Xiao Gangyu were imprisoned, and the vital forces of the Discipline Inspection Commission were transferred away. In addition, Li Dakang was still in office, so the people of the Discipline Inspection Commission became a bit more polite to Ouyang Jing.

Ouyang Jing sensed this shift in the situation and begged to see her daughter.

After considering it for a moment, Tian Guofu concluded that the mother and daughter were no longer of much value and agreed.

However, out of caution, he still requested that the discipline inspection personnel accompany him throughout the process and did not allow him to meet with them alone.

The mother and daughter cried as soon as they met and talked for a long time.

Li Jiajia cried, saying she didn't want to go to jail. Ouyang Jing wiped her tears and said, "It's okay. Your dad must have sold the house to pay off your debts for his official position. As long as you return the money, he'll be treated leniently and won't serve more than a few years in jail. You're still young. When you get out, Mom will go to America with you, and we'll never come back."

Then came words of comfort between the mother and daughter.

However, the disciplinary officials who accompanied and monitored them keenly noticed a problem—both of them were big spenders and were very familiar with the capitalist society in the United States where "everything costs money," so why were they still full of confidence in their life in the United States after their release from prison?

Do you really expect Wang Dalu to support you?

Or, to put it another way—Does Ouyang Jing have hidden assets abroad?

The staff member took it to heart. On the way back to Ouyang Jing, while comforting her, he took advantage of her emotional state after seeing her daughter and suddenly asked, "Do you have any assets abroad?"

Ouyang Jing was already somewhat dazed at this point, and subconsciously answered, "Yes—"

Then she suddenly realized what she had said and quickly corrected herself: "No, no, it was before..."

But it was too late.

Knowing this, the Discipline Inspection Commission followed the clues, and the truth slowly came to light. It turned out to be a bribe given to Ouyang Jing by the Shanshui Group when they obtained a loan from the Jingzhou City Bank years ago.

Ouyang Jing kept the money hidden and didn't tell anyone—as a middle-aged woman, she couldn't completely rely on Wang Dalu; she always had to leave herself a way out.

But now, that road is completely cut off, burying her there as well.

In the office, Sha Ruijin finished reading the last page of the document, put it down, and said, "Based on the amount of loans Shanshui Group has with Jingzhou City Bank, they don't need to offer this amount of bribe. It's beyond the normal range, and the cost is too high."

Tian Guofu nodded: "I suspect that Zhao Ruilong wanted to find something to use against Li Dakang so that he could drag him down, which is why he was so generous. He just didn't have time to make a move."

"Is Li Dakang still unaware?"

"I estimate that he was genuinely unaware of the situation. Li Dakang has very low material desires, but these bribes all occurred before his divorce, making them marital property, and they are held overseas. It would be difficult for him to prove his innocence."

Sha Ruijin was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Report this to your superiors and suggest that they place him under investigation."

After all, this time, no provincial party secretary vouched for him.

Chapter 207 Double Regulation

The approval from the higher-level discipline inspection commission arrived on Wednesday afternoon.

With clear evidence, a zero-tolerance policy in place, and the fact that the Hantong Provincial Party Committee personally reported the matter, there was naturally no other possibility.

The official document, with a clear serial number and bearing the seal of the case supervision and management office of the higher-level discipline inspection commission, contained only one line: "Approval is granted to initiate an investigation into Comrade Li Dakang for suspected serious violations of discipline."

Attached was a letter of authorization, authorizing the Handong Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection to carry out the investigation and requiring that the findings be reported promptly.

Tian Guofu received the approval at four o'clock in the afternoon.

He didn't act immediately, but instead called Sha Ruijin first. Sha Ruijin was silent for a few seconds on the other end of the line, then said, "Follow the procedure."

hang up.

Tian Guofu called the Case Supervision and Management Office of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection again to confirm that there were no omissions in the procedures. Then he called the deputy secretary of the provincial discipline inspection commission, the director of the case supervision office, and the director of the trial office for a short meeting of twenty minutes.

Three things were finalized at the meeting: First, the execution time was set for tomorrow morning, to avoid upsetting others as much as possible; second, the execution personnel would be drawn from the case management office, uniformed, wearing work badges, and the entire process would be recorded; third, if Li Dakang had any health problems after the decision was announced, a medical staff member would accompany him.

After the meeting, Tian Guofu reviewed the implementation plan again and signed it on the last page.

He signed very slowly, stroke by stroke.

He was thinking that after tomorrow, the world in Handong would really change.

A deputy provincial-level standing committee member has officially fallen from grace! This means that criminal investigations are starting to reach the highest levels!

The struggle has reached a fever pitch.

Li Dakang was knocked on the door at 9:10 a.m. on Thursday.

Li Dakang sold his own house and can no longer live in the No. 1 Villa of the Municipal Party Committee. For the time being, he has been living in the Municipal Party Committee Guesthouse.

Choosing 9 a.m. was to minimize disruption while other staff were at work.

However, the effect was so-so, barely better than nothing.

Li Dakang opened the door.

Four people stood outside the door. Leading the group was the director of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection's Case Management Office, a man in his forties, wearing a dark blue jacket, with a serious expression, and holding a manila envelope. Behind him were two young cadres, also dressed in dark clothes, with body cameras clipped to their waists. At the very back was a medical worker in a white coat, carrying a first-aid kit.

In other unseen areas, there are even more staff on standby.

The head of the case management office took a step forward, but didn't enter. He simply stood outside the threshold, looking at Li Dakang, his voice not loud, but clear and distinct:

"Comrade Li Dakang, based on the reply from the higher-level discipline inspection commission, the provincial discipline inspection commission has decided to take investigative measures against you. This is the case filing notice and the investigation decision. Please cooperate."

He handed over the manila envelope. Li Dakang took it, opened it, and pulled out the documents inside, reading them page by page. The documents were official documents with clear headings, numbered precisely, formatted correctly, and each official seal was neatly affixed. He looked at the few lines of text very slowly, as if reading an official document unrelated to himself.

After reading it, he folded the document, put it back in the envelope, handed it back, and said, "I'll go with you."

-

The interrogation room is located on the innermost side of the third floor of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection's office building.

The room was small, only a dozen square meters, with white latex paint on the walls. There were no windows, only a heavy security door. A fluorescent light on the ceiling shone coldly white, illuminating the entire room without a single dark corner.

A rectangular table, two chairs, and on the table are a glass of water, a notebook, and a pen.

Tian Guofu sat down at one side of the table, a thick stack of files spread out in front of him. The chair opposite him was empty, waiting for someone to take it.

Li Dakang was brought in. He wasn't handcuffed, and he was still wearing that dark gray suit, his shirt collar buttoned up tightly, and his hair neatly combed. His expression was calm, revealing no emotional fluctuation.

Two staff members led him to a chair, where he sat down with his back straight and his hands on his knees.

The staff member left, and the door slammed shut behind him.

Only Tian Guofu and Li Dakang remained in the room.

Tian Guofu didn't rush to speak. He picked up his water glass, took a sip, put it down, then opened the file, looked through a few pages, as if confirming something. His movements were slow, as if he was giving Li Dakang time to adjust to the environment.

Li Dakang remained silent. He looked at Tian Guofu with a calm and unwavering gaze.

After about two minutes, Tian Guofu raised his head, looked at Li Dakang, and said in a calm and unhurried tone: "Comrade Li Dakang, I called you here today to ask you about some things in accordance with organizational procedures. I hope you can cooperate and explain to the organization truthfully."

Li Dakang nodded: "I will definitely cooperate."

Tian Guofu opened the case file, pulled out a document, and placed it on the table.

"Let's start with the first question. During your marriage, Comrade Ouyang Jing accepted a bribe of US$1.3 million from the Shanshui Group, which was deposited into a Swiss bank account. Were you aware of this?"

Li Dakang answered without hesitation: "I don't know."

"You are husband and wife. As her husband, don't you have any knowledge about the assets under her name?"

“Secretary Tian, ​​Ouyang Jing and I have been separated for many years.” Li Dakang’s tone was very calm, as if stating a fact. “Our marriage has long been a sham. I don’t ask her what she does, what friends she makes, or how much money she has. She doesn’t tell me either. The organization can investigate this.”

Tian Guofu didn't respond to that. He leaned back in his chair, looking at Li Dakang with a newfound scrutiny in his eyes.

“Separation?” He repeated the two words, his tone carrying a subtle implication. “Comrade Li Dakang, over the years, I’ve handled quite a few cases. There’s a type of person who, when problems arise, claims that their family members did it behind their backs. If they can’t explain it clearly, they say they’re separated, have no feelings for each other, or were going to get a divorce long ago. Some people, in order to sever ties more cleanly, even go through the divorce proceedings and have their ex-wives act as fronts to collect money while they remain clean officials.”

He paused for a moment, his tone not becoming more forceful, but every word seemed to carry weight.

"Separation is not a shield. Lack of affection is not a shield either. Legally, you are husband and wife. You are responsible for the joint property acquired during your marriage. You should be clear about this."

Li Dakang fell silent, knowing that Tian Guofu's words were not without merit.

In the disciplinary committee's case-handling logic, "lack of knowledge" is never a reason for exemption from responsibility. If you are a leading cadre and your family member has a problem, you have leadership responsibility and supervisory responsibility.

This is not a legal issue; it's a political issue.

“Secretary Tian,” he began, his voice a little hoarse, “I have something else to say. Back in Luzhou, Zhao Ruilong wanted to launch the food city project, but I didn’t approve it. Because of this, I was transferred out of Luzhou and sent to Lincheng. The old comrades in Luzhou all know about this, and I also reported it to Secretary Sha. Zhao Ruilong has always had a grudge against me. The fact that Shanshui Group gave money to Ouyang Jing was Zhao Ruilong’s conspiracy—he wanted to drag me down with him so that I would make him do things his way in the future.”

After listening, Tian Guofu did not speak immediately. He opened the case file, found a document, glanced at it, and then looked up.

“I know about the Luzhou Food City incident. I know you reported it to Secretary Sha.” His tone remained calm, but the tone shifted. “But Comrade Li Dakang—after the Food City incident, you actually got promoted. You served as the mayor of Luzhou for less than two years before being promoted to secretary of the Lincheng Municipal Party Committee. This doesn’t seem like the exile you mentioned.”

Li Dakang clenched his fists.