Qi Tongwei: Sign-in relationship started during student days

Chapter 1033 Political Scoundrels

Qi Tongwei was taken aback. Xia Guanglei's decisiveness caught him off guard, and he instinctively felt a sense of conspiracy.

Is this new Party Secretary really that easy to talk to?

He couldn't believe it; a sixth sense instantly triggered an alarm in his mind, and his fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edge of the telephone receiver.

Xia Guanglei was parachuted into Beishan as the municipal party secretary just over a month ago. Although the two had not had a major direct conflict on the topic of "development and environment," they had still had a heated argument.

Now, a large-scale rectification campaign has been suddenly organized, clearly indicating that his political achievements will be targeted.

But this phone call, suddenly announcing the lifting of the lockdown, seems far too casual.

Xia Guanglei seemed to realize that he had been too decisive, and his tone became deliberately serious, as if he was trying to make amends for this sudden "concession": "Ah, Comrade Tongwei, I have to give you a heads-up in advance. When it comes to pollution control, we must act quickly and efficiently. We cannot treat the lives and health of our people as a joke."

I hope to see results soon; otherwise, next time it won't be a factory shutdown, it will be arrests. Remember that.

Qi Tongwei's fingers tightened slightly as he held the receiver, still unable to fathom Xia Guanglei's true intentions. He could only reply, "Comrade Guanglei, you're absolutely right. I'll put in charge and personally address this issue."

"Alright, I'll wait for your good news."

After hanging up the phone, Qi Tongwei did not immediately call his secretary to convey the instructions. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the Beishan economic planning map hanging on the office wall, his thoughts already drifting far away.

This sudden "fake shot" left him completely baffled.

To say that Xia Guanglei wanted to establish his authority, but then reopening the factory after sealing it, seems like a half-hearted attempt; to say that the other party wanted to ruin his reputation, the factory closure was at most a work disagreement, not a "stain".

Could it be that the other side has some trump card up their sleeve?

He carefully recalled his several encounters with Xia Guanglei. Whether it was the heated debates in meetings or the open and covert attacks in private, it seemed that they were all just brief and never really tore each other apart.

Could it be that this eldest son of the Xia family is truly a "gentleman" who adheres to "political rules"?

The more Qi Tongwei thought about it, the deeper his doubts became, but his vigilance remained undiminished—in the political arena, he had seen too many schemes hidden behind the faces of "gentlemen," and the so-called "political gentlemen" were nothing but a joke.

As it turned out, Xia Guanglei was by no means a gentleman, but a villain who was well-versed in the art of "using someone else's knife to kill".

Just a few days after Qi Tongwei had the mayor's office convey the city's notice to lift the lockdown on businesses, several tabloids suddenly published untimely "voices".

These tabloids begin with words like "speculation," "rumored," and "heard," deliberately using vague language, yet accurately releasing pollution test reports for the waters near several industrial parks in Beishan.

The data is alarming, showing that some water bodies have excessive levels of heavy metals, which has even seriously affected the drinking water safety of nearby residents.

Even more absurdly, the tabloid cited "an unnamed insider" as its source and vividly described the "disagreement" between Xia Guanglei and Qi Tongwei on the issue of "development and environment".

In the article, Xia Guanglei is portrayed as a principled and people-oriented "just secretary" who argues with reason against Qi Tongwei's attitude of "prioritizing development over environmental protection" and even withstands pressure to shut down polluting enterprises.

Qi Tongwei, on the other hand, is portrayed as a "villain" who only cares about GDP and disregards the lives and health of ordinary people. He not only condones corporate pollution but also secretly obstructs Xia Guanglei's efforts to promote environmental remediation.

……

"Comrade Tongwei, what exactly are these newspapers trying to do? Huh? They're simply trying to sabotage the excellent situation in Beishan! They're maliciously... maliciously slandering the unity of our municipal party committee!" Wu Yingjie, the head of the propaganda department, held the newspaper, his tone full of righteous indignation.

After receiving Qi Tongwei's call, Wu Yingjie rushed over immediately.

Upon arriving, Qi Tongwei said nothing, but instead threw the newspaper in front of Wu Yingjie.

The newly printed newspapers, brimming with Qi Tongwei's anger, were scattered all over the ground, startling Wu Yingjie as well.

Qi Tongwei had always been a stern mayor in Beishan. He had reprimanded many officials from various districts, counties, and bureaus in Beishan before, and Wu Yingjie was actually somewhat afraid of him.

Despite the fear, we must remain steadfast in our stance.

At the very least, they need to distance themselves from the situation.

Qi Tongwei didn't notice the subtle change in Wu Yingjie's address from "Mayor Qi" to "Comrade Tongwei." His gaze remained fixed on the line in the newspaper that read, "An insider said that Mayor Qi had privately stated that 'environmental protection is secondary; development is the only hard truth.'"

He looked up at Wu Yingjie, his voice calm and undisturbed: "Minister Wu, what's your opinion on this matter?"

Wu Yingjie sat up abruptly and shouted even louder than before: "Mayor Qi, I think there are people with ulterior motives trying to sabotage our city! These people just want to disrupt our rhythm and undermine our overall development!"

My opinion is that a thorough investigation is needed! We must start from the source and absolutely not tolerate these rumor-mongers; they must be severely punished!

Qi Tongwei didn't respond to his words, but simply tapped the dark desk lightly with his knuckles. The wooden surface made a dull "thump-thump" sound, as if setting the tone for his chaotic thoughts.

"I didn't ask you how you would deal with these people. I'm asking you what your thoughts are on these articles—the issues raised in them."

"Ah, this...this..." Wu Yingjie opened his mouth, but couldn't think of a way to answer the question for a long time.

He didn't expect Qi Tongwei to push the problem onto him.

Isn't this mayor afraid that he might sabotage things and make the situation even more uncontrollable?

No, no, no.

Qi Tongwei probably doesn't want him to take the blame.

It's not impossible, really.

"Mayor Qi, I...I will follow your instructions," Wu Yingjie said cautiously.

Qi Tongwei picked up the cigarette pack on the table, slowly took out a cigarette, and gently flicked the edge of the pack with his fingertips to make the tobacco more compact. He then looked up at Wu Yingjie, his eyes carrying a hint of reminder.

"Now that this has happened, we can't just think about 'arresting people,' we have to face it squarely and confront it."

He held the cigarette between his fingers but didn't light it immediately. Instead, he continued to press, "Doesn't the publicity department have any countermeasures or public relations plans?"

He further specified: "I'm not talking about 'blocking,' but about 'dredging'—how to clarify the facts, how to explain the situation to the public, how to present our work progress so that the public can see the truth? Do we have any specific plans for these?"