Title: Reborn Qi Tongwei, who defies fate by half a move and refuses to kneel

Chapter 138 Earthquake in Officialdom! Whose hands are dirty?

The air in the conference room felt heavy, as if it were filled with lead, making it hard to breathe.

Dozens of eyes were fixed on the young man on the right side of the podium. He was too young; among a group of gray-haired, pot-bellied veteran officials, he looked like a lone wolf that had stumbled into a pig farm, exuding a chilling, bloodthirsty aura.

Zhou Zheng was called out by name, and it felt like he had a nail in his buttocks, so he had to stand up shakily.

"Director Qi... Director Qi is really joking." Zhou Zhengqian laughed twice, the fat on his face twitching with the twitching of his muscles. His smile was more like a grimace. "The heating in this conference room is too strong, and with my health... high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar, I'm a bit weak and sweaty."

"Illegible?"

Qi Tongwei tapped his fingers lightly on the black notebook, making a "tap, tap" sound, each tap sounding like a blow to Zhou Zheng's skull.

"I think you're guilty."

Qi Tongwei showed Zhou Zheng absolutely no respect, not even glancing at him. His gaze was fixed on the notebook in his hand, and his tone was as flat as if he were reading a menu:

"In Heishi Township, Yantai City, a special grant of 2.4 million yuan was applied for last year for the 'High Mountain Ecological Black Pig Breeding Demonstration Base'. The acceptance report stated: Six modern pigsties were built, with 500 black pigs in stock, benefiting 120 impoverished households, with an average increase in income of 3,000 yuan per household."

Sweat dripped down Zhou Zheng's forehead and onto his tie, but he dared not wipe it away. He could only nod stiffly and say, "Yes... there is such a project. It's a key poverty alleviation project in the city. I even went to cut the ribbon myself."

"A ribbon-cutting ceremony?" Qi Tongwei's lips curled into a mocking smile. He suddenly looked up, and the cold glint in his eyes made Zhou Zheng's knees buckle. "When you went to cut the ribbon, did you see any pigs?"

"I...I see them," Zhou Zheng stammered. "A dark mass, and they're quite burly."

"Snapped!"

Qi Tongwei grabbed a few photos in front of him and threw them out. The photos fluttered down like white snowflakes, landing on the front row of the conference table, with a few sliding right to Zhou Zheng's feet.

"Open your dog eyes and look!" Qi Tongwei's voice suddenly rose, echoing in the empty conference room. "This is what I took on site yesterday! Apart from two dilapidated brick houses without even roofs, the rest is all overgrown with weeds! That twelve million yuan in funding only resulted in two piles of broken bricks?"

Zhou Zheng looked down and the desolate scene in the photo made his vision go black.

"As for those pigs you saw," Qi Tongwei leaned back in his chair, took out a cigarette from his pocket, and lit it with a "click," regardless of the occasion.

Blue smoke rose, blurring his angular face.

"That pig was borrowed by Ma Dapao from the meat processing plant in the next county! It cost 20,000 yuan a day just to accommodate your arrival, Secretary Zhou! You've barely left after the ribbon-cutting ceremony when the pigs are dragged back to be slaughtered! You, Secretary Zhou, are having a great time cutting the ribbon, but the people are cursing you behind your back!"

The meeting room was completely silent.

Zhou Zheng's mouth was agape, like a duck whose neck had been choked, unable to utter a single word.

"This...this might be due to a deviation in implementation at the grassroots level..." A vice mayor sitting in the second row tried to smooth things over. He adjusted his glasses and looked distressed. "Director Qi, you don't know the full story. Grassroots work is complex, and some village cadres are not of high quality. They deceive their superiors and cover up the truth. Our municipal party committee was also misled."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Zhou Zheng nodded frantically, as if grasping at a straw. "We've been deceived! I'll definitely investigate thoroughly when I get back! I'll arrest Ma Dapao, this black sheep, as a prime example!"

"Being misled?"

Qi Tongwei exhaled a smoke ring, looking at the vice mayor who had spoken with a playful expression. "You're the vice mayor of Yantai in charge of poverty alleviation, right? What's your name again? Wang... Wang Youcai?"

"Yes, yes, I am Wang Youcai." The deputy mayor hurriedly nodded and bowed.

"Vice Mayor Wang is truly talented." Qi Tongwei flipped to another page of the notebook. "This account is recorded clearly. That non-existent breeding farm in Heishi Township also has to pay 300,000 yuan annually to Vice Mayor Wang's sister-in-law to open a consulting company as a 'technical guidance fee'."

"Are you being misled too? Are you blind, or do you think your sister-in-law is a goddess who can instruct pig farmers on how to raise pigs?"

Wang Youcai's face instantly turned liver-colored, and he slumped back into his chair, trembling like a leaf.

"And you, Mayor Li of Lincheng City." Qi Tongwei had no intention of letting anyone off the hook. He immediately turned his gun on them. "Your city's '10,000-mu tea garden' project—all the saplings died, and you just stuck a few plastic signs on the wasteland. And you dare to report an acceptance area of ​​3,000 mu?"

That was a special fund of five million! Where did the money go? Did it turn into your son's sports car abroad?

"Luzhou's..."

"Below Jingzhou..."

Qi Tongwei was like a judge holding a book of life and death, pointing out a name and throwing out a piece of evidence. Each piece of evidence was like a resounding slap in the face of these usually high and mighty officials.

Within just ten minutes, a number of people in the conference room had collapsed.

Some people clutched their chests, searching for nitroglycerin pills; some lowered their heads, too afraid to look up; some looked ashen-faced; and some had even begun to secretly wipe away tears.

This is not a meeting.

This is a public execution.

"That's enough!"

Just as Qi Tongwei was about to call out the next name, an elderly man who had been resting with his eyes closed suddenly slammed his hand on the table in the middle of the first row.

The moment this person spoke, the previously chaotic meeting room calmed down a bit.

That was Qian Guodong, the executive vice governor. A veteran of the Handong officialdom, with protégés and former subordinates all over the province. He was a member of the provincial party committee standing committee during Zhao Lichun's era, and even Sha Ruijin now treats him with deference.

Qian Guodong slowly opened his eyes, his gaze cloudy yet carrying an air of authority born of someone long accustomed to a high position. He didn't look at Qi Tongwei, but instead looked at Sha Ruijin, who sat silently in the middle.

"Secretary Sha, isn't this meeting a bit off-topic?"

Qian Guodong spoke in a low voice, slowly but deliberately, emphasizing each word: "We're here to hold a rally, to boost morale, not to criticize or denounce. I understand that Comrade Qi Tongwei is young and impetuous and can't tolerate any wrongdoing. However, we must pay attention to our methods and approaches in our work."

As he spoke, he turned his head and looked at Qi Tongwei with the gaze of an elder lecturing a younger person.

"Tongwei, you used to be on the police front, used to seeing things in black and white, used to arresting and interrogating people. But administrative work isn't about solving cases, you can't do it that way. Although these comrades have made mistakes in their work, most of them have good intentions and their own difficulties."

Handong is such a large area with so many historical problems; it's a mess that's accumulated over decades. You can't expect them to magically transform things overnight.

Qian Guodong picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and slowly took a sip.

"The way you're doing this has scared everyone half to death. Who will dare to work in the future? Who will dare to take responsibility?"

If everyone stops working and just lies around doing nothing, who will manage the economy of Handong? Who will maintain social stability?

The investment environment in our province is already tense. If foreign investors see the cutthroat competition and chaos we're creating internally, will they dare to invest? If the funds leave, won't it be the ordinary people who suffer the losses?

These words were spoken flawlessly.

They both flaunted their seniority and labeled them.

They've elevated the investigation of corruption to the level of "damaging economic development" and "undermining social stability."

In officialdom, this is a typical example of "Tai Chi pushing hands," using the overall situation to overwhelm specific issues.

The mayors and secretaries who were trembling just moments ago have now recovered and are casting grateful glances at Qian Guodong.

Old ginger is spicier!

As long as the waters are muddied and the responsibility is shifted to "historical reasons" and "systemic difficulties," then even if the stick is used to punish someone, it will only be raised high and then gently brought down.

Sha Ruijin remained silent, twirling his pen in his hand, his eyes darting back and forth between Qian Guodong and Qi Tongwei. He was waiting. Waiting for Qi Tongwei's reaction.

Qi Tongwei smiled.

He shoved the cigarette butt into the ashtray and crushed it out forcefully until the embers were completely extinguished.

"Vice Governor Qian is right." Qi Tongwei stood up, straightened the hem of his police uniform, and said, "I, Qi Tongwei, am a rough man. I don't understand your Tai Chi. I only understand one principle."

He walked around the table to the edge of the platform and looked down at Qian Guodong.

"You just mentioned stability? And foreign investment?"

Qi Tongwei's voice wasn't loud, but it was as cold as ice shards. "I'd like to ask Vice Governor Qian, where does a place's credibility and investment environment come from? A place that dares to embezzle even the money meant for ordinary people's food, a government that dares to steal even the money meant for buying coal briquettes for elderly people living alone?"

"Foreign investors aren't fools! They come to invest because they value the rule of law and fairness, not because they want you parasites to turn black into white!"

"As for stability..."

Qi Tongwei suddenly roared, the sound so loud it made the microphone whistle sharply, "Whose stability is that? Is it the stability of your official hats? Or the stability at your dinner tables? Ordinary people can't even hold onto their rice bowls, they're starving to death, they're being forced to petition the higher authorities, what kind of stability is this?!"

"Is the old farmer in Heishi Township, who has lung cancer but still works in the fields, stable? Are the children in Wangjiaba, who run barefoot in the dead of winter, stable?"

Qi Tongwei pointed at Qian Guodong's nose, his finger like a loaded gun.

"Vice Governor Qian, let me tell you something. In my dictionary, Qi Tongwei's rice bowl is the most important political issue! If ordinary people can't survive, I don't care if you're a vice governor or some kind of emperor, I'll flip your table!"

Qian Guodong was so angry that his beard trembled, his face turned deathly pale, and his finger pointing at Qi Tongwei was shaking: "You...you're acting like a bandit! You're completely disorganized and undisciplined! Secretary Sha, look at him! He's utterly lawless!"

"I think Comrade Qi Tongwei said it very well."

Sha Ruijin, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.

He put down his pen, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable force.

"What is the cornerstone of our Party's governance? It is the people. If the cornerstone is rotten, no matter how beautiful the building on top is, it is a dangerous building that will collapse sooner or later."

Sha Ruijin turned to look at Qi Tongwei, a hint of admiration in his eyes: "Comrade Tongwei, your proposal can be announced now."

With the provincial party secretary's endorsement, Qian Guodong was completely silenced, slumped in his chair like a deflated balloon.

Qi Tongwei nodded, turned around and returned to his seat, picking up the red-headed document that had been prepared beforehand.

"I hereby declare."

Qi Tongwei's voice regained its cold, mechanical quality, each word sounding like a judgment.

"Effective immediately, the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government have jointly established a 'Special Inspection Team for Corruption and Misconduct in the Poverty Alleviation Field Across the Province.' I, Qi Tongwei, will personally serve as the team leader, and Secretary Tian Guofu of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection will serve as the deputy team leader."

The audience erupted in uproar.

The head of the Public Security Bureau is in charge, with the secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission assisting? This isn't inspection; it's a massacre!

"The inspection team will not only check the accounts, but also visit households. I want to see who actually received every penny of poverty alleviation funds. I want to see what benefits every project has produced."

"in addition."

Qi Tongwei paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the entire room as if he were looking at a group of dead people.

"To prevent anyone from shirking responsibility and having 'temporary workers' take the blame, this inspection will implement a 'joint liability system'."

"Collective punishment?"

The moment those two words were uttered, the meeting room erupted in chaos again. These were words from the feudal era; how could they be used in modern times?

"That's right, it's collective punishment."

Qi Tongwei sneered, "In any township where problems are found, the township head and those found guilty of corruption will be dismissed on the spot and handed over to the judiciary. The deputy county head in charge of the township and the director of the county poverty alleviation office will also be held accountable and suspended from their duties for investigation! In any county where problems are found, the county party secretary and county head will also bear joint responsibility if they cannot provide a reasonable explanation, will receive a major demerit, and will be demoted!"

"As for the city level..."

Qi Tongwei's gaze fell on Zhou Zheng and Wang Youcai.

"If systemic corruption occurs in more than two counties within a city, the city's Party Secretary and Mayor will automatically submit their resignations to the Provincial Party Committee. I will recommend that the Organization Department of the Central Committee conduct a post-departure audit of you. If they find anything else, don't blame me for being ruthless."

This move is too cruel.

This is meant to bind the entire bureaucratic system together and blow it up. In the past, when something went wrong, the lower-ups would be pushed out to take the blame, and the higher-ups would at most be punished one by one, and then transferred to another place to continue their official duties.

Now, if things get hot down below, those above will be dragged down with them. This forces these mayors and secretaries to personally go down and whip their subordinates, and to actually check their own conduct.

"Too...too harsh..." someone muttered quietly.

"Don't want to do it?" Qi Tongwei's ears were sharp. "If you don't want to do it, get out now! Make room for me! The Han University clique has no shortage of people who want to be officials, and our Department of Political Science and Law has no shortage of people who can get things done!"

The moment the words "Han University Gang" are mentioned, everyone falls silent.

Who doesn't know that Qi Tongwei currently holds the resources of the Han University gang and the Zhao family's secrets in his hands? Who would dare to provoke him at this time?

The meeting lasted for a full two hours.

Apart from Qi Tongwei's roars and the sound of him reading documents, no one dared to utter a single nonsense.

It's almost over.

Qi Tongwei closed the file, and his chilling murderous aura subsided slightly, but the oppressive feeling he gave off became even stronger.

He picked up the black notebook he had brought back from the rocky platform and waved it in his hand.

"I'll keep this notebook for Secretary Zhou for now."

Zhou Zheng stared at the notebook, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets. It was his death warrant.

Qi Tongwei stood up, put on his peaked cap, and straightened his white gloves. He didn't rush to leave, but instead placed his hands on the table, leaned forward like a tiger ready to pounce, and surveyed the group of usually imposing regional officials below the stage.

"I know some of you are dissatisfied. You think I, Qi Tongwei, am conducting a rectification campaign, or that I'm persecuting people."

"You guessed right."

Qi Tongwei's lips curled into a cruel smile. "I'm going to torment people. If I don't make you suffer, the common people will suffer to death."

He raised his wrist and glanced at the military tactical watch.

"It's 11 a.m. now. I'm giving you three days."

Qi Tongwei held up three fingers.

"Three days. Go back and conduct a self-examination and rectification. Clean up your mess, return the money you embezzled, and fix those fraudulent projects. Bring your account books and a written confession to me at the Provincial Public Security Bureau. If you confess voluntarily, I may consider leniency and treat it as a surrender."

Three days later.

Qi Tongwei lowered one finger, leaving two, and made a gun gesture with them, then pointed it at the empty space below the stage.

"My inspection team will officially go down to 'help' you investigate."

"If I find any problems then, it won't be as simple as just losing my job."

"I'll show you what it means to 'defy fate by half a move.' Don't blame me, Qi Tongwei, for showing no mercy or camaraderie."

After saying that, Qi Tongwei didn't even wait for the meeting to be adjourned; he turned around and strode off the stage.

The sound of leather shoes on the wooden floor was like the sound of war drums.

As they reached the main gate, it was suddenly pulled open by two special police officers.

Outside the door stood a tall woman.

Ye Cunxin wore a well-tailored black business suit that perfectly accentuated her stunning figure. Beneath the skirt were a pair of long, beautiful legs encased in black stockings and ten-centimeter red-soled high heels, exuding both the sophistication of a modern urban woman and a wild, untamed charm.

She leaned against the door frame, holding Qi Tongwei's trench coat in her hand, watching the man walk out from inside, her eyes sparkling with undisguised infatuation and adoration.

She heard every single word spoken inside clearly from outside.

This man is domineering, arrogant, and unreasonable.

But this spirit of daring to turn against the whole world for the sake of ordinary people is fucking awesome.

"Did you enjoy it?" Ye Cunxin went up to him, draped her trench coat over Qi Tongwei's shoulders, and took his arm, pressing her whole body against him. Her full breasts pressed against Qi Tongwei's arm without any hesitation, and you could feel their amazing softness and elasticity even through his police uniform.

Qi Tongwei turned his head to look at the pretty face so close to his, the unique scent of her perfume lingering around his nose, mixed with a hint of dangerous allure.

"This is just the beginning." Qi Tongwei reached out and wrapped his arm around her slender waist, his hand gripping her firm curves tightly with a hint of punishment and possessiveness. "This appetizer isn't even enough to fill a tooth gap."

Ye Cunxin trembled at his rough movements, her face flushing crimson, her eyes becoming even more watery and dreamy. She tiptoed, her red lips close to Qi Tongwei's ear, her breath sweet as orchids:

"Then... I'll cook you a big meal when we get home? Just the two of us..."

Her voice was husky and alluring, and her small hand, which was linked with Qi Tongwei's, restlessly brushed against the inside of his thigh.

Qi Tongwei took a deep breath, suppressing the rising anger in his stomach. This was the provincial party committee building, with surveillance cameras and informants everywhere.

"Let's go to Yantai first." Qi Tongwei led her out, his steps firm and powerful. "There's still a score to settle over there."

Behind them, the huge conference room remained deathly silent. Only when Qi Tongwei's figure completely disappeared at the end of the corridor did the group of officials seem to come alive, slumping into their chairs and letting out desperate groans.

Three days.

Only three days.

This is the final countdown, the death knell of hell.