Qi Tongwei knew there was definitely shady dealing behind this, and a trap had certainly been set to ensnare everyone.
If they simply followed standard investigative procedures, nothing would likely come of it—or the issues wouldn't seem very significant, and the process would drag on for a long time.
However, by bringing the matter out into the open and taking personal responsibility as a cadre to file petitions or lawsuits, Qi Tongwei could ensure the issue gained traction.
This was not yet a later era; a citizen suing an official was bound to cause a sensation, and when that happened, the people behind the scenes would surely not be able to sit still.
While the procedures might technically comply with the rules, the world was not short of clever minds. Once the matter was made public, those people would grow cautious; they at least wouldn't dare carry out their dirty dealings under the sunlight—for now, caution would prevail.
Qi Tongwei’s speech at Shitou Village spread like wildfire across the entire Qingping Town.
The Party committee meeting was coming up immediately, and the commotion Qi Tongwei had just made sent a very bad signal. It was a clear expression of dissent against the handling methods of the existing Qingping government.
At the Party committee meeting, Qi Tongwei only had his own vote—one out of five members. Especially that Chen Jian, who was clearly a lackey and impossible to win over, while the current top leader held an absolute advantage in the local political ecosystem.
Therefore, Qi Tongwei kept gathering information, solely to unearth flaws on these people so he could secure some initiative at the Standing Committee meeting.
Still, Qi Tongwei wanted to try and win over the youngest cadre among them. In his eyes, young cadres generally still possessed a bit of a sense of justice, unlike those slick old foxes who had spent decades mastering evasion...
Wu Chengxing, a member of the town Party committee and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission. Qi Tongwei sat directly across from this man in his early thirties.
Reaching this position at such age meant he was definitely no ordinary person—at least within Jinshan...
Yet Wu Chengxing’s words immediately lowered the temperature for Qi Tongwei.
"Mayor Qi, I know what you're talking about, but the reform of collective enterprises doesn't stipulate that relevant cadres are barred from participating. Besides, the equipment was provided by Mayor Chen’s nephew; since it’s a distant relative, we can’t just assume there was a power-for-profit exchange."
"And as for what Mayor Qi said about the sales channels being cut off, it might not be due to anyone pulling strings; it could very well be because the bricks they make are genuinely poor in quality."
Wu Chengxing was about to be transferred soon, and he had no desire to stir up complications right before his departure. For him right now, doing nothing was better than taking action. He could easily sit on the fence, wait for the dust to settle, and then write a report to the county Party committee. There was no need to kick a hornet's nest alongside Qi Tongwei.
Hearing this, Qi Tongwei realized he couldn't judge solely by age anymore; while old foxes were numerous, young foxes were hardly scarce either.
Qi Tongwei said: "Secretary Wu, this matter is not just a simple problem. It concerns the livelihoods of over a hundred families in Shitou Village, and it also represents the survival of Qingping's sole collective enterprise."
"Taking everything into account, we cannot afford to be careless. If the county Party committee learns that we couldn't even protect a single enterprise, I shudder to think how they would view Qingping's leadership team."
Wu Chengxing lacked Qi Tongwei's conscience and merely replied: "I haven't heard that this brickyard is going bankrupt! It’s nothing more than a change in ownership nature. Mayor Qi, you're an educated person—you know the 'big communal pot' model can't achieve anything. Enterprises must participate in market competition. Besides, Secretary Wang's instructions certainly have the backing of the county Party committee!"
Wu Chengxing’s words carried a subtext: Wang Kang had backing from above.
Wu Chengxing added: "So, Mayor Qi, you and I don't need to worry over nothing."
Wu Chengxing continued: "Mayor Qi, you're so young and already hold a substantive section-chief rank. Just do your job steadily for two years, and once no major issues arise, you'll be due for a promotion. Why insist on wading into muddy waters?"
Qi Tongwei listened to what sounded like heartfelt advice, but it was actually full of high-sounding platitudes.
Could Qi Tongwei simply walk away unscathed now? His predecessor had been transferred precisely because of this matter—did anyone expect him to get a good outcome?
If the brickyard were truly failing due to poor management, Qi Tongwei might not have pursued the matter so seriously. But this was clearly a set-up—a scheme targeting collective assets. Everyone knew it, yet no one dared to pierce the veil...
Qi Tongwei looked sternly at Wu Chengxing and said: "If an official cannot do something for the common people of their jurisdiction, I, Qi Tongwei, would rather not be an official at all. The tide of reform and opening up is surging forward, and everyone is crossing the river by feeling the stones."
"In other places, reform changes with each passing day, but Qingping remains stuck in the same place. Can the government absolve itself of blame for this? Shouldn't Qingping's Party and government leadership team make some changes?"
Wu Chengxing's face remained unmoved. Nearly a decade in the bureaucratic system had forged him into a standard political animal. Concepts like emotional resonance were useless trash in his eyes.
Wu Chengxing stated: "Mayor Qi, this is your affair, or perhaps it's a matter for the county Party committee. I am in charge of discipline; these administrative matters fall outside my purview."
Watching Wu Chengxing's expression remain utterly devoid of ripples—showing not a hint of emotional fluctuation—made Qi Tongwei understand the difference between grassroots politics and municipal party offices.
Slogans and sentiment alone could not sway these seasoned bureaucrats!
Qi Tongwei had received a solid lesson, but he refused to believe that people could be entirely devoid of human feeling or utterly lacking in awareness of their own responsibilities.
He hadn't expected to achieve much from today's visit anyway; it was primarily to test the waters—and ideally, to awaken whatever meager conscience the man had left.
Judging by Wu Chengxing's rhetoric, Qi Tongwei roughly understood what the man wanted: to hover outside the political struggles, quietly pave the way for his resume, and eventually step upward directly on the strength of a grassroots tenure.
How could Qi Tongwei let him get his way? If they were going down, they would go down together; nobody would escape, and at worst, everyone would share the political stain.
However, since Wu Chengxing had refused to take a stand, it proved he wouldn't side with Wang Kang either. Instead, he would help whichever side held the advantage—colloquially known as a "reed in the wind."
Yet being a reed in the wind required a solid personal background; otherwise, no one would help you... and you would be completely ostracized from the system!
With this thought, Qi Tongwei exchanged a few polite formalities and finally left behind a parting remark: "Secretary Wu, if you try to sit out the storm in a quiet corner, how can you ensure your own safety?"
Wu Chengxing never expected Qi Tongwei to drop such a line...
After leaving, Qi Tongwei wanted to talk with several other individuals, but one after another, they gave him no definitive answers. Some had already openly taken sides, and a few village party secretaries even dared to show disrespect to Qi Tongwei.
Only then did Qi Tongwei realize just how deeply rooted Wang Kang's influence in Qingping was. Trying to dismantle it overnight was clearly no simple task.
At that moment, Qi Tongwei decided to adopt a different approach...
At the Qingping Town Party Committee Meeting:
Wang Kang sat at the head of the table. Qi Tongwei sat on his left, followed in order by Aidan, Wu Chengxing, and Chen Jian.
These five presided over the entire meeting!
However, Qi Tongwei had expanded the attendee list, so a large group of people were also present.
Participants included: Li Lei, Pei Guoxiang, Zhang Qun, Shi Debin, Song Daozhi, Li Guojia, Sun Baoqing, Wu Hao, Sun Shifei, and Zhang Hongshan, along with several village party branch secretaries from the larger villages.
The most powerful figures in all of Qingping were gathered at this meeting, even if their administrative ranks weren't particularly high. Yet within the borders of Qingping, their words still carried weight.
Wang Kang glanced around at the crowd and said: "In strict accordance with the spirit of higher-level documents, and combined with our town's actual conditions, this meeting is held to earnestly implement and strengthen the working meeting system for our town's expanded Party committee, strictly enforce the 'Three Major and One Important' collective decision-making system, and improve both our scientific decision-making level and meeting quality. Let us proceed to a vote!"
First, Mayor of Qingping Town and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Comrade Qi Tongwei, will present the agenda for this meeting.
Qi Tongwei looked at the gathering, cleared his throat, and said: "This meeting has three agenda items arranged: first, the restructuring of the Shitou Village brickyard; second, the voting on matters concerning resident village secretaries and related personnel; and finally, Party-building work for the next quarter!"
Hearing Qi Tongwei's words, the attendees exchanged sidelong glances, casting inevitable extra looks at the newcomers attending this meeting: Wu Hao and Zhang Hongshan.
Wu Chengxing also glanced at Qi Tongwei, surprised that this young man was so persistent!
Wang Kang, however, was entirely unruffled. Most of the people present were his men; he refused to believe Qi Tongwei could flip the table today. Besides, he hadn't interacted much with Qi Tongwei lately, having spent the past few days running back and forth at the county seat.
Today could be considered his first direct showdown with Qi Tongwei.