"You mean to say that this incident involves economic issues and also involves people from our provincial party committee and government?" Provincial Party Secretary Qiao Guping thought for a moment, looked at Governor Nie Liwen, and said slowly.

For teachers Weng Wenli and Luo Xiang, although there were no casualties or major property losses on the surface, the case involved economic issues, which meant the loss of government funds and the issue of cadre corruption.

In the process of information communication and transmission, if someone can unilaterally block certain information so that the provincial party committee and provincial government know nothing about it, then this means that the person who has this ability must have considerable influence and authority within the provincial party committee and provincial government.

As the provincial party secretary, Qiao Guping is a cadre who is well versed in official rules and the operation of power. He fully understands and can comprehend the profound meaning that Nie Liwen of the provincial party committee wants to convey.

In the management and appointment of cadres, although the dismissal of two teachers seems to be a personnel change within the education system, in fact, the interest disputes, educational concepts and even the political ecology in the region are closely related, and it is not a trivial matter.

Therefore, only leaders or their agents who are in high positions in the provincial party committee and government and have sufficient decision-making authority and resource control capabilities can effectively block information about this incident and thus carry out behind-the-scenes operations on subordinate units.

As an old politician, the county party secretary Zhang Qingluo was cautious. After talking with the discipline inspection committee secretary Ruan Jingzong, he went to the office of acting county mayor Feng Yuxing.

"Secretary, if you have anything to say, just give me a call and I'll come to your place. Why did you come all the way here?" Feng Yuxing looked at the county party secretary Zhang Qingluo in confusion and said with a smile, "Please sit down!"

After the two sat down, they each took a sip of tea and relaxed.

Zhang Qingluo, the county party secretary, looked at Feng Yuxing and said, "I have exchanged views with Comrade Ruan Jingzong of our county party committee's disciplinary committee. Comrade Jingzong meant that conducting disciplinary inspections on the director of education is no small matter. Should we report this to the higher authorities and hear the opinions of the municipal party committee?"

"Are you worried that the municipal party committee and government, or even more so, the provincial party committee and government, will stop you?" As soon as Feng Yu heard what Zhang Qingluo, the county party secretary, said, he understood what he meant.

"I think there's a high probability that someone from above is trying to stop it, otherwise, this matter wouldn't have been delayed for three years. You also know that if someone from above is trying to stop it, it means that our Jiaoyou County has offended the upper-level leaders..."

Zhang Qingluo spoke slowly, as if he was thinking about whether it was possible to convince Feng Yuxing to put the matter on hold for the time being and not to investigate further. He certainly wouldn't dare to ask Feng Yuxing to do so.

Feng Yuxing also understood that what Zhang Qingluo was talking about was the difficulty; otherwise, this matter would not have been delayed for over three years. He also knew that if someone from above intervened, it would mean that we in Jiaoyou County had already touched upon the interests of the higher-ups.

"Secretary, I cannot give a definite guarantee as to whether our handling of these two teachers will touch upon certain vested interest groups, thereby causing displeasure or even obstruction from above.

But I firmly believe that in this environment that emphasizes the rule of law and social justice, no one would dare to openly challenge established rules and principles of justice and do such a thing.

I have received Teacher Weng Wenli's detailed appeal materials, which have been delayed for several days. I believe the provincial party committee, provincial government, and other higher-level authorities have received the relevant information and are closely monitoring the development of this situation. Therefore, we must ascertain the truth as soon as possible.

At such a critical moment, whether it is the trial of the case or the decision-making, it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons to ensure that the decisions made are fair and in the interests of the general public.

If anyone dares to intervene at this sensitive and critical stage, disregarding national laws and party discipline, forcibly setting up obstacles, or openly resisting the normal review process, he or she may face two consequences:

First, if their behavior is serious and of a bad nature, they will be subject to severe disciplinary action in accordance with Party discipline, national laws, and relevant rules and regulations, and may even face legal liability;

If their behavior is not enough to constitute a serious violation of discipline or law, but is enough to affect the progress of the case investigation and prevent the investigation from proceeding smoothly, the organization may transfer them for the sake of the overall situation to avoid causing greater interference to the overall work.

Otherwise, our investigation will be unable to continue and will be forced to be interrupted. Because the power behind this is so great, we can no longer break through that network in a short period of time."

Feng Yuxing has also been thinking about the whole incident these days and the possible situations that may arise.

County Magistrate Zhang Qingluo frowned and his mouth trembled slightly; he had his own judgment on official affairs. No matter how reasonable Feng Yuxing's words were, Feng Yuxing was too young after all and had only been in officialdom for a short time.

"Secretary, I believe the benefits and value behind this far outweigh the potential challenges. It's worth trying, and it's worth taking the risk. If handled properly, it will not only effectively advance our current work, but will also likely lay a solid foundation for your future career."

This is because, in this process, you will undoubtedly demonstrate outstanding leadership and decision-making courage, as well as respect for the Party's principles and the ability to solve practical problems, all of which will be important factors on your path to promotion.

Of course, we must also be aware that taking risks is always accompanied by potential dangers. If not handled properly, it may indeed touch upon some difficult-to-deal-with people and trigger a series of unpredictable consequences.

However, please believe that if such a situation really occurs, I will take the corresponding responsibility."

Feng Yuxing looked at Zhang Qingluo, who was worried, in a teasing tone and added fuel to the fire.

"County magistrate, that's really too polite. We all share the same fate, and we all eat from the same pot. How can I ask you to bear the responsibility alone?" County Party Secretary Zhang Qingluo spoke righteously, but the expression on his face was more bitter than that of a businessman who had lost millions in business.

Looking at the bitter face of Zhang Qingluo, the county party secretary, Feng Yuxing said seriously:

"Secretary, we must face this problem squarely and deal with it quickly, otherwise our economic development will be deadlocked.

Next, our economic promotion will be difficult to move forward, and the collusion between officials and businessmen to siphon off government funds will continue; otherwise, they will deliberately not be able to find contractors, making it impossible to promote all projects!

If the phenomenon of collusion between officials and businessmen is not curbed, the situation will be no different from the previous one. It will be like a time bomb that may explode at any time, causing the government funds to be lost again. Our Jiaoyou County can no longer afford it.

This kind of corruption has been rampant for years, not only damaging the government's image but also hindering the development of our entire county. The fact that we're labeled a poverty-stricken county every day is clear evidence of this."