"Feng Yuxing has only been promoted to deputy director for a little over a year. According to the principles of cadre appointment, if he wants to be promoted to full director, he really needs approval from above. If it were to be voted on by our Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, it probably wouldn't pass!"
Zhang Ge knew that what Qiao Guping said was not groundless. He must have heard from his superiors, otherwise he would not have mentioned it to him like this.
"We need to vacate a position at the provincial level right now, which isn't easy, so we need to discuss it first! If there's a suitable one, we can discuss it with the governor first! Because if, as I said, the higher-ups throw the job to us again, we'll be in a difficult position!"
Qiao Guping spoke at a moderate pace and in a calm tone, as if everything was under control. He knew that there was still plenty of time to reassign Feng and Xing's positions, and there was no need to rush.
However, since Organization Minister Zhang Ge is here, let's talk to him first. This way, we can also make some preparations for how to assign positions to Feng and Xing.
Just when Zhang Ge wanted to express his suggestions, Vice Governor Xia Liwan arrived.
The originally calm face of Provincial Party Secretary Qiao Guping suddenly showed a hint of displeasure and a slightly frowned brow.
Suddenly, this melancholy was gone in a flash, like a breeze blowing across the lake, leaving slight ripples before disappearing without a trace.
"Comrade Liwan, you're here! Sit down!" Qiao Guping's expression was calm, and his tone of voice was also calm.
"Thank you, Secretary!" Xia Liwan said and sat down.
"Secretary, Comrade Li Wan, you have something to discuss, I'll take my leave first!" Zhang Ge said and left Qiao Guping's office.
"Comrade Li Wan, I heard that you came to see me many times in the past two days. Is there something wrong?"
Qiao Guping's tone was still calm when he spoke, but he didn't want to talk too much with Xia Liwan, and he basically guessed Xia Liwan's intention.
Xia Liwan didn't notice any details of Qiao Guping's behavior and started complaining as soon as he opened his mouth.
"Secretary, people from the Jing and Ba families keep coming to me every few days to complain about Feng Yuxing. It's such a headache!"
Xia Liwan's face looks miserable, and I don't know if he is pretending or really looks miserable.
As soon as he opened his mouth, he confirmed Qiao Guping and Zhang Ge's guesses just now. There was nothing new about it!
"Oh! What did the Jing and Ba families say? We have dismissed Feng and Xing from their positions, but they are still not satisfied?" Qiao Guping asked knowingly and was also trying to appease Xia Liwan.
"They have two main points of appeal. One is that Feng Yuxing broke the legs of Jing Wenyong and Ba Weiqing, and they demanded an explanation.
Secondly, Feng Yuxing recently flew a fighter jet at an extremely low altitude over the rooftops of their two houses, so they must also give an explanation for the damage to their property.
When Xia Liwan said this, his expression was one of being forced, but the literal meaning was that he agreed with the demands of the Jingba and Ba families.
Qiao Guping was very dissatisfied with Xia Liwan's handling of the matter.
In the face of the relentless pressure from the Jing and Ba families, he should have simply rejected them; Xia Liwan also came to him. To put it nicely, he was reporting the people's demands to his superiors, and to put it bluntly, he was asking the provincial party secretary for an explanation on behalf of the Jing and Ba families.
Qiao Guping was very disappointed with Xia Liwan, but his expression remained calm, maintaining his previous version. "Comrade Liwan, what about the governor's opinion? What do you think?"
In matters like this, the governor is the primary person responsible and it is a government matter.
"The governor meant to ask me to come and seek your opinion, Secretary. Although I have been removed from my post, I have not been expelled. I am still a deputy-department-level official!" Xia Liwan seemed to have come to ask questions to the Provincial Party Committee Secretary Qiao Guping, rather than to report the situation.
Qiao Guping thought to himself, "How can a man who has been in politics for decades, and is already a provincial-level official, have such low awareness and compromise with these big families in the provincial capital? It seems that he can no longer hold the concurrent position of Police Chief!"
He looked at Xia Liwan, "Comrade Liwan, you and Comrade Xing's sister were knocked out and then sent to the development zone. How is the follow-up investigation of this case going?
Comrade Yuxing is a deputy-department-level cadre. If his family is targeted because of his work, then this is a serious matter!"
Qiao Guping seemed to be changing the subject, but he was not really changing the subject. Instead, he was reminding, or warning, the Jing and Ba families not to push their boundaries.
"Secretary, hasn't the case of Feng Yuxing's sister being drugged and kidnapped been determined? This was a case of three young men who were tempted by her beauty!" Xia Liwan said embarrassedly.
He was very surprised by what Qiao Guping, the provincial party secretary, said. Last time, under pressure from Yancheng, he compromised and dismissed Feng Yuxing. Why did he bring up the source of the conflict between Feng Yuxing and Jingba again?
Qiao Guping's face remained calm and indifferent. He glanced at Xia Liwan.
"Do you really think that we, the Yinhai police, can fool the higher-ups with those confession records? Even I, who's not good at criminal investigation, don't believe it. Do you think the police department will believe it?"
His words were equivalent to expressing his attitude. He supported Feng Yuxing in the matter of Feng Yuxing's sister being bewitched. It was also a warning to Xia Liwan, which was a final reminder to put himself in the right position.
Xia Liwan is also the provincial public security chief. In the past two or three years, the effect of his inaction has become increasingly obvious. A public security chief, instead of trying every possible way to investigate, collect evidence, and get to the bottom of the matter, is instead being chased around by these big families in the provincial capital.
In the past, Qiao Guping was wary of the big families in Yinhai Provincial Capital. After all, some families had close ties with Yancheng, so he had to be cautious.
Now Feng Yuxing has the promise, or support, of Police Minister Lang Yujing and Deputy Chu of the Ministry of National Security. He no longer needs to be influenced by the big families in the provincial capital.
Xia Liwan was also shocked by Qiao Guping's words.
Although Qiao Guping's words just now were spoken in a flat tone, the context contained in them was very sharp, like a sharp sword slowly piercing the heart.
This was a stark contrast to his usual cautious style, as if he had become a completely different person. This sudden change surprised and puzzled Charlevoix.
"If we reopen the investigation into Feng Yuxing's sister being drugged, I'm afraid the reaction from the big families in the provincial capital will be even more intense. Will our provincial party committee and government be put in a difficult position then?"
Xia Liwan seemed a little unwilling, or perhaps he really wanted to escalate the situation that had been finally settled by these big families.
"If our cadres are really wronged and we can't even provide them with protection, then what's the point of the existence of our highest institution in the Hidden Sea?" Qiao Guping was, after all, a high-ranking official and was able to control his emotions, but he was already furious in his heart.
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