Chapter 50: Reflection and Exploration

Li Xiuyuan stared blankly at the message on his phone, unable to gather his wits for a long time. He had anticipated a couple of days ago that the head of the county government might be replaced, but he had never expected it to happen in such a dramatic and forceful manner.

Being taken away right in the middle of a meeting was something frequently seen in online rumors and television dramas, but rarely in real life. The reason was simple: such a method was far too aggressive, leaving no room for saving face whatsoever.

Generally speaking, even if someone was implicated in an investigation, the mildest approach was an interview under caution, summoning the person to the discipline inspection department. A slightly heavier approach would be visiting their home to take them into custody, which could help prevent the expansion of the negative impact.

At worst, they might be taken directly from their office, though that would already be considered an escalation. By the time someone was summoned to the discipline inspection commission or hauled straight from their residence, even if they survived the initial interrogation, the chances of a return were slim.

However, being taken away directly from an official meeting... that practically amounted to making an example of someone. It signaled an intention to issue a formal circular for ideological education using this textbook case as a warning. The measures were excessively severe.

Such drastic actions also carried an implicit undertone: to create a powerful deterrent effect, delivering a shock to frighten the rest.

It took Li Xiuyuan a long time to digest the news of Zheng Yun being hauled away from the meeting. He picked up his prepared draft, intending to continue revising it, but after a few attempts, he found it impossible to concentrate.

There was only half an hour left before the lunch break, yet every minute felt like excruciating torture.

After the morning shift ended, some colleagues in the general affairs section went home for lunch, others headed out for banquets, while staff members like Li Xiuyuan and Wang Zhitao walked straight to the cafeteria.

On the way to the mess hall, Li Xiuyuan lowered his voice and asked Wang Zhitao, "Brother Wang, do you have any idea what's going on here? How could someone get taken away right during a meeting?"

Wang Zhitao looked left and right to make sure no one was near before replying, "I've heard some things—just rumors, mind you. Word is that County Magistrate Zheng accepted bribes from a businessman from the southern provinces, amounting to over twenty million yuan, in exchange for securing permission to open a coal mine in our county. But the coal mining permit fell through.

The southern businessman wanted his money back, but Magistrate Zheng refused to return a single cent. So, the businessman took the matter all the way to Beijing, and the authorities up there directly ordered the case to be suppressed and acted upon.

They say it was the municipal discipline inspection commission that made the move, but people from the provincial commission actually came down as well. It was a case supervised directly by the provincial level. When Magistrate Zheng was taken away, someone spotted vehicles with provincial capital license plates trailing right behind."

Li Xiuyuan wasn't particularly surprised upon hearing this. To ordinary people, such behavior seemed excessively greedy: since you took the money and failed to deliver, why not just return it?

However, one had to understand that the poison of power penetrates deep into the marrow. The moment he dared to accept twenty million yuan, he never once intended to return it; he was already long accustomed to money flowing only inward.

Furthermore, it stemmed from a condescending mindset: I took your money, but I refuse to do your bidding, and I won't return your funds either. What can you possibly do about it?

In his past life, back in the countryside, Li Xiuyuan had once witnessed another case where a male leader used his authority to coerce a female subordinate into a sexual relationship, demanding money from her in exchange for a promotion. Even after receiving the money, the leader failed to follow through.

In such situations, when the female subordinate demanded her money back, the leader refused. He had taken advantage of her, pocketed her funds, failed to deliver the promised promotion, and wouldn't even return the cash. One could only imagine how terrifying human greed could be. In the end, that incident blew up into a massive scandal as well.

"This must be true. The director of the coal industry bureau has been summoned by the municipal discipline inspection commission and hasn't returned yet, and the head of the environmental protection bureau has been taken away too..."

Li Boyang chimed in from the side. The fall of such a massive tree was never an isolated event. Before the tree finally crashed to the ground, its branches and tendrils had already been pruned away, and now that the tree had completely collapsed, there was no telling how many people would be dragged down with it.

Li Xiuyuan felt a lingering sense of dread just listening to this. A fierce storm was truly descending.

As the three of them stepped into the cafeteria, they noticed that the number of diners today was noticeably smaller than usual. Ordinary staff members and deputy section-level leaders ate on the first floor, while full section-level leaders, deputy division-level, and full division-level cadres dined on the second floor.

Compared to normal days, the headcount on the first floor was visibly reduced, especially the proportion of deputy section-level cadres, of whom only a sparse few could be seen.

Li Xiuyuan, Wang Zhitao, and Li Boyang ate with steady composure, particularly Wang Zhitao and Li Boyang, knowing that no storm, no matter how violent, could ever touch them. After finishing their meal, they returned to the office.

Li Xiuyuan settled his mind, pulled out the draft he had been working on, and began revising it. Zheng Yun being taken away today had effectively accelerated the timeline. With an official being hauled away straight from a meeting, the probability of a comeback wasn't just low—it was entirely nonexistent.

Since Zheng Yun was finished, the countdown to the inauguration of a new county magistrate had officially begun.

As for the manuscript in his hands concerning the construction of new rural demonstration villages, Li Xiuyuan had already decided on a title: *A Few Reflections and Explorations on County-Level New Rural Construction*.

In choosing his wording for the title, Li Xiuyuan exercised extreme caution. After all, he was merely a staff member in the government office, not a leader. If he were to directly use words like "Opinions" or "Proposals," it would appear far too arrogant.

Using terms like "Reflections" and "Explorations" struck precisely the right balance. After all, anyone was free to ponder such matters without arousing suspicion, while also demonstrating that he was thoughtful and dedicated to his work. What kind of superior wouldn't appreciate a subordinate like that?

Additionally, Li Xiuyuan had pondered how to ensure this manuscript actually caught the new county magistrate's eye.

The most direct and straightforward method would be to simply place it right on the new magistrate's desk the moment he assumed office. Yet this most direct and straightforward approach, while appearing smooth and unobstructed, was actually completely unfeasible in practice.

The reason was simple: a broad highway laid out in front of everyone is recognized by all as an easy path, which is precisely why highways offer toll-free holidays yet end up hopelessly jammed with traffic.

Such a shortcut might work for someone with connections like Wu Yiyi, since she had people to recommend her. But who was going to recommend him? He lacked those personal networks and backing.

Even if someone did recommend it and placed the document on the new magistrate's desk, the newcomer might not dare to use it. After all, having just arrived, anyone would be naturally suspicious of such calculated flattery—who could tell what hidden agendas or factions lurked behind it?

Anyone in that position would have to remain on high alert.

Someone who had climbed to the rank of county magistrate had weathered countless political storms; why would they ever believe in sheer coincidence?

If the magistrate was privately pondering rural construction, and a document on precisely that subject suddenly appeared on his desk out of nowhere, it would only provoke fear and suspicion rather than delight.

Therefore, figuring out how to let the new magistrate discover his work naturally and cater to his inclinations was the second challenge Li Xiuyuan needed to solve, and he had already mapped out a clear path to achieve it.