"We in the Discipline Inspection Commission value evidence above all. Whether I believe you or whether the director believes you is irrelevant—what matters is whether you can prove your innocence!"
Liu Song spoke with righteous conviction. This was a critical moment to establish his authority, and he couldn’t afford any carelessness. He unfolded two of the letters and made Jiang Lin examine them closely.
"According to anonymous reports, certain comrades have accused you of forming cliques within the government, accepting bribes, and verbally abusing colleagues who refused to offer gifts—even forcing them to resign. Do you admit to these allegations?"
Nan Sheng would never assign someone for interrogation based on personal bias. Jiang Lin was at the top of the list precisely because his conduct had raised legitimate concerns.
Jiang Lin wanted to argue that accepting gifts wasn’t a big deal—after all, what leader didn’t receive a few tokens of appreciation? A bottle of liquor or some tea could simply be seen as customary courtesy.
And as for favoring subordinates who knew how to navigate social dynamics—wasn’t that just natural? No one liked dealing with dull, unresponsive people.
But given that he had just crossed the Revolutionary Committee, admitting anything now might give Liu Song an opening to press further. Better to deny everything outright.
"This is slander, Comrade Liu Song! Go ask around in town—everyone knows what kind of man Jiang Lin is! I’ve never taken bribes or suppressed any colleagues. These are baseless rumors!"
Liu Song sneered. "Seems you’ve forgotten how you even gave our Discipline Inspection comrades a hard time when they first reported for duty.
When Xiao Lin arrived for his assignment, why didn’t you follow protocol and assign him a private office? Are you unaware of the sensitive nature of disciplinary work? Or was it because he didn’t bring you a gift, so you decided to make things difficult for him?"
Jiang Lin opened his mouth, then shut it again. Damn it—when put that way, it did seem to fit. What rotten luck.
"I—I won’t argue with you. Bring Director Nan Sheng here. She’ll understand the situation."
This was all orchestrated from above—how could he defy it? Besides, Xiao Lin himself was spineless, trembling like a mouse before a cat. If a man couldn’t stand his ground, who would take him seriously?
Honestly, with that kind of timidity, he had no place in disciplinary work. Too afraid of stepping on toes.
Liu Song had no intention of indulging his request. The director wasn’t someone just anyone could summon, and besides, he wanted to prove he could handle this case on his own.
"Enough excuses. The director is busy and doesn’t have time for you. If you refuse to cooperate, I’ll have no choice but to initiate an investigation. If the allegations are false, you’ll have your answer within three days. Until then, your duties are suspended."
"No, no, wait!" Jiang Lin panicked.
Once an investigation was launched, it would inevitably escalate to the municipal level. And there was no way to cover up the gifts—punishment was guaranteed.
"Comrade, I’m begging you—just let Director Nan Sheng come here. There are internal matters at play here, things beyond the clearance of a junior officer like you."
Liu Song’s eyes gleamed. He slid paper and pen toward Jiang Lin. "The director is occupied. If you have something to say, write it down. I’ll deliver it to her."
Jiang Lin considered it. This might work—Director Nan Sheng knew the stakes of internal power struggles. This wasn’t a game for small fry like them.
So he picked up the pen and scribbled a few lines, fully expecting Nan Sheng to release him the moment she read it.
Liu Song took the note, glanced at it, and—after a flicker of surprise—quickly adjusted his tactics. Time to reel in the next one.
"Secretary Jiang has already confessed. Will you come clean yourself, or wait for our team to dig up the truth?"
Secretary Dong wasn’t buying it. "What is there to confess? These anonymous letters are pure fabrication. Go ahead, keep me locked up—let’s see how long your arrogance lasts!"
Liu Song didn’t waste words. "Still playing tough? Take a look at this."
He deliberately covered most of Jiang Lin’s note, revealing only a single ambiguous line and a certain position title. Secretary Dong’s heart dropped.
What the hell?
What dirt did they have on Jiang Lin to make him implicate even that person? What else was written there?
But when he tried to read the rest, Liu Song folded the paper away, pressing his advantage.
"This testimony has already been reviewed by the director. It clearly outlines your recent activities. She’s furious—ready to escalate this to the provincial level. If you’re smart, you’ll follow Jiang Lin’s example and save yourself first."
Secretary Dong stayed silent, convinced that both Nan Sheng and Jiang Lin had lost their minds. He’d rather lose his position than drag higher-ups into this mess.
"The allegations in the letters are false, but I’ll admit to one thing: I used connections to get my nephew a government job. Take that to Director Nan Sheng as my confession. I’ll write it down."
Between two evils, he chose to sacrifice his nephew.
A minor scandal like this would only cost him a reprimand at worst.
Liu Song’s eyes glittered. His gamble had paid off. If he kept this up, the others might crack too.
Nan Sheng had arrived at the county government just yesterday, and today she was already taking down six town secretaries in one sweep. The rest of the officials watched nervously, unsure whether this was a genuine purge or just intimidation.
Liang Kechang chose a busy moment to unlock the complaint box with his key, raising his voice slightly. "Well, look at that—actual letters! Let’s deliver these to the director."
Word spread like wildfire. "Disaster! Someone’s filed complaints with the Discipline Inspection Commission!"
"I heard. Who’d stoop so low?"
"What do we do? What if they reported me for slacking?"
When people don’t know the full story, they always assume they’re the primary suspect. Panic set in, everyone bracing for the axe to fall.
Liang Kechang delivered the letters to Nan Sheng’s office. She had just finished lunch and was sipping the herbal tea Su Jie had prepared.
"Director, as you instructed, I only retrieved half the letters. What’s next?"
Nan Sheng took them without glancing at the contents.
"File them according to procedure. Retrieve the rest tomorrow morning. The guilty ones will expose themselves if we stay patient. Remember—the calmer you are, the more they’ll panic."
Liang Kechang nodded. If the director said so, it must be true. "I’ll go assist Brother Liu then."
Su Jie had been busy all morning too. She posted notices for new hires, then personally called every intern who hadn’t passed probation.
This move sent shockwaves through the town governments. Was Director Nan Sheng really this ruthless, even with her own people? Cutting interns loose without warning?
"Director, they’re asking to meet in person to explain. Will you see them?"
"Let them come or not—it makes no difference. Su Jie, remember: once a decision is made, it stands. If you waver, they’ll think you can be bargained with. Understood?"
Su Jie didn’t fully understand, but she nodded vigorously anyway.
"Director, how many people are we hiring this time? Six?"
"No, hire ten, then tell them only six can stay. It’ll motivate them to work harder."
The interviews were also divided into two rounds. The first round would be handled by Su Jie and Luo Xiaoxuan, while she would oversee the second round.
Nan Sheng reflected on herself, wondering if she had been too lenient lately. Just a few days of leave had thrown everything into chaos.
This time, she was determined to turn the situation around and make everyone follow her lead.
"Me? Did the director really say that?"
Luo Xiaoxuan pointed at himself, his mood complicated. The person he had arranged would arrive in the afternoon—what if they crossed paths?
"Yes, it’s you, definitely you. Don’t worry, there’s still material review and other steps in between. It’ll probably take two more days before they come. Just plan your schedule accordingly."
Truthfully, Su Jie didn’t understand why the director had paired her with Luo Xiaoxuan for the interviews. The man barely spoke, was stubborn as a mule, and might even be more intimidating than the director during the sessions.
The new hires were in for quite an experience.
