Chapter 60: Opening the Game

Following that deeply penetrating rural field investigation, Li Yifei seemed to have vanished within the town government. He no longer convened meetings, summoned anyone for private talks, or even made an appearance in the public cafeteria.

Every single day, he would punctually arrive at the heavily monitored secretary's office, lock the door behind him, and remain inside for the entire day. Occasionally, when someone walked past, the only sounds audible from within were the rustling of pages being turned or the subtle clicking of keyboard keys. Aside from those, absolute quiet prevailed.

To Wang Chenggui and his faction, this abnormal silence was interpreted as a sign that the "student secretary" had run out of options and retreated in the face of insurmountable difficulties.

In the mayor's office, Wang Chenggui puffed on a cigarette and chuckled scornfully to his trusted cronies—Fatty Li, police substation chief Sun Biao, and discipline inspection secretary Zhang Guan: "A greenhorn, exhausted after walking around the countryside a couple of times? Did he really think taking pictures of some dilapidated houses could scare people? Hah, too naive! In this turf of ours, Duogang Town, dragons must coil down, and tigers must crouch!"

Patty Li patted his protruding belly and chimed in, "Exactly! Mayor Wang, you are our backbone! What kind of waves can a lone commander like him possibly stir up? Let's just leave him hanging and see what kind of nonsense he can manage to squeeze out."

Zhang Guan drank his tea expressionlessly, his eyes flickering without committing to a stance. Sun Biao let out a chuckle, his gaze carrying his habitual ruthlessness and flattery.

From their perspective, Li Yifei's "investigation show" from the previous few days was nothing more than the final trick of a donkey at the end of its rope, and his current silence only confirmed his weakness and docility. Their arrogance grew ever more flagrant, and their actions became increasingly unscrupulous.

Yet, beneath the calm surface, undercurrents were already raging. Li Yifei was far from idle.

Inside his office, functioning like a meticulous engineer, he repeatedly cross-referenced, organized, and corroborated the evidence gathered during his investigation—photos of dilapidated houses, fragments of subsidy application forms, audio recordings of villagers' testimonies, Wu Ting's suggestive remarks in the car that night—with the comprehensive list of total special subsidy funds allocated to Duogang Town over the past three years, which he had obtained from the county finance bureau.

A clear web of criminal evidence unfurled before him: the finance office, led by Li Jin, had exploited regulatory loopholes and fabricated accounts to withhold, misappropriate, and embezzle over 1.8 million yuan in life-saving funds earmarked for village-level dilapidated housing renovations, hardship subsidies, and agricultural special support!

The single largest sum was an allocation of 800,000 yuan from the previous year, designated as the "Special Fund for Housing Security of Impoverished Farming Households" granted by the provincial government. Under the pretext that the "project standards were not met," they had distributed a token amount of less than 100,000 yuan while pocketing the rest entirely!

As for Wang Chenggui, in his capacity as the town mayor, not only was he fully aware of this, but he had also signed his own name to numerous critical approval stages! Where had these illicit funds ultimately flowed? Had they lined private pockets, or were they used to maintain certain shadowy relationships? The chain of evidence in Li Yifei's hands had already pointed toward the tip of the iceberg.

Half a month later, on an ordinary Monday morning, Li Yifei dialed the internal extension. His voice was utterly devoid of ripples: "Director Wu, inform all committee members, heads of various stations and offices, and all general office personnel that a meeting will be held in the main conference room at nine-thirty. Attendance is mandatory for everyone."

Upon receiving the call, Wu Ting felt an inexplicable tightening in her chest. This secretary, who had remained dormant for half a month, was finally making his move? Not daring to delay, she immediately transmitted the notice, specifically emphasizing that no one was permitted to be absent.

At twenty-nine minutes past nine, Li Yifei pushed open the door to the main conference room. Around the oval conference table sat only a sparse handful of people: Deputy Secretary Liu Changhe, Propaganda Commissioner Li Hongxia, Armed Forces Minister Zhao Tiezhu, along with a few inconsequential station heads and ordinary office clerks.

Town Mayor Wang Chenggui, Finance Office Chief Li Jin, Police Substation Chief Sun Biao, Discipline Inspection Secretary Zhang Guan, Organization Commissioner Sun Yumei, and other core members, together with several of their hardcore loyalists, were conspicuously absent. The empty seats resembled silent mockery.

Bearing no expression on his face, Li Yifei walked straight to the presiding seat, sat down, opened his notebook, unscrewed the cap of his fountain pen, and then... quietly waited.

The conference room was so quiet that the dropping of a pin could be heard; only the monotonous ticking of the wall clock resonated, beating against everyone's heart. As the minutes and seconds ticked away, the oppressive atmosphere grew heavier. Liu Changhe and the others exchanged uneasy glances, while Wu Ting stood in the corner, her palms slightly sweating.

Ten o'clock sharp! The door to the conference room was flung open with a swagger. Led by Wang Chenggui, Li Jin, Sun Biao, Zhang Guan, and Sun Yumei trooped in one after another, each wearing an expression of deliberate "hurry" mixed with undisguised insolence.

"Oh my, Secretary Li! I am terribly sorry!" Wang Chenggui boisterously pulled out the chair to Li Yifei's left and sat down, his voice booming with exaggerated apologies. "A few of us were just running around a few villages down below, inspecting the actual conditions on the ground, and despite rushing all the way, we still managed to be late! For the next meeting, you really must give us notice a bit earlier so we can arrange our schedules accordingly!"

The sarcasm and the air of superiority conveyed by the words "we are very busy" washed over the room.

Puffing out his belly, Li Jin chimed in, "Exactly, exactly! Mayor Wang has been leading us deep into the grassroots to understand public sentiment!" Meanwhile, Sun Biao chuckled, his unfriendly gaze sweeping across Li Yifei.

Lifting his eyelids, Li Yifei cast a faint glance at them. His gaze was as calm as a deep pool, yet it caused an inexplicable jolt in Wang Chenggui's heart.

However, Li Yifei said nothing. He simply instructed Deputy Secretary Liu Changhe, "Secretary Liu, everyone who is here has arrived. Please lead everyone in studying the recent important speeches made by County Committee Secretary Wei regarding rural revitalization and work style construction."

Liu Changhe hurriedly acknowledged the command, picked up the document, and began reading aloud from the text. For Wang Chenggui and his cohorts, these ten minutes of study felt like torture. Absent-minded and with drifting gazes, they failed to register a single word.

Zhang Guan felt even more like he was sitting on pins and needles, sensing that Li Yifei's calm gaze lingered on him intentionally or unintentionally for a brief moment.

The study session concluded. Li Yifei picked up the teacup in front of him, took a slow, deliberate sip, and set it down with composed movements. Then, in a tone that was calm to the point of indifference, he began:

"Comrades, building upon my deep investigation and reflections over the past half-month, I would like to share my views on the current situation in our Duogang Town." He swept his gaze across the room, letting it rest for a moment on the face of everyone who had been absent and late. "You won't know until you look; but after going down to see for yourselves, it is truly appalling!

"In our villages, nine out of ten houses are empty; the young people have left their hometowns, leaving behind the elderly, the women, and the children to tend desolate fields and live in crumbling, hazardous houses! Traveling is difficult, seeking medical treatment is difficult, increasing income is difficult! Difficulties are everywhere, and every single issue concerns people's livelihood! It is fair to say that the common people are enduring a hard life!"

His voice was not loud, but every word was distinct, striking home in the hearts of those present. Wang Chenggui and the others wore impatient expressions, feeling this was just the same old cliché.

Abruptly, Li Yifei changed the tone of his speech, his gaze shooting like lightning straight toward the finance office chief, Li Jin, who sat diagonally across from him: "Comrade Li Jin!"

Startled, Li Jin shuddered all over and instinctively straightened his back: "Secretary Li?"

"Please tell me," Li Yifei's voice remained steady, yet it carried an invisible pressure, "how much available funding does our town finance office currently have on the books?"

This question struck like a bolt from the blue! Everyone was stunned, their gazes turning in unison toward Li Jin. Wang Chenggui also knitted his brow, casting a warning look at Li Jin.

A jolt ran through Li Jin's heart. Feigning composure, he piled the habitual expression of hardship onto his face: "Oh, Secretary Li, you simply don't know the financial foundation of our town! We are poor! Far too poor! We rely entirely on those meager transfer payments allocated from higher authorities, which is just a drop in the bucket! Right now, on the books... on the books we only have a little over thirty thousand yuan left! This tiny sum is barely enough to cover next month's payroll!" Spreading his hands, he put on a helpless display of a clever housewife unable to cook without rice.

"Thirty thousand yuan?" Li Yifei repeated, the corners of his mouth curving into an imperceptible arc. Suddenly, he raised his hand sharply and brought it down hard on the heavy solid-wood conference table!

"Bang—!"

A deafening crash! The sound made the teacup lids on the table jump, splashing water everywhere! Everyone in the conference room was jolted violently by the sudden loud noise, their hearts seemingly skipping a beat! Wang Chenggui was so startled he nearly leaped out of his chair!

"Li Jin!" Li Yifei's voice, like an icicle, instantly pierced the congealed air of the conference room, carrying thunderous anger and unquestionable majesty. "Do! You! Dare! To! Take! Responsibility! For! The! Words! You! Just! Spoke?!!" He enunciated every single word, each falling like a heavy hammer!

***

Li Jin was scared out of his wits by this sudden outburst and intimidating aura. His complexion instantly turned as pale as paper, his lips trembled, and a rattling sound came from his throat without a single word emerging. His entire body seemed drained of its bones as he slumped limply into his chair, cold sweat instantly breaking out across his forehead!

Wang Chenggui was also dumbfounded. He had never witnessed such a furiously enraged side of Li Yifei! This was a completely different person from the "student secretary" in his impression!

Ignoring the pale-faced Li Jin, Li Yifei slowly raised his head, sweeping his gaze across the shocked, bewildered, and even terrified faces of the room. His finger pointed toward a small, inconspicuous black box with a faint red dot blinking on the ceiling in the far corner of the conference room.

"Everyone is probably curious, and some may have even noticed it a while ago," Li Yifei's voice returned to a calm state, yet it carried a chilling frost. "What is that? I will tell you now: that is a high-definition camera equipped with a recording function. From the moment the meeting 'officially began' at nine-thirty, it has been operational. Audio and video are being recorded throughout."

A collective gasp echoed through the conference room! Everyone stared in shock at the tiny black dot, while Wang Chenggui, Zhang Guan, and the others experienced drastic transformations in their complexions!

A cold, sarcastic smile surfaced on Li Yifei's face: "My original intention in installing it was good. I wanted to capture the proactive, dedicated, and people-serving work ethic of our Duogang Town committee members and cadres, creating a work chronicle to demonstrate our responsibilities and achievements as a major economic town to higher authorities when necessary."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across Wang Chenggui and the others like biting cold wind, the sarcasm at the corners of his mouth deepening. "However... tsk tsk... reality is often far more 'splendid' than anticipated."

He said no more, but the disappointment, anger, and disdain implicit in his unfinished words weighed like lead on everyone's heart.

Without further ado, Li Yifei pulled a sheet of paper from the file folder before him, flicked his wrist, and sent the paper darting like a sharp flying dart, landing with a precise *snap* on the desk right in front of Li Jin. "Do me the favor of explaining clearly how the figures on this paper came to be."

As if grasping at a straw yet simultaneously touching a hot iron, Li Jin grabbed the paper with trembling hands. With just a single glance, the last trace of color drained from his face!

That sheet of paper clearly listed the names, amounts, and document numbers of various special subsidy funds allocated to Duogang Town by the provincial, municipal, and county financial levels over the past three years, alongside prominently marked figures in red ink representing the actual credited amounts!

Several massive, shocking discrepancy figures burned like red-hot irons, stinging his eyes painfully. In particular, the 800,000 yuan "Special Fund for Housing Security of Impoverished Farming Households" showed an actual credit of merely 80,000 yuan, with a parenthetical note beside it reading (Whereabouts Unknown)!

"Th-th-this... Secretary Li... I..." Shivering like a chaffinch in the wind, beads of sweat rolling down his face, Li Jin stammered incoherently, unable to piece together a single complete sentence. He completely collapsed into his chair, his gaze unfocused as if his soul had been sucked out.

Stretching out his neck, Wang Chenggui tried to see the paper, but it was too far away to discern clearly. His heart felt as though it were being clawed by a cat, and a strong sense of foreboding enveloped him. Sun Biao, Zhang Guan, Sun Yumei, and the others exchanged uncertain, bewildered glances.

"Let's pass it around for everyone to read." Disregarding Li Jin, Li Yifei signaled Wu Ting beside him. Taking a deep breath to suppress the shock within her, Wu Ting picked up a stack of pre-prepared copies and swiftly distributed them to everyone present, including the ashen-faced Wang Chenggui.

When those glaring discrepancy figures and misappropriated special fund categories clearly entered their vision, the deathly silence in the conference room was shattered entirely, replaced by suppressed exclamations and gasps!

"Good heavens! Eighty thousand credited out of eight hundred thousand?"

"The hardship subsidy funds were embezzled too?!"

"Agricultural subsidies... this... this is beyond bold!"

Gazing at the copy before him, Wang Chenggui felt a chill surge straight from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head! Naturally, he knew the truth behind these funds! He had signed off on them! He had given his tacit approval!

Some of the money... even had a share for him! His hands began to tremble uncontrollably, and his back instantly soaked with cold sweat!

He whipped his head up to look at Li Yifei, his gaze filled with incredulous horror and a trace of fear—this brat! When did he acquire these core data?! What on earth is he trying to do?!

Ignoring Wang Chenggui's venomous and terrified glare, Li Yifei turned his calm gaze once the others had finished reading toward Discipline Inspection Secretary Zhang Guan, whose face was equally pale with beads of sweat on his forehead.

"Comrade Zhang Guan," Li Yifei's voice was low yet clearly transmitted throughout the silent conference room. "You are the discipline inspection secretary, in charge of party and government discipline. Now that the evidence is conclusive, Finance Office Chief Li Jin is suspected of committing serious disciplinary violations and crimes involving the misappropriation and embezzlement of huge sums of state special subsidy funds. In your view, how should our town party committee and discipline inspection commission handle this matter? Please put forward a proposal."

This casual remark fell like a towering mountain, crashing squarely onto Zhang Guan's shoulders! All eyes focused on him instantly!

Zhang Guan felt his scalp tingle and his mouth go dry. Instinctively, he looked toward Wang Chenggui to seek instruction or support, only to encounter Wang Chenggui's evasive, panicked, and warning glare.

He then looked at Li Jin, who was slumped in his chair with vacant eyes, resembling a lamb awaiting slaughter. Defend him? How could he defend him when the evidence was thrown right in their faces? Moreover, it was happening right in front of a camera!

Cold sweat trickled down Zhang Guan's temples. He knew the moment had arrived for him to take a stand and make a clean break! If he failed to state his position now, the next person placed on the fire to be roasted might well be himself!

Gritting his teeth hard, steeling his resolve, and trying his best to make his trembling voice sound righteous, he said, "S-Secretary Li! Comrades! Comrade Li Jin's actions are extremely vile in nature and represent a severe violation of party discipline and state laws! The evidence... the evidence is conclusive! I propose that we immediately subject him to retention of custody, place him under the preliminary review of the town discipline inspection commission, and simultaneously compile the relevant materials to report to the county discipline inspection commission and county supervisory commission, requesting higher authorities to intervene and thoroughly investigate!" He chose the harshest method, which was also the most effective way to clear himself, instantly drawing a line between himself, Li Jin, and Wang Chenggui.

Li Yifei nodded slightly, bearing neither surprise nor approval on his face, as if the outcome were only natural. "Very well. Comrade Zhang Guan's opinion is clear and aligns with organizational procedures and disciplinary requirements. Let us proceed as Secretary Zhang suggested." Shifting his gaze to the town discipline inspection staff near the door who had been stunned by these developments, he ordered, "You two, cooperate with Secretary Zhang and execute this immediately."

Coming to their senses, the two discipline inspection officers stepped forward and flanked the limp form of Li Jin. Offering no resistance, Li Jin was dragged out of the conference room in a daze, leaving behind a trail of despair and a room plunged into dead silence.

Wang Chenggui's complexion could no longer be described as merely ugly; it was a pale iron mixed with ashen hues, his muscles contorted and lips trembling without a single word escaping.

The alliance he had painstakingly built had been torn wide open by Li Yifei with a flick of his wrist! Li Jin had fallen, and Zhang Guan had turned traitor! The remaining figures like Sun Biao and Sun Yumei looked at him with eyes full of suspicion and wavering loyalty.

Acting as though he had not noticed Wang Chenggui's expression, Li Yifei picked up his teacup and took another sip of water, as if he had merely handled a trivial matter just then. Then, in a casual tone akin to discussing what to have for dinner, he dropped the second bomb:

"Very well, Comrade Li Jin's issues will be handled by the discipline inspection commission and higher authorities. Now, let us discuss an urgent matter.

"The finance office cannot go a single day without a master. With Li Jin detained, the position of office chief is vacant. Being a newcomer here, my understanding of you all is not yet deep enough. You are all the backbone of Duogang Town and are more familiar with the personnel below than I am. Let us pool our wisdom and see if there are suitable candidates to recommend, or whom you believe is best suited to take over this post. Let us have a democratic discussion."

Boom!

If taking down Li Jin earlier was a thunderbolt from a clear sky, this sentence was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a boiling wok! It exploded instantly!

Finance office chief! This was truly the "money bag" of Duogang Town! A crucial post holding real power! Wang Chenggui had toiled for years to insert his confidant Li Jin into that role, firmly gripping the financial lifeline! Now that Li Jin had fallen, Li Yifei was actually throwing this position out into the open for everyone to "democratically recommend"?!

Was this a democratic discussion? This was blatantly dropping a massive, honey-coated bait by Li Yifei! It was an open signal of a power reshuffle!

A rush of hot blood surged straight to Wang Chenggui's head, turning his vision black; he nearly passed out on the spot! The alliance he had labored to maintain crumbled instantly in the face of absolute interest!

Just as expected! The committee members and station heads, who had moments ago been immersed in the shock of Li Jin's downfall, suddenly had their eyes light up!

Deputy Secretary Liu Changhe spoke first, his voice carrying a trace of excitement: "Secretary Li! I recommend Xiao Chen from our office! The young man is young, a finance graduate, possesses strong professional competence, and works down-to-earth!" He was eager to insert his own man.

"Xiao Chen, recommended by Secretary Liu, is fine, but isn't he a bit too young? The finance office bears heavy responsibilities and requires an experienced veteran to hold the fort!" Propaganda Commissioner Li Hongxia immediately refuted, putting forward her own candidate. "I think Deputy Chief Lao Zhang of the finance office is very suitable! Experienced, steady, and reliable!"

"Lao Zhang is a bit too old; his mindset might not keep up!" Armed Forces Minister Zhao Tiezhu joined the fray as well. "I think Director Ma from the Economic Development Office is very suitable! He understands economics and has drive!"

"Director Ma? Does he understand financial operations? Different trades are like different worlds!" Organization Commissioner Sun Yumei could no longer hold back. Although she leaned close to Wang Chenggui, who wouldn't want a slice of the fat pie that was the finance office chief? She wanted to recommend her own connection as well.

In an instant, swords were drawn in the conference room! One person recommended this candidate while another opposed him; one argued the candidate was too young and unstable, while another retorted he was too old and lacked drive; one claimed the candidate lacked professional competence, while another countered he lacked a grand vision... The venue, which had moments before been pin-drop quiet, instantly transformed into a battlefield of power struggle!

Faces flushed and necks bulging, everyone fought desperately to push their own people forward while unsparingly tearing down the candidates recommended by their rivals.

Trembling with rage, Wang Chenggui watched these "allies" who had turned on each other in an instant, watching them argue vehemently over the position of finance office chief while entirely ignoring his existence as the mayor!

Several times he wanted to slap the table in anger and forcibly appoint a candidate, but the words died on his lips when he caught sight of the blinking red dot of the camera in the corner and Li Yifei's unsettlingly calm gaze! He forcibly swallowed his words, his complexion shifting from iron-blue to purple, his chest heaving violently like a balloon on the verge of bursting.

Observing this farce with cold detachment, Li Yifei acted like a skilled chess player watching the pieces slaughter each other according to his will. His objectives had been met: first, to completely tear open Wang Chenggui's power network; second, to expose all potential factions; third, to discern who was usable and who was not; and fourth, to lay the groundwork for ultimately taking control of the finance office.

Seeing the argument intensify without reaching a consensus anytime soon, Li Yifei tapped the table at the appropriate moment.

"Enough!" His voice was not loud, yet it carried a peculiar penetrative power that instantly subdued all the quarreling.

The conference room quieted down immediately, and everyone looked toward him.

"It seems everyone has their own views on the candidate for finance office chief, making it difficult to reach a unified conclusion for now. Very well, let us suspend today's discussion here. I ask all committee members and the mayor to draft a brief document detailing your recommended candidates' basic backgrounds, strengths, weaknesses, and reasons for recommendation, and submit it to my office before the end of the workday this afternoon.

"At the same time," he shifted his tone, his gaze sweeping over those who had been recommended, "have all the recommended comrades come to my office in order this afternoon; I wish to conduct individual talks. You may coordinate the specific order among yourselves beforehand—do not crowd in all at once."

Standing up and picking up his notebook, he declared, "Meeting adjourned." Without looking back, he walked out of the conference room first, his stride steady and forceful.

Behind him, he left a group of people harboring differing thoughts and complex expressions. Slumping dejectedly in his chair with an ashen face, Wang Chenggui knew that his era of arbitrary rule in Duogang Town had come to an end.

Meanwhile, Liu Changhe, Li Hongxia, and the others promptly whipped out their mobile phones. Striding rapidly out of the conference room, they eagerly made phone calls to notify their recommended candidates while casting vigilant glares at one another, racing for the "golden time" to see the secretary that afternoon.

There are no secrets within the standing committee. The news that Li Jin was taken away on the spot by the town discipline inspection commission, that the new secretary Li Yifei had slammed the table during the meeting to denounce financial worms, and that dangling the "fat pie" of the finance office chief position had sparked fierce contention spread through the Duogang Town government compound like wildfire, rapidly diffusing down to the village groups.

The entire officialdom of Duogang Town experienced something akin to a silent earthquake! Everyone was struck with awe by the young secretary's thunderous and decisive methods when he chose to act, and cowed by his political maneuvering—twisting his hands to summon clouds or rain, instantly dismantling the mayor's alliance and reshuffling the power landscape.

"The newly arrived Secretary Li... is a formidable character!"

"He's here to accomplish practical things for the common people! Those parasites like Li Jin should have been arrested long ago!"

"A good show is about to unfold now; Mayor Wang is probably finding it hard to sit still..."

Various discussions quietly circulated in corners, offices, and streets. The prevailing wind had shifted without a sound.

From this moment onward, the name Li Yifei truly became an inescapable presence on the power map of Duogang Town.