Chapter 125: Denunciation Materials

"What are you doing, Director Fang?" Li Changtian asked suspiciously.

Fang Sixiang maintained a cautious expression. "Principal, I think you should see this first." As he spoke, he handed a large envelope to Li Changtian.

Li Changtian hesitated for a few seconds before taking the envelope and removing its contents: several photographs and a letter. Li recognized the photos—they were the "intimate" shots of Jiang Xiwen and Zhang Ya. He glanced at Fang Sixiang, whose expression remained unchanged.

What was Fang Sixiang up to? Did he bring these photos to prove he wasn't the one who took them? And what did this letter say? These thoughts flashed through Li Changtian's mind as he opened the letter.

It was an anonymous whistleblower letter. Li Changtian had never seen its contents before. It accused Deputy Mayor Zhang Yong of abuse of power, alleging that to mitigate the impact of his daughter Zhang Ya’s adolescent romance, he had pressured the Second Middle School’s principal, Li Changtian, to discipline the excellent teacher Zhu Wen and shield Zhang Ya. The letter concluded by stating that Zhang Yong had committed even more serious offenses, which were not detailed here, but that identical anonymous tips had been sent to the municipal and provincial education commissions, where all of Zhang Yong's other transgressions would be clearly documented.

Li Changtian’s brows furrowed deeper. He realized the two sets of photos he had received previously were merely the beginning. This person likely possessed significant evidence against Zhang Yong. Li could not determine if Zhang Yong was truly guilty, nor could he confirm if Fang Sixiang was involved. The only thing he was certain of was that this matter would likely escalate, so he adopted an attitude of self-preservation.

"Director Fang, I have never received this letter. I don’t know what the whistleblower’s motive is, but the claim that I received hints from the Deputy Mayor is a grave slander. According to the letter, leaders at all levels should have received more detailed materials. I thank you, Director Fang, for alerting me and allowing me to prepare myself. I trust that the leadership will investigate this matter impartially, so I have nothing to worry about. I am willing to cooperate with any investigation. It is time for me to go home; you should head home early as well."

*Old fox!* Fang Sixiang cursed inwardly while sneering.

Several days ago, his wife, Zhu Wen, had discussed this matter with him alongside Gao Jie, the son of the Provincial Education Commission Director, Gao Feng. The entire plan was meticulous and comprehensive. With Gao Jie’s support, he was fully on board. Unlike the original plan targeting Jiang Xiwen, this time they were aiming directly at Deputy Mayor Zhang Yong, and they were confident they could send him to prison—likely dragging Li Changtian down with him.

"Understood, Principal Li. I’ll be going then. You can keep this letter." Fang Sixiang smiled, offering comfort. "I believe in your character, Principal. When the investigation team arrives, please don't hesitate to ask if there is anything I can do to help."

Li Changtian nodded, pushed the letter back to Fang Sixiang, and said, "Thank you, Director Fang. You received this letter, so you should be the one to submit it. If I hold onto it, I'm afraid it might cause trouble for you later."

Without waiting for a reply, he opened the locked door and walked out with long strides. He had hesitated for a moment, wanting to call Zhang Yong, but ultimately decided against it. If Zhang Yong was already under surveillance, a phone call would only cause more trouble. The only thing he could do now was wait. He guessed that the target was primarily Zhang Yong, not him.

Even if it were true that he had received hints to look after the Deputy Mayor’s daughter and punish a teacher, it would at most result in his removal from office. Furthermore, those hints were vague. Unless Zhang Yong confessed, no one could prove Li Changtian guilty of this misconduct.

***

A day later, at different times, the Yangjiang Municipal Committee Secretary Zhou Xianrong, Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection Secretary Chen Jingzhong, Provincial Education Commission Director Gao Feng, and Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Changfeng each received a set of whistleblower materials. In addition to the "intimate" photos of Zhang Ya and Jiang Xiwen, the letters included photographs of Yangjiang Second Middle School Principal Li Changtian and Deputy Mayor Zhang Yong having a secret conversation at a teahouse.

The materials alleged that Li Changtian had always been Zhang Yong’s "insider." Beyond shielding the Deputy Mayor’s daughter and arbitrarily punishing excellent teachers, it was highly likely that he had bribed Zhang Yong to secure a vacant deputy director position at the Municipal Education Commission.

The whistleblower claimed to be a teacher, long dissatisfied with Li Changtian’s reckless behavior at school. Upon seeing teacher Zhu Wen being suppressed, their sense of justice was ignited, leading them to conduct a secret investigation and collect evidence. The materials mentioned that one month ago—the day after the secret teahouse meeting—Li Changtian had mysteriously visited the Huashang Bank with a thick envelope, though the recipient of the transfer was unknown.

The end of the letter listed exactly which leaders had received it, the implication being that they were concerned some leaders might try to protect their own interests and shield Zhang Yong.

*Zhang Yong?!* After reading the letter, Gao Feng snorted coldly, his gaze fixed and his expression indifferent. Fortunately, the report did not mention the previous whistleblower letter sent to him. Perhaps the last one was just a test. While the issue of shielding a daughter and punishing a teacher was serious, it did not constitute a crime. However, if the bank transfer mentioned in this new material was indeed a bribe to Zhang Yong, that would be enough to finish him.

Gao Feng didn't believe for a second that this was about justice. The anonymous whistleblower was clearly one of Zhang Yong’s bitter rivals and had thoroughly researched the responsibilities of every recipient. If Zhang Yong fell, all these leaders would be obligated to handle the fallout.

Regardless of whether the letter was true, Gao Feng would follow protocol. He would wait to see how Zhao Changfeng handled the son of his old superior. Gao Feng intended to play the role of a fair and upright education official in this affair.

A few days later, the Provincial People’s Congress appointed Yang Province Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Wu Xinhua, Provincial Education Commission Director Gao Feng, and Municipal Discipline Inspection Director Chen Jingzhong as the leaders of an investigation team to secretly probe Deputy Mayor Zhang Yong for suspected bribery.

The reason the term "bribery" was used was that they had pulled bank records showing that a man named Li Changtian had indeed deposited 30,000 RMB that day into an account that had been opened only days prior, under the name Qin Shu.

Zhang Yong only learned he was being investigated after receiving a call from Municipal Secretary Zhou Xianrong and arriving at the Yangjiang Hotel. However, upon reaching Room 1101, he did not find Zhou Xianrong; waiting for him were Wu Xinhua, Gao Feng, and Chen Jingzhong.

After hearing the full sequence of events, Zhang Yong knew he had been placed under "shuanggui" (a form of detention for party officials). He did not panic or rush to appeal. Instead, he sat on the sofa, carefully sorting through everything related to this investigation over the past month.

The three leaders of the investigation team did not make things difficult for him, allowing him his silence. Gao Feng had made up his mind to simply watch the show. Wu Xinhua knew of the relationship between Zhao Changfeng and Zhang Yong’s father, Zhang Song, so he remained polite and tolerant while the facts remained unconfirmed.

***

Chen Jingzhong did not have a deep friendship with Zhang Yong, and although he had heard Zhang Yong’s nickname, "Taiji Zhang," it did not affect his judgment of character. Based on Zhang Yong’s political record, he had always felt Zhang was an honest and capable leader, so he was skeptical of the allegations and allowed Zhang time to think.

When the clock struck noon, Chen Jingzhong spoke first: "Secretary Wu, Director Gao, Deputy Mayor Zhang, let's have lunch first."

"Very well. Old Zhang, you can think while you eat. We will talk again after the midday break." Wu Xinhua nodded and stood up first, with Gao Feng and Chen Jingzhong following him out of Room 1101.

Zhang Yong knew the investigation procedure; he had no authority to leave. Soon, a member of the investigation team would arrive to deliver his meal.

After lunch, Zhang Yong closed his eyes to rest. Having made no progress in his thoughts throughout the morning, he decided to save his energy for the afternoon interrogation. He hoped his father would return soon, learn of this, and help him uncover the truth.

Every time the old man went to Qingyang Mountain to recuperate, he was impossible to contact unless one visited in person. He had to find a way to let his wife, Qin Shu, know he was under detention. He knew the process well; someone would surely call his home to say he was away on a temporary business trip.

The afternoon session began quickly. Zhang Yong stated all the facts he knew, including the issue of being lured out by a call that he suspected was impersonated, though he knew it was of little use since Li Changtian was also accused of bribery and could not serve as a witness.

At this point, all he could do was tell the complete truth without omission. If he tried to be clever and fabricate a story without having coordinated his account with anyone, he would only increase suspicion if found out.

The next morning, no one questioned Zhang Yong. He was told to rest in the hotel for the day. He understood that the investigation team was verifying his testimony from the previous afternoon. Having participated in similar work before, he knew they would try to mask the purpose of their questioning so those being interviewed wouldn't realize he was under investigation.

He held a faint hope that Jiang Xiwen might notice something. Of all the people involved, Jiang Xiwen was the sharpest. Even though he was still just a child, Zhang Yong felt he was more capable than many adults. That was why he had mentioned Jiang Xiwen’s name most frequently in his statement—hoping that when the investigation team questioned him, they would ask enough questions for Jiang Xiwen to realize something was wrong.