The Official Ladder: I ascend to the pinnacle of power, wielding the power of life and death.

"Have you heard? When our Party Secretary made a surprise visit to a local unit, he encountered some employees who were making things difficult for him. The Party Secretary was furious and dismissed some of them on the spot."

"Such a big thing, who hasn't heard about it? Our Party Secretary is a good leader who gets things done. Which Party Secretary has ever done this before?"

"Exactly. I've always thought highly of our Party Secretary. Those officials sitting in their offices have long since stopped caring about the people. Every time we go to do something, they have a dark face, as if we owe them millions. We should really teach those kinds of officials a lesson."

"Yes, yes, me too. Every time I go to get things done, they either have a dark face or they're like they've swallowed a powder keg, spewing fire from their mouths, making me very uncomfortable. I'm a taxpayer, I pay their money to support them, and instead of providing good service, they scold me. It makes me furious just thinking about it. I've raised a bunch of unfilial grandchildren!"

"Hey, don't oversimplify things. I've heard that Director Li, who has a terrible temper in the Administrative Approval Section of the Industry and Commerce Bureau, is the cousin of our Deputy Secretary Meng Chunsheng. Do you think the Secretary will handle this?"

"So that's how that ugly, grumpy old woman became the director—turns out she has a powerful cousin. But now that you mention it, this matter might actually be resolved peacefully. After all, officials protect each other, and everyone has relatives they need to take care of. Besides, our Party Secretary hasn't been here long, and his control over Xichuan County isn't very strong yet. Plus, with the new county head, they'll definitely be putting a lot of effort into winning over other cadres, especially veteran cadres like Meng Chunsheng who have been rooted in Xichuan County for many years. With his support, things will be much easier to do. To consolidate his position and carry out his work, Secretary Jiang won't punish Li Lan."

"I believe our Party Secretary will persevere to the end. I heard that he was very assertive when he was in Xinping County."

"Times have changed, let's stop arguing and just wait for the results."

Xichuan County is skeptical about whether Jiang Yiming can really handle Li Lan.

Not only the general public, but also various organizations are keeping a close eye on this matter.

If Jiang Yiming had dealt with Li Lan with a strong hand but a gentle hand, then naturally no one would have taken it seriously, and things would have been handled as they were.

After finishing his call with Jiang Yiming, Meng Chunsheng called his cousin back to reassure her.

Li Lan immediately informed her family that she was alright.

Li Lan's parents immediately invited Meng Chunsheng's parents to the hotel for a meal, praising Meng Chunsheng highly for his influence and abilities.

After the dinner, some tonics were given to Meng Chunsheng's parents.

When Meng Chunsheng returned home that evening, he saw the tonics in the house and casually asked about them. He learned from his parents that Li Lan's family had invited his parents to dinner.

He didn't say much.

The following day, Jiang Yiming called Meng Chunsheng over.

"Secretary, what are your instructions?"

"Secretary Chunsheng, I plan to hold a Standing Committee meeting tomorrow morning to discuss the recent inaction and misconduct of some cadres, which have damaged the business environment of our county. This involves your cousin, Li Lan."

Jiang Yiming said, "Originally, I thought she was just not serious about her work. I thought that since you personally contacted her, I would give you face and let the matter drop. But when Director Zhichao reported the progress of the investigation to me today, I found out that Li Lan not only had problems with being unserious about her work and having a bad attitude towards the staff, but she also actively solicited red envelopes and illegally processed relevant certificates for unqualified companies."

"The disciplinary committee demands that such officials be severely punished, and we hope you can understand."

"Secretary, my aunt only has one daughter. If this is dealt with, I won't be able to face them. Please, Secretary, give me face and make an exception for her."

Meng Chunsheng didn't expect things to turn out so badly; he had made a promise to Li Lan yesterday.

Moreover, his aunt's family even invited his parents to dinner for this occasion.

If Li Lan is arrested and imprisoned for accepting bribes, how will he ever have the face to see his aunt's family again?

“Secretary Chunsheng, what you’re saying is a bit apolitical and unruly. What do you mean I’m giving you face and making an exception for her? She’s broken the law. How can we just arrest her and release her as we please?”

Jiang Yiming criticized, "We must administer according to law and handle affairs according to law. Individual power cannot be above the law!"

"Yes, I'm sorry, Secretary. I misspoke. Please forgive me."

Meng Chunsheng quickly changed his tune, saying, "Secretary, I hope this matter can be punished leniently."

“Secretary Chunsheng, as you know, this matter does not depend on you or me, but on her. According to the law, if she can recognize her mistakes, voluntarily confess the facts, and voluntarily hand over her illegal gains, she can be given a lighter punishment.”

Jiang Yiming said, "Fortunately, this matter hasn't been made public yet. As long as Director Li confesses, I'll talk to Zhichao and invalidate all his previous investigations. We'll handle it according to Director Li's confession. I'm only giving him special treatment because of you."

"Secretary, I understand. I'll go and talk to her right now."

Meng Chunsheng asked, "What will the final punishment be?"

“I’ve reviewed the materials, and the amount is not small. If she voluntarily surrenders her illegal gains, I will discuss with the comrades in the Discipline Inspection Commission and try to treat her leniently, perhaps only expelling her and not subjecting her to criminal punishment.”

Jiang Yiming said.

"Okay, Secretary, thank you for your consideration."

Meng Chunsheng knew that there was no room for maneuver in this matter, and this was the only way to handle it.

After discussions among the parties, a consensus was reached.

At the Standing Committee meeting, Li Ruhui, the secretary of the county discipline inspection commission, gave a brief report on the handling results.

"After the county's plan to optimize the business environment was issued, the Industry and Commerce Bureau failed to study the spirit of the document in a timely manner and its implementation was inadequate. There were still instances of staff members acting improperly and slowly, which seriously damaged the image of the Xichuan County government and undermined the optimization of the business environment. Wu Jie, who bears leadership responsibility, was given a party warning and ordered to strengthen the rectification of his unit. He is required to submit a rectification report to the county party committee and government one month later. Li Lan of the Administrative Approval Section was able to proactively confess her problems and surrender her illegal gains. Given the relatively minor harm caused, she was dismissed. The other staff members will be investigated and dealt with by the Industry and Commerce Bureau."

Li Ruhui continued, "Given the large number of people involved in the case from the County Food and Drug Administration and the substantial amount of money involved, I propose that the County Party Committee establish a special investigation team to conduct an in-depth investigation."

After Li Ruhui finished speaking, Jiang Yiming added two points and asked everyone to express their opinions.