At the Pinnacle of Power: My Insider Report Alarms Bigwigs in Beijing's Elite Circle

Lin Yi answered the phone after arriving in the living room.

Xu Shimeng's voice quickly rang out: "Lin Yi, I saw the news online about the conflict over the demolition of urban villages in Nanxia Canghe District. I asked Gao Shuai, and he said you're the one who made this news go viral online. Should I contact my friends at Xinhua News Agency and People's Daily to add fuel to the fire?"

"No need, I can handle it myself." Lin Yi declined his wife's offer. Once the official media got involved, the nature of the matter would change, and it would no longer be just a dispute over demolition.

Xu Shimeng said, "Okay, just let me know if you need anything."

"it is good."

Lin Yi hung up the phone and was about to turn around and go to the ward when he saw Zhou Xiaotian, secretary of the Canghe District Committee, and Qiu Haibo, director of the district public security bureau, appear at the door.

"Secretary Lin."

Zhou Xiaotian and Qiu Haibo greeted each other at the same time, but their expressions were different.

Qiu Haibo looked remorseful and guilty, like a child who had done something wrong and didn't know how to face his parents when he got home.

Zhou Xiaotian, on the other hand, looked uneasy, like those who had once sought his help, standing at the door of his office, unsure of how to begin.

Lin Yi put down his phone, frowned, and remained silent.

"Secretary Lin, after hearing the confession of Wang Tao, the ringleader of the disturbance in the urban village of Canghe District, I asked Zhang Biao, the captain of the Public Security Brigade of the District Public Security Bureau, to verify the specific situation. However, without consulting Director Qiu or me, Zhang Biao forcibly took Comrade Li Hui from his home without completing any procedures and illegally interrogated him, fabricating false evidence. Zhang Biao's behavior is extremely egregious. I have already spoken with Director Qiu, and the District Public Security Bureau must thoroughly investigate this matter and give Comrade Li Hui an explanation."

Zhou Xiaotian stood at the door, first pinning all the blame on Zhang Biao, making Zhang Biao take the fall, and trying to extricate himself from the situation.

Then, without waiting for Lin Yi to speak, he continued, "I'm sorry, Secretary Lin, because of my and the district committee and government's poor work, we have caused harm to Comrade Li Hui. Director Qiu and I, on behalf of the district committee and government, have come to apologize to Comrade Li Hui."

“Zhou Xiaotian, you don’t need to apologize to me. You should apologize to Li Hui on behalf of the district committee and government. Go to Li Hui’s ward and say it.” Lin Yi said expressionlessly, without stopping Zhou Xiaotian from apologizing to Li Hui.

Because Zhou Xiaotian doesn't represent himself personally, but rather the district committee and government, which is equivalent to representing the organization—Li Hui needs this apology to clear his name!

"Thank you, Secretary Lin."

Seeing that Lin Yi did not stop him, Zhou Xiaotian felt relieved and stepped into the living room.

Qiu Haibo followed behind Zhou Xiaotian, looking at Lin Yi, wanting to say something, but Lin Yi stopped him with a look.

Soon, Zhou Xiaotian brought Qiu Haibo into the ward and apologized to Li Hui.

Honest Chen Mo thought Zhou Xiaotian was too hypocritical and disgusting, so he stepped forward and stood behind Lin Yi.

Soon, Zhou Xiaotian apologized as if he had completed a task, and returned to the living room.

Then, he walked up to Lin Yi, bowed slightly, and said, "Secretary Lin, I'm so sorry, our district committee and government haven't done their job well and have caused you trouble!"

“Zhou Xiaotian, you don’t represent the Canghe District Committee and Government in my eyes!” Lin Yi said coldly.

Geek!

Zhou Xiaotian's heart skipped a beat, and anxiety and unease surged into his heart again. His expression changed, and he quickly pleaded, "Secretary Lin, I was wrong. I promise you, nothing like this will ever happen again!"

"Haha, really?"

Lin Yi laughed. "Zhou Xiaotian, you didn't say this when I called you. I remember you swearing that the evidence against me for orchestrating the conflict in the urban village of Canghe District was irrefutable and that it was absolutely impossible for me to be framed! You even said that my methods were underhanded, right?"

"—"

Zhou Xiaotian was as if he had been electrocuted; his body trembled uncontrollably, his mind went blank, and he was completely speechless.

"—"

Qiu Haibo and Chen Mo were speechless. They couldn't imagine how much fake alcohol Zhou Xiaotian had drunk when he talked to Lin Yi on the phone to dare to say such things!

At the same time, they looked at Qiu Haibo with strange expressions, as if to say: Zhou Xiaotian, you are really brave!

"Secretary Lin..."

After a brief moment of awkward silence, Zhou Xiaotian swallowed hard, trying to say something again.

however--

This time, before he could finish speaking, Lin Yi's smile vanished, and he said coldly, "You can get lost!"

Finished!

Faced with Lin Yi's humiliation, Zhou Xiaotian understood that Lin Yi refused to accept the apology, would not forgive, and would not show any mercy!

This result made his heart jump into his throat again, and his calves trembled uncontrollably as if they were cramping.

He wanted to say something more, but seeing Lin Yi's slightly furrowed brows, he swallowed back the words he was about to say, turned around and left with a pale face.

Zhou Xiaotian didn't know how he left that room. He was like a walking corpse, and he arrived at the downstairs of the inpatient department in a daze. Three words kept flashing through his mind: What should I do?

It got dark, the wind picked up, and Zhou Xiaotian felt chilled to the bone.

Desperate, he mustered his courage and dialed the phone of Chen Yunfan, the municipal party secretary: "Secretary... this afternoon I went to the district public security bureau's public order brigade and told Qiu Haibo that I demanded the district public security bureau thoroughly investigate Zhang Biao's illegal and irregular summons and interrogation of Li Hui. Then I took Qiu Haibo to the hospital to visit Li Hui and apologized to him on behalf of the district party committee and government..."

"Speak the key."

Chen Yunfan impatiently interrupted Zhou Xiaotian.

Zhou Xiaotian nervously swallowed and said, "Secretary, I ran into Lin Yi at the hospital and apologized to him, but he refused to accept it..."

"Beep...beep..."

Before Zhou Xiaotian could finish speaking, the call was cut off.

Since Zhou Xiaotian had already revealed Lin Yi's attitude, his subsequent words were meaningless to Chen Yunfan!

Upon realizing the call had been cut off, Zhou Xiaotian felt like a drowning man who had lost his last lifeline, or as if all his strength had been drained. He collapsed onto the flowerbed steps downstairs in the hospital ward, his face filled with despair. Anyone who didn't know him would think that his loved ones had died.

In fact, for Zhou Xiaotian, who was single-mindedly focused on climbing the social ladder, his feelings at this moment were even more painful than if his parents had died!

On the other hand, Chen Yunfan was also in a bad mood.

Although he was mentally prepared, believing that given Lin Yi's assertive style, he wouldn't let Zhou Xiaotian off easily, he still felt very upset when the result came out.

Because Zhou Xiaotian was the person he heavily promoted after arriving in Nanxia, ​​essentially his most trusted confidant!

Besides, Zhou Xiaotian is in the same camp as him.

Should we protect Zhou Xiaotian or not?

For him, this is a problem, but even more so, a test!

A few minutes later, Chen Yunfan regained his composure and dialed Lin Yi's number: "Comrade Lin Yi, I heard you're back?"

"Secretary Chen, my secretary was forcibly taken from her home, drugged with hallucinogens, forced to give false testimony, and framed for secretly planning the conflict in the urban village of Canghe District. If I don't come back soon, will the staff of Building 3 in the Municipal Party Committee compound be replaced?" Lin Yi asked coldly.

Chen Yunfan said with a grim expression, "Comrade Lin Yi, I already know about this matter, and I have specifically called the Municipal Public Security Bureau, demanding that they thoroughly investigate this matter and severely punish the personnel of the Canghe District Public Security Bureau who violated discipline and the law!"

"Secretary Chen, according to the information I have, Zhang Biao, the captain of the Public Security Brigade of Canghe District Public Security Bureau, was instructed by Zhou Xiaotian, the secretary of the district party committee, to investigate Li Hui. What do you plan to do with Zhou Xiaotian?" Lin Yi put the question on the table directly, asking Chen Yunfan to explain.

Faced with Lin Yi's assertiveness, Chen Yunfan felt aggrieved, but he could only bite the bullet and say, "Well then, Comrade Lin Yi, regarding the conflict over the demolition of urban villages in Canghe District and the series of events that followed, I will organize a meeting of the Party Secretary's Office to discuss a solution with Mayor Huihuang."

"Don't even mention holding a secretary's office meeting, even if it's a provincial party committee standing committee meeting, Zhou Xiaotian must be dealt with—that's my opinion!"

Lin Yi made his stance very clear:

Chen Yunfan, I've gone all-in. Either you let me take the pot—deal with Zhou Xiaotian—or you accept my all-in and we'll settle this in one game!