"District Chief Qin, if it were up to me, I'd want Jiang Tian locked up in prison forever. That man is thoroughly wicked. But the issue is, operating in official circles isn't like living our everyday lives. When you're dealing with power, you have to consider many different aspects. For instance, Jiang Tian's powerful connections behind him…"
Chen Feng explained calmly.
"Jiang Tian's crimes have all come to light. If we send him to prison, no matter how strong his connections are, what can they say?"
Qin Yan asked, clearly puzzled.
"Jiang Tian's guilt is indeed proven beyond doubt, and he can certainly be imprisoned. Even if his connections make a fuss, it won't be effective, and we can still deal with him. But the problem is, we make enemies. Think about it carefully. If Jiang Tian is truly imprisoned, won't the reputation of his connections be damaged? Once their reputation is damaged, they will definitely resent us. Furthermore, those who are connected to these powerful figures must have good relationships with them. If we forcefully imprison Jiang Tian, it means we are not giving these powerful figures face. In the world of power, 'face' is paramount. Having your face slapped is a very serious matter. From the perspective of developing in power, it's better not to imprison Jiang Tian. Let him live a life of wealth. This way, we can prevent Jiang Tian from harming the official circles further and also give ample face to Jiang Tian's connections. Although these influential figures might not thank us, they certainly won't oppose us."
Chen Feng explained patiently.
"Chen Feng, your viewpoint is quite different from your past thinking. Didn't you used to say that bad people must be eradicated completely? And you had to be ruthless. But now…"
Qin Yan asked, full of confusion.
"District Chief Qin, I was indeed like that before, unable to tolerate any imperfections. When I encountered bad people in power, I wished I could round them all up. Not only did I think that way, but I also acted on it. But what was the result? I made more and more enemies, to the point where it became difficult to take a step forward. Think about it, if we are blocked by numerous enemies, how can we advance? How can we fight against the bad people in power? Therefore, from a long-term perspective, some things require compromise and skill. Blindly acting with just passion is not enough."
Chen Feng explained earnestly.
"Chen Feng, you've truly matured. You no longer act solely on passion and faith, but you also pay great attention to methods and approaches."
Qin Yan looked at Chen Feng with a relieved expression.
"Alright, District Chief Qin, the incident of the three buildings collapsing is over. Let's not dwell on it anymore. By the way, District Chief Qin, in a week, we'll be returning to the Ming Shan City leadership. Since we have some free time, how about you, Cheng Lu, and I find a place to have some fun?"
Chen Feng said with a smile.
"Chen Feng, it can only be you and Cheng Lu who go on a trip to nearby tourist attractions. You might not have time."
Qin Yan said with a meaningful tone.
"Did something happen in Wuzhou District?"
Chen Feng asked, following the lead.
"Yes, it's like this. Recently, at the Wuzhou District Petition Bureau, I received a report of a very serious issue. The pollution incident at Dashan Lake in Wuzhou District. Dashan Lake is the source of drinking water for Wuzhou District, and it's also the only bit of agricultural water for Wuzhou District. However, someone reported that the water source of Dashan Lake has been severely polluted in the last one or two months…"
Qin Yan explained word by word.
Originally, the three of them were about to leave Wuzhou District, and they could have feigned ignorance about this matter.
However, Chen Feng's personality was not like that. He would eventually find out about the pollution of Dashan Lake in Wuzhou District.
Once Chen Feng knew about the pollution of Dashan Lake, he would definitely not let it go.
After much thought, it was better to let Chen Feng handle the Dashan Lake issue cleanly before they returned to Ming Shan City together.
"That's unlikely, isn't it? In Hua Xia, not only the capital but also various regions are advocating for 'lucid waters and lush mountains being more valuable than mountains of gold and silver.' How could Wuzhou District dare to defy the general trend?"
Chen Feng said with confusion.
"Chen Feng, you are an old hand in official circles. You should know that in power, people are capable of anything for the sake of profit. The Dashan Lake pollution incident is mainly the work of the deputy district chief in charge of economic affairs…"
Qin Yan explained earnestly.
"District Chief Qin, I roughly understand what's going on. Please rest assured and go have fun at the nearby attractions with Cheng Lu for a few days. I will handle the Dashan Lake pollution issue in Wuzhou District."
Chen Feng reassured Qin Yan.
"With you handling it, I'm definitely at ease."
Qin Yan said with a smile.
After speaking, Qin Yan went to find Cheng Lu.
For Qin Yan, Chen Feng, after years of struggle and hardship, was no longer the deputy town head's driver he used to be. His talent in official circles and his ability to handle matters were already extraordinary.
The minor pollution incident at Dashan Lake in Wuzhou District was a piece of cake for Chen Feng.
Chen Feng didn't hesitate and went to Dashan Lake immediately.
After a round of inspection, Chen Feng discovered a problem.
There were no sewage discharge issues near Dashan Lake.
The water was very clear.
Chen Feng couldn't help but wonder about one thing.
Was Qin Yan's information wrong, or was there an informant in the Wuzhou District officialdom? The polluting enterprises near Dashan Lake knew he was coming for an inspection, so they closed down their factories in advance.
After a moment of thought, Chen Feng chose to believe Qin Yan.
The reason was simple: all women in the world might deceive him, but Qin Yan wouldn't.
Although Qin Yan's talent in official circles was not very high, her heart was pure, and she wouldn't joke about such a major issue.
Therefore, the only explanation was that there was an informant in the Wuzhou District officialdom.
Thus, Chen Feng decided.
In a few more days, he would secretly inspect Dashan Lake at night.
To lull the informant into a false sense of security, Chen Feng deliberately played golf during the day, adopting the posture of stepping down as the head of the Wuzhou District Development and Reform Bureau.
"Elder Ming, look, Chen Feng, this troublemaker, plays golf every day. He probably won't notice our pollution, right?"
A few small chemical factories whispered to the deputy district chief in charge of economic affairs, Deputy District Chief Ming.
"Are you that impatient? Chen Feng is leaving for Ming Shan City in a few days. Once the three of them are completely gone, then you can start working."
Deputy District Chief Ming advised the chemical factory owners.
"Elder Ming, in recent years, many places in Hua Xia no longer allow chemical factories to operate, leading to very high profits for chemical factories. To avoid suspicion, we deliberately moved our chemical factories up the mountain and have been very careful. Chen Feng is only concerned with playing now. If we secretly start operating, the problem shouldn't be too big."
The owners of several chemical factories said, their eyes gleaming with greed.
"You all don't understand Chen Feng. This man has issues with his brain. Others seek office for money, but he doesn't. He's for the common people and is willing to forgo promotion. Therefore, you absolutely cannot operate your chemical factories near Dashan Lake as long as Chen Feng is still in Wuzhou District."
Deputy District Chief Ming said with a serious expression.
"But, Deputy District Chief Ming, stopping work for a day means losing a lot of money. We were thinking of buying you a luxury car with the profits we make these days."
Several chemical factory owners said tentatively.
"That's true, earning so much in a day and then suddenly stopping is too much of a shame. How about this, you can continue polluting all night and then close the factory gates during the day. It will be as if nothing happened. Even if Chen Feng cares about the common people, he won't go to Dashan Lake in the middle of the night. At worst, even if he goes to Dashan Lake in the middle of the night, we have guards stationed at every three steps and sentries at every two steps. By the time he reaches Dashan Lake, we would have already packed up and stopped the machines…"
Deputy District Chief Ming said triumphantly.