"Teacher Wang, it's the same old saying, you don't understand the Chinese political arena," Chen Feng said, shaking his head.
"What do you mean?" Wang Ziwei asked curiously.
"Teacher Wang, you're not an outsider, so I'll be direct. This investigation into Director Zhou's classmate is just the tip of the iceberg." Chen Feng replied calmly.
"The tip of the iceberg? What does that mean?" Wang Ziwei was bewildered.
"Teacher Wang, think about it carefully. Director Zhou's classmate is merely a deputy director in the Religious Affairs Bureau, a sinecure. He has no conflict of interest with anyone. He only embezzled about fifty thousand in religious funds. Embezzling half a million yuan isn't even a big deal at the town level, let alone in the capital's political circles! Yet, why make such a fuss and arrest Director Zhou's classmate? Isn't it because the hunter aims not at the pheasant, but at the surrounding trees?" Chen Feng explained seriously.
"Chen Feng, now I understand what you mean. You're saying they want to use Director Zhou's classmate to send Director Zhou to prison?" Wang Ziwei probed.
"There's no other reason," Chen Feng replied calmly.
"Chen Feng, I still don't understand. I've interacted with Director Zhou, and he seems like a good person. Why would they want to send him to prison?" Wang Ziwei asked, looking confused.
"That's easy to explain. In the political arena, there's no right or wrong, no good or bad people, only those who stand on the wrong side. Clearly, Director Zhou stood on the wrong side." Chen Feng explained unhurriedly.
"How could Director Zhou, who reached the position of director, possibly stand on the wrong side?" Wang Ziwei continued, still confused.
"Teacher Wang, you still don't understand the political arena. Director Zhou is indeed a sharp individual. However, everyone in the capital's political arena is sharp, and among the sharp, there are even sharper ones. It's normal for Director Zhou to unknowingly stand on the wrong side. We often say that accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger, and it's the same in the political arena, walking on thin ice. No matter how careful you are, one slip-up and you can easily fall into a trap." Chen Feng explained earnestly.
"Chen Feng, hearing you say this, you seem to know a lot about the capital's political arena and Director Zhou. Can you tell me why Director Zhou stood on the wrong side?" Wang Ziwei asked, full of curiosity.
She had always known that the Chinese political arena was complex, but she never realized it was this complex. How complex? On the surface, it seemed calm, but in reality, it was full of undercurrents. Even the most powerful political figures could be ruined with one careless mistake. From this perspective, her decision not to enter politics in the first place was absolutely correct.
"Teacher Wang, some things are better left unsaid," Chen Feng advised Wang Ziwei.
"Chen Feng, if it were before, I might indeed be interested in these baffling political matters. But as your position in the political arena grows, from a deputy town mayor's driver to potentially becoming the mayor of a prefecture-level city, as your woman, how can I help you if I don't understand a bit about politics?" Wang Ziwei said seriously.
"Teacher Wang, since you've put it this way, I won't hide anything. I'll tell you the truth. The main reason Director Zhou was deliberately framed is that he is a staunch supporter of property tax." Chen Feng got straight to the point.
"Why did it suddenly turn to real estate? Weren't we talking about the expansion of administrative areas?" Wang Ziwei asked, feeling a bit dizzy.
"Director Zhou is indeed the director of the China Administrative Planning Bureau, but at the same time, he is also a firm supporter of property tax." Chen Feng continued to explain.
"Chen Feng, even if Director Zhou is a supporter of property tax, isn't that a good thing? China's real estate prices have been skyrocketing in recent years, causing widespread dissatisfaction. Implementing property tax collection is the best way to curb housing prices. It's a good thing! Why would Director Zhou be framed for supporting a good cause?" Wang Ziwei asked, utterly confused.
"Teacher Wang, it's the same thing I said before. In the political arena, there is no right or wrong, no good or bad, only interests. Director Zhou's support for property tax has encroached upon the interests of the big players." Chen Feng explained with a serious expression.
"Whose interests did it encroach upon? Don't the high-level officials in China want housing prices to fall?" Wang Ziwei continued to be confused.
"Teacher Wang, since you're not in the political arena, you naturally don't understand the deeper aspects of it. For example, regarding real estate, it's publicly stated that housing prices need to come down. However, in private, no one wants housing prices to fall, except for normal homebuyers. Merchants want to make more money through housing prices. High-level officials in China want to sell land at high prices. If property tax is collected, leading to a sharp drop in housing prices, how can land be sold at high prices?" Chen Feng continued to explain with a serious expression.
"That makes sense, but the problem is, this is different from what I see on television. The TV says they want everyone to be able to afford a house, so how come..." Wang Ziwei didn't finish her sentence.
"Teacher Wang, your political awareness is very low. What are political platitudes? They are just words, and you actually believe them? You're not an outsider, so I won't hold back. The reason for the persistently high housing prices in China is not the merchants, but... you're smart, you should understand. Ever since the Chinese high-level officials positioned real estate as a pillar industry, it was doomed from the start." Chen Feng said calmly and composedly.
In the beginning, Chen Feng was as naive as Wang Ziwei, believing whatever was said about the Chinese political arena. However, as he delved deeper into it, he discovered that it was entirely different. This was also the reason why China lacked strong development momentum. The common people at the grassroots level benefited little and lost their drive. When the broad masses at the grassroots level lose their drive, the country's development momentum becomes insufficient. If China is to surpass the United States in the next few decades, it must provide substantial benefits to the common people at the grassroots level; otherwise, it will be very difficult to surpass the United States. Of course, this is easier said than done, and extremely difficult to implement. The reason is simple: the Chinese political arena has always been this way, focusing only on the interests of a few, while the interests of the broad masses at the grassroots level are rarely paid attention to. He intended to rectify this major drawback of the Chinese political arena once he reached the higher echelons.
"Chen Feng, with your explanation, I've learned a lot again. It seems my intelligence is truly not suited for the political arena. By the way, Chen Feng, since you know why Director Zhou was set up, can you help him? To be honest, helping Director Zhou is also helping yourself. If Director Zhou escapes this setup, he can naturally proceed quickly with the administrative area expansion project in Mingshan City." Wang Ziwei urged seriously.
"Actually, Director Zhou's situation is not complicated," Chen Feng replied calmly.
"How so?"
"All Director Zhou needs to do is give up his idea of property tax, and they will naturally stop targeting him." Chen Feng stated everything clearly.
"I know Director Zhou's personality. It might be very difficult for him to change his mind..." Wang Ziwei replied with a frown.
"It is indeed very difficult. For someone of Director Zhou's status, once he has taken a stance, even if he knows that stance is wrong, he will stubbornly stick to it. However, nothing is absolute, and I have a way to make Director Zhou change this deeply ingrained idea." Chen Feng replied unhurriedly.
"Chen Feng, tell me, how do you plan to change Director Zhou's deeply rooted idea of supporting property tax?" Wang Ziwei asked with a serious and excited expression.
"All I need to do is have a face-to-face conversation with Director Zhou." Chen Feng said confidently.