"First, Sun Jiadong dared to report under his real name, so he must have known that Miao Qifeng and Wu Luozhong were at odds. Otherwise, who would dare to report under their real name? In the Chinese political arena, let alone reporting under one's real name, even anonymous reporting carries a high risk of retaliation. Sun Jiadong's willingness to report under his real name means he is absolutely certain that Wu Luozhong and Miao Qifeng have fallen out, allowing him to reap the benefits without danger. Furthermore, the details also indicate that Wu Luozhong and Miao Qifeng have indeed fallen out. You can inquire; Miao Qifeng has not allowed Wu Luozhong to attend several important meetings recently, which signifies that the two are no longer close allies," Chen Feng explained patiently.
"Chen Feng, your explanation has some merit. However, bringing down Wu Luozhong is a highly risky endeavor. I need to be a hundred percent sure before I proceed. Your explanation only partially convinces me, not completely. Think harder, do you have any evidence that would make me absolutely certain that Wu Luozhong and Miao Qifeng have fallen out?" the department leader probed.
"Hmm, let me think. Ah, yes, I have one more piece of evidence that proves they have indeed fallen out. You can call the provincial water resources department right now and ask if the large reservoir in the suburbs of the provincial capital has been halted." Chen Feng replied promptly.
"Even if the reservoir in the provincial capital's suburbs has stopped construction, what does that prove?" the department leader asked, puzzled.
"Leader, you are an old hand in politics and should know a principle. When two people fall out, they try to distance themselves from past joint ventures. The large reservoir in the provincial capital's suburbs was the biggest project recently approved by Wu Luozhong and Miao Qifeng. It's safe to assume that both of them pocketed a significant amount of money from this project. Now that they have fallen out, Miao Qifeng will definitely secretly halt this major project to avoid being implicated. If they hadn't fallen out, Miao Qifeng wouldn't be afraid of anyone using this project to implicate him. As the top leader of the provincial capital and having a good relationship with the second-in-command, he was practically invincible and fearless. Having fallen out with the second-in-command, he naturally has to be cautious about certain matters."
"Chen Feng, I didn't quite believe my subordinates when they said you were a political rising star and an extraordinary young man. Now, I believe them. Your mind is truly remarkable, and your analysis of the political arena is very astute. However, I have one lingering question."
"Leader, please feel free to ask whatever is on your mind."
"As far as I know, Wu Luozhong and Miao Qifeng have been good partners for years. Why did they suddenly fall out recently? Shouldn't they continue to cooperate?" the department leader asked, looking puzzled.
"Leader, that's also easy to explain. There's no banquet that lasts forever. In the political arena, there are no true friends, only interests. For the past few years, their interests aligned, and thus they could be the best of friends. However, recently, their interests have clashed, leading to their fallout. As for the specific nature of this conflict, it's truly impossible to guess, as Miao Qifeng and Wu Luozhong are the highest-ranking officials in the provincial capital, and their interests differ greatly from ours," Chen Feng said, deliberately omitting his own involvement.
"With your explanation, I know what to do," the department leader said with relief.
Chen Feng didn't delay the department leader's swift actions and left the provincial disciplinary department immediately.
Thus, three days later, the relevant authorities, with lightning speed, apprehended Wu Luozhong.
At the moment of Wu Luozhong's arrest, he was completely bewildered. He was the second-in-command of the provincial capital; how could he be arrested without any warning?
"Are you guys sure you have the right person?" Wu Luozhong questioned with a frown.
"The arrest warrant is very clear, stating the immediate arrest of the provincial capital's second-in-command. There's no mistake," the arresting officers replied calmly.
"If you know I'm the provincial capital's second-in-command, how dare you arrest me so brazenly?" Wu Luozhong stared intently at the arresting officers.
"Wu Luozhong, you are already a prisoner and cannot escape. So, we won't hide anything. You have been reported under your real name by Sun Jiadong. As an old hand in the Chinese political arena, you should know how powerful a real-name report is. Accept your fate, Wu Luozhong. Sun Jiadong has provided most of the evidence of your crimes," the arresting officers said with a cold smile.
"What? Sun Jiadong reported me? How is that possible? He's just the director of the finance bureau, and I'm the provincial capital's second-in-command. How could he have the guts to report me?" Wu Luozhong shook his head frantically.
"Wu Luozhong, do you still need to question this? The reason Sun Jiadong dared to do this is because he has powerful backing. Your partner, the provincial capital's top leader, has sold you out. Without his tacit approval, even if Sun Jiadong had ten thousand times the courage, he wouldn't dare to report you under his real name," the arresting officers elaborated.
Wu Luozhong was not foolish. After the arresting officers' explanation, he instantly understood what was happening. So, it was Miao Qifeng's doing.
"Let's go. I'll go back with you. I want to expose Miao Qifeng's wrongdoings," Wu Luozhong said fiercely.
"Wu Luozhong, you've truly wasted your years in politics. Why would you expose Miao Qifeng's crimes?" the arresting officers said with a mocking smile.
"No one told me to expose Miao Qifeng's crimes. However, Miao Qifeng has indeed committed crimes, and I have evidence of his crimes," Wu Luozhong stated assertively.
"Wu Luozhong, Wu Luozhong, you are truly confused. In China, do you think arresting a corrupt official is solely because that official committed a crime? Let me tell you, most officials in China have engaged in wrongdoing. If they were to be arrested, they would all be taken down. Corrupt officials are truly arrested as a means of eliminating rivals. Simply put, you obstructed Miao Qifeng, and possibly other powerful figures' interests, and therefore, you must go to prison. It's that simple," the arresting officers replied coldly.
"Then, what if I insist on reporting him?" Wu Luozhong had nothing left to lose.
"You can report him, but the outcome is already decided. Your report will be handled as a separate case and will eventually be dropped. Why do something futile?" the arresting officers shook their heads.
Wu Luozhong was speechless. The arresting officers' words made perfect sense.
"Um, I can go with you, and I won't report Miao Qifeng. Could I possibly make a phone call to Miao Qifeng? I want to know how I died." Wu Luozhong said with utmost seriousness.
"That's no problem. You can call now, but you only have one minute," the arresting officers gestured for Wu Luozhong to make the call.
Wu Luozhong immediately dialed Miao Qifeng's number.
"Miao Qifeng, why would you do this?" Wu Luozhong asked directly.
"I didn't want to do this either."
"But you have done this. Why is that? We have cooperated for over ten years, and you sold me out like this?" Wu Luozhong asked indignantly.
"Wu Luozhong, since things have come to this, I won't hide anything anymore. The reason you are in this situation is primarily because you offended someone you shouldn't have."
"Are you saying I offended you? I don't think I offended you, do I?" Wu Luozhong asked, confused.
"You didn't offend me. We have always been good partners. You offended Chen Feng."
"Chen Feng? The vice-mayor of Ming City?" Wu Luozhong suddenly understood.