novelraw Chapter 1500 - 1500
Chapter 1500 - 1500
"Sit."
Song Guanchao thoughtfully pulled out a chair for him, then sat across from him.
He personally poured a cup of tea, placed it in front of him, and said, "That journalist will not report anything externally."
Ji Cheng reached out for the tea cup but suddenly paused, his mind racing as he analyzed the meaning behind Song Guanchao's words.
Song Guanchao could probably guess what Ji Cheng was thinking and smiled, "I just don't want Secretary Ji to misunderstand."
"Inviting the reporter over wasn't truly to subject Gulou District to negative public opinion."
"From what I know, the owner of the cafeteria at No. 1 Middle School has some connections with Yang District Chief."
"I just want to uncover the truth. If the leadership of No. 1 Middle School had cooperated proactively from the beginning, none of these issues would have arisen."
"But as Secretary Ji can see, the situation is now getting more complex and chaotic."
He shook his head, "The problems at No. 1 Middle School are serious, and it's a good opportunity to make significant rectifications. I hope Secretary Ji can help and cooperate."
Ji Cheng understood; his target was Yang Jian. He was simply looking to make things difficult for Yang Jian.
He didn't care how Song Guanchao targeted Yang Jian unless the matter was leaked online.
"If Director Song needs my assistance, feel free to ask."
"I don't have much influence elsewhere, but in Gulou District, I still have some say."
Ji Cheng raised his tea cup and drank it all.
With Song Guanchao's promise, Ji Cheng's low mood also recovered.
As for Yang Jian's fate, why should he care?
After finishing a pot of tea, Song Guanchao stood up as well, "Secretary Ji, I have some matters to handle. Once everything is resolved, let's have a proper drink."
"Sure."
Ji Cheng and Song Guanchao left the tea room with smiles and drove off in their respective cars.
Sitting in the car, Song Guanchao's phone rang with a call from Liang Jiajia.
"I've found out," Liang Jiajia said. "The cafeteria owner is named Qian Guangchang, and behind him is Yang Jian."
After a pause, she asked, "You know who Yang Jian is, right?"
"Yes, the Chief of Gulou District," Song Guanchao asked, "What is their relationship?"
Liang Jiajia said, "Qian Guangchang's sister is Yang Jian's mistress."
Song Guanchao scoffed, another one of those messy relationships.
He was not surprised at all.
In the world of politics or business, as long as interests are involved, there are almost always familiar relationships.
And if an official is helping to illegally contract government projects or school cafeterias, it's either to arrange for relatives and friends or because they've accepted benefits from others.
There's no way they'd give it to an unrelated stranger.
This also explains why Yang Jian's reaction was so intense.
Song Guanchao asked, "Have the specific causes of the food poisoning been found out?"
Liang Jiajia affirmed, "The cafeteria procurement bought expired supplies for kickbacks, which led to the issue."
"Has the procurement officer been arrested?"
"Yes," Liang Jiajia said. "He confessed to the criminal act without any dispute."
Song Guanchao inquired, "Is Qian Guangchang the legal representative of the cafeteria?"
"Yes."
"Was he actually involved?"
"No."
"No?" Song Guanchao frowned. As the legal representative, there is associated responsibility.
But if he wasn't personally involved, it mostly results in detention and fines, with almost no criminal liability.
Knowing what he was thinking, Liang Jiajia said, "Even though he wasn't involved, the nature of this incident is heinous. More than seventy students were poisoned, making it a major accident. He has to bear some criminal responsibility, even if he wasn't directly involved."
Upon hearing this, Song Guanchao breathed a sigh of relief, "Then let's go for a public prosecution."
After hanging up, Song Guanchao called Zhou Xingjian, "Old Zhou, contact the students' parents and have them come to the school."
Zhou Xingjian's heart leapt with joy; did he just call me Old Zhou?
This change in title signified that Song Guanchao fully considered him as one of his own.
"Alright, I'll contact them right away."
"Also, have those homeroom teachers come over as well."
"Okay!"
Next, Song Guanchao called Ji Cheng, who had just left.
He quickly recounted the situation of the case and finally said, "Secretary Ji, please come to No. 1 Middle School. We need to discuss something."
"Sure."
After contacting Ji Cheng, he called Yang Jian.
Receiving a call from Song Guanchao, Yang Jian doubted his own eyes.
"Director Song?"
"Yang District Chief, please come to No. 1 Middle School. We have something to discuss."
Discuss?
Yang Jian was overjoyed, thinking that Ji Cheng had found someone to soften Song Guanchao's stance.
"Okay!"
Afterward, Song Guanchao also contacted Director Hao from the Education Bureau, asking him to come over as well.
...
The tea room was very close to the school; Song Guanchao only had to drive across two intersections to arrive.
He waited in the parking lot for a few minutes before Ji Cheng arrived.
"Director Song, what do you need me to do?"
He didn't expect Song Guanchao's efficiency to be so high; from the food poisoning incident to today, only two days had passed before handing it over to the judiciary.
In fact, the case was straightforward; the complexity lay in the relationships behind the cafeteria owner.
Such cases typically drag on for a year or more due to these relationships.
They needed to coordinate, resolving the case without offending the people behind those relationships.
This kind of nepotism is the biggest obstacle for law enforcers in the enforcement process.
But with Song Guanchao, he cut through all this directly, regardless of who was behind them, by strictly following the legal procedure.
But Ji Cheng also understood that although Song Guanchao seemed to handle it simply and easily, he was the only one who could manage it this way.
As they walked, Song Guanchao said, "I have invited the parents of the students, they're coming to the school soon."
"I plan to inform them that the City Government will work with the District Committee and District Government to form an investigative team to look into potential corruption issues at No. 1 Middle School."
"I hope Secretary Ji can cooperate."
Ji Cheng knitted his brow slightly and said, "I can take charge of the District Committee's cooperation, but as for the District Government..."
Song Guanchao replied, "District Chief Yang will be here later; I'll talk to him."
Ji Cheng gave him a curious look.
How would he talk to Yang Jian?
Would Yang Jian agree?
But since he didn't elaborate, Ji Cheng didn't inquire further.
When they reached the base of the teaching building, Zhou Xingjian was already waiting.
"Director Song, I've had the homeroom teachers of each class contact the parents. Roughly estimated, everyone should be here around twelve o'clock."
It was only then that Song Guanchao noticed it was already noon.
He had been busy all morning, hadn't eaten, and didn't even feel hungry.
"Order some meals," said Song Guanchao. "Some parents might come over without having had lunch."
"Alright," Zhou Xingjian started ordering food.
As the Deputy Director of the City Government Office, he wouldn't typically do this kind of work, but he didn't mind.
The more frequently Song Guanchao used him, the more it represented the trust placed in him.
While he was ordering meals, several homeroom teachers came downstairs.
"Director Zhou..." seeing him on the phone, the homeroom teachers fell silent, then noticed both Song Guanchao and Ji Cheng.
They didn't recognize Ji Cheng, but they had seen Song Guanchao before.
"Director Song."
"Hello," Song Guanchao smiled at them, "Finished contacting them?"
"Yes."
Song Guanchao asked, "Is there a vacant large classroom available at the school?"
"Yes," one of the homeroom teachers said. "There's one in the Diligent Study Building."
Song Guanchao said, "Let's head over there first, and later, have the parents go there directly as well."