Why did you disagree in Chapter 2902?

"Yes, the province hopes that Shazhou can resolve this matter itself, minimizing the impact and avoiding making a big fuss. But Secretary Jiang, do you think the provincial leaders also don't want to get involved?"

"Let Shazhou handle this themselves. If they handle it well and it doesn't cause any trouble, then it's fine. But if they don't handle it well, then the province will push all the responsibility onto us," Qin Feng asked Jiang Longjun.

"Duan Peng came over and chatted with me for a while before the meeting." Jiang Longjun did not answer Qin Feng's question.

"What did he say?" Qin Feng asked after taking a drag of his cigarette.

"You've seen his attitude, he wants to shift all the blame for Shao Hongli's death onto Shazhou City. He can shift it, but we can't," Jiang Longjun sighed.

"They can't just shirk their responsibility, can they? The direct cause of Shao Hongli's death was their disciplinary committee's investigation, and everyone knows perfectly well why Shao Hongli died—there must have been a problem on their end that leaked information. If we're really going to assign blame, they're in a much bigger position than us," Qin Feng said.

“Yes, so they believe that Shao Hongli committed suicide out of fear of punishment, rather than being murdered to silence him.” Jiang Longjun said, then added, “Although Duan Peng said it, he wouldn’t have the guts to make a decision on this matter if the main leaders of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection hadn’t expressed their opinion. And you also have to understand that if the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection has this attitude, it means that the provincial party committee leaders also have this idea.” Jiang Longjun finally circled back to this issue.

"What is Secretary Zhao's opinion?" Jiang Longjun then asked Qin Feng.

"Secretary Zhao's opinion is very important in this matter," Jiang Longjun emphasized.

Jiang Longjun clearly understood that Qin Feng would definitely report such a big matter to Zhao Hongjian and keep each other informed, just as Jiang Longjun had also immediately called his superior to report.

"Secretary Zhao didn't give specific instructions on how to do it, he only mentioned the importance of stability," Qin Feng said calmly.

The word "stable" answers everything.

Jiang Longjun nodded, then looked at Qin Feng: "Now that things are clear, how do we get over this hurdle?"

“Shao Hongli must have committed suicide out of fear of punishment. If it really turned out to be murder to cover it up, no one could cover it up.”

"Qin Feng, first Qi Yaqiu died in a car accident, now Shao Hongli committed suicide, and at the same time, a member of the Standing Committee and a vice mayor are suspected of serious violations of laws and regulations. It's not certain whether the two of us can withstand it. If it is found that Shao Hongli was murdered to silence him, without a doubt, I, as the municipal party secretary, will definitely have to step down, and you, as mayor, won't fare much better."

“Even if we don’t care about personal gains and losses, the other comrades in Shazhou will not allow us to do this. More importantly, the province will never allow the fact that Shao Hongli was murdered to happen. You understand this better than I do.”

"Qin Feng, this is not the time to play the hero. This is a matter of principle, a political matter, and there is no room for jokes." Jiang Longjun said very seriously.

After listening to Jiang Longjun's words, Qin Feng leaned back in his chair and smoked. He understood what Jiang Longjun had said.

“I am very dissatisfied with Feng Changjun’s statement at the meeting. His political awareness is too poor. Shao Hongli committed suicide out of fear of punishment. This is not negotiable, and this matter cannot be delayed any longer.”

"The province is urging us for a conclusion. All our follow-up work needs to continue, and the discipline inspection commission also needs this conclusion to carry out its work. Moreover, if we don't determine the nature of the case immediately, the longer it drags on, the greater the possibility of something unexpected happening."

“You have ordered a complete blockade of this matter, but some things cannot be completely blocked. So we can only act decisively and resolve this matter as soon as possible to put our minds at ease.”

"There's another issue I don't know if you've thought about. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's supervisory team has arrived in Xidu. They've come specifically for the cases of Ding Wenbo and Shao Hongli. Although the provincial discipline inspection commission is investigating the case, with the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's supervisory team there, no one can really act freely."

“First there was Qi Yaqiu’s car accident, and now there’s Shao Hongli’s death. If we can’t close Shao Hongli’s case as soon as possible, I’m afraid the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection will suspect something. If we drag the case out and get the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection involved, we won’t even have a chance to regret it.”

"Qin Feng, this matter cannot be delayed. We must determine the nature of Shao Hongli's case and close it as quickly as possible, and then hand the case over to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection for investigation. We must extricate ourselves from this case as soon as possible." Although Jiang Longjun spoke to Qin Feng politely, his words were very serious and forceful, leaving no room for negotiation.

“Secretary Jiang, I understand these principles, and that’s how I’ve arranged all my work. Just like Secretary Zhao said, everything is about maintaining stability.”

"I know you're very dissatisfied with Feng Changjun for not directly stating today that Shao Hongli committed suicide. Actually, before coming here, I convened a meeting with relevant comrades from the municipal government to specifically discuss this matter. Jiang Yunpeng, Feng Changjun, and other relevant comrades were all present. At the meeting, I clearly demanded that the Public Security Bureau must classify this case as a suicide and close it as soon as possible," Qin Feng said, half-jokingly.

"However, neither Jiang Yunpeng nor Feng Changjun agreed, and even other comrades in our municipal government disagreed, so this decision encountered great resistance within our organization." Qin Feng changed the subject.

"Disagree? Why not?" Jiang Longjun frowned.

“Secretary Jiang, everyone knows in their hearts that Shao Hongli could not possibly have committed suicide out of fear of punishment. Although the Public Security Bureau has not found any clear evidence of murder so far, it has found some suspicious clues.”

“Shao Hongli is no ordinary person, and this case is no ordinary case either. Not only is the Provincial Party Committee paying close attention to this case, but the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection is also concerned about it. If we conclude that it was a suicide now, who will bear the responsibility if this case is brought up again someday?”

"Jiang Yunpeng doesn't dare to do it, Feng Changjun doesn't want to do it, and you saw Comrade Liu Yunbing's attitude today; he doesn't want to get involved at all. Who would be willing to do something that brings no benefit but also carries huge risks?" Qin Feng bluntly stated his position.

“Mayor, you are sometimes too lenient. If we always have to rely on their own political awareness to take responsibility, then no work can be done. This is not a question of whether Feng Changjun and Jiang Yunpeng are willing to do it or not, but that they must do it. Since they are in this position, they must bear the responsibilities that come with it. What use are cadres who cannot take responsibility?”

"Mayor, it's time to show some backbone. Some things are not open to negotiation," Jiang Longjun said, pointing at Qin Feng.