Chapter 13 of Volume 1: All Officials Are Prisoners

  Also, I beg of you brothers, don't look down on the new book's vulgar title; tearful)

  When Shen Hua rushed out, Wu Haifeng frowned and was about to erupt.

  However, the situation took a drastic turn for the worse.

  Shen Hua directly pointed out that Chen Mingde's cause of death was a sudden heart attack caused by taking a cold shower, which left Wu Haifeng somewhat unprepared.

  Then, the deputy minister of the provincial organization department, Tan Qiping, put his hand on Shen Huai's shoulder and asked about the situation. Wu Haifeng was even more shocked, as if his heart had been violently squeezed, and he couldn't react for a moment.

  In Wu Haifeng's impression, Shen Huai is an uneducated and brainless young man. Chen Mingde only kept him by his side to take care of him for some special reasons.

  Wu Haifeng didn't think that Shen Hua's brief stay on the second floor could reveal any suspicious points, so when Shen Hua rushed out at this time, it was very likely a play staged by Tan Qiping and Shen Hua in secret collusion!

  Wu Haifeng suddenly felt his situation become both embarrassing and perilous.

  Chen Mingde's death was reported by him through a phone call to the province, and he was vague about Chen Mingde's cause of death.

  Since Tan Qiping secretly instructed Shen Hua to jump out and stir up trouble at this time, it is very likely that the province has decided to suppress this matter and not give Donghua any room for bargaining.

  Wu Haifeng couldn't understand why the provincial government was doing this, but he found that he had no way out.

  If he just yielded like this, the province must investigate his responsibility for being vague about Chen Mingde's death and intentionally making the province passive.

  The greatest crime of this era is not something else, but that you dare to resist me! The means are also very despicable.

  If he left such an impression on the province, Wu Haifeng knew that his political career would be over.

  Can't give in immediately, so I can only confirm two points: one is that Chen Mingde twice expressed his opinion that the hotel did not provide hot water at noon; the second is that there was no sign of a shower in the bathroom...

  If it's like this, isn't it openly opposing the province and forcing them to formally investigate this matter?

  Wu Haifeng realized from the start that being ambiguous about Chen Mingde's cause of death was a risky move.

  It wasn't until Shen Huai suddenly burst out and truly forced him into a dead end that Wu Haifeng finally realized how great the risk he had taken was.

  Shen Hua's sudden appearance, as well as the tacit understanding between Shen Hua and Tan Qiping at that time, also made Gao Tianhe, Ge Yongqiu, Peng Yong and others both shocked and suspicious.

  Especially Ge Yongqiu and Peng Yong, after all, they have a guilty conscience. Shen Huai directly pointed out that Chen Mingde's death was caused by taking a cold shower, which made them even more panicked, as if they had been stripped bare in broad daylight...

  "Three days ago, Mayor Chen led a team to inspect the city's steel plant. On that day, an accident occurred at the steel plant and I was unfortunately injured by a falling worker. Although it wasn't serious, Mayor Chen insisted that I stay in the hospital for observation for a few days, so I haven't been by his side these past few days,"

  Shen Huai bowed his head and poured out his heart, his emotions fluctuating wildly these past few days. Tears came easily to him, making him appear sincere and genuine. However, when Tan Qiping placed a hand on his shoulder, the anxiety that had been hanging in his throat slightly dissipated. Regardless of what Er Bo said behind his back, at least he had mentioned himself to Tan Qiping, which made the rest of the performance easier to get through.

  Shen Huai continued with a sobbing tone:

  "I now hate myself, they say that a minor injury doesn't warrant leaving the front line, but I abandoned my heavy responsibility of taking care of Mayor Chen just because of a small shoulder injury... and even the news of Mayor Chen's death was told to me by Secretary Ge..."

  Wu Haifeng was about to interrogate Shen Huai, asking him how he could be certain that Chen Mingde had died from illness while taking a shower if he wasn't by his side. But when Shen Huai mentioned "Ge Secretary General", Wu Haifeng's hair stood on end.

  Wu Haifeng's heart suddenly ignited with fierce anger, he didn't look at Ge Yongqiu, but instead glared at Gao Tianhe...

  Shen Huai didn't have time to observe others' reactions, because just like Wu Haifeng and the others only had one chance to be vague about Chen Mingde's cause of death, he also only had one chance to make a desperate move and stir up trouble.

  “…Ge Miao told me that the South Garden doesn't serve hot water at noon, Mayor Chen had a heart attack while taking a shower, and when he went to get his medicine, he fell in the room and couldn't be rescued... When we left the provincial capital, Aunt Tao repeatedly reminded me to keep an eye on Mayor Chen and help him change his habit of taking cold showers, I…”

  "Is it Secretary Ge?"

  Tan Qiping's sharp eyes turned to Ge Yongqiu, earlier Wu Haifeng had introduced Tan Qiping to the duties of Ge Yongqiu and others, but his gaze only stopped on Ge Yongqiu's face for a moment before turning back to look at Wu Haifeng and Gao Tianhe.

  "Nonsense, when did I ever say that to you?" Ge Yongqiu was so angry that he spat blood, and unexpectedly Shen Huai didn't even blink before pouring a large basin of dirty water directly over his head.

  "Ge Secretary, in front of Director Tan, what is your attitude! Are you trying to shirk responsibility!" Wu Haifeng sternly rebuked Ge Yongqiu, his furious eyes seemed to want to swallow Ge Yongqiu whole.

  Wu Haifeng, having been in the position of municipal party secretary for a long time, had a deep and solemn official aura. With one loud shout, he scared Ge Yongqiu out of his wits, leaving him stunned and unable to speak up for himself for half a day.

  At this moment, Ge Yongqiu also understood that Municipal Party Secretary Wu Haifeng had already fallen into their trap. The more he argued, the angrier Wu Haifeng would become.

  Shen Huai suddenly burst out, and Wu Haifeng only thought of two possibilities: one is that Tan Qiping and Shen Huai secretly colluded to perform this play, representing the province's determination to suppress this matter; another is that Gao Tianhe and Ge Yongqiu joined forces to set a trap for themselves, and Wu Haifeng was more convinced it was the latter.

  Shen Huai stayed in Building 6 for just a minute or two, if not for Ge Yongqiu telling him the truth, how could he have determined that Chen Mingde had fallen ill while taking a shower?

  Furthermore, if the province does not give Donghua a chance to negotiate the price, it is also unreasonable to resolutely suppress this matter.

  Besides, Gao Tianhe's actions are too suspicious.

  Chen Mingde was the vice mayor, who died suddenly due to illness. Gao Tianhe, as the leader of the municipal government team, made one excuse after another and refused to show up. When he couldn't delay any longer, he waited for an opportunity and rushed to the Nanyuan Hotel with Tan Qiping, and his first words were to exclude himself from this matter.

  To say that Gao Tianhe has no ghost in his heart, Wu Haifeng can write his surname upside down.

  Ge Yongqiu and Peng Yong are both people of Gao Tianhe.

  Peng Yong emphasized that the hotel does not provide hot water at noon, which made Chen Mingde very dissatisfied, but he did not mention Chen Mingde's habit of taking a cold shower, which clearly set a trap for him.

  The bathroom appears to be tidy, but it doesn't explain anything. Ge Yongqiu and Peng Yong arrived at the scene earlier than other staff members and even earlier than the doctors who rushed to participate in the rescue. They are all people of Gao Tianhe, some of whom have been doing handiwork for a long time...

  Wu Haifeng never expected that, if he had known earlier that Gao Tianhe had been eyeing the municipal party secretary position for years, he would have fallen into his trap so easily.

  At this moment, Wu Haifeng's eyes looking at Gao Tianhe were filled with the anger of being betrayed!

  Gao Tianhe's face also changed greatly, both shocked and suspicious. He couldn't understand why Ge Yongqiu would betray him. He didn't know why Ge Yongqiu would reveal the truth to Shen Huai behind his back. Unfortunately, Tan Qiping was present, so he had no chance to grab Ge Yongqiu and ask for clarification, nor did he have the opportunity to explain the misunderstanding to Wu Haifeng.

  Looking at Wu Haifeng about to eat his own kind, Gao Tianhe knew that this vendetta he didn't want to settle, had to be settled.

  Even if there was a chance to explain to Wu Haifeng at this time, would Wu Haifeng believe it? It's all because he made himself too clean from the beginning and left marks instead. Another reason is that he never had good intentions towards Wu Haifeng in the first place.

  Shen Huai also secretly wiped a handful of sweat, seeing Wu Haifeng was so angry that he wanted to swallow Gao Tianhe whole, and only then did he confirm that this time he had gambled correctly.

  Someone once used the prisoner's dilemma to explain the trust problem between officials, the higher the level and the more direct competition between officials, the lower the degree of mutual trust.

  Falsifying the cause of Chen Mingde's death and linking it to a sex scandal, although it would serve the interests of both Gao Tianhe and Wu Haifeng at the same time, but wanting Gao Tianhe and Wu Haifeng to collude on this matter, even with a very good tacit understanding, is impossible. After all, everyone has to guard against being stabbed in the back by each other.

  Tan Qiping has been in the officialdom for a long time, and on the way, he specially sorted out the relationships in Donghua City, so that he can grasp some initiative after handling Chen Mingde's aftermath, but he didn't expect it to come so soon, so timely.

  Tan Qiping didn't know more specific details yet, but Wu Haifeng and Gao Tianhe's reactions were enough for him to see many clues...

  "Mayor Chen complained the other day that hot water was not provided in the room at noon..." Peng Yong reacted most slowly, still wanting to follow the original plan, thinking of helping Ge Yongqiu refute Shen Hua's words.

  "Nonsense!" Wu Haifeng's voice was abnormally sharp and sudden, as if the suppressed anger burst out at this moment. He even thought that Peng Yong said this now, still intentionally leading him astray, and his inner shock and anger were imaginable.

  Wu Haifeng scolded Peng Yong back:

  "Comrade Mingde has pointed out the shortcomings in your work, but you have not corrected them. Comrade Mingde had to take a cold shower in such cold weather, resulting in a heart attack, whose responsibility is it? The unfortunate death of Comrade Mingde, the Nanyuan Hotel must be held responsible, and the municipal government that guides the work of the Nanyuan Hotel must also be held responsible!"

  Wu Haifeng's sudden and severe scolding left Peng Yong stunned, he never could have imagined the situation would take such a drastic turn.

  Isn't it Wu Haifeng's default to associate Chen Mingde's death with a sex scandal? How can Shen Hua, this sudden troublemaker, change his tune just by bursting in?

  Chen Mingde's loved one was immersed in grief, watching several leaders of Donghua City scold angrily, thinking they were blaming themselves for Mingde's death. She couldn't help but shed tears again: "Old Chen had this bad habit, I told him so many times, he never listened, just saying that taking a cold shower could relieve fatigue... Old Chen, why did you leave like this?!"

  At this moment, Ge Yongqiu finally realized that the situation was already set and did not dare to defend himself anymore. He even didn't dare to retort back at Shen Hua: Deputy Director of Provincial Party Committee Organization Department Tan Qiping's hand was still on Shen Hua's shoulder.

  Ge Yongqiu knew that the more he argued and struggled, the worse the consequences would be for himself. He could only look at Gao Tianhe pitifully, hoping that Gao Tianhe would understand that he had not betrayed him, but rather Shen Huai was a bastard who was spouting nonsense.