Chapter 41: Upholding Justice

"I will say this one more time: I have been sent by the provincial authorities to investigate the distribution of compensation funds by the Civil Affairs Bureau. You would do well to cooperate with my work," Zhang Jun said with an imposing air.

The village party secretary, accustomed to bossing others around and having mistaken Zhang Jun for a reporter, had no intention of showing him any respect.

"I don't care what kind of reporter you are! You aren't welcome in this village! If you don't leave right now, I’ll call people over to throw you out!" he shouted.

Zhang Jun pulled out his work credentials and flashed them in front of him. "Open your dog eyes and look clearly! Can you even read?"

The village party secretary’s eyes widened in shock. He stared at the card, then let out a gasp. "The Provincial Government? You... are you Comrade Zhang Jun from the province?"

Master Wu, standing nearby, pointed at the official car and sneered, "You ignorant fool, look at this car! Do you really think a reporter drives a vehicle like this? This is Governor Ma's official car! Secretary Zhang is here on behalf of Governor Ma to inspect the work. You dare to defy him? You are obstructing an official investigation! Do you have any idea what kind of crime you are committing?"

"I—I didn't recognize a mountain when it stood right in front of me!" The village party secretary was terrified, his face drained of color, and he nearly dropped to his knees to beg for mercy.

"Enough with the stalling," Zhang Jun said sternly. "Go and get the files regarding the distribution of compensation funds in the village immediately. Master Wu, you go with him to retrieve the documents; I will stay here to learn more about the situation."

Master Wu gave a respectful nod and barked at the village secretary, "Move!"

The village secretary didn't dare utter a word; he hung his head and slunk away. Even if it hadn't been Governor Ma's secretary, a mere village party secretary wouldn't have dared to challenge a county-level official's secretary, let alone this.

Master Wu strode off after him.

He Laosan had finally understood—this man was truly a high-ranking official from the provincial government!

He threw himself on his knees before Zhang Jun and wept, "My savior! A true official of justice!"

Zhang Jun quickly leaned down to help He Laosan up. "Please, stand up, there is no need for this. I am here on behalf of the leadership to investigate. You can tell me anything you wish, and once I return to the provincial capital, I will report it truthfully to my superiors."

"I have finally made it through the dark! I've lived to see a righteous official uphold justice!" He Laosan choked out. "I don't know how many letters I've written, how many times I've petitioned. People called me a fool, an idiot! I didn't care—I just wanted justice!"

Zhang Jun took out a notepad and pen, faithfully recording every word He Laosan said.

Master Wu returned with the relevant compensation documents. Following behind him, along with the village secretary, were the village director and other officials.

They crowded around, wearing sycophantic smiles, and invited Zhang Jun to their homes for food and drink.

Zhang Jun ignored them all. He took the documents, glanced at them, and said, "Take us to visit these few households."

The village secretary smiled apologetically. "Leader, it's getting late. Why don't you have a meal first?"

Zhang Jun waved his hand. "Work comes first!"

With no other choice, the village secretary led the way.

Along the way, villagers kept joining them until a crowd had gathered. When they reached a two-story Western-style house, Zhang Jun noticed the village secretary stop and asked, "Are we here?"

The village secretary pointed at the house. "This is a family in poverty."

Zhang Jun sneered, "They are poorer than He Laosan's family? This large house looks like it was recently renovated—it's even more luxurious than my own home!"

The village secretary scratched his head and said with a bitter smile, "It's not like that. The mother in this family has cancer and needs the money."

Zhang Jun scoffed, "And no one in He Laosan's family has cancer? Is that why they didn't qualify?"

The village secretary was rendered speechless.

A villager from the side shouted, "This is the village secretary's son-in-law's house!"

The village secretary's face turned pale.

Zhang Jun asked with a dark expression, "Is that true?"

The village secretary swallowed hard, unable to speak.

Zhang Jun visited several other "impoverished" households and discovered that very few were truly poor; even the worst among them were several times better off than He Laosan.

After the visits, Zhang Jun pointed at the village secretary. "Explain yourself. Or would you rather wait to be investigated by the Discipline Inspection Commission?"

Seeing that a powerful official was backing them, the villagers spoke up one after another, exposing all of the village secretary's crimes.

Zhang Jun had no interest in the other offenses, such as the embezzlement of road construction funds; he was only concerned with the task Ma Hongqi had entrusted to him. Everything else fell outside his current scope. However, he recorded everything the villagers said regardless.

After finishing the investigation in this village, Zhang Jun moved on to others. He didn't even bother going home for lunch, settling for a bowl of noodles at a roadside stand in town.

As he and Master Wu sat eating, a car sped past, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.

Zhang Jun still had a mouthful of noodles left, but seeing them coated in dust, he set his chopsticks down and stopped eating.

Master Wu did the same. "Who was that? Driving so fast on the main street! They aren't afraid of hitting someone?"

The noodle stand owner sighed, "Who else could it be? The town's wealthiest businessman! He does whatever he wants here. He owns several large factories—he has money to burn!"

Zhang Jun paid for the noodles, and he and Master Wu continued their survey. After a full day of investigation, the reports matched the reality of the situation.

In every region, there were instances of people fraudulently claiming poverty status. Those with money and influence secured the spots, while the truly destitute received nothing.

After walking all day, Zhang Jun was exhausted. On the way back, he leaned against the car seat and closed his eyes to rest.

If he hadn't investigated, he never would have known that such deep-seated corruption existed in the lower townships. The further down the ladder one went, the more impenetrable the local cliques became; ordinary people stood no chance of turning their lives around, let alone finding a way to appeal their grievances.

If it hadn't been for Ma Hongqi's focus on this issue, who knew how long it would have taken to resolve?

News of Zhang Jun’s thorough investigation soon reached the county level. Jin Jianjun, Bao Laishun, and their associates were struck with terror.

So, Secretary Zhang hadn't come to investigate the health and education sectors as they had assumed—given Ma Hongqi's recent focus on those areas—but the civil affairs system itself.

The authority of a leader is not something subordinates can easily predict. Ma Hongqi had intended to catch them off guard. By returning to the capital to visit family while sending his secretary to conduct ground-level interviews, he had obtained first-hand evidence.

Jin Jianjun and Bao Laishun consulted with each other and came to visit Zhang Jun, hoping to plead their case and bury the matter.

"Secretary Zhang," they said, "you did, after all, come from Meishan County. To protect the reputation of your home county, couldn't we handle this quietly? Big issues can become small, and small issues can disappear."

Zhang Jun feigned ignorance. "I don't understand. How does one turn a big issue into a small one, and a small one into nothing? I'm afraid I don't follow."

Jin Jianjun persisted, "Secretary Zhang, how about this: we will rectify whatever needs to be fixed immediately. But there's no need to report the details to Governor Ma. Domestic shame should not be aired in public, right? It wouldn't sound good if this got out."

Zhang Jun replied calmly, "I am merely here on behalf of Governor Ma; I have no authority to make such decisions. Why don't you do this: when the National Day holiday ends, you can accompany me to the provincial capital and report your work to Governor Ma directly? You can tell him your thoughts yourself."

Jin Jianjun, a dignified County Party Secretary, hadn't expected that even his appeals to Zhang Jun would be futile. Humiliated and frustrated, he had no choice but to accept the situation.