Chapter 27: Compiling Damning Evidence

A gentle and lovely young woman walked out gracefully. Her waist-length hair was dark and lustrous, and she wore simple, modest clothing that gave her the fresh, natural air of a girl next door. She appeared entirely pristine, a truly refreshing and pleasing sight.

"Han Jin, is your grandfather in?"

"Uncle Ma, he is! Please, come in."

As Zhang Jun passed by her, he introduced himself: "Hello, my name is Zhang Jun, I am Governor Ma's secretary."

The girl, looking to be about seventeen or eighteen, flashed a sweet smile. "Hello, Brother Zhang Jun. My grandfather has mentioned you; he said you saved his life."

Zhang Jun felt a twinge of embarrassment.

Han Zhengxian emerged from the inner room and laughed heartily. "I heard the magpies chirping outside this morning; no wonder, a distinguished guest has arrived."

Ma Hongqi pointed at Zhang Jun and said, "Old Han, this is the one who is your benefactor."

Han Zhengxian reached out with both hands to shake theirs and invited them to sit. Han Jin brewed some tea and brought it over. As she handed a cup to Zhang Jun, their hands brushed. Her fingers were slender and soft, white with a rosy tint, and felt as warm and smooth as jade.

After some pleasantries, they turned to business. Han Zhengxian was a retired official from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and still held considerable influence in the province. Ma Hongqi was seeking his advice on anti-corruption efforts within the hospitals.

Han Zhengxian pondered for a moment before saying, "This is a long and arduous task. You cannot just fire a single shot and leave; that won't be effective. Greed blinds people, and on the path of corruption, there will always be those who don't fear death and will follow in the footsteps of others."

The two did not exclude Zhang Jun from their conversation. Han Zhengxian waved his hand and smiled, "Let’s not just talk shop. It’s rare to have free time, why don’t we play a game of chess?"

Ma Hongqi agreed with a smile, "I don't have any family or friends here, so I’m lucky to have little Zhang to play chess with, otherwise it would be quite dull."

At the mention of Zhang Jun, Han Zhengxian couldn't stop praising him. "I’ve experienced Comrade Zhang Jun’s chess skills; they are truly formidable. Old Ma, I’m afraid you’ve been losing badly, haven't you?"

Ma Hongqi froze and glanced at Zhang Jun, as if to say: "Oh, so you’ve been playing tricks on me, kid?"

Zhang Jun smiled faintly and replied modestly, "I haven't played in a long time; my skills have regressed significantly." This was a reasonable enough excuse.

Ma Hongqi and Han Zhengxian began their game. Han Jin brought over another board and said to Zhang Jun, "Let's play a game for fun."

With nothing else to do, Zhang Jun played a round with her. The girl’s style of play was fierce, filled with continuous killing moves, a stark contrast to her gentle and reserved appearance. Zhang Jun was caught off guard and his position was thrown into chaos, but he quickly steadied himself. He fought her to a stalemate before eventually turning the tables, leaving her defense in tatters.

After losing, Han Jin exclaimed, "Brother Zhang Jun, you are so amazing!"

Zhang Jun smiled slightly. "Just luck."

Ma Hongqi remarked, "Incredible. Han Jin is at a professional three-dan level. You were able to beat her? Little Zhang, have you been going easy on me when we play?"

Zhang Jun hadn't expected the girl to be a professional three-dan player. He hadn't thought much of it while playing, figuring that since she was just a young girl, winning wouldn't matter. Now that Ma Hongqi had seen through him, he could only smile. "I just got lucky."

They finished their meal at the Han household before departing.

The next day was Monday. After Zhang Jun started work and was processing official business, he saw Jiang Changxing walk in, bowing and scraping.

"Hello, Secretary Zhang." Jiang Changxing approached with a fawning smile.

"What brings you here, President Jiang?" Zhang Jun asked. "Do you have business to see Governor Ma about today?"

Jiang Changxing lowered his voice. "Secretary Zhang, I have some materials here. I wonder if they might be of use?"

"What kind of materials?" Zhang Jun raised an eyebrow.

"Concerning the First Hospital." Jiang Changxing opened his briefcase, took out a document folder, and placed it before Zhang Jun. "Secretary Zhang, please take a look."

During their dinner at the West Warm Pavilion last time, Zhang Jun had hinted to Jiang Changxing that if he wanted to transfer to the First Hospital, he would first need to get rid of the vice president there. Jiang Changxing had been sensible and brought back plenty of evidence.

Zhang Jun didn't care how the evidence was obtained; he only wanted to know if there were materials regarding Zhou Wenbin. He was not disappointed; most of the files were indeed related to Zhou Wenbin. It seemed Zhou Wenbin was truly compromised.

"This Zhou Wenbin," Zhang Jun mused, "is he really this corrupt? Are these materials authentic?"

Jiang Changxing lowered his voice further. "Absolutely authentic. I paid a high price to buy these from their internal sources. Zhou Wenbin is not only greedy for money but also lecherous. I’ve heard he has ruined several young nurses at the hospital; he has at least four or five mistresses alone!"

Zhang Jun nodded. "You may go back for now."

Jiang Changxing glanced at the hallway and whispered, "If this succeeds, there will be a generous reward."

Zhang Jun’s expression darkened. He said sternly, "What rewards? What is there between us?"

Jiang Changxing looked slightly startled, then realized he shouldn't say more and turned to leave.

Zhang Jun reviewed the materials carefully. He thought that regardless of whether they were true or false, he would start by targeting Zhou Wenbin; even if they were fake, he would scare him half to death. He stood up and knocked on the inner office door. Only after hearing Ma Hongqi’s voice did he enter.

"Boss, just now, a stranger dropped a folder of materials on my desk and ran away. I don’t know who he is or what department he belongs to." Zhang Jun lied without batting an eye.

Ma Hongqi said calmly, "Leave it there."

Zhang Jun placed the materials on the desk, careful not to look too eager in prompting Ma Hongqi to read them.

He retreated and sat in the chair outside, wondering if his boss would read the file. Would Zhou Wenbin fall from power because of this? Zhang Jun knew that toppling Zhou Wenbin was a difficult task. He was only a section chief, lower in rank than a vice president, and had no authority to discipline such an official. Therefore, he could only use Ma Hongqi’s hand to prune this menace. But all of this was orchestrated from the shadows. Although he had been discreet, paper cannot wrap fire; if Ma Hongqi saw through his intentions, it might produce the opposite effect.

Zhang Jun didn't know if Ma Hongqi had actually read the file. Near the end of the workday, a deputy secretary from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection arrived. As a department-level official, it was only natural for him to come personally to discuss work with Ma Hongqi. Zhang Jun led him inside, and not wanting to eavesdrop, he brewed tea and stepped out.

The meeting lasted for half an hour. Zhang Jun remained unaware of the content of their discussion.

Before leaving work, his wife called. "Zhang Jun, come to my workplace to pick me up. My bicycle was stolen."

Zhang Jun was stunned. "How did it get stolen?"

"How should I know? I left it in the office bike shed."

"Then take the bus home."

"It’s too crowded, it’s hot, and the bus smells. Some people even take advantage of the crowd to grope others! Taking a taxi is too expensive. Are you coming or not?"

"Fine, fine. I’ll stop by your workplace on my way."

"Okay, I’ll wait for you."

After work, Zhang Jun went to the Provincial People’s Hospital and picked up his wife to head home. Liu Yujie sat on the back of the bicycle, wrapping her arms around Zhang Jun’s waist. This was a common sight when they were first married, but it hadn't happened in years.

While waiting at a red light, a police car pulled up. The driver turned his head, saw Zhang Jun, and shouted, "Secretary Zhang!"

Zhang Jun glanced at him; it was the officer who had helped with Liu Yuda’s case. He had only met him once at the Renmin Road Police Station and didn't even know his name. The officer waved and smiled, "Secretary Zhang, is this your wife? You two are truly a loving couple."

Zhang Jun sighed helplessly, "My wife’s bicycle was stolen. It was locked in the hospital shed and still got taken! The way things are these days, there are too many thieves—it's getting out of hand!"

The officer immediately looked indignant. "Something like that happened? Secretary Zhang, don't you worry. Leave it to me; I will find a way to get your wife’s bike back!"