Chapter 1886

Chapter 1886: Chapter 1886

Song Guanchao spoke calmly, but the unmistakable urgency in his words exerted immense pressure on the man.

It was as if if he didn’t comply, Song Guanchao would hang up the phone the next second.

No, it wasn’t as if—it was certain he would hang up.

"Things are a bit complicated..."

The man had just started when Song Guanchao interrupted, "I’m quite busy, you have ten minutes to explain the whole story. Organize your thoughts."

"..." The man gritted his teeth, and Song Guanchao could even hear him grinding his teeth.

He didn’t care about the other’s feelings.

After all, it was the other party who needed him.

As for the so-called chance for promotion and wealth, others might be tempted, but Song Guanchao simply wasn’t interested.

In the end, the man compromised.

As he narrated, Song Guanchao’s expression gradually became serious and grave.

If the man’s description was true, Deputy Secretary Qi Siming of Lishan County was involved in serious misconduct and violation.

Here’s how it went: the man, along with six others, posed as members of the provincial disciplinary committee and went to Qi Siming’s house to take him away.

When the man spoke of this part, Song Guanchao’s expression turned peculiarly odd.

Because he had done such things himself.

After taking Qi Siming away, they confronted him face-to-face about the rumors regarding his illegal activities circulating in public.

At that time, Qi Siming was so terrified that he didn’t question the authenticity of their identities.

Though these people didn’t have substantial evidence, there’s no smoke without fire; since the rumors spread, there had to be something to it.

Therefore, Qi Siming spilled the beans, confessing everything he had done since being appointed as Deputy Secretary.

He had taken advantage of his position to allocate numerous county projects to his relatives.

He accepted benefits from merchants to help resolve business tax issues.

Among the more serious incidents, there were two.

The first was a gang rape case.

The offenders were three notorious "second-generation rich" kids from the county, who were accustomed to lawlessness.

After the three committed the crime, their parents started maneuvering, eventually finding Qi Siming.

The families pooled together over ten million, greased palms all around, with Qi Siming alone pocketing five million.

Ultimately, the three were released without charges, while the girl who had been raped was jailed for false accusations.

The second incident involved the museum.

A few years ago, a netizen discovered fake relics on display while visiting the museum.

They took photos and posted them online, sparking discussions.

Later, the museum issued a statement, claiming the displayed relics weren’t forgeries but replica exhibit pieces.

This was to prevent damage, as the authentic pieces were stored in the warehouse.

The explanation seemed reasonable and the matter wasn’t pursued further.

However, someone later found similar relics from the museum at an international auction.

This incident was brought up again, and the museum issued another statement, claiming the items at the auction were fakes.

In short, they managed to pass off the lie.

Under interrogation by the group impersonating provincial inspectors, it was revealed that many precious relics in the museum were swapped for "princes and cats."

Furthermore, museum staff, upon discovering new burial sites or ancient ruins during excavation, secretly stashed items, selling them into the market, akin to grave robbers.

After obtaining video evidence of Qi Siming’s confession, the group revealed their true identities, telling him that they weren’t provincial disciplinary committee members.

They threatened him with the video, demanding he pay one hundred million, or they would send it to the provincial committee, ruining his reputation and locking him up indefinitely.

After multiple negotiations, the price dropped to thirty million.

After paying the first installment of ten million, Qi Siming was released.

Just when they thought Qi Siming would quietly pay the remaining twenty million, the police suddenly came looking.

Qi Siming actually sent the police to arrest them!

Out of seven, six were captured.

Now, the man calling Song Guanchao was not in Lishan County at the time, narrowly escaped capture.

To ensure he would turn himself in, Qi Siming arranged for police to monitor his parents and family’s residence 24/7.

With no other option, the man decided to report him, even if it meant mutual destruction.

But he was worried that Qi Siming had contacts at the provincial level, so he hesitated to act.

Thus, he began studying the leaders in the provincial and city committees, looking for someone reliable to report to.

Provincial leaders were too distant, and useful information wasn’t available online.

He had no choice but to focus on the city level.

Ultimately, he chose Song Guanchao.

Asking for help from Song Guanchao was a gamble for him.

What if Song Guanchao was different from his portrayal in the news?

What if he was inherently corrupt?

"I’ll send you an email address shortly, and you can send the video there," Song Guanchao said.

"Okay." The man didn’t ask for any assurances or negotiate with him.

At this point, he could only hope he had found someone honest and fair.

Song Guanchao soon received the video.

After watching it, he leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.

To be honest, relying solely on this video might not achieve anything.

Knowing the video’s existence, Qi Siming would surely take corrective actions.

Even if investigating based on the confessed crimes in the video, it would be difficult to find evidence quickly.

But ignoring it completely wasn’t Song Guanchao’s style.

Especially as this involved a gang rape case.

The perpetrators were free, while the victim was imprisoned.

He grabbed his phone and immediately contacted Wu Qiangwei.

"I just received a report call." Song Guanchao briefly explained the situation and showed her the video.

After watching, Wu Qiangwei asked, "Who supports Qi Siming?"

For officials of certain ranks, committing crimes doesn’t mean they will be apprehended.

Most of the time, higher authorities prefer not to disrupt stability, opting for private reprimands.

Wu Qiangwei wasn’t trying to calm things down. She had just removed and arrested the Gaoshui County mayor.

If Qi Siming was aligned with Zhou Zheng... then her actions would undoubtedly lead to speculation, thinking she was deliberately targeting Zhou Zheng.

This year was Wu Qiangwei’s most crucial year. She only wanted to steadily improve the economy, avoiding complications.

"I don’t know." Song Guanchao scrolled through his phone contacts and found Zhou Xingjian’s number: "Let me ask."

"Hello, Old Zhou, do you know about Qi Siming, the Deputy Secretary of Lishan County? Whose side is he on? Okay, I understand."

Song Guanchao put down the phone and said, "He was Secretary Xiao’s former assistant."

"Which Secretary Xiao?"

"Zhou Zheng’s predecessor, Xiao Qiang."

Wu Qiangwei’s brow furrowed instantly. She had considered the worst outcome being Qi Siming backed by Zhou Zheng.

Anyway, she’d already offended Zhou Zheng and wasn’t afraid of moving further.

However, Qi Siming was supported not by Zhou Zheng but the former City Secretary.

Despite Xiao Qiang’s retirement, his identity presented a dilemma for Wu Qiangwei.

If she apprehended him, people would inevitably suspect whether Wu Qiangwei was eliminating remnants of the previous leadership.

Especially at this sensitive moment, it was fraught with implications.

"Let Governor Lu handle this," Song Guanchao suggested.