Chapter 488: A Court of Heroes
After listening to Qi Tongwei's words, Gao Yuliang frowned slightly, with a barely perceptible smile on his face, thinking to himself: "Tongwei, you are still too young and your ideas are too simple. Mobilizing the masses? How much effect can this have in the political struggle? The real key lies in the officialdom, the attitude of those officials who hold power."
Gao Yuliang sighed softly and slowly said, "Tongwei, what you said about mobilizing the masses to let everyone know the harm of the project is certainly a reasonable idea, but in the real political environment, this may be just a drop in the bucket. Zhao Lichun has been operating in Handong for many years and has a complex network of power. His influence is not only on the level of ordinary people, but more importantly, in the officialdom. Many of those officials have inextricable ties with him, either out of considerations of interests or fear of his power. It is not easy to get them to easily change their positions and support us to oppose this project."
Qi Tongwei's heart sank after hearing what his teacher said. He realized that he had not considered it thoroughly enough. After years of working in the officialdom, he should have known these things better, but at this moment, facing the teacher's doubts, he still felt a little frustrated.
"Teacher, what do you think we should do?" Qi Tongwei asked humbly.
Gao Yuliang stood up, walked to the window, looked at the bustling city scenery outside the window, and said after thinking for a moment: "We need to start from the political level and find those officials who have similar positions to us or are dissatisfied with Zhao Lichun's approach. Through private communication and exchanges, we can win their support. At the same time, we must also make good use of existing political resources, such as our positions in the Political and Legal Committee. We can use some legal means to conduct a more in-depth investigation of the project and find conclusive evidence. Only in this way can we have a greater chance of winning the battle with Zhao Lichun."
Qi Tongwei nodded. He understood what the teacher meant. In the officialdom, the use of personal connections and resources is crucial, and he himself still has a lot to learn and improve in this regard.
"Teacher, I understand. Then which officials should we start with?" Qi Tongwei asked.
Gao Yuliang turned around and looked at Qi Tongwei, with a shrewd gleam in his eyes. "We can start with some relatively neutral officials. They may not easily side with Zhao Lichun, but they will not easily offend him. We can establish connections with them through some common interests or political ideas, and gradually win their support. In addition, officials who have a certain influence in the fields of environmental protection and people's livelihood may also express support for our actions. After all, if there are really problems with the Guangming Lake project, it will also have a negative impact on the areas they are concerned about."
Qi Tongwei listened carefully to the teacher's analysis and gradually got some clues in his mind. He realized that this struggle with Zhao Lichun was not just a dispute about the project, but also a complex political game.
"Teacher, what should we pay attention to when investigating the project?" Qi Tongwei asked again.
Gao Yuliang narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "We must be careful and avoid alerting the enemy. Zhao Lichun will definitely pay close attention to our actions. Once he gets hold of any evidence we have, he will strike back without hesitation. Therefore, we must ensure that every step of the investigation is legal and compliant, and the evidence collected must be conclusive and reliable. At the same time, we must also pay attention to protecting ourselves and the people around us to prevent Zhao Lichun from taking some improper means to deal with us."
Qi Tongwei took a deep breath, and he felt that he had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. He knew that in this political struggle, he had to go all out to help his teacher defeat Zhao Lichun and protect Handong's interests.
"Teacher, don't worry, I will definitely follow your instructions." Qi Tongwei said firmly.
After Qi Tongwei and Gao Yuliang reached a consensus, they immediately started the investigation. He knew that this task was arduous, not only did he have to face Zhao Lichun's powerful forces, but he also had to ensure that every link was legal and compliant, and that the evidence collected was solid and reliable.
Qi Tongwei first started with the project approval documents, carefully reviewing every document and not missing any details. After several days and nights of hard work, he finally found some clues. There were some procedural loopholes and irregularities in the project approval process. Although these problems seemed insignificant, they provided important clues for subsequent investigations.
At the same time, Gao Yuliang was also using his personal connections to secretly collect information about Zhao Lichun. He contacted some officials who had worked under Zhao Lichun and tried to get some useful intelligence from them. However, most of these officials were afraid of Zhao Lichun and did not dare to reveal too much information easily. Gao Yuliang knew that in order to break this deadlock, he had to find a breakthrough.
When Qi Tongwei and Gao Yuliang were in trouble, Zhao Lichun was also working hard on his plan. After discussing with Li Dakang, he decided to use his power to suppress Qi Tongwei and Gao Yuliang. They first spread rumors in the officialdom to discredit the reputation of Qi Tongwei and Gao Yuliang, trying to get them into the whirlpool of public opinion. Then, they used some means to interfere with the work of Qi Tongwei and Gao Yuliang and hinder their investigation progress.
In the officialdom of Handong Province, a thrilling power struggle is quietly unfolding. Zhao Lichun and Li Dakang are sitting in a dimly lit conference room, the atmosphere is solemn and depressing.
Zhao Lichun crossed his hands in front of his chest, his eyes revealing a hint of sinisterness, and slowly said: "Dakang, Gao Yuliang has become more and more restless recently. He and Qi Tongwei have been eyeing the Guangming Lake project. This is a big problem for us."
Li Dakang frowned slightly, and his iconic thick eyebrows looked even more tightly locked at this moment. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Secretary Zhao, Gao Yuliang is indeed difficult to deal with. He has been operating in Handong for many years and has a deep foundation. Moreover, he is now trying to prevent the project from moving forward under the banner of environmental protection, which puts us in a passive position."
Zhao Lichun sneered: "Environmental protection? Humph, he just wants to take this opportunity to suppress us and expand his power. We can't just sit there and wait for death, we must find a way to bring him down."
Li Dakang nodded: "Secretary Zhao, you are right. But Gao Yuliang is very cautious, and it is difficult for us to find any evidence against him. Besides, he has Qi Tongwei, his right-hand man. If the two of them join forces, it will not be easy for us to deal with them."