The Poor School Heartthrob Was Secretly a Financial Titan - Chapter 32
On the day his daughter checked her college entrance exam scores, Li Jiquan was not indifferent.
The case of Executive Vice Mayor Kong Sen has been followed for almost two months, with the leads going cold several times, but this time a breakthrough has finally been found.
It’s quite a coincidence.
A suburban police station had recently been monitoring a pickpocketing gang. The thieves were initially targeting bus routes, but after being spotted by anti-pickpocket officers, they suddenly shifted their focus, frequenting a villa area in the suburbs. The officers found this strange and set up a stakeout, preparing to make their move. However, before the thieves could even act, the officers noticed something amissâthe villa they were targeting, though usually vacant, was frequently seen with people entering and leaving at night.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the villa was registered to a shell company, and the name of the company’s legal representative matched that of Kong Sen’s brother-in-law.
The situation was reported overnight, and early this morning, Li Jiquan, along with people from the Discipline Inspection Commission, the Procuratorate, and the Public Security Bureau, rushed over.
When the car arrived at the villa, it was just getting light.
This is a small European-style building, hidden deep within a villa area in the suburbs, surrounded by tall trees and dense forests, completely invisible from the outside. The police officer leading the way pointed to the iron gate: “This is it. We’ve been watching it for three days, and someone even went in last night.”
The door opened, and a group of people went inside.
The living room was empty, with little furniture, but as everyone walked in and pushed open a door, they were all stunned.
The room was completely filled with stuff.
Famous cigarettesâZhonghua, Yuxi, Hongtashanâwere stacked in cartons and piles, reaching to the ceiling. Famous liquorsâMaotai, Wuliangye, Hennessy XOâwere piled high with cases, some even moldy. There were also unopened gift boxes, a colorful jumble of red and green, piled up in one corner.
âThisâŠâ A young police officer opened his mouth, but couldnât say anything.
Li Jiquan didn’t say anything and walked inside.
Pushing open another door, they entered a small room with two large safes standing against the wall. The police went up, waited a while, and then the safes were opened.
The contents inside made everyone gasp in shock.
Cashâbundles of hundred-yuan bills, neatly stacked, filled the safe to the brim. Several small drawers nearby held jewelry, gold bars, and luxury watches, gleaming under the light.
“Seal it up first, and we’ll take inventory later,” Li Jiquan said in a deep voice.
He turned and went upstairs.
There were several rooms on the second floor, the innermost one being a study. The door was open, and Li Jiquan walked in, followed by several people from the procuratorate and the police.
The study was tidier than downstairs, with a desk, a few chairs, and a row of bookshelves against the wall. On the desk sat a huge, red gift box tied with a gold ribbon, which was particularly eye-catching.
Li Jiquan stared at the box for two seconds: “Open it and take a look.”
A police officer stepped forward, untied the ribbon, and opened the box.
Inside were two bottles of Louis XIII liquor, their bottles gleaming gold. Next to the liquor was a stack of cash, bound with a bank seal, estimated to be around twenty or thirty thousand. On top of the stack was a business card.
The police officer picked up the business card, glanced at it, and his expression changed.
Li Jiquan took it.
The business card reads: Zhou Jianguo, Chief Judge of the Criminal Division of the Donglin Intermediate People’s Court.
The room fell silent.
The group looked at each other, but no one said a word.
Li Jiquan stared at the business card, his mind racing.
Zhou Jianguo.
Giving gifts to the executive vice mayor?
I’ve never heard of them having any connection. Kong Sen is in charge of urban construction and land resources, while Zhou Jianguo works for the courts; they’re completely unrelated…
He suddenly remembered the letter of complaint in his drawer. It contained Zhou Cheng’s photo and a photocopy of an IOU for 830,000 yuan.
He suppressed his anger at the time, not wanting to be used as a pawn.
NowâŠâŠ
He looked up at the people around him. People from the procuratorate and the police had all seen the business card. No one could cover this up anymore.
The person next to him whispered, “Secretary Li, what should we do?”
Li Jiquan put down the business card and took a deep breath: “Go and call Prosecutor Wu up. I’ll call Secretary Fan.”
He paused for a moment, then said, “We’ll go report to the municipal party committee and the municipal government now.”
If Zhou Jianguo gets involved in Kong Sen’s case, a major upheaval is likely to occur in the Donglin Party’s officialdom.
…
The atmosphere in Secretary Fan’s office was somber.
Li Jiquan and Chief Prosecutor Wu sat on the sofa, opposite Party Secretary Fan Zhengrong and Mayor Bai Haidong.
The two had just given a detailed report of their findings in the villaâthe house full of cigarettes and alcohol, the cash and jewelry in the safe, and the business card in the study on the second floor.
Fan Zhengrong’s face darkened considerably after hearing this. Bai Haidong leaned back in his chair, his brows furrowed, and remained silent.
After finishing his report, Li Jiquan took out something else from his briefcase.
“Secretary Fan, Mayor Bai, there’s one more thing.” He handed over the letter of complaint. “The Discipline Inspection Commission received a report about Comrade Zhou Jianguo before, but without solid evidence, we didn’t act rashly. Now, combined with what was found in the villa, we believe that these reports are probably not unfounded, and can at least serve as a breakthrough for the next step of the investigation.”
Fan Zhengrong took the letter, pulled out the photo and the copy of the IOU, glanced at them, and handed them to Bai Haidong.
Bai Haidong took it, his gaze falling on the number “830,000” on the IOU. After looking at it for a few seconds, he said indifferently, “More than 800,000. I can’t even pay this back.”
Fan Zhengrong leaned back, his tone indifferent: “My monthly salary is 680 yuan. My daughter told me that it’s not as much as her classmate’s father earns in a day if he went into business. I even told her at the time that we government workers can’t compare to those who go into business.” He paused, looking at the photocopy of the IOU, “Now it seems that some of our comrades are quite good at making money.”
Bai Haidong placed the letter on the coffee table, his voice turning serious: “Turning power into a commodity, and the law into profit. I think this matter needs to be thoroughly investigated.”
Fan Zhengrong nodded and looked at Li Jiquan and Chief Prosecutor Wu: “Old Bai is right. Comrade Jiquan, Old Wu, you two should investigate this case thoroughly. No matter who is involved, we will not tolerate it. Mayor Bai and I will back you up.”
Li Jiquan and Chief Prosecutor Wu nodded simultaneously: “Yes.”
…
That afternoon, the Donglin Intermediate People’s Court.
The Third Criminal Court was in session. Zhou Jianguo sat on the bench, wearing a judge’s robe, his expression solemn. Below the bench were the plaintiff and the defendant, as well as family members and lawyers in the audience. Halfway through the trial, a bailiff entered through a side door, walked to the bench, and leaned down to say a few words.
Zhou Jianguo’s expression changed slightly.
He looked up at the audience below the stage, then at the two jurors beside him, muttered something under his breath, stood up, and followed the bailiffs out through the side door.
The people in the audience looked at each other, wondering what had happened.
The plaintiffs, defendants, and their lawyers sat there, waiting for an hour, then two hoursâbut the judge never returned.
Two and a half hours later, a juror announced: “Due to special circumstances, the trial is adjourned temporarily, and the time will be announced later.”
The news spread throughout the system that very day.
Zhou Jianguo was taken away by the Discipline Inspection Commission. Li Jiquan and Chief Prosecutor Wu personally led the team, taking him directly from the court. The trial was still in progress at the time, and he never returned after the temporary recess.
The story was told in vivid detail.
Some say Zhou Jianguo confessed to Li Jiquan in the car. Others say Chief Prosecutor Wu presented evidence on the spot, and Zhou Jianguo burst into tears. Still others say Zhou Jianguo suffered a heart attack after being taken away and is currently undergoing emergency treatment… Well, there are all sorts of rumors.
Zhou Jianguo had always enjoyed a good reputation within the public security, procuratorial, and judicial system; he was upright, incorruptible, and impartial, and had handled many major cases. The sudden collapse of such an image inevitably caused a shock.
That evening, the entire Donglin political and legal system was discussing the matter.
The news began to spread the next day.
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