Power and Wealth

Flatten it to the ground.

"You want to demolish the new County Committee building?"

Huo Yibang was dumbfounded, Party there in shock, unable to react for a long time.

Dong Xuebing looked directly into his eyes. "I'm assigning this task to you. Any problems?"

"Oh my goodness, Secretary Dong, you must be joking. How can we tear this place down? It was just newly built, and isn't everyone moving in tomorrow?" Huo Yibang felt like he was going to faint.

But Dong Xuebing remained severe. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Sweat started dripping from Huo Yibang’s forehead. "But why tear it down? It's a perfectly good place."

Dong Xuebing stared at him. "There's no 'why.' I want it demolished and you will demolish it. Director Huo, I understand your concerns and doubts, but I can't explain right now, nor do I need to explain. Let me also tell you that this decision is mine alone. It wasn’t discussed with the County Committee Party Committee, and not even County Chief Zhang or any other county leaders know about it." He paused briefly before coldly continuing, "But I don't care how you do it—by 9 AM tomorrow, this place must be flattened. If there are any issues, you don’t have to worry. I, Dong Xuebing, will take full responsibility."

Huo Yibang quickly said, "Secretary, it’s not that I’m afraid of taking responsibility. It’s just that this seems really..." He took a deep breath, trying to detect any smell of alcohol on Dong Xuebing. However, to his surprise, there was no scent of alcohol at all—Dong Xuebing was utterly sober. Seeing the serious expression on the secretary’s face only bewildered Huo Yibang.

And wasn’t you giving everyone the order to move in tomorrow?

How could it be that you're ordering us to demolish it just a few hours later without any procedures? This is too...

Huo Yibang continued, "Secretary Dong, we will follow your orders. But how can we conduct a forced demolition for the procedures and the fact that the gates are locked?"

"The gates are locked?" Dong Xuebing asked.

Huo Yibang pointed to the heavy iron chain and the tightly closed wooden doors. "Yes."

Dong Xuebing nodded, and without any warning, he suddenly turned around and delivered a powerful kick to the gate. With a loud bang, the iron chain snapped, and to Huo Yibang’s utter shock, the two massive wooden doors, each weighing hundreds of pounds, were knocked off their hinges and fell to the ground.

Crash! Thud!

The doors were open now—or rather, they had been kicked down by Dong Xuebing.

Dong Xuebing turned to look at Huo Yibang. "Are the gates still locked?"

Cold sweat dripped down Huo Yibang’s back. He was utterly stunned by Dong Xuebing's display of strength. He finally realized that the rumors about Secretary Dong were not just rumors but true. My god, this is terrifying.

The commotion was loud, but no one came to check since no residents were nearby.

Huo Yibang was thoroughly shocked by Dong Xuebing and couldn’t utter anything.

"Come inside with me," Dong Xuebing gestured, motioning for Huo Yibang to follow. He pointed at the palace-like buildings inside. "Tear them all down. Leave nothing behind. I know tables, chairs, air conditioners, and other items are inside, but we can’t bother with that now. We don’t have time. Don’t bother moving anything out—just demolish everything quickly. These aren’t high-rise buildings, so no need for explosives. With the equipment your Urban Management Bureau has, it should be more than enough to handle this. It’s not a problem for you at all."

Huo Yibang couldn’t help but smile bitterly. "Secretary, this..."

But Dong Xuebing didn’t even listen, continuing on his own. "I have one more requirement. The people you bring in must be trustworthy. Until the demolition is complete, no information about this operation can be leaked to anyone. Director Huo, you’ve worked in the Urban Management Bureau for many years. I trust your control and authority over your subordinates. That’s why I didn’t contact anyone else—not even my secretary. I came straight to you. Do you know why? It’s not because I trust you; I know you’re the only one to get this done right. There’s no one else."

Upon hearing this, Huo Yibang fell silent.

Dong Xuebing turned to face him. "I’m not going to force you. This task may seem unreasonable to you, and I have no intention of explaining it. I’ll ask you one last time: If you think this is too much, you can now walk away. But if you believe you can handle it, gather your team and do it flawlessly. It’s that simple. The decision is yours." Dong Xuebing didn’t offer any incentives or speak kindly. His demeanor was vital and urgent—he couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

Turning to Huo Yibang was essentially Dong Xuebing’s last resort. He didn’t know Huo’s personality or temperament; he only needed someone to do the job. As for Meng Hanmei and the other County Committee members who had aligned with him, Dong Xuebing hadn’t informed them either. This was why he casually picked a low-level staffer when he asked for a phone earlier. The demolition was a sensitive operation. If word got out, even just a hint, it could stop the demolition altogether. Even Dong Xuebing’s supporters like Chang Lin or Meng Hanmei wouldn’t likely join him in this "madness"—they wouldn’t agree to tear down a newly built County Committee building that everyone was scheduled to move into the next day. It made no sense to them, and Dong Xuebing couldn’t explain.

So what to do?

The only option was to tell no one.

Demolish it first and deal with the fallout later. Fix the hidden dangers before anything else. It would be enough if the Urban Management Bureau Director would join him in this craziness just this once. No one else was needed.

Huo Yibang was silent for a moment.

Dong Xuebing waited patiently for him to speak.

A few seconds later, Huo Yibang asked, "Secretary Dong, are you certain you want this place torn down?"

"It’s not a matter of certainty. This place must be demolished, and you only have ten hours," Dong Xuebing replied.

Huo Yibang didn’t know what had come over him. Usually, even if the County Committee Secretary requested such a thing, he wouldn’t agree. But looking into Dong Xuebing’s resolute eyes, Huo Yibang suddenly clenched his fist. "Alright! The Urban Management Bureau will take on this task. Most of the bureau’s staff are my trusted people. I promise not a word of this will leak. I’ll call in the crew and equipment right now—we’ll start the demolition immediately!"

Huo Yibang was not typically impulsive, but he had never seen such unwavering eyes. At that moment, he felt a sudden urge to gamble.

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