Chapter 58: Did He Write It?

He could not help but frown, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock.

"And?"

"And what?" Chen Qigong frowned.

"And," Qiu Hong's tone suddenly sharpened, "and Di He is an absolute scumbag!"

Hearing this, Chen Qigong's heart sank heavily, as if gripped tightly by an invisible force, and he shuddered involuntarily.

He widened his eyes, his face a picture of utter astonishment.

How could the words of the Party Secretary and the Deputy Party Secretary be so radically different, so utterly opposed?

One came from the Secretary, and the other from the Deputy Secretary. Different as their stances and phrasings were, their words acted like an invisible arrow, jointly pointing toward a sensitive and complex topic—a scumbag.

Both of them talked about a scumbag. Between Di He and Zhaoyang Jiang, who on earth was the real scumbag?

These two names swirled in his mind like two lanterns in the fog, flickering uncertainly, making it impossible to tell.

"Pardon me, is there any specific factual basis for this?" Chen Qigong tried his best to make his voice sound calm and objective.

He hoped to get more detailed and conclusive information from the other party.

Qiu Hong nodded, "Of course there is. Di He toys with women. He played a nurse named Ou Liu from a neighboring township health center right in the palm of his hand."

"First, he used sweet words to spin her around, causing her to undergo abortions several times. Then, once he got tired of playing with her, he ruthlessly abandoned her, discarding her after enjoying her."

"This sudden turn of events completely shattered Ou Liu's psychological defense. She became dazed, agonized, and even had suicidal thoughts at one point."

At this, a flash of anger and sympathy crossed Qiu Hong's eyes.

He took a deep breath and continued, "Doesn't behavior like this make him a scumbag?"

Listening to Qiu Hong's account, Chen Qigong felt a surge of horror in his heart.

He had never expected Di He to be such a despicable person.

Yet Qiu Hong paused, hesitating as if he still had something left unsaid.

In truth, there was one detail Qiu Hong hadn't mentioned: this young woman was actually a distant relative of his, which was one of the reasons why he loathed Di He so deeply.

"Are you saying all this is true?"

Qiu Hong suddenly gave a mocking chuckle. "You don't believe it? Then let's just say I'm lying! Is that all right?"

"Anyway, the facts are the facts, whether you believe them or not."

Chen Qigong pondered for a long time. "You oppose Di He's promotion, don't you?"

Hearing this, Qiu Hong frowned and snapped unhappily, "Did I say all this to support his promotion? Do you think I sound like I'm speaking well of him?"

His tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

Chen Qigong stopped his pen.

He gently stroked his teacup, turning it a few times, a profound look flashing in his eyes.

He changed the subject, his tone carrying an imperceptible subtlety: "Let's put the issue of moral character aside for the moment."

"Judging strictly on merit, Di He does have considerable talent; he isn't as worthless as you make him out to be."

Hearing this, Qiu Hong frowned slightly, evidently surprised by the abrupt turn in conversation. "How so? I certainly haven't seen it."

Chen Qigong smiled faintly, as if he had anticipated the other's reaction.

He lowered his voice, as if sharing an untold secret: "Did you know that Di He recently teamed up with Weiquan Lin to write a research report on township economic transformation?"

"That article had unique insights and thorough analysis. After reading it, the Secretary praised it repeatedly and was amazed."

At these words, disbelief spread across Qiu Hong's face.

He involuntarily curled his lip. "He wrote it? Are you sure?"

"Are you saying that Weiquan Lin's name was also on that article as a co-author, and ranked first?" Chen Qigong asked, realizing the implication after a moment of surprise.

Chen Qigong shook his head, a meaningful smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Although Weiquan Lin's name appears prominently at the top, in this circle, who doesn't know how things work?"

"Leaders are busy with official duties; where would they find the time to personally write these long treatises?"

"The ones who actually bury their heads in hard work, deliberating over every single word and phrase—the actual writers—aren't they always the subordinates? This is an open secret within the circle, only everyone keeps quiet about it."

At this point, Chen Qigong deliberately paused, seemingly waiting for Qiu Hong to digest the information.

Then he continued, "Think about it. Those profound insights, precise data analyses, and forward-looking suggestions in that article—which of them could possibly come from someone unlearned and utterly devoid of talent, as you dismiss him?"

"Weiquan Lin's name is on it simply because he is the leader. Perhaps he offered a suggestion or two, but as for the true author, who could it be if not Di He?"

Qiu Hong's chin tilted up slightly, sketching a meaningful curve of mockery, a mix of amusement and disdain hidden within his smile.

"I heard that Zhaoyang Jiang was the one in charge of this matter all along? Every single detail poured his effort and wisdom into it."

"Yet now, how has it suddenly transformed into the 'masterpiece' of Weiquan Lin and Di He?"

Doubt gleamed in his eyes.

Qiu Hong waited for Chen Qigong to provide a reasonable explanation.

"As the leader, if Weiquan Lin truly approached it from a macro perspective, offering several vital suggestions from a high vantage point, and put his name on the final achievement, that would still be somewhat understandable."

Stopping briefly, Qiu Hong's gaze turned sharp as he fixed it on Chen Qigong. "But what about Di He? What did he do?"

"Is it just because he has a close relationship with Weiquan Lin that he can brazenly appropriate someone else's hard work? Isn't this flagrant plagiarism?"

Hearing this, Chen Qigong furrowed his brow and fell into deep thought.

A moment later, he spoke slowly, a hint of uncertainty in his voice: "Well... could it be understood this way?"

"Understand it how?"

"Could it be said that initially, this work was indeed entirely managed by Zhaoyang Jiang?"

"But later, due to organizational arrangements, he was reassigned to guard a reservoir and could no longer continue following up on it."

"So the concluding part of the work naturally fell onto Di He's shoulders, and ultimately Di He completed all the procedures and signed his own name?"

"From that perspective, can this be considered plagiarism?"

"After all, both the early efforts and the final completion are indispensable parts."

A meaningful smile tugged at the corner of Qiu Hong's mouth.

He spoke slowly, a playful nuance in his tone: "Director Chen, regarding this issue, I happen to have a rather vivid metaphor."

"I wonder if you are willing to listen and see if you can accept this unique understanding of mine?"

"Oh? Let's hear it."

Chen Qigong's curiosity was piqued.

His body leaned forward involuntarily, ready to listen to what Qiu Hong had to say.