In the Chinese Communist Party’s officialdom, there is a unique “political business”: buying and selling official positions, flowing money like water, and even giving rise to a new “profession” – political swindlers.
They rely on their tongues, boasting about knowing certain high-ranking leaders, claiming to be able to smooth the path to promotion, even quoting exorbitant prices like “two billion for a deputy provincial governor, one billion for a deputy chairman of the Political Consultative Conference!” The most ironic part is that those eager officials aspiring for promotion eagerly offer up money. Some only realize they have been deceived when they fall from grace, while others, aware of being scammed, dare not report it, suffering silently.
Today, let’s delve into a few absurd yet real cases – witnessing how these corrupt officials are played by swindlers.
In 2012, in a residential compound in Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, two men sat in a low-key sedan planning big things.
The man resembling an official said, “I am approaching retirement age. If I retire, I will lose privileges like a public car and driver. But if I can use connections to be promoted to deputy provincial level, then I can retire at 65, still have a private car and secretary.”
The businessman-like man nodded in agreement.
The official-looking man then boldly declared, “How can a successful man in northern Shaanxi be identified? To be a provincial department level official and earn over ten billion. I am just a step away from being a deputy provincial level official.”
This man with a sense of unfulfilled ambition was named Wang, the director of the Land Department in Shaanxi Province at the time. The businessman-like man was Gao Zhilin, a coal mine owner in Shenmu County, Shaanxi. They had known each other for many years, meeting when Wang was the mayor of Yulin and Gao was a coal businessman. Gao made a lot of money using Wang’s influence. Over time, their relationship evolved into a mutually beneficial alliance, deeply intertwined in interests.
After Wang’s conversation with Gao, Wang had already found someone who could help with his promotion. This person was named Wang Guang.
Although their names differed by just one word, they had no family relation. Wang Guang was from Jining, Shandong, claiming to have businesses in Jinan, Beijing, Yulin, and Xi’an. At times he claimed to be the nephew of a central leader’s wife, while at other times he boasted being a child of high-ranking officials, claiming to know many high-ranking officials in Beijing. Once while watching the news, he even pointed at a provincial department-level official surname Wang on TV claiming, “That’s my dad!” Wang believed him and asked Wang Guang to help with his promotion. Wang Guang made audacious demands:
“A one billion for the Vice Chairman of the Provincial Political Consultative Conference? Two billion for a deputy provincial governor!”
Wang did not have that much money himself, so he turned to coal mine owner Gao Zhilin. He asked Gao to prepare 50 million yuan to hand over to Wang Guang. As for what connections Wang Guang used or what he did with the money, Wang never inquired nor cared.
By early 2013, without any good news from Wang Guang, Wang, then under 60 years old, with a sense of discontent, stepped down as director of the Land Department in Shaanxi, assuming a role as a counselor in the Shaanxi Provincial Government. He knew he had been deceived but did not dare to report it.
Over a year later, Wang fell from grace. In October 2016, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for bribery totaling more than 66.24 million yuan. The largest bribe he received was the 50 million yuan he took from Gao Zhilin.
After Wang’s downfall, Wang Guang was also arrested. He confessed that he was not a child of high-ranking officials nor did he know any high-ranking officials. So where did the 50 million yuan Wang gave him go? Wang Guang spun a story without evidence. He claimed that in the first half of 2012, he met a high official’s child named Zhang who said he could help promote Wang to deputy department level for 50 million yuan.
Wang Guang said he gave Zhang 130 million yuan, not just the 50 million yuan for Wang’s promotion but also to help with a coal mine project. However, Zhang always dragged things out, and they lost contact. He went to Beijing and the police investigation revealed that Zhang was using a false name and had already died when the case was filed.
As for the 50 million yuan? Wang Guang said that while running errands with Zhang, he used the 50 million yuan Wang had provided him, but he could not recall the specifics of how it was spent.
Thus, the 50 million yuan disappeared without a trace. Whether Wang Guang was sentenced in this case was not mentioned in official reports.
While detained, Wang developed spinal cord inflammation and became paralyzed from the waist down. During the trial, he appeared in court in a wheelchair. Did he regret his choices? If he hadn’t been eager to seek promotion, hadn’t taken the 50 million yuan from Gao, perhaps he wouldn’t have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Let’s move on to the story of Luo Ou, the “go-to guy” in Guangdong.
Luo Ou was initially the Deputy Secretary-General of the Guangdong Provincial Government, in charge of coastal defense and anti-smuggling. In November 2017, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for corruption.
During his tenure, he was dubbed the “go-to guy” for being helpful, capable, and able to get things done. Of course, those seeking his help had to pay a price. He was charged with soliciting and receiving bribes totaling 114 million yuan.
To outsiders, Luo Ou appeared to be a “clean official” because he owned only one property purchased with a loan in his name and had modest savings. Occasionally, he would present small amounts of money as gifts to show his “integrity.”
However, behind the scenes, Luo Ou, under the pretext of buying official positions, properties, renovating ancestral homes, and his daughter starting a company, asked for money, cars, furniture from over sixty private bosses or public officials. Asking bosses for money or goods was as simple as “asking for a cigarette.” Solely under the guise of buying property, he demanded over fifty million yuan from eight bosses.
In his early years, Luo Ou entrusted the bribes he received to his friends or mistresses in Hong Kong. When he started working in the provincial government, he no longer directly accepted money but had others do it on his behalf.
For instance, in 2007, when a private boss by the name of Luo gave him one million yuan and four million Hong Kong dollars in cash, Luo Ou refused face to face but instructed his cousin to accept the money and use it to buy shops in his cousin’s name.
Luo Ou also bought luxury mansions worth tens of millions and sprawling villas worth over ten acres, all registered under others’ names with the corrupt money.
Luo Ou was cautious in his dealings and appeared clever but he, too, fell prey to deceit due to his ambition for promotion.
In 2011, Luo Ou met Liu Wosheng, the Chairman of Guangdong Runtai Investment Group, boasting about his connections with high-ranking officials in Beijing. One day, Liu claimed he could help Luo Ou become the Secretary-General of the Provincial Government by recommending him to someone in the Central Organization Department.
This was like a dream come true for Luo Ou. He asked Liu to assist him and provided his resume. Liu promised to help, but mentioned that the task required at least 20 million yuan for operation expenses.
Luo Ou, not wanting to pay this sum from his own pocket, sought assistance from Chairman Guan of a company in Guangdong, requesting 20 million yuan. Chairman Guan proposed letting Liu borrow the money through a designated loan company, with himself as a guarantor. If unsuccessful, they could retrieve the money.
A month later, Liu claimed that the recommendation process was progressing but another 20 million yuan was needed for additional expenses. Desperate for promotion, Luo Ou turned to a private boss, Wu, using the same method. Liu received another 20.08 million yuan.
When Liu demanded another 20 million for operational expenses, Luo Ou grew suspicious and stopped paying.
By May 2014, when the Guangdong Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection investigated Luo Ou, none of the efforts undertaken by Liu to promote Luo Ou had materialized. Moreover, the 40.08 million yuan that Liu had taken from Luo Ou had been squandered or repaid.
Lastly, the protagonist of the final story is Tao Chenghua, the Chairman of the Zhejiang Jinhua Political Consultative Conference. This official, at 55, still harbored dreams of promotion. In 2018, he was introduced to a “feng shui master” named Zhu in Beijing, claiming to adjust fate and promote official careers.
Despite being a Communist Party member, Tao Chenghua, seemingly not superstitious, was more superstitious in crucial moments than anyone else. In September 2018, Tao asked Zhu to arrange rituals at Mount Huashan for promotion. He brought home a “five-ranking official hat box” and placed a wooden “promotion” symbol inside.
In early 2019, Tao invited Zhu to his home again to perform rituals and Feng Shui adjustments, hanging wooden Pixiu and bespoke Crane screens on the balcony to change his fortunes.
Seeing how easily Tao was fooled, Zhu went for broke: “I have connections in Beijing, can help you get promoted, but it will cost 20 million yuan!” Excited, Tao immediately sought help from his longtime friend, the actual controller of a real estate company in Jinhua, to raise the 20 million yuan for connection purposes. Following Tao’s instructions, in September and October of the same year, the friend provided 10 million yuan to Zhu.
After meeting Zhu, the friend warned Tao not to be deceived. Yet, Tao, blinded by ambition, paid no heed.
In 2020, hearing that official investigations were underway for him, and still suspecting nothing from Zhu, Tao invited him once more to his home for rituals to dispel misfortune. The rituals were performed, but misfortune did not evaporate. In November 2020, Tao was investigated for bribery and sentenced to eleven years and six months in prison in 2021.
Why are political swindlers rampant in the Chinese Communist Party apparatus? Ultimately, it roots in the system. While professing Marxism-Leninism on the surface, they, in reality, worship authoritarianism and materialism. With money, they can move mountains, with power, they can make things happen. With power, they can amass wealth; with a hefty sum, they can secure high positions. The officialdom has become an overt trading marketplace!
The corrupt officials who are deceived may appear prosperous but are, in reality, pitiful. Risking everything for a mere official hat, they end up being played in circles by the swindlers, ruined in reputation and fortune! Meanwhile, those swindlers roaming free exploit the greed of corrupt officials.
Translated and rewritten on behalf of the publisher.