The Long River Washes Away the Dust

Three years ago, Canghe City achieved a decisive victory in its special campaign against organized crime. The Heng Tong Construction criminal gang, which had held sway for years, was lawfully dismantled, and a number of corrupt officials and “protective umbrellas” linked to criminal groups were rooted out. Public security across the city has remained stable, and residents’ sense of safety has risen significantly.

As the campaign against organized crime becomes a regular undertaking, a small number of remnants have changed their identities and gone underground. Colluding covertly with certain public officials, they use concealed methods such as compliance-based packaging and market-oriented operations to siphon off public resources and disrupt the normal economic and social order.

Shen Zheng, a grassroots criminal police officer, has always remained true to his commitment to serve the people through law enforcement. He spots a suspicious detail in what appears to be an ordinary dispute affecting people’s livelihoods and follows the leads despite the pressure. The provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision joins forces with the public security authorities to form a special task force, which enters Canghe to carry out a targeted crackdown. Taking a zero-tolerance approach, it resolutely investigates and handles all kinds of disciplinary and legal violations, cuts off the shadowy ties between officials and businessmen, and removes the rotten apples from the political and legal ranks.

With a realistic touch, this work depicts the vivid practice of the ongoing campaign against organized crime and corruption in the new era. It portrays a group of political and legal officers who faithfully perform their duties and fear no danger, and profoundly illustrates the rule-of-law principle that “the net of justice may be wide, but nothing escapes it.” It also affirms the unwavering resolve of the Party and the state to uphold social fairness and justice and protect the people’s peaceful lives and livelihoods.