Chinese-style investigative reporting

Author: Zeng Huaguo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: The author and Shi Qingwei, among others, conducted an investigation report on the "Liu Yong Case" using the "three-dimensional investigation method." In 2000, we jointly investigated the facts of Liu Yong, a gang leader in Shenyang, colluding with local Party and government officials. Although we knew that many interview resources could not be publicly reported due to various reasons at the time, as journalists, we must strive to grasp a comprehensive situation and resources. Through departments such as public security, we learned that Liu Yong's initial capital accumulation was quite complex, and we didn't know where his initial business capital came from, but his later rapid wealth accumulation was mainly through violent means. After the establishment of the Baicao Group in 1997, he began to frequently use violence to smash, cut, and kill, quickly accumulating wealth. The act of forcibly renting the first-floor storefront of Shengjing Hotel was a typical example of using violence to make money: the original owner, Wu Mou, was forced to rent the storefront to Liu Yong for only 100,000 yuan compensation, despite having spent over 1 million yuan on its renovation. Comrades from the Shenyang Public Security Bureau explained that Liu Yong would never allow law enforcement officials to inspect his businesses. After starting his business, departments such as industry and commerce and taxation often conducted inspections at Liu Yong's enterprises, which caused him great headaches. So he thought about what to do. In 1998, the Provincial Technical Supervision Bureau received a complaint and went to inspect Baicao Supermarket. Liu Yong saw that officials from the provincial level were coming, and this was his chance to make an example of others. When three of the officials were about 10 meters away from Baicao Supermarket in Tai'an Street and about to take a taxi, several thugs sent by Liu Yong rushed forward, hacking and smashing, injuring Guo Jinxi and causing the retina of another person to fall out due to the shock. As expected, no law enforcement department dared to inspect Liu Yong's store afterward. Liu Yong developed several large real estate projects and markets in the most expensive golden areas of Shenyang, such as the central street of Tai'an Street. He came up with a method called "smash and demolish," meaning that if anyone refused to relocate, he would resort to violence—beating, smashing, and killing—to force them to move. It was essentially robbery, yet government departments often gave him "great support." Why did Liu Yong's gang continue to commit crimes with such impunity, and why did the public security organs fail to act sooner? This is one of the most important truths we need to uncover. Those interviewed said the difficulty lay in the fact that he was a member of the National People's Congress. With such a shield, his social status and political identity were special, and public security departments could not take action against him lightly. The Liu Yong case was complex and covert, requiring both open and secret investigation methods. However, it was not easy to take secret measures against someone like Liu Yong, a municipal-level member of the National People's Congress. In 1998, the National People's Congress assigned Liu Yong to supervise the law-breaking and disciplinary issues of the Public Security Branch of the Shenyang Municipal Public Security Bureau. When the author interviewed some officials at the time, they found that some leaders indeed had close ties with Liu Yong. In 1997, Liu Shi, then president of the Shenyang Municipal Intermediate People's Court, traveled to the United States with Liu Yong, with all expenses paid by Liu Yong. After returning, Liu Shi was transferred to become the chief prosecutor of the Shenyang Municipal People's Procuratorate. Ma Xiangdong, then the deputy mayor in charge of Shenyang, also traveled abroad, accompanied by Liu Yong. Shortly after returning, Liu Yong acquired the golden land in Zhong Street without spending a penny. At the time, public security departments were concerned that Liu Yong manipulated the promotion of police, then used the promoted police as a shield for his crimes. The phenomenon of this black force cultivating its own power and interests representatives within the legal and political organs is worth vigilance. With the support of public security personnel, the author also interviewed Liu Yong, who was detained, and other suspects.