China: Commissioner scrutinized by netizen detectives · Global Voices
Bob Chen

Zhou-jiugeng, Commissioner of Nanjing Housing Administration Bureau, is now a celebrity on the internet.
He first led a campaign against the price cut of real estate developers, which tried to break even by  attractive discounts during a frustrating economic environment. In years, the price of Chinese real estate has been criticized as overly high, with complaints that the hope to buy affordable houses can never come true. However, due to the recent dismay performance of market, two developers in Nanjing, Van-ke and Heng-da, can no longer hold out and so lowered down their newly developed estates.  One of Van-ko's properties, sold at about $1000/sq.m, is relatively 50% lower than the neighboring housing.
Except for the house holders bought in shortly before the price cut, most people acclaimed for the action. However, the Nanjing government is more than depressed.
Zhou-jiugeng decided to fight back. He pointed out that, the price cut is “to put the selling price under the actual cost price so that it means nothing but an unfair competition.” Also, he fears that the lower price would undermine developers’ capital flow so that once their capital chain break up, the many estate projects under construction would become unfinished and therefore a burden of the entire city.
He employed a straightforward way to stop the developers- the Nanjing Administration issued a fine notice to the two developers to warn them away from any further price cut. Upon this, Zhou concluded, “Developers are not charitarians; I fined them not for their actions, but for the consequence of the action. I am doing this for people.” The implication is that a losing proposition will hurt the whole industry and no houses might be built in the future. (U.S auto-maker bail-out?)
But people didn't buy his reasons when hearing that the cut they have been looking forward to for years is now spoiled.
莫之许, a well-known blogger rebuked:
首先，亏本卖房合理合法，没有什么见不得人的。任何商品的销售价都取决且仅取决于消费者的主观价值认定，而不取决于商品的制造成本。
He further points out why the government is trying to defend the high price.
所周知，这些年来，土地财政撑起了地方政府收入的半边天，土地价格也因此成为了地方政府的高度关切所在，进入到2008年，各地土地流拍、退地事件层出不穷，直接影响到了地方政府的土地收入，且未来预期也不容乐观，在此情形下，各地政府纷纷出台措施保房价，
But the argument on the real motivation of the policy is just the prelude.  The focus, as soon as the issue is put upon internet and thought to be ridiculous, shifted to the policy maker, Zhou-Jiugeng.
A post by All-for-public-08 appeared on Tianya, a public online bulletin board. The following pictures were posted:
The picture is from the past news reports excavated by netizens.
The box of cigarettes is the real protagonist that is scrutinized. Netizens found that such a premium luxury is almost unaffordable to common people that one box of the cigarettes costs 150 Yuan, and one package contains 10 such boxes，equal to 1500. This is what a jobless worker can get from government for 3 months.
The brand, named 9-5 Cigarettes, is among the most expensive sold in Nanjing.
The author commented
周局长
您自个招了吧！
您的收入一个月够抽这个烟吗？
Netizens are speculating that Zhou must have obtained greatly from the developers. “Take money and speak for the donor” is what Zhou is doing.
yangnan1603 moaned:
我们的好官啊，吸的都是老百姓的血汗啊
Find-autumn-back 找回秋天 said:
这一定是腐败分子．．．．．他要不是，可以枪毙我。
Netizens made a calculation:
以周的烟瘾看，一天要两包，那么就是360元，一个月就过万，显然不是一个月薪只有4000多元，即使年终奖算上也不过年薪10万元的人能消费起的。”
Moreover, netizen cheyou007 posted his discovery on Kdnet in the article “Commissioner Zhou smokes branded cigarettes, wears branded watches.”
据网友搜索结果，这应该是名表“江诗丹顿”， 一只10万。
Finally, the most explosive news was exposed, again by netizens, that Commissioner Zhou has a brother, Zhou-jiuzhong (周久忠) who is exactly a real estate developer.
昨日，记者登录天元吉第的网页，在其主页的“天创建设”一栏中找到了关于周久忠的个人简介，与网友所述其职务基本一致。而其与周久耕的关系，经过多方打听，记者从一熟悉周久耕的人士处获悉，周久耕和周久忠确系兄弟。