The detention of Shenzhen mayor Xu Zongheng a little more than a week ago came as a surprise to many in Hong Kong, including some top local officials who had toasted him with the fiery spirit Moutai just a few days before.
But Mr Xu's fall from grace has hardly come as a surprise to many cynical mainlanders, who have a popular saying that if 100 officials on the mainland are randomly targeted and detained for corruption today, only one or two are likely to be cleared after an inquiry.
Following a report in the South China Morning Post on June 6, the mainland's anti-graft watchdog confirmed last Monday that Mr Xu was detained for 'serious disciplinary offences', without giving further details.
Similar to previous corruption cases involving high-level government officials, allegations against Mr Xu, as detailed in the Hong Kong media and mainland chat rooms, had him taking tens of millions of yuan in bribes. And as no corruption case involving senior officials is complete without the involvement of pretty young women, Mr Xu is alleged to have helped young mainland actresses migrate to Hong Kong in return for sex. This allegation has forced a number of actresses who recently obtained residency papers in Hong Kong to issue denial statements.
But one allegation against Mr Xu is particularly worth noting. Once a car technician, he was seen as climbing up the power ladder really fast, considering that he was not known for having strong backers in the central government. According to rumours among Shenzhen officials, he spent at least 20 million yuan (HK$22.7 million) to bribe superior officials to secure the mayor's position.
Rumour has it that he had raised even more money in an attempt to become the party secretary of Shenzhen, the most powerful job in the city. If the allegation proves true, this appears to be the first time a high-ranking government official is known to have bought a top position.
More importantly, this has brought to light the most hideous part of political corruption on the mainland - the buying and selling of government posts and official titles.