Chapter 81 Investigation

Shen Lingning frowned slightly, but her eyes remained calm: "Auntie, thank you for telling me. A person with integrity has nothing to fear. Our accounts are clear and the assessment is fair. We are not afraid of her suing us."

Having said that, she felt a little worried.

She knew that in this day and age, simply being labeled as a "follower of a certain ideology" was enough to ruin a person, sometimes without any real evidence.

She secretly thanked herself for being careful from the beginning.

She asked Zhou Weiguo to help keep accounts for every incoming and outgoing of materials and every small expense, and the receipts were also kept in order.

The standards and results of recruitment assessments are also open to the public and witnessed by many people.

Sure enough, it didn’t stop for two days.

That afternoon, Shen Lingning was busy working in the fields with everyone else.

Two soldiers in military uniforms with serious expressions found the area. "Which one is Comrade Shen Lingning?"

Shen Lingning stood up and patted the dirt on his hands: “I am.”

One of the soldiers showed his ID and said, "We're from the base's security department. We've received a report from the public, alleging favoritism, fraud, and bribery during the recruitment process at Chashan. Please come back with us and cooperate with our investigation."

Everyone working in the fields was stunned; the sounds of hoeing, weeding, and chatting stopped abruptly.

Aunt Sun and Liu Jinfeng immediately came over to speak up for Shen Lingning.

"Nonsense! Who reported it? You rotten heartless bastard!"

"How could Ling Ning do such a thing!"

Shen Lingning's heart sank, knowing that Li Hongmei's move was coming.

She took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in her heart, and smiled reassuringly at Aunt Sun and the others: "The innocent will be cleared. I'll be back soon. Don't stop working in the fields. Continue working in the areas we've marked out."

She looked at the two soldiers again and said calmly, "Comrades, I'll go with you. But the account books and all the recruitment records are at home, and I need to take them with me."

The soldiers looked at each other and nodded.

Shen Lingning went home and took out the old account book with dense notes and a stack of bills tied with rubber bands, and deliberately put the contract with the red seal into his pocket.

Before leaving, she glanced at Fubao who was taking a nap. His little face was flushed and he had no idea of ​​the coming storm.

"Mom, don't be afraid." Fubao suddenly muttered in his sleep.

Shen Lingning's heart suddenly made up. She gently touched her daughter's face, turned around and followed the soldier.

The news that Shen Lingning was taken away by the security guards instantly caused a sensation in the entire family compound.

Zhou Weiguo soon got the news.

He had just returned from the battalion headquarters. Upon hearing the news, his face darkened and without saying a word, he strode towards the security department.

He was not there to cause trouble, but as a husband and a participant in the tea mountain project, he demanded to understand the situation and provide all the facts he knew.

The atmosphere in the security department is serious.

The officer in charge of the investigation looked at the account book brought by Shen Lingning.

The account book was modified from an old notebook. Every income and expenditure, even if it was just buying a new hoe or weighing a few ounces of salt, was recorded clearly, including the time, amount, and person in charge. The corresponding receipts were also posted next to it, without a single cent missing.

Shen Lingning stated calmly: “The recruitment and assessment process is open to the public, and all applicants can testify.

The standard is the speed and quality of clearing weeds and loosening the soil, which is jointly evaluated by me, my wife Zhou Weiguo, and family representatives Aunt Sun and Liu Jinfeng.

The selection results are announced on the spot and are based on actual work performance, not private transactions.

She took out the contract and said: "The tea mountain contract was officially approved by the base party committee, and the procedures are legal and compliant.

All output distribution plans, including the 30% handover to the base and priority for mercenary families and wounded soldiers, are written into the contract and are not personal decisions.

Witnesses, physical evidence, contracts, account books... Shen Lingning's thorough preparations surprised even the investigating officer.

This doesn't seem like someone who would be moved by a small favor and show favoritism.

At the same time, the family compound was in an uproar.

Aunt Sun and Liu Jinfeng were extremely anxious. They went door to door knocking on the doors of those who had been helped by Shen Lingning or whose family members had been selected to work in the tea mountains.

"We all know who Ling Ning is! Is it easy for her to lead us to do some work and have a full meal?"

"Someone's jealous and trying to report us! We can't stand by and watch good people get wronged!"

"Yes! We must jointly testify for Ling Ning! Go and explain things to the leader!"

"We finally have some hope for the future, we can't let anyone ruin it!"

The simple military families have a scale in their hearts.

They can clearly see who is truly doing good for everyone and who is stabbing them in the back.

Soon, a joint letter with many names written crookedly and red handprints was tightly grasped in Aunt Sun's hand.

She took a few brave daughters-in-law and went directly to Political Commissar Zhang's house.

After Zhou Weiguo argued with the Security Department, he went directly to Director Chen Dalei and gave a calm and objective report on the progress of the Chashan project, Shen Lingning's efforts, and the malicious slander he had encountered.

The investigation proceeded with little difficulty.

The accounts are clear, the procedures are open, the witness testimonies are consistent, and the joint letter represents public opinion.

Wang Shufen, a family member of Political Commissar Zhang, also stood up to speak for Shen Lingning, and took out the registration form for the day's selection and the selection scoring statistics to explain the situation.

The so-called "real-name reporting" was found to be pure fabrication upon investigation. The reporter Li Hongmei was hesitant in the face of evidence and could not justify herself.

The truth came out faster than expected.

The base leaders attach great importance to this.

Political Commissar Zhang personally inquired about the matter, and Director Chen Dalei also spoke out. They not only demanded that Shen Lingning's reputation be immediately restored, but also that the false accusers be severely punished to correct the atmosphere.

When Shen Lingning came out of the security department, the sunset was just right.

Zhou Weiguo was waiting at the door. He took the account book from her hand and said in a deep voice without asking any questions, "Go home."

Looking at her husband's solid and reliable back, Shen Lingning felt warm in her heart.

When the people in the family compound saw them, their eyes were filled with mixed feelings, including sympathy, admiration, and shame.

The door of Li Hongmei's house was closed. It was said that she fell ill after being called in for a talk.

However, before Shen Lingning had time to catch his breath, a communicator ran to Zhou Weiguo: "Battalion Commander Zhou, an emergency call from the battalion headquarters!"

Zhou Weiguo returned from the call, his brow furrowed. "Lingning, I just received a notice that the province will be sending a working group down soon to inspect the production self-help and sideline business development at each base. The team leader is... a director named Jiang."

Shen Lingning’s heart sank suddenly.

Jiang? What a coincidence?

Zhou Weiguo looked at her with a serious expression, "I heard that Director Jiang has a rigorous style and is extremely strict in his grasp of policies."

Shen Lingning frowned and asked, "Do you know the origins of Director Jiang? What is his relationship with Jiang Weimin and his sister?"