This human trafficking incident had been brewing in Anji County for quite some time. Contrary to its usual attitude of serving the people wholeheartedly, the Public Security Bureau remained completely silent on any issues related to this case.

There has been no official response to refute the rumors, and there has even been a sense of leniency towards them.

So, this matter brewed and fermented little by little in places unseen, and of course, some people were secretly adding fuel to the fire. The whole county town fell into a strange and tense atmosphere. There were no people on the streets, and the usual laughter and cheerful voices could hardly be heard.

Even if it happens occasionally, they try their best to suppress it, afraid of being noticed.

The same situation is happening in many small cities.

This situation is like a boil that keeps growing bigger and bigger. It will eventually burst open. And once it bursts open, even with just a small crack or a tiny pinhole, the pus inside will gradually and eventually gush out over a larger area.

It's like a spark that ignites a prairie fire. Thrown into a pile of dry wood, a tiny flame, with just a little breeze, can instantly become a raging inferno.

Two weeks later, for three consecutive days, the Anji County government building was completely surrounded by panicked residents who were clamoring for the arrest of the human traffickers. Xi Ping'an, who hadn't left his office for days, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's finally here!"

Qin Qingjiang hung up the phone, slightly excited.

"The situation is the same in several nearby counties, as well as the provincial government and the provincial public security bureau. The people are filled with righteous indignation. The streets near the provincial government are blocked. Some people are emotional and even have letters written in blood. Although the armed forces are maintaining order at the scene, the atmosphere is said to be very tense and could break out at any moment."

As they were talking, the phone rang again. The two exchanged a glance and changed the subject.

"What?"

"...Okay, I understand."

Xi Ping'an's face gradually darkened, and finally he pursed his lips and hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?"

"Some family members, due to the loss of their children and the inaction of the police during this period, became emotionally agitated and acted irrationally. One of them committed suicide with a knife in front of the provincial government building. The provincial authorities initially intended to let the matter escalate further, but now it seems they can't wait any longer."

Qin Qingjiang also froze.

This proposal was put forward by Qin Qinghuai, but it was only approved after being studied by their county party committee and the provincial party committee. Their goal was to eradicate this cancer, but if innocent parents were to be implicated and their lives were involved, no matter how many excuses or reasons there were, or what the plan was, it would have to be put on hold.

They are doing this for the sake of long-term social stability, to prevent such a state of panic from happening again. But they cannot sacrifice the lives of ordinary people. If they did, what would be the difference between them and those other people?

After a long pause, Qin Qingjiang finally managed to squeeze out a sentence.

"How is the person?"

Xi Ping'an stood by the window, watching the bustling crowd outside—parents of who-knows-who—and his heart sank even further.

"The person has been sent to the hospital. The specific situation is still uncertain. However, given that he is already emotionally agitated, there is bound to be some uncontrollable situations. Therefore, the province has activated the emergency plan and reported the situation to Beijing. The official documents from the province will also be issued at the same time and are expected to arrive this afternoon."

Qin Qingjiang, having also been a leader, was no stranger to this situation. He clenched his fists together, speaking with some resentment.

"Someone has been implicated after all."

"yes!"

Xi Pingan sighed softly.

"I've already arranged for people in the capital to report this news to their superiors, and it will also reach my people at the same time. They won't hide it; they'll expose it directly, especially to ordinary people, the elderly, and parents—they're more easily influenced and relatable."

"That's true, but the capital is not like a county town. It's full of ordinary people. A few hundred or thousand people can't cause any big trouble. Suppressing them would be easy. If a few people of high status and who no one dares to question could speak up for them in public opinion, then even if the higher-ups wanted to suppress it, they would have to think twice, wouldn't they?"

Xi Pingan turned around with a smile.

"That's right, so,"

Qin Qingjiang was puzzled by his smile.

"???"

What's the meaning?

"So, although it's a bit unfair of me not to inform you beforehand, I still have to tell you that I have contacted two senior leaders, Qin and Zhong, and asked them to speak up and lend us a hand. Although they are not in the capital, their status and the weight of their words are almost unmatched. With their help, the success rate of this matter will increase by more than half."

Moreover, they were also furious; this was against all reason and law, and they wouldn't stand idly by.

The old leader? Qin? Zhong? Not in Beijing?

Qin Qingjiang was stunned for a few seconds before he came to his senses, finding it unbelievable.

"You...you mean my old man and old woman?"

This was something Qin Qingjiang never expected. After all, since retiring and coming here, the two elderly people had almost never been involved in anything related to Beijing. Even before, he had said that they had always seemed indifferent.

"No, they completely stopped managing things after they retired. Did you really convince them?"

“If they don’t care about things, then naturally those things are not worth their attention, or those things don’t require their intervention to resolve. But this matter is different. This matter concerns countless children, countless broken families, and countless heartbroken parents and relatives. Like the person who was so emotional today, this situation will continue to occur, and it may even be more tragic.”

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!