0132 141 The Setting Sun in the West Wind
The city government building was brightly lit.
Liu Liangyou, Ling Xingzhi, Hu Rui, and Zhao Hongji from the Discipline Inspection Commission sat upright on the leather sofa in the conference room.
"So, Meng Qinggong issued a public notice that disturbed public order without anyone's permission! And the wording was inappropriate too. What does 'expose the protective umbrella behind them' even mean?! Is this saying that the Kunming municipal government gave the green light to those prostitution rings?!" Liu Liangyou was furious.
Hu Rui nodded. "This is not in accordance with regulations. He neither reported to us nor explained the situation to Mayor Ling. The wording of the report was also inaccurate. This matter was clearly discussed in a meeting before. I don't know why he changed his mind again."
Zhao Hongji sighed, "The central inspection team is in Kunming now, they will definitely get involved... How could he act so recklessly!"
Ling Xingzhi didn't say a word.
"Call Meng Qinggong!! Tell him to come back!! Stop messing around!" Liu Liangyou shouted angrily, and Hu Rui picked up his phone.
At night, sirens blared across the city.
Police cars sped past on the road, and the branches of trees along the roadside seemed to be uprooted by the wind brought by the cars. The police split into several groups and finally surrounded the agritainment base.
The atmosphere was tense and serious.
Meng Qinggong got out of the car; his phone had been ringing off the hook. He took out his phone, which was vibrating so much his palm was numb, looked at the caller ID—Hu Rui—sighed deeply, and threw the phone back into the car.
“Take all those involved into custody, and also bring back some prostitution rings that are already on their way home!” He looked around at the officers. “Also, there might be danger, so the special security guards will clear the way first.”
He frowned as he gave instructions. The agritainment business was not a small project. This base included two mountains, and the forests were rarely visited by people. Therefore, they had to be extra careful about the damage caused by the criminal gang's counterattack. They also couldn't be sure if these people had weapons.
A group of police officers rode motorcycles toward the farmhouse.
"Director Meng, Secretary Hu is calling..."
Upon hearing the deputy director's words, Meng Qinggong snatched her phone and threw it aside. "Arrest them first, I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong." He turned his head to look at it, then lowered his head and said, "The plainclothes officers have been lurking here for a long time. Just like Zhou Xiye said, there are not only prostitutes but also drug traffickers. Arresting these people will definitely earn you a great merit. Even if Hu Rui is angry, he can't do anything to us."
"In the future..."
Meng Qinggong was a little annoyed and waved his hand, "We'll talk about the future later. It's not certain who will have the last laugh." He shook his head, but in his heart he was thinking: Zhou Xiye, I've already gone out on the call and issued a report. I've staked my life on you. You absolutely can't let me down!
On second thought, what if Zhou Xiye really was just speaking out for justice and the people? Did he have no other intentions?
Impossible! How could someone as cunning as Zhou Xiye be so easily defeated? Even if she dies, she'll take a bunch of people down with her, not to mention she hasn't even started her counterattack yet.
Meng Qinggong comforted himself, thinking that he had done everything by himself, and that he should take responsibility for his own actions. How could he blame it on a woman?
Although he didn't understand how to play this game or how to strategize, Meng Qinggong was already prepared to be a casualty. He was conflicted and afraid, but subconsciously he felt that Zhou Xiye was the kind of person who could turn the tide against all odds.
The police force advanced in the darkness, making a great show of it.
As Meng Qinggong watched them enter in teams, a strange mix of tension and excitement welled up within him. This was what a policeman should be doing. A small office was not his territory; this kind of dangerous arrest was Meng Qinggong's true nature.
He lit a cigarette, suppressing his excitement.
Suddenly, the lights came on behind him again. He turned his head to look, but the headlights were so bright he couldn't open his eyes. The car lights went out, and someone got out. Meng Qinggong could only see the person clearly after the person had walked a few steps.
Commands must be obeyed.
Before Meng Qinggong could ask anything, Ling Xingzhi greeted him first, "Director Meng, thank you for your hard work. I only found out you were going to continue the investigation after seeing the report. Was it Secretary Hu who told you not to investigate before?"
To be blunt, the visitor is not friendly.
"Secretary Hu felt it was better to avoid trouble, especially since the human trafficking case had already been solved, and closing down the agritainment business would solve all the problems."
Ling Xingzhi smiled upon hearing this. "Secretary Hu is impressive. If you can't solve the problem, then solve the problem itself. But I'm curious, how did Director Meng come up with the idea of issuing a report?"
Meng Qinggong hesitated for a moment, "Mayor Ling, are you here so late to supervise my work?"
Ling Xingzhi shook his head, looking at the lights that were lit up halfway up the mountain in the agritainment base. "Let's not beat around the bush. It's no secret that I helped Zhou Xiye. You have your reasons for doing this, but I think if you're also helping her, then Director Meng's matter is definitely my matter."
Meng Qinggong almost laughed out loud. "You're right, I have my reasons for doing this. But the matter of the Public Security Bureau is my own business. No matter how I choose or what I do, it's not to repay favors or form cliques. I'm just trying to make myself feel better."
Ling Xingzhi understood and nodded with a smile, "Since we are all in the same organization, if Director Meng has something to say to me, the municipal party committee and government will definitely support him."
At this point, Meng Qinggong had a sudden inspiration. Looking at Ling Xingzhi, he understood his purpose. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "Then I'll have to trouble Mayor Ling."
"I said stop investigating, and that's final!" Hu Rui slammed his hand on the table and stood up, glaring angrily at Ling Xingzhi sitting opposite him. "Now we're cleaning up the mess, and then we have to go back to investigating the case? Not only is it a waste of government resources, but it's also a waste of manpower and resources. How are ordinary people supposed to live a good life? If we keep investigating, how will they do their business?!"
With a smile on his lips, Ling Xingzhi calmly said, "Secretary Hu, if they break the law to make money, then they should be punished by law. The rule of law is written into the Constitution. Do you intend to violate the Constitution?"
Before Hu Rui could say two words, Ling Xingzhi cut him off, saying, "That's not what I meant! What I meant was that you can investigate if you want, but there's no need to do it so blatantly! It's bad for Kunming's image, and it will definitely lower our impression score when we're evaluating civilized cities."
"This matter is common knowledge. If we don't investigate it in a big way, it's either because there's something wrong with our government or because the government is irresponsible. Compared to a nice-sounding title, I think the people care more about the truth. Not letting criminals go unpunished is what a government should do."
Hu Rui was completely speechless. He sat down obediently, picked up the cup on the table, and took a sip of tea.
“Mayor Ling, you and Secretary Zhou were transferred here together, so you naturally have better working chemistry. But I think we should stick to the facts and not let personal feelings get into our work.”
Ling Xingzhi laughed, "Secretary Hu, I didn't understand what you meant."
Hu Rui looked at Ling Xingzhi, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "Mayor Ling, you and Secretary Zhou's wife got into a fight a while ago. I think everyone knows about your relationship with Secretary Zhou."
This means we've completely broken off relations and are showing no mercy whatsoever.
Ling Xingzhi raised an eyebrow and slowly leaned back in his chair. "Secretary Hu, you can't just believe everything you hear, and you can't believe rumors. The person who said this is definitely trying to slander me and frame Secretary Zhou. She is a woman, that's true, but that doesn't mean she's incompetent or that she got to this position by relying on a man. That's your prejudice, that's your own problem."
"Mayor Ling, I think this is a problem with the personal conduct of a comrade within the Party. This is not good for you or her, and you will not be able to explain it to the organization!"
“Secretary Hu, if that’s how you put it, then Secretary Zhou and I are just going with the flow. Here, there are few people whose problems are more numerous, bigger, or more influential than yours.”
Upon hearing this, Hu Rui's anger flared up instantly. "Stop!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the office door behind him was pushed open. Ling Xingzhi frowned, but Hu Rui's expression instantly changed from anger to panic. Ling Xingzhi turned around and saw that it was people from the procuratorate.
Hu Rui and Ling Xingzhi stood up.
The head of the procuratorate took out a paper certificate and said, "Secretary Hu, would you please come with us?"
Ling Xingzhi had no idea what was going on and watched helplessly as the prosecutors handcuffed Hu Rui and left the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee's office.
The wheel of fortune turns; the previous one was Zhou Xiye, the municipal party secretary, and the next one is Hu Rui, the deputy municipal party secretary.
Something big is about to happen in Kunming.
It can truly be described as dark clouds looming over the city, threatening to crush it.
"The Kunming Municipal Public Security Bureau issued a report on the case of human trafficking and prostitution at a rural guesthouse. Details are as follows..."
The car radio was broadcasting news details of the case, and Zhou Xiye turned the volume down. Her car was parked outside the agritourism project site; it was raining outside, and the pattering rain against the windshield made it difficult for her to see clearly.
A moment later, a commotion arose. Zhou Xiye slightly lowered the car window and looked over. A group of people were loading things onto the train. The agritourism project had been suspended, and these vendors needed to move out of the area. The ground was littered with trash and debris, and no one was cleaning it up.
As the saying goes, "When people leave, tea grows cold," and only then did Zhou Xiye fully understand the meaning behind it all.
Before she could react, someone came over and knocked on Zhou Xiye's car window. She rolled the window down completely. The man in front of her was soaked, his hair all matted. He wiped his face and said, "Excuse me, miss, could you please move your car? Otherwise, this truck won't be able to get out."
Zhou Xiye nodded, "Okay, I'll make room for you."
With the steering wheel in hand, Zhou Xiye pulled the car over to the side. After parking, Zhou Xiye grabbed an umbrella and got out of the car. "Master, where are you going? It's raining so hard, why don't you wait a bit? If we go into the mountains, we might encounter a mudslide or something."
"We can't wait any longer. The police arrested a bunch of prostitutes, so there's no business here anymore. Nobody comes... Besides, the government will be here soon to kick people out. We have no choice but to leave."
Zhou Xiye, holding an umbrella, watched them bustling around. "Why are they kicking people out?" she asked, pausing. "Who told you to move? That doesn't make sense!"
"I'll move when I tell you to, and I'll leave when I tell you to. What need is there for logic?" The man smiled and got into the car.
Zhou Xiye held up an umbrella, and the rain and wind blew on her, making her feel cold and damp.
"Big brother, wait a minute!" Zhou Xiye called out. The man rolled down the car window and looked down at Zhou Xiye. "What's wrong, little sister?"
“If they drive you away like this, just obediently leave without resisting... Brother, where can you start this business? Besides, the government will definitely not let this land be abandoned; it will definitely be redeveloped and expanded in the future.”
The man frowned. "Girl, you're being too naive. I understand your point. But we still need to eat while construction is underway. How are we supposed to eat if we just sit here? How are we supposed to survive? Will the government provide any subsidies?"
The man shook his head. "The government won't help us. A tree dies if it's moved, but a person thrives. We have to find our own way to make a living."
Zhou Xiye shook his head, "It's precisely because you don't fight for yourselves that you're running around everywhere. I don't believe the government doesn't care about this!" As he spoke, Zhou Xiye took out his phone and made a call, "If you won't fight for us, I'll ask around for you."
The call was made directly to the city hall. Zhou Xiye explained the whole situation, but the staff on the other end said, "The person in charge at the top is not here. They said the agritainment business was going to be closed down, but now the people who were supposed to close it down are in jail. The whole situation is that no one is in charge, and we are not in charge either."
“It’s impossible for no one to take responsibility for this. The municipal party committee and government led the project, and now they’re kicking people out after something went wrong. What regulation or law says this is allowed?” Zhou Xiye knew the situation of this project very well. Even if she left, she didn’t believe she couldn’t find someone to take responsibility.
The official on the other end of the line was also unfriendly, saying, "If someone kicks you out, just call them. Why are you calling me?"
Zhou Xiye frowned. "What's your name?"
"Oh, you want to complain? Let me tell you, Sun Xiaozhi! Go ahead and complain! Go ahead and complain!"
After hearing this, Zhou Xiye hung up the phone and called the Municipal Public Security Bureau. The person who answered was completely confused. "Tell the people from the agritainment business to leave? I haven't heard of that. There's no such thing!"
The urban management officers all said the same thing.
No one knows what happened.
Zhou Xiye looked at the man driving the car and said, "Who told you to leave? The police said they didn't send anyone over."
The man was also a little puzzled upon hearing this, muttering to himself, "That's impossible... that person was clearly wearing a police uniform... Miss, I don't know."
"Since none of the responsible departments have done so, you don't have to move. You can make some money in the surrounding area first, and once the agritainment business reopens, business will definitely improve."
The man sighed.
People nearby also advised, "If anyone else comes to kick us out, then it's not legitimate. I can call the police! Call the police and they'll handle it! Brother, we're not afraid!"
The man hesitated for a moment, then got out of the car and stood in front of Zhou Xiye. “Girl, we’ve seen plenty of people being kicked out, but you probably haven’t… Although you’re more savvy than me and better at using the rules of this society, I’m just a roughneck, and I’m scared. All the stuff in this car is for making a living, and I can’t afford to take any risks.”
Thank you!
After saying that, he got into the truck. The heavy truck turned around and drove out of the agritainment base.
Zhou Xiye stood there watching the car drive away. Once it was out of sight, she chuckled softly. She couldn't say whether it was because she was being presumptuous or because the man wouldn't listen to advice. After a moment's thought, she turned to get in the car. Just as she sat down, another car pulled up, braked sharply, and a group of burly men got out and marched noisily towards the agritourism base.
"Move out what needs to be moved! We'll help you move what you can't!"
As soon as Zhou Xiye saw them arrive, the shopkeepers quickened their pace of packing up.
These people said the police weren't wearing uniforms, that they were urban management officers but had no credentials, and that they were from the municipal government but didn't seem to have any authority.
He was completely arrogant and domineering.
Zhou Xiye thought for a moment, then picked up his phone to call the police before getting out of the car. Holding an umbrella, he walked over to them and asked, "Who are you people? What gives you the right to say you want to move out? What permits do you have?"
Upon hearing this, the man in the lead turned to look at Zhou Xiye.
He scoffed at the unarmed woman, "Grandpa can make whoever I want move move, and they have to move. It's none of my business who I am."
"What you're doing is illegal."
The man grew impatient, reached out and slapped Zhou Xiye on the head, "I am the law! Get out of my way, don't get in my way!"
In a flash, Zhou Xiye dodged the man's shove and poked him in the abdomen with the tip of her umbrella.
"Holy crap! There's blood!"
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