0154 163 The dead grass grows into splendor "middle"
Half an hour after the incident, public opinion quickly escalated. Major platforms reported on the Kunming subway incident, and numerous conspiracy theories emerged, with most believing it to be another terrorist attack. Meanwhile, police, police cars, special police, and military vehicles were deployed throughout the city.
The sky was overcast, sirens wailed, and people hurried along the road.
Meng Qinggong put down his phone, turned around, and searched for Zhou Xiye's figure in the crowd, finally spotting her in a corner. He sighed deeply. Ling Xingzhi, who was beside him, heard him and turned to him, "This accident happened suddenly. Do you think it's more likely to be caused by human error or a machine malfunction?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Qinggong looked at Ling Xingzhi's stern face, paused, opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Qiao Senxi ran over, panting, "Where's Secretary Zhou? The surveillance footage before the accident is all here. Didn't she want to see it?"
Ling Xingzhi reached out and took the tablet from Qiao Senxi's hand. "I'll give it to her. How many people were rescued from inside?"
Josen hesitated for a moment, "This... Mayor, such a huge explosion, the number of dead and injured..."
How many people?
"...Eighty-three people."
Meng Qinggong almost gasped. He looked at Ling Xingzhi, whose face was still gloomy. "Okay, Secretary Qiao, please keep the news under wraps and don't let outsiders report it."
“Okay,” Qiao Senxi nodded. After everyone else left, Ling Xingzhi brought up the previous question again, “Director Meng, let’s go back to the same point, do you think it’s more likely to be human error or a technical malfunction?”
Meng Qinggong pursed his lips and said, "It's not impossible for it to be human-caused, but there's no motive. I think the possibility of a technical malfunction is greater."
Ling Xingzhi nodded slightly. "Then I'll wait for your news." He shook the tablet in his hand. "I'm going to deliver something to the secretary."
"good."
After arranging everything, Zhou Xiye found a corner, lowered her head, and sat down against the wall. She had witnessed the real battles and seen countless instances of entire villages being slaughtered for a single area. She thought that it was because without the constraints of civilization, the infinite ugliness of human nature would be exposed; that was the true nature of humanity.
This is the essence of why humans became the king of species.
Zhou Xiye had never imagined that in political struggles, someone would use such cruel methods to deal with their political enemies. This put Zhou Xiye in an unjust position, and whether she remained the municipal party secretary or not, she would have to bear immense psychological pressure.
The hot air from the explosion, the smell of burning flesh, and the flying dust made Zhou Xiye close his eyes and bury his head between his legs.
She didn't know what to do. The enemy was more difficult to deal with than she had imagined. They were pressuring her, and once she handed over everything, they would surely kill her. Disobedience meant death. Killing her would be easy for them.
Traveling alone, one can brave mountains of knives and seas of fire, unburdened and carefree, with life as resilient yet fragile as a wild grass.
One's pride is hard to break, and one's life is easy to preserve.
Zhou Xiye sighed deeply. Was it worth doing all this for Ye Rouxin? Quite a few people have died because of that thing in her hands. This is a warning, the last warning.
A strange perfume scent wafted into Zhou Xiye's nostrils. She frowned and was about to look up when a force pressed her head down hard. Unable to lift her head, she reached out her hand when the other person suddenly spoke, "Zhou Xiye, is this worth it? Look at all these people who have died. Is it really worth it?"
Zhou Xiye's body stiffened, and he gave up struggling.
"You wanted to do something great and help the people live a better life, but when it came to the crucial moment, they still said you got there by climbing the social ladder and sleeping your way up. You wanted to protect what he left you, but so many people died. Don't you feel ashamed? He was heartless and unjust, dragging you into this situation. Don't you resent him?"
Zhou Xiye's hand fell to her side, her eyes fixed on the ground. The voice in her ear continued, "You may think that the power struggle is for the sake of doing more for the people, but they don't appreciate it." The person chuckled, "Why not put down your so-called beliefs and enjoy your power?"
After speaking, the man vanished like the wind.
Zhou Xiye remained motionless, frozen in one position. It wasn't that she didn't want to move, but that she lacked the strength. The surrounding noise was deafening, but Zhou Xiye seemed to be isolated from the world, immersed in her own world.
After a long while, a voice came over, "Secretary Zhou, here is the video footage you requested." Ling Xingzhi squatted down in front of Zhou Xiye. Her dejected appearance resembled that of a stray dog. Ling Xingzhi couldn't help but reach out and touch her hair, saying slowly, "Do you know who did it?"
Zhou Xiye didn't say anything.
The words spoken are like a stone sinking into the sea, without causing a ripple.
"Were you truly cooperating last time, Zhou Xiye? If you were, why are there reports circulating that there's unrest at the top and that he's involved?! And what about the list you gave me—is it true or false?!"
Zhou Xiye remained silent. Ling Xingzhi grabbed her neck and forced her to raise her head. The two looked at each other.
"Zhou Xiye, how could there be inside information on the external network? How could there be such accurate information? Don't you need to explain?"
"That means I'm not the only one who knows this information; there might be spies involved."
What is the truth?
"What truth?"
Ling Xingzhi squinted at Zhou Xiye, the two of them locked in a fierce confrontation. "Even at this point, you're still stubbornly refusing to let go. Zhou Xiye, these people all died because of you."
"It's not because of me, it's because of my enemies. They're the ones who indiscriminately kill innocent people, they have no moral bottom line, so why should I feel guilty!"
Suddenly! Zhou Xiye pulled her hand away from Ling Xingzhi's and stood up. "Why should I feel guilty!? Besides, some of them deserve..." She repeated herself, but before she could finish, the image of the plainclothes officer who had saved her flashed through her mind. At the same time, she also remembered their mockery, "Officials who slept their way up!"
She took a deep breath, her whole body trembling. When those old people said those things, she thought, these useless people should die, people who waste social resources should die, and everyone who insulted her should die!
Yes, she could have easily made friends with them and blended in when she arrived in Kunming. Why did she target Hu Rui, and why did she target those who blocked her way? It's because she wanted to do something, she wanted to do her own thing. Money? She could get as much as she wanted.
She worked so hard and put in all her effort, only to be told that she was an official who "slept her way to power".
Yes, the subway accident was because of her, but why should those who benefited from her not bear the risks? Perhaps that's true; as long as their own interests are not harmed, they don't care who is in power.
Ling Xingzhi also stood up. "Zhou Xiye, what do you mean?" He pointed behind him. "Those people haven't even been evacuated from inside yet, and you're already saying these things. Zhou Xiye, do you know how serious this matter is, how many people have died? You definitely can't keep your position as the municipal party secretary now!"
Zhou Xiye opened her mouth, wanting to say that some people deserve to die, but her hands clenched into fists, and she couldn't say the rest of the words. Finally, she lowered her head and said, "I know I was wrong, please don't force me anymore...?" Her voice was too soft for Ling Xingzhi to hear. At the same time, a chaotic sound came from behind her, and people carrying a stretcher passed by. Zhou Xiye moved to the side.
Passersby could no longer recognize its original appearance.
Zhou Xiye turned his head to look at them.
A hand reached out and grabbed Zhou Xiye's hand. She looked closely and saw it was that woman. Zhou Xiye followed the woman's hand down and saw that half of her leg was gone.
"You..." The woman's face was a dark red, and Zhou Xiye couldn't see her emotions clearly, but at that moment, enveloped by the warmth of the woman's hand, her eyes involuntarily reddened. "I'm sorry..."
The woman's hand fell to her sides. Zhou Xiye watched as she was carried away and composed himself.
When Zhou Xiye turned to look at Ling Xingzhi, he calmed down instead. "If I can't protect him, I can't protect him. Before I leave, I will dig three feet into the ground and find out who did this. There is no limit to how high I can go!"
Seeing the intensely calm flame flickering in Zhou Xiye's eyes, Ling Xingzhi instinctively grabbed Zhou Xiye's arm. "Calm down. The best option now is..."
“Protect yourself wisely,” Zhou Xiye interrupted Ling Xingzhi to finish his sentence. “Ling Xingzhi, I don’t know how much protection your father’s power and wealth have given you, but also how much meaning has he taken away from your efforts and struggles. But no one can live like this, whether they are riding high or down on their luck. You can’t do this.”
Ling Xingzhi's hand slowly fell, and he also composed himself. "I can't control how you live, but you need to think carefully about the current situation..." He looked at Zhou Xiye's calm appearance, which had returned to the demeanor of a politician. He felt that he had said too much. "Let's not talk about these things. I'll arrange for you to see a psychologist. Go and get him checked out."
"good."
After speaking, Zhou Xiye took the tablet from Ling Xingzhi and looked down at the video. Just as she expected, there was no evidence in the video. At this moment, Ling Xingzhi walked up to Zhou Xiye, took the tablet from her, and said, "I'll handle this. You just need to find the real culprit."
After saying that, he walked away.
Zhou Xiye also walked over to Qiao Senxi and Director Meng, saying, "The entire city is under guard to ensure the complete safety of citizens. If such an accident happens again, you will be the ones under my official hat."
"clear."
The sky was dark blue, and a few snowflakes drifted down from the sky.
The atmosphere was tense; car windows were closed, and pedestrians hurried along. The subway station was crowded, with police and military personnel stationed every ten meters and conducting checks every five meters. The solemn atmosphere, while dignified, also brought a sense of security to the citizens of Kunming.
A week has passed since the Kunming subway collision, and various speculations about the cause of the accident have emerged. The central government has also attached great importance to the matter, providing cross-provincial guidance to the municipal bureau. After a thorough investigation, following a meeting of the municipal government, Ling Xingzhi held a press conference on behalf of Zhou Xiye, stating that the accident was caused by foreign criminal gangs and that the city would strengthen its defenses to prevent any further incidents.
This press conference was held without Zhou Xiye's consent, and she was sitting in her psychologist's office when it took place.
Do you feel guilty?
"I feel guilty."
The psychologist shook his head and tried to help Zhou Xiye with psychological counseling. Her defense mechanism was very strong, and she would not interact with anyone on her own initiative.
"You've been on the battlefield before, and it was your first time experiencing death. What did it feel like?"
When Zhou Xiye heard the question, she seemed a little dazed. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "I forgot..." She said it honestly, but the image of the children who died on the battlefield flashed through her mind. They had saved many children, and Zhou Pei was one of them.
Some of these children were death weapons of warlords, strapped with bombs. They exploited people's compassion, moving them from camp to camp, only to blow up those who sheltered them without hesitation. The children were too young to understand death.
But they understand despair.
When those children died, Zhou Xiye was powerless to help. Veterans from the battlefield and war correspondents advised her, "Don't pay for other people's suffering. There are always some things in life that have nothing to do with you, but you will be affected by them. These effects can be good or bad. Good effects can help you improve, while bad effects can make you lose your mind."
Zhou Xiye lowered her head; this time, she was powerless to stop her death.
Sometimes she blamed herself, thinking that if she hadn't overestimated the enemy's abilities, they wouldn't have died.
The psychologist sighed deeply, "Secretary Zhou, you don't trust me."
Zhou Xiye saw a doctor and said, "Why should I trust you? Ling Xingzhi gave you money to treat my illness. We're complete strangers. Why should I believe you?"
"...I'm treating you, but with your attitude, the treatment process will be very difficult to continue..."
Zhou Xiye shook his head. "You don't need to come from today onwards. I don't need it."
After seeing the psychologist off, Zhou Xiye finally saw the contents of the press conference. It turned out that everything he'd said was just a distraction tactic, turning the internal strife into external interference. She picked up her teacup and took a sip. A few seconds later, Zhou Xiye picked up the phone on the table and dialed, "Is this the Kunming military leader? Yes, that's me… It's time to talk to those people in northern Myanmar. Make the arrangements."
She hung up the phone and finished the tea in her cup.
He glanced at his watch, picked up the documents on the table, and walked out. Passing Pan Yun's office, he knocked and stood in the doorway. "Let's go, we're going to report to the provincial party committee."
During a security check briefing at the Kunming Metro, Zhou Xiye met Wu Qiong.
The newly arrived provincial party secretary was very mysterious. When Zhou Xiye saw him, a capable woman appeared in front of him. She nodded to Wu Qiong and said, "Hello, Secretary Wu, I am Zhou Xiye, here to report on my work."
Wu Qiong nodded and waved for the people beside her to leave.
Almost at the same time, Zhou Xiye smelled that strange perfume scent.
The sound of the door closing behind them rang out. Wu Qiong and Zhou Xiye exchanged a glance and smiled slightly.
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