These words were like a shot of adrenaline; the guards' eyes immediately turned fierce.
Wang Defa nodded in satisfaction and waved.
"Set off!"
Meanwhile, outside the textile factory gate, Su Jianguo stood on a makeshift wooden crate platform, holding up a hospital diagnosis certificate.
"Fellow workers! Comrades!"
Su Jianguo's voice trembled with anger.
"This is what a textile factory is like now! The children of leaders can beat people at will and bully others!"
A deafening roar erupted from the audience: "Severely punish the murderer! Give us justice!"
The third brother, Su Mingfu, supported his second brother on the stretcher, tears welling in his eyes.
Su Mingde weakly opened his eyes and saw the dense crowd before him; tears silently streamed down his face.
"Look! This is the victim!"
Su Jianguo gently lifted the white sheet covering his son, revealing his chest wrapped in bandages.
"Three ribs broken, nose fractured, concussion! The doctor says he may be permanently disabled!"
The crowd erupted again, and some people began throwing stones at the factory gate.
The steel mill workers spontaneously formed a human wall to prevent the situation from getting out of control.
Just then, the side gate of the textile factory suddenly opened, and Wang Defa led more than 30 fully armed security personnel out in single file.
They were armed with batons and shields, and the leaders had bulging waistbands, clearly concealing even more dangerous weapons.
"Stop it, all of you!"
Wang Defa stood at the head of the security team, his voice booming, a stark contrast to his demeanor in Director Liu's office just moments before.
"This is a key state-owned enterprise. Are you trying to rebel by gathering a crowd to cause trouble?"
The crowd was silent for a moment, then erupted into even louder boos.
Su Jianguo jumped down from the podium and strode towards Wang Defa, showing no fear of the watchful security personnel.
"Deputy Factory Director Wang, your son severely injured my son. How do you plan to settle this?"
Wang Defa sized up the old worker in his faded overalls, his eyes filled with disdain.
"Your son seduced one of my factory's female employees; he deserved to be beaten!"
These words were like a spark falling into an oil drum, instantly igniting the workers' anger.
The steel mill workers roared and surged forward, while security personnel immediately raised their shields to form a defensive line.
"fart!"
Su Jianguo's loud shout quelled the commotion.
"Everyone in the factory knows about your son's affair with Liu Meijuan! Liu Meijuan is pregnant with your son's child, but she tricked my son into being her sugar daddy!"
Wang Defa's expression changed; he clearly hadn't expected Su Jianguo to know so much inside information.
Enraged, he yelled at the security personnel.
"Arrest this old scoundrel who's spreading rumors and causing trouble!"
Five or six security guards immediately rushed towards Su Jianguo.
At this critical moment, the steel mill workers surged forward like a tide, shielding Su Jianguo in their midst.
"Who dares to touch Master Su!"
Zhou Dayong swung the wrench he carried with him, his eyes wide with anger.
The situation instantly became tense, with both sides facing off in front of the factory gate.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Wang Defa quietly retreated to the rear of the security team and gave Li Qiang a wink.
Li Qiang understood, pulled a pistol from his waist, and fired a warning shot into the air.
"Bang!"
The deafening gunshots silenced the scene instantly.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Wang Defa climbed onto the guard post and looked down at the dense crowd.
He straightened the collar of his polyester shirt, then suddenly took off his glasses and wiped the lenses with his cuff. This deliberately slowed-down movement made the restless crowd unconsciously quiet down a bit.
"Fellow workers! Comrades!"
His voice trembled slightly, as if he was trying to suppress his grief.
"I, Wang Defa, have worked in the textile factory for over twenty years, rising step by step from a workshop worker to where I am today. What did I rely on? It was the support of my fellow workers!"
He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping across the crowd to make sure everyone heard him.
"What happened today is more heartbreaking for me than for anyone else!"
Wang Defa patted his chest heavily, making a dull "thump-thump" sound.
"If my son did it, I'll personally tie him up and bring him here to apologize!"
He pointed at Su Mingde on the stretcher, his finger trembling slightly.
The steel mill workers began whispering among themselves.
Wang Defa suddenly turned around and yelled at the security department.
"Put down your batons! Who gave you permission to point them at our workers?"
The angry shout made the guards hurriedly put away their weapons, while he himself took the opportunity to wipe away non-existent tears.
Wang Defa rolled down from the guard post and approached Su Jianguo, even reaching out to shake Su Jianguo's hand, but Su Jianguo coldly avoided him.
Wang Defa wasn't annoyed at all; instead, he showed an "understanding" expression and continued his performance.
"Master Su, I know you're angry right now. If I were in your shoes, I would feel the same way!"
He sighed.
"However, we can't wrongly accuse an innocent person because of a momentary impulse!"
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