Chapter 1044: A Storm of Public Opinion!

January 1, 1983. New Year’s Day. Saturday!

Just as people across the country were praying for a warm New Year and hoping for a prosperous year ahead, a report quietly appeared in the nation’s most influential state-run media outlet—the People’s (Long Live Harmony) Daily!

The report was extensive and explosive, written from a reporter’s perspective and based on his real-life experiences.

The story begins a month earlier, when Jin Dong, a reporter for a certain daily newspaper, traveled to Tangcheng on assignment. As soon as he stepped out of the Tangcheng train station, he was extorted by a gang of thugs.

Even more outrageous was that when Jin Dong threatened to call the police, the thugs didn’t bat an eye. Instead, they beat him up in broad daylight, then robbed him of all his belongings—including an expensive camera—before strutting off.

Jin Dong immediately reported the incident to the police station near the station, hoping to recover the stolen camera and see these thugs severely punished.

However, the police merely received him politely and provided no further updates.

After waiting three days at the guesthouse and seeing no progress, Jin Dong had no choice but to seek help from his superiors at work, hoping the newspaper could pressure the Tangcheng Public Security Bureau to recover the stolen camera as soon as possible.

This time, things moved quickly. In just two days, the Tangcheng Public Security Bureau returned the stolen camera and other belongings to Jin Dong.

However, when Jin Dong asked what had become of the thugs who had robbed and assaulted him, the investigating officer began to hem and haw.

Finally, with no way to avoid the question, the officer had to tell Jin Dong that the suspects had already been released and would not face further charges.

At the same time, the officers told Jin Dong that the thugs who robbed him were members of the “Kitchen Knife Gang.” They were numerous and powerful; even the Municipal Bureau didn’t dare to touch them lightly. It was already a good outcome just to get the stolen property back—trying to arrest and convict them was practically impossible!

Hearing this, Jin Dong was deeply shocked.

It was the first time he’d heard of the “Kitchen Knife Gang.” He never imagined that even the local Tangcheng police wouldn’t dare to provoke this organization. Driven by a hint of curiosity, Jin Dong quietly began investigating the Kitchen Knife Gang.

It turned out to be a big mistake—the results of his investigation left Jin Dong completely stunned.

According to Jin Dong’s investigation, he discovered that the so-called “Chopstick Squad” was actually a gang of thugs. Moreover, this gang wasn’t confined to Tangcheng alone—it had spread throughout the entire Jidong region and was gradually showing signs of expanding into the Northeast.

This gang was primarily made up of unemployed youths roaming the city; they were idle and aimless, gradually forming an organization in the streets and alleys.

These individuals spent their days drinking, bragging, and shirking legitimate work, chasing so-called foreign trends—growing their hair long, wearing sunglasses, and treating life on the streets as a fashionable lifestyle.

Influenced by this atmosphere, these street youths soon began arming themselves.

The weapon they could most easily obtain was a kitchen knife, so people eventually dubbed them the “Kitchen Knife Gang.”

Currently, the number of gangs—large and small—roaming Tangshan is staggering. They frequently erupt into conflicts on the streets, which often escalate into violent clashes.

Since these thugs are armed, ordinary citizens naturally dare not provoke them. However, they soon discovered a way to make money from the public’s fear: using their kitchen knives to extort money from ordinary people.

The first to suffer at their hands were the market vendors. They would often march in large, armed groups to the market to collect protection money or demand free food and drink.

If shop owners refused, they would rampage through the premises, smashing property and forcing the shops to close.

Later, the “knife gangs” escalated their crimes to robbery and rape, even daring to travel to different areas to commit crimes, and even the police fell victim to their retaliation.

Many police officers who investigated cases involving the “Knife Gang” had their homes vandalized, and their families were even targeted in retaliation.

To avoid further trouble, the Public Security Bureau chose to turn a blind eye to some cases involving the “Kitchen Knife Gang” and dared not take action against them.

On one occasion, two members of the “Kitchen Knife Gang” encountered soldiers attempting to stop them during a robbery. Instead of complying, they swung their knives at the soldiers and issued threats, boasting that they feared nothing.

These thugs and hoodlums committed robberies, assaults, and even murder and looting in Tangcheng and throughout the entire Jidong region. With utter disregard for the law, they were like bandits from the old society making a comeback—and even more brazen than the bandits of old.

To thoroughly investigate the criminal activities of this cancerous “Kitchen Knife Gang,” Jin Dong took a month-long leave of absence from his unit and stationed himself in Tangcheng to gather evidence against the gang.

After gathering firsthand information, he returned to Beijing and chose to expose the matter in his organization’s newspaper.

As soon as the report was published, it quickly attracted widespread public attention and was reposted by other influential state-run media outlets.

Seizing the momentum, Jin Dong continued to expose the “Knife Squad’s” criminal activities in the People’s Daily. Soon, the “Knife Squad” and the gang of thugs became a hot topic of national discussion, and public opinion was rapidly forming…

………

Beijing. The Li Family Residence!

Inside the courtyard house, Li Yi was flipping through the newspapers from the past few days.

After reading these state media reports, Li Yi couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth turn up slightly, his mood greatly improved.

Jiang Xue, who was washing her son’s feet nearby, asked curiously, “You’re just reading the paper—why that look? Who did you screw over this time?”

Jiang Xue knew her husband better than anyone; whenever he wore that smug, almost-deserving-of-a-slap expression, it meant someone else had been taken down.

“Honey, that’s a bit hurtful. Is that really how you see me?” Li Yi said, feigning hurt.

“Stop pretending. Haven’t you noticed that whenever you smile with that crooked mouth, Third Brother and Brother Jianhua don’t dare look at you?”

“Really?”

“Yes, they know it. Whenever you smile like that, someone’s bound to get screwed over—either them or someone else. So, you’ve definitely been scheming against someone again!” Jiang Xue said with absolute certainty.

A flash of embarrassment crossed Li Yi’s face—he really hadn’t noticed that.

Back then, he’d just wanted to imitate the “Crooked-Mouthed Dragon King” from TV and try out that so-called “a crooked smile, and life or death is unpredictable”—he never expected the people around him to have figured out his habit so thoroughly.

“I was just joking. I’m such a kind person—how could I possibly scheme against others?” Li Yi said.

“Stop messing around. Who’s going to be the unlucky one this time? Could it be the Liu family?” Jiang Xue asked as she wiped Yun Rui’s little feet.

Li Yi knew there was no way to wriggle out of this… no, no way to explain it away. A slightly awkward smile spread across his face as he immediately replied, “That’s right, it’s the Liu family!”

Jiang Xue chuckled. “You haven’t made a move in over a month. I thought you weren’t going to bother with them anymore. I never expected you were secretly digging a pit for them behind their backs!”

Li Yi chuckled. “What do you mean ‘under the radar’? You’ve got to be careful when setting traps—I’m not exactly going to go about it with a big fanfare, am I?”

“You’re right. By the way, how did you set that trap for the Liu family? Have they noticed anything yet?” Jiang Xue asked curiously.

“They haven’t caught on yet, but they will soon!”

Li Yi then explained his plan to Jiang Xue.

After listening to Li Yi, Jiang Xue looked surprised and said, “Are you saying that the news about the Tangcheng Knife Gang that’s been all over the place lately—you had someone leak that?”

“That’s right. Starting tomorrow, I’ll have people report on the activities of thug gangs in Beijing, Tianjin, and other cities, creating a nationwide public outcry. Eventually, the higher-ups will realize the danger these scourges pose and launch a massive crackdown. Then, riding that wave of public sentiment, we’ll crush the Liu family and their scum—whether it’s Liu Dongping or anyone else, not a single one will escape!” Li Yi said confidently.

Jiang Xue thought for a moment, then gave Li Yi a thumbs-up and said admiringly, “You’re really amazing!”

Seeing the look of admiration on his wife’s face, Li Yi’s confidence skyrocketed instantly. His mood lifted, and the look he gave Jiang Xue grew a bit intense…

……..