Chapter 227: The Unpredictable Tide (Part 3)
Knowing that Yang Weige had been taken into custody by the Procuratorate, Yi Zhongling could no longer remain in his villa. As he prepared to leave, he called Old Jiang at the Procuratorate again. He was frantic and angry. "Old Jiang, what’s going on? Didn’t you burn everything? On what grounds did Li Du arrest Yang Weige?"
On the other end of the line, a man in his thirties sat not in his office, but in his home within the Procuratorate compound. In his hand, he held a few thin sheets of paper. Though they were merely copies, they were enough to bring significant trouble to Yi Zhongling. The originals were hidden in a secret location; these were the duplicates.
Armed with this leverage, he no longer feared Yi Zhongtian’s threats or bribes. He chuckled softly, speaking slowly, "I work in the Arrest Approval Section, not in the Special Task Force. My intelligence is always a half-step behind." He continued, "Don’t blame me. When the Task Force designed their strategy, Yang Weige was the first target. So, his files were kept separate and never placed in the evidence room."
"Where are Yang Weige’s files?"
"Most likely in Tang Xiaowei’s hands."
Yi Zhongling’s voice turned stiff. "I’m leaving this to you. Use any method necessary to resolve the situation at the Procuratorate. Otherwise, we’re all finished."
Old Jiang’s voice rose in anger. "I did you a favor by setting that fire. I’ve done enough. What more do you want? You have those sex tapes of me. If you have the guts, go ahead and release them. As for the rest, there’s no proof. I’m not afraid."
Old Jiang’s强硬 (hardline) attitude made Yi Zhongling sense something was wrong. He immediately softened his tone. "Old Jiang, we’re in the same boat. Find a way to pass a message to Yang Weige. He must hold out. If he can endure it, I’ll find a way to get him out. Ma Yicai will step in then. But if he breaks inside, there’s no hope for him."
"Old Jiang, isn’t your son planning to study in the United States? Once we get past this hurdle, I’ll handle that for you."
Old Jiang remained silent on the other end, neither hanging up nor speaking.
Yi Zhongling spoke warmly, "Old Jiang, we’re brothers. Can you bear to watch your brother fall into hardship?"
Old Jiang’s voice was light and detached. "Old Yi, that night it was too dark to see clearly. I couldn’t judge if what burned was the real material. To be safe, I took the documents home. And yes, they were exactly what you said they were."
"Where are they? I’ll come and get them."
"How could I keep such dangerous items? For safety, I burned them one by one and flushed the ashes down the drain. Old Yi, you can rest easy."
Yi Zhongling cursed inwardly. This bastard Old Jiang. He actually kept those life-threatening documents.
His face shifted through several expressions, but since the other party held the evidence that could cost him his life, he suppressed his anger and spoke with exaggerated affection. "Old Jiang, I trust your handling of things. When the heat dies down, I’ll treat you to a trip to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. We’ll enjoy ourselves, ha, ha, ha."
Having achieved his goal of threatening Yi Zhongling, Old Jiang did not want to ruin the situation entirely. "Let me think of a way. But Li Du and his team are on guard, which makes it difficult. After all, I’m not a member of the Special Task Force."
"With Old Jiang on the case, one is worth two. There’s absolutely no problem."
Yi Zhongling added, "I heard the Procuratorate’s interrogation methods are quite effective. Most people can’t withstand them."
"Their main trick is continuous fatigue interrogation, combined with physical pain that leaves no visible marks. However, some people with strong wills can endure it. Hou Weidong, who is now Zhu Yan’s secretary, was once tormented by Tang Xiaowei. Hou Weidong has a hard backbone; he didn’t say a single word."
Yi Zhongling said, "Yang Weige is used to a life of luxury. I estimate he’s a soft-shell crab."
Old Jiang, a senior section chief at the Procuratorate, knew the ins and outs of the institution well. "I have a suggestion. Have Yang Weige’s family go to the Shazhou Municipal Party Committee, the Municipal Government, and the Shazhou Procuratorate to cause a scene. The more people, the better. Claim that Yiyang County is engaging in illegal detention and extracting confessions through torture. The People’s Government fears public unrest the most. If the incident escalates, the Yiyang County Party Committee, Government, and Procuratorate will face pressure, and Yang Weige’s days in custody will be relatively easier."
Since Old Jiang and Old Yi held mutual leverage over each other, they instantly became close friends. After discussing some details on the phone, Yi Zhongling finally hung up. The landline was registered under someone else’s name, so Yi Zhongling was not afraid of being monitored.
For Hou Weidong, although his time as Zhu Yan’s secretary was short, he had witnessed quite a bit. On the morning of September 1st, he took a moment to call Xiaojia. Just as he put down the receiver, he heard a commotion outside the window.
A large crowd had gathered outside the County Party Committee building. Most were elderly people holding banners with slogans such as "Thirty Years of Hard Work, Back to Square One Overnight," "The Factory Is Our Home, We Love It Like Our Lives," and "Protect State-Owned Assets, Never Be Compradors."
Hou Weidong leaned on the windowsill to watch for a while. He subconsciously thought, This must be the Yiyang Native Produce Company. Someone is fanning the flames behind the scenes. Since he couldn’t see clearly from upstairs, he went downstairs.
Downstairs, the security department staff stood in a line, trying to prevent the crowd from entering the compound. However, the people were agitated. They were mostly elderly men with graying hair and women in work uniforms. Their numbers were great, and they quickly pushed through the human wall formed by the security staff, rushing into the large courtyard in a chaotic uproar.
Gui Gang, the Director of the Government Office, directed the staff from the Petition Office to appear at the bottom of the building in time. Together with the retreating security staff, they barely managed to block the crowd. Gui Gang stood at the front, shouting loudly, "If you have demands, send representatives to the County Government for a discussion. Storming government organs is illegal. Select a few people to come forward."
Hou Weidong went downstairs and joined the front of the line, helping to form the human wall while secretly observing the various banners. He thought to himself, The government is currently negotiating a joint venture with Taiwanese businessmen, and it is still in the confidential stage. How did these workers find out about this?
At that moment, a hoarse voice shouted from outside, "The officials of Yiyang County cannot sell out the interests of the working class. We firmly disagree."
"Defend the factory to the death."
"Down with corrupt officials."
The hoarse voice had a Northern accent. It belonged to a factory protection team member whom Zhu Yan and Hou Weidong had met once. His hair was half-white, his beard half-white, and his face was thin. He was particularly emotional.
When the police arrived at the courtyard, the situation calmed down. The petitioners from the Yiyang Native Produce Company recommended ten representatives to hold a dialogue with the relevant departments of the County Government in the conference room. Hou Weidong then returned to his office.
He sat in his office for a while. Seeing that it was already half past ten, he estimated that Vice County Head Gao had left. He took several documents requiring Zhu Yan’s signature and went to deliver them.
Just as he left his office, he saw Vice County Head Gao coming out of Zhu Yan’s office.
Zhu Yan saw Hou Weidong enter, took a sip from his teacup, and asked, "What’s going on downstairs? Did you go and see?"
"I just went down to look. The old workers from the Yiyang Native Produce Company are opposing the joint venture with Taiwanese businessmen. Their specific demands are unclear, but they have selected representatives to discuss matters in the County Government conference room." Hou Weidong briefly summarized the main content of the banners.
Zhu Yan was not worried about the group petition. He leaned back in his wide leather chair, rubbing his temples with both hands. "Using such clumsy tricks, they have exhausted their options."
As he left, Hou Weidong intentionally or unintentionally reminded him, "An additional item has been added to the Standing Committee agenda: the issue of the Yiyang joint venture."
Zhu Yan snorted coldly. "Add another item—relevant personnel appointments and dismissals. You handle it."
He personally made a phone call. "Secretary Zhao, are you free? Come to my office. I have something to discuss with you."
At eleven o’clock, Ren Lindu also returned to his office. Over the past few days, he had followed Secretary Zhao to visit more than ten key county-level departments. His notebook was half-full of notes. After this round of visits, he had listened to the reports from the key county departments and gained a preliminary understanding of their main work and operations. It was very rewarding.
"There are many old workers from the Native Produce Company outside. It seems they don’t want the joint venture."
Hou Weidong knew the waters were deep at the Native Produce Company and dared not say too much. "The Native Produce Company is already insolvent. It is a pure money pit. No matter how much money the government invests, it won’t have much effect."
Ren Lindu said, "We are an inland county town. The people’s thinking is very conservative. In folk opinion, joint ventures with foreign merchants are often seen as selling out national interests. Whoever signs the deal is considered a traitor."
"A joint venture is a method to attract capital, just a means. It has nothing to do with patriotism. As long as wages are paid on time according to national regulations, we welcome enterprises of any nature."
After saying this, Hou Weidong laughed at himself. "Reading editorials every day, I’m almost becoming a commentator."
At that moment, Li Du from the Procuratorate walked in. He looked quite serious and said urgently, "Secretary Hou, is Secretary Zhu in?" Seeing Li Du’s demeanor, Hou Weidong knew something was up. He poured a glass of water and said, "Prosecutor Li, Secretary Zhu is discussing work with Secretary Zhao. You may have to wait a moment."
Li Du sat on the sofa, absentmindedly flipping through a newspaper. Hou Weidong handed him a cigarette and lit it for him. Neither spoke; they both quietly smoked.
Ren Lindu also knew Li Du. As a person of status, the Chief Prosecutor was someone he was willing to associate with. After refilling Li Du’s water, he said, "Prosecutor Li, Secretary Zhao has scheduled some talks today. After he comes out of Secretary Zhu’s room, he will call for me."
Li Du looked at his watch and frowned.