News Lead (I)

After leaving the police station, Director Gao Weimin did not return directly to the Public Security Bureau. Instead, he and Director of Political Department Wu Dean detoured to the home of elderly Liu Benzhong in West City District, ten li away, bringing him twenty jin of rice, ten jin of flour, and five bags of sugar.

It suddenly began to drizzle on the way.

At the entrance to Baiyun Commune in Hegengtang, West City District, a dilapidated thatched hut with earthen walls crouched in a mountain hollow. Elderly Liu Benzhong sat on the stone steps outside, holding a foot-long homemade tobacco pipe and smoking leaf tobacco so harsh that it could be smelled from miles away.

He was one of the impoverished households Gao Weimin had been assigned to assist after arriving in Tangdu City. Liu Benzhong was sixty-eight. His wife had long since died of illness. He had two disappointing sons who stayed away all year and only occasionally came home.

When Liu Benzhong saw Director Gao, he became somewhat excited. He coughed dryly several times, his face breaking into a smile. From far away, he called out, "A good man! A good man!" Perhaps those clumsiest words best conveyed the gratitude of this honest, simple old man.

"Sir, this is just a small token. Please accept it!"

"Director Gao, why do you keep helping an old man like me, one foot in the grave?"

"Sir, it's because the Party's policy is good. Don't concern yourself with it!"

"Yes, the Communist Party is still the best!"

"Sir, any news from your sons?"

"Ah, don't mention them. Those useless things—I'll just pretend I never had them!" It was clear that, before Director Gao, the old man did not wish to mention his sons' shameful affairs.

"By the way, sir, this house of yours is already dangerous and urgently needs renovation. I've contacted the West City District Subdistrict Office. In a few days, they'll send people over to inspect it and begin construction!"

"At my age, would I even have any use for that?"

"Don't worry. The government provides subsidies!"

"Sir, any news from your sons?"

"Ah, don't mention them. Those useless things—I'll just pretend I never had them!" It was clear that, before Director Gao, the old man did not wish to mention his sons. In truth, his eldest son, known as Shorty, had been stabbed to death in a fight with Tong Haojing, while his second son, Qian Long, had not returned home for years. On the day Shorty died, Ma Shaokang had brought the old man to the Public Security Bureau to make a scene over his eldest son's death. The Criminal Investigation Team replied that the case was under investigation. Yet before Director Gao, he said nothing of his son's death, because a group of masked men of unknown identity had come in the middle of the night with some money to silence Liu Benzhong, threatening him not to go to the Public Security Bureau again.

The Party's policy warmed people's hearts and benefited countless households throughout Tangdu City. Liu Benzhong was one such beneficiary. Amid his busy schedule, Gao Weimin braved the rain to complete one day of poverty alleviation assistance. Who could have imagined that his people-centered aid work would later produce unexpected social effects?

The rain stopped, and Gao Weimin took the old man's hand to say goodbye.

Just then, Gao Weimin received a call from the Command Center. Someone had been injured in a fight at the West City Old Town Demolition Site. A large crowd had gathered, and a mass incident was highly likely. The West City Police Station had already gone to handle it.

Gao Weimin's brow twitched. He keenly sensed the sensitivity of the matter. He called to the driver, "Quick! Head to West City instead!"

"Director Tang's jurisdiction. He's an experienced station chief..." Wu Dean was more familiar with the West City Police Station, and he unconsciously began introducing the jurisdiction's situation to the newly arrived director.

The car sped all the way there, arriving at the West City demolition site half an hour later.

A BMW car was parked in an open space beside the road. In the back seat sat a man who looked like a boss, dressed in a brand-new suit. He was Tang Fafa, the forty-something general manager of Tengda Real Estate Development Company. His face was cold and stern, and when he spoke, his features distorted slightly due to a scar on his left cheek, though it was now almost invisible.

In the front passenger seat of the BMW, a uniformed police officer had turned around and was arguing with Tang Fafa.

On the other side of the road, about fifty meters away, an excavator stood parked by the roadside. An old man in his seventies leaned against its tracks, crying that his foot had been run over. Beside him, two hooligan-looking young men shouted, "Old man, if you don't move aside, we're going to get rough!"

Two young uniformed officers stood among the crowd, doing their utmost to persuade them. "Everyone, calm down. You can't resort to violence. We must handle things according to the law."

A large crowd surrounded the excavator, their emotions running high. Angry voices rose from all around. "The developer started demolition without reaching an agreement with us! The police are in cahoots with the developer! We can't trust them unless their leaders guarantee that the interests of us ordinary people won't be harmed!"

The man arguing with Tang Fafa in the BMW was Tang Changan of the West City Police Station. He had learned that Tang Fafa had forcibly entered the site without reaching agreements with the residents facing demolition, and several of Tang Fafa's staff had clashed with the old man who tried to stop them.

"Director Tang, take a closer look. This has nothing to do with me. My men accidentally hurt the old man, and they're willing to compensate him. But you need to understand that this is a key project. We can't afford delays. That old man insisted on blocking us. What could we do?" Tang Fafa leaned back against the rear seat, speaking leisurely without even looking at Tang Changan, his face full of disdain.

"General Manager Tang, demolition must be carried out according to the law. You cannot hurt people. You know that!" Tang Changan said sternly, suppressing his anger.

"What? I don't understand the law? I have approval. If you don't believe me, go ask your leaders!" Tang Fafa's arrogant, unreasonable expression was rather intimidating.

At that moment, Gao Weimin, dressed in plain clothes, arrived at the scene. The driver called over two officers from the site.

"Are you from the West City Police Station?" Gao Weimin asked.

"Yes!" one officer answered.

"Where is your leader?" Gao Weimin asked again.

"Our Director Tang is there, in the car, arguing with the developer!" The officer hesitated as he pointed toward the BMW.

"Go quickly. Call him over. Tell him I, Gao Weimin, am here!"

The officer glanced at Gao Weimin, then turned and ran hesitantly toward the BMW.

The driver carefully protected Director Gao as Gao Weimin squeezed into the center of the crowd and identified himself.

"I am the Director of Public Security for Tangdu City. I guarantee that whatever demands you have, I will personally report them to the Municipal Demolition Department. But you cannot gather here and obstruct construction. Likewise, the demolition workers cannot act recklessly or injure ordinary citizens. Please rest assured, we will investigate this matter according to the law and deal with it seriously. Now, you may choose several representatives to negotiate!"

"How can we trust you? Look at your police officers sitting in a BMW with the developer's boss. You're all in cahoots!" someone shouted from the crowd.

"Friends and neighbors, please believe me. I guarantee it on my honor as Director of Public Security—there will be no such thing! If anyone among us violates the law or discipline, you can come directly to me. I'll give everyone my number now!"

"That's the new Director of Public Security. I heard he personally caught a drug user at Minsheng Market..." Someone in the crowd recognized Gao Weimin, and everyone began looking at him with trust.

"Fine, then we'll trust you!"

At that moment, Tang Changan and the officers ran over, followed by Tang Fafa. Dressed in his sharply pressed suit, he strode forward with an air of superiority that kept others at a distance.

"Director Tang, where should you have been?" Gao Weimin rebuked him with a stern expression.

"I was..." Tang Changan tried to explain.

"Enough!" Gao Weimin cut him off. In Gao Weimin's eyes, this was evidence of Tang Changan's poor handling of the situation. His closeness to the developer at that moment could easily cause the public to misunderstand. Besides, what exactly was the relationship between them...

At that moment, Tang Fafa suddenly put on a smiling face. He took two quick steps toward Gao Weimin and extended his hand.

"Ah, what an honor to meet Director Gao! A pleasure, a pleasure! What happened today isn't Director Tang's fault. It was the foolish mistake of several of my men. We've disturbed you, Director Gao. I guarantee that I'll take responsibility for the compensation and give those two staff members a proper lesson!" Tang Fafa wore a fawning smile, though his left cheek looked somewhat unnatural.

Gao Weimin gripped Tang Fafa's hand firmly. An invisible force made Tang Fafa feel tremendous pressure. Forcing a smile, he said, "Director Gao, what strength! No wonder you're Tangdu's guardian. Our company will be relying entirely on you to escort and protect us!"

"Then what about today's matter?"

"Director Gao, don't worry. We will certainly cooperate with the police station and handle the matter properly!"

Afterward, Director Wu gave Tang Changan, who stood dumbly before Gao Weimin, a meaningful look. Tang Changan and the two officers immediately took the injured old man and the two young men back to the police station.

The crowd dispersed. Gao Weimin and Wu Dean got into the car and hurried back to the bureau.

In the car, Gao Weimin was still thinking about Tang Changan of the West City Police Station and Tang Fafa.