Seizing the Opportunity to Establish Authority
Under the control of the SWAT officers led by Cheng Du, the atmosphere at the scene changed instantly. Facing dozens of loaded guns, the previously arrogant crowd turned ashen, their legs trembling so badly they could barely stand.
How could he possibly have a direct line to Ding Yizhen? He had merely been borrowing a tiger's skin to wave as his banner. Now, with cold gun barrels trained on him, he did not even have the courage to make up another lie.
Secretary Chen Mo saw through everything and immediately recognized the bluff. Without wasting another word, he took out his phone, dialed a number, and deliberately switched on the speaker.
The call rang only twice before it was quickly answered. A voice sounded slightly surprised but strove to remain composed. "Hello, Director Chen?" It was Ding Yizhen's secretary.
"Mayor Lin is at the Qingshui River Chemical Plant construction site. Have Standing Committee Member Ding come over immediately."
There was a distinct pause on the other end; he clearly had not expected the reason for the call to be so sudden. At that moment, Ding Yizhen was chairing an extremely important coordination meeting and had instructed that no one disturb him. But anyone capable of serving as a standing committee member's secretary was no ordinary person. He instantly knew which choice would best serve his superior.
"Director Chen, I'll notify Mayor Ding to come over immediately."
After hanging up, Ding Yizhen's secretary pushed straight into the conference room and whispered a few words in Ding Yizhen's ear. Ding Yizhen looked up at him in disbelief. Seeing the secretary nod lightly, he announced to everyone that the meeting was over and hurried out.
Almost simultaneously, even more piercing sirens approached from the distance! A convoy bearing Jingzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau plates screeched to a halt.
Zhao Donglai, director of the Jingzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau, pushed open his car door and surveyed the scene. Once he located Lin Yanzhou, he hurried over at a run.
Reaching Lin Yanzhou's car window, he straightened his police uniform in the reflection and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Then he gave a regulation police salute to the man inside. "Mayor Lin! Zhao Donglai reporting! Awaiting your instructions!"
Hearing him, Lin Yanzhou raised his wrist and checked the time. He was within the fifteen-minute deadline Lin had given him.
Cheng Du opened the car door. Lin Yanzhou stepped out and looked Zhao Donglai over without speaking immediately.
The pressure of that silence was far more suffocating than any reprimand. Zhao Donglai maintained his salute, looking straight ahead without averting his gaze.
Several seconds passed before Lin Yanzhou spoke slowly. "Director Donglai, you have a strong sense of punctuality."
Zhao Donglai lowered his hand and replied in a ringing voice, "Reporting to the mayor: protecting your safety is the municipal bureau's foremost duty! Upon receiving your orders, our bureau immediately activated its emergency response plan. I was inspecting work nearby and came at once!"
His answer was watertight, both declaring his loyalty and explaining how he had arrived so "promptly."
Lin Yanzhou turned his gaze toward the filthy river water and the project office personnel. "You've seen the situation here. Director Donglai, how do you think we should handle it?"
Zhao Donglai swept a sharp gaze over the scene. "Rest assured, Mayor! Brazenly obstructing official duties and threatening a leader's safety are acts of an extremely egregious nature! Officers!"
The municipal bureau officers behind him immediately stepped forward.
"Take everyone involved back to the municipal bureau immediately and interrogate them through the night! Investigate thoroughly who gave them the nerve to behave with such utter lawlessness. Whoever is backing them, punish them severely without exception! Also, seal off the relevant sites and secure the evidence!"
The project office personnel could not even get out a plea for mercy before the officers handcuffed them and led them away.
Watching from the side, Cheng Du knew perfectly well what medicine Zhao Donglai was selling in his gourd. What could an investigation uncover if they were taken to the municipal bureau? It all depended on Li Dakang's mood. If he said there was a problem, there was a problem. If he said there was none, no problem could possibly exist.
Lin Yanzhou turned toward Cheng Du. "Director Donglai, under the principle of territorial jurisdiction, the Guangming Branch Bureau should handle this. Isn't that right, Director Cheng?"
Cheng Du reacted instantly. "Yes, Mayor. The municipal bureau only takes over cases involving major crimes, special individuals, or similar circumstances. Judging by the situation here, this is an ordinary criminal case and does not currently require municipal bureau intervention."
Zhao Donglai glanced at Cheng Du, who had never gotten along with him. "Mayor, I don't consider this an ordinary criminal case. It directly threatened your safety. I recommend elevating the investigation to a higher level."
"Does being mayor come with special privileges? I'm simply an ordinary citizen. Follow the law and regulations, and investigate this to the very end." Lin Yanzhou turned to Cheng Du and continued, "Supervise it personally and report directly to me."
"Yes! I will carry out your instructions without fail!" Cheng Du stood at attention and accepted the order, not a trace of hesitation in his eyes. He knew this was the imperial sword the new mayor had bestowed upon him-a stern test, and also a chance to change his fate.
Zhao Donglai wanted to make another attempt. After all, Ding Yizhen had been personally promoted by Li Dakang and counted as a brother in the same trench. He was just about to speak when he met Lin Yanzhou's gaze. Remembering the unusually high-level arrangements surrounding this mayor's arrival, and drawing on his instincts as a police officer, he knew the man's background was anything but simple. Coupled with the aura of authority Lin exuded without showing anger, it made him involuntarily swallow the words already on his lips.
Lin Yanzhou watched him. "Director Zhao, do you have something to say?"
"No, no." Zhao Donglai hastily waved his hands, afraid of causing even the slightest misunderstanding. "You're right, Mayor. Having the Guangming Branch Bureau register and investigate this case is entirely reasonable and compliant with regulations. There really is no need for our municipal bureau to intervene. I didn't think it through just now and overstepped."
Lin Yanzhou did not respond. He checked his watch, swept his gaze over the sewage in the channel, and was turning toward his official car when-
Ding Yizhen's car came racing in like the wind. The door opened, and Ding Yizhen strode over, his face wreathed in an apologetic smile and fine beads of sweat on his forehead.
"Mayor Lin, I'm terribly sorry! I was chairing an extremely important project coordination meeting. As soon as I got the message, I came straight over. Sorry to have kept you waiting!"
Lin Yanzhou did not respond to his pleasantries. He raised a hand and pointed at the filthy, foul-smelling channel beside them.
"Comrade Yizhen," Lin Yanzhou said, his voice betraying not the slightest ripple.
"Did you know about this?"
Ding Yizhen looked in the direction of his finger. His smile stiffened before giving way to a perfectly measured expression of bitter anguish. "What is going on here?! This is outrageous! Mayor, if you hadn't come to inspect the site, I would never have known they still dared to act with such brazen audacity."
His gaze swept the scene before fixing on the personnel wearing Guangming Peak Project uniforms. "What is going on? Is this how you obey in public while defying orders in private?"
He then turned to the liaison officer. "Notify the person in charge of construction for the Guangming Peak Project and Sun Liancheng to come here immediately and make corrections. Submit the subsequent rectification report to me for review."
"Comrade Yizhen," Lin Yanzhou interrupted. "As commander-in-chief of the Guangming Peak Project, did you know about this or not?"
Watching Ding Yizhen's performance, how could Lin Yanzhou not know what was going on? Ding Yizhen was showing off his axe before the master carpenter. Lin Yanzhou might have been much younger than Ding Yizhen, but he understood the twists and turns within this system better than Ding did.
Choosing a direct question shut off every avenue for Ding Yizhen to offer evasive explanations.
Caught somewhat off guard by the question, Ding Yizhen's eyes flickered. He could only steel himself and answer, "Mayor, I wasn't aware of it. I was also shocked when I just saw this. But as commander-in-chief of the Guangming Peak Project, whether I knew or not, this is a dereliction of my duties. I will submit a self-criticism to the municipal Party committee. We'll study a response plan and coordinate the departments to make corrections."
Lin Yanzhou took a small step forward. "Are we supposed to wait until people downstream drink the contaminated water, end up in hospital, and make the news? Or are we supposed to wait until the entire Guangming Peak Project is completed before addressing this in a coordinated manner?"
"Mayor, I pledge on my Party character that this will be resolved within the deadline." Sweat truly began to bead on Ding Yizhen's forehead. He tried to explain himself to ease the pressure Lin Yanzhou's presence brought to bear on him.
"I don't need your explanations or guarantees right now," Lin Yanzhou interrupted again. "I'm giving you two days. First, cut off the source of contamination immediately and stop the discharge. Second, organize the relevant departments to begin treating the water immediately and restore it to its original condition. Third, in two days, at nine in the morning, we will hold an on-site working meeting right here. You will lead the relevant departments in producing a comprehensive solution and timetable, and report to the surrounding residents face-to-face. If the people aren't satisfied with the plan, I'll have your daily drinking water replaced with what the people downstream drink, so you'll remember at every moment that you still haven't satisfied them."
He added, "Director Donglai, the public security bureau will be responsible for maintaining order in two days. I want to see concrete action, not a report on paper."
With that, Lin Yanzhou looked at no one else, got into his official car, and sped away in a cloud of dust.
Ding Yizhen stood where he was. That merciless public dressing-down had left his face burning, and he vented the anger inside him directly on everyone at the scene.
The fire Lin Yanzhou had lit was now blazing in earnest. He had used the issue to make his point, delivered a warning to Ding Yizhen, learned where Zhao Donglai stood, and tested Cheng Du's stance as well.
He had once again made the mayor's voice heard in Jingzhou and displayed his iron hand. From now on, anyone who dared put on a bureaucratic show before him would only meet an increasingly miserable end.