jdhmnovel Chapter 1035 The Crisis of the Tabloid
Chapter 1035 The Crisis of the Tabloid
The morning mist in Xitie District had not yet dissipated, but the chimneys of Beishan Old Town Industrial Park were already spewing out the first wisp of thick smoke. The gray-black smoke columns looked like giant, dying pythons, coiled above the low-rise shantytown.
This industrial heartland, which was first built in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, was once the cradle of Beishan's industrial civilization. The descendants of miners intermarried and multiplied here, and the bloodlines of millions of people have long been intertwined into an inseparable bond. If you casually start a conversation among the neighbors, you can always find out that "your grandfather and my maternal grandfather went down into the mine together back then."
But today, this century-long stability has been shattered by a thin newspaper.
The front page of the Hongfeng Daily prominently featured the headline "Investigation into Pollution in the Old City: Millions of Lives Under the Shadow of Toxic Gas," accompanied by photos of children with swollen rashes and a rusty river, which resembled a poisoned dagger piercing the hearts of every resident.
The news spread like wildfire, and before noon, the iron gate of the neighborhood office was deformed by the crowd. Cries, curses, and questions mingled together, making the window frames vibrate.
Director Qian of the neighborhood office clutched the newspaper, his knuckles turning white.
He stood at the second-floor window, sticking his head out to look at the throng of people below. Sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking the collar of his dark blue cotton-padded coat.
"Everyone calm down! Let me say a few words!" His voice was weak in the noise, and after only two sentences, it was drowned out by the wave of insults from the crowd.
Left with no other option, he turned and went into his office, grabbed the phone and called the district: "Boss, we can't hold on any longer! If we don't come up with a solution soon, this building will be torn down!"
Inside the district committee meeting room, the smoke was thicker than the morning fog outside the window.
Chen Lifeng, the district party secretary who had only been in Yi Xuexi's position for half a year, sat in the main seat, unaware that the cigarette between his fingers was burning down to the filter. The ashtray in front of him was piled high with cigarette butts.
The other standing committee members either looked down at their documents or stared blankly at their teacups, none of them daring to speak first—everyone knew that this newspaper had stirred up no ordinary mess; the pollution in the Beishan Old Town Industrial Park was a long-standing problem that had plagued the Beishan officialdom for decades.
Going back several leaders, they all selectively ignored it, but who would have thought it would be brought to the forefront today.
The two top leaders are currently locked in a fierce power struggle. If one of them is not handled properly, he could become the outlet for his anger, which could result in him losing his job or even being imprisoned.
“We can’t just leave it like this, can we?” Deputy Secretary Li of the district committee finally broke the silence. “The people have already surrounded the street office. If this drags on any longer, something terrible might happen.”
District Chief Hong Bo glanced at him, his eyes cold and stern: "Something big has happened? If something big happens, we'll all be laid off." He then cursed, "These reporters are really looking for trouble. The new secretary just took office and they're already pulling this stunt on us. Aren't they trying to ruin our reputation?"
The district political and legal committee secretary chimed in, "Exactly! In my opinion, we need to find a way to arrest these troublemakers!"
Chen Lifeng didn't want to listen to these complaints and waved his hand impatiently, "What's the use of saying all this now? Huh? Hurry up and think of a solution. Are you really waiting for the municipal party committee to use our heads to appease public anger?"
After he finished speaking, the conference room fell silent again.
After a full minute of silence, Hong Bo stubbed out his cigarette and said in a hoarse voice, "First, send someone to appease them, promise to investigate the pollution and improve the environment, and buy some time."
Deputy Secretary Li asked, "Investigate pollution? Many of these companies were invited by Deputy Mayor Xu. Oh, there's also an electroplating plant and a coking plant that belong to former Party Secretary He... a friend of mine. How do we investigate them?"
Hong Bo said, "Whether we investigate or not is up to us. As long as we can shut down those reporters, we can just issue a token report, and the problem will be solved."
The Standing Committee members nodded in agreement; keeping quiet when necessary was a way to cover things up.
“Okay, it’s settled then.” Chen Lifeng made the decision. “Then who should we send to appease the crowd?” As he spoke, his gaze swept over everyone present.
The Standing Committee members lowered their heads one by one, pretending to organize documents or drink water.
Everyone knows that dealing with mass incidents is always a thankless and arduous task.
If you manage to appease them, you may not be successful; but if you escalate the conflict, you deserve to die.
A subtle sense of shirking responsibility filled the air, and even breathing became a cautious affair.
Chen Lifeng snapped, "What, do I have to pick the generals?"
At this moment, the head of the district's organization department spoke up: "How about we let Old Tian go?"
He enjoys high prestige in the Xitie District, is familiar with the situation in the Old Town Industrial Park, and is a well-known "workhorse" in our district with a good working relationship with the masses.
Chen Lifeng frowned. "Old Tian?"
He was promoted from another district and was not very familiar with many people and things in the West Rail District.
The organization minister explained, "Tian Shouxin is a veteran member of the Communist Party in Beishan. He used to be the Party secretary of a village. Later, when Beishan urban area was expanded and our village was converted into a street, he retired on his own."
This person enjoys extremely high prestige in the West Rail District.
Oh, by the way, he also has a son named Tian Liye, who is a county party secretary in Mingyang City, Jianghai Province, a neighboring province.
He sacrificed his life on the front lines of flood control two years ago. Our province even studied his son's exemplary deeds under Secretary Pei's instructions.
Hong Bo was clearly aware of Tian Shouxin's background. Hearing this, he nodded and his brows relaxed considerably: "That's right, Old Tian is indeed a suitable person."
I've met him a few times, and he left a deep impression on me.
Once, when the neighborhood was carrying out renovations of old residential areas, several elderly people got upset about the compensation issue. He sat in the stairwell, chatted with the elderly, explained the details, and thoroughly explained the policies. In the end, those elderly people voluntarily signed the papers.
The old man is a man of high ideals, high awareness, and strong principles. Even though he has retired, he is very supportive of the work of our district and street.
When the neighborhood organized a Party building activity, they invited him to be a lecturer. The old man didn't hesitate and lectured for half a month. Even when his voice became hoarse, he still persisted.
When neighborhood committees tried to mediate disputes, the young cadres couldn't resolve the issues, and in the end, it was the elderly who stepped in to help.
Secretary Yi had repeatedly tried to invite him to serve as a representative or advisor to offer suggestions to the district government, but Mr. Tian politely declined each time.
The elderly person always says that they are too old, their thinking can't keep up with the times, and they're afraid they won't be able to offer any valuable opinions, so they don't want to take up a position, but they still insist on contributing quietly in their own way.
After Hong Bo finished speaking, the other standing committee members who knew Tian Lao also started talking, recounting the old man's deeds.
In Chen Lifeng's mind, the image of a tall and touching old Party member gradually became clear. He exclaimed, "I never thought there were such admirable old comrades in our district. After this matter is over, I must personally visit the old man." After finalizing the choice of the person to visit, he specifically instructed the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission: "Make sure to make proper arrangements. No matter whether the matter can be resolved or not, the first priority is to ensure the safety of the old man."
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