Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 721 The Storm of Reporting Causes a Collapse of Public Morale
Factory Director Yang returned to his office with a small stack of envelopes.

Open the letter.

The first letter, written in crooked handwriting, reported that a truck driver was using his truck for personal errands and making money off of it.

The second letter, anonymous, accused a section chief of unfair practices when allocating staff housing, and was written in a strong tone, filled with deep resentment.

The third letter accused Yi, an engineer in the first workshop, of repeatedly showing favoritism towards his deceased apprentice.

One letter after another.

Director Yang, Secretary Wang, Li Huaide, and Ma Wenxuan from the Security Department scanned the contents of the letter with sharp eyes.

The initial screening criteria are clear: facts, evidence, and direction.

Let's set aside those baseless accusations and wild speculations for now;
However, for reports like those exposing Zhao Weimin, which are accompanied by receipts, witnesses, physical evidence, or clear time and place details, we act immediately.

"This!" Director Yang pulled out a letter of complaint, "Reporting that Wang Zhenyu, deputy head of the technical department, accepted a bribe of 800 yuan from a machinery factory during last year's equipment bidding, causing a critical precision lathe to be scrapped ahead of schedule."

"The letter writer claims to have participated in the repairs at the time, and there are operational records to verify this." He looked at Ma Wenxuan, "Did Wang Zhenyu come today?"

Ma Wenxuan immediately replied, "I will attend the regular meeting on time today."

"Alright, arrest him. Oh, and bring two key technical staff with you to directly verify the maintenance records. Once the evidence is solid, take him into custody immediately!"

"Yes!" Ma Wenxuan accepted the order and left.

Less than five minutes after Ma Wenxuan stepped out the door, a cadre in his fifties, looking ashen-faced and staggering, appeared.

It was Wang Zhenyu, the deputy head of the technical department.

Thinking of Zhao Weimin and Section Chief Zhang who had just been taken away, her psychological defenses completely collapsed.

Rather than being dragged out of the office in public by the security guards, it's better to take the initiative yourself.

Following closely behind, another deputy section chief from the logistics department said, "Factory Director Yang confessed to falsely reporting maintenance costs twice."

Downstairs at the cadre building, many workers had no intention of going back. They were squatting outside the building watching to see how many leaders would be arrested.

As one or two leaders went to the cadre building, the workers clapped and cheered.

"Well done! Director Yang has brought sunshine back to the steel rolling mill!"

"Good job catching them! Excellent job! I've disliked them for a long time, but I never expected they were all up to such bad deeds!"

There weren't many whistleblower reports with solid evidence, so I read them quickly. What remained were those based on rumors and speculation, which I had to put aside for the time being because there was no concrete evidence.

Let's see if anyone else reports it or provides additional evidence after this.

Finally, there are cases like the misuse of official vehicles by transportation teams for personal gain.

Everyone knows about this, and Director Yang can't easily break the news. Things like this happen incidentally during work, so he can only turn a blind eye.

By the time I finished dealing with these three types of matters, it was already dark.

Every household was whispering about the dramatic changes happening in the factory.

Some people applauded, some were uneasy, some couldn't sleep all night, and some quietly burned certain account books or tore up notes that could become "evidence".

Those who didn't dare to turn themselves in during the day but had a guilty conscience are now suffering greatly.

What awaits them when the sun rises tomorrow?
Could I be stopped by a security guard who suddenly appears on my way to work? (The suggestion box is in the form of a complaint box.)

Have you already put your name in the complaint box?

The entire steel rolling mill was in a state of high alert.

"Hehehe~"

"I refuse to believe I can't take you down!"

Seeing Director Yang's decisive determination, many workers began writing letters.

The more you fear something, the more likely it will come.

The next day.

The new day's sun did not dispel the gloom over the steel rolling mill.

The radio blared early as usual, but instead of a stirring mobilization for production, it was a heavy-handed reiteration of the policy of "leniency for those who confess and severity for those who resist."

An important announcement was added:

"To ensure the smooth progress of this rectification campaign and protect the safety of whistleblowers, the factory leadership and security department will take all necessary measures to protect any real-name reports that are based on solid evidence."

"Any form of retaliation will be severely punished once verified!"

In an instant, it dealt a heavy blow to those who still intended to put up a stubborn resistance.

At the same time, it also gave many workers a boost of morale.

"Oh dear, my stomach hurts so much, boss, I need to go to the restroom."

A worker made an excuse to leave the house, but his furtive manner and the way he kept his hands on his pockets made it clear what he was up to.

Unfortunately, the leader couldn't say much.

"My stomach hurts too, I can't take it anymore!" a worker next to him said, and immediately followed suit. The supervisor saw this and said nothing.

"Add me one!"

Immediately, groups of two or three workers went out under crude pretexts, and the leader's heart pounded as he watched them.

'Maybe I should just turn myself in!'

At this moment, even if the leader is certain that he has not done anything wrong, he is no longer so sure.

If you think it's something, you do it. The leader immediately went to find Factory Director Yang and turned himself in.

Seeing the workers leaving one by one, other departments also made excuses to go out and surrender.

Many people bumped into each other on the street and greeted each other, saying, "Hey, you reported it too!"

"Yes, are you one too?"

"same."

In less than two hours, the number of letters submitted to the complaint box reached an astonishing level.

There were even quite a few letters on the ground.

Looking at all these letters, Director Yang couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Good, good, good! I never imagined that my steel rolling mill was such a den of iniquity!"

"General Affairs Department, please set up more complaint boxes. Can't you see this isn't enough?!"

"Yes, yes!" The head of the general affairs department was now drenched in sweat. So many letters, how many leading cadres would be brought down?
The more he set up, the more people he offended, but Director Yang had spoken, so he had to do it whether he wanted to or not! Otherwise, he wouldn't have a job!
"take away!"

"Yes!" Ma Wenxuan immediately ordered someone to take the cart to collect the mail.

Factory Director Yang looked at the various types of paper, including cardboard boxes, packaging paper, and student paper.

With so many letters, it was impossible for just a few top leaders to review them all. Immediately, Director Yang assembled a review team.

The review team worked almost non-stop, reading through each letter and categorizing them.

A thick letter of complaint, written in loose pages from an accounting book, detailed the former head of the supply department during his tenure.
Furthermore, an anonymous letter from the supply and marketing cooperative system even pointed out that a high-ranking leader of the steel rolling mill...
Most shockingly, a whistleblower report signed by several people included multiple incomplete shipping invoices.
These letters are no longer just aimed at ordinary employees who are trying to make a little money, but are directly targeting section-level cadres, and even touching on the confidants and relatives of some factory leaders!
Secretary Wang's face turned extremely ugly, and Li Huaide's hand holding the cigarette trembled involuntarily.

Among those reported, the largest number were from the logistics department.

Although some people only touch upon the 'unspoken rules' and do not commit a crime, there are quite a few of them, just like the drivers.

As for the others who have truly committed offenses, there are quite a few. If they were dealt with one by one, it would have a great impact on his management of logistics, even more so than on Director Yang.

Li Huaide looked at Director Yang, seemingly lost in thought.

'Could it be that Director Yang intends to use this opportunity to suppress me?'

The problems caused by the accident are not yet resolved. It involves many people in the workshop, and there should be a lot of issues to deal with. It's hard not to suspect that Director Yang is using this opportunity to balance the two sides.

Director Yang had no idea what Li Huaide was thinking.

"good very good!"

Factory Director Yang's face was ashen. His fingers tapped slowly but firmly on the table as he looked at the mountain of information. He hadn't expected the waters to be so deep.

He even thought that under his management, the steel rolling mill was like a clear lake.

If they were all arrested, the steel rolling mill would be in some danger.

"Director Yang, this is getting a bit too far," Li Huaide said with a grim face. "If this continues, everyone will be on edge, how can we carry out normal work?"

Secretary Wang also spoke in a heavy tone, expressing his concern: "Deputy Factory Director Li is right. If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. We are here to eliminate hidden dangers and rectify the atmosphere, not to paralyze the factory."

“If all of them were dealt with, the steel rolling mill would inevitably be thrown into turmoil, affecting operations.”

Factory Director Yang leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table.

He was well aware of the risks involved. Too much of a good thing can be bad; if this fire gets out of control, it will destroy the very foundation.

But he knew all too well that backing down now would mean all his previous efforts were in vain. Those lurking parasites would only hide even deeper.
“I understand the logic, but!” Director Yang said firmly, “If we don’t deal with those people now, the harm to the steel rolling mill will be even greater and more profound!”

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the surging crowd below: "I set up the tip box not to encourage whistleblowing, much less to create a climate of fear among the people."

"Instead, we must restore order to the steel rolling mill, eliminate these parasites, and even if there is temporary turmoil, we cannot let these people ruin the steel rolling mill."

"The steel rolling mill doesn't belong to me alone; it's the livelihood of all the workers! Whoever ruins everyone's livelihood, no matter how much they've contributed in the past, how senior they are, or how well they've hidden themselves, will not be tolerated as long as the evidence is conclusive!"

After saying that, Director Yang turned around abruptly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group of factory leaders.

"We will never wrong an innocent person by making baseless accusations or framing them! But the premise is that he can withstand these reports. If he doesn't have enough courage, what kind of leader is he?"

"Alright, enough nonsense. Let's deal with the reports that are clearly based on evidence and are egregious in nature. As for those comrades whose cases are minor, who have a deep understanding of the situation, and who are able to take the initiative to make amends, we can give them a chance to correct their mistakes."

At this point, Li Huaide, Secretary Wang, Deputy Factory Director Zhao, and other factory leaders remained silent, but eventually nodded.

This thorough investigation will affect everyone involved, and if these high-level leaders don't handle it well, they will all be punished.

The storm has already begun; retreating will only put us in a more passive position. Only an iron fist and precise strikes can break the deadlock.

"Captain Ma!"

"To!"

"Mobilize all security personnel and arrest them!"

"Yes!"

All security guards, except those on duty at the gate, were recalled to work, even those on leave.

Even the local police station was called in with a number of people to help handle the situation.

Transport team.

"What?! I was reported too?! Who reported me?!"

Zhang Jinwu was shocked when he heard Ma Wenxuan say that he had also been reported.

Ma Wenxuan shook his head: "I don't know, he didn't write his name, but he didn't just report you, he also reported your apprentice Li Kailang and Old Repairman Wang."

"They were reported too? Who would offend them for no reason? Let's not even talk about Xiao Li, but Lao Wang is in the transport team all day long. Who outside the transport team would report him?"

"Looks like this guy's from our transport team. Good heavens, don't let me find out who he is!" Zhang Jinwu said aggressively.

No one would be happy to be reported, and he never expected that the fire would spread to the transport team.

The driver is well-off, and the skilled mechanics are also well-paid. Everyone gets along well and helps each other out, so why would someone report them?

They even reported Old Wang! What deep-seated grudge could they possibly have?
"Alright, stop overthinking it. I don't think Director Yang will go looking for this kind of thing. After all, there are so many other things to deal with that we don't even know how we'll ever be able to finish them all."

After offering a few words of comfort, Ma Wenxuan went to work; he still had a lot of things to handle and a lot of people to catch.

Even after Ma Wenxuan left, Zhang Jinwu's anger remained.

"Which bastard did this? No, I have to go ask Xiao Li!"

Zhang Jinwu went directly to Li Kailang for questioning.

At this moment, an apprentice in the corner was staring at Zhang Jinwu as he emerged unharmed, his teeth clenched in hatred!
"You bastards! You're the ones who ruined the atmosphere at the steel mill! And you even tipped us off!"

"If one letter doesn't believe me, I'll send two or three. I refuse to believe I can't bring you down!"

Seeing his gloomy face and muttering under his breath, the other apprentices immediately distanced themselves from him.

Zhang Jinwu told Li Kailang and Wang Laoyi about the matter, and the two exchanged glances.

"If you're asking who has offended us, I can think of an apprentice. I wonder if it's Elder Wang?"

Old Wang nodded: "I guess it must be him. I can't think of anyone else in the transport team who would report us."

"Good, good, it really is someone from our transport team! Who is it?"

"Zhou Xiaobing!" Only now did he have a name.

Upon hearing the name, Zhang Jinwu immediately remembered: "Oh, it's him! I was originally thinking of letting him retire in the transport team, but since he's so heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Master, we must not act rashly at this time! The steel mill is cracking down so hard. If you retaliate against him, you will put yourself at a disadvantage and give him an opportunity!"

After Li Kailang's reminder, Zhang Jinwu realized what was going on and asked, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Li Kailang stroked his chin: "If it really is him, I think we shouldn't let him stay in our transport team. We should find a reason to transfer him out."

"Go to the sanitation team or the foundry workshop, anything is fine, just don't let him stay in our transport team! Of course, we'll have to wait until things calm down."

"That's a great idea!" Zhang Jinwu exclaimed.

Old Wang nodded emphatically: "I think it's a good idea. He won't learn any maintenance skills if he's not in the transportation team. Let's see what he does in the future."

At this moment, Zhou Xiaobing was still unaware that he had been discovered and was still smugly pleased that he had not been found.

(End of this chapter)