Qi Tongwei: Can I be young again?

"Hey, I don't know either." The old woman glanced at the river. "The river was clear at this time last year, but for some reason, it suddenly became smelly. The old Party Secretary even went to the county to tell us that the water was too smelly to use. Later... the government installed tap water for us! Tap water is good and convenient, but it's still a pity that the clear river water is gone."

Qi Tongwei nodded.

It seems that Fang Jue was right; the river was indeed polluted, and the paper mill installed running water for everyone in order to quell the situation.

"By the way, ma'am, if the water is polluted, what will happen to the people who raise crabs, fish, and shrimp around here?"

"What else can you do? Just accept your bad luck." The old woman raised an eyebrow and glanced at the upper reaches of the Jinniu River. "Old Wu from upstream, all the fish and shrimp he raised died a while ago. He even went to the government to make a fuss. Guess what happened?"

"What's wrong?"

"I lost five hundred yuan."

"Five hundred?" Qi Tongwei said in surprise, "Five hundred is too little. Wu Laosan's fish fry cost more than that."

"Five hundred is not bad. At least we got some compensation. Some individual investors who went to make trouble were beaten up and didn't get a single penny."

Qi Tongwei lost his composure. "Auntie, let's be clear. In broad daylight, under the clear sky, who would dare to hit someone?"

"I don't know." The old woman shook her head. "The one who led the beating was bald. After beating people, he threatened them, saying that anyone who dared to cause trouble again would be in trouble! You know, the people of Jinshan County are simple and honest. After being scared by that bald man, many people just let it go and accepted their fate."

"Everyone?"

"No, there were a few other villagers who suffered serious losses and were taken in for questioning. Like Wu Laosan, they probably lost some money, but I don't know the exact amount."

"I see."

Having learned the general situation, Qi Tongwei headed upstream to find Wu Laosan.

When he was young, Wu Laosan was involved in the aquatic products business.

Although it was a small business, it was enough to support my family, and with the extra money, I even built a two-story house.

When Qi Tongwei saw the other person again, he was stunned for a moment.

Wu Laosan of yesteryear has aged considerably, and one of his legs is now lame, with a cast on.

"Uncle Wu, what's wrong with your leg?"

"Hey, don't even mention it." Wu Laosan, limping, brought over a stool. "The fish died, the shrimp died, the crabs died, damn it... I went to the government to demand an explanation, and when I came back, my leg was crippled. Who can I turn to for justice?"

"Who hit me?"

“I don’t know. That bald guy said he’d make my whole family suffer if I did anything wrong.” Wu Laosan suddenly remembered something. “By the way, Tongwei, I heard from the old Party Secretary that you’re now the county head. Can you get justice for us villagers? We don’t have any other requests, just give us back the clear Jinniu River.”

To be honest, Qi Tongwei was quite sad.

As a native of Jinshan County, Jinniu River holds his entire childhood memories, and now it has been turned into a mess, which he can't help but regret.

He also wanted to restore the Jinniu River to its former clarity.

However, this matter is easier said than done. After all, Runtaihua Paper Mill is the flagship factory of Jinshan County, which not only solved the labor problem, but is also a project that Li Dakang is in charge of.

That guy values ​​his political achievements more than his life.

If you want to take action against the paper mill, you have to break ties with it.

This is a bit tricky.

But even if it's a difficult task, it has to be done, since he's the deputy county head of Jinshan County!

When an official does not make the decision for the people, it is better to go home and sell sweet potatoes.

Those in positions of power have no choice.

Furthermore, let's separate the two issues. Putting aside the Jinniu River incident, the assault certainly can't be taken into account. We're all born of the same parents, so what's that bald guy's background? How can he be so arrogant? Assaulting someone in broad daylight? Is there no law? Is there no justice?

"Uncle Wu, your leg has been broken, have you called the police?"

Wu Laosan shook his head. "That bald guy is really fierce. He even gave me my home address. I'm afraid if I call the police, I'll be retaliated against. We ordinary people have no power or influence, so we'll just have to bear it."

I'll just have to bear with it.

These words broke Qi Tongwei's defenses!

Why?

Do ordinary people just endure life? Or do they think that if they endure, bad people will pity them?

No, bad people will just bully you even more!

"Uncle Wu, I'll back you up. Do you dare call the police?"

"You, a county magistrate, are going to back me up?" Wu Laosan was a little incredulous.

“Uncle Wu, I represent the government, and I’m not backing you personally, but all the people of Jinshan County. Whoever makes life difficult for the people, I will not let them live well.”

These simple words represent Qi Tongwei's original aspiration and his promise under the Party flag.

The essence of power is to protect the people.

(This is the third update today. Wishing everyone a happy May Day in advance! I'm working tirelessly without taking a break, so I'd appreciate a small gift—just a little something to show my support! Thank you!)

Chapter Sixty-Four: Rehearsing the Crying at the Grave

After much deliberation, Wu Laosan finally agreed to let the police get involved, persuaded by Qi Tongwei.

With the county magistrate backing them up, what are they afraid of!

No matter how powerful the bald guy is, he can't possibly be more powerful than the county magistrate, right?

As an aside, in the eyes of these villagers, the county magistrate is already the highest-ranking official.

He's the eldest, the oldest.

Normally, back then, the village didn't have telephone service, so if you wanted to call the police, you had to go to the police station and fill out forms.

But Qi Tongwei found it troublesome.

Besides, the county police station doesn't have the capacity to investigate Zhao Ruihu.

After thinking for a moment, he dialed Li Qingshui's number.

"Hey, Tongwei, what brings you here to call me today? What a rare treat!"

"Director Li, please don't belittle me. I'm in a bit of trouble right now. Could you spare two people from the Municipal Bureau to come and help me?"

"Tell me what it is first?"

Having said that, Qi Tongwei stopped hiding his true intentions and revealed everything about the paper mill, the beating of the people, and Zhao Ruihu's identity.

There was no attempt to hide anything, nor could it be concealed.

However, he was certain that Li Qingshui would help, and would do a great deal of work.

Today's Li Qingshui is not the same Li Qingshui as yesterday.

The situation in Handong is becoming increasingly clear. The power struggle between Xiao Hongyun, Liang Qunfeng, and Zhao Lichun is no secret, and Li Qingshui has chosen sides in this struggle.

To put it bluntly, he was Xiao Hongyun's henchman.

Zhao Ruihu is Zhao Lichun's nephew.

People with different values ​​cannot work together. Given the opportunity, I will definitely try to sabotage the other party.

"Tongwei, you are now the county magistrate of Jinshan County. Everything must be done with the people first! What bald guy, what Zhao Ruihu, as long as they break the law and bully the people, they must be arrested!" Li Qingshui said righteously. "Well, Zhao Donglai happens to be not far from you. I'll send him over now. If there's anything, just contact him directly. Remember... officials must not be afraid of power! Arrest those who should be arrested, sentence those who should be sentenced. No matter how strong their backing is, we cannot back down."

"With Director Li's words, I feel relieved."

After hanging up the phone, Qi Tongwei spat.

What the hell.

He said all the nice things, but everyone knows what he really wants, so there's no point in pretending.

after an hour.

Zhao Donglai arrived by car with two colleagues. Upon seeing Qi Tongwei, he immediately extended his hands.

"Brother Qi, we meet again."

"Captain Zhao, I heard you've been promoted to head of the criminal investigation branch. Congratulations!"

"It's all thanks to Brother Qi." Zhao Donglai chuckled. "When you took office as the county magistrate of Jinshan County, I took over your position as the detachment leader. I mainly followed Brother Qi and accumulated some experience. Otherwise, I wouldn't be where I am today."

"That's not how it works. Everyone can see the effort you've put in. You deserve the position of squad leader."

"Deserved?" Zhao Donglai smiled. "After working for several years, I only became a deputy section chief. After following Brother Qi for half a year, I became a section chief. Even a fine horse is useless if it doesn't meet a wise master."

After saying that, he took out a cigarette.

I also helped order it for you.

Zhao Donglai has an exceptional eye for detail; he can tell from many subtle clues that Qi Tongwei is a powerful figure.

What can I do about my thighs?

Hold me tight!

"Brother Qi, I'll follow your orders for now. If you say go east, I'll never go west."

"Wow, such high level of awareness."

“Absolutely.” Zhao Donglai puffed out his chest. “I have great respect for Brother Qi’s character and abilities. It is my honor to be your henchman.”

This flattery left Qi Tongwei speechless.