Reborn as Zhao Ruilong of Handong, I will defy fate.

late at night.

Lincheng, Longxi Coal Mine.

Police lights flashed, and the city was brightly lit.

A large number of onlookers and miners' families gathered outside the cordon.

Although the mining accident has been going on for more than two days.

But people are still hoping for a miracle.

However, what is truly heartbreaking is...

Before the rescue passage could be cleared, a secondary collapse occurred.

Furthermore, a large amount of groundwater continuously seeps into the mine.

Zhao Lichun ordered the emergency deployment of a large number of pumping equipment, which pumped water frantically while simultaneously supporting the excavation.

However, manual digging is not only slow, but also extremely physically demanding.

Around 11 o'clock.

Another group of rescue workers, covered in mud and exhausted, were replaced.

The National Mine Rescue Team, which had just arrived from Yanjing, immediately took over and continued digging.

"Thank you all for your hard work!"

"Thank you for your hard work!"

Despite the mud and cold, Zhao Lichun shook hands with every rescuer.

He then hurriedly gave instructions to Secretary Zhou.

"Tell County Chief Luo that you must ensure the rescue workers have adequate food and lodging, and it would be best if they could take a hot shower so they can rest better and recover their strength."

Secretary Zhou quickly replied, "The relevant support arrangements have already been made. You should go back to the command post and have something to eat! Your health is the most important thing!"

Zhao Lichun turned to look at the family members who were anxiously waiting outside the cordon.

"Have all the people been given hot meals?"

"He...they?"

Secretary Zhou turned his head and glanced at it.

"I'm not sure yet, I'll check right away."

"Go immediately, prioritize the families, in this freezing weather, we cannot let anyone go hungry!"

Despite the muddy roads, Zhao Lichun made his way to the rescue command tent next to the mine.

"At the current rate, how much longer will it take?"

"According to preliminary estimates, it will take another ten hours."

"Ten hours? Why is it still taking so long?"

"The landslide and water inrush are too severe."

Guo Xiangshi, director of the Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau of Handong Province, picked up a pencil and drew a sketch.

"This is a typical illegal small coal mine!"

"Not only are they operating without licenses or approvals and suspected of illegal mining, but they also operate in violation of regulations, are poorly managed, and have a serious overstaffing problem."

"Therefore, there were no blueprints or data at all, and we could only rely on descriptions from miners who had been down in the mines to hand-draw a rough sketch."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Lichun became furious.

“The surrounding residents say that this coal mine has been in existence for several years, so why hasn’t it been discovered or investigated?”

"From villages and towns to counties and cities, and then to the province, what are all the relevant departments and personnel doing?"

Guo Xiangshi lowered his head in shame.

"The lack of supervision and the layered protectionism at the local level are our dereliction of duty, and I will make a thorough self-examination to the Provincial Party Committee."

Zhao Lichun gave a heavy, cold snort.

His cold, sharp gaze swept across the faces around him.

Having been in politics for over twenty years, he was certainly well aware of the enormous profits and complex web of relationships involved in the mining industry.

An illegal small coal mine can operate illegally for many years.

It's obvious that many people have taken money and are protecting each other, so they turn a blind eye.

Of course, there are also some people who prefer to avoid trouble and are lazy in their governance.

"Now is not the time for accountability; let's talk about the rescue efforts!"

Guo Xiangshi quickly said:

"Currently, we have divided the rescue force into five groups, with each group working on the excavation for two hours..."

After listening, Zhao Lichun looked at the sketch and then glanced at the other people present.

"Is the number of trapped miners confirmed?"

“The person in charge of the coal mine, Luo, suddenly changed his story. He had previously said that 64 people were trapped, but just now he said that he seemed to be in a daze and remembered it wrong, and that there might only be a few people.”

"What? The difference between dozens of people and just a few is huge. Why is there such a big difference between his statements before and after?"

He said the number of miners going down the mine each day was never fixed. People could come and go as they pleased, so he didn't know exactly how many people had gone down before the mine accident.

"No roster, no ledger? How is he going to settle accounts with the miners?"

"He said that he settled accounts in cash every day, there was no guaranteed base salary, and he was paid on commission, which was 40 yuan per ton of coal."

"40 yuan? The latest price for a ton of thermal coal at the power plant is only 142 yuan, and he's actually giving me a 40 yuan commission?"

"I didn't ask him, but my personal deduction is that it's mainly because mining underground is very dangerous, and since it's an illegal coal mine, it doesn't have to pay taxes, so it can attract miners with high commissions."

Zhao Lichun asked no further questions.

He stood with his hands behind his back, lost in thought.

Having been in politics for over twenty years, I have naturally witnessed many mining accidents.

But this mining accident was truly exceptional.

In the past, the coal mines, at least on the surface, still had legal procedures, sound systems, and good management.

Most accidents are caused by inadequate safety management, coupled with profit-driven motives and illegal mining beyond permitted boundaries.

During the rescue, at least the blueprints were complete, which made it easier to formulate a plan.

But this Lincheng Longxi Coal Mine...

Fuck!

It had no permits or blueprints, yet it had existed for many years.

How much coal has been illegally mined in recent years?

Even if we calculate based on an annual output of 300,000 tons, the annual output value would be more than 30 million yuan.

However, this large sum of money is tax-free.

All that's needed is a small commission for the miners, plus some operating costs.

Everything else is profit!

It was all divided up by various shady characters and the bosses behind the scenes.

Zhao Lichun recalled that a mining accident had occurred in Lincheng many years ago.

That coal mine, ostensibly state-owned, had long been subcontracted in secret.

The big boss has small bosses under him, and the small bosses have contractors under them.

The foreman's main tasks were to organize production and mine coal.

In order to maximize profits, safety training was completely neglected, and protective measures were rendered ineffective.

Furthermore, they tried their best to recruit poor people from other places to work as miners.

If someone dies, they can just pay off the debt; they're not afraid of anything happening.

Those farmers in the countryside, toiling in the fields, earning less than a few thousand yuan a year.

People are willing to take the risk because they can earn a couple hundred yuan a day by going down into the coal mine, and several thousand yuan a month.

They lacked even basic cultural knowledge and had not received any training whatsoever.

They put down their bedding and went down into the well to work.

All they know is that the more they dig, the more they earn.

Little did they know that haphazard digging could easily lead to a collapse!

Think of this.

Zhao Lichun already had a bad feeling.

Miners who had worked in the mines were not educated.

According to their description, hand-drawn sketches are naturally too unreliable.

The person in charge of the coal mine, clearly instructed by someone, began to feign madness.

Such a rescue effort is destined to be futile.

"Tell the rescue personnel to take all necessary precautions and be prepared for any potential dangers. If the situation turns bad, retreat immediately!"

"Yes, Governor Zhao!"

Return to the temporary headquarters.

After Zhao Lichun sat down, he looked at the boxed lunch in front of him, but he had no appetite at all.

It has been more than two days since the mine accident.

No matter how many people were buried, they must have all perished by now.

however……

As of now, even the number of participants has not been determined.

It is rumored that the mastermind behind this coal mine is He Biao, a well-known figure in Lincheng known as "Brother Biao".

This man, known for his viciousness and ruthlessness, has now disappeared without a trace.

How can we report this?

Just as Zhao Lichun was deep in thought.

The phone rang.

Upon seeing the caller ID 'Ruilong', Zhao Lichun immediately answered the call.

"Hey Xiaolong, has your plane landed?"

“We just got off the plane. I was planning to take Uncle Lu home first, and then come back to find you. This trip has been very fruitful. We must have a good chat.”

"It's good that there's been a harvest, but I'm not home. I've come to Lincheng. There was a major mining accident here two days ago, and there may be dozens of miners trapped."

"Is it that serious? How's the rescue going?"

Zhao Lichun turned his head and looked around.

He got up and went to a secluded spot, where he quietly explained the situation in general terms.

Of course, he stated his deduction.

Many people colluded to deliberately cover up the mine disaster.

After listening, Zhao Ruilong immediately said:

"The election is just around the corner, but then this mining disaster crisis hits."

"If this isn't handled properly, it won't just be embarrassing; some people might even use it as an excuse to make trouble!"

"In my opinion, since it's so difficult, let's go all out and do something big, like destroying the old to build the new!"

"what???"

Zhao Lichun was extremely surprised.

"What do you mean, 'ah'? Whether it's a few people or dozens, the miners have all perished."

"The problem now is no longer about rescue, but about many people colluding with each other and covering up for each other, not wanting you to handle it properly."

"Since that's the case, what are you still hesitating for? Hurry up and make a big fuss about it, the bigger the better, ideally the whole country will be shocked and the world will know about it."

"You've incurred the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, and the higher-ups have sent a special task force to Lincheng to investigate. That's perfect for you to eliminate all those who have colluded with each other for years and replace them with your own people!"

"Otherwise, even if you are Governor Zhao, what can you do? Especially in the political and legal system, which is under the control of Zhong Zhengguo and Liang Qunfeng, why would they wholeheartedly help you? They'd rather see you make a fool of yourself!"

"Instead of letting others use this as an excuse to make a big fuss, you might as well make a big one yourself. In the end, the one who will take the blame is Zhong Zhengguo, who hasn't left office yet. You still have about ten days before you take office. Even if the sky falls, he'll be the one to hold it up. What are you afraid of?"