Chapter 41 Situation Report (Seeking Recommendation Tickets)

  The conference hall of the county hospital temporarily became a press conference venue for situation briefings.

  According to the needs of the venue, the tables in the conference room were arranged in two concentric circles. The inner circle was for the leaders' seats and the outer circle was for the media representatives' seats. Tang Guoqiang, Yin Mingquan, Yu Junbiao and other Changjiang County leaders sat on one side of the inner circle, while Zhang Zu, Liu Bu, and Gu Xi sat on the other side of the inner circle.

  Tang Guoqiang had worked in the municipal party committee's organization department for many years, and was not intimidated by the scene, having seen his fair share of leaders. After everyone sat down, he respectfully said: "Thank you to the central leadership, provincial leadership, and municipal leadership for your kind concern. I welcome Comrade Chang to guide our work. Please, leaders, give us instructions first."

  Three people pushed each other for a while, although they were all deputy ministerial officials, but Director Zhang was from the Central Government and should be in front. He couldn't push it down, so he had to say: "I heard the great news of the two Lis being killed and came to Changsha specifically to understand the details. Thank you to the leaders and police officers of Changsha for eliminating the harm for the people. As for Comrade Changsha's work, I won't ask about it." After finishing speaking, he moved the microphone in front of Provincial Party Committee Propaganda Department Director Liu.

  Director Liu took the microphone and said: "Director Zhang is absolutely right, our main purpose this time is to understand the details of the elimination of 'Two Lis', and strive to report this exciting news to the people of the country as soon as possible. Secretary Tang, reporters from the provincial TV station and major media outlets in the province and city have all arrived, so let's make good use of our time, first ask relevant comrades to introduce what happened, and then arrange for reporters to conduct on-site interviews." He turned his head and asked: "Secretary Gu, what do you think?"

  Gu Songlin nodded in agreement: "Director Zhang and Minister Liu's opinions are very good, Secretary Tang, let's begin."

  Tang Guoqiang didn't know whether it was the hot weather or his mood that made him wipe the sweat with a handkerchief, and said: "Alright, I'll introduce the basic situation of the four comrades who killed 'Two Lis' first. The key player in the process of killing 'Two Lis' is Comrade Ye Zhenran, the deputy head of Mashan Township in Changja County, who is 26 years old this year. The other three comrades are Comrade Zhang Liping, the director of the Mashan Township Police Station, who is 37 years old; Comrade Liu Bing, a people's police officer at the police station, who is 27 years old; and Comrade Huang Rucheng, a villager, who is 42 years old. They are all males. The scene where 'Two Lis' were killed was in the home of Zhu Hua's family in Jiangjing Village, Mashan Township. Later, we will ask Director Shang Zhiyuan to take the reporters to see it. Next, we invite Comrade Shang Zhiyuan to introduce the process and on-site investigation of the killing of 'Two Lis'.

  Xiang Zhiyuan's introduction was much more detailed than Tang Guoqiang's. Based on Zhu Huaizhang's account and his own on-site investigation, he told the leaders and reporters about the general process of the fight, the verification of the identities of the "two Lis", and the injury situation of Ye Zhenran and others. Although he objectively narrated the process from the perspective of the police without any embellishment or imagination, the thrilling degree of the process still caused a burst of exclamations among the reporters present.

  After Shang Zhiyuan finished introducing, the reporters were eager to understand the details and asked questions one after another. However, many questions Shang Zhiyuan couldn't answer either, such as various details during the process of shooting down, why Ye Zhenran and others went to Jiangjing Village? Why did they go to Zhu Huajia's home again? When did they discover "Two Lis"?

  Minister Liu saw that Shang Zhiyuan was also unable to answer many details, so he interrupted the reporters' questions and asked Tang Guoqiang: "Secretary Tang, are the four parties currently in stable condition? Can they accept an interview?"

  Tang Guoqiang said with a difficult expression: "Zhang Suo and Liu Bing are now very weak and cannot accept interviews. Villager Huang Rucheng's head was injured and wrapped in bandages, and he is also unable to speak at the moment. Only Ye Zhenran, the deputy township head, is slightly better and can say a few words."

  Director Liu nodded: "Alright, I think this way is good. Comrade journalists will split into two groups. One group will go to Zhu's home for on-site interviews and filming. The other group will follow us to visit Vice Mayor Ye and do a simple live broadcast. Let's try to get the news out as soon as possible. Director Zhang, Secretary Gu, what do you think?"

  The two nodded in agreement with a smile.

  A group of people arrived at the door of the ward, and Director Yang saw so many leaders coming, he was anxious and didn't know whether to stop them or not, and he rubbed his hands nervously on the side. Secretary Gu smiled and helped him out: "The ward is too small, can't let in too many people, how about this, Secretary Tang you accompany me and Director Zhang, Minister Liu, and the broadcasting team from the provincial TV station and the reporter from the provincial newspaper to go in, others can only be inconvenienced until tomorrow."

  This is also an unavoidable thing, people who can't enter can only wait at the door.

  Tang Secretary led everyone to the bedside of Ye Zhenran, standing on the north side of the bed and leaving the south side for the leader. He softly said to Ye Zhenran: "Secretary Ye, central leaders and provincial and municipal leaders have come to comfort you. This is Zhang Zu, head of the Central Civilization Office."

  Director Zhang slightly bowed his head, looking at Ye Zhenran with a warm smile and said: "Director Ye, I heard Secretary Tang introduce you as a top talent from J University. I didn't expect that such a refined and courteous young cadre could lead the team to subdue the brutal 'Two Lis'. It makes me admire you very much. You have made a great contribution to the people, and on behalf of the Central Civilization Office, I would like to thank you."

  "I dare not, thank you for the concern of the central leadership. Being able to subdue the 'two Lis' is all thanks to the unity and cooperation of our four-person team, this is a victory of teamwork. Now I deeply feel that as long as we unite with our comrades around us, we can exert unimaginable strength."

  That's a well-said phrase!

  Director Zhang felt that this young Secretary Ye was indeed a good seedling in the ranks of cadres. He turned around to look at Director Liu and Secretary Gu, sighing: "The fact that Jianan City has young and promising cadres like Secretary Ye shows that our cadre selection work is doing well."

  This was in praise of Jiannan's organizational department, Director Liu and Secretary Gu humbly shook their heads.

  Director Zhang lowered his head and said, "Mayor Xiao Ye, you must take good care of your injuries. Your body is the capital of the revolution." After finishing speaking, he gently patted Ye Zhenran to show his consolation.

  "Thank you."

  Deputy Director Tang introduced from across the bed: "Director Ye, Deputy Director Liu of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department has come to see you."

  Ye Ziran exclaimed "Ah" and hastily said: "Thank you Director Liu."

  Director Liu came up and exchanged some pleasantries.

  The third one from the front is Vice Secretary Gu Songlin.

  When Ye Ziran heard Tang Guoqiang introduce "This is Secretary Gu", he couldn't help but reveal a look of reverence. He saw that Secretary Gu was about 47 or 48 years old, quite tall, with a very kind smile on his face, and felt even more affectionate in his heart. Although it was the first time he had seen Secretary Gu, he had admired him for a long time. Secretary Gu was the original head of the Organization Department of Jianan Municipal Committee, and two years ago, he was the initiator of the open recruitment examination work for grassroots cadres in Jianan, while Tang Guoqiang was the executor, and Ye Ziran was one of the test-takers, so to speak, they were all connected. Moreover, Secretary Gu was also the superior of Tang Shuji, and Ye Ziran could also be considered as a subordinate of Secretary Gu.

  Secretary Gu's first sentence made Ye Ziran's eyes moist: "Mayor Ye, I've heard Secretary Tang mention you many times. You're indeed the best among the cadres in this public recruitment, just as expected."

  Ye Ziran said with gratitude: "Secretary Gu, thank you. I am a small soldier under Secretary Tang's command, and Secretary Tang has always taken you as a model to educate me earnestly. Today, I am very excited to see you."

  Secretary Gu's heart warmed up when he heard this, and he looked at Tang Guoqiang with appreciation. He lowered his head and asked: "Mayor Xiao Ye, how did you discover the trail of 'Two Lis'?"

  Everyone present is concerned about this issue.

  Ye Ziran answered the questions and dispelled doubts for everyone: "Comrade Gu, my colleagues from the police station and I went to Jiangjin Village to investigate a case related to the Ma Shi Textile Factory. On our way back, we found that Zhu's house was making noise. We knew that Zhu's house was usually empty, so we felt very strange and decided to take a look inside. Unexpectedly, we encountered 'the two Lis' who were hiding in Zhu's house and holding him hostage."

  Next to him, a reporter who heard Ye Zhenran mention the issue they cared about, interrupted and asked: "Mayor Ye, did you recognize them after meeting the 'two Lis'?"

  "Yes, at that time, Zhu the painter was sitting on the ground with a terrified look on his face. When we saw the 'two Lis', we immediately identified their identities."

  "Why didn't you escape?" asked a middle-aged reporter beside him.

  "When I recognized the 'two Lis', I realized that since we had encountered them, they would never let us escape to report back. So escaping meant being killed, and our only option was to fight back."

  "I heard it was you who first led the other three to rush up?" the reporter asked.

  Ye Zhenran said: "It was like this, when we met on the narrow road for a moment, everyone in the house, including the 'two Lis', were stunned. If you go to see the scene, you will know that the room is very small and our distance is very close. I realized that we still have a chance to survive, so I immediately called on everyone to rush up."

  "Weren't you afraid when you rushed up?"

  "What's there to be afraid of? At that time, I thought I was doomed. But when facing thugs, the more you fear, the more you should charge forward, because they are even more afraid than us." Ye Zhenran said so much, slightly panting, he paused and concluded: "Actually, in the end, any thug's outcome is the same, if we unite, they have nowhere to escape."

  Ye Zhen said at the time without thinking that "When we unite, they have nowhere to escape." This sentence became the subtitle of many subsequent reports.

  "Director Ye, can you tell us about the battle process?"

  "To put it simply, the battle was won by taking advantage of geographical advantages and the bravery of everyone, and relying on everyone's courage to kill 'two Lis', of course there is a lucky element in this."

  "Yexiang Chang, what kind of luck are you referring to? Can you elaborate?" The reporter asked hastily again.

  Dean Yang, who was standing aside, saw that Ye Zhenran had said so much and was already exhausted, came out to stop: "Everyone, let's stop here. The patient is very tired, and the doctors supported by the city have arrived. We are about to perform surgery on the patient."

  Secretary Gu asked in surprise: "What other surgery is needed?"

  "Director Yang replied: 'There is still a bullet in the patient's left arm that has not been removed. We are going to operate immediately.'"

  Secretary Gu immediately said: "Alright, let's let Mayor Ye take a rest, I'm sure you journalist friends still have many questions, we'll continue tomorrow."

  Director Liu arranged for the TV station reporter: "It's already past five o'clock, you edit the news and broadcast it immediately, and supplement the details tomorrow. Let's not affect the doctor's treatment."