Chapter 286 – Unable to bear it any longer! (1/2)
Night. 10 pm.
Liang Chengpeng called Dong Xuebing into an office. “Xiao Dong. Sit down first.”
Dong Xuebing stood there without moving. “Chief Liang, have our men confirmed the vehicle?”
“Yes.” Liang Chengpeng looks at Dong Xuebing. “It’s the Japanese site visit team’s Toyota, who had collided with your mother.”
Damn! It’s them. Dong Xuebing’s tempers flared and want to settle this score with them immediately. He told Chief Liang that he is going to the hotel to arrest them, but Liang Chengpeng stopped him. Liang Chengpeng sighed in his heart and told Dong Xuebing what Secretary Xiang said. “Party Secretary Xiang does not want to pursue the responsibility of that driver and wants to downplay this incident. They will compensate for medical expenses.”
Dong Xuebing stopped in his tracks. “What?”
“This is for the good of the County. You must think of the bigger picture.” Liang Chengpeng replied helplessly.
Dong Xuebing felt ridiculous when he heard this. “Bigger picture? Do you call this good for the County? Chief Liang, I f**king don’t understand what this bigger picture is? The residents here should be the bigger picture! Our focus should be on the people in the County! Now, because of a Japanese investment visit team, we have to sacrifice our residents and ignore the law?! You call this the bigger picture? Who’s picture is this?! I can’t tell whether these are for the County or Party Secretary Xiang’s interest!”
“Shut up!” Liang Chengpeng thought to himself. This Xiao Dong is fearless and dares to say anything.
Dong Xuebing continued furiously. “You should know that the Police had given in to them during this afternoon’s accident. They got into an accident with another car and still beat up that driver and his wife. We allowed them to compensate 30,000 RMB and released them. Do you know how that driver, who was beaten up, and the onlookers see us?! They are all scolding us in their hearts! Before the Japanese left, we reminded that driver he cannot drive without a license! But they ignored our warnings and knocked someone down later at night! He did not stop to assist and drove off! This is no longer a civil dispute, and it is now a criminal case! He had broken the law! Just because those Japanese are here to invest, they get to enjoy special privileges?! Do we have to let them do as they please?! Are you telling me that they are humans, and our residents in Yan Tai County are not humans?!”
“Xiao Dong, I understand how you feel, but…”
Dong Xuebing replied. “The one who was knocked down by them is my mother! My mother was almost killed there. Chief Liang, I had made significant contributions to the County several times, but what is happening now?! I am incomparable to that Japanese driver?! Just because of an unconfirmed investment, I cannot even uphold the law, and my mother should be hit by a car?!”
Dong Xuebing knew Xiang Daofa dislike him and is trying to stop him from getting his promotion and had been thinking of ‘fixing’ him all this while. But Dong Xuebing did not expect Xiang Daofa to side with the Japanese so openly and to the extent to ignore the law! This is getting too far! Everyone in Yan Tai County can see Dong Xuebing’s contributions to the County, but what does he get in return? Nothing and was still being suppressed by the higher-ups!
Xiang Daofa!
Do you really think I can be bullied like this?!
Liang Chengpeng was afraid Dong Xuebing would take matters into his hands and said. “Ok. Go and accompany your mother at the hospital. I will help you get compensation from them.”
Dong Xuebing shouted agitatedly. “Chief Liang, I don’t need their compensations!”
“I know. I will get the driver to apologize to your mother in person. What do you think?”
Do you think this will end with an apology? Dong Xuebing is still angry and will not accept this arrangement.
Liang Chengpeng continued patiently. “They are Japanese, and it makes things complicated. If we did not handle this well, many other problems would arise from it. That driver Zhang Zhifeng might be Chinese, but Sakamoto trusts him, and even if we arrest him, Sakamoto will get a lawyer for him. Your mother is not seriously injured, and he will not be charged with a more serious charge. In return, you will get into trouble. Xiao Dong, I am doing this for your own good. It is not worth it.”
Yes! It’s worth it!
Dong Xuebing is not someone that let others step all over him.
Liang Chengpeng does not know whether if Dong Xuebing will listen to him, but he persuaded him for a while more, before asking him to go.
After leaving the Public Security Bureau, Dong Xuebing drove to the hospital, and his phone rang when he is driving.
It’s a call from one of the Officers sent to the hotel. “Hello, Chief Dong, the higher-ups are stopping us from investigating the hit and run case. We are also not allowed to record the driver is driving without a license in the records. This… This is too much. Those Japanese are also not willing to admit their mistakes. They insisted they don’t know they had hit your mother! It’s so frustrating!”
Dong Xuebing’s eyes turned cold. “They refuse to admit?”
“Not only that. They still say… it’s your mother who knocked into their car.”
Damn! Dong Xuebing got mad again. “What else did they say?”
“That Chief Meng from the Investment Promotion Agency was there too. When he arrived, he scolded all the Public Security Officers. He made it sound like we are making a fuss over a trivial matter. We were just doing our job, and why did it become like it’s our fault? Chief Meng is too bias towards those Japanese and sided with them without asking anything! It is like they are right to knock into someone with their car.”
“Meng Xianglin?” Dong Xuebing narrowed his eyes.
“Chief Dong, we are now outside of the hotel. What should we do now?” That Officer asked.
Dong Xuebing laughed. “Since the higher-ups had given the orders, what else can we do?”
“But…”
This incident had not only disappointed Dong Xuebing. All the Officers in Public Security were disappointed by how Dong Xuebing was treated. Everyone in the Public Security respected and admired Chief Dong. Other than Chief Dong, who else in the whole Province, is willing to risk his life for the people? When the Officers knew Chief Dong’s mother was involved in the accident, all of them were furious. Furthermore, Chief Dong’s mother is considered part of the Public Security Bureau, and they are not allowed to get justice for her. This unhappiness had spread among the Officers, and those Japanese’s attitude had made things worse. The Officers at the hotel could not stand it.
“We will listen to you. Just give the orders!” The Officer replied firmly.
The phone was passed to another Officer. “Chief Dong, do you want us to arrest them?”
Not everyone is afraid of troubles. The few Officers who remained at the hotel had decided. They will not let this case end like this!
Dong Xuebing was touched when he heard the Officers.
“Chief Dong…”
“Just say the word!”
Dong Xuebing took a deep breath. “Standby there!”
“Yes, Sir!”
After hanging up, Dong Xuebing continued his way to the hospital. He still has not decided how to handle this situation. What Chief Liang said was right. Even if the driver were arrested, he would not get a heavy sentence, and instead, the Japanese will call off their site visits. Xiang Daofa will push all the blame to Dong Xuebing, and Xiang Daofa’s men, who will benefit from this investment, will be targeting him. Dong Xuebing is still asking himself… Is this worth it?
Hospital ward.
Luan Xiaoping is looking at the night sky through the window. On the floor beside her, there is a bag of yarn covered in blood and dirt.
“Mum.” Dong Xuebing entered the ward. “Why are you still awake?”
Luan Xiaoping turns and smiled. “I just woke up and is not sleepy. Oh, has the driver been caught?”
Dong Xuebing replied. “Yes. We know the identity of the driver.”
“Ok. You must be tired too. Go back and have a good rest. Let your men go and catch the driver.”
“Ok.”
Dong Xuebing was relieved to see his mother in good spirits after chatting with her for a while. He asked his mother to go back to sleep while he went to the duty doctor to ask him about his mother’s condition. Doctor Wang told him that she is recovering well, and her blood pressure and heart rate had stabilized. All she needs is to have enough rest and maintain a relaxed mental state.
On the other side, a middle-aged man entered the ward.
Luan Xiaoping looks at the visitor. “… You are?”