Era: I was a farmer at the foot of Yaoling Mountain

Fang Wei and Huang Zhigang discussed it for a long time and finally decided not to alert the enemy for the time being, and to have someone continue the investigation in secret.

This matter involves more than just Xinlin County; most of the testimonies come from other counties, making it very troublesome to handle.

Fang Wei returned to the cooperative and summoned Zheng Bao again, demanding that he further strengthen security at each factory. He had a premonition that Wang Yougen's gang wouldn't let the matter rest and would definitely make new moves.

This night.

Fang Wei suddenly felt uneasy, so he told his wife that he wanted to go to the countryside to take a look.

Pan Lianhua knew that the man had been troubled by the arson these past few days, so she did not stop him. Instead, she said, "Third Brother, let me go with you. Let's take the hunting rifle."

Fang Wei nodded, told his wife to say hello to his sister, and then the two drove to the village.

He drove around several factories a few times before finally stopping near the bamboo ware factory.

"Let's wait here for a while. If there's no movement after a while, we'll go back to sleep."

Things can happen on a whim, and Fang Wei didn't know if the other party would take any action tonight.

The two sat patiently in the car and waited for almost two hours without finding anything unusual, so they prepared to go back to sleep.

Before leaving, Fang Wei drove around the countryside and actually spotted a few suspicious figures who had made their way to the vicinity of the bamboo ware factory.

Fang Wei did not stop and continued driving forward, but he still alerted those people.

The guys were a little nervous until the jeep turned a corner and disappeared from sight, at which point they breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lotus, go to the chili sauce factory and call for people. Brother Leopard and the others are over there."

Fang Wei got out of the car first, told his wife to go and call for help, and then he ran back with his hunting rifle.

When he arrived near the bamboo ware factory's warehouse, he saw several dark figures climbing the wall. Clearly, their target tonight was the bamboo ware factory, which was indeed difficult to guard against.

Fang Wei didn't follow them, but quickly went around to the front gate of the bamboo ware factory and called over the worker on duty.

"Block the road from the warehouse to the factory area. Don't worry about anything else. Remember, don't let anyone escape from this direction. Be careful."

Fang Wei gave some instructions, and then quietly went to the vicinity of the warehouse alone.

There are still quite a few finished furniture and bamboo products in the warehouse. These goods will be taken away soon. If the other party succeeds, the losses will be huge.

When Fang Wei arrived, those guys had already climbed over the wall.

Just then, a group of workers on night patrol walked by. They hid in the shadows and waited patiently until the workers had passed before sneaking up to the warehouse.

They then took out something to start a fire, and a smell wafted on the wind; Fang Wei smelled kerosene.

"Don't move, or I'll kill anyone who does."

Fang Wei knew he couldn't wait any longer, so before the other party could light the fire, he rushed out and shouted.

The guys were startled, but they quickly realized that the other person was only one person, and they regained their courage.

"Shoot! We'll die together, no matter what."

The group reacted quickly, scattering immediately, and one of them lit a lighter.

His feet were on dry grass, which was covered with kerosene; a single spark could ignite a raging fire.

"Put out the fire! Or I'll shoot."

Fang Wei shouted loudly, but no one listened to him.

"Put down your guns, or we'll all be burned alive."

When the group noticed that Fang Wei's hand holding the gun was trembling, they became even more arrogant.

Fang Wei hesitated for a long time, but still didn't dare to fire. The muzzle of the gun involuntarily drooped down.

The man holding the lighter couldn't help but show a look of disdain. He suddenly threw down the lighter, then lunged at Fang Wei with all his might.

The lighter landed on the licorice and instantly burst into flames.

"boom!"

Fang Wei suddenly raised the muzzle of his gun, which had been lowered, and fired a shot without hesitation.

The bullet struck the man's leg, and he screamed in pain before collapsing to the ground, clutching his injured leg and rolling around on the floor.

There were still four other people on the other side. They were all terrified by Fang Wei's ferocity. They froze for a few seconds, then scattered and fled. They knew it would be too late to climb over the wall again; the other side had guns, and no matter how fast they climbed, they couldn't outrun bullets.

They should actually be thankful that Fang Wei brought a hunting rifle today; if it had been a rifle, they would all have been called out.

Arson is no small matter. They were trying to protect collective property, so even if they were all killed, they deserved it.

These people ran into the factory area, only to find themselves walking into a trap. They were all beaten to the ground with sticks, their arms and legs broken, and none of them were left unscathed.

"Quickly put out the fire!"

At this moment, Zheng Bao arrived with his men, and everyone rushed over to put out the fire.

The woodworking factory is a Class A fire prevention unit, and its fire extinguishing equipment is complete. A group of people took fire extinguishers and started spraying, and a white smoke immediately rose up on the scene.

The fire was brought under control in a short time, and the remaining embers were completely extinguished in just over half an hour.

Fortunately, these guys started the fire outside the warehouse, so it won't spread so easily. If they had started the fire from inside the warehouse, it would have been a much bigger problem, and it would probably have been very difficult to put out.

Fang Wei had someone call the police, while he himself called Huang Zhigang.

Upon hearing that someone had set fire to the bamboo ware factory warehouse, which had almost burned down, Huang Zhigang was furious.

He personally went to Yaoling Township and brought the arsonists he had caught on the spot back to the county. However, before interrogation, he had to take them to the hospital for treatment; these guys were all in terrible condition, none of them were unharmed.

Fang Wei also went to the county, since he had fired a gun and needed to give a statement.

The hospital wasn't idle either. Apart from one guy who needed immediate surgery, the rest of the people were given basic treatment and then interrogated on the spot.

These men quickly confessed that they were ordered to set the fire by someone who was Wang Yougen's confidant and had given them 10,000 yuan before they did it.

Ten thousand yuan is no small amount; in these days, it's considered a huge sum.

"Arrest them! Arrest Wang Yougen and his cronies together."

Without further hesitation, Huang Zhigang immediately decided to close the net.

We had already conducted a covert investigation into Wang Yougen, and we had basically learned about his situation.

After the relevant departments were mobilized, the operation was completed in less than two hours. More than a dozen people, including Wang Yougen, were captured and interrogated overnight.

Wang Yougen remained arrogant, saying nothing and constantly shouting that he wanted to make a phone call.

However, some of his subordinates were not so tough and confessed one after another, revealing a criminal gang that relied on violence and threats to seize property.

The despicable methods and arrogant behavior of these people are simply outrageous.

The next day.

Huang Zhigang received several phone calls as soon as he arrived at the office.

Some people called to inquire about Wang Yougen's case, while others spoke up for him directly, putting him under considerable pressure. Fang Wei returned home at dawn and slept until noon.

“Secretary Fang, Secretary Huang from the county has called several times, saying that you should call him back when you get to work.”

After finishing his meal, Fang Wei went to the office, where the staff told him that Huang Zhigang needed to see him.

So he made a phone call, and the other party told him to go to the county immediately.

“Secretary Fang, this matter is very troublesome. Wang Yougen refuses to plead guilty, and the person who holds the key is his confidant, who is taking the blame for everything, saying that he acted on his own initiative and that Wang Yougen was not involved at all.”

Huang Zhigang looked worried. After an all-night interrogation, all the leads went cold when they reached Wang Yougen's confidants.

Wang Yougen is very cunning. He never shows his face when it comes to illegal matters; he always makes arrangements through his trusted subordinates.

Now, one refuses to admit it, while the other has taken all the blame. No matter how hard the investigators try, they can't break through their psychological defenses.

The key issue is that Huang Zhigang was under immense pressure, and things started to turn sour.

"Secretary Huang, let's try to delay as much as possible; a storm is probably brewing."

Fang Wei didn't say much; he remembered that a nationwide campaign to rectify public order was about to be launched.

At that point, the pressure on Huang Zhigang will be greatly reduced, and Wang Yougen's stubborn resistance will become meaningless.

"So, you know something? I'll do my best."

Huang Zhigang held up a finger, pointed to the ceiling, and then smiled knowingly.

After all, Fang Wei's identity is extraordinary, so it's normal for him to have access to information that Fang Wei didn't know.

Fang Wei didn't correct the other person's thinking, but simply nodded silently.

After returning home, he wrote a report overnight, truthfully recounting the numerous misdeeds of Wang Yougen's gang and requesting relevant authorities to pay attention to this type of matter.

the next day.

Fang Wei then sent the document to Beijing urgently, hoping to draw the attention of relevant authorities.

Next, Huang Zhigang faced constant pressure from all sides, but one thing remained constant: he would not release the person.

As investigators continued to delve deeper into the gang's crimes, more and more evidence accumulated, and some people began to get restless.

This morning.

Fang Wei was summoned to the county by Huang Zhigang and met with the special task force dispatched by the region.

The investigators spoke with him alone, asking about the whole story. Then someone said, "Secretary Fang, based on your account, can we assume that everything about Wang Yougen is just your speculation?"

"No, it's not just speculation. Actually, some things aren't that complicated. Everyone can see for themselves who the ultimate beneficiary will be if they succeed."

The investigators hoped that Fang Wei would change her story and not insist on accusing Wang Yougen.

But Fang Wei wouldn't fall for it. She firmly disagreed with the other party's statement, asserting that her guesses were based on evidence, not just random speculation.

Huang Zhigang was also speaking with the head of the special task force, who wanted the case transferred to the task force so the county would no longer interfere. The two sides had significant differences, and Huang Zhigang remained adamant, stating he would investigate the matter thoroughly.

The matter reached a stalemate. The task force spent a week in Xinlin County without any results and eventually withdrew.

“Secretary Fang, I’m afraid we can’t hold out any longer. The special investigation team didn’t bring any documents from higher authorities this time. If they do issue a document, I will have to comply.”

The task force left, but Huang Zhigang felt no joy whatsoever.

He called Fang Wei into his office and spoke his mind.

“I understand, but they probably won’t make it in time.”

Fang Wei knew very well that Huang Zhigang was right, but nothing is absolute. Once the situation changed drastically, everyone would probably be afraid of getting involved in the case and would stay far away.

"hope so."

Huang Zhigang didn't say much. After getting off work in the afternoon, he unusually went to Fang Wei's house for a drink.

a few days later.

Documents were received from the provincial level down to the county level, and a storm of public security rectification swept in.

Fang Wei's written materials attracted great attention from higher authorities, and relevant departments dispatched a joint supervisory team to the county to re-examine the case of Wang Yougen's gang.

Numerous pieces of corroborating evidence prove that Wang Yougen was the key figure in this gang, remotely directing all actions through his trusted subordinates.

The evidence is conclusive and cannot be overturned.

Before the Lunar New Year, in accordance with the principle of expedited trial and judgment, most of Wang Yougen and others ate peanuts.

Another matter: the Wu brothers, who were already imprisoned working on their sewing machines, had new criminal facts uncovered and were retried. Three of them were punished, while the other two will have to wait an eternity to be released.

"Third brother, I feel more comfortable being a good person now."

Tian Bingyi took some time to visit Fang Wei's home, where they drank and reminisced.

He naturally didn't feel sorry for the Wu brothers; it was just that the situation had changed so quickly that he was a little lost.

"Brother-in-law, you're right. Come on, let's drink."

Fang Wei had nothing to say. The sudden change in the situation not only pulled Huang Zhigang out of the vortex of right and wrong, but also greatly reduced the pressure on him.

When Wang Yougen was doing things, he never imagined that things would turn out this way, that the people and things he relied on would one day become worthless.

Some people didn't even bother to save him; they all kept their distance, afraid of getting involved with him.

Circumstances are beyond our control; nothing is static.

Time flies.

It's that time of year again for dividends.

Fang Wei convened a council meeting to discuss the distribution plan for the previous year.

“I propose a profit-sharing arrangement of 2600 yuan per person. Everyone’s wages have been good this year, and if the profit-sharing is increased a bit, everyone should be able to have a good New Year.”

Fang Wei proposed a distribution plan, which was unanimously approved by all the directors.

Next, the commune withdrew the cash, distributed it to the various brigades, and then the brigades distributed it to the commune members.

This year's festive atmosphere was tinged with a touch of seriousness, but overall, the mood was more joyful and happy.

"Secretary, are we still slaughtering pigs for the New Year this year?"

"Isn't that obvious? What kind of festive atmosphere is it if we don't slaughter pigs during the New Year? Go and tell the pig farm to slaughter pigs according to the standard of 10 catties of pork per person."

Before they knew it, the New Year was approaching, and Fang Wei asked Zhao Jinsheng to arrange for the slaughter of the New Year's pig.

During the Chinese New Year, chicken, duck, fish, and meat are all necessary. So, in addition to slaughtering the New Year's pig, each person will also be given a chicken, a duck, a fish, and 10 catties of eggs.

Living standards have improved a lot now, and we can eat meat regularly, but the tradition of looking forward to receiving meat during the Lunar New Year remains unchanged. (End of Chapter)