Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

"Secretary Liu, this is Tao Tao. Is it convenient for my father to take the call now? I need to speak with him about something very urgent!"

Lin Taotao's tone was urgent and serious.

Secretary Liu recognized Lin Taotao's voice and noticed her unusual tone. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke.

"Comrade Tao, the commander is presiding over an important meeting and it's inconvenient for him to take the call right now. If you have anything urgent, you can tell me first, and I will report to the commander immediately during a break in the meeting."

Lin Taotao knew her father's rule: he generally didn't answer the phone during meetings.

But she couldn't wait that long.

"Secretary Liu, this matter is extremely important. It involves an outstanding young cadre who has been maliciously framed. An investigation team has already been dispatched from above! I must speak with my father immediately! Please inform him of this matter, saying it was me who spoke on it. It is of utmost importance and cannot be delayed!"

Lin Taotao's tone was firm and unwavering.

Secretary Liu on the other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds. He could sense Lin Taotao's anxiety and the seriousness of the matter.

Lin Taotao rarely spoke in this tone, and the mention of "investigation team" and "young cadres" made him dare not be negligent.

"Okay, Comrade Tao Tao, please wait a moment, I'll go in and ask the commander right away."

After Secretary Liu finished speaking, he put down the phone.

Lin Taotao held the microphone, her palms slightly sweaty from nervousness, her heart pounding.

She didn't know if her father would interrupt the meeting to answer the phone, and if not, what should she do?

Time ticked by, each second feeling incredibly long. Just when Lin Taotao was almost in despair, her father's familiar and authoritative voice came from the other end of the phone, tinged with a hint of displeasure at being interrupted:

"Tao Tao? What's wrong? Secretary Liu said there's something extremely urgent here?"

Hearing her father's voice, Lin Taotao instantly felt like she had found her pillar of support. All her grievances, anger, and worries surged up at once, and her voice even choked up a little.

"Dad! Something terrible has happened! Someone's trying to get Zhenhua!"

"Li Zhenhua?"

Lin's father paused for a moment, and his tone became serious.

"Tell me slowly, what happened? Who's messing with him? How are they going to do it?"

Lin Taotao took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and quickly and clearly recounted what Li Zhenhua had said on the phone, as well as some background information she had learned, in the most concise language: the anonymous letter, the investigation team's entry into the steel rolling mill, the accusations of lifestyle misconduct and abuse of power for personal gain, and the possible retaliatory motives of Wang Dashan, Gao Jianshe, and others behind it.

"...Dad, this is clearly revenge! Just because Zhenhua acted in self-defense at the Moscow restaurant and offended those spoiled brats like Wang Haitao and Gao Peng, their parents are abusing their power to fabricate facts and try to ruin Zhenhua's future! Don't you know what kind of person Zhenhua is? How could he possibly do such a thing? This investigation, no matter what the outcome, will be a huge blow to Zhenhua! You have to do something about it!"

Lin Taotao's voice was choked with sobs and pleading.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

Lin's father didn't speak immediately, but Lin Taotao could sense that the atmosphere around him was rapidly deteriorating.

Even through the telephone line, she could imagine her father's furrowed brows and sharp eyes.

A few seconds later, Lin's father's voice rang out again, calm yet containing suppressed anger, like the calm before a storm.

"I understand what you're saying. Anonymous letter? Investigation team? Hmph, what audacity! To act so recklessly over a personal grudge, using the organization's investigative procedures as a tool for retaliation! Have they no sense of organizational discipline at all?!"

Lin's father's voice suddenly rose, carrying a sense of authority and fury born of someone who had long held a superior position.

"Wang Dashan! Gao Jianshe! They have failed in their parenting, allowing their children to run rampant and act arrogantly. Now they even dare to openly retaliate against outstanding young cadres! This is utterly lawless! This matter must not be tolerated!"

"Tao Tao, you don't need to worry."

Lin's father's tone softened somewhat, but it remained resolute.

"Li Zhenhua is a promising candidate. I've reviewed his file and met him in person. He's principled and capable. I'll handle this matter. You can focus on your work and don't bother Zhenhua anymore. Let him cooperate with the investigation as instructed. I trust the organization will give him a fair explanation."

"Dad, what are you planning to do?"

Lin Taotao was still worried.

"How do I do it?"

Lin's father snorted coldly.

"Since they like to use the organization's name, then I'll show them what true organizational principles are! These unhealthy practices must be eradicated! You'll see."

After saying that, Lin's father hung up the phone without offering any further words of comfort to Lin Taotao.

But Lin Taotao knew that the calmer her father was, the faster and more powerful his movements would be.

His statement, "I'll handle it," contained immense energy and determination.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Taotao breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling much more at ease.

With the father involved, the nature of the matter changed completely.

All she has to do now is trust her father and wait for the outcome.

Meanwhile, in Lin's father's spacious yet simple office, his face was terribly gloomy after just finishing an important meeting.

He picked up the internal red phone and directly dialed an extremely important number.

"Get me Old Chen from the Discipline Inspection Commission."

Lin's father's voice was unquestionable.

The call was answered quickly.

"Old Chen, it's me. I have something very serious that I need to discuss with you urgently..."

Lin's father succinctly relayed Lin Taotao's report, along with some intelligence he himself possessed regarding the recent activities of Wang Dashan, Gao Jianshe, and others, to the other party.

His tone was serious and angry, characterizing the incident as a "serious case of false accusation and abuse of investigative power," and a "blatant provocation against organizational discipline."

"...Old Chen, this matter has had a very bad impact! If it's not stopped in time and the masterminds behind it are severely punished, how many hardworking cadres will be discouraged? It will also encourage this kind of unhealthy trend! My opinion is to immediately halt that investigation team! Initiate an investigation into Wang Dashan, Gao Jianshe, and others! Not only should we investigate their retaliation, but we should also thoroughly investigate whether they have committed other disciplinary or legal violations! We must investigate to the end and show absolutely no leniency!"

The man on the other end of the phone, "Old Chen," was a high-ranking official in charge of disciplinary inspection. He had a close relationship with Lin's father and was also known for his incorruptibility. After hearing Lin's father's account, he was also shocked and angry.

"Old Lin, don't worry! This matter is indeed extremely serious! I'll make the arrangements immediately! The investigation team is to be withdrawn immediately! The investigation into Wang Dashan, Gao Jianshe, and others is to be launched immediately! I want to see who gave them such audacity!"

Once the will of the highest level is formed, its execution efficiency is astonishing.

Less than an hour after Li Zhenhua left the investigation team's interview room, just as he returned to his office to deal with the backlog of documents, the phone in the factory's conference room rang urgently.

Deputy Team Leader Zhang picked up the phone, and as soon as he said "feed," his expression changed instantly.

He instinctively straightened his back and responded repeatedly.

"Yes! Yes! Commander, I understand! We will carry it out immediately! Yes! We will resolutely obey the organization's decision!"

After hanging up the phone, Deputy Team Leader Zhang's forehead was already covered in fine beads of sweat.

He glanced at the other members of the investigation team who were looking at each other blankly, took a deep breath, and announced in a dry voice.

"We just received an urgent order from our superiors that our investigation team's work must be immediately suspended and all members must return to the headquarters immediately for more important work."

"Abort? Return?"

The other members were stunned. The investigation had only just begun, so why was it suddenly stopped?

"Team Leader Zhang, what... what's going on?"

One member couldn't help but ask.

Deputy Team Leader Zhang waved his hand, his expression grave.

"Don't ask any questions, execute the order! Pack your things immediately, and depart in ten minutes!"

The investigation team withdrew unusually quickly, without even giving the factory any formal explanation.

When Director Yang received the news and rushed to the factory building, he only saw the investigation team's jeep speeding away.

Factory Director Yang stood at the door, looking completely bewildered, utterly bewildered by what had happened.

He rushed back to his office, intending to call his superior to inquire, but found the line was busy.

A sense of impending doom enveloped him.

At this moment, a storm has already descended upon the military compound and the industrial bureau's family compound.

Wang Dashan was looking at a map in his office, planning his next exercise, when there was a knock on the door. Two men in plainclothes, but with a cold demeanor, walked in and showed their identification.

"Comrade Wang Dashan, we are from the Discipline Inspection Commission's investigation team. Based on relevant reports, we request your cooperation in accepting organizational review regarding your suspected abuse of power, retaliation, and other related issues."

The red and blue pencils in Wang Dashan's hand fell to the ground with a "thud," and his face instantly turned deathly pale.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but no sound came out.

At almost the same time, Gao Jianshe was also taken away from his home.

The investigation team found a considerable amount of valuables and bankbooks in his home that were clearly inconsistent with his income, and the preliminary investigation revealed serious financial problems.

He is not only suspected of retaliation, but also of numerous power-for-money transactions in engineering construction and material procurement.

The following day, an internal notice was issued to the relevant departments as quickly as possible.

Wang Dashan, the commander of a certain army unit, was dismissed from all his Party and military posts and transferred to civilian work as a division-level cadre after investigation and deliberation by the organization for failing to properly educate his son, condoning his son's illegal and criminal activities, and suspected of abusing his power and retaliating against outstanding cadres.

Gao Jianshe, deputy director of the Municipal Bureau of Industry, has been expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office for serious violations of discipline and law, including suspected bribery, abuse of power, and retaliation. He has been transferred to judicial authorities for legal processing.

As for the investigation team sent to Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, it was also internally criticized for improper procedures and failure to strictly verify the authenticity of the tip-offs. The team leader was ordered to make a thorough self-examination.

A seemingly raging storm was resolved in such a dramatic way in less than 24 hours.

The truth came to light, the accuser was severely punished, and Li Zhenhua, who was falsely accused, not only escaped unscathed, but his image of adhering to principles and daring to fight left a deeper impression on higher-level leaders.

When Li Zhenhua learned the final result from Factory Director Yang, he was inspecting the newly arrived labor protection supplies in the warehouse. He simply nodded slightly, a calm smile that he had already anticipated, and whispered something to Wang Shoucheng, who looked relieved, and Qin Huairu, who was uneasy.

"See, I told you, everything will be alright."

. . .

In August, Beijing felt as if it were being baked in a giant oven.

Since the beginning of summer, there has been very little rain, and the scorching sun has been on duty every day, baking the parched earth.

The water level in the moat had dropped drastically, revealing dark silt, and the air was thick with dust and a sense of unease.

It is now a foregone conclusion that farmland outside the city will suffer large-scale crop reductions or even total crop failures, which has led to an unprecedented strain on the city's food supply.

Although Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill was a key state-owned enterprise with a certain guarantee of grain supply, its grain quota was repeatedly reduced.

The cornbread in the canteen is getting smaller and smaller, the cornmeal porridge is so thin you can see your reflection in it, and even dishes with a little bit of oil have become a rarity.

The workers were physically exhausted and lacked oil and fat in their stomachs, leading to widespread complaints and impacting the efficiency of the workshop.

At the factory meeting, the supply issue became the most troublesome topic.

The deputy factory director in charge of production slammed his fist on the table and demanded grain from the logistics department. Li Huaide, the logistics director, was in a terrible predicament. He tried everything he could, running around until his legs were sore and his lips were worn out. Most of the connections that could usually be smoothed over were now useless.

Grain became the hardest of hard currencies, with prices so high that there was no market for it.

"Director Li, what is your logistics department doing? If this continues, the workers will have to work hungry! Machines can be repaired, but what if the workers starve?"

The deputy factory manager in charge of production spoke sternly.

Li Huaide wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face ashen, and subconsciously glanced at Li Zhenhua, who sat calmly opposite him.

In the entire logistics department, and even the entire steel rolling mill, only the purchasing department and warehouse under Li Zhenhua's supervision could barely maintain the supply of basic labor protection supplies and some unplanned materials. Although it was tight, at least there were no major problems.

Everyone knows that Li Zhenhua has his own connections, and very powerful ones at that.

"Factory manager, leaders, this is the situation all over the country right now. The disaster is severe in rural areas, and the grain quotas allocated to the cities have been drastically reduced. I really... I've really done my best!"

Li Huaide complained.

Factory Director Yang frowned and turned his gaze to Li Zhenhua.

"Comrade Zhenhua, how's the situation on your end? Can you think of any way, even just to get some sweet potatoes, potatoes, or other coarse grains, to fill the workers' stomachs first?"

Li Zhenhua put down his pen and calmly gave his report.

"Factory manager, our purchasing department has been trying to find solutions. We guarantee that the planned supplies will be received and stored on time and in the required quantities. For the unplanned supplies, we have also tried our best to procure some substitute foods and whole grains through some sister units and cooperative channels, but the quantity is limited and can only be a drop in the bucket. At present, we are prioritizing the basic food subsidies for frontline workers in high-temperature and high-risk positions."