In name only, I, Gao Yuliang, will sink Handong at worst.

It's obvious how terrible this is. These people are few in number compared to the total population of Zhongjiang City, but the impact is extremely negative.

Shen Chuan looked at the petition. The names on it were densely packed, with different and disjointed handwriting. Some of the characters were even written in a clumsy, imitative style that could not be imitated.

His resentment towards the provincial party committee members of Bianxi Province reached its peak at this time, and this anger was indescribable.

"Culture, take us directly to Xiasha Village. We are from the Central Inspection Team. I am the team leader, Shen Chuan. All of this will be reported to the Central Committee. If Bian west won't stand up for you, I will."

Shen Chuan's willingness to address Bian Xi as "Bian Xi" was the pinnacle of covering up the truth; he had actually driven someone to this point. It was despicable, utterly despicable.

"Then I'll have to trouble you." With that, Zhang Wenhua was about to kneel down again.

When did we start to have to kneel down and beg for fairness and justice? The convoy started again and headed towards Xiasha Village.

Shen Chuan immediately called his superior and recounted the situation. Some things could be investigated, but only with authorization from above. Moreover, things seemed to be going awry here, and rescue and assistance from higher authorities would be necessary if needed.

He certainly didn't think he wouldn't need help from his superiors. If he had the audacity to stop people from entering the village, then it wasn't hard to understand why he would do something outrageous.

"Investigate this thoroughly, without any limits. This isn't just about unauthorized discharge; it's about directly using the public to blackmail us. Our public power cannot be turned into a tool to wield a knife against the people."

"Whether it's an individual or a company involved, punish them directly, severely, and to the fullest extent of the law."

What's most infuriating isn't the unauthorized discharge of pollutants, but rather the use of that limited power to suppress the public.

Previously, they blocked petitioners; now, they've gone even further, imprisoning people in the village and preventing them from leaving. After receiving orders from his former superior, Shen Chuan felt somewhat more at ease.

He also has a satellite phone, so he can contact the higher-ups anytime, anywhere. We can't really let him cause a scene like burning celery!

As the car continued towards Xiasha Village, Zhang Wenhua recounted everything that had happened to him.

More than a decade ago, an industrial park was built in Zhongjiang City, Benxi Province, which attracted many chemical companies. In the early years, these chemical companies were mostly foreign companies, and there were no reasonable and appropriate laws and regulations regarding pollution.

They made do with it for now, but then environmental regulations were introduced, requiring a major upgrade of environmental protection equipment and a reduction in pollution. All things considered, the chemical industry here was not as convenient as it would be in places near oil fields or by the sea.

Foreign companies are among the most compliant with local laws and regulations, because even a minor violation of the law could result in the loss of all their assets.

Bianxi Chemical rose to prominence during this period, acquiring a large amount of borrowed money to purchase these chemical companies. As a result, Bianxi Chemical also prospered, and their Xiasha Village also developed well.

They didn't think too much about it. Who would think a factory has anything to do with them? Especially when they can't go to work. It's not just them; most people feel the same way about factories.

Eight years ago, someone in their village was diagnosed with liver cancer. Everyone thought it was nothing serious and had nothing to do with them. After all, so many people die from cancer every year across the country, so they didn't think it was a problem.

Three years ago, there was a second, a third, a fourth, and even a tenth case of liver cancer. These cases were not discovered during hospital checkups, but because people died, and because several young people died at a young age.

Feeling uneasy, everyone checked the accounts and realized it was liver cancer. Liver cancer is different from other cancers, like breast cancer, where you can directly feel the presence of a hard lump that cannot be removed. However, liver cancer is often discovered in its late stages.

Moreover, there are currently very few drugs available for liver cancer, and they are expensive.

Everyone in the village went for a physical examination, and it was found that many of them had liver cancer, it was just a matter of when the symptoms appeared.

Everyone knew this situation was abnormal, and they started looking for the cause of the cancer. This news could no longer be hidden. In addition, after comparing accounts in several villages, it was discovered that many people had liver cancer.

"Several villages of us share a single river, a small tributary of the Zhongjiang River. When we went to investigate, we found a new pipe there, sputtering sewage into the river we drink from. It looks green, but who knows what's in it?"

"We went directly to report and complain. We complained to the city government so many times, but no one cared. They all said it was normal."

"Later, I reported it directly to the provincial level. You know, Zhongjiang City is the provincial capital, so there's not much difference between reporting to the provincial level and the city level. The same people will be there to handle the complaints."