I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

Li Jing'an sat in his office, his eyes slightly narrowed, leaning back in his chair. The phone was between his ear and shoulder, his right hand casually resting on the edge of the desk, but his brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

"Yes, yes." He bit his lip slightly, his lips twitching. "Old Hu, you go ahead, I'm listening."

But the next moment, his eyes suddenly opened.

He grabbed the phone, his voice suddenly turning cold: "Say it again."

On the other end of the phone, Hu Wenshan's forehead was already covered in a fine layer of cold sweat. It was already November, and the north wind had just picked up, but he felt like his office was in a sauna.

"Minister Li, it's like this—several companies in Dengzhou had accidents a few days ago." Hu Wenshan spoke slowly and deliberately, "First, one company had several safety incidents in succession. Then, some people used this as an excuse to incite the employees, saying that the factory leaders were corrupt and demanding answers. Next, the old Revolutionary Committee members who had been dismissed took the opportunity to reappear, fanning the flames and taking control of the companies and the current leadership. They're holding a denunciation meeting in the factory area these past two days."

In the office of the Minister of Metallurgy in Beijing, the air pressure suddenly dropped to an extreme low.

Li Jing'an's face was ashen. He grabbed his secretary, Xiao Wang, by the hair as she was tidying up under the table, and flung her out, his voice barely audible as he forced it out through clenched teeth: "Get out!"

The secretary, not even having time to straighten her clothes, staggered out of the room, wiped her mouth, and carefully closed the door behind her. Only after the door was completely shut did Li Jing'an turn all his attention back to the microphone.

"What are you all good for?!" He slammed his hand on the table, making the pen holder jump. "Why are you only reporting now?!"

Hu Wenshan on the other end of the phone quickly explained, "Minister Li, this isn't my fault. The key issue is that the head of the Metallurgical Bureau. After the incident, he tried to cover it up, afraid of taking responsibility. He arrogantly thought that with his influence and his years of experience as the director of the Metallurgical Bureau's Revolutionary Committee, he could talk to the former Revolutionary Committee members in the factories below. He wanted to secretly go to the enterprises in Dengzhou to negotiate with them and settle the matter. Unexpectedly, this guy was detained as soon as he landed. These past two days, he's been paraded around the factory area wearing a dunce cap. I heard he's been beaten and scolded a lot, and he's almost broken down."

"Useless! All of you are useless!" Li Jing'an slammed his fist on the table, his voice low but forceful. "What is your Metallurgical Bureau doing? What exactly is their situation? What are their demands? Do you even know?"

Li Jing'an's anger had reached its peak.

"Minister Li, it's like this," Hu Wenshan quickly said, "I understand that their demands are to recognize the legitimacy of their enterprise's Revolutionary Committee and to remove the original leadership team. Furthermore, they want to investigate the former team for embezzlement and bribery, classifying it as the former leadership team embezzling the newly purchased safety equipment on the production line, which is why production accidents have occurred one after another."

Li Jing'an narrowed his eyes: "What security equipment? Where did they get this information?"

"Minister Li, the information I've gathered is that during the installation and debugging by the engineers sent by the Japanese company that made the purchase, some of the Japanese who speak Chinese revealed that the production line was incomplete and lacked many safety devices. So, those former members of the Revolutionary Committee seized on this point, first inciting the families of the injured and deceased to cause trouble, and then inciting the workers, which led to the outbreak."

Li Jing'an's gaze suddenly froze, as if fixed on a shadow in the void. After a few breaths, his expression shifted several times, finally taking a deep breath, his tone turning cold: "Nonsense... These rats hiding in the corner are definitely looking for an excuse to seize control of the company now that the anti-rightist and restoration movement is in full swing. And since they say they heard it from an engineer sent by the Japanese, this isn't just about seizing power; it could very well involve foreign forces. Their true intentions are self-evident."

On the other end of the phone, Hu Wenshan was rendered speechless by these words. This had immediately veered into accusations of conspiracy, foreign forces, and espionage—the charges were far too serious.

Li Jing'an continued without pausing, "Alright, I understand. You should head to Dengzhou immediately. I'll report to the State Council first, and then, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I'll head there to meet you."

After hanging up the phone, he remained silent for a few seconds, staring blankly at a spot on the table, his mind racing as he considered what to say and do at the State Council. A moment later, he picked up the phone: "Get the car ready."

In an office under the State Council, Li Jing'an sat on the sofa, his face grave. Across from him at the desk, Chief Wang sat with a cigarette between his fingers, his brows furrowed deeply.

"Jing'an, when did you find out about this?"

"Sir, I just received the news myself, that's why I came here immediately to report to you."

"So what are your thoughts?"

Li Jing'an immediately stood up and said, "Sir, I believe we must strike hard and nip this trend in the bud. We cannot allow it to escalate. We cannot agree to this situation. If we give in, similar situations could occur all over the country, and it would spiral out of control. We cannot bear that responsibility."

Chief Wang, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, remained silent in contemplation. He couldn't express any opinion now, because the anti-rightist campaign had already reached his side, and his power had been greatly reduced. He had to be careful in his words and actions, lest someone seize upon any evidence against him.

Seeing his hesitation, Li Jing'an continued, "Sir, this also involves people sent by a Japanese company. We don't yet know what role this Japanese person is playing, but when foreigners are involved, we must be extremely careful. Therefore, my suggestion is to resolve this matter swiftly and decisively, and not escalate it."

Chief Wang looked up at him: "Jing'an, is it really true that Japanese personnel were involved? And as you said, the Japanese manufacturer's personnel have already withdrawn and returned to Japan, so this matter can't be proven. We can't decide what to do. Since it involves foreign countries, I have to report it."

Li Jing'an lowered his voice and said, "Sir, I think it's best not to report this. The Japanese man's words came from those scoundrels on the other side, so I don't think they count. If it's reported, the matter will become too complicated and involve too many people. The timing isn't right either; I think it's best to handle this discreetly and keep the news under wraps."

Commander Wang understood Li Jing'an's words. After all, the winds of change were blowing fiercely, and it was best to avoid trouble. He looked at Li Jing'an and finally made up his mind, saying, "Alright, I understand. I'll secretly report this to my superiors. You should prepare to go to Dengzhou now. I don't care what method you use, but resolve this matter as quickly as possible and don't escalate it. I will contact the local garrison to provide assistance. Make sure this matter is kept under control, understand?"

"Understood, sir. I'll go back and prepare immediately."

Li Jing'an stood up to leave, but was stopped at the door.

"Jing'an," Chief Wang said, "After you've packed up, don't take the train. I'll go and tell them to take a military plane directly to Dengzhou from the military region."

Li Jing'an nodded heavily, then went out and closed the door.

In the corridor, a slow smile crept onto his lips. These little mice, they think they can cause any trouble? I'll just crush them to death in one go.

Then he looked back at the closed office door and thought to himself, "This is a good time. Everyone is tied up, and in the end, I will decide what happens."