Chapter 10: A Stroke of Luck Leads to a Miraculous Achievement!
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When Xu Yiping came to work early in the morning, he found several police cars parked in the courtyard.
He studied the license plate numbers.
They were not from the Pinghu Town police station.
His heart began to pound.
Could something important have happened?
Xu Yiping walked to the guardhouse and asked with a frown, "Why are there so many police cars?"
The guard said softly, "They came early this morning. Chief Wan said they are comrades from the municipal and county public security bureaus."
Xu Yiping walked into his office and gave Wan Ming a call.
"Where are you? People from above are here, why didn't you give me a heads-up?"
Chief Wan said in a low voice, "They are here to investigate a case. It needs to be kept confidential."
Xu Yiping was silent for a few seconds.
"Where are you guys?"
Chief Wan said, "We are in Town Chief Tang's office, talking with the public security comrades."
Xu Yiping hung up the phone, his temples throbbing.
So secretive...
When people from above came, it was usually no small matter if it involved the police and judiciary!
To actually keep him, the Party Secretary, in the dark... as the Party Secretary of Pinghu Town, he had absolute control over this place.
The presence of unknown factors aroused his vigilance and unease.
Why would it be related to public security?
Could it involve some kind of economic case?
Could it be related to him?
Xu Yiping, who usually remained calm even if Mount Tai were to collapse before his eyes, felt deeply apprehensive.
Over an hour later, Wan Ming stood at the door and knocked.
Xu Yiping called out, "Come in."
There were five people in total, with Tang Ye among them.
Wan Ming introduced two men in police uniforms to Xu Yiping.
"This is Captain Wu of the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment, and Deputy Chief Cao of the County Public Security Bureau."
There was also a female officer with delicate features who was responsible for taking photos and gathering material, which would later be compiled into a report with pictures and text for internal reference.
They were section-level cadres like himself, but from county and municipal departments, so Xu Yiping was extremely polite when speaking to them.
"Comrades, welcome to Pinghu to inspect our work. If there is anything you need assistance with, please don't hesitate to ask. We will definitely give our full support," Xu Yiping quickly said a string of pleasantries.
Captain Wu and Deputy Chief Cao shook hands with Xu Yiping respectively and sat down on the sofa.
Xu Yiping arranged for someone to make tea, but both men said there was no need for such trouble.
"Secretary Xu, we came here today mainly to understand the situation. Last night, we received a reliable tip from Old Wan. We mobilized overnight and arrested dozens of criminals suspected of robbery. One of them is a nationally wanted fugitive who participated in several highway robberies in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces in the first half of the year, causing a severe negative impact. Comrades Tang Ye and Wan Ming have made an indispensable contribution!"
A monstrous wave surged in Xu Yiping's heart.
Were his ears working correctly?
"Well, I..."
Xu Yiping didn't know what to say.
He looked at Wan Ming and Tang Ye with a complicated expression!
Why hadn't these two given him a heads-up?
If they had told him earlier, he would have been mentally prepared.
Xu Yiping was grinding his teeth in frustration but couldn't show it.
Tang Ye watched Xu Yiping's expression flicker between sunny and overcast and was secretly amused.
Last night's incident was a stroke of luck.
He had learned in the middle of the night that when Wan Ming was investigating Lao San's accomplices, he found that one of them had a problematic identity and was actually a criminal who had been committing crimes across the country.
He then reported it to his superiors, which attracted the high alert of Captain Wu.
They launched a special operation overnight, following the clues to uncover a gang hiding in the city, thus preventing further losses in advance.
In front of Captain Wu and Deputy Chief Cao, Wan Ming recounted the story of last night's capture of Lao San and his group, adding embellishments.
"As early as half a month ago, our station frequently received reports from several factories in the town. We discovered that a gang was not only committing crimes in our town but also moving between other townships. We have been strengthening night patrols in key areas recently."
"Yesterday, after Comrade Tang Ye got off work, he went to Qinge Garment Factory for an on-site investigation and had a chance encounter with the criminals at the warehouse. He took the lead and engaged in a life-and-death struggle with the other party. These were not ordinary petty thieves, especially Fan Dayan, who had participated in several major robbery cases and was fierce, cruel, cunning, and treacherous."
"When Comrade Tang Ye saw that the other party had pulled out a knife, he remained fearless in the face of danger. He first used verbal skills to apply psychological pressure, causing the other party to lose their composure, and then subdued the enemy in one move."
"During the incident, the criminal Lao San took Gu Wenqin hostage as a bargaining chip. Tang Ye disregarded his own life and, in the nick of time, engaged in close combat with the assailant. Look at the wound on his right arm; it's from that moment. Blood was gushing out, soaking his clothes. The doctor said that if it had been just a little off, it would have hit a major artery, causing massive blood loss."
Xu Yiping subconsciously looked at Tang Ye's bandaged arm, his eyes full of surprise.
Although Captain Wu and Deputy Chief Cao had heard it once before, they were once again immersed in the story, nodding from time to time.
"Faced with vicious criminals, most people would be afraid. At such a time, you need one person to bravely step forward to activate the courage in the hearts of the masses. Although these criminals were cruel, cunning, and vicious, under the influence and encouragement of Town Chief Tang, everyone picked up weapons. When the masses unite, they are invincible. By the time we arrived at the scene, several of them had already been subdued. We immediately launched a roundup operation. After a four-hour operation, all the fleeing gang members were captured."
"During our interrogation of the criminals, Town Chief Tang also spared no effort in offering strategies and advice..."
Old Wan's last sentence was clearly a case of secretly fabricating details out of thin air!
Tang Ye's expression was very calm, but on the inside, he was so embarrassed he felt like his toes could have dug out a football field!
It was fine to embellish a little when reporting achievements.
But you couldn't push it too hard and be too exaggerated!
Xu Yiping glanced at the female police officer behind Captain Wu.
While Wan Ming was speaking, she was constantly writing in her notebook with fluent, beautiful language, making the characters in the report come to life, full and three-dimensional.
In the summary materials for this operation, Tang Ye would inevitably be highlighted with great fanfare.
As for himself, he wouldn't get any credit at all.
After seeing off the officers from the municipal and county bureaus, Wan Ming followed Tang Ye to his office and sat down relaxedly on the sofa.
"Did you see Secretary Xu's reaction? He had a smile on his face, but his eyes looked like they wanted to stab you to death!"
Tang Ye closed the door tightly and reminded him, "Keep it down, the walls have ears."
Wan Ming thought to himself that Tang Ye was cautious.
"The day after I had dinner with you a couple of days ago, Xu called me the next day and told me to keep my distance from you. He knows about anything that happens right away. There are bad people among the masses. You have to be careful of him; that guy is very crafty."
"Thanks for the reminder. An upright person isn't afraid of a crooked shadow. If he makes a move, I'll just have to take it."
Tang Ye smiled with an air of nonchalance.
To achieve anything in Pinghu Town, he certainly couldn't do it alone.
A big drinking session, catching thieves which gave him a chance to earn merit, plus the "Municipal Committee" halo!
Wan Ming already had the intention of forming a deep friendship with Tang Ye.
"If you need anything in the future, just ask."
Wan Ming no longer hesitated and made his position clear to Tang Ye.
As it was nearing the end of the workday, Tang Ye received a call from Wan Ming, inviting him to dinner that night to introduce him to a few of his sworn brothers.
When he arrived at the entrance of the Jindu Restaurant, he found several police cars parked there.
After going inside, he realized it was the police station's political instructor's birthday.
After a few glasses of wine, Wan Ming, under the influence of alcohol, introduced him to everyone.
"This is our town's new Town Chief Tang. Many of you don't know him, so take a good look, and burn his face into your heads like you would a suspect's. No matter when you meet him, you have to stand at attention for me.
"I've never been afraid of death, only of owing favors. Town Chief Tang helped me a great deal in capturing the nationally wanted fugitive this time. From now on, we are brothers. Your business is my business. If you need anything, just say the word. If I even frown, my surname isn't Wan."
"We must make sure Town Chief Tang has a good time drinking tonight."
"Town Chief Tang, you can't run! If you run, you're not a Party member!"
Seeing the comrades' high enthusiasm, Tang Ye found an opportunity and made a strategic retreat to the bathroom!
Although his alcohol tolerance was good, the scene of a dozen brutes taking turns challenging him to one-on-one duels was too terrifying.
What did they mean, "if you run, you're not a Party member"?
During the war of resistance and the counter-encirclement campaigns back in the day, which Party member wasn't a great man who knew when to yield and when to stand firm?
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