Chapter 365: Chapter 356 Emergency Standing Committee_1
From Yunhai Villa in Xishan District to Qingfang City in Guicheng District, it was almost a cross through the entire Liangxi City District, a distance of more than twenty kilometers. By the time Nie Zhenbang and others arrived, it was already almost twenty minutes later.

In the thick of night, the six-storey office building of the first spinning factory in Qingfang City was shrouded in dense smoke and a sea of flames. Surrounding the site were a multitude of red fire trucks. Many firefighting and armed police soldiers were busily working, evacuating crowds, connecting water sources, and spraying water at the office building from all directions.

The area was cordoned off. With sirens flickering, many police officers were on duty nearby, managing the crowd of onlookers and passing vehicles.

Upon seeing Nie Zhenbang and others approaching, followed by the commander of the military district and the director of the public security bureau, the on-duty police officers saluted and immediately cleared a path for them.

Just as they entered the factory premises, a major in military uniform greeted them. He saluted and said, “Commander, our unit received a fire alarm call twenty minutes ago. We arrived on the scene within five minutes. Currently, the fire has been preliminarily under control. The cause of the fire is still under further investigation.”

Peng Kaibao returned the salute. His gaze was gloomy as he looked at the office building. At this moment, under the suppression of more than a dozen water cannons from all directions, the open flame around the perimeter had been initially controlled. Thick plumes of smoke soared into the sky. However, in the internal area of the office building, flames could still be seen intermittently bursting forth.

“Jiang Zhiyong, no matter what methods you use, you must extinguish the fire as quickly as possible. Can people enter the building now? Have our soldiers put on gas masks and carry oxygen. Enter the building to extinguish the fire locally. The fire must be extinguished in the shortest possible time. This is an order!” After a moment of silence, Peng Kaibao made his decision immediately.

After Jiang Zhiyong left, Peng Kaibao walked over to Nie Zhenbang and said in a low voice, “Mayor, this fire is suspicious.”

Nie Zhenbang was aware of the suspicious nature of the fire. However, upon hearing these words, he looked over expectantly, eager to hear the opinions of a professional.

Next to him, Peng Kaibao also said in a low voice, “Mayor, the enterprises in Qingfang City have always been key units for fire prevention in our city. These items, such as veils and silkworm sands, are highly combustible. Therefore, our armed police fire department has specially stationed a working team here, regularly educating the three factories in Qingfang City on fire prevention knowledge and inspecting their fire safety measures. In other words, every building in Qingfang City has undergone strict fire safety inspections. This is the first point of suspicion.”

After a pause, Peng Kaibao, looking at the still-burning building, continued, “Moreover, we have used more than a dozen water cannons to suppress the fire, and the external fire has been extinguished, but flames are still surging out from within the building from time to time. This is also abnormal. This situation is very similar to that of gasoline combustion.”

The speaker is casually stating facts, but the listener is left with plenty to consider. Even Peng Kaibao himself hadn’t realized it yet, but Nie Zhenbang frowned. Could it be that Wu Aijun had deliberately set the fire to destroy evidence, making it impossible for the task force to act?

Thinking of this possibility, Nie Zhenbang said solemnly, “Old Peng, after the fire is extinguished, have your people immediately seal off the scene and rigorously investigate the cause of the fire. We must find out the cause of this fire, as it is crucial to our overall situation, do you understand?”

As soon as Nie Zhenbang finished speaking, a commotion arose from the periphery. Looking over, he saw Fan Changsheng leading Li Guohua, Huang Junshan, Li Xiaoqin and the secretary-general of the municipal party committee, Hu Youquan, into the scene. These four people were considered Fan Changsheng’s direct subordinates.

Even before Fan Changsheng arrived, he called out, “Mayor Nie is indeed swift. What is the situation? Has the fire been controlled?”

Fan Changsheng’s expression and tone left Nie Zhenbang puzzled about his intention. The sudden and suspicious nature of the fire pushed him to consider deeply whether city party leaders were involved in the problems with Qingfang City.

Or perhaps, this was a habit Nie Zhenbang had developed during his tenure at the Commission for Discipline Inspection. After pondering for a moment, he replied slowly, “The fire has been initially controlled. However, according to the report, the fire started in the archive room on the third floor. Given this, all financial data and various documents of the first spinning factory over the years have likely been destroyed. This is a loss that cannot be compensated for the investigation by the task force. It will definitely affect the work of the task force.”

After he finished speaking, Nie Zhenbang watched Fan Changsheng and the others closely. However, he was somewhat disappointed. Fan Changsheng and the others remained composed, showing no reactions. They were neither anxious that the sudden fire would affect the investigation of the task force, nor were they pleased that the investigation had reached a deadlock.

At this time, Wu Aijun, the factory director of the Spinning Factory, came out, looking remorseful. When he got to Fan Changsheng and Nie Zhenbang, he lowered his stance, slightly bending his body, wearing a fearful expression on his face. “Secretary Fan, Mayor Nie, I plead with the municipal government for an investigation and subsequent discipline. I’ve committed an oversight at work. I failed to stress the importance of fire safety, resulting in irreparable losses and stalling the investigation. It is my responsibility, I ask for disciplinary action.”

Nie Zhenbang did not have a high opinion of Wu Aijun. The man was too overly smooth and slick. The luxurious conference room in the Spinning Factory had made a lasting impression on Zhenbang. He gave a long look at Aijun’s branded attire – an idea that was just starting to catch on in the nation.

This alone was sufficient to prove that Wu Aijun was someone leading a life of extravagance and corruption. As soon as Wu Aijun finished speaking, Nie Zhenbang replied, “Director Wu, it’s good that you’re aware. How did you arrange it? No security personnel in the office building on a regular day? You only called the fire department after the fire had spread. What do the guards and inhouse firefighters do? You, as the factory director, definitely bear absolute responsibility.”

Just as he finished speaking, a voice sounded from the side, “Mayor Nie, isn’t this charging too harsh? Director Wu does hold leadership accountability, but he has made duty arrangements, isn’t it the on-duty staff who neglected their duties? Your words could discourage our grassroots comrades.”

Glancing over, it was Huang Junshan speaking. His gaze did not falter. Everyone here was on the standing committee, so Huang was not intimidated by Zhenbang.

Is Huang Junshan’s resistance targeted at him, or is there something more to it? While he pondered, Fan Changsheng chimed in saying, “Looking at it now, the fire seems to be under control. Another half an hour, and it should be extinguished. Let’s convene a standing committee meeting tonight.”

Anything related to Qingfang City is no small matter. Currently, Qingfang City is in the midst of a crucial merger and reorganization. A few investigation teams had just arrived, and then a sudden fire broke out, it was necessary to convene a standing committee meeting. Nobody opposed when Fan Changsheng suggested it.

At this moment, Nie Zhenbang moved over to Chen Le and whispered, “Old Chen, the fire started suspiciously. Arrange for someone to protect the scene and investigate it immediately. This matter is not that simple.”

After giving the instructions, Nie Zhenbang also left in his car. Inside the small conference room of the municipal committee, the heating was on high and the exhaust fan was opened.

Convening a standing committee meeting at night in Liangxi City was not uncommon, all members of the committee were accustomed to it. Inside the meeting room, some of the members were using cigarettes to suppress fatigue and boost their spirits.

Before the meeting started, the committee members were gathered in small groups, discussing quietly. At the moment, Huang Junshan, Li Xiaoqin, and Hu Youquan were whispering about something. Zhao Xintian was talking with Wen Yuhe, while Huang Jiang was quietly speaking with Ye Zhengwen. Lei Dingguo sat alone, like a quiet mountain, just regaining his energy with his eyes closed.

Meanwhile, Nie Zhenbang was jotting something down in his notebook. On the blank paper, he wrote some words: disciplinary investigation group, Spinning Group restructuring, big fire, financial data, Huang Junshan, Wu Aijun and so on. Everything was destroyed by fire at a crucial moment. He absolutely didn’t believe that there was nothing suspicious about it.

Next to him, Li Guohua was calm and composed. Since his job had been adjusted and ring-fenced for some time, Guohua had become much more low-key, rarely expressing his opinion in meetings.

At this moment, Fan Changsheng came in with his notebook, his face emotionless, revealing nothing. Reaching the level of Secretary Fan, one’s feelings should not be shown on the face, this can be considered a basic skill. In this regard, Fan Changsheng was undoubtedly doing very well.

After glancing around at everyone, Fan Changsheng said, “I believe everyone here has received news about the fire outbreak at the Spinning Factory. The cause is still under investigation by the Fire Department. This fire destroyed all the financial data of the Spinning Factory over the years. The investigation by the working group has been stalled. Now, please allow comrade Ding Guo to explain the investigation situation of the working group.”

Listening to Fan Changsheng’s words, Lei Dingguo raised his head to look around at everyone. As the secretary of the Disciplinary Committee, people often disliked Lei Dingguo. He was too straight forward and uncompromising about things he believed in. This naturally made him offend others. But his position also made people fear him. Over time, Lei Dingguo developed a loner personality.

“The investigation into the Spinning City is still in the process of collecting evidence and verification. At present, things seem normal. The reactions from the staff have not been particularly strong. This fire is detrimental to us. I suggest holding those responsible for the fire accountable and investigating Wu Aijun’s leadership responsibility.” Lei Dingguo’s words shocked everyone, rendering the meeting room silent.

PS: Phew, I thought I set the auto-update but unexpectedly had an issue. Let’s add the update now. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for us, your support is our biggest motivation.)