Chapter 323

"Not there? Then where did you go so late? You didn't stay out all night, did you?"

"Oh, I'm at... at a college classmate's place. Why are you looking for me?"

"Oh, never mind then. It's nothing, just wanted to chat. Forget it, I'm hanging up." As soon as Su Jing finished speaking, she hung up the phone.

Su Qing smiled gently and said: "My cousin and you must have a pretty good relationship, right?"

"We're in the same department, so we get along pretty well," Zhao Desan chuckled. "But her temper isn't as good as yours, Sister Su."

Women can't resist flattery and are easily intoxicated. Under Zhao Desan's sweet talk, he and Su Qing had long since "resolved their grievances with a roll in the sheets."

After the unexpected intimate contact with Su Qing, for the remaining two days, every afternoon after training at the Provincial Committee's conference room, Zhao Desan would go as promised to the hotel Su Qing had booked to please her lonely body and mind.

During these few days of training in the province, Zhao Desan released himself too many times, and he looked visibly thinner. Originally, Su Qing had promised to see them off on the day he returned to Yuyang, but because of temporary work matters, he didn't see her on the day he left.

On the bus back to Yuyang, Su Jing even wondered aloud that Zhao Desan had been too diligent in his training these past few days, making him lose weight. Only Zhao Desan and Su Qing knew where his energy had gone.

Ever since Zhao Desan had physical contact with Su Qing during the training in the province, he didn't forget to frequently send her messages expressing his longing and make deep, affectionate phone calls after returning to Yuyang. However, because Su Qing was, after all, the dignified Minister of the Organization Department of the Provincial Committee, she had very little time to reply to his messages, and occasionally when he called, she would decline the call if it was inconvenient.

From the training after the new year until August, Zhao Desan's work was no different from that of an ordinary civil servant—nine-to-five every day, reading the news, and drinking tea. Because he had a good relationship with Section Chief Song Song Jihong, Song Song Jihong didn't make things difficult for him in his daily work, and his days were quite leisurely. In the bureau, girls or young women like Li Li Li Shanshan, Zhang Zhang Zhang Xiaoyan, Wen Qian, Director Zhang, Zhang Aiai, and Bai Ling rotated around him; it was truly a harem of beauties, making Zhao Desan feel as if he were living the life of an emperor. It was just that he couldn't be satisfied with his current position as a small section member and was bent on climbing the ladder.

August was an important month for Zhao Desan's role change in the bureau. This month, Vice Mayor Yu of the municipal committee organized a special meeting on coal production safety. Although the content of this meeting was mainly aimed at the newly opened Heihe Coal Mine and Xiaogou Coal Mine in Baishui Town, Shenfu County, other coal mines could not avoid various safety inspections after the meeting. Zhao Desan followed Song Jihong for half a month, conducting special inspections and rectification work at various coal mines under the jurisdiction of Yuyang City. On the afternoon of the second day after returning to the bureau from the countryside, a major incident occurred.

When Zhao Desan passed by Wang Wang Wang Anguo's office after returning from the restroom, he heard him saying loudly inside: "What? Water penetration? Old Gao, you're creating trouble for me!... Alright... I understand. You must organize people to rescue the workers underground immediately. Be sure to seal off the scene well; don't let the media reporters know! Don't accept any interviews!..."

Zhao Desan curiously eavesdropped outside the door for a while and gathered that a coal mine had suffered a water penetration accident, and it seemed Vice Director Wang was reporting the situation.

Not long after returning to his office and sitting down, the door to the Safety and Quality Section office was pushed open from the outside. He saw Wang Wang Wang Anguo walking in with a gloomy face, beginning to lecture Song Song Jihong: "Song Song Jihong! How exactly are you running the work of your Safety and Quality Section!"

Song Song Jihong was left completely bewildered by his sudden reprimand and looked at him at a loss, his lips twitching twice as he asked: "Vice Director Wang, what... what happened?"

"What happened? Gao Gao Husheng's coal mine has had a serious water penetration accident! Why aren't you packing your things and going to the scene to understand the situation!"

Song Song Jihong froze, frowned tightly, and didn't say a word.

Wang Wang Wang Anguo scanned Zhao Desan and Su Jing, and with a stern face, said to Song Song Jihong: "I'm going to report to Director Zhang. Don't tell anyone else in the bureau about this for now. Xiao Zhao, Xiao Su, did you hear me?"

"Understood."

"Understood."

Wang Anguo went to report the situation to Zhang Ailing, and Zhang Ailing, Wang Anguo, Song Jihong, and Zhao Desan hurriedly rushed to the coal mine where Gao Husheng had the accident in Fuchang County.

If Zhang Zhang Ailing hadn't asked Zhao Desan to go along, his fate wouldn't have changed at this time. Her unintentional act, however, facilitated the turning point in Zhao Desan's fate.

Two hours later, the four-person team from the Coal Bureau, led by Zhang Zhang Ailing, arrived at the scene of the water penetration accident at the coal mine, where Gao Gao Husheng received them.

On an open space not far from the mine entrance, eleven victims were laid out in a jumble on a spread-out plastic tarp.

Zhang Ailing's face was solemn as she fiercely criticized Gao Husheng: "Old Gao! Tell me, what are you going to do now that something like this has happened! The theme of the bureau this year is the Year of Production Safety! Vice Mayor Yu has repeatedly and clearly pointed out that Yuyang City must ensure that not a single safety accident occurs due to coal mining this year! Look at your mine; problems appeared just after the meeting! How do you expect me to answer to Vice Mayor Yu!"

Gao Gao Husheng knew the serious consequences this accident would bring. The most urgent task was to ask the leaders of the competent department to negotiate a solution. He also looked solemn, completely lacking confidence, and admitted his mistake: "Director Zhang, this... it's my fault for not managing safety well... but the accident has already happened... what do you think..."