Chapter 1328: Even Squeezed People Dry!

Tang Ye had seen Dong Min's photo; there was a significant difference between the ID photo and the person herself.

Dong Min herself looked to have a good complexion, wearing black trousers and a white shirt, with short hair, giving one a feeling of being fresh and capable.

Dong Min sat opposite Tang Ye.

Tang Ye looked refined, clean, and sunny, not like a bad person.

But Han Hu was burly, his gaze revealing a sense of seriousness, giving off a strong feeling of oppression.

"What would you like to drink?" Tang Ye asked.

"No need. Who exactly are you people?" Dong Min said in a low voice.

Tang Ye said, "Then I will be frank. You are from Yanfeng Village, and I want to learn about the White Clay Mine in Yanfeng Village from you. As far as I know, there is a grievance involved in this."

Dong Min was silent for a moment, then asked in surprise, "Could it be that you are reporters?"

It was not appropriate for Tang Ye to reveal his identity for the time being.

After all, this case had not been investigated clearly, and leaking his identity might cause complications.

Tang Ye followed her assumption and said, "That's right, we are reporters."

Dong Min pressed, "Then where are your credentials?"

Han Hu broke into a cold sweat; County Magistrate Tang's psychological quality was truly good enough that he didn't even blink while lying.

Dong Min was also extremely cautious.

Since the other party was asking for credentials, how should he handle it?

Tang Ye took out a credential and placed it by Dong Min's hand, "This is my press pass."

Dong Min looked at the credential carefully, "You are a reporter for the News Girl program? Doesn't this program only have female reporters? How could there be a male reporter? Besides, you don't look much like the photo on the ID."

Tang Ye explained, "Although our program is called News Girl, there are still many male reporters; it's just that most of those who appear on camera are female reporters. As for this ID photo, it was taken several years ago. I had long hair back then, but I've cut it short now, so it doesn't look much like me."

The press pass was one that Tang Ye had asked Ma Ran to borrow from Tian Xiaomeng the previous night.

Tian Xiaomeng had found the ID photo of a male colleague.

Tang Ye had certainly racked his brains to hide his identity.

As for Han Hu, seeing this performance by Tang Ye, he secretly sighed that County Magistrate Tang was truly a sly fox.

If he went to be a con artist, he would definitely succeed every time.

Dong Min returned the ID to Tang Ye and said softly, "Reporter Wu, hello. I would like to know why you want to interview me."

Tang Ye said, "I got the news from the Municipal Government Office. I have a classmate who works there. When we were drinking together a few days ago, he said that someone had sent the Mayor reporting materials about Yanfeng Village. I feel there is a hidden story here, and it will be big news."

Dong Min smiled helplessly, "I advise you not to waste your time. Although the News Girl program is very famous, this news will not be published."

Tang Ye insisted, "Whether it can be published or not, we must try."

Dong Min warned, "This could be very dangerous. If things go wrong, not only will you lose your job, but your personal safety will also be at risk."

Tang Ye said fearlessly, "As a reporter, I have the resolve to sacrifice myself for my ideals."

Dong Min was silent for a few seconds, then said in a low voice, "Even though you can't help me, I will tell you what I know. I am from Yanfeng Village. A few years ago, our village discovered a White Clay Mine. You know about white clay, right?"

Tang Ye nodded, "Diatomaceous earth, also known as Guanyin clay, has good plasticity, fire resistance, and other physical and chemical properties. It is often used as paper coating, ceramic raw material, and industrial filler."

Dong Min nodded slightly, "A group of people soon came to the village, saying they wanted to invest in our village, support us, and have everyone pool their shares to mine the white clay."

Tang Ye nodded, "Were these people scammers?"

Dong Min was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly, "You are very smart. At the time, the villagers were blinded by greed. Many people took out their family savings, and some families who didn't have savings were afraid of losing this opportunity to get rich, so they found ways to borrow money to buy shares. At this time, a loan company appeared, willing to lend money to households."

"The loan company and the people investing in mining must be in cahoots, right?"

Hearing this, Tang Ye thought to himself that the people of Yanfeng Village had fallen into a trap.

First, they lure you with generous profits, and once you enter the game, they withdraw, leaving you with nothing.

Dong Min smiled bitterly, "That's right. We didn't realize it at the time. Everyone bought shares, and the White Clay Mine was opened, but when it came time for year-end dividends, the mine boss used various excuses to withhold them. At this time, the loan company came to collect the loans and interest. We found the mine boss, but he only offered to give a portion. The villagers repaid part of the principal to the loan company, but the interest kept rolling and growing."

Hearing this, Han Hu said, "This is clearly bloodsucking!"

Dong Min sighed, "Many villagers realized what was happening and demanded that the mine pay up, and they blocked them from construction. As a result, the other side was already prepared. A group of people rushed out, holding iron pipes and hitting anyone they saw. My younger brother was severely injured, dragged under a car, and crushed to death alive. They faked it as a car accident, lied that it was a traffic accident, and covered up the truth."

Han Hu pressed, "The villagers couldn't repay the loans; how did the loan company collect the debts afterward?"

Dong Min sighed, "The loan company arranged for the villagers to go to a mining company in another province, which was also a white clay mine. This white clay mine was a Yama Hall. Two years later, everyone had contracted various illnesses."

Tang Ye took a deep breath, "This is using high-interest loans to trap the debtors, then sending the borrowers who can't pay back the debt to the mining area to do hard labor, paying the lowest wages, and constantly squeezing them until they become useless, only then are they willing to stop!"

Dong Min's eyes were red and swollen, "This is not just bloodsucking; it has squeezed people dry!"

Tang Ye suppressed his anger, "A human life was lost; did the local government not care?"

Dong Min bit her lip and said, "The local staff were afraid that the matter would blow up, so they arrested the driver and paid a fine. But the real culprits remain at large. I wanted to avenge my brother, but I soon received warnings from above. Reporter Wu, I advise you, you must protect yourself well. These people don't take the law seriously at all."

Tang Ye thought to himself that Dong Min was still kind-hearted, and nodded, "Thank you for the reminder. We will be careful."

After parting with Dong Min, Tang Ye headed to the Municipal Government.

Tang Ye told Jiang Jing everything he had learned.

Jiang Jing's expression was cold, "The political and legal system of Wenyang City has actually rotted to this extent."

Tang Ye said softly, "Mayor Jiang, the case in Yanfeng Village happened too long ago, and the relevant evidence must have been destroyed. If we want to overturn the case, it will be very difficult, so we must find a new breakthrough."

Jiang Jing said in a low voice, "What plan do you have? Let's hear it!"

Tang Ye said, "I have combed through the history of Zhang Xianguang's rise to wealth. The reason he was able to go from being a member of the underworld to a legitimate businessman has to do with one person..."