Chapter 1387: How Can One Be a Deserter?

Yechuan.

County Party Committee Family Quarters.

Ding Zhen returned to his residence, "Pack a few changes of clothes; I have to leave immediately."

His wife walked out and asked softly, "Do you have to work overtime again tonight?"

Ding Zhen sighed, "Yes, for the next period of time, I have to work overtime. Until the flood season ends, I have to live at the flood control command center."

His wife said softly, "I cooked white fungus and lotus seed soup. Drink a bowl before you go!"

Ding Zhen took the small bowl from his wife's hands and drank it in one breath, "I'm leaving. If anything happens at home, call me."

His wife nodded, "Okay, you must be careful!"

His wife saw Ding Zhen to the door.

Recently, she always felt her eyelids twitching, a feeling that something major was about to happen.

She used to think that being a County Party Secretary was a very glorious status.

But at this moment, she realized that the greater the power, the greater the responsibility.

When disaster strikes, the County Party Secretary must be at the very front.

Every year, government staff members lose their lives while preventing natural disasters.

Ding Zhen sat inside the sedan, his expression turning gloomy; he felt his nerves tightening.

When receiving one flood report after another, he was suffocated by the immense pressure.

He previously served at the Municipal Development and Reform Commission and had no relevant experience in dealing with such major disasters.

Text messages kept flooding into his phone, and calls rang incessantly.

Subordinates reporting situations, superiors inquiring and urging, plus various sudden dangerous conditions—Ding Zhen felt incredibly irritable.

He suddenly thought of Tang Ye, who was studying far away in Yanjing.

If Tang Ye were here, he could share quite a bit of the pressure for him.

The phone rang.

A town Town Mayor called, "Secretary Ding, the rain is getting heavier. Just now, a staff member was swept into the flood; it is highly probable that he has sacrificed his life."

Ding Zhen sighed, "Understood! Natural disasters are heartless. Instruct everyone well and ensure that you put your own personal safety first."

What Ding Zhen hated hearing most was that someone had perished due to the disaster.

The phone rang again.

Ding Zhen glanced at it; it was a call from the city.

"Secretary Ding, Mayor Gao will arrive at the Yechuan Flood Control and Disaster Relief Command Center immediately. Please be prepared."

"Understood."

Hanging up the phone, Ding Zhen urged the driver, "Hurry up, Mayor Gao has come to Yechuan."

He had been grinding away at the command center for several days; if Mayor Gao came to inspect the work and he wasn't there, then all the nights he had stayed up would have been in vain.

The driver floored the gas pedal, and the car shot off like an arrow from a bowstring.

Suddenly, lightning flashed across the sky.

A torrential rain poured down from the sky.

Although the driver turned the windshield wipers to the highest setting, his vision was still blocked.

A truck came head-on, and its intense high beams blinded him momentarily.

By the time he reacted from his daze.

He discovered he was very close to the vehicle in front.

He hurriedly jerked the steering wheel.

The car lost control and crashed into a tree by the side of the road...

Nine-thirty in the evening.

Gao Qidong arrived at the Yechuan Flood Control Battle Command Center.

He discovered that Ding Zhen was not at the entrance to welcome him, and he immediately felt displeased.

"Where is Comrade Ding Zhen?"

"Secretary Ding will be here immediately!"

Gao Qidong suppressed the anger in his heart and said to everyone, "Time waits for no one. After I finish inspecting Yechuan, I still have to go to the next place. Whoever here knows the situation best, start the meeting immediately."

Because the County Leaders were all arranged to supervise the battle at the grassroots front lines.

Therefore, the County Party Committee Office Director reported the work.

Ten minutes later, a staff member hurried through the door and whispered a few words into the County Party Committee Office Director's ear.

The County Party Committee Office Director's face turned pale instantly, and he reported to Gao Qidong, "Mayor Gao, I must report a situation to you: Secretary Ding had a car accident on the county road. The driver died on the spot, and Secretary Ding is currently undergoing emergency treatment at the hospital; he is not yet out of danger."

Everyone present was shocked!

They all swept their gazes toward Gao Qidong.

Gao Qidong slammed the table in frustration and anger, "At such a critical time, the Yechuan County Party Secretary gets into a car accident and the backbone is gone—isn't this going to be a mess?"

The battle command center was silent.

Although Ding Zhen didn't usually manage things much, at this moment, without him sitting in command, the entire command center couldn't function normally when encountering core issues.

Gao Qidong sighed to himself.

This Ding Zhen really was mud that couldn't be propped up on a wall.

During disaster prevention and control work like this, it was the best time to consolidate power, yet he dropped the ball.

Gao Qidong's mind raced; for now, he could only transfer a cadre from the city to come and hold the line.

Gao Qidong dialed Jiang Jing's phone number.

"Secretary Jiang, there is a matter I need to report to you. I have just received news that Comrade Ding Zhen, the Yechuan County Party Secretary, was involved in a car accident while performing his official duties. The driver died on the spot, and he is still undergoing emergency treatment. Yechuan has now lost its command center. Therefore, I suggest that the city arrange for an official to come and provide support, taking over the baton of command."

Upon hearing that Ding Zhen was in emergency treatment, Jiang Jing's heart skipped a beat, "Very well, I will study suitable candidates immediately."

Upon receiving the news of her husband's injury, Ding Zhen's wife was so frightened that all color drained from her face; her expression changed in terror, and it felt as if a worm were gnawing at her heart.

She was filled with endless regret.

"I shouldn't have let him come back to get the things. I should have delivered them myself. If we hadn't made such a fuss, he wouldn't have encountered such heavy rain on the road, and he certainly wouldn't have been in a car accident."

Ding Zhen's car accident disrupted Gao Qidong's inspection plan.

He temporarily remained at the Yechuan battle command center and took over the command work.

If he were to leave at this time, and if something went wrong in Yechuan, the responsibility would fall on him.

Gao Qidong was currently feeling extremely irritable.

He was supposed to be coordinating the entire city, yet he was restricted to Yechuan!

"Mayor Gao, there is an urgent call from Chenxin Town."

Gao Qidong remained calm, "I will take it!"

"This is Gao Qidong!"

"Mayor Gao, I am Gao Guangquan, the Chenxin Town Party Committee Secretary. The pressure here in Chenxin Town has increased significantly. We repaired the project during the day, but the rainfall is too heavy, and there are breaches in other places. Mayor Gao, the situation is likely to become very severe."

Gao Qidong said in a deep voice, "What is your solution?"

Gao Guangquan gritted his teeth and said, "I think we must evacuate the personnel."

Gao Qidong frowned and said, "The commotion of evacuating personnel is too great. It is not something that can be decided in a few words. You must grit your teeth and hold on."

Gao Qidong had heard of Gao Guangquan's name.

Falsifying economic indicator data.

Gao Guangquan was the primary person responsible.

Therefore, Gao Qidong had an extremely poor impression of Gao Guangquan.

Subconsciously, he believed that Gao Guangquan was afraid of difficulties and was shirking his responsibilities!

"Comrade Guangquan, you are the Party Committee Secretary of Chenxin Town! All the common people of Chenxin Town have placed their hope of defending their homes on you. At this critical moment, how can you be a deserter?"

"You must persist!"

"The city and the county will dispatch support."

Hearing the word "deserter," Gao Guangquan thought of his hard work over the past few days and was so depressed he nearly fainted!