Chapter 362: Should You Take the Blame for This Pot?

Yang Dagen led a group of people and surrounded the car tightly.

He held a wooden club and struck the car window heavily: "Everyone, get out of the car immediately!"

Cheng Lin's expression was stern, and she said in a deep voice: "Who are you people? On what grounds are you restricting our personal freedom?"

"Get out when you're told to get out, why so much nonsense!" The man beside Yang Dagen was full of impatience, glaring fiercely at the inside of the car.

Tang Ye's tone was calm but hid a sense of vigilance: "You are holding lethal weapons; if we rashly get out of the car, who will guarantee our personal safety?"

Yang Dagen suppressed his anger and narrowed his eyes: "Stop playing dumb, I know you are reporters. As long as you promise to forget everything you heard today, I guarantee I won't pursue this."

"Once some things enter the ears, how can they be forgotten just by saying so? Could it be that you still want to kill us to silence us?" Tang Ye did not back down, a cold sneer on his lips.

"Good kid, your tongue is quite sharp! If you don't get out of the car, don't blame us for being impolite!" Yang Dagen's face turned bright red in an instant, and he raised his wooden club, making a gesture to smash the window.

Cheng Lin slammed the steering wheel and shouted sharply: "You dare!"

The sharp sound of the horn pierced the tense air, and her eyes were filled with unquestionable majesty.

Just at this moment of confrontation, the sound of police sirens came from afar, and red and blue police lights flashed incessantly in the night.

Tang Ye secretly breathed a sigh of relief and whispered to Cheng Lin: "I called Wan Ming, and he contacted the Township Police Station."

During the standoff just now, his heart had been hanging—he did not fear danger himself, but he absolutely could not let Cheng Lin suffer the slightest harm.

The Police Station Chief trotted all the way down from the police car and gave Yang Dagen a stern reprimand: "Old Yang! Have you grown some nerve? Sitting in the car are Deputy Secretary of the County Party Committee Cheng and Deputy County Magistrate Tang; are you trying to revolt?"

Yang Dagen was instantly stunned, stammering in his defense: "I... I didn't know! They said themselves they were reporters! The township held meetings and repeatedly warned us to be on guard against reporters..."

"Shut up! Isn't it embarrassing enough?" The Chief was so anxious that cold sweat broke out on his forehead, fearing the situation would deteriorate further.

As the siren stopped, Cheng Lin and Tang Ye stepped out of the car calmly.

Cheng Lin's gaze was like a torch as she looked directly at Yang Dagen, her words ringing with force: "The data on the poisoning incident in Fugu Village is seriously falsified; I am giving you 24 hours to submit a true report. As a village chief, not only do you fail to speak up for the villagers, but you also collude with others to cover up the truth; you are simply not fit to sit in this position!"

These words were like a heavy hammer, striking Yang Dagen until his face turned ashen.

He knew clearly in his heart that although Cheng Lin could not directly dismiss him, with her status and methods, removing his tiny official hat would be a matter of minutes.

At the same time the Police Station Chief was dispatched, the Township Government also received the news.

Secretary of the Township Party Committee Liao Guosheng also arrived at the village entrance by car.

"Secretary Cheng! Why didn't you give us a heads-up that you were coming for an inspection?" Liao Guosheng piled on a smile, though fine beads of sweat oozed from his forehead.

Cheng Lin's eyes were cold, her words laced with thorns: "Does my itinerary have to be reported to you?"

"You've misunderstood! If I had known it was you, how could such a big blunder have happened!" Liao Guosheng waved his hands repeatedly, his voice filled with obsequiousness.

"So if real reporters came, you planned to greet them with clubs?" Cheng Lin sneered, her gaze like a blade, "Is this the hospitality of your Township Government?"

Liao Guosheng was choked speechless by this series of questions, and the shirt on his back was gradually soaked through with cold sweat.

Tang Ye stood to the side, silently observing this confrontation—the usually gentle and kind Cheng Lin was currently exuding a sharp aura.

He secretly sighed that the officialdom is like a battlefield; without thunderous means, how can one establish authority?

"Secretary Cheng, this was all in execution of the county's instructions!" Liao Guosheng blurted out, as if grabbing a life-saving straw, "County Magistrate Nie specifically instructed that we must not let the poisoning matter blow up..."

As soon as these words were out, Tang Ye's heart skipped a beat.

This wasn't an explanation from Liao Guosheng; it was clearly pouring oil on the fire!

Sure enough, Cheng Lin's expression instantly turned gloomy: "Liao Guosheng, what I want to hear is a detailed explanation of the Fugu Village incident! We will settle the accounts of deceiving superiors and concealing the truth slowly!"

Having said that, she turned and sat back in the car. With the roar of the engine, the red Mazda kicked up a cloud of dust and disappeared in the blink of an eye at the end of the winding village road.

"Secretary Liao, what do we do now?" Yang Dagen panicked, looking expectantly at Liao Guosheng.

Liao Guosheng waved his hand in agitation: "Don't worry, I'll ask County Magistrate Nie."

Nie Kai received Liao Guosheng's call, and after hearing the intent, he muttered to himself, what kind of act was Cheng Lin putting on?

Everything was fine, why did she suddenly run to the countryside to investigate?

Hadn't the matter been turned over?

Why was she digging up old accounts?

If he hadn't suppressed the real data back then?

How could the city have handled it leniently?

"I know about the matter. You need to be prepared; if someone pursues the responsibility, you must think of a story." Nie Kai quickly sorted out his thoughts.

The simplest solution to this kind of thing is to push someone out to take the blame.

Liao Guosheng stared at Yang Dagen with no emotion.

He thought to himself that this "dog" he had raised for many years had finally reached the time to be put to use.

You take the blame for this pot!

The village entrance was crowded with villagers watching the excitement; Yang Daniang was cracking melon seeds and shaking her head at the older sister beside her: "So it turns out those were cadres from the county making a secret visit! I thought they were ordinary reporters and wasted my worry on them!"

"In my opinion, these officials are just putting on a show; can they really solve any problems for us?" Another older sister curled her lips, her face full of disapproval.

"That's not necessarily true!" Yang Daniang threw down a melon seed shell, her eyes firm, "I don't think those two are the type to mess around."

Tang Ye and Cheng Lin returned to the County Reception House—this was the place the County Government had temporarily arranged for them to stay.

Generally speaking, they were supposed to be rented an apartment in a residential complex right next to the County Government.

"Sister, you're exhausted today, go back and rest early, don't stay up late." Tang Ye urged.

"You too, you've been busy all day." Cheng Lin nodded with a smile.

"I didn't expect to run into so many things on the first day on the job." Tang Ye smiled with emotion, but his eyes were shining, "However, the more it's like this, the more motivated I feel."

"With your personality, you could stir up trouble even when there is none! We've barely even started!" Cheng Lin glanced at him reproachfully and waved goodbye at the elevator entrance.

Back in her room, Cheng Lin took a hot shower and brewed a cup of strong tea.

Amidst the swirling steam, she recalled the heart-pounding events of the night and secretly felt fortunate.

If Tang Ye hadn't been with her, she probably wouldn't have had the confidence to go to Fugu Village for an undercover investigation.

As for Tang Ye's nature as a trouble magnet, Cheng Lin actually saw it very clearly.

This had to do with Tang Ye's personality of liking to face difficulties head-on.

When ordinary people encounter obstacles, they habitually go around them.

But he would try every possible way to solve them.

This is a quality that an excellent civil servant must possess!

After drying his hair, Tang Ye dialed Wan Ming's phone number.

The matter of the Runsheng Handicraft Factory blockading the Government clearly had not ended.

It was uncertain if they would come to the County Government again.

Right now, this group of people was waiting to watch his show!

How to calm the storm—he needed to discuss a countermeasure with Wan Ming...