Chapter 647: The Ledger Exchanged for a Life!

Tang Ye sat in the sedan, looking through the materials Lin Heng had given him.

Lin Heng sat in the front passenger seat, interpreting for Tang Ye: "These materials were written five years ago by the former Factory Director of the Water Pump Factory, Zhao Jialiang. The county originally intended to investigate this matter, but the old factory director passed away suddenly, and the investigation could not continue afterward."

Tang Ye instinctively felt there was something suspicious about the old factory director's death and asked, "What about Zhao Jialiang's family? How did they react to this?"

Lin Heng replied, "At the time, in order to find out the truth, Zhao Jialiang's daughter ran around everywhere and even hired a Lawyer to intervene, but the police classified it as a suicide, and in the end, it just had to be left unsettled."

Tang Ye rubbed his chin, thinking that the case from five years ago occurred during Wang Xingjian's tenure; much of the evidence had long since been destroyed, and trying to reopen the case now would be extremely difficult. However, even if the evidence might be gone, some facts were hard to erase. Take the Water Pump Factory, for example: it was once in a leading position nationwide, so why did it decline later on? Sometimes it was not due to changes in the market environment, but because problems had arisen internally.

"Contact Zhao Jialiang's daughter and see if she is willing to attend the on-site coordination meeting. Resolving the problems at the Water Pump Factory was the old factory director's lingering concern; although he has passed away, his children should rightfully be involved in the resolution process."

Upon receiving Tang Ye's instructions, Lin Heng quickly found Zhao Qian's contact information and dialed it immediately.

"May I ask, are you Zhao Qian?"

"Yes, may I ask who is calling?"

"I am the Liaison Officer for the Executive Deputy County Magistrate of Suiyuan County, my name is Lin Heng."

Upon hearing that it was someone from the County Government, the person on the other end spoke with a hint of coldness: "May I ask what you want with me?"

Lin Heng sensed the other party's wariness and explained patiently: "The County Government is currently investigating issues at the Water Pump Factory. Your father wrote a complaint document five years ago, but after he passed away, the matter was shelved.

As we push forward with the State-owned Assets Revitalization Plan, some personnel at the Water Pump Factory have been extremely uncooperative with this plan, and there are many problems involved. Although your father has passed away, he had previously reported the loss of assets. If it is convenient, we would like to invite you to attend the coordination meeting."

Zhao Qian held her phone, silent for a long time.

Back then, when her father died suddenly, she had demanded a forensic examination, but the hospital had suddenly cremated her father's body.

Afterward, her attempts to get an explanation from the hospital yielded no results, which was why she had a terrible impression of the government.

But at the same time, she also hoped that after the government changed leadership, her father's cause of death could be reinvestigated.

She had heard that Suiyuan had changed a great deal in the last two years, that a new County Party Secretary had arrived, and that the Water Pump Factory had been included in the State-owned Assets Revitalization Plan.

The so-called revitalization meant bundling up inferior assets to sell them off.

Before bundling them for sale, an audit and inventory of the assets were required: how many assets there originally were, what they were worth now, how much had been lost, and where they had been lost to.

In this process, many problems would inevitably be exposed.

One had to know that the problems at the Water Pump Factory were quite serious; once cleared, the issues her father had mentioned in his complaint materials back then would be uncovered without reservation.

And perhaps there would even be new clues regarding her father's cause of death back then!

Lin Heng asked softly, "Hello, may I ask if you are still listening?"

Zhao Qian's eyes were already brimming with tears, and her voice was choked with sobs: "I am! To be honest, I am extremely surprised to hear this news. I have finally waited for this day, and I am willing to attend the on-site coordination meeting!"

Zhao Qian hung up the phone, asked her superior for leave, and rushed straight home.

Seeing Zhao Qian return suddenly, her mother's face was full of surprise: "Why are you back?"

Zhao Qian said softly, "Mom, I just received a notice; the County Government says they are going to investigate the loss of state-owned assets at the Water Pump Factory, and I came back to tell you."

Her mother looked at Zhao Qian with shock and suspicion: "How could they suddenly investigate? Ren Zilong has many backers."

Zhao Qian gripped her mother's wrist: "Mom, his backers have fallen one after another. Wang Xingjian was 'double-regulated' not long after being transferred to the city, and now there is a new County Party Secretary who has been cracking down on corruption since taking office; many heads of the Finance Bureau and Civil Affairs Bureau have been arrested. This time, it is finally the Water Pump Factory's turn!"

A glimmer of light gradually returned to her mother's eyes; she patted Zhao Qian's wrist and turned to walk into the room.

She rummaged through a red cabinet and pulled out a crumpled ledger wrapped in newspaper.

She handed it to Zhao Qian.

Zhao Qian looked at her mother in surprise, confusion appearing in her eyes: "What is this?"

Tears slid from the corners of her mother's eyes: "Your father gave me these materials a few days before he passed away. He emphasized repeatedly that I must keep them safe and never bring them out until the critical moment.

Your father's death back then was too bizarre, and the investigation was concluded too hastily; if I had brought them out then, these materials would definitely have been destroyed.

You help Mom decide, is it time to hand them over now!"

Zhao Qian carefully placed the ledger into her bag and said softly: "I will go to the site later and decide based on the situation!"

After leaving home, Zhao Qian made a call to a classmate who worked at the County Government.

"Old classmate, I want to ask you about someone!"

"What is it?"

"The Executive Deputy County Magistrate of the County Government, Tang Ye, what kind of person is he?"

"County Magistrate Tang? He is very young, but his ability is very strong. His father-in-law is the Municipal Party Committee Secretary-General, Du Chengfeng. Back then, Wang Xingjian was transferred to the city while competing with Du Chengfeng for the position of Secretary-General; it is said that Wang Xingjian's downfall was because he offended Du Chengfeng.

Since arriving in Suiyuan, County Magistrate Tang has accomplished many practical things; he transformed the Industrial Park into a national-level Green Industrial Demonstration Base and also participated in the West City Development Project. He has great influence; even the local Dong Family does not dare to oppose him."

"Oh, so that's how it is!"

Zhao Qian did not expect her old classmate to have such a high opinion of Tang Ye.

"Why are you suddenly asking about him?" the old classmate asked curiously.

"Is he currently investigating matters at the Water Pump Factory?" Zhao Qian pressed.

"Yes! That group of old employees from the Water Pump Factory has been causing trouble at the government before and after the New Year, demanding the cancellation of the office building sale. The Water Pump Factory's office building is part of the State-owned Assets Revitalization Plan, which is a reform project that County Magistrate Tang is focusing on, so he definitely has to intervene."

The old classmate analyzed it enthusiastically for Zhao Qian.

"Is he a person worth trusting?" Zhao Qian asked.

Knowing about the sudden death of Zhao Qian's father back then, the old classmate said objectively: "Although County Magistrate Tang is young, he has personal charisma. He has done many things in Suiyuan that others dared not do, and the County Party Secretary trusts him especially."

"Got it! Thank you." Zhao Qian then hung up the phone.

Combining her old classmate's evaluation of Tang Ye, Zhao Qian already had a preliminary impression of him.

The ledger her father had exchanged his life for—this time, it could finally be brought out with peace of mind!