Chapter 676: Leave Him a Way to Survive!

When Tang Ye arrived at Runfeng Village, police cars had already surrounded a single-story house so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through. Armed police were already in position, and there were even well-trained snipers who had found cover, aiming their rifles at the interior of the house, waiting for an opportunity to snipe at any moment.

The villagers were all hiding far away, their discussions rising and falling in waves.

"With so many police and armed police here, Lu Guiping definitely won't be able to run. Sigh, in this world, why do good people never have a good ending?"

"Old Lu's character is truly full of backbone; if it were me, I wouldn't have the guts to be this resolute."

After Tang Ye found Chu Weiming to understand the situation, he immediately issued an order: "Have the police cars and armed police withdraw."

Chu Weiming was full of confusion: "If the person inside rushes out, it could easily cause even greater casualties!"

Tang Ye shook his head: "Lu Guiping doesn't count as a violent criminal. If he truly had the heart to take revenge on society, he would have actually done worse things long ago; right now, he is still hesitating. We cannot force him into a dead end; we must leave him a way to survive! You follow my instructions and issue the order; if any problems arise, the responsibility will be entirely mine."

Seeing Tang Ye's resolute attitude, Chu Weiming turned to communicate with the heads of the police and armed police. Although the police head was full of surprise, Tang Ye was the highest person in charge of this operation, so they could only follow the instructions and execute them.

When Chu Weiming returned, he discovered that Tang Ye was walking straight toward that house. He was immediately shocked and hurriedly shouted: "County Magistrate Tang! What are you doing? It's too dangerous, come back quickly!"

Tang Ye did not look back, only waving his hand at Chu Weiming to signal that he need not worry.

At this moment, Chu Weiming was so anxious he was almost about to cry.

Tang Ye was a cadre who had come for an inter-provincial exchange and had been in office for less than a week; if an accident really happened here, it would be a disaster, and the matter would blow up completely!

……

Inside the house, Lu Guiping was staring intently at the movement outside through a crack in the window, knowing in his heart that he was already at a dead end.

"Old Lu, just let me go! I know I was wrong; I have elderly parents above and young children below, I beg you..." A pleading voice came from inside the house.

Lu Guiping glared viciously at the speaker and kicked out at him. The person kicked was named Liu Heizi, the Party Branch Secretary of Runfeng Village, who was currently tied up tightly along with the others in the room.

"Liu Heizi! I have long wanted to perish together with you! If it weren't for the fact that I have parents and children at home, could I have swallowed my pride until now? I begged you so many times; what did you say to me back then? You said I was just a blockhead with no vision, and that people like me deserved to die!" Lu Guiping's voice was full of gnashing hatred.

Liu Heizi hurriedly switched to a fawning tone: "As long as you let us go, I will agree to whatever demands you make!"

Lu Guiping let out a cold laugh: "Things have reached this point, do you think I still have a way back? I have long been prepared; even if I die, I will drag you lot down with me as cushions!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he suddenly noticed movement outside the door.

The police cars were slowly reversing, and even those armed police were gradually retreating from his line of sight.

Just as Lu Guiping was full of surprise, a man appeared in his field of vision with his hands held high above his head.

"Lu Guiping, don't be impulsive! I am Tang Ye, the new Executive Deputy County Magistrate of Dayu County, and I have already had all the police withdraw. Whatever dissatisfaction you have in your heart, you can tell me. Think about your wife, your children, and your parents; it's not too late to turn back now!" Tang Ye's voice was steady and clear.

Lu Guiping roared at Tang Ye: "Get lost! I don't believe you!"

Tang Ye took a deep breath and softened his tone: "I know you don't believe me, but please give yourself a chance. I understand your state of mind right now; you don't trust anyone anymore and would rather perish together with this group of people who bullied you.

But think carefully, is doing this really worth it?

I promise you that I will thoroughly investigate the issue of the coal mine operation bidding; if anyone is suspected of breaking the law or discipline, I will absolutely not be lenient. This is my promise to you."

Lu Guiping's gaze locked tightly onto Tang Ye, watching him approach the house step by step, and immediately shouted sternly: "You stop right there! Take one more step, and I will ignite the explosives right now!"

A look of regret appeared on Tang Ye's face: "I know you are holding a determination to die. How about this—they are village cadres, and I am a Deputy County Magistrate; using a few village cadres to trade for me, I will be your hostage, how about that?"

On the other side, Ma Ran and a group of subordinates had already been ordered by Tang Ye to stay away from the scene; seeing Tang Ye walking toward Lu Guiping single-handedly, their hearts were full of shock and admiration. He really hadn't expected his own leader to have such extraordinary courage.

Meanwhile, Liang Yuan was full of disbelief, muttering incessantly: "This County Magistrate Tang is just a hotheaded youth! Does he really think of himself as a savior?"

Lu Guiping did not agree to Tang Ye's proposal: "I have no grudge against you, I don't know you, and I don't want to hurt you. If you want to swap hostages, that's fine; have Gao Feng come over! As long as he comes, I will let all these people go—they are all Gao Feng's lackeys!"

Hearing Lu Guiping say this, Tang Ye sighed inwardly, knowing that he had truly been pushed to the limit, but deep down, he was not a person entirely without conscience.

"The day I came to the county to take office, I happened to see you blocking the road to report the situation in front of the County Government. Actually, from that moment on, I had already been investigating this matter.

I also have faults; if I hadn't exerted some pressure back then, these people might not have come to harass you. Please give me a chance; I genuinely want to help you."

Lu Guiping could feel the sincerity in Tang Ye's words, and his inner defenses loosened for the first time, his voice dropping a few notches: "I... I have no way back."

"No, you have a way back!" Tang Ye keenly captured his hesitation and immediately said, "As long as you walk out now and dismantle the explosives, I guarantee you will be safe and sound. As for those who hurt you, threatened you, and oppressed you, I will not let a single one of them go. I promise you with my own life!"

Tang Ye knew clearly that not far away, snipers were secretly looking for an opportunity to strike.

If Lu Guiping continued to hold out, it was highly likely he would be sniped on the spot.

But even if Lu Guiping was wrong, his crimes did not warrant death, and furthermore, he had been pushed step by step into this dead end.

Sure enough, the sniper not far away soon received an order through the earpiece: "Find a suitable opportunity, must kill with one shot."

The sniper adjusted his breathing, his finger resting lightly on the trigger, quietly waiting for that fleeting moment.

Just at this moment, he saw through the scope.

Lu Guiping walked out from inside the house.

Tang Ye immediately quickened his pace, blocking in front of Lu Guiping, while simultaneously waving his hand forcefully to signal.

Seeing this, the sniper immediately released the trigger.

Following closely, a hurried order came through the earpiece: "Do not shoot! Do not shoot!"

The moment Lu Guiping walked out of the house, the watching villagers breathed a sigh of relief one after another, and many people let out sighs of release.

"Old Lu came out! That's great!"

"Sigh, he was really too impulsive before."

"This Deputy County Magistrate is truly brave! And he has a silver tongue too; he actually managed to persuade Lu Guiping to come out."

"Lu Guiping is a good person; when he ran the coal kiln, he never shortchanged us."

"I hope the Government can keep its word, not pursue Lu Guiping's responsibility, and arrest those real bad guys!"