Chapter 985: Secret Investigation of the Quarry!

After taking the medicine, Shi Yao felt herself break into a sweat.

Subsequently, she took a report letter from the drawer.

Tucked inside the letter were several photographs.

They reflected the issue of someone privately quarrying stone at Heiniu Mountain.

Shi Yao called for the Liaison Officer, Xiao Deng.

"We are going to Heiniu Mountain; there is no need to notify the County Party Committee office. Find a private car."

Xiao Deng nodded slightly: "Understood, I will go arrange it right away."

Tang Ye noticed that Shi Yao had left the County Party Committee Compound.

Thinking she was going to the County Hospital, he called the Dean in advance.

"Dean Pang, this is Tang Ye."

"Secretary Tang, hello. Is there something you need?"

"Secretary Shi is feeling unwell and will be coming to the County Hospital for treatment. She is quite low-key, so she will likely register at the outpatient clinic. Please have a word with the attending physician and pay extra attention."

Dean Pang understood immediately: "Understood, please rest assured, Secretary Tang. We will certainly treat this with high importance."

After hanging up, Dean Pang sighed to himself; it was truly necessary for Tang Ye to give him a heads-up in advance.

It was said that not long after Secretary Shi took office, she had dismissed a Deputy Director of the Education Bureau and a Principal.

If there were any problems at the hospital that she discovered, he would certainly be in deep trouble.

Immediately, Dean Pang hurriedly convened an emergency meeting to notify the outpatient clinic and all department doctors that the entire hospital must be prepared for a surprise inspection this morning.

First, if they encountered a female patient named Shi Yao, they were to report it immediately; during the consultation, their attitude must be humble and polite, and service quality must be raised to the highest level.

Second, regarding other patients, they were to maintain a good service attitude as well; perfunctory behavior was strictly prohibited.

Third, any hidden petty actions for generating income were to be eradicated; violators would bear the consequences themselves.

Fourth, medical-patient conflicts were to be properly managed; medical disturbances were not allowed to occur.

One hour later, Dean Pang still had not received news of Shi Yao seeking treatment, so he dialed Tang Ye's number.

"Secretary Tang, I have already convened a meeting and carried out emergency mobilization. The whole hospital is on high alert, but we haven't seen Secretary Shi come for treatment. Did something go wrong? Could she have gone to the City Hospital?"

Shi Yao had not gone to the hospital, which puzzled Tang Ye. He said softly: "I will look into the specific situation. If there is anything special, I will notify you in time."

"Understood!"

Dean Pang had been sent on a wild goose chase, and he felt a complex mix of emotions.

Subsequently, Tang Ye dialed Xiao Deng's number.

Xiao Deng saw the caller ID and turned to whisper to Shi Yao, who was in the back seat with her eyes closed: "It is a call from Secretary Tang."

Shi Yao pondered for a moment and whispered instructions: "Just say I went to the city for an emergency meeting. The itinerary must be kept confidential."

Only after receiving the instruction did Xiao Deng answer the phone: "Secretary Tang, hello. Do you have any instructions?"

Tang Ye asked softly: "I would like to ask you about Secretary Shi's itinerary for the morning."

Xiao Deng replied: "Secretary Shi just received a notice from the city regarding an emergency meeting. We are currently on our way to the Yanzhou Municipal Party Committee."

"So that's how it is! I thought you were taking Secretary Shi to the County Hospital for treatment. Secretary Shi's condition must be taken seriously; do not take it lightly," Tang Ye urged.

"Understood, I will advise her to get more rest," Xiao Deng responded softly.

After hanging up on Xiao Deng, Tang Ye frowned slightly, feeling that something was not quite right.

He immediately dialed Xing Zhijun's number: "Old Xing, there is a matter I need you to investigate as soon as possible."

"What is it?"

"Help me check a license plate number and see if it has been on the highway within the last hour."

"Understood, give me the license plate number."

Tang Ye recited the license plate number from memory.

About a few minutes later, Xing Zhijun called back: "Secretary Tang, I just verified it. This car did not pass through any highway toll stations."

Tang Ye's brow furrowed even tighter: "That is strange. Xiao Deng said Secretary Shi received an emergency notice to go to the Municipal Party Committee for a meeting, but she didn't use a government car; instead, she found a private car."

Xing Zhijun reacted immediately: "You suspect she went to conduct research in secret?"

Tang Ye nodded slightly: "Her secretary, Xiao Deng, is by her side, so logically her safety is guaranteed. But one can never be too careful. You should still find out her whereabouts as soon as possible."

Xing Zhijun said: "I will have people pull the surveillance footage from near the County Party Committee Compound and the surrounding roads immediately."

Tang Ye glanced at the watch on his wrist: "She left an hour ago. Focus on checking the surveillance from that period."

The private car stopped beside a village on the southwest side of Heiniu Mountain.

The road ahead was rugged and difficult to traverse; the car could not continue forward.

Shi Yao had the driver wait, while she and Xiao Deng walked toward the mountain on foot.

They had not walked far before the two stopped at the entrance of a villager's home.

Shi Yao signaled for Xiao Deng to go up and strike up a conversation under the pretext of asking for a bowl of water, then she began chatting with the villager at the door.

"Sir, I heard there is a quarry nearby?"

The villager looked Shi Yao over with surprise: "Yes, who are you?"

Shi Yao smiled and replied: "We are in construction and have a need for stone. We heard there was a quarry nearby, so we came to take a look."

The villager frowned and kindly warned: "There is indeed a quarry here, but the procedures are not legitimate. I advise you to be careful."

"Procedures are not legitimate? What do you mean by that?" Shi Yao feigned curiosity and pressed.

"The quarry has no legal permits; they mine secretly at night and it cannot see the light of day," the villager sighed helplessly.

Shi Yao feigned surprise: "Is there no one to manage this?"

The villager shook his head with a bitter smile: "Those who dare to secretly quarry stone here must have backing. We have complained before, but not only did no one care, the whistleblowers were retaliated against, so everyone stopped meddling."

Shi Yao nodded slightly: "So that's how it is; it seems we have made this trip for nothing."

After drinking some water, Shi Yao continued up the mountain with Xiao Deng.

Looking from afar, one could see a section of the mountain exposed, as if it had been split open by a giant axe;

Upon getting closer, they discovered that the road into the mountain was blocked.

Although they did not see construction on-site, they could see several engineering vehicles parked not far away.

Shi Yao signaled for Xiao Deng to take out the camera and take a few photos of the scene, then prepared to head down the mountain.

On the way down, four burly men approached from afar.

The gazes of the few men swept back and forth over Shi Yao and Xiao Deng, their expressions revealing vigilance.

Xiao Deng felt his whole body tense up under their gaze and secretly cheered himself on.

He must remain calm.

If danger occurred, he had to stand in front of Secretary Shi and do his utmost to ensure her safety.

After the four men approached, one of them coldly questioned: "Who are you people? What are you doing here?"

Xiao Deng forced himself to stay calm and replied loudly: "We are here to inspect a project; who are you people?"

"We are the Mountain Patrol Joint Defense Team! In this desolate wilderness, what kind of project is there to inspect? You are acting sneakily; you wouldn't be engaging in some kind of espionage, would you?"

The Mountain Patrol Joint Defense Team was originally a mass-based public security joint defense and self-governance organization, belonging to the grassroots forces of comprehensive social security management, led by the local Government, and receiving guidance from public security organs in terms of security prevention operations.

Shi Yao glanced at the armbands on the men's arms.

The other party's identity was genuine.

However, their attitude was repulsive.

With people openly stealing stone materials on the mountain, why were they turning a blind eye?

Clearly, the Patrol Defense Team was engaging in cover-ups.

Shi Yao did not reveal her true identity.

"We are here to inspect stone materials. Our company has a project that requires a large amount of stone, and hearing there was a quarry here, we came to take a look."

The leader was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Oh? I am very familiar with the quarry owner; how about I help introduce you?"

Shi Yao shook her head: "No need. We heard this quarry lacks complete documentation and is not very compliant. We are a legitimate enterprise and cannot cooperate with non-compliant businesses."

The leader's face darkened, and he sneered: "I think you aren't here to inspect stone materials at all. I seriously suspect you have issues; come with us!"