Chapter 52: If I let her go, the crowd won't let me off

Upon hearing Section Chief Wang's words, Shazhu nodded repeatedly and said:

"Exactly, I was there too—Factory Director Yang did say those words."

Section Chief Wang looked around the crowd and said, "Section Chief Lin is a talent, an engineer, and also a factory leader; being able to live in the same courtyard as you is your good fortune."

"You actually don't cherish it."

Having said that, Section Chief Wang turned his gaze to Jia Zhangshi, intensifying his tone.

"You still dare to smash his windows; I see you don't want to live a good life."

"Our policy is leniency for confession, severity for resistance."

"If you don't honestly explain the issue, I will have to bring witnesses."

"By then, your crime will be one degree worse."

"I'm giving you one last chance right now."

"You'd better see the situation clearly and confess all your problems."

Jia Zhangshi looked at Jia Dongxu, then at Qin Huairu, and for a moment didn't know what to do.

"If I confess, I'll utterly offend the Yi Zhonghai family—how will we live thereafter?"

"If I don't confess, Section Chief Wang is hostile and even said there are witnesses."

Qin Huairu let out a soft sigh and asked:

"Mom, just speak honestly—did you or did you not smash Shengli's home?"

Jia Zhangshi opened her mouth, hesitated a moment, then chose to confess.

At that moment.

The courtyard had already gathered quite a few people.

Upon hearing Jia Zhangshi's confession, they all pointed and gossiped about the Jia family.

"This is too much—smashing someone else's windows."

"You talk as if you just met her today; I've long said she's an old witch, bound to bring disaster."

"Exactly, she'll eventually bring harm to all of us."

Someone shouted:

"Drag her out and parade her for public criticism!"

Soon, the crowd joined in shouting:

"Drag her out and parade her for public criticism!"

Jia Zhangshi was so frightened her legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground.

Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu hurriedly pulled her up.

Section Chief Wang barked coldly, "Put on the handcuffs."

His subordinate responded, producing a gleaming pair of handcuffs.

Jia Zhangshi fell to her knees before Section Chief Wang with a thud, pleading tearfully:

"Please don't arrest me! Please don't drag me out for public criticism..."

Jia Zhangshi was indeed already terrified.

She just wanted to vent her personal anger; she never expected it to become this serious.

Just the uniform, deafening shouting in the courtyard was enough to frighten her.

Moreover, she would be handcuffed.

Section Chief Wang gave his subordinate a look; the subordinate understood and cuffed Jia Zhangshi.

Jia Dongxu's face turned deathly pale: "No, Section Chief Wang, didn't we say leniency for confession?"

Section Chief Wang: "We've already been lenient; otherwise we'd drag her out for public criticism right now and report her to the Public Security Bureau."

"Just the charge of maliciously damaging another's property is enough to land her in trouble, you know?"

"Besides, Section Chief Lin is no ordinary person."

"He is a talent that Factory Director Yang went to great lengths to recruit."

Saying that, he jerked his chin outward: "Look outside—the crowd is roused; if I let her go, the masses won't let me off."

Jia Dongxu: "Then, what do you plan to do with my mother?"

Section Chief Wang: "First, take her to the factory."

"Tomorrow I'll report to Factory Director Yang and we'll study how to handle it."

"Jia Dongxu, as her son and a worker at the steel mill, you can't escape responsibility either."

Upon hearing that, Jia Dongxu's legs went weak involuntarily.

"This, this—how does it involve him again?"

"Is he unlucky or not?"

Qin Huairu took a deep breath and said: "Section Chief Wang, can we discuss this properly?"

"This matter has nothing to do with Dongxu."

"He doesn't even know about it."

"Besides, my mother was wrong in this matter."

"She should go apologize to Section Chief Lin right now."

"Then tomorrow we'll install new glass at Section Chief Lin's home."

"If that's not possible, we'll pay some compensation—just let my mother stay, okay?"

Section Chief Wang: "Tonight she must spend the night in the factory's small black room."

"As for how to deal with it, we'll have to see what the factory leadership decides."

But if we could gain Section Chief Lin's understanding, that would definitely be beneficial for her.

Also, you must clean up all the glass shards tonight, and tomorrow you need to have someone install new glass.

Otherwise, her crime will be aggravated.

Saying that, he glanced at his two subordinates, "Take her away."

Qin Huairu: "Section Chief Wang, wait."

She paused, looked toward the door, and instantly saw Yi Zhonghai and Lin Shengli standing at the back of the crowd.

It's over.

Eldest Uncle seems unwilling to lend a hand.

Could it be that he really doesn't want to look after us anymore?

Qin Huairu felt somewhat desperate.

If this had happened before, Yi Zhonghai would definitely have shown up to speak for them.

Yi Zhonghai is a Level 8 Pipe Worker and still carries some prestige in the factory.

As long as he speaks, the factory will still give him some face.

With a sigh, she finally turned her gaze to Shazhu.

Shazhu had been secretly looking at her; seeing her poor complexion, he also felt terrible inside.

After hesitating a moment, Shazhu looked at Section Chief Wang and said:

"Section Chief Wang, actually this incident happened in our courtyard."

"Could we let our courtyard handle it ourselves? Digest it internally?"

"Our courtyard has three elders; whenever something happens in the courtyard, we hold a general meeting..."

Section Chief Wang interrupted: "Is this still an affair of your courtyard?"

"This already involves suspicion of illegal activity."

"Moreover, they smashed the factory's precious home door, adding crime upon crime—do you understand?"

Qin Huairu: "Section Chief Wang, let's discuss it some more."

"By the way, Section Chief Lin is outside right now."

"Could you unlock my mother's handcuffs so she can apologize to Section Chief Lin?"

Section Chief Wang: "Can't one apologize while wearing handcuffs?"

After saying that, he walked to the doorway and spoke loudly:

"Everyone, everyone, please quiet down a moment."

The crowd quickly quieted down.

Section Chief Wang pointed at Jia Zhangshi, who was being held up by two subordinates and whose face was deathly pale, and said loudly:

"She has already admitted that she broke Section Chief Lin's window glass."

"I will now take her back to the factory to detain her; tomorrow the factory leadership will study how to deal with her."

As his words fell, the crowd immediately stirred.

"Tie her up and parade her for a struggle session!"

"Yes, we want to struggle against her!"

"Struggle against her!"

"Struggle against her!"

Section Chief Wang shouted: "Everyone, everyone, please hear me out."

"She voluntarily confessed; considering her old age, I will first take her away."

"As for whether to struggle against her, we'll wait for the factory leadership to study and decide, okay?"

That said.

He turned his gaze to Yi Zhonghai and Lin Shengli standing at the back of the crowd and asked:

"Master Yi and Section Chief Lin, do you have anything else to say?"

Lin Shengli spoke loudly: "This matter cannot be easily let go."

"Everyone knows I just moved here."

"I have no past grudge nor recent enmity with her."

"I really can't understand why she would smash my window."

"If you don't want me working at the steel mill, just say so early—there are plenty of positions wanting me."

Upon hearing that, Section Chief Wang instantly felt a bit nervous.

He worried that Lin Shengli would think that way.

If Lin Shengli truly quit working at the steel mill, as the Section Chief of Security, he couldn't avoid responsibility.