Chapter 1477: Striving for the Initiative

Xue Xingyuan and Xie Linsheng were in Shi Deyou's office, looking at Shi Deyou. Shi Deyou was furrowing his brows there, pondering without speaking. At least ten minutes later, Shi Deyou said, "Comrade Xingyuan, what is your view?"

Xue Xingyuan said with a firm expression, "Secretary Shi, I think these criminal suspects should be arrested immediately. This kind of case is simply too shocking. If these criminal suspects are not severely punished, the impact will be quite bad."

In fact, Shi Deyou knows just as well as Xue Xingyuan what he is saying. This case is indeed too shocking. Five people gang-raped a waitress, leading to the victim's suicide. Presumably, this case is already spreading like wildfire in Changshan County. If the criminal suspects cannot be severely punished in time to eliminate the negative impact, it will definitely make the people of Changshan panic.

However, Shi Deyou really doesn't want to make a big move at this time. For him, a smooth transition is the best choice now.

Shi Deyou said in his heart, this is truly 'the tree wants to be still, but the wind won't stop'.

Shi Deyou asked, "How many people in Changshan County know about this matter?"

Xie Linsheng said, "Quite a few people know. When He Xiaofeng's suicide was discovered, it was in the afternoon. The waitress who shared the dormitory with her was very frightened, and her screams attracted everyone in the guesthouse, and even attracted some passing masses. Roughly estimated, when we arrived at the scene, there were at least a hundred people present."

Shi Deyou's brows furrowed again. With so many people knowing about this matter, it must be spreading very fast. Now, perhaps the whole county knows about this matter.

This kind of thing is the most eye-catching. Cadre children gang-raping a waitress, leading to the waitress's suicide—this is the most explosive news and also the event most likely to incite public indignation.

In the mid-nineties, the antagonistic sentiment between ordinary masses and cadres was already quite serious. At that time, there was a saying, "If you shoot every official, there will be innocent ones; if you shoot every other one, there will be ones who escape." From this saying, one can see that the common people at that time were deeply disgusted by corruption, and the image of officials in their minds can be imagined.

If these criminal suspects cannot be brought to justice as soon as possible, the image of Yulin City's cadres will likely fall to the bottom.

In fact, Xie Linsheng didn't say that others didn't know the content of that suicide note. He just vaguely said that many people knew about this matter. Shi Deyou naturally thought that everyone knew the reason for He Xiaofeng's suicide.

Since so many people know about this matter, the risk of wanting to suppress it is quite large. Shi Deyou's relationship with Ren Guisheng and the others is not good. He cannot take such a big risk to help Ren Guisheng and the others suppress this matter, otherwise he would be implicated too.

Shi Deyou picked up the phone and summoned the Municipal Committee Political and Legal Affairs Committee Secretary and Public Security Bureau Chief, Song Changling, over. He let Xie Linsheng report the case to Song Changling again. Song Changling was also quite shocked when he heard about this shocking vicious case.

Shi Deyou asked, "Comrade Changling, what is your opinion on this case?"

Song Changling thought to himself, this matter involves so many big shots, you ask me what my opinion is? What opinion could I have? It's still listening to you, Secretary Shi. If you, Secretary Shi, say arrest, then arrest; if you say don't arrest, then don't arrest.

But since Secretary Shi asked, Song Changling couldn't not answer.

After pondering for a moment, Song Changling said, "Secretary Shi, since this case involves leaders in the city, I think we should be more cautious. It's better for the Municipal Committee to decide. After the Municipal Committee makes a decision, the Public Security Bureau will resolutely execute it!"

Song Changling's answer was naturally a bit slippery, but Shi Deyou also knew that this case involved Mayor Ren Guisheng and Municipal Committee Deputy Secretary Ye Qingshan, whose status was above Song Changling's, so Song Changling naturally didn't dare to speak recklessly.

And this matter really needs to be handled cautiously, otherwise it will easily evolve into a political incident.

This made Shi Deyou very troubled. If it involved others, he could completely summon Ren Guisheng, Ye Qingshan, and others now to hold a Secretary Office meeting or even a Municipal Committee Standing Committee meeting to make a decision, and then it would be a collective decision of the Municipal Committee. But it just so happens that these two people are the direct parties involved. How could he summon them to a meeting?

Just as Shi Deyou was indecisive, the phone on his desk rang. Shi Deyou answered the phone. As soon as he answered this call, Shi Deyou's expression was quite strange: "Mayor, you want to come over? Oh, I have time, you come over."

Shi Deyou hung up the phone and said to Song Changling, Xue Xingyuan, and Xie Linsheng: "Mayor Ren said he is coming over now to find me for something. You go to the office next door and avoid him for a while."

The three nodded together and got up to go to the office of Shi Deyou's secretary next door.

A few minutes later, Ren Guisheng came over. Shi Deyou threw a cigarette over and asked with a smile: "What matter does the Mayor have to find me for today?"

Ren Guisheng said with a pained expression: "Secretary, there is a matter I need to make a self-criticism to you about."

Shi Deyou said in astonishment: "Mayor, your words are a bit too serious, aren't they? If there is anything, just say it. We can discuss and explore, don't talk about self-criticism."

Ren Guisheng said: "I failed to discipline my son. That brat of mine made a mistake, I must make a self-criticism to you, Secretary!"

Shi Deyou said: "Are you talking about that child Hualin? What mistake did he make that makes you speak so seriously?"

Ren Guisheng said: "He went to Changshan County to go fishing a few days ago. Together with a few other friends, they played with a waitress at the Changshan County Committee guesthouse. They drank alcohol, lost their morals after drinking, couldn't resist the waitress's temptation, and collectively had relations with her."