novelnext Chapter 285 A Whisper in the Pillow
Chapter 285 A Whisper in the Pillow
Dragon City.
A teahouse located in a secluded alley in the old city.
It has an antique charm and a tranquil environment.
This is a place carefully selected by Huang Xiaoyong, far away from the hustle and bustle, with good privacy.
Moreover, this place is very close to Li Li's residence, just a few minutes' walk away, so it won't interfere with her lunch break.
Huang Xiaoyong arrived early and requested a small private room at the very back.
He ordered a pot of top-quality Longjing tea, accompanied by several exquisite tea snacks.
Li Li has arrived.
She was wearing sunglasses, like a spy making a rendezvous.
Actually, it's nothing, it's just old classmates meeting up.
Classmates at the Party School are still classmates.
The Party School's graduate program has a three-year study period, but each semester only has one week of on-site instruction.
Even during this short week of intensive training, many people took leave, and some leaders even had their secretaries take their place at class.
As for the exam, it was just a formality.
Some people say that a graduate diploma from a Party School is a fake diploma, the official seal is real, it can increase your salary and be useful for promotion, but you can't actually learn any real skills.
Li Li took off her sunglasses, revealing a delicate and beautiful face.
Huang Xiaoyong quickly stood up, a fawning smile on his face: "Old classmate, I thought some celebrity had arrived."
Li Li smiled.
Today she wore a light gray cashmere cardigan over a beige turtleneck sweater, paired with matching trousers.
With long, flowing hair, she was beautiful and charming.
Huang Xiaoyong felt envious, jealous, and resentful of Wen Changcheng, who had actually taken this stunning beauty into his harem.
"County Chief Huang, what are you saying? I'm not a celebrity at all, I'm just an ordinary office worker."
Li Li smiled and gracefully sat down in the chair that Huang Xiaoyong had pulled out, casually placing her sunglasses and handbag aside.
"If you're just an ordinary office worker, then what about us, toiling away in the mud at the grassroots level? Are we begging for food?"
While pouring tea for Li Li, Huang Xiaoyong continued to flatter her: "Old classmate, you don't know, every time I see you at a meeting in the city, I feel that the difference between people is so great."
The moment you stand there, the whole venue lights up.
We roughnecks felt ashamed of ourselves.
"Alright, County Chief Huang, stop flattering me. We're old classmates, no need for such formalities."
Li Li said that, but she was secretly pleased.
In fact, most people like to hear others praise them.
If the praise is given just right, then it's safe to say that 100% of people will love to hear it.
This is human nature.
Li Li picked up the small celadon teacup. Her fingers were slender and fair, her nails were neatly trimmed and painted with clear nail polish.
She first smelled the aroma of the tea, then took a small sip and nodded: "The tea is good. It seems County Magistrate Huang put a lot of effort into it."
"Of course, of course." Huang Xiaoyong sat down, took a sip, and his gaze naturally fell on Li Li.
Beautiful, intelligent, and elegant, the Creator is so unfair to have created such a perfect woman.
Huang Xiaoyong cursed inwardly again that Wen Changcheng had struck gold.
"Old classmate, I'm so sorry to bother you this time. It's the middle of the day, and I've made you come all this way." Huang Xiaoyong said sincerely.
"It's alright. Look at what you said. My old classmate invited me to meet up, so I have to see him no matter how busy I am."
Otherwise, if you say I'm heartless in the class group chat, how am I supposed to get along with my classmates?
Huang Xiaoyong quickly waved his hand: "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare!"
Everyone knows that Director Li is very sentimental and values relationships. It's an honor for me to be able to get you here.
The two exchanged pleasantries about their recent situations as classmates from the Party School: who had become a bureau chief, who had been transferred to the provincial level, and who had encountered some family troubles.
Huang Xiaoyong seized the opportunity, sighed softly, and got to the point: "Hey, old classmate, to be honest, the reason I asked you out today, besides catching up, is that I really have something on my mind to say, which is about the sudden collapse of the bridge in our Qingshan County."
I haven't slept a wink since last night.
My mind was filled with images of the collapsed bridge, the wailing and lamenting of the victims' families, and the constant phone calls from my superiors demanding answers.
My heart feels like it's being fried in oil!
Old classmate, that rain a few days ago was something that hadn't happened in decades.
When the Wanshan Bridge was initially selected, experts pointed out that the geological conditions were not optimal, with certain weak interlayers and relatively weak resistance to erosion.
But the design standards were sufficient; who could have imagined encountering such extreme weather?
After several days and nights of torrential rain, coupled with the impact of the flood peak, alas, some things are truly beyond human control.
As Huang Xiaoyong spoke, he kept an eye on Li Li's facial expressions.
Li Li listened attentively, nodding gently from time to time.
Huang Xiaoyong continued, "It's not that we didn't take it seriously; we issued warnings and increased patrols, but the weather just wouldn't cooperate."
During the rescue, our comrades really risked their lives, and several firefighters were almost swept away by the water.
But in the end, we still couldn't save everyone. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache.
"Natural disasters are merciless, but as long as people do their best, that's enough. Thank you for your hard work, comrades in the rescue efforts," Li Li said calmly.
"I'm not afraid of hard work, what I'm afraid of is not being understood or seen."
Director Li, you've seen a lot in the city.
Now that something has gone wrong, do you think all the blame should be placed on us at the grassroots level?
Is all the hard work and effort wiped out by an accident caused by extreme weather?
Those of us who do the actual work on the ground are suffering.
Li Li was silent for a while before slowly saying, "County Chief Huang, I understand how you feel."
Grassroots work is difficult and stressful, and we are all aware of the challenges and responsibilities that come with it. City leaders are also aware of this.
Therefore, I think that when dealing with this kind of thing, leaders should take a holistic approach, both investigating the cause and holding those responsible accountable, and also being realistic and understanding the difficulties faced by those at the grassroots level.
We won't adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, nor will we discourage those who are truly getting things done.
Huang Xiaoyong knew that Li Li was saying very principled platitudes, but he still pretended to be extremely grateful: "Old classmate, your words have warmed my heart a lot!"
Let's talk behind closed doors. I don't ask for anything else, just for fairness and objectivity.
The cause of the accident should be investigated, and those responsible should be held accountable. We will not shirk our responsibilities.
However, we hope that the investigation will fully consider objective factors, listen to the voices of those at the grassroots level, and take into account the efforts we have made.
Don't let rumors and prejudice affect the impartiality of the investigation, and don't let an accident ruin the hard-won development of Qingshan County and discourage the entire county's cadre team.
As Huang Xiaoyong spoke, he casually reached for an unmarked paper bag placed on an empty chair next to him.
"Director Li, look at me, I've been so busy complaining." Huang Xiaoyong gently pushed the paper bag onto the edge of the table where Li Li was sitting. "It's just a small token of my appreciation."
I know my old classmate has great taste and good eye. This was brought back from out of town by a friend the other day. I think the style is alright, and I thought it would suit you perfectly. Please don't dislike it.
Li Li glanced at the ordinary paper bag and said calmly, "County Chief Huang, what are you doing?"
We're old classmates, just chatting and catching up, why would we need all this?
I appreciate the sentiment, but you can take the gift back.
Huang Xiaoyong quickly waved his hand: "Old classmate, you're being too polite!"
It's really nothing valuable, just a little trinket.
Putting it in my hands would be like casting pearls before swine, a waste.
"If you put it there, that would be making the best use of it, a perfect match. 'A good saddle for a good horse,' right?"
Li Li didn't refuse again, but said, "Since my old classmate has put in such good intentions, it would seem pretentious for me to decline."
However, this is a one-time exception. We old classmates don't need to be so polite.
"Yes, yes, yes, this will not happen again, this will not happen again!" Huang Xiaoyong was overjoyed, knowing that things were almost done.
Li Li was shrewd enough to know that the paper bag definitely didn't contain any real trinkets.
If she's willing to accept it, then she's willing to help.
Actually, it's just a matter of whispering in someone's ear.
……
The municipal government investigation team has arrived.
The team leader is Jiang Xiaoli, Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Government and Director of the Municipal Safety Committee Office.
Everyone in Longcheng's official circles knows that Jiang Xiaoli is Wen Changcheng's confidant.
When Wen Changcheng was the executive vice mayor, Jiang Xiaoli was the deputy director of the municipal government office who served him.
Upon hearing that the investigation team was coming, Geng Dongqing and Huang Xiaoyong felt uneasy.
After confirming that Jiang Xiaoli was the team leader, the two finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems that Li Li's pillow talk had an effect.
Geng Dongqing attached great importance to the matter and personally accompanied Jiang Xiaoli to the site of the bridge collapse in Wanshan Town.
"It's shocking!" Jiang Xiaoli said in a low voice as he looked at the collapsed bridge. "Four vibrant lives, gone just like that."
The property losses were even greater. The lesson was painful, a truly painful lesson!
Geng Dongqing continued, "Secretary-General Jiang, this is a huge loss for Qingshan County and a serious dereliction of duty on our part. We are deeply saddened and remorseful!"
"Now is not the time for self-blame." Jiang Xiaoli waved his hand, his gaze still fixed on the wreckage of the broken bridge. "The most urgent task is to find out the cause, clarify responsibilities, comfort the deceased, and warn future generations."
"Secretary Dongqing, County Head Xiaoyong, please give me a brief overview of the situation you currently have."
Huang Xiaoyong had already prepared his explanation: "Secretary-General Jiang, the accident happened the night before last."
According to meteorological data, three days before the accident, the county experienced widespread heavy rain, especially in the Wanshan area, where the rainfall reached an extreme level in nearly fifty years.
The Qinghe River's water level has risen sharply, and the rapid current has exerted continuous and enormous scouring and soaking pressure on the riverbanks and bridge foundations.
Huang Xiaoyong pointed to the collapse site and continued, "This bridge was newly built and opened to traffic last year, and its design standards are sufficient."
However, during the initial geological exploration, experts pointed out that there was a relatively thick layer of weak silty clay beneath the riverbed where the bridge site was located.
This type of soil has a reasonable bearing capacity when dry, but it softens rapidly and its bearing capacity drops sharply once it is soaked in water for a long time.
The continuous heavy rains of the past few days have led to this situation.
Our preliminary analysis suggests that the floodwaters likely eroded the softened soil beneath the bridge piers, causing them to lose support and ultimately leading to the bridge's collapse.
Jiang Xiaoli listened attentively, nodding from time to time, and even walked closer to carefully examine the fracture surface.
He pointed to the exposed, some of the rusted steel bars and asked, "Do the specifications of these steel bars and the concrete used in their construction meet the design requirements?"
Were the construction supervision records complete?
Huang Xiaoyong calmly said, "Secretary-General Jiang, all relevant design drawings, construction records, supervision logs, material testing reports, and other materials have been sealed and are available for review at any time."
Based on the initial review, the main structural materials meet the design requirements.
Of course, the specific matching degree and construction process details still need to be professionally tested and compared by the expert group.
Huang Xiaoyong's words were watertight.
Jiang Xiaoli nodded and said, "The scene was well protected, and the initial handling was timely."
Secretary Dongqing and County Head Xiaoyong, thank you for your hard work.
The accident happened in your county, so you are under the most pressure.
The city sent us down here not to find fault, but to help you find out the truth and handle the matter properly.
As long as the facts are clear, the causes are objective, and the responsibilities are well-defined, whoever is responsible will be held accountable. There will be no overreaching of responsibility, and the grassroots will not suffer further hardship.