Reborn as a Noble’s Son
Chapter 1201 - Chapter 1201 Chapter 1157 Ironclad Case

Chapter 1201: Chapter 1157: Ironclad Case Chapter 1201: Chapter 1157: Ironclad Case Lingxiao’s methods were actually quite simple, forceful in both voice and demeanor, which was the most commonly used approach. The purpose of Lingxiao was straightforward too, as long as he could bluff these people in front of him, then he would swiftly clean up any loose ends left behind. By that time, it would be difficult for Longxi Province to find any trouble.

Sun Kai was also in a difficult position at the moment. He had heard of Lingxiao’s connections, which were not something a vice-ministerial level official like him could contend with. The current situation was a typical case of deities fighting and mortals suffering as collateral. One misstep and he, himself, could end up as a sacrifice.

Yet, recalling the repeated stress and orders given by Secretary Liu over the phone, Sun Kai braced himself and said, “Mr. Ling, this matter is pursuant to the commands of the Provincial Party Committee. If there is any issue, you can discuss it directly with Secretary Nie. I am acting under orders, I apologize.”

As he spoke, Sun Kai took out a search warrant and handed it to Lingxiao, saying in a deep voice, “Mr. Ling, this is a search warrant signed by the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. Please have a look.”

As his voice fell, one of his subordinates approached Sun Kai and whispered, “Director Sun, we’ve made a significant discovery. Hundreds of illegal miners have been found in the mining area.”

“Illegal miners?”

Upon hearing this, Sun Kai’s eyes lit up. Illegal miners were just like the forced laborers in the illicit brick kilns reported in society. Some were tricked into coming here, while others were individuals with mental disabilities or rural people gathered from various places, sent to such places by unscrupulous individuals. Aside from three meals a day, there was no pay. Moreover, in such places, personal freedom was severely restricted. Under the overseer’s watch, a slight mistake could result in a whipping. It was essentially free forced labor.

Thinking this through, Sun Kai had more or less figured it out. Perhaps Li Hongyi’s death was related to this. Li Hongyi must have seen these things he wasn’t supposed to see. In the end, Lingxiao, fearing the exposure, had resorted to silencing him by murder.

Glancing over at Lingxiao, Sun Kai’s expression darkened as he said in a stern voice, “Lingxiao, as of now, you are under arrest.”

Lingxiao Coal Mine, by harboring a large number of illegal miners and engaging in unlawful coal mining using various inhumane methods, and even killing people, was undoubtedly a hot news story. With this in mind, Sun Kai made the decisive call to arrest Lingxiao on the spot.

Having risen to his current position, Sun Kai was no pushover. He was a master in his field of competency and even more so in political acumen.

“Arrest me?” Lingxiao’s face turned iron blue. As a descendant of a prominent family, with the power of his father Ling Baodong and the influential status of his mother’s family, Lingxiao was well accustomed to military and political figures catering to him. Even ordinary vice-provincial officials would treat him with the utmost courtesy. When had he ever been treated like this?

His expression darkened as he looked at Sun Kai and said, “Sun Kai, are you sure, what you just said wasn’t sleep talk?”

Facing Lingxiao’s arrogance, Sun Kai showed no fear. At this moment, Sun Kai was taking a gamble. As long as he could grasp Lingxiao’s Achilles heel, he believed the upper echelons would arrange the follow-up. His expression turned grave as he shouted angrily, “Lingxiao, what is this attitude? Even an emperor is subject to the law, just like an ordinary citizen. Much less, you’re no emperor. What grounds do you have for your bluster? Officers, handcuff him and take him away.”

…

It was after eleven o’clock at night, a time when most people would already be resting. However, for Nie Zhenbang, it was still work time.

Domestically, it was said that Nie Zhenbang was an adept economist, that he was capable. But what these people didn’t realize was that competence isn’t spoken of, it’s shown through concrete action. As now, working late into the night had become Nie Zhenbang’s habit.

At that moment, a knock on the door came from outside, which surprised Nie Zhenbang, who was sitting in his study. He hadn’t notified the floor service staff for any late-night snacks. Why would there be someone knocking at the door at this hour?

He stood up and opened the door. There, Liu Zhentao, Liu Yueguang, and Liu Xiaomin all stood at the entrance.

Seeing Nie Zhenbang, Liu Zhentao’s face also showed a solemn look, “Secretary, I’m sorry to disturb your rest so late at night.”

Seeing this scene, Nie Zhenbang’s expression also turned solemn. By now, he understood something of Liu Zhentao’s character. After pondering for a moment, he let the three men into the room. He then said, “Governor Zhentao, is it about Lingxiao Coal Mine?”

Liu Zhentao did not speak, merely nodding his head. On this note, Liu Yueguang handed over a stack of documents. In a low voice, he said, “Secretary Nie, please take a look. This is the material that was just sent over from Linzhou City. At nine forty, the Provincial Public Security Department, led by Executive Deputy Director Sun Kai, mobilized thousands of police officers to conduct a surprise search of Lingxiao Coal Mine. The information obtained is truly shocking.”

After inviting the three men to sit down in the living room, Nie Zhenbang began to flip through the materials. They weren’t bound into volumes, just simple and unadorned documents. As soon as he opened them, Nie Zhenbang’s brow furrowed.

“After the task force’s surprise inspection, on the spot, at Lingxiao Coal Mine, 863 ‘black’ miners were rescued, including 493 intellectually disabled individuals, 320 rural adult laborers, and 50 college students. According to their statements, Lingxiao Coal Mine, through some malicious social networks, lured a large number of people here under the guise of recruitment.

At the same time, once these people arrived, they were stripped of all communication tools and identification documents, just like the mine owners of the old society. For these people, there was no pay aside from meals each day. Even more reprehensible, Lingxiao Coal Mine organized a group of people to serve as overseers, wantonly abusing and beating the miners, with no regard for human rights whatsoever.

For miners who dared to attempt escape, they were killed using even more brutal methods. According to the miners’ testimonies, the task force excavated dozens of corpses from an abandoned mine shaft, some reduced to skeletal remains, while others were buried less than three months ago.

Reading this far, Nie Zhenbang put down the materials. The fury in his eyes was displayed without any reserve.

Indignation, anger. These were Nie Zhenbang’s most genuine thoughts at the moment. Money, was it truly so important to a person? So much so that one would wantonly trample on the law and human nature?

People like Lingxiao deserved to die; this was Nie Zhenbang’s most sincere thought at the moment. Nie Zhenbang found it hard to believe. For a scion of a prominent family, wasn’t it very easy to acquire money? Even without their elders violating any principles, they could easily earn enough wealth to live a comfortable life. But for someone who is penniless, perhaps money is very important, yet for the wealthy, is money still just money? At a certain level, money is nothing more than a number.

To think that Lingxiao would commit such heinous acts for money was something Nie Zhenbang could not tolerate. This challenges the bottom line of morality.

Lifting his head, Nie Zhenbang’s gaze finally settled on Liu Zhentao: “Governor Zhentao, what are your thoughts?”

Although burning with rage inside, Nie Zhenbang remained very calm. This matter involved Lingxiao, and more importantly, Ling Baodong would inevitably intervene. How to act, how to ensure Lingxiao would be prosecuted and judged fairly, was the issue Nie Zhenbang was contemplating. If not handled correctly, Ling Baodong would find a myriad of ways to help Lingxiao evade punishment.

Letting someone take the fall to reduce the crime–Nie Zhenbang was well aware–was not too much of an obstacle for Ling Baodong.

Liu Zhentao pondered for a moment, knowing all too well the implication behind Nie Zhenbang’s questioning. Regarding the issue with Lingxiao Coal Mine, there must be a unified understanding, or else punishing Lingxiao would be nothing but empty talk.

“Secretary, after reading the entire material, my feelings are as heavy and outraged as yours. This is an utter violation of morals and ethics; this behavior could be said to be incredibly vile, having lost all moral compass. My stance is that Lingxiao Coal Mine must be shut down and confiscated. As for Lingxiao, he must be punished severely, even by execution,” said Liu Zhentao decisively and with a heavy voice.

With Liu Zhentao taking his position, Nie Zhenbang nodded. The reason he asked Liu Zhentao was to see how Liu Zhentao would choose. At present, Liu Zhentao’s stance undoubtedly satisfied Nie Zhenbang.

After a moment of contemplation, Nie Zhenbang spoke: “The issue with Lingxiao Coal Mine must be dealt with seriously. The most important thing now is for the task force to hold a press conference tomorrow to report the related facts without any concealing or covering up. The provincial committee and government should offer a sincere apology for their failure in supervision. Moreover, I suggest dismissing the Party Secretary and Mayor of Linzhou City from their leadership positions, and temporarily have the Deputy Party Secretary of Linzhou City take charge of the city’s affairs. Additionally, report the matter regarding Comrade Li Hongyi to the higher-ups immediately.”

As Nie Zhenbang spoke, the three individuals present essentially understood his stance: he intended to handle the whole case as an ironclad matter.

Calling a press conference to announce the events was to prevent the Ling Family from interfering behind the scenes. Reporting to the organization was putting pressure on the Ling Family, and removing the duties of comrades in Linzhou was necessary. After all, Lingxiao Coal Mine was under the jurisdiction of Linzhou City. With such a severe and reprehensible issue arising, someone must step forward to take responsibility. This was imperative.

Briefly pausing, Nie Zhenbang said sternly: “Secretary-General, notify Comrade Li Hongying immediately, and ask her to come over.” (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)