Chapter 3

（New writer, please kindly click to add the book to your shelf, collect this book, and support my writing. Thank you.）

Ye Zhiran turned to look at the situation in the emergency room lobby and saw that Lin Chang's family had gathered there, the scene chaotic. He found He Guitian, who had just finished making a call, and called out to him: "Old He, Secretary Qin wants us to talk to Lin Chang's family first. The waiting room next to the emergency room is empty. Call his wife and son, and we'll use the hospital's room to talk to her."

Soon, He Guitian brought in Lin Chang's wife, He Chunying, his 14-year-old son, and Lin Chang's younger brother. After they sat down, He Guitian introduced them: "This is the director of the Party and Government Office, Ye Zhiran. He is handling Lin Chang's affairs on behalf of Secretary Qin."

Ye Zhiran looked at the sobbing He Chunying, feeling very uncomfortable. Lin Chang had not only been on good terms with him but also had a good relationship with other officials in the town. In everyone's eyes, Lin Chang was the most approachable leader in Mashi Township. Moreover, Ye Zhiran was also very familiar with He Chunying. He looked up at her, feeling sorry for her, and said softly, "Sister, we are all very saddened by Lin Chang's unfortunate passing. However, since the situation is as it is, please take care of yourself and try to bear the loss with composure."

He Chunying continued to sob without answering. Her son, holding her right hand, cried hoarsely, and the atmosphere was very heavy.

Ye Zhiran patiently waited, then looked at He Guitian, knowing that it was not necessary to say too much at this moment. He asked, "Sister, I am also very saddened by Lin Chang's passing. Now, there are a few important things we need to verify. Could you tell me when Lin Chang went out?"

He Chunying slightly controlled her emotions and said, "He left at three in the afternoon. His cousin's son was getting married, and he went to the wedding banquet. Who would have thought..."

"Can you think about who he went with?"

"He went alone... he drove himself... I never thought... sniff..."

Hearing this, Ye Zhiran pondered for a moment. He Chunying was deeply immersed in grief, and her thoughts were undoubtedly in chaos. If he reported the truth, that Lin Chang had an accident while on personal business and was driving under the influence, it would not only be difficult to handle but also have a negative impact on Mashi Township's reputation. Moreover, Secretary Qin was also troubled by this. Ye Zhiran thought for a moment and hinted, "Sister, I heard that Lin Chang went to Changqing Village to handle family planning matters in the afternoon. Lin Chang, who did not forget his work even on a Sunday, unfortunately passed away in the line of duty. His work attitude is worth our learning."

He Guitian, hearing Ye Zhiran's words, looked at him with slight surprise but wisely chose to remain silent.

He Chunying, with tears in her eyes, looked up at Ye Zhiran, paused for a moment, and realized the importance of his words. She suppressed her grief, thought for a moment, and said, "I remember now, he said he was going to handle family planning work. Please inform Secretary Qin, Director Ye."

"Alright, Sister. I will definitely tell Secretary Qin that Lin Chang went to Changqing Village to handle family planning matters." Ye Zhiran felt much relieved that He Chunying understood his intention and cooperated with his questions. He continued, "Sister, now that the situation is clear, it will be easier to handle. Lin Chang passed away in the line of duty, but there is one more thing I need to inform you. Secretary Qin learned from the traffic police that Lin Chang had been drinking heavily at the time of the accident. The car smelled of alcohol, and the police collected blood samples and have a test report. So, what I can do now is to help the family as much as possible financially, but politically, there will be no outcome."

"I understand," He Chunying said.

"Sister, since Lin Chang passed away in the line of duty, if the family has any requests, you can tell me, and I will relay them to the township party committee. Reasonable requests will be met as much as possible," Ye Zhiran said, seeing that He Chunying's grief had slightly eased.

"My factory is not doing well, and my child is still young. How will we live in the future..." He Chunying said halfway, thinking of her sorrow, she hugged her son and cried again.

"Sister, the township government will be responsible for your child's education and future employment. Please rest assured. I will also inform the township party committee and government about your job and try to resolve it. The township government will have a written decision on Lin Chang's affairs, which you should keep for future needs," Ye Zhiran patiently consoled her, referring to the future job arrangements for her child.

"Thank you, Director Ye, you are a good person," He Chunying said, understanding the situation.

"Sister, don't say that. Lin Chang helped me a lot in life, and all the colleagues in the township government respected him. We will all miss him. Please bear the loss with composure," Ye Zhiran said. Turning to He Guitian, he instructed, "Old He, arrange a few cars. It's late, take Lin Chang's family home to rest. We will discuss Lin Chang's affairs tomorrow."

He Guitian agreed and went out.

Ye Zhiran then said to He Chunying and Lin Chang's younger brother, "The funeral will be handled by the township government. If you have any requests, you can tell me at any time. I need to check the relevant documents for the compensation, maintenance fees, and subsidies, and I will try to secure as much as possible."

"Thank you, Director Ye, for your efforts," both of them thanked him.

After talking with Lin Chang's family, Ye Zhiran went to the small room next to the doctor's on-duty room and saw that Secretary Qin and the others had also finished their meeting. After the group shook hands and said goodbye, Secretary Qin asked Ye Zhiran, "Director Ye, what did Lin Chang's family say?"

"Not much, but He Chunying said that Lin Chang went to Changqing Village to handle family planning matters in the afternoon," Ye Zhiran replied.

"Oh? Then why did he drink and drive himself?" Secretary Qin was somewhat skeptical.

"After finishing his work, Lin Chang went to his relative's wedding banquet and drank a bit too much. He had an accident on his way back," Ye Zhiran explained.

"Oh." Secretary Qin nodded, looking somewhat relieved. After a pause, he said, "Alright, we will discuss how to handle Lin Chang's affairs at the meeting tomorrow. Is Mayor Li confirmed to be at Secretary Tang's place?"

"Yes, Secretary Qin. Have you reported Lin Chang's accident to the county committee yet? Perhaps you should call Secretary Tang and inform him," Ye Zhiran suggested after some thought.

"Since the details were not fully understood, I haven't reported it yet," Secretary Qin looked at Ye Zhiran and said, "The original plan was to inform the township party committee first, then report to the county committee."

"Secretary Qin, your decision is correct. We should understand the situation clearly first, then report to the county committee and government after a discussion by the leadership team," Ye Zhiran agreed.

Secretary Qin nodded, but his face gradually turned cold. "Why did Mayor Li say that both Lin Chang and I were in an accident?"

"He Guitian sent a pager message to Mayor Li, which read, 'Lin Chang had a car accident, Secretary Qin has left.' He probably wanted to inform Mayor Li that Lin Chang had an accident and you were already at the hospital. However, the message was unclear, and Mayor Li misunderstood that you were in trouble," Ye Zhiran explained the situation to Qin Daming.

Hearing this, Secretary Qin's face changed, and he said angrily, "This He Guitian is truly a little spy, reporting my whereabouts to Mayor Li so urgently. Unfortunately, he is more of a troublemaker than a helper. Well, this has made me see Mayor Li's true character."

Ye Zhiran did not respond, just listening to Qin Daming's complaints. It was understandable, as anyone would think the same in such a situation.

Secretary Qin continued, "I never expected that Mayor Li, who always appeared close and respectful to me, was just pretending. Once he knew I was in trouble, instead of rushing to help, he went to the county leadership to seek a promotion, thinking he could become the secretary?"

Seeing Secretary Qin's face turn increasingly dark, Ye Zhiran felt tense. The usually authoritative Secretary Qin now looked somewhat frightening, making Ye Zhiran nervous. He sighed inwardly, knowing that this rift would likely change the harmonious atmosphere among the leaders of Mashi Township. Mayor Li's actions were indeed despicable.

"Secretary Qin, should we call Secretary Tang now?" Ye Zhiran gently reminded.

Secretary Qin thought for a moment. He trusted Ye Zhiran, who had worked in Mashi Township for two years. Qin Daming not only knew his abilities but also his background and origins, understanding that he was a cadre recruited through a public examination by the Jinnan City Organization Department and had a reliable relationship with the new Secretary Tang. "There's not much more we can do here. We will discuss Lin Chang's affairs at the meeting tomorrow. Let's go to Secretary Tang's place now. We might catch Mayor Li, and I want to see how he performs," Qin Daming said.

Seeing that Secretary Qin was still angry, Ye Zhiran did not say much, just nodding and saying, "Alright."

They got into Secretary Qin's Santana and soon arrived at the county committee guesthouse. Ye Zhiran noticed that the car in front of Secretary Tang's house was gone, realizing that He Guitian's second message had taken effect, and Mayor Li had left. He felt relieved, knowing that if they had caught Mayor Li at Secretary Tang's place, any verbal conflict would have affected Mashi Township's standing in Secretary Tang's eyes.

Knocking on the door, Secretary Tang was surprised to see Qin Daming. Ye Zhiran quickly stepped forward and said, "Secretary Tang, Deputy Mayor Lin of Mashi Township had a car accident, and Secretary Qin has come to report the situation."

Secretary Tang turned his gaze to Qin Daming and asked calmly, "Qin Daming, tell me, what exactly happened?"

"Secretary Tang, according to preliminary information, Lin Chang went to Changqing Village to handle family planning matters in the afternoon. He drank a bit at a relative's wedding banquet and was driving back when he collided head-on with a large truck. Lin Chang died on the spot. The traffic police determined that Lin Chang was driving under the influence and had violated traffic rules, making him fully responsible," Secretary Qin briefly explained the situation.