In this era, the security sections of various factories and units interfaced directly with the police. They were essentially public security squads for the Public Security Bureau, so their duties were not much different from those of the police.
As long as it didn't involve major cases, critical cases, or homicides, they could basically handle everything with full authority.
By the time the people from the security section arrived at the scene, Station Master Tang had already gathered most of the facts of the matter.
Mainly, because inside the warehouse of this agricultural supply station, there were still other staff members such as the warehouse keeper, the tally clerk, and the recorder.
Many of these people had witnessed the entire process, so under Station Master Tang's questioning, they had no choice but to tell the truth.
Primarily, there were too many witnesses. Regardless of whose side they stood on or who they belonged to, if they dared to lie or commit perjury to the station master, the consequences would be more than these ordinary employees could bear.
Thus, as soon as the security section arrived, Station Master Tang ordered the employees who had witnessed the events
"You few, tell Section Chief Zheng the details of what happened once more. Do not feel any psychological burden; right is right, and wrong is wrong. Those who make mistakes must bear the responsibility."
And so, Station Master Tang launched into a rambling speech, whether he was speaking in riddles or merely projecting an attitude of justice.
Once Station Master Tang finished, Section Chief Zheng whispered a suggestion to him
"Station Master Tang, perhaps we should go to the office to discuss this. There are too many eyes and ears here; wouldn't this be bad for the image of our agricultural supply station?"
Section Chief Zheng's meaning was clear: solve the problem behind closed doors so they wouldn't become a laughingstock.
This line of thinking was, one could say, perfectly reasonable.
Whether in this era or in the future, and whether for an agricultural supply station or any other unit, whenever something unfavorable happened, the first priority was never to solve the problem, but to blockade the news and prevent outsiders from knowing what had occurred.
Furthermore, even after the matter was investigated and cleared up, they would only release statements that downplayed the severity or spoke in harmless, banal platitudes—essentially useless nonsense.
Unexpectedly, after Section Chief Zheng's kind reminder, Station Master Tang spoke with righteous indignation
"We were born in the sunlight, we grew up in the sunlight, so no matter what we do, we must do it in the sunlight!"
"What do we have to hide? If there is a mistake, correct it; if there is no mistake, commend it. What is there to fear? Matters must be resolved in front of everyone."
"We must be fair, open, and just; only then are we qualified—"
Just because Section Chief Zheng had offered a reminder—and a very friendly one at that—Station Master Tang had begun another endless, rambling lecture.
To those who didn't know the inside story, these words made Station Master Tang seem profoundly principled, impartial, and upright.
But to those who did know the inside story—primarily the internal employees of the agricultural supply station—it was immediately obvious that Station Master Tang was using this incident to clean out Jia Hongyu, and to do so ruthlessly.
It couldn't be helped; the impact of this incident was simply too egregious. As the deputy station master, Jia Hongyu had actually led a group of people to rob citizens of their fertilizer, and he had done so brazenly.
What difference was there between such behavior and that of bandits?
Even if Jia Hongyu's original intention wasn't to rob, but merely to have Wang An and the other two carry fertilizer out of the warehouse, given the facts laid bare before them, no one believed it anymore.
At this moment, Jia Hongyu was a classic case of "smearing yellow mud in one's crotch; if it isn't shit, it looks like shit."
Consequently, after Station Master Tang finished rambling, these few people recounted the events once more with miserable faces in front of the crowd.
It was impossible not to look miserable. The person they were testifying against was Deputy Station Master Jia of the agricultural supply station—their leader.
Most crucially, their Deputy Station Master Jia was right there listening.
By speaking out, they were guaranteed to completely alienate Jia Hongyu.
Fortunately, the words Station Master Tang had spoken earlier seemed to send them a signal, and the panic that had previously been in their eyes when looking at Jia Hongyu had vanished.
As they spoke, one of the men from the security section sat at a table and recorded the entire sequence of events in full.
Once they finished, Section Chief Zheng's expression became incredibly complex. He smacked his lips and blinked rapidly, but no words came out.
Though he said nothing, Section Chief Zheng was already cursing in his heart.
Mainly, what the hell was this mess?
Station Master Tang, meanwhile, forced a grim expression on his face, but the joy in his eyes and the slight, uncontrollable upturn of the corners of his mouth betrayed his true inner thoughts.
He was the one who sincerely, wholeheartedly, and with every fiber of his being wanted Deputy Station Master Jia to be fired and finished.
After a long silence, Station Master Tang asked Section Chief Zheng
"Xiao Zheng, how do you think this matter should be handled appropriately?"
Section Chief Zheng grimaced, his face a mask of conflicted bitterness as he said
"This matter... this matter... Station Master Tang, perhaps you could take the trouble and hardship of reporting this directly to the higher-ups."
Clearly, with Section Chief Zheng's rank, he could not handle someone of Deputy Station Master Jia Hongyu's level. Being summoned here by Station Master Tang was essentially just to serve as a witness.
However, Station Master Tang was very satisfied with these words, because this was exactly what he, as the acting station master, wanted to do.
If he didn't personally take down this powerful competitor, how could Station Master Tang satisfy his grudge or find peace of mind?
After Section Chief Zheng finished, Station Master Tang nodded with a look of reluctant acceptance
"Very well. Organize the materials immediately; I will report this matter shortly."
Then, pointing to the six men who had moved the fertilizer and the glamorous woman still throwing a tantrum on the ground, Station Master Tang instructed Section Chief Zheng with a "grim" yet righteous face
"Lock them up first. Keep them under strict surveillance and handle them severely. We must give the victim a satisfactory explanation."
"Daring to rob someone's fertilizer in public... simply insane, lawless, and defiant of the rules..."
In one breath, Station Master Tang spat out a string of similar descriptors.
It must be said, his vocabulary was truly impressive; he certainly spent a lot of time writing reports.
Looking at Jia Hongyu, whose face was so bruised and swollen that he was barely recognizable, Station Master Tang added
"Send him to the hospital first. This state of affairs is too unsightly; where is the propriety?"
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Jia Hongyu—whose face was bruised and whose lips were swollen like sausages—shouted indistinctly at Station Master Tang
"You surnamed Tang, don't get smug too early! If I can't be the station master, I'll make damn sure you don't get to be either!"