Chapter 2 Chapter One

Anyone who is familiar with the coal city knows that there are "three monsters" in the coal city. "One strange thing": The road traffic is the worst in China, but the cars running on it are the best in China. Every driver who arrives in Coal City for the first time will feel that the road is bumpy.Whether you go from the south city to the north city, or from the east city to the west city, you will not feel that you are driving in the city at all, but on the rugged mountainous terrain.If you open the car window and look, you will find another strange scene: on the uneven road, most of the cars rushing to and fro are luxury cars.Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Hummer, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Cadillac, etc. are not uncommon.Coal City is simply a dusty, flowing luxury car exhibition hall...

"Two monsters": The city is filled with darkness and fog all day long, and the sun is always shining outside the city. Coal City, geographically, is located in the middle of the east and west mountains.Dongshan is full of flowers and plants all year round, and the sun is shining brightly; Xishan is green with pines and cypresses, clear springs and waterfalls from spring to autumn.However, no matter when you stand on the top of the east mountain or the peak of the west mountain, if you look down, the city under your feet is like falling into a huge coal pit, filled with black mist and thick smoke.The buildings in the city are like black tombstones standing in a large coal pit; the flowing traffic is like black ants crawling slowly;

"Three monsters": the coal industry is as strong as a cow, and the cultural sites are abandoned and ruined. Regardless of state-owned, private, or underground coal mines, they are all fat and strong, and the grease is flowing.Coal bosses, big and small, live happily in this "ghost town".Their actions, such as the scene of 20 Humvees welcoming their relatives, unintentionally became the most "shocking" photos on the Internet; the mansions of coal bosses in Hainan, Beijing, and Shanghai became "paparazzi" search key goals.A down-and-out photographer can capture pornographic photos of the most popular actress and the potbellied Shanxi coal boss from here.With a few focus pictures, "Paparazzi" became famous in one fell swoop and made a lot of money.In stark contrast to this, Coal City, once one of the important city-states of Chinese civilization, has many cultural sites such as ancient ruins, Spring and Autumn Overlord City, Northern Dynasties stone carvings, Sui and Tang Buddha statues, Song and Yuan theaters, etc. People care about it, funds are lacking, and protection is not effective. In the end, they cannot escape such a bad luck: stolen, collapsed, dented, weathered, and even become ruins...

... Coal City has two crematoria, one on the east and one on the west.The one in the east is only three to five miles away from the city, and there is an endless stream of people going there to hold funerals; while the one in the west is close to Xishan, more than 30 miles away from the city, and the transportation is inconvenient, so relatively few people usually come here for funerals. In recent days, for unknown reasons, the Xishan Crematorium, which had always been lonely and empty, suddenly became busy with traffic and crying. What is particularly strange is that at the entrance of the Xishan Crematorium, many security guards have been added inexplicably, and inspection personnel have also been added, but everyone who enters and exits needs to register.

The complicated procedures angered many relatives of the deceased. Some people questioned: I am here to go through the cremation procedures, not to go through the boarding procedures.You have made it so complicated, can you really send my relatives to heaven? ! Some outsiders have a vague sense that these deceased who have been frequently cremated recently have special identities.Who are these dead?Did they die normally?How many people were cremated?Why keep it a secret?To whom is it kept secret? The person who pays the most attention to these issues is Lao Zhang, a well-known reporter from the national TV station.Lao Zhang decided to investigate the matter after receiving the report call.

However, the interview work encountered unprecedented difficulties.The hotel next door to him was occupied by someone that day.And as long as he goes, the tenant next door will follow him.What particularly annoyed him was that the Shuiyugou Coal Mine, the subject of the interview, had suddenly ceased production and was empty. The people around him did not know where to hide, and no one could be found.What is even more inexplicable is that none of the main leaders of the district where the Shuiyugou Mine is located, the Municipal State-owned Assets Bureau, the Safety Supervision Bureau, and the Public Security Bureau are absent.Even when Lao Zhang went to the Propaganda Department of the district to find out the situation, the people in the Propaganda Department even said that they would not accept anyone for interviews without the permission of the superior department.

In desperation, the reporter Lao Zhang thought of a place that ordinary people can't think of. This is the Xishan Crematorium. Maybe we can find clues from there, maybe we can learn the real situation from there.He managed to get to the crematorium, even though there was a follower behind him. The person who knows the details of the crematorium best is Wang Wenwen, the deputy head of the district in charge of production safety. Because, everything there, he got the most accurate information in advance. At this time, Wang Wenwen was boarding the plane at the airport, and he was about to fly to Sanya, Hainan.

Although Zhang Juhai, secretary of the district party committee, has not been contacted for two days; but I have received reliable information from relevant personnel that Secretary Zhang is on vacation in Tianya Haijiao. Because she was with her confidante Yang Juan, it was inconvenient to turn on her mobile phone, so Wang Wenwen couldn't contact him. However, a shocking event happened right now, and Wang Wenwen had to break into the palace without authorization and flew to Sanya to meet Zhang Juhai, the secretary of the district committee. The person who is most concerned about the situation of the crematorium is the new mayor Li Lilin.

When he learned that the Shuiyugou coal mine had exploded, the drinking glass fell to the ground and shattered into a pile of pieces, but he didn't notice it. The people present at the meeting knew that a terrible event had happened, and hid one by one.Only the director of the Safety Supervision Bureau who reported the situation was left. He wiped his sweat while observing the mayor's reaction. The scene of two years ago immediately appeared in Mayor Li Lilin's mind: his good friend Lao Zhang took office as the mayor of another city, and he worked happily for three months. Many mine disasters.The provincial party committee and the provincial government dismissed Lao Zhang on the spot in accordance with the cadre accountability regulations.Until now, my good friend Lao Zhang is idle at home, spending time by practicing calligraphy and painting every day.

He never expected that the scene from two years ago would be staged in front of him again... Twenty-six people died in an accident at the Shuiyugou Coal Mine, which was owned by individuals and managed by the State-owned Mining Bureau! Staring at the report of the Safety Supervision Bureau, the mayor Li Lilin didn't recover for a long time. "Is this true?" Li Lilin still didn't believe it. The director of the Safety Supervision Bureau lowered his head: "No problem." "Then let's go to the scene and have a look." Li Lilin suddenly realized his responsibilities as the leader.

The director of the Safety Supervision Bureau replied in a low voice: "No need to go." "Why? Such a big thing happened, can I not be there?!" Li Lilin lost control of his emotions. The director of the Safety Supervision Bureau looked helpless: "Shuiyugou Mine King Xiangdong Secretary has transferred all the dead, and the mine has also stopped production." "Why transfer it?" The mayor was surprised. Director of the Safety Supervision Bureau: "In order to avoid those reporters who take advantage of the fire. Every time a mine accident occurs, a group of reporters will be recruited. We cry and shout here, and they ask this and that, which affects the handling of the mine accident. Therefore, Secretary Wang Moved the dead." Mayor Li Lilin realized that no matter what, even if he was dismissed tomorrow, he should go to the scene to deal with the funeral in person. He made a decisive decision: "Let's go! Regardless of the reporters, where the dead are, we will go there now!" After leaving the city government building, Li Lilin and his party quickly rushed west... Sanya Nanshan State Guest House is backed by mountains and facing the sea.Standing on the viewing platform in the lobby of the State Guest House, you can have a panoramic view of the beautiful surrounding scenery.In the distance is the Guanyin of the South China Sea, and in the vicinity is a lush coconut grove.The azure blue of the sky and sea water makes people feel clear; the emerald green of coconut trees and seaweed makes people full of vitality. A man and a woman sitting on the viewing platform, dressed in Hainan's unique couple clothes, enjoy the beauty of the world. Suddenly, a hurried voice came from the back of their heads, and the couple in Hainan Island costumes were taken aback: "Secretary Zhang! Something serious happened, and I came to you as a last resort!" The man in the couple quickly calmed down, and the seductive woman quickly avoided. Although she hid her face and didn't want people to recognize her, Wang Wenwen, who came from Shanxi, knew intuitively that she was Secretary Zhang's confidante and the current deputy general manager of Huihai Coal Group, Yang Juan! Zhang Juhai, the secretary of the district party committee with a dark complexion and a fat body, saw his subordinates coming uninvited, and instinctively felt that either a vicious case had occurred or a mining disaster had occurred in the coal mine. "Where? How many people died?" Zhang Juhai tried his best to calm himself down. "Shuiyugou Coal Mine, twenty-six people. Alas!" The young Wang Wenwen seemed to have lost his breath. "At the beginning, I really didn't want to...but, the leader insisted...it's over!" Zhang Juhai, secretary of the district party committee, is such a smart person, he immediately understood half of the words swallowed by his subordinates. Zhang Juhai stood up and patted his subordinates on the shoulder, comforting Wang Wenwen: "I know, you didn't want to be in charge of production safety at the beginning. But with such an arrangement, I am helpless! The district chief is a sick child, and he lives in the hospital for half a year. What? They can’t be counted on. Among the six deputy district chiefs, two were sent from above, with upward-looking eyes, and they didn’t care about work at all; the two lesbians were purely for decoration. In the end, only Ma Zhizhong and you are left.” "The old horse lives, those are the days of the gods!" Wang Wenwen was full of grievances. "That's right! That kid in Ma Zhizhong owns a large coal mine at home. He makes money every day, and his thoughts are all on the family business. Do I dare to rely on him for such an important matter as safe production?! I really don't have such a division of labor. Another choice." Zhang Juhai was really helpless. Wang Wenwen raised his head, his eyes were a little red, and he stared at Zhang Juhai: "Secretary, I bet you: Before we go back, the higher-ups will implement the accountability regulations and dismiss me as the deputy district chief, believe it or not?" Seeing the frustration of his subordinates, Zhang Juhai was very depressed: "Go back quickly! I will go to the municipal party secretary Duan Tiansheng in person and communicate with him." A gust of sea breeze would have been refreshing, but this sudden meeting made neither of them feel refreshed. Thinking of Secretary Zhang's cultivation of him in the past, Wang Wenwen was embarrassed to continue to embarrass him: "Secretary, such a big incident happened, I understand in my heart that even if you intercede, it will be useless, and the position of deputy district chief will definitely not be kept. I came here in such a hurry because I wanted to ask you: Will you be held criminally responsible?" Secretary Zhang Juhai was startled: "What? You have shares in the coal mine? No! I know Shuiyugou Coal Mine. It is an affiliated mine under the trusteeship of the Mining Bureau. The people above use the public trusteeship of personal assets to make money from it. , Individual shareholders rely on the umbrella of the Mining Bureau to survive. I know all the shareholders inside, but you have no shares. What are you afraid of? Could it be..." Wang Wenwen hurriedly waved his hands: "Those things in the coal mine are hot to dig out. Let's put it this way, I have never refused a small card and small money from them during the holidays, but big money, especially big money of more than 100,000, I don't care about it at all. I dare not ask for it!" Zhang Juhai was still amazed: "Then what are you worried about?" Although Wang Wenwen was in Hainan, a place he was not familiar with, he instinctively looked around, fearing that someone would hear him, and whispered, "I'm afraid that in the city..." Zhang Juhai seemed to have come to his senses, staring at him and asked, "The relationship between the city secretary and the mayor..." Wang Wenwen nodded. Zhang Juhai, secretary of the district committee, fully understood: his subordinates were in the vortex, and they had long anticipated the consequences of this incident. Zhang Juhai couldn't help becoming worried: "Yes, the secretary and the mayor are at odds. When it comes to the critical moment, if there is a mutual excuse, the two of them will not speak for their subordinates in order to protect themselves. You may really become a scapegoat for this matter. " "As long as you don't get sentenced or dismissed from office, you can do whatever you want!" Wang Wenwen finally expressed his bottom line. District Party Secretary Zhang Juhai realized something, turned around immediately, and at the same time told his subordinates: "After you go back, you go directly to the front line to deal with the funeral. I will handle other things. Especially the municipal Party committee, the municipal government and the accident investigation team, I will deal with them." !" Upon hearing the news of the mine accident, Duan Tiansheng, Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, was investigating the cultural industry in Beijing.Accompanying him, besides his secretary Xiao Sun, was Zhao Guozhong, chairman and general manager of Huihai Group, one of the largest private coal mine owners in the city. Zhao Guozhong, the boss of Big Coal, is obese and has fair skin, like a white bear. Duan Tiansheng never picked up the phone. When Secretary Sun told him the news of the mine accident, he immediately ordered the secretary to buy a ticket back to Shanxi that night.At the same time, he told the executive deputy secretary who was in charge of the work at home by phone: on behalf of the municipal party committee, he will go immediately to condolences to the families of the victims and take care of the aftermath... Then, he turned around and boarded the elevator to the museum, followed by Zhao Guozhong, the coal boss. This is the most luxurious and market-oriented museum in Beijing, located on the sixth floor of a luxurious building in the east.Whenever an auction is held in the capital, an auction exhibition must be held here in advance. Obviously, Duan Tiansheng is a frequent visitor here. After reaching the sixth floor, without anyone's guidance, he walked through the maze-like passages and entered the exhibition hall of the luxurious museum. It is full of calligraphy and paintings.Zhao Guozhong found that the people who come here to appreciate treasures include many film and television stars, entrepreneurs and government officials who often appear on TV, as well as many foreigners with blonde hair and blue eyes. As soon as Duan Tiansheng saw the exhibits, he took off his usual black-rimmed glasses and put on another pair of special gold-rimmed glasses, just like a scholar. The serious and longing eyes immediately appeared on the serious face in the past. Sometimes, he even raised his right hand and kept making gestures in the air.Obviously, Secretary Duan copied those handed down works in his mind. Zhao Guozhong, the coal boss, used to be a middle school teacher. He is no stranger to culture. He is not the stupid, big, black, and thick coal boss that Beijingers imagine.After earning money, he signed up for a master's degree at Peking University, but the knowledge he acquired was still far behind Duan Tiansheng in front of him. Zhao Guozhong saw Secretary Duan scrutinizing it intently in front of a "Autumn Hunting Picture of People in the Yuan Dynasty", so he couldn't help but stop in front of the painting and observe carefully: distant mountains, pastures, horses, wild dogs, streams... There are many hunters on the picture.The hunters have different attitudes, some are chasing their prey wildly, some are drinking happily, some are singing loudly, and some are smoking and resting... Zhao Guozhong feels that this is a pretty good Yuan Dynasty work. He took a closer look at the starting price at the bottom of the scroll: RMB 50 million.He had a hunch that once it was put up for auction, it would be impossible to get it without eighty to ninety million yuan.Eighty to ninety million, what a number that is, equivalent to half a year's income of a medium-sized coal mine under his command. Secretary Duan Tiansheng looked at the scroll with a magnifying glass, and turned his head to ask Zhao Guozhong: "I have been to Peking University for more than a year, how is it? Have you gotten into the door?" Zhao Guozhong smiled: "Others don't know, but you don't know the secretary. The graduate class at Peking University..." "If you don't tell me, everyone knows." Duan Tiansheng dismissed the current prestigious schools. "My next step is to open a calligraphy and painting academy, and I will specially invite those who are really knowledgeable and veteran cadres to study hard." Zhao Guozhong said his plan. Duan Tiansheng was very sorry: "In these years, everywhere is full of copper smell, even places like Peking University are not immune." Zhao Guozhong, the coal boss, has been influenced by Duan Tiansheng over the years, and has studied many books on antiques in his spare time: "I think this painting, in terms of coloring, composition, brushwork, and especially the artistic conception, can be regarded as the superior work of the people of Yuan Dynasty. Compared with Huang Gongwang's big mountains and rivers, it is not inferior. On the day of shooting, let's take it in, how about it?" Duan Tiansheng turned his head and was a little overjoyed: "Xiao Zhao, no wonder you can achieve great things, because you are smart! Learn what you are like, many young people are really inferior to you." Zhao Guozhong narrowed his eyes when he smiled: "Isn't there such a brilliant master as you!" Suddenly, Duan Tiansheng noticed something, stepped back, observed carefully for a long time again, and said clearly: "It's best not to touch this painting!" Zhao Guozhong was a little surprised: "Why? The things from the Song and Yuan dynasties in the auction market have turned upside down in recent years. If we don't buy them, others will sell them." Duan Tiansheng smiled slightly: "Xiao Zhao, you are still not ready, this is a fake!" "Impossible, impossible!" Zhao Guozhong looked around and looked at the scroll, "How can it be! This auction house is the most famous in China, and this painting..." Secretary Duan Tiansheng glanced at the scroll again from top to bottom: "Are you sure this is a masterpiece from Yuan Ren?" Zhao Guozhong felt a little strange: "I feel right, it is a superior work of the Yuan Dynasty literati. Where is your question?" Duan Tiansheng took out a cigarette case from his pocket, lit one on purpose, did not smoke, just held it in his hand and shook it gently, watching the thin smoke rising: "Smoking, whether it is now or in ancient times, is An indecent thing. There is a smoking detail in the picture scroll, and that is where the problem lies. Since it is a painting by literati in the Yuan Dynasty, and the literati in the Yuan Dynasty were so pursuing elegance, why is there a scene of smoking in the picture scroll?" One sentence awakened the dreamer, and Zhao Guozhong suddenly understood: "It seems that it is really an imitation of later generations, and Secretary Duan is brilliant!" Duan Tiansheng was very proud in his heart, but he didn't show it: "What's so clever, it's just that I've seen a lot. Let's go over there and drink tea." "Good!" Zhao Guozhong led the way. "You boy, you are not very good at appreciating paintings, but you have good eyesight for appreciating 'flowers'." Duan Tiansheng followed behind. "You mean Assistant Xiao, newly hired by the company." Zhao Guozhong found out that the secretary was very concerned about Huihai Group's every move. "Where did it come from?" Duan Tiansheng was obviously very curious. "I recruited from the graduates of Tsinghua University. Beautiful women from Suzhou, with a master's degree in economics, both talented and beautiful." Zhao Guozhong said very proudly, "Huihai Group has developed to this level, and it cannot continue to engage in inbreeding. Key positions still need to be introduced. Talented." "Since you need to employ people, you must control them well. Talents are double-edged swords. They can make a company prosper, but they can also make a company fail. Remember: the fortress is the easiest to break from the inside." As the secretary of the municipal party committee, Duan Born to be extremely cautious in employing people, even to the point of doing nothing. "I can rely on her for the production management of the coal mine. As for other important aspects, I will not let that woman intervene for the time being. After observing for a period of time, when I have complete control, it is not too late to let go." Zhao Guozhong learned from Duan Tiansheng A lot of subtle management experience. There is a high-end tea house next to the exhibition room, with carved beams and painted buildings, full of ancient flavor. The two sat down, and Zhao Guozhong ordered a pot of West Lake Longjing, the secretary's favorite drink. Duan Tiansheng asked casually while sipping tea, "Mayor Li Lilin has been in office for almost half a year. Do you have any feedback from the Federation of Industry and Commerce and the coal bosses?" Zhao Guozhong leaned over to refill the secretary's water: "'Sun Houzi' has been on the mountain for two days, and his buttocks are tightly covered, and there is nothing tricky about it. Everyone just thinks..." Duan Tiansheng realized something: "How do you feel?" As long as it comes to substantive issues, everyone will have scruples. Zhao Guozhong lowered his voice: "Brothers feel that Niu Jian, the executive deputy mayor, is a pity. He worked hard for two or three years, and finally survived until the mayor stepped down. Out of position, but Li Lilin came. Everyone thinks that the above arrangement is a bit unfair." Duan Tiansheng, the secretary, drank a few cups of tea and immediately felt refreshed: "What's wrong, I, Duan, belong to the Communist Party, so of course I have to obey the arrangements of the Party organization." "I heard that the new mayor Li Lilin has a female classmate who is Chinese-American. Her surname seems to be Shi, and her name is Shi Jiamin. She often comes to Coal City for charity recently. Does the secretary know?" Zhao Guozhong's hands and eyes are open. "I don't know." Duan Tiansheng rolled his eyes, "How many people know this news?" "Most people don't know, including Li Lilin." Zhao Guozhong explained, "I came back to Beijing from Coal City a few days ago, and I occasionally met on the plane. From the way the woman spoke, I could feel that Ms. Shi used to talk to Li Lilin's relationship is unusual." "Don't doubt the unusual relationship between people casually! You must not pay attention to this matter." The old Duan has a problem, the more he cares about things, the more he likes to talk ironically. Zhao Guozhong understands Secretary Duan's "characteristics", and he especially likes to listen to flattery: "Everyone commented on Secretary Duan that you are the most honest, unlike the former mayor Zhang Guojun, who was reported to have economic problems and stepped down. He was not investigated for criminal responsibility. He got lucky." Speaking of former mayor Zhang Guojun, Duan Tiansheng originally wanted to vent, but later he restrained himself: "Life is fate! Zhang Guojun is such a capable person, but he just can't resist his fate. He was successful at a young age and took power in his middle age. Even I can't do it." Don't give him a few points, but in the end it's still... a pity!" Zhao Guozhong has heard a lot of rumors recently: "It is said that one of his relatives has also become a wanted criminal on the Internet." Duan Tiansheng continued to hide: "This is not very clear." Zhao Guozhong, the coal boss, knew in his heart that the secretary loved to listen to market rumors: "It is rumored that the superiors found a lot of cash from Zhang Guojun's home, and there were also stock certificates of Tianliang Group. It was a shocking case. The superiors were still wise. Get off those guys." Seeing Zhao Guozhong's triumphant expression, Duan Tiansheng suddenly realized something: "You are not glad that the old mayor Zhang Guojun was arrested, but that Guo Tianliang of the Tianliang Group is unlucky!" After what Duan Tiansheng said, Zhao Guozhong didn't dare to be presumptuous.The secretary continued to beat him: "I heard that Guo Tianliang is a tough man who can't even put a steel knife in his mouth! The responsibility is entirely on his own, and he didn't pour any dirty water on Zhang Guojun. Only such entrepreneurs are reliable and talented. Make it a big deal!" What Duan Tiansheng said really meant a lot.Zhao Guozhong understood the meaning immediately, and he laughed at himself: "Guo Tianliang, I have dealt with him for so many years, and what I admire most is his character, which is my role model. But..." Duan Tiansheng was not completely relieved of this young man, he asked: "But what..." Zhao Guozhong tried his best to pretend to be very sincere: "However... his company and my company are both on the same mine vein, and it is inevitable to compete with each other." Duan Tiansheng knew this question a long time ago, and he was not only concerned about this question: "Is there any connection between your two coal mines and the Shuiyugou coal mine that happened today?" Zhao Guozhong made a decisive decision: "Definitely not!" Duan Tiansheng continued to press, his voice was particularly severe: "Is there really no one?" Zhao Guozhong broke into a cold sweat: "Really...really...really." Duan Tiansheng put on a relaxed look: "I don't have to worry about the investigation team coming from that province." When Zhao Guozhong heard what the secretary said, he suddenly lost his confidence and sweated profusely: "Don't...don't..." Duan Tiansheng knowingly asked: "Didn't you say that the Shuiyugou Coal Mine has nothing to do with you? What is there to worry about?!" Zhao Guozhong had no choice but to express his worries: "It is not directly related. But the mine where the accident happened is on the same vein as ours. To put it bluntly, he is on the main vein, and Guo Tianliang and I dug a branch vein. I am still a little worried. !" Duan Tiansheng understood everything: "Go! Go back quickly and see if there is any trouble."