The moment Jing Yongli saw Yu Xiangdong, he knew the latter would inquire about Yang Jian. With Xu Zheng crippled, his uncle, Yu Xiangdong, would surely seek out the perpetrator for his nephew, and Yang Jian was the prime suspect.
"Section Chief Yu, I have no contact with Yang Jian, nor do I know his whereabouts."
Jing Yongli was unfazed by the threats and inducements. While he was still unsure of the current status of the poisoning incident or if anyone had died, he was confident his responsibility wouldn't be significant. After all, he was only being held accountable for leadership, and the punishment wouldn't be severe.
"Manager Jing, you need to understand the situation. You are the legal representative of the enterprise. This poisoning incident has had a massive impact. Once the case is handed over to the procuratorate and the court, you'll be sentenced to at least three years."
"Section Chief Yu, even if I were sentenced to thirty years, I still wouldn't know where Yang Jian is."
"Alright, I'll ask you a second question. You should know who planned the shooting at the sand quarry, right? If you tell me, I guarantee no repercussions for you."
As Yu Xiangdong asked his questions, he observed Jing Yongli's expression. He knew he wouldn't get any definitive answers but wanted to gauge Jing Yongli's reaction.
"How would I know that? I'm an honest and upright businessman. I don't understand or participate in underworld dealings. My home being ransacked is probably related to this matter, yet you haven't found any results. Now you're asking me about it."
"I know you won't admit it. Then let's talk about the last thing. How do you plan to deal with that sand quarry?"
"The sand quarry is being handled by the town government. I have no plans."
"Manager Jing, you can't evade this. Xu Zheng is now crippled, and his sand quarry has proper permits and significant investment. If you want to develop the Xiao Sha River, you must provide compensation. Even if you go to court, you'll have to pay."
"Section Chief Yu, we've already offered a compensation standard of 30,000 yuan, which is not a small amount. Xu Zheng's investment was mainly for land acquisition and road construction. Thirty thousand yuan is plenty."
"Don't joke with me, thirty thousand yuan? Their destroyed equipment alone is worth over a million, and Xu Zheng's medical expenses are hundreds of thousands. He'll spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. You think thirty thousand yuan can settle this? How is that possible?"
Jing Yongli looked astonished. "Section Chief Yu, did I hear you correctly? What do the destroyed equipment and Xu Zheng's medical expenses have to do with us? Why should I foot the bill?"
"Manager Jing, let's be direct. Everyone knows what's going on here, so don't play dumb. Pay two million yuan, and all grievances will be settled. Otherwise, I'll pursue that case to the end, and you'll regret it too late."
"Section Chief Yu, I don't know what you're talking about. I only know that if we're going to discuss compensation for the sand quarry, we should do it calmly, without bringing up useless matters."
"Then how much are you willing to pay? Thirty thousand yuan is definitely not acceptable."
"We can discuss anything within 100,000 yuan. If it exceeds that, there's no point in continuing the discussion. We're not in a hurry. The town government will eventually come up with a resolution."
Jing Yongli didn't want to get entangled further and voluntarily increased the compensation to 100,000 yuan. Anything more would require Yang Jian's approval.
"It seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin. This lesson still hasn't made you recognize the situation. I'll give you one more day to consider. If you continue to be stubborn, you won't be able to bear the consequences."
Yu Xiangdong stood up and left. If he stayed any longer, he might lose control and resort to violence.
Jing Yongli couldn't express his distress. It wasn't that he didn't want to settle the matter with money, but he simply didn't have the authority to offer two million yuan.
He knew Yu Xiangdong wouldn't let him off easily, but he dared not, nor would he, betray Yang Jian. For now, he could only hold on and leave his fate to chance.
The next day, instead of Yu Xiangdong, Director Yu arrived and took him back to the Xinqiao Police Station.
"Manager Jing, the case has been investigated. You have no direct involvement in the poisoning incident. You can go home today."
Director Yu took out a stack of documents in his office for Jing Yongli to sign and stamp.
"Director Yu, was the poisoning incident caused by human action or an accident?"
Jing Yongli asked curiously after signing.
"It was an accident. The couple who delivered the loofah to your factory were elderly. The grandmother had applied pesticides to her vegetable patch the day before, but the grandfather didn't know. The next day, he sold the loofah with pesticide residue to your factory. Fortunately, your factory only used the loofah for soup. The large amount of water diluted some of the pesticide residue. If it had been stir-fried, the situation would have been more severe."
"How are the poisoned employees now?"
"Over 200 people had mild symptoms. After treatment at the health center, they returned home that afternoon. The more than thirty severe cases also recovered and were discharged after only three days in the hospital. There were no major consequences, which is why you were released so quickly."
"Oh, thank heavens. It's good that no one died. Director Yu, can the factory resume operations?"
Upon hearing that there were no casualties, Jing Yongli was truly relieved. Whether it was truly an accident or not was no longer important.
"Not yet. You'll have to wait for the Health Bureau's penalty results. You might face an economic penalty."
"What about the kitchen staff? Have they been released?"
"The head chef and Guihua, who was responsible for purchasing, have been administratively detained for fifteen days and fined one thousand yuan each. Everyone else has been released."
"Oh, thank you, Director Yu."
"Why thank me? It was Mayor Peng who interceded for you. He said your Lijian Plate Factory is developing rapidly, is a leading enterprise in Xinqiao Town, and a major taxpayer. Releasing you is to allow you to prepare for the resumption of work and production as soon as possible."
"Oh, regardless, I must also thank you for clarifying the truth so quickly. Otherwise, I'd never be able to clear my name, even if I jumped into the Yellow River."
"Manager Jing, no need for pleasantries. Protecting businesses is our police responsibility. There's one more thing I'd like to discuss with you."
Director Yu put away the documents and changed the subject.
"Please tell me, Director Yu."
"You still need to resolve the dispute with Xu Zheng's sand quarry, don't you? Dragging this out not only affects your project progress but also escalates the conflict. Take my advice, make some concessions. After all, Xu Zheng is crippled and no longer poses a threat to you."
As soon as Director Yu finished speaking, Jing Yongli understood he was Yu Xiangdong's messenger. He had been waiting for him here.
"Director Yu, they want two million yuan. Isn't that extortion? He didn't invest much in that sand quarry in the first place. I've already agreed to give 100,000 yuan, and they're still not satisfied. There's nothing I can do."
"Manager Jing, you are wealthy and powerful now. Yaochi Garden invests tens of millions casually. Two million yuan is not a significant amount for you. To ensure the smooth implementation of your project and reduce external interference, it's worth paying this money."
This was another veiled threat. Jing Yongli had witnessed what "officials protecting each other" meant. Director Yu was a colleague of Yu Xiangdong's system, so this behavior was not surprising.