Chapter 0009: Not Deterred by the Worst Malice
Shen Huai could sense Wu Haifeng's intense distrust towards him. The gazes of the crowd converged, causing his face to feel somewhat flushed. However, before exiting the room, he noticed a small, less noticeable water stain in the corner seam of the shower room, and the floor was also somewhat damp. A thought crossed his mind: Could it be that Chen Mingde had suffered a heart attack while showering?
He is no longer the previous Shen Huai. He once shone at the city steel mill, but he also endured years of being trampled underfoot. In just a few short years, he experienced a significant disparity in life, which led him to contemplate life more profoundly than the average person; his perspective on issues is much more insightful than that of ordinary individuals.
Shen Huai's heart was also filled with shock, secretly thinking, "When it rains, it pours," which probably describes his current situation.
The conversation between the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Peng Yong made Shen Huai sense something unusual
Why is Wu Haifeng silent again
As Chen Mingde's secretary, Shen Huai should have been involved in this matter; however, Wu Haifeng had heard about Shen Huai's conduct both in the province and later at Donghua, and he was quite distrustful of him, promptly deciding to dismiss him.
Speaking of which, it is also Secretary Shen Huai who did not fulfill his duties adequately before
If it were not for the onset of illness while bathing, why would Chen Mingde pass away in the bedroom while unclothed
However, as Shen Huai stepped out of the bedroom and glanced at the bathroom, which was quite tidy, he began to feel puzzled again: Could it be that he really died on a woman's belly?
After a while, Zhou Yu's voice was heard: "Perhaps Mayor Chen suffered a heart attack while taking a shower, and he wanted to return to his room to get his medication, but he didn't make it in time..."
Chen Mingde died of a heart attack while taking a shower. His family members and representatives from the province have come to handle the funeral arrangements and hold a memorial service. For Donghua, even if there will be no favorable outcome, there will also be no lasting repercussions.
The Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, Wu Haifeng, stood with his hands on his hips in the living room outside, his face clouded with gloom, resembling a scene of an impending storm, prompting an instinctive desire to avoid him
At first glance, Shen Huai was taken aback: beneath the blanket lay Chen Mingde, whose complexion was pale and lifeless, and astonishingly, he was not wearing a single piece of clothing...
Why did Peng Yong want to muddy the water
If it were the previous carefree Shen Huai, Chen Mingde's death would be just that—death. After all, with Chen Mingde gone, he could no longer remain in Donghua. Did he care whether Chen Mingde fell ill while taking a bath or while with a woman?
Mayor Chen specifically instructed that no one should worry about him upon his return
Shen Huai and Zhou Yu stood at the door, noticing that others did not even glance at him, seemingly unaware of his presence. He then turned sideways and squeezed into the bedroom, lifting the corner of the sheet to look at Chen Mingde's corpse
It is impossible. He has been at Donghua University with Chen Mingde for half a year and has not seen Chen Mingde getting involved with any woman. Could it be that Chen Mingde finds him unreliable and is keeping some matters from him?
At this moment, Shen Huai had no feelings for Chen Mingde, but upon witnessing the situation before him, he was still very shocked
Peng Yong was the first to enter the room. Even if he did not see the water stain at the edge of the shower room's outer wall, he should not have hastily denied the possibility that Chen Mingde had an episode while taking a shower
Peng Yong's complexion was very poor. Although he usually acted with bravado and had some prepared remarks, in front of the furious boss, he could not help but respond with trepidation.
Nowadays, those in leadership positions tend to have a strong temper, and Wu Haifeng rarely shows mercy when reprimanding others
What do Wu Haifeng and Peng Yong intend to do
How do you take care of the leader's daily life? Mayor Chen returns to rest at noon; how can you not show any concern or inquire? With such incidents occurring, how am I supposed to explain this to the provincial authorities?
Ge Yongqiu and Peng Yong, as the Director and Deputy Director of the Reception Office of the Municipal Government at m.hetushucom.com, naturally bear the primary responsibility for such a significant incident.
At the entrance of the corridor, there were two police officers from the municipal public security bureau. In the hall, two doctors in white coats stood, along with two young girls specifically assigned to duty at Building 6 of the Nanyuan Hotel. Having not experienced much, they appeared pale and seemed to be frightened by the events that had transpired.
Chen Mingde was found naked, having died of a heart attack in his room, which can be interpreted in various ways
People often have the habit of speculating about others with the worst possible intentions, which is enough to ruin the reputation of Chen Mingde.
Only the soul within this body has changed. At this moment, Shen Huai even hopes to have the opportunity to gain the understanding of the Song family, and also hopes to find shelter under the great tree of the Song family. He cannot just stand by and watch the situation develop in the worst possible direction
However, what benefits does this bring to Peng Yong and Wu Haifeng
The municipal steel mill, as a large state-owned enterprise, can be seen as a microcosm of contemporary officialdom, complete with its share of overt and covert struggles, as well as deceit and treachery, all of which are present in abundance. From this, Shen Huai has learned enough about the treachery of human nature—he instinctively concluded that Peng Yong's remarks were intentionally meant to muddy the waters
... ...
Even if there is no strong evidence supporting either possibility, from the perspective of facilitating the resolution of the situation, one should lean as much as possible towards the first possibility
This is truly thought-provoking
Ge Yongqiu, along with Peng Yong, the manager of Nanyuan Hotel, and the leading doctor who rushed to provide emergency assistance, all stood there reporting to Wu Haifeng about the situation of the previous rescue effort
In the room, only Zhou Yu and Peng Yong were speaking, and after just a few simple exchanges, they fell silent; Wu Haifeng, Ge Yongqiu, and others remained silent, as if in the dead silence before an impending storm
Wu Haifeng's reprimanding voice was not loud, yet it seemed to contain the powerless thunder of a low-pressure shadow, as if it were hidden within the clouds. When he spoke, his fingers nearly poked Ge Yongqiu and Peng Yong in the face
No wonder Wu Haifeng asked with a gloomy expression, who had entered or exited Building 6 before this
Since you were injured at the city steel mill a few days ago, you should take good care of your injury. Do not get involved in the affairs related to Mayor Chen's funeral; the city will assign a dedicated person to handle it
The two most likely scenarios are: one is falling ill while taking a shower, unable to retrieve medication, leading to sudden death; the other is much more ambiguous and sordid
This damned woman! Shen Huai cursed inwardly as she deliberately slowed her pace while going downstairs
If it were the previous Shen Huai, he would absolutely be unable to discern anything from the two sentences exchanged between Zhou Yu and Peng Yong. However, for the current Shen Huai, having only heard a few words since going upstairs, he has already picked up enough points of suspicion.
Furthermore, regarding who entered and exited Building 6 at noon, you must report truthfully without any ambiguity
The dramatic changes experienced over the past two days have been more than enough, causing Shen Huai's nerves to become more resilient. After hearing Wu Haifeng's words, he silently walked out.
Earlier in the morning, he had just brutally beaten Zhou Dazui, the brother-in-law of Ge Yongqiu, relying on the support of Chen Mingde, which forced Ge Yongqiu and his brother-in-law to endure the humiliation... Unexpectedly, the very Chen Mingde who could back him up passed away suddenly in the afternoon due to illness
On the second floor, the living room is accessible, and through the half-open door, one can see Chen Mingde lying straight on the bed in the bedroom, with the sheet already covering his face, indicating that he has indeed passed away
It is unnecessary to claim that there is no evidence linking Chen Mingde's death to a scandal; even if Chen Mingde did indeed die as a result of such a scandal, as the Secretary of the Municipal Committee of Donghua City, he should have made every effort to cover it up.
As he was about to descend the stairs, Zhou Yu cast a glance over, and within those bright eyes lay a hint of schadenfreude.
"Shen Huaihe - Picture - Book, what are you doing in there?" At that moment, Wu Haifeng noticed that Shen Huai had entered the bedroom, and he suddenly raised his voice sharply to stop him, calling him to come out
Chen Mingde, as a provincial-level cadre, passed away suddenly due to illness, and the cause of death is somewhat suspicious. Naturally, the handling of his affairs will not be straightforward, and the provincial authorities will send personnel to Donghua at the earliest opportunity
Yesterday morning, Chen Mingde called to inquire about his injuries. Little did he expect that today it would be him lying straight on the bed. The changes in life are truly unpredictable
By 2:00 PM, I had not seen Mayor Chen come out, so I came to take a look. It is my fault, Secretary Wu, you have every right to scold me. However, no one expected such an incident to occur, and previously, no one mentioned that Mayor Chen had a heart condition. Did anyone enter or exit Building 6 during lunch? Indeed, no one paid attention to that. The two staff members on the day shift responsible for Building 6 were distracted; upon hearing Mayor Chen's instructions, they ran out, and there was a period of time when they were not in Building 6.
Shen Huai would never believe that Peng Yong's words were purely a matter of being realistic and pragmatic
Peng Yong's intention in making that statement is quite evident; it is essentially an outright denial of the possibility that Chen Mingde fell ill while taking a shower
This old heaven is really tormenting people too much
Shen Huai followed Zhou Yu upstairs, no longer interested in observing her rounded hips that were accentuated by her tight trousers as she lifted her foot
Shen Huai stood there in shock: the member of the municipal committee and vice mayor was found naked and ill in a hotel room. What an astonishing piece of news and political event this must be for Donghua City!
If Chen Mingde indeed passed away suddenly due to a heart attack while bathing, then the explanation of him falling ill while being unclothed is undoubtedly beneficial for everyone involved
Chen Mingde is the secretary of the old master and can be considered an official of the Song family faction. If he were truly to die in the embrace of a woman, it would have a negative impact on the reputation of the Song family as well as the development of the Song family's descendants and former officials. If it were like Shen Huai from before, he might even wish for such an outcome.
Neither was there a constant reminder for Chen Mingde to abandon the habit of taking cold showers in winter, nor was there a report to the city regarding Chen Mingde's heart condition, and there was certainly no supervision to ensure that Nanyuan was always prepared to provide hot water for Building 6
Chen Mingde has heart disease and a bad habit of taking cold showers. The doctor has warned him that taking cold showers in cold weather can easily irritate the heart, but he has always ignored this advice. Unless there are other suspicious factors, this undoubtedly provides the best explanation for why Chen Mingde was found dead in his room without any clothes.
The sixth building does not supply hot water at noon, and Mayor Chen is aware of this. He has raised this issue with the reception office on two occasions, and there are records of this. I was also planning to install a separate solar water heating system for the sixth building in a few days, but unexpectedly... Peng Yong intentionally lowered his voice, but Shen Huai, leaning slightly in the stairwell without descending, still heard Peng Yong's words clearly.
They certainly would not directly say that Chen Mingde died in a woman's belly, after all, whether such a woman exists is still uncertain, and there is no strong evidence—it's sufficient for them to insist that Chen Mingde passed away suddenly in his room in the afternoon while being unclothed due to illness
Chen Mingde has only been at Donghua for half a year, and his family has stayed in the provincial capital without coming over. He has been living and eating at Nanyuan, while Shen Huai, fearing that he might be too strict with Chen Mingde, did not stay at Nanyuan. Instead, he has been enduring hardships by living in the dormitory of the municipal government agency
Zhou Yuya did not enter the bedroom or the bathroom, but she stood outside and directly speculated that Chen Mingde might have suffered a sudden illness and passed away while taking a shower. It can be said that although she is a woman, she is still aware of the rules of the officialdom, which dictate that "major issues should be minimized, minor issues should be resolved, and one should avoid unnecessary disputes."
Shen Huai was taken aback, as Peng Yong's words raised suspicions in his mind
"Stop messing around! You all need to control the information and prevent it from leaking out. Don't let outsiders gossip about it." Wu Haifeng scolded angrily, resting his chin on his hand, and said nothing further