In name only: The land of Handong, I shall rule its fate.

"Hello, viewers at home."

"I am Chen Yao, a reporter from the Hunan Provincial Radio and Television Station in Handong."

"Residents of the Miners' New Village and surrounding areas in Guangming District, Jingzhou, received dual notifications from the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government via phone and text message at 1 p.m. Under the orderly command of government staff, they evacuated and checked into hotels. Nearby roads were completely blocked off. What exactly happened with such a commotion?"

"I will lead everyone to find out more, and we have also invited Comrade Li Dakang, member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee, to give us a brief introduction."

A reporter from the provincial television station said this while facing the live broadcast camera.

"Hello, Secretary Li."

Chen Yao looked at the man beside her, whose face remained tense, and greeted him.

"Hello, Mr. Chen."

Li Dakang forced a smile onto his usually stern face, but the bloodshot eyes revealed his deep exhaustion.

"Secretary Li, could you please explain to us what exactly happened in the miners' new village? The city government's commotion has caused great unease among the people of Jingzhou."

Chen Yao asked the most crucial question.

"Okay, Reporter Chen."

"The incident stemmed from the downfall of a corrupt official who accepted bribes. The municipal discipline inspection commission interrogated him in accordance with the law and, based on the evidence, discovered that the gas pipeline renovation project for the miners' new village, which he was in charge of, should have been completed three years ago, but has been delayed until now due to the issue of 5 million yuan in renovation funds."

After discovering the problem, the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection immediately reported it to the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government.

Under the instructions of Governor Lin Zhiyuan, the municipal party committee and government immediately launched emergency relief measures, including but not limited to temporarily shutting down the relevant piped gas supply, promptly relocating nearby residents, and having professionals investigate the pipeline situation.

Fortunately, this hidden danger was discovered in advance, preventing an irreparable tragedy. It was truly a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

Because the incident was urgent and had a significant impact, and because it caused inconvenience to the people of Jingzhou, I apologize to the general public on behalf of the municipal party committee and government.

Li Dakang gripped the microphone tightly with both hands, his eyes reddening as if he were about to cry, and bowed deeply to the camera.

The news broadcast attracted many local residents of Jingzhou, as well as a number of viewers from other places who were simply watching the spectacle.

"Is this yet another egregious case of bribery by corrupt officials?"

"Who is it!"

"Who else could it be? Ding Yizhen of Jingzhou is a very famous man!"

"Am I the only one concerned about where the 5 million yuan went? Did Ding Yizhen pocket it all?"

"What exactly is the root cause of the long-standing delay in the pipeline renovation project?"

Through the secondary screen, Chen Yao could clearly see the viewers' comments and accurately selected the most insightful questions.

"The Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee and Government have always put the safety of the people first, and have coordinated and implemented policies and plans in a timely manner. The Municipal Party Committee and Government have been promoting the construction of related infrastructure, site coordination, and renovation of old pipelines in the miners' new village, but the problem lies in the allocation of those special funds."

Zhongfu Group headquarters once allocated 500 million yuan, but as soon as the funds arrived in the special account of Guangming District Finance Bureau, they were borrowed by Jingzhou Zhongfu Group on the grounds of paying back wages to workers of its subsidiary Jingzhou Energy. At the time, the borrowing was agreed to for social reasons of maintaining stability and security, and this borrowing lasted for a full four years.

Ding Yizhen, the former deputy mayor of Jingzhou who was in charge of the old city renovation project, concealed the matter out of fear of taking responsibility, thus leading to the disastrous consequences we see today.

Li Dakang answered selectively, and his words were nine-tenths true, firmly pinning the blame on Zhongfu in Jingzhou.

"As expected, it's still the evil deeds of corrupt officials."

"That's not right. Isn't the bigger problem with Jingzhou Zhongfu? They're the ones who transferred the money away."

"You believe him just like that! Maybe it's a conspiracy between the two parties to embezzle funds."

"What kind of company is Zhongfu? Why is it the one that's allocating funds for the renovation of the miners' new village?"

"That's a company with the letter Y in its name. It started in Jingzhou back then, and the Miners' Village is the old dormitory building of Jingzhou Zhongfu, where all the employees of Zhongfu lived."

"Where are the people from Zhongfu at the scene? I know there are government officials there."

"Is it dangerous now?"

"My house is right next door, won't it explode in a flash?"

"Secretary Li, I see that professionals have already gone down to inspect the pipeline. What is the current condition of the pipeline? Is there any sign of it deteriorating?"

Chen Yao continued to ask.

"Based on the current inspection findings, the situation is very bad. The pipeline has been in use for nearly forty years and has serious aging and corrosion problems."

"Normally it's fine."

"If large-scale construction is carried out without the knowledge of the situation, the machinery and equipment could easily rupture the pipes and cause an explosion."

"But the gas company has now shut down the gas supply here. The municipal government will complete the renovation and repair as quickly as possible to safeguard the lives of the people of Jingzhou."

Li Dakang spoke frankly, first clearly explaining the dangers involved, and then revealing his determination in Jingzhou.

"Secretary Li, have any representatives from Zhongfu Group arrived? Have they reached a remedial consensus with you, the municipal party committee, and the municipal government?"

Chen Yao's questions were presented in a gradual and progressive manner.

"this…"

Li Dakang paused for a moment in his fluent answer, his brows furrowing, but he quickly regained his composure. "Jingzhou Zhongfu Group has already sent its elite personnel immediately. General Manager Shi Hongxing and Deputy Secretary Lu Jianshe still need to handle some internal group affairs, but they will be on their way here soon."

"But on behalf of the municipal party committee and government, I want to make it clear to all the people of Jingzhou and the viewers who are concerned about this matter that we will definitely get back the renovation funds to ensure the normal repair of the pipeline and the resettlement of residents. My team members and I will live and work in the miners' new village to ensure that the people of Jingzhou have a stable and peaceful living and working environment."

"At the same time, we also want to tell the people that Jingzhou and Handong will never allow corrupt officials to run rampant. The sky above the people of Jingzhou will always be a bright and clear sky, and the land beneath their feet will always be a land of virtue and generosity."

"Jingzhou will never let its people down."

Li Dakang bowed again.

"What this Party Secretary said seems to have ignited a firestorm!"

"Bullshit! He's just a smooth-talking politician, and you're actually sympathizing with him?"

"You're the one talking nonsense! That's an invincible, spiraling, heavenly rainbow fart!"

"Everyone knows that our Secretary Dakang of Jingzhou is a famous economic pioneer who gets things done. Since he came, Jingzhou's GDP has consistently ranked first in Handong, and the lives of the people of Jingzhou have improved immeasurably."

"As a citizen of Lincheng, where Secretary Dakang served, I have a lot to say. Secretary Dakang is someone with real substance."

"That's right! We believe in Secretary Li."

"At least we saw Secretary Li's actions and attitude; he didn't treat us like Mongolians."

"Thank you for your explanation, Secretary Li."

Chen Yao nodded, "It made my uneasy heart feel much better."

"Our interview with Secretary Li will end here for now."

"Handong Provincial TV News Channel will continue to follow up and report on the rectification of the miners' new village. Please keep an eye on it."

The words fell.

The live interview was changed to an internal broadcast of the miners' new village project, and a large number of viewers actively participated in the discussion.

"You guys... hired online trolls?"

Looking at the comments on the screen, which were mostly in support of him and the municipal government, Li Dakang asked Chen Yao.

Although he knew his performance was relatively successful, when things went wrong, most people still criticized him relentlessly.

"Secretary Li, we are the provincial TV station, we don't do such things."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yao glanced at Li Dakang in surprise and then explained with a smile.

Li Dakang was increasingly incredulous.

"Our Minister Pan said that Secretary Li is a very confident person, so why does he seem insecure now?"

Chen Yao smiled and said:

"Secretary Li, if you have time, you might as well listen to everyone's voice. You still have a very high image in our hearts."