The fiery era began in 1958.

After everyone else had left, Jiang Zhenghua closed the meeting room door.

Jin Hong took out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes and distributed them to everyone.

He exhaled a smoke ring, glanced at the group, and then said slowly, "Everyone should have sensed that this case is far from simple; it's not just a murder and body disposal case anymore. No one can predict how it will unfold. Right now, it's involved the joint venture, the Hongxing Machinery Factory. You all know what happened in Shanghai last year, right?"

Everyone acknowledged what he said, but their expressions were all solemn.

Jin Hong was referring to the Second Shanghai Municipal People's Congress in January 1957, during the early stages of the Rectification Movement. In the atmosphere of "letting people speak out freely," Li Kangnian, as a representative of the People's Congress, submitted a proposal with the initial intention of "improving the redemption policy and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the business community."

After the entire industry was publicly and privately owned in 1956, the state implemented a fixed-interest system, distributing a fixed dividend of 5% per annum based on private shares. This was originally set to remain unchanged for 7 years. However, Li Kangnian believed that the total fixed interest over 7 years was only 35% of the private shares, which did not meet the standard of "purchasing all private means of production". He requested that the redemption period be extended to 20 years.

However, Li Kangnian did not expect that starting in June of last year, multiple media outlets published articles criticizing him, claiming that demanding "full redemption" was "greedy" and violated the basic requirement of "accepting the leadership of the working class and carrying out ideological reform"; and that issuing "redemption certificates of deposit" was "an attempt to restore the capitalist economic order" and challenge the country's economic sovereignty.

Even on June 26, at the Fourth Session of the National People's Congress, Mr. [Name] explicitly expressed his opposition to the proposal, pointing out that "fixed interest is a concession by the state to the bourgeoisie, not an equivalent exchange."

This incident later became a typical case of criticism from the business community during the Anti-Rightist Campaign.

Following this incident, the Sijiu City Bureau instructed its district branches to pay close attention to the investors of the joint venture, and all those who had raised similar opinions were placed under investigation.

Hongxing Machinery Factory is a joint venture, so we must be cautious when dealing with it.

After a long silence, Yu Yong said solemnly, "Deputy Director Jin, don't worry. Liu Jing is a smart man. I heard that after the Li Kangnian incident last year, he voluntarily applied to give up receiving fixed interest and insisted on resigning from his position as a factory director."

Qiao Fuping asked in surprise, "Is that so? But as far as I know, he's still a director?"

"I am aware of this matter. After the report was submitted, the Municipal Bureau of Industry, after careful consideration, approved his application in order to stabilize these investors, but the seven-year fixed interest rate remained unchanged, and the later period was treated as a donation. He was also allowed to serve as a director."

Jin Hong paused, then continued, "These people are like frightened birds; the slightest disturbance can terrify them. So, during the investigation, when dealing with these individuals, be careful to maintain a proper distance and avoid causing panic or escalating the situation. Of course, if he was involved, then there's no question about it; we'll handle it according to the law. Understand?"

Jiang Zhenghua and the other four nodded emphatically.

Qiao Fuping said, "We'll just focus on investigating the case and ignore the internal struggles within their factory."

Jiang Zhenghua exhaled a smoke ring and said in a deep voice, "But when we wear these uniforms, we represent the government. Sometimes we have to think things through. We can only be careful not to escalate the conflict because of us."

Jin Hong smiled and said, "Vice President Jiang is right. But we can't be too timid. We still need to investigate what needs to be investigated. We have to figure out the right balance ourselves."

This is a subtle, overt reminder.

These investors may look down on themselves now, but there are still people who remember them, so the influence behind them is not small.

If unrest occurs, the branch office cannot bear the consequences.

Qiao Fuping suddenly picked up a file bag from the table and handed it to Jin Hong with both hands: "Deputy Director Jin, this is a report I drafted based on the case. Please take a look and give me some feedback."

Jin Hong took the file bag with a puzzled look, pulled out a few sheets of paper, and began to read them carefully.

Some thoughts on the problems behind the temporary worker system.

He smiled and looked at Qiao Fuping: "Director Qiao has made great progress. You actually have such profound thoughts now. I need to take a good look at you."

As he spoke, he plopped down on the stool and started reading.

Yu Yong looked at Qiao Fuping in surprise and whispered, "Old Qiao, tell me honestly, when did you acquire this ability?"

Qiao Fuping glanced at him and said, "I remember telling you about this, didn't I? I drafted this on behalf of the special task force in conjunction with the Red Star Machinery Factory, didn't I?"

"When did you tell me this?"

Qiao Fuping shrugged: "Didn't I say that?"

Yu Yong nodded emphatically: "You definitely didn't say that, otherwise I would have a complete recollection of it."

He turned to look at Lin Song: "Old Lin, do you know?"

Lin Song looked bewildered and said with a wry smile, "If you don't know, how could I possibly know?"

Just as Yu Yong was about to speak, Jin Hong suddenly stood up, the stool beneath him making a screeching sound.

He looked at Qiao Fuping: "Good, very good. Drawing inferences from one instance to others, starting with the loophole of the Red Star Machinery Factory's use of temporary workers, and pointing out that other factories may also have the same loopholes, giving the bourgeoisie an opportunity to take advantage, is truly excellent."

"Deputy Director Jin, what did you write? Can I take a look?"

Yu Yong was very curious and reached for the manuscript.

"Don't rush, I haven't finished reading it yet."

Jin Hong twisted his body to dodge.

After reading the rest, he suddenly slammed his hand on the table, startling everyone.

Jin Hong said happily, "That's wonderful. Not only did you point out the problem, but you also came up with a way to plug the loopholes. Old Qiao, you did a great job. I will personally hand this report to the director and forward it to the higher-ups."

Qiao Fuping humbly replied, "Thank you for your recognition, Deputy Director Jin."

Jin Hong handed the manuscript to Yu Yong: "But why is the Machinery Factory Security Department listed as a signature at the end?"

Qiao Fuping then recounted all of Jiang Zhenghua's analysis during his investigation of the case at the machinery factory, when he discussed the case with Cheng Mingli.

Jin Hong nodded repeatedly as he listened.

He turned to Jiang Zhenghua and said, "Deputy Director Jiang, you are truly both literate and capable. You offer insightful and precise observations on the issues. What's even more commendable is your suggestion to directly connect the factory with the agricultural cooperative to prevent anyone from exploiting the information gap and taking advantage of the labor force."

Jiang Zhenghua quickly said, "Deputy Director Jin, you flatter me. This is all thanks to the collective wisdom of the team, not just my own achievement."

Jin Hong chuckled: "You don't need to be modest. But writing the report this way is indeed the most appropriate way to handle it."

He pondered for a moment and said, "I'll give this report to the bureau chief first, and then submit it along with the case closure report after the case is closed. I think the security department of the machinery factory will probably do something similar, in order to make up for the mistakes in this case and strive for a lighter punishment."

Yu Yong and Lin Song then finished reading the report and put it on the table.

The two exchanged a glance, both understanding each other's meaning: Yu'er Hutong Police Station had indeed fallen behind others.

"I knew it! The reason why the security department of the machinery factory was so cooperative this time was because they had a protective charm and weren't afraid of being struck by lightning."

Yu Yong adjusted his smile, took out cigarettes from his pocket, and offered them to everyone.

Jin Hong took the cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag: "This is more than just a protective charm. Cheng Mingli might be able to use this to advance further. You know, many steel-related factories are expanding their production capacity right now, and they're short-staffed, so they'll inevitably hire temporary workers. Over time, the same problems will inevitably arise. But by raising the issue and solving it now, we've nipped the problem in the bud, saving the country a lot of trouble. This is a great achievement; you can expect a reward."

The group smiled and nodded, casting grateful glances at Jiang Zhenghua.

"This case is getting more and more complicated. The chief wants us to solve it as soon as possible."

Jin Hong straightened up and said seriously, "There's news that an important meeting will be held in Beidaihe on the 17th of this month. As you know, the higher-ups have set a hard target of doubling steel production this year, and the whole country is working hard to increase production and meet the targets. This meeting will most likely determine the specific regulations for steel production, so at this critical juncture, the case involving the machinery factory must be solved as soon as possible to avoid delaying production."

Jiang Zhenghua and the other man straightened up and responded.

The conference focused on industrial production, passed a series of resolutions, and officially announced that steel production in 1958 would double that of 1957.

This also created a political landscape where "steel" took the lead.