In the middle of the night.
The moon and stars hung in the sky.
Dong Xuebing reread tomorrow’s newspaper headlines. He is not someone who procrastinates. He took out his lighter and burned the newspaper after he memorized that article. He got into this car and drove to tomorrow’s accident site. The accident will happen in the afternoon, and the article should be added last minute. The article did not even state the victims’ names or mention the accident investigation’s conclusion. It only states that substandard building materials caused the collapse. He was worried and wanted to check out the building himself.
On his way to the school, Dong Xuebing called home.
Ring… ring… ring….
“Hello?” Xie Huilan answered sleepily. “What is it?”
“Oh, you are sleeping.” Dong Xuebing asked. “I want to ask you something. Do you know about Xi Ping District Third Middle School?”
Xie Huilan yawned. “The school that collapsed during the earthquake? I heard about it. What is it?”
Dong Xuebing quickly said. “The school was rebuilt. Do you know about the progress? Do you know who the person in charge is? Tell me about the details.”
“Tell me what you are up to first.”
“Aiya, just tell me the information.”
“Alright….” Xie Huilan paused for a second. “Many schools in our area had collapsed during the earthquake, and it was the District Government rebuilding the schools. Some asked for tenders, and some looked for contractors directly. I am not sure about Xi Ping Third Middle School, but I know Song Fei’s company supplied the material. That was how I met him once before New Year. I am unsure about the rest, and many schools are being rebuilt around Fen Zhou City. Why are you asking about this school?”
Song Fei supplied the building materials?! Hehe…. It’s a small world.
Dong Xuebing immediately said. “I received an anonymous report, and I am just asking around. Alright. Go back to sleep. I will come home later.”
“Ok.”
Dong Xuebing threw his phone on the passenger seat and continued driving.
Xi Ping District.
Third Middle School. The place was quiet.
Dong Xuebing parked his car along the roadside and got out. This area was one of the badly hit disaster zones, and many buildings had collapsed or were damaged. Rebuilding constructions were ongoing everywhere, and it looked like a vast construction site. Only a few streetlights were working. He walked closer and saw the Third Middle School’s buildings. One building was completed except for renovations, and another building was still under construction. Building materials were scattered around the entrance.
No one, including the security, was around.
Dong Xuebing entered the school compound and stood in front of the uncompleted building. He picked up a building material and knocked on the floor. Crack! He did not use any strength, and this stone brick broke on impact. Powdery substances fell off from the broken part. It was not sturdy, and he did not feel any weight.
This material was so fragile.
What the hell is this material?
Dong Xuebing was mad. This is irresponsible and disregards the safety of the teachers and students.
However, Dong Xuebing is not an expert on construction materials and passes judgment based on this piece of material. He took out his phone and started taking pictures of the materials. He entered the building and took pictures of the unfinished walls. He even picked up a shovel and stabbed it against the wall. Crack! A deep hole appeared in the wall, and sand and crashed cement flew everywhere. The wall was too fragile too. He was furious as he took more pictures of the wall. How can students study in this building? These people were willing to do all things to earn money.
Suddenly, there was light. It seemed to be from a torchlight.
Dong Xuebing looked out and saw two security guards in the field. They were patrolling with a torch and should have been patrolling when he entered. He frowned and kept his phone before jumping out of a window. He left the school.
Dong Xuebing was driving with a heavy heart. Although he could not tell the building material’s issue, he knew the material was substandard. Even a layman like him could tell the difference, and he doesn’t believe the person in charge and the inspector do not know. On the surface, this was a case of substandard material, but he knew some of Xi Ping District’s leaders might be involved. Construction inspection was not under his jurisdiction, and he could not investigate. However, he can investigate the inspection department and construction committee’s leaders. He was going to take these people to task.
How is he going to do it?
Dong Xuebing could not show the pictures he took to the Commission for Discipline Inspection.
Dong Xuebing got an idea after parking his car. He took out his laptop in the car and started typing.
Twenty minutes later.
Dong Xuebing called Hui Tian Village Police Station Chief Liu Dahai. They are life-and-death friends, and he felt safe asking him for help.
“Hello, Xuebing?” Liu Dahai yawned.
Dong Xuebing replied. “Sorry for waking up in the middle of the night.”
Liu Dahai laughed. “I am not sleeping yet. It’s hard to sleep nowadays as we have many cases.”
“Take care of your health. Nothing is more important than your body. Oh, I need your help. Are you convenient to talk now?”
“Yes. What is it?”
“Do you have any email accounts? I will email an anonymous report and a few pictures to you.”
“Report?”
“Yes. I cannot expose myself. You know a lot of people. Help me find someone reliable to print a few copies of the report. Send two copies to me and the rest to the City Discipline Commission.”
“Anonymous report?”
“Yes. Sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s a small matter. When do you need it?”
“I need it tomorrow morning.”
“So urgent? I need to start looking for someone now. It should not be a problem.”
“Ok. Thanks.”
If there’s no opportunity, create one.”
With the anonymous report, Dong Xuebing had reason to investigate.
Party Committee family quarters.
Dong Xuebing looked at the time when he returned home. It was after 1 am, and it was quiet. Xie Huilan should be sleeping, and he quietly took off his shoes and clothes before getting into bed.
“You are back.” Xie Huilan looked at Dong Xuebing tiredly and turned to her side.
“Oh, did I wake you up?”
“Sleep early.”
“I will tell you something since you are awake.”
“Let’s talk tomorrow.” Xie Huilan replied. “I am sleepy.”
Dong Xuebing kissed her and stuck his tongue into her mouth playfully.
“Stop it.” Xie Huilan turned away. “I want to sleep.”
Dong Xuebing’s impression of Xie Huilan was always elegant, beautiful, and mature. She had nothing to do with cute, except for the moment when she was drifting to sleep.
“I will tell you, and you listen.”
“Ok.”
“Someone made an anonymous report to me about Xi Ping District Third Middle School. It claimed the rebuilt building has quality issues. The building material was substandard and might involve corruption and misuse of disaster relief funds.”
“Hmm….”
“I just went to the school, and it did not look good. Some materials broke into pieces with a light kick, and the walls crumbled after I hit them. I think it would collapse if I hit it a few times. It was not sturdy at all.” Dong Xuebing took out his phone and showed the pictures. “See, these are the photographs I took earlier.”
Xie Huilan opened her eyes and said. “Help me up.”
Dong Xuebing helped her sit up against the headboard. “Look.”
Xie Huilan scrolled through the pictures and started frowning. “It looked like there was a serious problem. However, this industry is tricky, and not every piece of material is sturdy. There’s no need to probe deeper if it is not serious.”
Dong Xuebing firmly replied. “Trust me. This is a serious problem.”
“What are you going to do? Start investigating for corruption and misuse of disaster funds from your side?”
“I still have not thought about it. But I think you should inform the higher-ups tomorrow morning. This Xi Ping Third Middle school and other rebuilt schools should use the same materials. You are in charge of education, and you should bring it up. You will be held responsible if the school buildings have quality issues.”
Xie Huilan thought for a while and did not reply.
“Don’t you think I am correct?” Dong Xuebing asked. “Just do as I say.”
Xie Huilan narrowed her eyes. “Alright. I will listen to you this time. Send me the anonymous report tomorrow morning, and I will bring it up during the Mayor’s meeting. However, I am not sure if they will do anything. After all, this incident is quite sensitive. It might make many reconstruction projects and construction sites anxious, and our City might not complete our rebuilding mission within the deadline. No one wants to be held responsible if the Central Government wants to hold someone accountable for the delay.”
“Ok. You just need to inform the higher-ups about this.”
