Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 295 Honest Man Stands Firm

The meeting room immediately became abuzz with excitement.

People whispered among themselves.

Unexpectedly, at the most critical moment, Yin Xueyao publicly questioned the investigation report's conclusions and pointed directly at the most crucial testing evidence.

This is tantamount to personally carving a huge hole in a ship about to set sail.

Jiang Xiaoli flew into a rage, slammed his hand on the table, and shouted, "Yin Xueyao! What nonsense are you spouting!"

The test report was issued by a legally qualified third-party organization, the procedures were compliant, and the conclusions are valid!

What evidence do you have that it is not independent or impartial? This is slander!

This is an attempt to discredit the investigation team's findings!

The other members of the investigation team also didn't want Yin Xueyao to cause any trouble.

Because they had all received bribes, they naturally sided with Jiang Xiaoli's view that the bridge collapsed due to force majeure.

Yin Xueyao's sudden attack was seen as an unexpected complication.

Making a big fuss about it will do them no good.

Everyone chimed in with their own words, trying to persuade Yin Xueyao.

"Yes, Director Yin, let's sign it. The report is finalized. We want to go home as soon as possible."

"That's right. It's a collective conclusion. Just follow the procedures. Why offend anyone?"

"Director Yin, have you been too tired lately and gotten a little stuck on things? Calm down first."

……

Yin Xueyao sneered, "Secretary-General Jiang, your skill in labeling people is truly masterful!"

Does raising procedural questions automatically become slander and defamation?

Alright, please explain a few points clearly in front of all your comrades:

First, what is the relationship between Feng Dayou of Longcheng Chengjian Testing Company and Bi Yuan, the contractor?

Is there any potential for collusion between them that could affect the impartiality of the testing?

Second, who were the specific samplers, witnesses, sealers, and submitters of the concrete core samples and steel reinforcement samples on site?

Was there a complete, unaltered video record of the sampling process?

Third, in the entire chain of sampling, sending for testing, and testing, besides the qualified report issued unilaterally by Chengjian Company, are there any other independent supervision or review mechanisms?

If not, what makes you think this report is procedurally compliant and its conclusions valid?

Jiang Xiaoli hadn't expected Yin Xueyao to be so difficult. He had initially thought she was intimidated, but now she was retaliating even more fiercely. He suppressed his anger and used platitudes to brush her off:

"Comrade Xueyao, the questions you raised have been recorded during the investigation. You can check the files after the meeting for specific details."

This is a signing and confirmation meeting, not a technical debate!

Stop getting bogged down in endless details and disrupting the meeting's focus!

Yin Xueyao retorted sharply: "Details determine success or failure; the devil is in the details."

If even the source and process of the most crucial evidence cannot be guaranteed to be innocent, then what credibility do the conclusions drawn from it have?

On what grounds should we sign and put our fingerprints on documents and assume responsibility?

This isn't called getting bogged down in details; it's called being responsible for the facts and for the signature!

Jiang Xiaoli decided to play his trump card, which was Yin Xueyao's lifestyle, but he couldn't be too direct. So he said, "Comrade Xueyao, I've noticed that you've been a bit emotionally unstable lately. Have you not been getting enough rest in Qingshan County?"

Have you encountered any problems in your life?

Sometimes, personal setbacks can easily affect one's work judgment.

As leading cadres, we must always pay attention to our public image and the impact we have on others. Don't you agree?

Especially during such a sensitive period, we must be extremely careful with every word and action.

Some words are easy to say but hard to take back.

Some things, once they get out, can have a huge impact on you personally and on your family.

Yin Xueyao scoffed at this, and now she's even hinting that threatening her with her lifestyle issues is completely ineffective.

Because she was divorced from her husband and was a single woman, while Ayu was a single man.

Regardless of A-Yu's motives, sleeping with him was consensual and did not involve any monetary transactions, so no one can interfere.

Jiang Xiaoli thought he could control things, how laughable!

Yin Xueyao said coldly, "Secretary-General Jiang, I understand what you mean, but I can tell you frankly that I, Yin Xueyao, am upright and honest, and my personal life has long been settled. There is no leverage that anyone can use against me, and I will not back down even a step on matters of principle because of this!"

As leading cadres, what we should really pay attention to is not our private lives, which are often based on rumors and gossip, but rather our integrity, self-discipline, and dedication to our duties!

They are worthy of the national emblem above their heads, worthy of the power in their hands, worthy of the four lives lost in the bridge accident, and worthy of the people of Qingshan who are eagerly awaiting the truth!

Our duty is to find out the truth of the accident, let the deceased rest in peace, and give an explanation to the society, not to join forces to produce a flawed cover-up report and use force majeure to cover up a man-made disaster caused by poor construction quality!

If someone signs documents that contradict facts or professional standards due to personal gain or external coercion, that is true dereliction of duty and malfeasance, the greatest disrespect for their public office, and will lead to their complete disgrace!

Zhou Guohua, who had been silent and observing, suddenly spoke up: "I support Director Yin, and I refuse to sign!"

Jiang Xiaoli was shocked once again!

Unexpectedly, the timid and cowardly Zhou Guohua also joined the rebellion.

Jiang Xiaoli slammed her fist on the table in anger: "Zhou Guohua, you're just spouting nonsense!"

Zhou Guohua, unusually assertive, said: "Secretary-General Jiang, I'm not just making things up; I can't lie through my teeth!"

As a technical expert, based on my professional judgment, the authenticity and objectivity of the test report are highly questionable.

Jiang Xiaoli realized she had lost her temper, so she adjusted her emotions and softened her tone: "Engineer Zhou, you are a highly respected senior expert and technical authority in the city. I have always respected your professional opinions."

However, you must understand that what we are discussing now is not just a technical issue, but a serious political task entrusted to us by the municipal party committee and the municipal government.

The investigation was complex and multifaceted. This report is the result of collective discussion, expert review, and multi-party verification. It represents the most scientific, reliable, and responsible conclusion reached after considering various factors and weighing different opinions.

It's normal for you to have different opinions on technical details; it's an academic discussion, and that's understandable.

However, we cannot completely negate the hard work and collective wisdom of the entire investigation team, or question the overall conclusions of the report, because of some potentially controversial and non-principle-related technical details!

This is detrimental to unity, and it makes it difficult to provide a prompt explanation to superiors and the public. It could also render our previous work futile, giving those with ulterior motives a reason to laugh at us, or even allowing them to exploit the situation and affect the overall stability of Qingshan County and even the city!

Zhou Guohua argued forcefully: "Secretary-General Jiang, I've been working on engineering projects for decades. I don't have any other skills, but I'm very principled:"

Drawings are drawings, specifications are specifications, and data are data.

How the bridge collapsed, what materials it was made of, and how the testing should have been done—all clearly stated in black and white, according to national standards and industry regulations.

It doesn't recognize any political tasks, nor does it recognize any stability, nor does it recognize any personal relationships or future prospects.

Feng Dayou's report had irregular sampling procedures and the test data was seriously inconsistent with the actual situation on site. This is an undeniable fact!

This is not a non-essential technical detail; it is a matter of principle, a fundamental issue that determines the nature of the accident.

To expect me to accept a conclusion of force majeure based on this clearly flawed and untenable test report would be an insult to my profession!

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Secretary-General Jiang, we came down here to investigate, is it to find out why the bridge collapsed?"

Is it to give an explanation for those four lives lost?

Is this to prevent such tragedies from happening again in the future?

If we can turn a blind eye to obvious quality problems for the sake of the so-called overall situation and political tasks, and use a falsified test report to prove that the bridge is fine and that it is God's fault, then what are we investigating?

What are we still doing having this meeting?

Why don't we just have the meteorological bureau and the geological team write a report saying that the rain was too heavy and the ground was too soft?

What are we needed for? What are we supposed to investigate?

"Engineer Zhou..." someone tried to interrupt Zhou Guohua.

Zhou Guohua continued, "That's a new bridge that cost more than 50 million yuan to build and has been open to traffic for less than a year!"

Four lives were lost! Among them was a young couple who were supposed to get married next month!

When their parents learned of their children's deaths, their hair turned white overnight, and they cried until they had no tears left!

You've all been to the site and seen it. The concrete is as crumbly as tofu dregs, and the steel bars are as thin as chopsticks and bend easily. Is that what a bridge should look like?

Is that something that can be made with qualified materials and constructed according to specifications?

Such a bridge, from the day it was built, was destined to collapse one day, and someone was destined to lose their precious life because of it!