Reborn as Zhao Ruilong of Handong, I will defy fate.

Chapter 364 Sun Liancheng's Desire for Progress! Zhao Xiaohui's Unbearable Temper!

"Reporting to Director Cheng!"

"The fire has been extinguished, and no casualties have been reported so far!"

Upon hearing that there were no casualties, Cheng Du secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, continue the investigation, don't miss any blind spots!"

"Also, contact the district civil affairs bureau and expedite the allocation of some disaster relief supplies!"

"Tell them it's very cold, many people aren't wearing coats, and they have nowhere to stay!"

"Send over more tents, blankets, and cotton-padded coats, and it would be best if you could also send some food and drinks!"

After saying that, Cheng Du took off his coat and put it on an old man who was shivering from the cold.

"Thank you, Director Cheng! You're a good person! A truly wonderful person!!"

Du Cheng sighed slightly.

"Your praise makes me feel truly ashamed!"

"We also bear responsibility for what happened tonight."

The old man waved his hands repeatedly, sighed, and shook his head.

"It's not your fault, it's really not your fault!"

“You’re only in charge of maintaining public order, not demolition. Even if you wanted to help, you couldn’t.”

"As for the people who set the fire tonight... although they were all masked, we all know who they are."

"They've been coercing and bribing us to sign for more than just a day or two. When we refused, they threatened us, saying we'd regret it..."

Du Cheng patted the old man on the shoulder.

"Don't cry, old man!"

"As long as we are alive, we will always find a way to solve the problem."

The old man sighed heavily and said with a worried expression:

"How do you plan to resolve this, Director Cheng?"

“In this village, many locals build houses without permits, let alone us outsiders who buy land and build houses privately.”

"My house was demolished in the fire before the Spring Festival. They said they were going to build a firebreak to prevent the fire from spreading, but after the fire was extinguished, they denied it."

"I'm being asked to prove the house is mine, but who am I supposed to ask? The village committee won't issue any certificates. Old Liu, who sold the land to me before, can't even prove that the house is his..."

Du Cheng listened silently.

He knew that in the past, due to the lack of sound laws and regulations, a large number of houses were illegally built without proper approval procedures.

However, if the house is still there, the neighbors can testify to each other, and the village committee can also vouch for it, so clarifying the house's structure, type, and area is not difficult.

but now……

Some people are clearly trying to pocket the money and want to pay less in demolition and resettlement compensation.

So after the fire, most of the houses were gone, leaving no way to prove anything.

You said you have a small courtyard and a five-story building with several rooms for rent on each floor.

The house has collapsed into a pile of bricks and rubble. Who can prove that this pile of ruins is yours?

"Alright, old man, stop crying. Be careful not to get sick from getting upset."

"Please trust the government and the law; they will give you justice!"

After offering some words of comfort, Cheng Du saw many people shivering in the cold night wind, and he didn't know when the relief supplies from the district civil affairs bureau would arrive.

He then personally led people to collect various kinds of wood and lit bonfires in the open space to keep everyone warm.

After the firefighters extinguished the blaze and left, Cheng Du walked into the scene, which had been reduced to ruins, where a pungent smell still lingered in the air.

Many people who were unwilling to sign the demolition agreement have gathered in these few remaining buildings.

To save money, they collected planks and wood and assembled them into beds. They also crammed a lot of bedding, clothes, and various other items into the room.

Tonight, after someone threw a petrol bottle at the site, it was set on fire. Various pieces of wood, clothing, and bedding naturally became excellent fuel, causing a massive fire to erupt.

These rural self-built houses, which had escaped the previous fire, all collapsed due to the heat in this fire.

Now it has become a true 'ruin'.

After seeing the devastation of the fire scene.

Cheng Du felt that finding the source of the fire was now impossible.

Before it was set on fire, countless gasoline bottles were thrown at it, and many shards of glass were still visible.

The gasoline and various flammable materials burned wildly together, causing a fierce fire that completely destroyed the clues.

As for finding the arsonist...

The level of difficulty is also quite high.

This urban village has long been turned into a large construction site, with hardly anyone living around it.

The few remaining self-built houses of villagers have long been cut off from water and electricity, making them resemble an isolated island.

Since the demolition and construction have not yet been completed, this area is naturally not like the bustling and lively urban areas where surveillance cameras have been installed.

Even more ruthless is...

Not only were they all dressed in black and wearing black hoods, but they also caused a power outage in several nearby streets before the operation.

After setting the fire, they quickly rode away on motorcycles without license plates.

So much so that even if someone nearby heard the noise and got up to look, they couldn't clearly see who started the fire.

All I know is that a lot of people came, and they threw petrol bottles even faster. After throwing them, they set the place on fire and ran away.

They didn't even know how many people there were, let alone see what they looked like.

Moreover, even the surrounding streets knew to cut off the power in advance, so they had naturally made preparations for evacuation long ago.

I estimate it's at this moment.

These people had already switched to other means of transportation and fled to other places, waiting for the situation to calm down.

Although there is no evidence, it is difficult to arrest people.

But Cheng Du knew very well that Kong Zhiyong had ordered the arson to be carried out.

Previously, many residents who resisted the demolition had had verbal disputes and even physical altercations with Kong Zhiyong's henchmen, and the Guangming District Police Station had dispatched officers many times.

Going back further, the fire before the Spring Festival was clearly not solely due to Tang Chenglan's arson. Without Kong Zhiyong and his gang taking advantage of the situation, the fire could not have burned down most of the urban village.

but……

Even if it's difficult to arrest someone without evidence, it is still a heinous arson case.

So many people were left homeless by the fire and lost a great deal of property.

Therefore, the case will definitely be filed, but it's hard to say when it will be solved.

About half an hour later.

A convoy of cars arrived in a grand procession.

Cheng Du originally thought that it was Feng Shengcai, the deputy mayor of Jingzhou and secretary of Guangming District, who had arrived.

They didn't see his Audi at all; instead, they were led by an ordinary Santana sedan.

The Santana was followed by several trucks, which looked like relief supplies had arrived.

"Strange, with such a serious case, why isn't Feng Shuji at the scene?"

"Did he decide not to come after knowing there would be no casualties, or did he have premonition that there would be a fire tonight, but no one would be injured?"

Cheng Du silently stepped forward.

Upon seeing the Santana stop, Sun Liancheng hurriedly got out of the car and walked over quickly, while Cheng Du waved to him.

Sun Liancheng was the person Cheng Du most enjoyed interacting with among the leaders of Guangming District.

This guy is simple-minded, exceptionally honest and kind, never greedy or taking anything, and always incorruptible.

My greatest hobby is studying astronomy.

While others are busy socializing and networking after get off work, he spends his time at home looking at the stars through a telescope.

"This is really interesting!"

“A serious arson case occurred, but Feng Shuji did not show up. Instead, Sun Liancheng, the director of the district civil affairs bureau, arrived quite quickly.”

"And in such a short time, he managed to gather and transport several truckloads of disaster relief supplies. Who says he's not capable?"

After exchanging a glance, Sun Liancheng and Cheng Du hurriedly went to comfort the people.

As soon as Cheng Du approached, he pleaded with him to solve the case as soon as possible and bring justice to the people...

In this regard.

What else can be done about this?

They could only express their helplessness in a righteous and stern manner.

Neither the district head nor the secretary came, so the two could only cooperate with each other.

Soon, tents were erected and relief supplies were distributed.

Cheng Du discovered that Sun Liancheng was truly efficient.

Moreover, the considerations were very thorough.

They brought several large pots to heat porridge and boil water on the spot, so that the people could warm themselves up first.

"Director Cheng, have some water!"

Sun Liancheng handed a bowl of hot mineral water to Cheng Du.

"Thank you!"

After working for a long time, I was quite thirsty.

After gulping down the water, he noticed Sun Liancheng's gaze and they walked away in a tacit understanding.

Arriving at the police cars, Cheng Du put down a disposable lunchbox and offered a cigarette to Sun Liancheng.

Sun Liancheng, also quite tacitly, took out a lighter and lit Cheng Du's cigarette first.

After puffing on a cigarette, Sun Liancheng looked at the people gathered around the campfire, eating instant noodles and drinking porridge, his face full of worry.

"Would you believe me if I said I had a feeling someone would set a fire sooner or later?"

Du Cheng smiled faintly.

"Believe it or not! Some people will stop at nothing to achieve their goals!"

"Even if a big fire doesn't break out tonight, something else will happen sooner or later!"

Sun Liancheng nodded with a wry smile.

“The previous arson case could be blamed on Wang Wenge and his wife Tang Chenglan, and the fire was indeed started by Tang Chenglan.”

"But with tonight's fire, it will probably be much harder to find the culprit and hold someone accountable!"

Cheng Du took a deep drag of his cigarette and gazed at the city lights in the distance.

"For some people, whether the case is solved or not is secondary; the most important thing is for these people to move out as soon as possible!"

"Otherwise, how can the Bright Peak project proceed quickly? If the project can't move forward, where will the profits come from?"

Sun Liancheng could only manage a wry smile.

"If we set up tents here and provide shelter, food, and drink to those who don't want to sign the relocation agreement, wouldn't that offend people again?"

Du Cheng chuckled lightly.

"Who cares? They don't care about the lives of the people, but we have to, right? If we don't even have this much conscience, how are we any different from them?"

"Besides, Lao Sun, are you afraid of offending people? With your integrity and diligence, even if others wanted to deal with you, they couldn't do anything about it!"

Sun Liancheng looked around and said with a wry smile:

"It won't cost me my job, but it will certainly make things difficult for me!"

"Of course, brother, you don't need to worry. Even if the sky falls, it won't hit you."

"Oh?"

Cheng Du raised an eyebrow and asked with a playful smile:

"How do you say this?"

"How come I didn't know I had this ability?"

Sun Liancheng chuckled.

"Keep pretending! Keep pretending!"

"I really don't know!"

Cheng Du spread his hands, looking completely innocent.

Sun Liancheng looked around and moved closer.

"Your brother was transferred from Lüzhou to Jingzhou, and he rose from a station chief to a bureau chief so quickly, I don't need to tell you, do I?"

"Back then, when the public opinion was focused on 'severe punishment for minor offenses,' would you have dared to launch a storm of severe punishment if you didn't have someone backing you up?"

"If you say you don't have any backing, who would believe you? Of course, I'm not saying this for any other reason than to put your mind at ease."