The fire at Lijian Plate Factory has drawn widespread attention. The town mayor, Peng Chaoyang, personally came to inspect the site as soon as he started work, offering condolences to Yang Jian's parents and instructing the police station to quickly investigate the cause of the fire.
Yu Feng also rushed over as soon as she heard the news.
"Xiao Jing, with such a major incident, Jian Er should know about it, right?"
Handing over the 50,000 yuan condolence money to Jing Yongli, Yu Feng wanted to know Yang Jian's attitude. She had already learned from her father that Yang Jian was in Dongjiang and doing quite well.
Jing Yongli accepted the cash without hesitation. "Thank you, Sister Feng. Brother Jian already knows about this."
"Tell him not to come back. I think the losses this time aren't too significant. Don't let him impulsively return for revenge and fall into someone else's trap."
Yu Feng also knew that Yang Jian had accepted money from Zhou Tao and his father and was preparing to deal with Hong Xing. Therefore, she did not want him to fall into the hands of the police because of this incident.
Jing Yongli gave a wry smile. "Brother Jian is impulsive. He was planning to rush back today, but he was persuaded by Afeng and the others. Brother Jian asked me to tell you not to stop the Yaochi Garden project, that there are no funding issues, and the plate factory will be rebuilt, along with an office building."
"Alright, I understand. I'll go and speak with Zhou Hong later to prevent him from worrying about your funding chain breaking and halting construction. You're busy, I'll go take a look at the rubber dam."
Yu Feng saw Wu Wangchun and others' cars arriving and knew that Jing Yongli had to receive them, so she turned and left.
Wu Wangchun arrived with the Song Jianhao and Song Jianmin brothers.
"Xiao Jing, this is a small token of my appreciation. Is there anything we can help with?"
Wu Wangchun also gave 50,000 yuan in cash. He had rushed back from Hancheng.
"Thank you, Uncle Wang. I've already organized workers to clear the site. We don't need your help for now. I'll ask if we do. Brother Jian also often tells me to find you if I encounter any difficulties. This accident happened because we were too young and someone took advantage of us."
Jing Yongli respected Wu Wangchun greatly, seeing him as someone who genuinely cared for Yang Jian.
Wu Wangchun patted his shoulder. "Don't be discouraged. This accident is not unbearable. I believe you have the ability to overcome this difficulty."
Song Jianhao also presented twenty thousand yuan. "Xiao Jing, things haven't been going too well for us these past two years, so this is all we can offer. Don't think it's too little."
"Not at all, Brother Hao. Your presence is what matters. I thank you on behalf of Brother Jian."
"You're welcome. Do you have any news about Xiao Yang?"
"No, but he contacts us occasionally. However, I can't contact him proactively. I don't know his exact location, but he is safe."
Jing Yongli remained somewhat guarded with Song Jianhao and couldn't reveal everything.
Just as he saw off the three, a large group of villagers surrounded him. Some were workers, and others were their family members.
"Mr. Jing, the template factory burned down. Will it be rebuilt?"
"Mr. Jing, I heard this fire was arson. Is that true? Damn it, if I knew which bastard did such a heinous thing, I'd dig up his ancestral grave."
"Xiao Jing, can you arrange for me to work at the decorative panel factory?"
"Mr. Jing, we were on paid leave for a month due to the poisoning incident. Will our wages still be paid now that the factory is destroyed?"
Everyone was concerned about their own vested interests and hoped that the template factory would be rebuilt. After all, the factory's wages were the highest in the entire Xinqiao Town, and they were always paid on time, never delayed.
Jing Yongli waved his hand. "Everyone, please quiet down. I can give you one definite answer: this template factory will be rebuilt soon, and it will be even larger, with all steel structures. The production conditions will be better than before, and the corresponding benefits will also be increased.
As for the wages during this period of suspension, I need to discuss it with Factory Director Jiang when he returns. Please understand. We lost several million yuan in this fire, and reconstruction will require a large sum of capital. Please do not be dissatisfied if wages are not paid."
"No, no, we were just asking. If wages are paid, we won't take them. With such heavy losses, it's not easy for you either. It doesn't make sense to ask for wages when we haven't worked."
"Yes, we don't want any wages. If the factory doesn't have enough money, we can also raise funds to help you through this difficult time."
With Jing Yongli's promise, the villagers were reassured. They knew the factory had money and guessed that Yang Jian had made a fortune outside, otherwise, he wouldn't have invested tens of millions to build Yaochi Garden. As they all worked at the factory, they were well aware that the factory's current profits could not support such a large project.
"Thank you for your kindness, but the factory doesn't need your funds. However, we need a lot of manpower to clear out the burned factory buildings so we can rebuild the new factory as soon as possible. If it's convenient, please help out."
"No problem, we'll all help."
Since they didn't have to pay money, contributing labor was naturally not a problem. The villagers, without needing any organization, swarmed to participate in the cleanup work.
After finally seeing off the villagers, Jing Yongli wanted to rest and eat something. He hadn't stopped since returning from the hospital, cooperating with the police investigation, organizing workers to clear the site, and receiving various condolences. He hadn't even had breakfast.
"Xiao Jing, what's going on? How did the fire happen?"
Just as Jing Yongli was about to go to Liu Yong's small shop for some snacks, he saw Lu Hao arriving with his driver.
"Mr. Lu, you're here too. The fire occurred around three in the morning. Preliminary judgment is arson, and the district police station has established a special task force to investigate."
"Who did it? Do you have any suspects?"
"We've had conflicts with Xu Zheng and Hong Xing's group recently. It's likely their doing."
Jing Yongli briefly explained the recent dispute with the sand quarry.
"Does Xiao Yang know about this?"
"He knows. He was planning to come back, but he was persuaded by his brothers."
Lu Hao nodded. "Hmm, he can't come back now. The case hasn't been cleared, and it's easy to pinpoint him at the checkpoints along the way."
"Mr. Lu, when will Brother Jian's case be cleared? Will he have to hide outside forever?"
"This can't be rushed. It needs to be handled with a cool head for a while. Once the police can't find any evidence and stop paying attention to this case, I can proceed to the next step. It's possible he'll still have to return and surrender himself, and stay in for a period."
"He still has to go in? Can't the case be closed directly?"
"It's not as easy as you think. Xiao Yang's wanted notice is filed at headquarters. If he doesn't surrender, that wanted notice will remain online forever. Only when he is incarcerated will the wanted notice be automatically revoked, and then the process of closing the case can begin."
"How long will he be in? Why not let him return and surrender now? The sooner he goes in, the sooner he gets out."
"Surrendering is just a procedure, and he won't be locked up for too long. However, it's not time yet. I'm waiting for the supervisor in charge of his case to be transferred before I can let Xiao Yang surrender."
Lu Hao was very familiar with the personnel in the police department and had already made plans for Yang Jian's case.