Volume Two: The Path to Eminence Chapter 19: Where the Mountain Turns (Part One)

There is always a day when the truth comes to light, when all secrets are revealed. And that day did not take long to arrive.

The saying "paper cannot wrap fire" proved true. Whether it was because of Wan Xia’s report or some other reason, news of the accident at the factory reached the Chemical Industry Bureau of Huajiang Province. The bureau quickly formed an accident investigation team, led by a deputy director, to settle into the factory. This immediately stirred unrest among the workers, and all kinds of rumors began to circulate.

Before the investigation team arrived, Director Song had roughly explained the cause of the accident to me. He said they had already been conducting a secret investigation, and that the accident was primarily caused by a valve quality issue. The valve had been in use for less than a year before it suddenly exploded. They still had a spare valve from the same batch on hand, which could serve as crucial evidence. Only then did I realize I had misunderstood Director Song earlier; he was not unwilling to uncover the truth but was quietly conducting a thorough investigation.

As a key witness at the accident scene, the investigation team soon summoned me to provide information. By then, I was mentally prepared. Whether to give Old Liu and Old Ma some explanation, to clear my conscience, or to consider my own future, I knew I had to speak truthfully and could no longer heed Deng Zitu’s unreasonable demands.

Entering the temporary interview room set up by the investigation team, I saw three men seated opposite me. The middle one appeared to be in his forties, with a slightly receding hairline, exuding authority—I assumed he was the deputy director leading the investigation from the Chemical Industry Bureau. On either side sat two others: one around forty, the other perhaps in his thirties.

The man around forty was the first to speak, asking detailed questions about the scene at the time of the accident and the emergency response. It was clear they had come well-prepared.

I answered without reservation, recounting in detail how the valve failed during the accident and how we handled the emergency step by step. They asked follow-up questions, and I answered each one carefully.

After what felt like a long time, they finally said, “That will be all. Thank you for your cooperation. Please review the investigation record, and if there are no issues, sign and fingerprint it.”

The formality of it all made me involuntarily serious.

At that moment, the deputy director glanced at me casually. Just as I wondered if it was a trick of my imagination, the younger man handed me the transcript of our conversation. The handwriting was elegant and neat. Upon closer inspection, the content accurately reflected everything I had said. Without hesitation, I signed and fingerprinted the document.

Days passed, and I heard the investigation team continued to interview others, though I didn’t know exactly who. After some time, the team left the factory. Whether they had reached a conclusion and what it was, I remained completely in the dark.

Rumors at the factory grew rampant. Some said Director Gao was in trouble, others said Director Shi was at risk, even Director Song was rumored to be involved. Yet Gao rarely appeared, while Shi and Song carried on calmly as if nothing had happened.

Shortly after the first investigation team left, another, larger team from the Chemical Industry Bureau arrived. The scope of their interviews was broader, and they remained at the factory for over ten days. During this period, rumors only intensified.

A week after that second team departed, the factory was holding its mid-year 1998 work summary meeting. All factory leaders, supervisors, and employee representatives were present. As usual, Director Gao was delivering an impassioned and stirring speech. Suddenly, the meeting room door opened, and several people entered. Leading them was the same deputy director who had interviewed me, followed by four others, including the man in his forties.

Looking at Director Gao on stage, his earlier fervor had vanished, replaced by a deathly pallor. He stood and called out, “Director Zheng,” but no further words came.

At that moment, two men stepped forward from behind “Director Zheng” and approached Gao.

“Gao Huqiang, the Discipline Inspection Commission of the Chemical Industry Bureau requests that you come with us,” one of them said.

Gao’s face turned a grim iron gray as he tried to step down from the stage but staggered and nearly fell.

Chaos erupted in the hall. After a brief commotion, Deputy Director Shi, the highest-ranking deputy director present, called for order and rearranged the seating, with Director Zheng and his two associates seated center stage.

Director Zheng then spoke quietly but firmly: “Comrades, recently, an accident at Dongfang Chemical Factory resulted in one death, one serious injury, and one minor injury. The Chemical Industry Bureau immediately established an investigation team. After thorough inquiry and evidence collection, we have reached a clear conclusion on the cause of the accident. I now ask Director Zuo Yongqiang from the Bureau’s Safety and Security Department to read the investigation report.”

The man seated to Director Zheng’s left—Zuo Yongqiang—stood and began reading:

“...After investigation, the accident was caused by a severe quality defect in the liquid ammonia valve, which led to the leak. However, the emergency response was fully implemented according to the contingency plan, preventing further escalation...”

When Director Zuo finished, Director Zheng continued: “As Director Zuo has read, this accident caused significant personal injury and property loss, a grievous lesson. The Bureau has made decisions regarding the responsible parties based on the investigation, which will be announced shortly.

“During the investigation, we also received reports of corruption in the procurement process at Dongfang Chemical Factory. The Bureau has formed a Discipline Inspection Committee-led team to further investigate these leads. The findings reveal serious corruption at the procurement level, involving Director Gao Huqiang himself. A large body of evidence has been uncovered. After careful consideration, the Bureau has decided to relieve Gao Huqiang of his duties as factory director and party secretary, and he is instructed to fully cooperate with the investigation.

“Dongfang Chemical Factory is a large operation, and its production and management must remain stable. The Bureau’s Party Committee has appointed Shi Guangsheng as deputy party secretary and acting factory director to temporarily oversee the factory’s work. Now, I ask Director Liu Yuan of the Cadre Department to read the appointment and dismissal decisions.”

Director Liu Yuan, seated to Gao’s right, read the official documents appointing Shi Guangsheng as deputy party secretary and acting factory director, and removing Gao Huqiang from his positions.

Although the investigation results were public, the corruption scandal at procurement clearly involved more than Gao Huqiang. The factory was awash with rumors. Fortunately, this did not last long. The Chemical Industry Bureau’s Discipline Inspection Committee issued documents initiating formal investigations into the factory’s procurement leaders and personnel, who were all suspended.

Deputy Director Zheng Rengui also came to the factory to formally announce Shi Guangsheng’s appointment as factory director and party secretary. In his speech, he praised Shi’s high approval rating among workers, his ongoing fight against procurement corruption, solid work in production, and the effective emergency response plan in the workshops that prevented the accident from worsening. He recommended awarding those who performed well during the emergency.

Shi Guangsheng’s official appointment marked the end of Gao Huqiang’s era and the beginning of Shi’s leadership. As the saying goes, “a new leader lights three fires,” and everyone was watching to see what moves Shi would make.

In truth, after such upheaval, the factory’s immediate priority was stabilizing the situation. The procurement system had been crippled; from the deputy director in charge, to Jia Guangming, head of Supply and Marketing, to Zheng Dawei, vice head in charge of procurement, and all three section chiefs had been removed. Suppliers implicated in the corruption were also unsettled. Addressing these issues was urgent.

Fortunately, Director Shi remained clear-headed and acted swiftly, appointing Ruan Changqing as the new head of Supply and Marketing.

That same day, the factory issued commendations for the accident response, honoring Song Dagang, myself, Zhang Guoqing, Old Liu, and Old Ma. The commendation described our deeds in detail.

I became a hero in the factory, though I felt no joy. If this recognition came at the cost of Old Liu’s and Old Ma’s injuries and deaths, I would rather not be a hero. Thankfully, Old Liu and Old Ma were also included in the commendation list. The factory held a special memorial for Old Liu, which comforted me somewhat. Song, Zhang, and I each donated our 1,000-yuan reward to the families of Old Liu and Old Ma. That was all we could do.

Next came a series of important personnel appointments. Song Dagang was promoted to deputy director of the Production Planning Department, acting as head. I felt this was well-deserved; his character, ability, and seniority left no room for dispute. If not for long-standing suppression, he might have been director years ago.

In the workshops, Zhang Guoqing succeeded as director, a natural progression. Ruan Changqing’s appointment as head of Supply and Marketing surprised me; as former office director under Gao, it was remarkable he had gained Shi’s trust so quickly.

One day, when Song—now Director Song—finally had some free time, he invited me to his office for a chat. I congratulated him with a smile, but he only smiled faintly and asked, “Xiao Wang, what do you think a promotion means?”

“Of course, it’s a good thing. It allows you to better implement your ideas,” I replied.

“Xiao Wang, you’re right, but a promotion often means greater responsibility. As a leader, that must be your first thought. Being an official is not about power, but about bearing heavier burdens.”

I nodded. Song looked at me and said, “Xiao Wang, you will inevitably rise to important leadership positions. Whatever role you take on, remember this.”

“Yes, I will remember, Director Song—no, Director Song,” I said.

He smiled, unconcerned by my slip, and continued, “I actually wanted you to come with me to the Production Department and even insisted on it with Director Shi. But Director Shi was adamantly opposed and insisted on transferring you back to Supply and Marketing to oversee procurement. I had to understand his position. After such a major incident in procurement, that department needs trustworthy people. Your insights on procurement issues were spot on, and Director Shi has praised you repeatedly. So, I had to let you go, but you need to be prepared.”

I had never imagined this. Taking charge of procurement would be a significant challenge for me.

And so it was.