285: Chapter 285 The County Television Station's Apology

It was exactly eight o'clock in the evening.

The Qingjiang County News Comprehensive Channel was broadcasting.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang sat behind his desk, watching the television hanging on the wall.

The screen cut to a special report titled "Where Did the Heishi Town Spring Festival Relief Funds Go?"

The voiceover was clear and articulate, with every sentence sounding like an accusation.

On screen, outside the gates of the Heishi Town Government, Zhang Dehai sat on the muddy ground, slapping his thighs and wailing, his crutch tossed to the side.

"The Town Government favors the rich and despises the poor! They bully honest people! They withheld my New Year money!"

The reactions of the surrounding crowd were edited out; the camera only gave Town Mayor Luo Xingbang a close-up.

He stood on the steps, his face livid, while several security guards maintained order below.

The report did not show the process of Li Maisui confronting him with the ledger, nor did it air the scene of the crowd angrily rebuking Zhang Dehai.

The pieced-together footage painted the Town Government as villains who oppressed the widowed and elderly and withheld funds.

The landline on the desk rang.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang picked it up.

"Town Mayor Luo, the phone in the duty room is ringing off the hook," the duty officer's voice was hurried and breathless. "It's all ordinary people who don't know the situation calling to curse us, asking where the money for the New Year goods actually went."

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang hung up the phone.

He grabbed his overcoat from the back of his chair and strode out of the office.

Inside the Deputy Secretary's office, Zhu Wenhao sat behind his desk, with steam rising from the teacup beside his hand.

Director Xu Jie sat on the sofa nearby, with a laptop on her lap.

The wooden door was pushed open, and Town Mayor Luo Xingbang walked in with long strides.

"Comrade Zhu Wenhao, the County TV Station's report has aired," Town Mayor Luo Xingbang said, standing still. "It's edited in a complete mess, taking everything totally out of context. The public opinion outside is all cursing the Town Government. If Secretary Lu sees this and holds us accountable, our entire administration team will be punished."

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang paced back and forth twice.

"I have to go to the county. I'll go find Secretary Lu and the Propaganda Department now to explain and clarify the truth; we can't let them splash dirty water on the town."

"You're going to explain?" Zhu Wenhao spoke up.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang stopped in his tracks.

"The TV station has already broadcast the footage, and everyone in the county has seen it," Zhu Wenhao leaned back against his chair. "You're just going to run to the County Party Committee empty-handed and cry injustice. Is Secretary Lu going to believe your one-sided story, or is he going to believe the public media's report?"

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang was speechless.

"The County TV Station wants exactly this effect," Zhu Wenhao picked up his teacup. "To force us into a state of panic."

Zhu Wenhao turned his head to look at Director Xu Jie.

"Is it handled?"

Director Xu Jie tapped on the keyboard a few times.

"It's ready." She looked up. "This morning outside the gate, the Party and Government Office arranged for two portable cameras to record simultaneously. We have the high-angle panoramic view and the close-ups from below. No audio noise reduction was applied; it's the original sound and picture."

Zhu Wenhao set down his teacup.

"And the proof of Zhang Dehai's family assets?"

"Copies of the property deed under his son's name, photos of the vehicle registration for two heavy-duty trucks—it's all packed in there," Director Xu Jie said. "Along with the scanned original of the joint thank-you letter from eighteen merchants, as well as the panoramic photo of our whiteboard ledger, all in one file package."

"Send it," Zhu Wenhao issued the command.

"Upload it to the interactive section of the County Media Convergence Center and push it simultaneously to all major social forums." He looked at the night scenery outside the window. "Make the title plain; just call it 'Full Record of Heishi Town Spring Festival Relief Review'."

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang watched as Director Xu Jie pressed the Enter key.

At the Qingjiang County Government building, County Mayor Gu Mingchuan sat in his office, looking at the post that had just refreshed on his computer screen.

The original footage was uncut.

The clear sound of Li Maisui reading the ledger, Zhang Dehai sneaking away after being exposed, and the sound of the crowd cursing him for driving a luxury car while collecting welfare—it was all presented in full.

Comparing the two, the signs of fabrication in the County TV Station's report were glaringly obvious.

In the comment section below the post, questions flooded the screen. The netizens' anger shifted from the Town Government to the County TV Station, pointing directly at its malicious editing and creation of conflict between officials and the masses.

County Mayor Gu Mingchuan picked up the red telephone on his desk and dialed Secretary Lu Guoliang's number.

"Secretary Lu," County Mayor Gu Mingchuan went straight to the point. "The report on the County TV Station tonight was biased. The Heishi Town Party Committee has just released the full video of the scene online. Public opinion has reversed."

Inside the County Party Committee Secretary's office, Secretary Lu Guoliang sat behind a large desk.

In front of him, his phone screen was playing the original video released by Heishi Town.

He weighed the situation for a moment. This fire could no longer be suppressed; if he stubbornly protected the County TV Station, the County Party Committee would be put on the defensive.

It would be better to go with the flow.

"Comrade Gu Mingchuan, I understand the situation," Secretary Lu Guoliang placed his phone on the desk. "Heishi Town's transparency regarding relief funds has withstood the test. Facts speak louder than eloquence."

"The County TV Station's report is inaccurate; the Propaganda Department must issue a rectification opinion," Secretary Lu Guoliang set the tone. "Heishi Town showing the ledger to the common people and letting them participate in the review is a very good practice. The County Party Committee should promote it as a model for 'Sunshine Ledgers'."

In the Deputy Secretary's office in Heishi Town, Town Mayor Luo Xingbang sat in the guest chair, watching his phone as new messages kept popping up. The heart that had been in his throat finally settled back into his chest.

He had received a private message from an acquaintance in the County Party Committee Office, saying that the County Party Committee was preparing to establish Heishi Town as a model.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang looked at Zhu Wenhao; the phone in his hand felt almost scorching hot.

Without needing to run to the county to explain, simply throwing the trump card into the sunlight—this backup plan made him feel a chill in his heart.

The phone on the desk rang.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang glanced at the caller ID and answered.

On the other end of the line, the voice of Station Chief Wang from the County TV Station was dry: "Old Luo, today's matter is a misunderstanding. The youngsters went to interview and didn't control the theme well; there were some deviations during the editing."

Station Chief Wang laughed dismissively.

"Your old brother here apologizes to you. How about this: you have the town take down that original footage online first; it's having a bad influence. Tomorrow, I'll host a dinner personally at a place in the city to properly make amends to you."

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang held the phone without answering immediately.

Zhu Wenhao stepped forward and reached out his hand.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang sensibly handed the phone over.

Zhu Wenhao pressed the speakerphone button and placed the phone on the desk.

"Station Chief Wang," Zhu Wenhao spoke. "This is Zhu Wenhao."

The voice on the other end faltered.

"Deputy Secretary Zhu..."

"News is a public instrument," Zhu Wenhao looked at the phone on the desk. "Using a public instrument to set a trap and treating grassroots livelihood work as editing material—you call this a deviation?"

"A private meal and an apology, and this matter can be treated as if it never happened?"

Station Chief Wang explained on the other end: "Deputy Secretary Zhu, the station has its own difficulties, this was also from above..."

"Before twelve o'clock noon tomorrow," Zhu Wenhao interrupted him. "The County TV Station must broadcast a public correction statement. Apologize to the Heishi Town Party Committee and to the common people of Heishi Town."

"This... the station has to go through procedures, publicly admitting a mistake, this..."

"If you don't issue a statement," Zhu Wenhao's tone was calm and flat, "I will arrange for that original footage to be submitted directly to the Linjiang City Propaganda Department and the County Commission for Discipline Inspection. I will attach materials regarding the County TV Station's suspected involvement in opinion rent-seeking and malicious incitement of conflict between officials and the masses. By then, Station Chief Wang can go and explain your difficulties to the provincial authorities."

Zhu Wenhao picked up the phone and hung up.

He pushed the phone back to Town Mayor Luo Xingbang.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang gripped the phone.

"Town Mayor Luo," Zhu Wenhao turned to look at him. "After the County TV Station issues the public correction tomorrow, you will represent the Town Party Committee and accept an exclusive interview with the County Media Convergence Center."

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang looked up.

"Just talk about one thing," Zhu Wenhao sat back in his chair. "The public review of Heishi Town's Spring Festival relief will be normalized. From now on, all relief lists and funds will be put on the whiteboard."

He was handing all the political achievements and the spotlight over to Town Mayor Luo Xingbang.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang stood up and straightened his clothes.

"Comrade Zhu Wenhao, rest assured, I will arrange the interview properly." He agreed and walked out of the office.