Chapter 301: Chapter 298 Tears of the Old Soldier_2
The following morning, the moment Nie Zhenbang arose, Xiao Zhao and others were already up. Here, they did not act together, as if they were individuals without any connection. After having breakfast separately, Xiao Zhao and his companions disappeared.

At this moment, Gao Wei came over to Nie Zhenbang, smiling, “Zhenbang, Old Zheng, today, let’s all go for a stroll together.”

Walking in the town of Dameng County, the outfits of Nie Zhenbang and the others stood out, not fitting in with the environment.

The entire Dameng painted a picture of stagnation for Nie Zhenbang. Be it the ordinary folk or the government officials, smiles were rarely seen on their faces. It was as though everyone was constantly in a state of tension much like the people of the sixties or seventies.

The walls surrounding the county government were painted white with lime. Red propaganda slogans were written on them: “Rather shed blood than have an extra birth.” The other was even more despairing for Nie Zhenbang: “Encourage birth control, encourage emigration, absolutely no more births.”

Seeing this, Nie Zhenbang sighed deeply, turning to Gao Wei and Zheng Gensheng, “Wei Zi, Old Zheng, judging from these slogans, we can infer the whole situation. The work style here in Dameng County seems quite brutal.”

Gao Wei smiled lightly, pointing towards the Mongolian County Public Security Bureau not far from the county government, “Zhenbang, look at that.”

Following Gao Wei’s pointed finger, another slogan was visible on the wall of the Public Security Bureau, “Cracking down requires the people, and the people need a crackdown.”

Looking at these slogans, Zheng Gensheng’s facial expression turned serious. A place, stagnant like a pool of dead water, lacking dynamism or energy, either it was too severe or too heavily suppressed; in Dameng County, it was undoubtedly the latter case. Otherwise, how could the old soldiers have tolerable grief? These slogans also reflected the local government and party’s leadership style; the concept of “putting people first” was merely an empty phrase in their eyes.

At this point, Nie Zhenbang lost the desire to continue exploring. He gestured dismissively, “There isn’t much more to see, who knows what other kinds of slogans we might come across. Dameng County’s problems aren’t a day old but have been frozen for years now. Let’s head back and wait for Xiao Zhao’s report.”

As soon as the three arrived back at the guesthouse, a door opened immediately, and Xiao Zhao came out, addressing Nie Zhenbang and Gao Wei, “Director Nie, Director Gao, we’ve brought the whistleblower back. Would you like to meet him personally?”

As the saying goes, under a strong leader, there can be no weak soldiers. Xiao Zhao and his team’s efficiency had taken Nie Zhenbang by surprise. After a pause, he collectively regained his composure, “Alright. I’ll meet this old comrade.”

Upon entering the room, Xiao Song was presently taking notes at a table next to where an eighty-year-old man sat. The old man seemed somewhat nervous but was also brimming with excitement as he narrated his story.

Nie Zhenbang looked over at the elderly man. His dark face covered in deep wrinkles, he wore a worn cotton cap on his head and a thick, dark cloth coat on his body. His hands naturally nestled together. His back was somewhat hunched, and his body involuntarily stooped. Yet, the old man’s eyes were sharp. His deeply sunken eye sockets made his eyes seem profound; however, the occasional intense hatred and stubbornness emitted from them revealed his obstinacy and determination.

This was the spirit of a resilient old party member, a noble sentiment of the ruling party. These old revolutionaries had emerged from the era of war and chaos. They never submitted to the Japanese devil, nor were they intimidated by the reactionary faction of the Kuomintang. Today, nothing could overwhelm them either.

These awe-inspiring individuals possessed unswerving loyalty and devotion to the party. They always believed in justice prevailing over evil and light outweighing darkness.

On seeing Nie Zhenbang enter, Xiao Song stood up. With a gentle smile on his face, he introduced Nie to the old man, “Grandpa Hong, allow me to introduce you to Director Nie of the fifth room of discipline inspection in our Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Ouyang Xia personally dealt with your report, and Director Nie came himself, assuring you and your granddaughter justice.”

Upon hearing Xiao Song’s words, the old man stood up, brimming with an unbelievable amount of zeal, carrying himself along despite his trembling steps.

At this moment, Grandpa Hong made an astonishing move. He fell to his knees instantly. This scene shocked Nie Zhenbang. He rushed forward a couple of steps, supporting Grandpa Hong by his arm, “Grandpa Hong, what are you doing? Upholding party discipline and national laws, punishing corrupt officials, this is our duty as discipline inspectors. You shouldn’t be doing this.”

Although Grandpa Hong was of advanced age, he was still sharp and alert. Looking at Nie Zhenbang, Grandpa Hong appeared-emotional, “Ouyang Xia, Secretary Ouyang Xia, finally, I’ve managed to bring you here. The sun will shine on Dameng County. Thank the party, thank the government.”

Pausing briefly, Grandpa Hong gripped Nie Zhenbang’s hands tightly, deeply moved, “Director Nie, in my entire life, I’ve never knelt down to anyone. Not the Japanese devils, not the Kuomintang reactionaries. But today, I kneel before you, not you, personally, Director Nie, but the party, the government. Director Nie, Feng Dabiao, county party secretary of Dameng County, and his son Feng Tianbao act above the law, rampaging the county with their tyranny. I plead with you, please eliminate this tumor causing distress to Dameng County. On behalf of the three hundred thousand fathers and fellow villagers in Dameng County, I thank you.”

Nie Zhenbang found himself choking back tears. A man’s knees are as precious as gold, even more so for an old soldier. The Independent Merit Medal on the table added to this heart-wrenching moment.

Grandpa Hong had intentionally brought along his Independent Merit Medal, a sign of honor granted by the party and the state to its old soldiers.

At this moment, Nie Zhenbang realized for the first time the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He determinedly nodded and reassured, “Grandpa Hong, rest assured, I guarantee with my party’s integrity. We will not wrap up until we’ve turned a stone to reveal the water underneath. Please accept this tribute of a.new soldier to you.” Having said this, Nie Zhenbang stood at attention and gave a perfect military salute.

Just then, a knock resounded from outside the door.

PS: I apologize to my brothers and sisters, the update is late. I had some personal matters to attend to during the day. Here’s the second update, pleading for monthly ticket support. In a while, around eleven, I expect the third update, please my brothers and sisters, cast a monthly ticket to support Old Cai, giving Old Cai a bit of encouragement. (To be continued. If you like this novel, you are welcome to recommend votes and monthly tickets at boxnovel.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)