Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 269 - 195 Reporter Wang’s Story

Chapter 269: Chapter 195 Reporter Wang’s Story

Han Yu came back, and the happiest were surely the couple, Han Shuqun and Xiang Fan.

Returning home from work, seeing the child bridegroom busying himself in the kitchen with their daughter, she complained non-stop about why San’er had to work, how San’er had been on a nearly month-long task and how tired he must be. Now that he’s finally back, he should be resting.

Han Xiangning discovered that not only did her sister lack status in the family, but she herself didn’t have much of a status either, which was quite comical yet frustrating.

Old Han asked questions as if he were listening to a report.

Han Yu answered every question. After all, it was just armed escort. Despite capturing so many criminals, none fell under the jurisdiction of the Binjiang Water Police Branch or Linghai Police Bureau. Besides, his father-in-law was an old party member and cadre; he was no outsider.

"Reporter Wang was there, too!"

"He went with us but didn’t return with us. As soon as the fleet arrived in Xuzhou, he went ashore. He had worked there before, and this was a good opportunity for him to visit some old friends."

Old Han wasn’t familiar with Reporter Wang, but he had heard a lot about that fellow from Si Gang and even knew many of Reporter Wang’s stories.

In fact, Reporter Wang was not only the pride of Si Gang but also a self-taught role model for everyone in Binjiang. Binjiang Daily, Binjiang People’s Broadcasting Station, and Binjiang TV Station had reported on him more than once.

He put down his wine glass and exclaimed, "Reporter Wang actually only worked in Si Gang and was not from Si Gang."

Han Yu asked subconsciously, "He’s not from Si Gang?"

"His family was originally from Binjiang. Back then, during those movements, it was complete chaos; in one night, his father went from being a cadre to a ’traitor,’ and his mother, unable to bear the injustice, died of anger.

It seems it was in ’68, and he was only fifteen years old at that time. Along with a large group of ’sent-down youth,’ he went to Si Gang from Binjiang alone, becoming an ’educable youth.’"

Old Han felt it was necessary to tell his son-in-law and two daughters an inspiring story, to set an example for the kids. He put down his chopsticks and said earnestly, "Being re-educated at such a young age is not easy. He worked himself to exhaustion every day, and the value of his work points converted to money was less than twenty cents.

He saw many older ’sent-down youth’ starting to ’transform through indirect means’ - learning a craft. At that time, the production team he was with was right next to a leprosy hospital, where there was a doctor with an old 120 camera. He started thinking and wanted to learn photography from him."

There was always talk of how hard other people’s children studied, how diligent they were with household chores, and how respectful they were to their elders. Now, an inspiring story was being told.

Han Xiangmeng was planning to go to the medical college to accompany Liang Xiaojun for evening self-study and couldn’t care less about these stories.

She wanted to leave but didn’t dare, so she couldn’t help asking, "Dad, when you were in your teens you went to the army and barely stayed in your hometown, how do you know all this, and know it so accurately?"

"I have a comrade who was transferred back to Si Gang’s Publicity Department. He told me; he is very familiar with Reporter Wang."

"Listen carefully to what your dad is saying, no interruptions."

Xiang Fan’s expression became stern, and Han Xiangmeng stuck out her tongue, no longer daring to backtalk.

Han Xiangning listened with a smile, but her hand sneakily nudged her Junior in school under the table. There were several movie tickets distributed by the labor union at home, and they would miss the show if they didn’t go soon.

Han Yu really wanted to accompany his senior like dating and go to the movies, but his father-in-law was in the middle of inspiring them; he couldn’t go and didn’t dare to leave.

"He wanted to learn photography, but the doctor was not necessarily willing to teach. Thus, after work every day, he went to the doctor’s house to carry water and look after the children. Sincerity can melt metal and stone, and after a few months, he moved the doctor’s family and was taken on as a student.

From then on, he worked in the fields during the day and washed photos at night in the thatched cottage. His photography got better and better, and later, when a small newspaper published his submissions, the whole town was astounded."

Some people are born with a lucky star!

Reporter Wang’s lucky star was that doctor, and Han Yu’s lucky star was Director Xu.

As Han Yu was silently contemplating this, his younger sister-in-law impatiently asked, "So he just learned to take photos, what submissions did he make?"

"There are several types of journalists; those who write news are textual journalists, Reporter Wang is a photojournalist."

"Dad, Reporter Wang is a photojournalist?"

Han Yu was quite surprised.

Old Han confirmed with a smile, "He indeed is a photojournalist, but he also writes news articles. He can both take photos and write reports; he is skilled in both."

Pointing at the two daughters, Xiang Fan seized the moment to say, "This is what it means to have many skills and not be overwhelmed. I always tell you to study, but you don’t listen. If you don’t listen and don’t study hard, you will have no competitive edge in the future."

"Mom, I do study hard!" Han Xiangning raised her head.

"But not hard enough. Our hospital’s Xiao Chen..."

"Mom, you’re getting off-topic. Let’s listen to Dad’s story about Reporter Wang."

"Alright, Shuqun, continue."

Old Han took over the conversation in a calm and unhurried manner: "Back in ’73, the coal mines at Xuzhou were recruiting workers in Si Gang. There were very few positions, and everyone wanted one. Reporter Wang got the job because he had the skill of photography, transforming from a sent-down youth to a worker.

At the coal mine, he started off working underground. It was grueling, tiresome, and dangerous, but the pay and benefits were better than working in the production team. However, he wasn’t content with his lot and spent his free time taking photos and submitting them to various media outlets. That’s how he was later transferred to the mine’s Publicity Department where he became responsible for photography, reporting, and also worked as an editor and reporter for the broadcast station. He did this for eight years."

Han Yu had known Reporter Wang since the previous year, but only knew that Reporter Wang was very capable. He didn’t know about his past and couldn’t help but ask, "What happened after that?"

"Then he was transferred back to the publicity department in Si Gang as a publicity official. He hated injustice and always tried to uphold justice. One autumn, explosive news spread through Si Gang.

Sihe Town’s Village Chief received a crumpled letter claiming that ’Liu Xiaoyu’, the niece of a provincial leader and daughter of a central leader who was also working at the Provincial Police Department, had proposed to Jiang Guoqing, a peasant from Sihe Town, who had saved her life seven years back."

"Is that true or false?"

"Of course it’s false. But everyone thought it was true and they said it’s like ’Dong Yong meeting the Seventh Fairy’. To show ’government care’ and let ’Dong Yong’ marry the ’Seventh Fairy’ as soon as possible with an appropriate status, they even visited Jiang Guoqing’s home and announced on behalf of the organization that he was officially appointed as a ticket collector in the township cinema."

That’s just absurd. Those village cadres actually believed it...

Han Xiangning couldn’t help but laugh and asked, "And then what happened?"

Old Han smiled and said, "Reporter Wang felt there was something fishy about the story. He was sick in the hospital at the time, but when he heard about it, he requested to be discharged and rode his bike to Sihe Town government.

The village cadres spoke as if it was all true and even hoped he would help with the publicity to increase the renown of Sihe Town. However, the so-called ’Dong Yong’ was nowhere to be seen and his family claimed he had gone to Jiangcheng to visit relatives.

Reporter Wang did not get discouraged. After roaming around Sihe Town for several days, he finally tracked down ’Dong Yong’ one evening like catching a spy. Faced with Reporter Wang’s rapid-fire questioning, ’Dong Yong’ was utterly confused and incoherent.

In the end, he had to admit that he paid someone to ghostwrite a love letter, asking them to mail it from Jiangcheng to the town, with the aim of intimidating the village cadres and securing a job for himself in order to find a wife.

But even after the truth was revealed, the town’s officials didn’t believe it. They kept saying Mr. Wang deliberately crossed them, damaging the relationship between the town and the province, and hindering the development of township enterprises.

Previously disheartened ’Dong Yong’ became emboldened, spreading rumors that if Mr. Wang dared to touch him again, he would fight Mr. Wang to the death."

Isn’t this self-deceptive?

Han Xiangning didn’t know what to say.

Such a shameful incident in the hometown, just thinking about it was embarrassing...

Old Han put down his chopsticks and continued, "Facing threats, Reporter Wang was fearless. He called Binjiang Daily’s editorial department to expose the story and, together with reporters from Binjiang Daily who had heard the news, worked from dawn till dusk to collect a lot of background material. He wrote an article titled ’Newly Compiled Heavenly Couple’, which got published in both Binjiang Daily and East Sea Legal Newspaper.

’Dong Yong’ was thus knocked out of his ’golden rice bowl’, and the town officials who tried to latch onto higher branches were ashamed. Two of them were pulled out like radishes bringing out the dirt, receiving party discipline and administrative punishments for abusing their power and illegal household registrations."

Han Yu had seen more than once just how formidable Reporter Wang was and couldn’t help sighing, "Reporter Wang is not afraid of offending people."

"He wasn’t just fearless after making it to People’s Daily; he was never afraid of offending people at an early stage."

Old Han took a small sip of soup and continued, "A few years ago, there was a fraudulent reporter—not exactly fake as he seemed to have some connections up top—strutting around Gaoru, cheating people, and even assaulting women. He was detained by the villagers and taken to the Police Station.

Reporter Wang, who had already been hired by Binjiang People’s Broadcasting Station, went to interview after hearing the news and wrote a lengthy report.

As a result, the fake reporter was quickly released. He not only claimed he would petition to the province but also paid to print hundreds of accusation letters to distribute everywhere. He even sent anonymous letters and made threatening phone calls to scare Reporter Wang.

How could Reporter Wang be afraid of threats? To gain a clearer understanding, despite the scorching heat, he conducted an extensive investigation in the fake reporter’s village with the assistance of two journalists from Binjiang Daily.

Local cadres, fearful of offending the province’s high-ranking officials, neither arranged accommodation nor provided accurate information. He and the two reporters had to pay out of their pockets every day, only managing to buy leftovers at the village government’s canteen.

The place they stayed at night was even more rudimentary. They slept on wooden planks at a sericulture factory in the village, tormented by mosquitoes and unable to sleep. With no place to bathe, they settled for a bucket of cold water by the river. Whenever they finally managed to fall asleep at night, someone would come knocking on the door to intimidate them.

But Reporter Wang was undeterred. With the help of some honest local officials and citizens, he finally gathered detailed evidence of the fake reporter’s deception. Realizing the trouble he was in, the fake reporter ran to them, begging on his knees for mercy, pleading with Reporter Wang to let him off the hook.

Reporter Wang was not going to let him go. As soon as he got back to Binjiang, he collaborated with the two journalists from Binjiang Daily to write an in-depth follow-up report called ’Journalist Chen’s Fraud Continues’, which not only made it to the press but the newspaper also added an ’Editor’s Note’. The fake journalist was finally subjected to the law’s punishment."

Old Han recounted Reporter Wang’s exposés like a treasure trove for nearly an hour.

Among the stories he shared, several were new to Xiang Fan, who exclaimed, "Reporter Wang’s pen reveals the true faces of the villains!"

Han Xiangning knew Reporter Wang and knew he was capable, but hadn’t realized just how capable he was, murmuring, "The Crownless King, that’s the true Crownless King."

Han Yu wholeheartedly agreed, helping his mother-in-law clear the table while reflecting, "He’s always full-on committed during our missions. During his recent coverage of our armed escort, he even set aside his camera and joined us in catching water bandits."