1582
Tong Guan Prison
"Yiwei, are you busy?"
Receiving Zhang Zhiyuan's call, Lu Yiwei stood up and walked out of the meeting room. "I'm in the middle of a meeting. Go ahead."
"Oh, Secretary Guo was sentenced the day before yesterday. I know he's being held in Tong Guan Prison in Nanzhou City. Do you know where it is? "
"Yes, it's in Qian An County."
"Oh, try to see if you can meet him. If it's possible, I'll go there in the morning. "
"Okay, I'll make the call now and sue you."
After hanging up, Lu Yiwei dialed Gan Liantang's number. "Hello, Secretary Gan. Are you busy?"
Gan Liantang smiled. "Not at all. You still owe me a meal. When will you pay me back?"
Lu Yiwei remembered their bet last time. He could not help but laugh. "What do you mean? I can pay you back today. How about going to your place tonight?"
"Really? You're welcome. I can help you with your work. "
After chatting for a while, Lu Yiwei explained his intention. Gan Liantang said, "Although Tong Guan Prison is in Qian An County, it's not under our jurisdiction. It's under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Department of Justice. But I can help you arrange it. When will you come?"
"In the afternoon."
"Okay. I'll get back to you after I ask."
Ten minutes later, Gan Liantang called and told him that he had arranged it.
Tong Guan Prison was one of the three most famous prisons in Xijiang Province. The other two were in Xi Zhou and Ping Kang. Different from the other two, Tong Guan Prison mainly imprisoned felons, especially those who committed murder and arson. Once they entered the prison, it was almost impossible for them to leave. The residents living nearby said that they could hear the sound of executions every day. Although it was a bit exaggerated, it indirectly showed the gloominess and fear of the prison. In addition, if the prisoners who entered the prison were not executed, they would face heavy labor. Some of them worked in the coal mines, while others worked in factories. It was almost impossible for them to rest. Moreover, the food and shelter were poor. Those who entered the prison were almost desperate, waiting for death for the rest of their lives.
Guo Jinzhu was sentenced to life imprisonment, but he was a department-level cadre after all. He should be locked up in Tiancheng Prison in Xi Province, where the environment was relatively better. Moreover, the leaders who had committed crimes in the past were all imprisoned here. Among them, there was no lack of life sentences, but this was the first time they were imprisoned in Tong Pass Prison. It could be seen how cruel the higher-ups were to them. They basically didn't give them a way out.
After learning about this, Lu Yiwei's mood was extremely heavy. He was not in the mood to work. After the meeting, he returned to his office and waited for Zhang Zhiyuan's arrival in a daze.
At noon, Zhang Zhiyuan quietly arrived at Long'an County, together with Hu Zhixiong.
It was Lu Yiwei who brought Hu Zhixiong from Nanyang County to Jiangdong High-tech Zone. After Lu Yiwei took up his position in the municipal government, he handed over the position to Guo Jinzhu, who had been serving as the office director. This person worked diligently and was highly regarded by Guo Jinzhu. But who would have thought that this day would come? Ever since the incident, he had been summoned by the Commission for Discipline Inspection for investigation almost every few days, tormenting him to the point of insanity. Currently, he was suspended from work in the High-tech Zone and lived in fear every day.
Although Guo Jinzhu had been sentenced to prison, the public had a high opinion of him. Such a big case did not implicate anyone, which meant that he had taken care of everything during the interrogation process. If he really confessed, it was likely that a lot of people would be punished. Including Lu Yiwei, he would not be able to escape the blame.
After a simple lunch, the group drove to Tong Pass Prison. Unexpectedly, Gan Liantang was waiting for them in person. With his presence, it was not much trouble to enter the prison. They met the warden, Wang Kun, in the office.
Wang Kun was also puzzled about the reason why Guo Jinzhu was imprisoned here. But he had received a notice from the Provincial Department of Justice that all prisoners would be treated equally and would be reported every week. The number of visits would not exceed two times a month, and each visit would not exceed ten minutes.
"Wait for a while. I've asked the management office. Guo Jinzhu is working in the coal mine. I've already informed him. It will probably take half an hour."
Lu Yiwei was shocked and questioned, "He has just arrived, and you've already given him such heavy work?"
Wang Kun said disapprovingly, "As long as he comes in, we treat him equally, regardless of who he is or what kind of person he is. Every prisoner has a GPS on them, and their daily whereabouts are monitored by the higher-ups. We do not have any authority."
Gan Liantang was more familiar with him and said, "Warden Wang, Guo Jinzhu was once the secretary of the Municipal Party Committee. Can you make an exception and not let him do any work? Even if it's some simple chores, it would still be considered humane management."
Wang Kun said expressionlessly, "Secretary Gan, it's not that I don't want to give you face, but I really can't make the decision. Because when he was sent down, someone had specifically instructed me not to give him any leniency because of his identity, nor to reduce his sentence, nor to release him for medical treatment. He will have to do heavy work like the other prisoners. These are the exact words from the higher-ups, and I'm just following them. "
Everyone was silent, and they were even more certain that someone was purposely messing with him. As for who it was, they knew very well. Zhang Zhiyuan said, "Warden Wang, I have a favor to ask of you. His health isn't good, and he has high blood pressure, diabetes, and a weak heart. It's true that he can't do heavy work. If it's possible, can you change his job? Even if it's work in a factory, his body really can't take it. "
Wang Kun did not know who the visitor was, but from his attire, he seemed to be a government official. He said, "Sir, I can understand your feelings, and I also want him to be a little more comfortable. I'm sorry, but I can't make the decision. How about this, you give the provincial office's leader a call, and as long as he agrees, everything will be easy on my side. "
Instead of wasting time, the other party did not agree at all. It seemed that there was indeed an order from the higher-ups, and he could only think of another way.
Half an hour later, they received a notification that Guo Jinzhu had returned. The group of people came to the visitation room, and the prison guard warned them about the matters to take note of. Through the metal bars, they heard a series of footsteps. Every footstep tugged at everyone's heartstrings. They wanted to see him quickly, but they did not want to see him in a sorry state.
As the metal door opened, two prison guards walked in with Guo Jinzhu. He was wearing an orange-red prison uniform, and his body was pitch-black. His face was covered in coal dust, and the wrinkles were embedded in his face. One of his glasses was broken, and his originally half-bald hair had all fallen out. He had aged a lot in an instant. Both of his hands were also covered in coal dust, and there was a wound on his right thumb. A large piece of skin had been scraped off, and blood and coal dust had mixed together. It was a tragic sight. Looking at his feet, he saw heavy hinges, and his trousers were worn out. The original color of his canvas sneakers could not be seen.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
