Chapter 2333 - The Hearing (I)
Once the Wuzhou Riot Investigation Report was publicly released within the Senate, it stirred up considerable turbulence.
However, this disturbance proved far smaller than past controversies of similar magnitude. For one thing, Guangzhou was suffering from plague, and the entire region, including Hainan, had adopted strict prevention and control measures. Senators' attention was severely divided. Except for a handful of people, the majority were overwhelmed with urgent matters, leaving them little appetite for pursuing Xie Erren's problems. Secondly, over the years everyone had grown less interested in scandals of this nature; most cared more about how to turn the situation to their own advantage.
Naturally, the most enthusiastic were the Southbound Faction led by Zhou Wei. He had been cultivating connections among disaffected industrial-sector Senators, waiting for precisely such an opportunity. If the Liangguang campaign could be painted as a disaster, turning south would become the logical next step.
Aside from the Southbound Faction actively preparing materials to "fully demonstrate the superiority of going south" at the Senate General Assembly, another group of Senators prepared to use this incident to neutralize the Political Security Bureau—or at least render it "harmless." Meanwhile, a third faction prepared to argue that investment in Liangguang was severely insufficient and must be significantly increased.
Though the three parties had yet to take concrete action, each was publishing various articles in the two journals, the newspaper, and the internal BBS, laying groundwork for a major confrontation at the hearing scheduled for several days hence.
As for Xie Erren, he had received notification to return to Lingao for the hearing. Wuzhou's day-to-day operations were temporarily entrusted to Zhao Fengtian.
Due to the plague, travel was being restricted to reduce personnel movement. Except for the person directly involved, Senators in the Liangguang region were not required to return to Lingao. Ma Jia compiled a list of main topics based on proposals from all sides and distributed these, along with relevant materials, to dispatched Senators. They needed only to state their position and reasoning on each topic—or simply their position, if they preferred to omit reasoning.
Fifty Senators were randomly selected from those present in Lingao to attend the hearing. The Judicial Sector handled administrative arrangements.
The hearing was held in secret at Bairen City. Senators skilled in shorthand and quick sketching conducted full documentation.
"Shorthand is fine, but sketching too? We're going full American style," Dong Shiye remarked, surveying the horseshoe arrangement of tables and chairs.
"One red flag, one blue flag on the rostrum, complementing each other! Paired with this Roman-style Senate Emblem—doesn't it rather resemble the Imperium of Man?" Ma Jia laughed.
He and Dong Shiye were serving as moderator and supervisor respectively, so they had arrived early to inspect the venue.
"Right, right—pity there's not enough steampunk." Dong Shiye watched An Xi vigorously directing naturalized citizens through the final preparations. "Was all this his idea?"
"Does he have that kind of talent? This was all designed by Senators specializing in art," Ma Jia said. "Our assembly hall was always too plain—minimalism has its limits. This is Lingao, our 'Land of the Dragon's Rising.' Spending some resources to make it more dignified is perfectly reasonable. Later, when we hold General Assemblies or D-Day Memorial ceremonies, it'll be far more impressive than the open-air cinema."
"Ma Jia, do you think Xie Erren will come through this safely?"
"That depends on how you define 'safely.'" Ma Jia smiled. "If you ask me, he'll fare better than Dugu. Though I expect he'll be an idle man for a while."
"Being idle isn't necessarily bad," Dong Shiye said. "We work ourselves to the bone—aren't we still just Senators? Even being Senate Chairman or State Secretary means only one vote."
"One vote, yes, but influence differs enormously. When you speak in the Senate, does your voice carry like Wen Desi's or Ma Qianzhu's? Dispatched Senators used to lack clout in the Senate—Chang Shide, Zhao Yingong, people like that all got their reputations dragged through the mud. Now it's different. Since the Liangguang Strategy began, dispatched Senators have become a significant force. The industrial-sector Senators are sharpening their knives precisely because they feel unheard, ready to make their presence felt." Ma Jia sighed. "But if you're always voiceless, no one takes you seriously. Making some noise isn't without benefits."
By now An Xi had finished the final arrangements, dismissing the naturalized service staff—from this moment, the venue would have no servants; everything, including pouring water, would be self-service.
The fifty attending Senators arrived in succession. Ma Jia recognized quite a few faces. These days, nearly half of all Senators had gone to Liangguang; selecting fifty from the remaining two hundred and fifty made the odds fairly high.
In years past, several of these faces would have given Ma Jia headaches. But now his skill at parliamentary maneuvering had grown increasingly sophisticated—or perhaps, as more Senators rose in power and position, their loyalties had shifted. Arguments that once stirred passions now had diminishing effect.
"Court President Ma, it's time," An Xi reminded him quietly.
Ma Jia checked his watch: precisely 1:00 PM.
"Final clearing. Close the main doors," he ordered.
One o'clock was the deadline for the hearing. Anyone failing to arrive was considered to have abstained.
With the main doors closed, the previously hushed assembly hall suddenly filled with voices—among their own, people spoke freely without restraint.
"This Xie Erren is truly reckless! Ignoring proper work, obsessing over women!"
"Exactly. Wallowing in sentiment and culture all day—I've found him insufferable for years."
"Send him to Danzhou for three years of labor reform in the workshops."
"Our Danzhou Chemical Industry doesn't want that burden."
"Since ancient times, literary types can't be trusted. Liberal arts students, after all..."
"Did liberal arts students dig up your ancestral grave? Or sleep with your life secretary?"
Both sides glared at each other until someone stepped in to smooth things over.
"This isn't entirely Xie Erren's fault. A lone commander stuck in Wuzhou, barely holding things together—that's not bad, all things considered. Getting a woman? That's common enough now. Didn't you push that female lab assistant at the Light Industry Central Laboratory?"
"I did not! I never! Don't spread lies!"
"Old Xie's actually been wronged here. The real problem is that various departments gave him too little support. Like in old stories—give someone three thousand decrepit soldiers and send them to fight a hard battle. Obviously setting him up to fail!"
"Hah! Isn't the Pol-Sec Bureau supposed to be omnipotent? Always dropping the ball at critical moments. They slipped by last time—let's see what excuse they have now!"
"The Fubo Army has problems too. One Senator in Wuzhou, and they give him a company for joint defense—is that a joke? Should've been at least a battalion!"
"Don't run your mouth. How many battalions does the Fubo Army have in total? Protecting Xie Erren requires a battalion? Even Wen Desi in Guangzhou doesn't command that much!"
"Wen Desi is just a Senator too—what makes him more important than Xie Erren?"
"Senators are inherently different," someone said with affected profundity, speaking leisurely. "From the moment we landed on the beach, there were differences..."
As the Senate's discussions began to drift aimlessly as usual, Xie Erren slipped quietly into the hall.
He had dressed carefully for the occasion, essentially following the standard of an American defendant appearing in court: a fresh haircut, clean-shaven face, and a neat set of slightly worn cotton "Cadre Suit." According to regulations, two Senators assigned by the General Office accompanied him as "escorts."
Though the group entered quietly, Xie Erren immediately drew every eye in the room. Some even booed.
He wanted to muster a smile to project an air of composure, but his mood simply couldn't produce one, so he kept his face blank and ignored the jeers.
He had already read the main text of the investigation report. Although Ji Xin and Chen Baibin had given him no hints when leaving, their every action during the investigation had been within his sight. He couldn't know exactly what the questioned individuals had said, but he could roughly gauge the investigation's direction.
Essentially, things had proceeded as he expected. But whether they had gathered additional information, what exactly Zhao Fengtian and the others had told the investigation team—that he didn't know. He couldn't shake a kernel of apprehension.
After seeing the report, Xie Erren's heart had largely settled. It didn't exceed his expectations. He felt silent gratitude; though he had made his own arrangements beforehand, Ji Xin had obviously "raised his hand high"—shown leniency. Now he had to hope the Senate would do the same.
To that end, he had anticipated the questions he might face and rehearsed his answers. Truthfully, he greatly admired Chang Shide's defense from years ago—both dignified and witty, mocking and eloquent at once. But his current troubles were far graver than Chang Shide's had been. Better to maintain a low profile, a humble attitude.
He took his seat in the listening section, looking nervously at Ma Jia on the presiding seat, feeling himself "pierced by ten thousand arrows" from the gazes of the attending Senators. His heart raced; sweat beaded on his forehead despite his efforts.
Seeing everyone assembled, Ma Jia rapped his gavel. "Everyone, please be quiet!"
What followed was a complete set of ceremonial procedures—the sense of ritual was an important component of the "Dignity of Law" that Ma Jia pursued. The current hearing procedure was far more elaborate than in the past, including not only the reading of the Senate's "Hearing Resolution" but also relevant regulations and more.
After completing this round of ceremony, over ten minutes had passed. The Senators were growing impatient. Then the gavel sounded again.
"Senators, the Wuzhou Riot Investigation presided over by Senators Ji Xin and Chen Baibin has been completed. The relevant report has been distributed to all Senators. Are there any Senators participating in this hearing who have not read this report, or who hold objections to it?"
(End of Chapter)