Chapter 120: What a Mess! Mr. Righteousness?

Chapter 120: What a Mess! Mr. Righteousness?

Zhang Lin received an urgent notification and didn't hesitate to rush out of the operations department!

The red exclamation mark on the map pointed to the service center's lounge, which wasn't far from the office center.

When Zhang Lin arrived, he found the entire lounge in chaos.

Seeing the scene in the middle of the lounge, his brow furrowed.

Tables and chairs were scattered and overturned, and a man was holding a dagger to an elderly woman's neck, with blood already trickling down her neck.

Next to the man and the elderly woman, a man and a woman watched the scene with tense expressions. They appeared to be a married couple, and the elderly woman was likely their elder.

"Damn!" Zhang Lin muttered.

No wonder the game system had sounded so serious.

If a bloody incident occurred, or even a death, the farm would definitely suffer. To minimize the social impact, the farm would have to undergo a period of rectification.

He would be the one to take the fall.

He had already thought of the announcement title: "Liyuan Farm Lacks Safety Measures and Failed to Handle the Emergency; Ordered to Rectify!"

That was a certainty.

The city of Youcheng wouldn't want to push Liyuan Farm into the spotlight, but once a social incident became public, the city and provincial authorities would take notice.

At that point, even Youcheng wouldn't be able to handle the pressure.

He hadn't expected such a mess to happen at his farm.

The key question was, who was this man with the dagger, and why was he committing such a violent act on his farm?

A radical?

Regardless, the presence of a few system-recruited security guards gave him some reassurance.

These guards were programmed to act decisively in emergencies, unlike real-world guards who would panic and flee.

The tourists around them were already showing signs of fear, but they were still gathered around the lounge, filming the scene with their phones.

This was the typical curiosity-driven behavior of people.

They didn't seem to realize that if the man went berserk, he might start stabbing anyone in sight, and those at the front would have nowhere to run.

Zhang Lin quickly waved the guards over.

"Boss!"

The guards approached and greeted him in unison.

Zhang Lin quickly gave his instructions: "Try to subdue him, and make sure no tourists get hurt!"

The guards nodded and spread out, subtly closing in on the man with the dagger.

The man's attention was focused on the couple, and he didn't notice the guards. He glared at the couple with intense hatred: "You two dogs, you really are here, and you, you bitch, are you here to meet your new in-laws?"

Hearing the man's words, the couple's faces turned grim.

The man said, "Liu Jianming, don't misunderstand. Ma Ling and I just ran into each other here by chance!"

The woman, Ma Ling, added, "That's right, Jianming. Peng Yan and I just happened to meet here in the farm."

Liu Jianming, holding the dagger, grew even angrier at their words. He slashed the elderly woman's thigh, causing her to scream in pain. Then he glared at Ma Ling with hatred: "Do you think I don't know you two planned this? Ma Ling, while you were sleeping, I unlocked your phone with your fingerprint!"

"I saw how you two planned to come here, meet Peng Yan's mother, and how she was so pleased with you. I know she decided to support you in divorcing me. And this old woman was the one who backed you, right?"

This revelation caused a stir among the onlookers, who couldn't believe what they were hearing.

At first, everyone had assumed Liu Jianming and Ma Ling were a married couple on a trip with their elderly relative, and that they had encountered a deranged person seeking revenge on society.

But it turned out to be a much more complex emotional entanglement!

Adultery was already a serious breach of moral and ethical standards, but now Ma Ling had not only cheated but also met her lover's family, and the elderly woman had even supported it. What a bizarre relationship!

"This is mind-blowing!"

"This... is crazy!"

"Poor Liu Jianming!"

"A typical case of bullying the honest!"

For some reason, the tourists who had initially thought Liu Jianming was a lunatic now felt sympathy for him and looked at Ma Ling and Peng Yan with disdain.

"Kill her! Such a person deserves it!" one tourist even shouted with righteous indignation.

Zhang Lin's face fell at this. Was this guy trying to cause more trouble?

What kind of society was this? Problems should be handled by the police and the courts.

Didn't they realize that a careless word could ruin someone's life?

Sure enough, Liu Jianming, hearing the shout, lost control and raised his dagger to stab the elderly woman.

Zhang Lin's heart raced, but just in time, a hand grabbed the blade of the dagger, blood streaming from the palm. It was one of the system-recruited security guards.

Another hand grabbed Liu Jianming's arm, belonging to another security guard.

Next, another hand clamped around Liu Jianming’s neck—it was the third security guard.

The fourth security guard, with nothing to do, simply stood by and watched.

Liu Jianming was now subdued, and the dagger was taken from him.

He roared in fury, his face twisted with desperation.

Zhang Lin, however, breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the bravery of the system-recruited security guards did not earn them praise or applause from the tourists. Instead, they remained silent as they watched Liu Jianming’s outburst.

In their hearts, many of the tourists wished that Liu Jianming had succeeded in killing the old lady. They felt it would have been a satisfying act of justice, even going so far as to wish for harsher punishments for such despicable people. The current moral and ethical standards were in a state of chaos, and many people even took pride in such acts.

Zhang Lin understood the reason for the tourists' silence, and his own thoughts were not far from theirs. However, his primary concern was to ensure that the farm remained unaffected. If this had happened outside the farm, he might have been indifferent, allowing Liu Jianming to carry out his act. But inside the farm, he had to act.

Ma Ling and Peng Yan, seeing the old lady freed, immediately rushed over to comfort her.

Then, to everyone's shock, Peng Yan and Ma Ling said something that left everyone stunned.

Peng Yan: "Liu Jianming, you're right, we did plan this. So what? We were already thinking of how to get Ma Ling to divorce you. Now that you're going to jail, it saves us the trouble!"

Ma Ling: "I didn't want to tell you this, but it doesn't matter now. The twins are not your children. If I hadn't been pregnant and unable to hide it, do you think I would have married you?"

The old lady heaved a sigh of relief, feeling a surge of happiness as she watched Liu Jianming being restrained.

Her son had been poisoned in an accident and was unable to have children, leading to his wife divorcing him. When she found out that Ma Ling’s twins were her son’s, she was overjoyed. Now, with Liu Jianming going to jail, she could finally bring her twin grandsons home.

She had longed for this moment for a long time.

These words caused an immediate uproar. No one could have imagined such depths of deceit and cruelty.

Zhang Lin, upon hearing this, felt a surge of anger. He almost wanted the security guards to release Liu Jianming and give him back the dagger.

There was no doubt that Liu Jianming was the kind of honest man often talked about online, a man who had been utterly betrayed and left with nothing.

But at that moment, Liu Jianming burst into maniacal laughter. "Hehehe, I’m going to jail, and I’m going to eat peanuts. You think without me, you can live happily ever after? Ha, I already did a paternity test. I know the twins aren’t mine."

"Ma Ling, your parents knew this too, didn’t they? So before I came, I sent the two kids to their grandparents. Then, I left a dozen cuts on each of them and set fire to both our homes, as well as your parents’ house. And Peng Yan, I burned your car and your house too. Then I rushed over here. Surprised, huh? Hahaha!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Ling, Peng Yan, and the old lady were all stunned.

Then, the old lady’s head dropped, and she fainted.

Ma Ling, in disbelief, stared wide-eyed and fainted as well.

Peng Yan, his face twisted in disbelief, lunged at Liu Jianming, shouting, "Liar, you’re lying, you’re lying..."

He even tried to grab the dagger that had fallen to the ground, driven by a surge of rage.

Unfortunately, he was held back by the fourth security guard, who pinned him to the ground.

This sudden twist caught the tourists off guard, and they began to applaud, the clapping growing louder and more intense.

Zhang Lin was stunned by the outcome and sighed quietly. This was undoubtedly a tragedy.

He had recently read a news story about a man who had killed his wife and her entire family, and the police officers who had arrested him had even offered him a cigarette after hearing his story.

He never thought he would witness such a thing in person today.

This was a societal aberration, a case of honest people being pushed to their limits. The consequences were unimaginable.

The applause only made Zhang Lin sigh even more. He feared that when the news broke, there would be numerous comments praising Liu Jianming as a man of righteousness.

Perhaps he was, in a way. This news might make some people think twice, at least keeping them from acting so brazenly.

The incident at the service center quickly spread to the rest of the farm, and people rushed over. The police arrived soon after, as some tourists had already called them.

Liu Jianming and Peng Yan were taken away, while the old lady and Ma Ling were rushed to the hospital.

As Zhang Lin had anticipated, the incident quickly made the news. Not only did it cover what happened at the farm, but it also included Liu Jianming’s actions in his hometown. Given the farm’s high profile, the story gained significant traction, trending by the afternoon.

As he had expected, the news video featured the phrase “Mr. Righteous” prominently.

While the law did not condone Liu Jianming’s actions, public opinion clearly supported him. Unfortunately, his actions, though justified, were illegal. He punished the adulterers but also destroyed himself, losing his life.

This incident also served as a wake-up call for the farm, highlighting the need to improve security measures.

If Liu Jianming had gone around stabbing people with a dagger today, the farm would have truly suffered a disaster, just as the system warned.

So, he decided to add a security check at the entrance, prohibiting any knives or similar items from being brought in.

This wasn't just for Lishan Farm.

The city of Youcheng was also shocked, especially people like County Chief Liu and Zhao Han. They all knew how important Lishan Farm was to Youcheng, and what would happen if someone died there today.

Lishan Farm would have to close for an investigation, which would have a significant impact.

County Chief Liu hurriedly called Zhao Han to his office: "We were lucky today; otherwise, it would have been a disaster. In modern society, anything can happen."

"Yeah!" Zhao Han nodded in agreement.

They had already understood the case, which was tragic and lamentable, especially for the twin children who called the killer 'Dad' and even went up to him for a hug.

Just thinking about it made one's heart ache.

But this wasn't their responsibility; they needed to handle the aftermath and prevent future incidents.

"So, what do you think we should do?" County Chief Liu asked again.

Since Lishan Farm was under the jurisdiction of the Tourism Bureau, any decisions had to be proposed by them. As long as it prevented such incidents from happening again, it would be a good move.

Zhao Han was prepared and said, "My suggestion is simple: Have Mr. Zhang add a security check at the entrance. We should also consider establishing a tourism police force. Lishan Farm already receives 15,000 visitors a day, and that number will only grow. We need to be prepared."

"This time, the security at Lishan Farm handled the situation, but they don't have law enforcement powers. Having a tourism police presence would be a better deterrent."

"Hmm, that's a good idea. What else?" County Chief Liu nodded, having heard about tourism police before.

With the rapid development of the economy and the significant improvement in living standards, tourism has boosted the economy, but it has also brought new challenges and requirements for safety management. Relying solely on security guards at tourist sites is no longer enough.

There are countless news stories online about unruly tourists: elderly women knocking over trash bins, pushing down signposts, and even trying to take pictures with lion cubs.

While these incidents aren't as severe as what happened at Lishan Farm, they are common and often escalate due to the lack of law enforcement powers among security guards. These tourists act with impunity, daring the guards to do anything, threatening to call the police if they are touched.

Thus, tourism police were created to handle such incidents. They are responsible for maintaining order at tourist sites, promoting safety, and managing traffic.

Most importantly, they have law enforcement powers. Tourists who cause disturbances can be immediately arrested, and more serious cases can result in a 3-15 day stay in jail.

So, Lishan Farm should indeed take action.

Zhao Han added, "We should also consult with the relevant departments and ask for Vice Director Wu's opinion. Mr. Zhang has a cousin who works in the system, and they have a good relationship. It might be a good idea to transfer him over to help coordinate efforts."

"Right!" County Chief Liu nodded and immediately picked up the phone to make the calls.

...

Zhang Zhao was unaware of all this. Although he was a minor leader in his department, he knew that at his age, there was little chance of advancement. He wasn't someone with significant connections.

So, he just had to build his seniority, wait for opportunities, and do his mundane tasks, like today, where he had to lead a team to promote the latest safety policies.

Back at the office, he greeted all his colleagues as usual and had just sat down when the director walked over, making him stand up quickly.

The director said, "Zhang Zhao, the county has called you to a meeting. Head over there right away!"

"Ah? Me?" Zhang Zhao was clearly taken aback.

Why would the county call him to a meeting? If it were important, it would be one of the higher-ups, or even the director himself.

The director was also puzzled, as he should have been the one called to the meeting.

Then, they both concluded it wasn't anything important.

"Whatever it is, if you're called, you should show up," the director instructed.

"Sure, okay!" Zhang Zhao nodded, though he hoped the meeting would end quickly so he could return to organizing the progress of the safety campaign.

Safety campaigns were a yearly priority for them.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end