The excavator stopped.

Once again, silence fell over the scene.

The members of the demolition team also turned to look at Zhao Ji and Brother Tyrant.

Zhao Ji frowned, "Are you sure this old man is just running a small convenience store? What's with the military uniform? An old revolutionary?"

Brother Tyrant squinted and said, "True old revolutionaries live in cadre rest homes. How could he be stuck running a small store in this shabby place?"

Zhao Ji thought it made sense but was still a bit worried.

After all, so many people were watching.

If this old man really served in the military and someone posted it online, causing a public outcry, that would be bad.

Zhao Ji said, "For today, let's hold off on the demolition. Check this old man's background thoroughly for me."

Brother Tyrant said, "President Zhao, is that necessary?"

"Investigate first, make sure there are no issues before proceeding."

Zhao Ji was careful because if something went wrong, he would be held accountable.

Brother Tyrant felt irritated, thinking, is it necessary to think so much just to demolish a run-down house?

He spat and said, "Let's go!"

The demolition team collected their tools, and the excavators and bulldozers left the neighborhood.

Seeing the demolition team leave, the residents seemed to wake from a dream and all surrounded Zhong Aimin.

In the distance, Lu Feng and his companions also put away their phones and turned to leave.

...

Song Guanchao's phone rang. Lu Feng had sent a video clip.

After watching the video, Song Guanchao was a bit surprised.

This old man was indeed a tough character.

With his flesh and blood, he stood in front of the excavator.

This demolition team was not to be trifled with.

Moreover, they controlled the scene.

If they really acted, the old man might have ended up in the hospital emergency room today.

He stared at the old man's military uniform adorned with medals, guessing it was this uniform that scared away the demolition team.

The demolition team was unsure about the old man's situation and probably didn't dare to proceed with forced demolition, fearing his background was unusual.

He was also curious about what kind of background this old man had.

He tidied up a bit and immediately went to the small store in the Fengmen Building.

Zhong Aimin had already returned, sitting in the store smoking.

He had taken off the military uniform and changed into his everyday clothes.

Seeing Song Guanchao come in, the old man tossed him a cigarette.

Song Guanchao sat on a small stool and said, "Old sir, your collection of medals is impressive. Can I take a look?"

Zhong Aimin pushed the small iron box by his side over to him.

Song Guanchao opened it; besides some medals, there were many certificates.

The medals seemed to be polished often, but despite the years, they could not escape the corrosion of time, developing rust marks.

He leafed through the certificates and was dumbfounded.

The certificates bore the words 'First-Class Combat Hero,' yet the issuance period was peculiar.

They dated back to the sixties and seventies of the last century.

Song Guanchao distinctly remembered that during that period, there were no foreign wars domestically.

If there were no wars, how could there be combat hero certificates?

Furthermore, some of the text on the certificates were not in Chinese characters.

They were in some foreign letters even Song Guanchao could not understand.

Although Song Guanchao had served in the military, he wasn't very familiar with the sixties and seventies.

But these documents were assuredly authentic.

If they were true, it could only mean one thing.

This old man indeed participated in foreign conflicts.

However, these wars were not well-known to the public, possibly some covert operations.

Like narcotics officers and undercover agents, their exploits are legendary, but their names cannot be disclosed.

This old man's military career must have been extremely remarkable, only due to some reasons, it couldn't be made public.

Song Guanchao said, "Sir, as a war hero, why didn't you look for your old unit for help when facing forced demolition today?"

Zhong Aimin exhaled smoke and said indifferently, "It's all in the past, no need to bother them anymore."

Song Guanchao fell into silence, not knowing what to say for a time.

This veteran must have experienced significant psychological trauma during the wars back then.

Otherwise, given the honors recorded on these certificates and his credentials, he would certainly be qualified for general stars on his shoulders!

Yet, this veteran who once bled for the Republic's flag preferred to live in a dilapidated old town, running a small store, rather than reaching out to the military.

It was clear that, to him, it was not a past worth revisiting.

Song Guanchao closed the small iron box and stood up, "Old sir, I'm leaving now."

He returned to the City Committee to find Qu Xiangru.

He opened the video and handed it over.

Qu Xiangru finished watching and asked, "No forced demolition?"

"It didn't happen."

"Then let's wait a bit longer."

The current situation wasn't sufficient.

At least, a few buildings need to be demolished.

Song Guanchao put away the phone and was about to leave when the phone at Qu Xiangru's desk suddenly rang.

Without avoiding Song Guanchao, she glanced at the internal short number of the caller and answered, "Minister Su, what's the matter?"

"Okay, I understand. Coordinate with the City Government to clarify matters to the public in a timely manner."

After putting down the phone, Qu Xiangru said, "This video has spread online."

Apart from Lu Feng, some residents had also recorded the video at that time.

Once posted online, it instantly went viral.

An old soldier covered in medals fearlessly confronting the vicious demolition team members and the excavator's menacing scoop.

This stark contrast showcased the unyielding spirit and will of Zhong Aimin.

The online sentiment was overwhelmingly supportive of Zhong Aimin, condemning the arrogance of the Lingjiang City's demolition office.

Song Guanchao was a bit dumbfounded; he had been trying to suppress public opinion, but things turned out contrary to his wishes.

Qu Xiangru said, "The Jiang Family will remain quiet for a few days. Once the attention dies down, they'll continue with the forced demolition."

"That's also good. The longer the delay, the more anxious the Jiang Family will get, and the stronger their demolition efforts will be."

...

This video has garnered quite a bit of attention online.

The Lingjiang City Government promptly clarified the situation, stating that no forced demolition was found.

Regardless of whether netizens believed it, the City Government issued an announcement, you must believe it.

Because of this unexpected incident, Secretary Sun was scolded harshly by Zheng Bihui.

Secretary Sun felt frustrated, thinking of himself as terribly unlucky.

How could he always encounter such troublesome matters?

Fortunately, the demolition team had some sense and didn't proceed with the forced demolition. Otherwise, the situation would have escalated dramatically.

After leaving the office, his phone rang; it was Zhao Ji calling.

His voice carried irritation, "President Zhao, what do you need?"

Zhao Ji sensed his displeasure and laughed, "Secretary Sun, are you free tonight? Our Mr. Jiang would like to invite you for dinner."

Secretary Sun's expression turned slightly better, "I'll see about tonight."

Zhao Ji said, "Secretary Sun, at tonight's dinner, the province's Mr. Li and Mr. Ji will also be attending. Oh, I also invited Director Yan from the Lingbei Branch."

Secretary Sun's interest was piqued. He didn't care much about Zhao Ji, but Jiang Sheng and those two province gentlemen were a different matter altogether.

These two provincial gentlemen, prior to the forced demolitions, specifically invited him to dinner to give him a heads-up.

Maintaining good relations with these two was crucial for his political career as well.

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