novelnext Chapter 21 Mass Incidents Are Also a Test
Chapter 21 Mass Incidents Are Also a Test
Wu Zhiyuan replied: Section Chief Wang, please have some self-respect. I have deleted the photo; please do not send similar messages again.
a new day.
Wu Zhiyuan arrived at the office early to wipe the table, mop the floor, and fetch water for Secretary Xu Youwei.
Around 9 a.m., Geng Dongqing, director of the Municipal Party Committee Office, reported that at the site of the forced demolition for the expansion of the Jintang Hot Spring Resort, hundreds of villagers were in a standoff with the demolition team. The villagers were emotional and, if not handled properly, could trigger a mass incident.
Xu Youwei, his expression grave, said to Geng Dongqing, "Prepare the car! I'm going to the scene now!"
As Xu Youwei passed Wu Zhiyuan's office, he hesitated for a moment before saying, "Zhiyuan, you should go too."
It takes about 20 minutes to drive from the municipal government building to Jintang Hot Spring Resort.
Wu Zhiyuan and Xu Youwei rode in the same car.
Xu Youwei suddenly asked, "Zhiyuan, isn't Zhang Wanlin, the owner of Jintang Hot Spring Resort, the richest man in Longcheng?"
Wu Zhiyuan felt a chill run down his spine.
He knew that this seemingly casual chat was actually a small test of his information gathering and judgment.
Xu Youwei made it very clear yesterday that a secretary must be observant and attentive, and cannot be a bookworm who can only write documents.
Fortunately, Wu Zhiyuan had done his homework over the past two days and learned a lot about Zhang Wanlin through Sun Runcai, Lang Wenping and others.
He carefully organized his words, briefly recounting Zhang Wanlin's rise to power and introducing his current situation. He then said, "Zhang Wanlin is now a representative of the Municipal People's Congress and the vice chairman of the Municipal Federation of Industry and Commerce. He is also enthusiastic about doing charity. However, some commentators say that he is tough and that each of his companies has its own security team."
After listening, Xu Youwei gave a noncommittal "hmm".
Wu Zhiyuan couldn't figure out what Xu Youwei was thinking, and he didn't know if his answer would satisfy him, so he felt uneasy.
After all, there are some things that are inconvenient to say in the car, such as about Villa No. 5. We can talk about them at a more suitable occasion later.
As the car approached the Jintang Hot Spring Resort area, a tense atmosphere could already be felt.
From afar, we could see flashing police lights, and the further we went in, the clearer the noise of the crowd became.
Jintang Hot Spring Resort is located in Longdong District.
Longcheng city is actually not very big, consisting of only two districts: Longdong and Longxi.
It only takes about 10 to 20 minutes to drive from the east side of the city to the west side.
Zhao Qiang, the district head of Longdong District, and other officials briefed Xu Youwei on the situation.
Xu Youwei asked, "Where is Comrade Song Leyi? Why isn't he here?"
Song Leyi is the Party Secretary of Longdong District.
Zhao Qiang explained, "Secretary Song said he had something to attend to and asked me to come and handle it."
Upon hearing Zhao Qiang's explanation, Xu Youwei's face instantly darkened: "Something on your plate? What could be more important than hundreds of emotionally charged villagers gathered here? More urgent than a potentially out-of-control mass incident?"
Sweat beaded on Zhao Qiang's forehead as he quickly said, "I'll call Secretary Song right away!"
Xu Youwei snorted coldly: "He must get to the scene within half an hour. If he can't, make him explain his reasons directly to the municipal party committee!"
Wu Zhiyuan immediately realized that Secretary Xu was using this as an excuse to put pressure on the entire officialdom of Longcheng.
The scene was temporarily cordoned off.
Inside the line, there was a large, agitated crowd of villagers, numbering about two or three hundred, mostly middle-aged and elderly, but also including many young and middle-aged men. They were holding shovels and hoes, their emotions running high.
Outside the cordon, police officers and district and street staff were on high alert, working hard to maintain order and dissuade villagers.
Further away, there were several roaring excavators and bulldozers, as well as a group of burly men in uniform black clothes who looked menacing; they were probably the demolition team.
Tensions were high between the two sides, and a conflict was imminent.
Zhao Qiang briefly introduced the basic situation: "...Most villagers have signed the agreement, but there are still some 'holdouts' who believe that the compensation standard is too low and refuse to relocate."
This morning, when the project's demolition team was about to enter the site for forced demolition, the villagers gathered to stop them, and a scuffle ensued.
Several villagers sustained minor injuries, which further agitated them. Many other villagers rushed to their aid, escalating the situation further.
At this moment, some villagers recognized Xu Youwei, probably from the television news, and immediately shouted, "It's Secretary Xu! Secretary Xu of the Municipal Party Committee is here!"
"Secretary Xu, you must stand up for us ordinary people!"
"They beat people! They forcibly demolished our homes! Is there no law anymore?!"
The crowd began to surge toward the cordon.
The police officers at the scene immediately tensed up and struggled to maintain their defensive line.
Xu Youwei said to Zhao Qiang and others, "Remove a section of the cordon, I'll go over and say a few words to the villagers."
"Secretary Xu, this is too dangerous! The villagers are agitated, what if..." Zhao Qiang advised.
"What are you afraid of? We're here to resolve the issue, not to confront each other!"
How can we solve problems by treating ordinary people like enemies?
Xu Youwei spoke sternly, and without waiting for anyone else to persuade him, he walked straight toward the direction where the villagers were gathered.
Wu Zhiyuan followed closely behind, cautiously observing his surroundings.
Xu Youwei took a megaphone, stood on a slightly higher mound, and facing the dark mass of people, said bluntly, "Fellow villagers, I am Xu Youwei, the Party Secretary of the Municipal Committee."
To be honest, I've only been in Longcheng for less than half a month, and I haven't even warmed up my seat as the Party Secretary yet, but today the villagers have already put on such a grand welcome ceremony for me.
Look at this scene, this whole setup! Anyone who knows us would think we're discussing demolition compensation, but anyone who doesn't would think I, Xu Youwei, am here to campaign for an election!
These self-deprecating opening remarks immediately eased the tense atmosphere, and some people even laughed out loud.
Xu Youwei continued, "But to be honest, I'm very happy today."
Why am I so happy? Because I witnessed the unity of the people of Longcheng!
I witnessed everyone's courage in defending their rights!
Everyone was astonished!
I never expected Xu Youwei to say such a thing.
Xu Youwei then changed the subject: "However, we need to be methodical in protecting our rights and wise in solving problems."
I was heartbroken to hear that some people were injured.
We are all born of parents. If any of us gets hurt, our families will be heartbroken, right?
Someone in the crowd shouted, "Yes, Old Li is over sixty years old, and he was still pushed to the ground and kicked a few times..."
"Secretary Xu, they're beating people! They're beating people in broad daylight!"
"Our family has lived here for generations, but the compensation is too low. We can't even afford a toilet in the city!"
"The villagers who signed were all forced! Some people smear excrement at their doors at night, some release snakes at their doors, and some receive threatening phone calls! They are completely lawless!"
"Zhang Wanlin's men are domineering and arrogant. They would force their way out if people didn't want to move, and they even beat people up!"
Even forced demolitions follow legal procedures, but they didn't follow any of them at all!
Xu Youwei continued into the loudspeaker: "First of all, on behalf of the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government, I would like to express my apologies for the difficulties and injustices you have encountered during the demolition process!"
We failed to do our job properly, and our fellow villagers have suffered injustice!
I assure you of three things: First, the person who committed the assault will be dealt with according to the law!
Second, the compensation standards must be open, fair, and just, and comply with relevant national, provincial, and municipal policies and regulations! Any unreasonable or non-compliant practices must be corrected!
Third, forced demolitions are absolutely prohibited until the problem is properly resolved!
While listening to Secretary Xu's speech, Wu Zhiyuan vigilantly observed the movement of the crowd.
He noticed that among the crowd were some blond-haired youths, some of whom had tattoos on their arms.
In every mass incident, there are always some people with ulterior motives mixed in.
They are either idle young people or resentful individuals seeking revenge against society. Taking advantage of the public's heightened emotions, they deliberately incite trouble, provoke disturbances, and even attempt to create incidents of vandalism and looting, leading legitimate public demands down the path of violence and illegality.