"Ah?!" Xiao Xue was even more bewildered. She didn't understand the implications of this eting at all. It was clearly just an ordinary eting, yet it required the attendance of everyone from all departnts and absence was not allowed.
"Exactly, this eting is when I reveal my weapons," Tang Yung said with a cold laugh, "I've already shown my weapons. Now, it's ti to see how others will respond."
Xiao Xue was even more confused, but in order not to highlight her own 'intellectual deficiencies,' she could only nod along in agreent. After mumbling a few unclear responses, Xiao Xue hurriedly left Tang Yung's office.
This was a contest, a contest of power, intelligence, behavior... Who's strong and who's weak was not decided by force or authority, but by various mind gas, strategies, and wits.
However, things developed in the opposite direction of what Tang Yung had anticipated.
The next day at the eting.
Song Hao and Chen Jianjun arrived at the sand field with six or seven police officers to accompany the officials from the industry and comrce and urban construction departnts, preparing to seal off the sand field.
The remaining brothers working in the transport market appeared listless, especially Zhou Kai, Lu Dapao, and Huang Bo who had been arrested, which made the group even more pessimistic about their future and fate. Everyone lacked energy in their work at the construction site and felt generally sluggish.
"The boss has been arrested, so why are we still working here?"
"I heard there's a three-day deadline."
"It's already the second day, are we going to be disbanded?"
The crowd was abuzz, whispering among themselves. They all seed especially fearful. Upon hearing about the possible disbanding and the cutting off of their livelihood, the people grew sowhat angry.
"Damn it, who dares to disband us, we'll fight them," so said.
"Exactly, we all finally found a stable, formal job. If we're disbanded, how am I going to explain this to my parents?" so grumbled.
So appeared righteously indignant, extrely angry. Many more were silent, saying nothing. Although outwardly angry, they still worked diligently, striving to maintain the operations of the sand field, the transport market, the repair shop, and Haiqing Pool.
Just as everyone was busily involved in the sand field work, soone suddenly shouted, "Not good, the police are here again."
Upon hearing this, everyone imdiately dropped what they were doing and gathered together.
"The boss isn't here, what do we do?" one of them said.
"No way, we must not let them seal off the sand field," another said.
A group of people shouted out loudly, many voicing their defiance.
However, the majority chose to remain silent. Amidst the righteous indignation of the crowd, soone said, "Let's not clash with them head-on; after all, they are the police and have the authority to seal off places."
"Yeah, better let it be. Even Brother Chuan can't do anything, what can we do?"
Most people did not want to have any conflict with the police, because after all, they were just ordinary people. They had to think of themselves and their families, and this idea had been planted in their minds from a young age. Now, this way of thinking continued to influence them throughout their lives.
The people of Feixiang Company were not accustod to setbacks, and yesterday's disaster imdiately revealed their weak wills. Never having faced setbacks, the slightest difficulty would make them appear very fragile.
At that mont, soone suddenly shouted, "Brothers, the sand field is our rice bowl, our ans of survival. If it's disbanded, we'll lose our livelihood. We must protect the sand field."
"Right, we need to reason with the police, we can't lose our rice bowl," soone else shouted.
The crowd responded in unison and ran towards the entrance of the sand field.
At the factory entrance, two police cars and three or four sedans stopped. Song Hao and Chen Jianjun got out of the police cars followed by several people from industry and comrce and urban construction departnts.
"What are you guys doing?" The leader, a minor supervisor of the sand field, yelled.
"To seal off the assets of Feixiang Company," Chen Jianjun spoke up, "I advise you to step aside imdiately and don't interfere with our work."
"What gives you the right to seal off our company," the leading man shouted back in anger, "All of us brothers rely on the sand field for our living. If you seal off the company, our ans of living will be gone. How do you expect these hundred-odd people to survive?"
"I'm not responsible for that; I'm just acting on instructions," Chen Jianjun said with a cold smirk at the corner of his mouth.
The few people from the Business Bureau following Chen Jianjun all showed anger upon hearing his words, cursing inwardly. Was this sothing a police officer should say? Wasn't this forcing these people to cause trouble?
Although the urban construction authorities were usually a bit arrogant, they too felt Chen Jianjun's remarks were inappropriate at this mont. The workers were not wrong—they needed to live as well. As a police officer, instead of explaining properly, he was provoking them with such words.
When the workers at the sand field heard Chen Jianjun's words, they beca agitated, and the atmosphere at the scene tensed up.
A veteran comrade from the Business Bureau who had co with Chen Jianjun saw that the atmosphere was wrong and imdiately stepped forward, shouting loudly, "Brothers of the sand field workers, please hear out."
Hundreds of eyes from the crowd were fixed on the veteran comrade.
"I know everyone has their difficulties, but as law enforcers, we must act according to the instructions from above. Trust our Party, trust our country. As long as there's nothing wrong with your company, the closure is only temporary. Once the investigation is clear, we will give you an explanation," the veteran comrade spoke earnestly.
"How can we trust you? These days, our company has been harassed daily, and several of our managers have been arrested by you. No, we absolutely cannot let you close down Feixiang Company," the leading supervisor objected.
The crowd began to get noisy again, and the atmosphere grew chaotic.
Right when the noise was escalating, Lin Chuan arrived.
As soon as Chen Jianjun saw Lin Chuan, he imdiately yelled at him, "Lin Chuan, your workers are obstructing the police from carrying out their duties. Believe it or not, I will have them all arrested."
Before Lin Chuan could speak, the veteran comrade from the Business Bureau rebuked Chen Jianjun, "Captain Chen, watch your language. If you dare to arrest anyone today, I'll report it directly to the City Committee tomorrow."
The person in charge from the urban construction authorities also spoke up, "Captain Chen, you need to choose your words according to the situation. These people are already suffering; why trouble them further? Explain things properly and finish up quickly so we can leave."
Lin Chuan walked up to the front, staring coldly at Chen Jianjun without saying a word.
Having suffered quite a bit at the hands of Lin Chuan before, Chen Jianjun felt his heart tremble under Lin Chuan's glare and involuntarily shrank back.
The veteran comrade, who had heard of Lin Chuan's reputation, suddenly turned to Lin Chuan and bowed, "Mr. Lin, I apologize for our impolite behavior just now, and I apologize to all the workers here on behalf of everyone."
Just after the veteran comrade had finished bowing, everyone behind him, except for Chen Jianjun, collectively bowed to Lin Chuan and the crowd.
Lin Chuan quickly stepped forward to support the veteran comrade, then turned to the people behind him and said, "I appreciate everyone's understanding towards Feixiang Company. Today, we won't make things difficult for you. Proceed with the closure."
Grasping Lin Chuan's hand firmly, the veteran comrade gratefully said, "Thank you for your understanding. I promise you, if your company is not involved in any illegal activities, I will fight for justice for you even at the cost of my life."
People need mutual understanding and respect. Seeing the opposition bow to them silenced everyone. Without waiting for Lin Chuan's command, they voluntarily cleared a path.
Zhou Rui was dealing with so matters in her office. Hearing the noisy commotion outside and glancing out the window, she was shocked and hurried downstairs.
After running downstairs and before getting close, she saw Lin Chuan and what was happening, and her hanging heart was finally at ease.
Chen Jianjun and his team faced no resistance and successfully closed down Feixiang Company.
After completing the closure, the veteran comrade comforted Lin Chuan a few more tis before they all withdrew.
Zhou Rui's office.
"Lin Chuan, I'm scared," Zhou Rui said softly.
Lin Chuan gently covered Zhou Rui's hand and said, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
"I don't know how far we can go on this road," Zhou Rui clearly had so long-term concerns.
"Perhaps quite a while," Lin Chuan took a puff of his cigarette.
"Lin Chuan, let's leave Jiangbei City," Zhou Rui suddenly suggested, "Find a place where no one knows us, and start over, okay?"
"Fool," Lin Chuan said with a smile, "There's no chance for that. Since I've chosen this place, I must stand tall. No one can trample into the mud."
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