71: Chapter 71 Provoking Trouble

Xiao Bei straightened his disheveled clothes, his voice full of apology.

Su Yun was silent for a moment, then forced a smile: "Go ahead, work is important."

Xiao Bei rose awkwardly: "I'm sorry, I'll contact you again when I have time."

Stepping out of the hotel, the cold wind made Xiao Bei completely sober up.

He hailed a taxi and gave the address for the Development Zone, but his mind was still replaying the scenes that had just occurred.

His phone rang again; it was a photo of the scene sent by Secretary He Mingxuan.

In the photo, dozens of villagers were holding farm tools and confronting the construction team, and there appeared to be injured people lying on the ground. Xiao Bei's heart sank—if this sudden incident was not handled well, not only would the Development Zone project be completely ruined, but his political career might also end right then and there.

The taxi sped towards the outskirts, and Xiao Bei watched the night scenery retreating rapidly outside the window, his thoughts in turmoil.

Everything that happened tonight felt like a dream, and now, he had to return to the cruel reality to face yet another crisis.

"Driver, please hurry!"

He couldn't help but urge the driver, while simultaneously dialing the phone number of Bai Jinglin, the head of the town Police Station. "Is this Director Bai? This is Xiao Bei. Immediately mobilize police forces to the Development Zone construction site and control the situation. There must be no loss of life!"

The taxi sped along the rugged country road, Xiao Bei gripping his phone tightly, fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead.

Outside the window, the pitch-black night was torn apart by the flashing lights of police cars in the distance, and the sound of noisy crowds could be vaguely heard from the direction of the Development Zone construction site.

"Driver, stop right up there!"

Xiao Bei hurriedly paid the fare, pushed open the car door, and rushed out.

At the entrance to the construction site, a dozen police officers had set up a cordon. The tall figure of Bai Jinglin was particularly conspicuous in the crowd, and Deputy Secretary Xing Guoqiang was also maintaining order.

At this moment, Bai Jinglin was shouting instructions into his walkie-talkie, and upon seeing Xiao Bei, he immediately came forward to meet him.

"Secretary Xiao, you've finally arrived!"

Bai Jinglin wiped the sweat from his face; the back of his police uniform was already soaked through. "The situation is temporarily under control, but five villagers and two workers were injured and have already been sent to the hospital."

Xiao Bei nodded, his gaze crossing over the cordon.

In the center of the construction site, dozens of villagers formed a circle, holding shovels, hoes, and other farm tools, their faces filled with anger.

Opposite them were construction workers wearing hard hats, and the two sides were confronting each other across a human wall formed by the police.

"Where is Secretary He Mingxuan?"

Xiao Bei asked.

"Over here!"

Secretary He Mingxuan squeezed out from the crowd, his shirt wrinkled and a crack running through his eyeglass lens. "Secretary, are you alright?"

Xiao Bei shook his head and lowered his voice: "What exactly is going on?"

"It's about the mine."

Secretary He Mingxuan leaned close to Xiao Bei's ear. "These villagers are mostly families of miners. They heard that the mine is to be converted into a Development Zone and are worried about losing their livelihoods, so they..."

Xiao Bei's brows furrowed tightly. He should have thought of this earlier.

Although the old mine in Bishi Town had severe pollution and low efficiency, it had, after all, supported hundreds of families in the town.

He took a deep breath, straightened his collar, and strode towards the center of the confrontation.

"Fellow villagers! I am the town Party Secretary, Xiao Bei!"

His voice was exceptionally clear in the night sky. "If there are any problems, we can sit down and talk!"

A noisy buzz of discussion erupted from the crowd.

"Talk about what! You officials only know how to make empty promises!"

An old man with a wrinkled face waved a shovel and shouted, "If the mine closes, will our whole family be left to starve?"

"That's right! My son has worked at the mine for ten years, and now you're closing it just like that?"

A middle-aged woman chimed in shrilly.

Xiao Bei raised his hands to signal for everyone to be quiet:

"I understand everyone's concerns. The mine has indeed supported several generations of us, but everyone has also seen the harm it has caused—the river turning black, crop yields decreasing, and more and more people in town getting lung disease in recent years!"

These words caused some of the villagers to quiet down, but a burly young man pushed to the front:

"Secretary Xiao, anyone can preach big principles! But what can we people do besides mining? When the Development Zone is built, it will recruit outside technicians. Where is there a place for us?"

Xiao Bei recognized this young man; his name was Chen Asu, a former small foreman at the mine.

His heart stirred, and he vaguely felt that this matter was not so simple.

"You are Chen Asu, right?"

Xiao Bei looked directly into his eyes. "I guarantee you that after the Development Zone is built, local workers will be hired first. Furthermore, we will organize skills training to help everyone transition."

"Empty words are no proof!"

Jiang Qiang sneered. "You officials have made so many promises; which one has ever been fulfilled?"

Xiao Bei felt a wave of exhaustion hit him, but he felt even more determined. He turned and said to Secretary He Mingxuan:

"Bring the planning map of the Development Zone."

When the blueprints were unfolded under the illumination of the car headlights, Xiao Bei pointed to the labels on them:

"Everyone look, here is planned a labor-intensive industrial park, which will require a large number of ordinary workers. Here, a technical training center will be built to provide free training for everyone. And here—"

His finger stopped at a residential area. "We will build staff dormitories to solve housing problems."

The villagers crowded around to look, whispering to each other.

Xiao Bei noticed a man wearing a peaked cap in the back of the crowd, quietly filming with his mobile phone. When that man saw Xiao Bei looking over, he quickly hid in the shadows.

"In addition," Xiao Bei raised his voice, "the mine will not be closed immediately. There will be a transition period. During this period, wages will be paid as usual, and training will be organized simultaneously. When the new factories start operating, those willing to stay can transfer to new positions, and those who are not willing will be given compensation in accordance with regulations."

These words finally moved many of the villagers. The old man who had spoken first put down his shovel:

"Secretary Xiao, can your word be trusted?"

"I guarantee it with my Party spirit!"

Xiao Bei said decisively, "The town will issue an official document tomorrow, and everyone can supervise it."

Just as the atmosphere was easing, a harsh engine sound approached from afar, and a black car sped over, braking sharply on the periphery of the crowd.

The car door opened, and Town Mayor Sun Jiaming stepped out with a grim face.

"Secretary Xiao, why didn't you notify me about such a big matter?"

Town Mayor Sun Jiaming looked around, his gaze lingering on Jiang Qiang for a moment. "The fellow villagers have demands; we should solve them together."

Xiao Bei felt a jolt in his heart; Town Mayor Sun Jiaming's sudden appearance was definitely not a coincidence, but he remained calm:

"Town Mayor Sun Jiaming, you arrived just in time. We are explaining the planning of the Development Zone to the fellow villagers."

Town Mayor Sun Jiaming nodded and turned to the villagers:

"Everyone, don't get excited. If there are any problems, speak slowly. Secretary Xiao hasn't been here long and might not be very familiar with the situation in the town..."

This was clearly implying that Secretary Xiao was not familiar with the grassroots level.

Just as Town Mayor Sun Jiaming finished speaking, a steady voice came from behind the crowd:

"Town Mayor Sun Jiaming, that is not correct."