38: Chapter 38 The Controversy Over a Single Line of Dialogue

Every evening at 7:35, the "tongan news broadcast" airs on time.

As long as he didn't have any social engagements, Ji Hongwen would watch it punctually at this time.

Even if he missed it, he would watch the rebroadcast at 10:00 PM.

He enjoyed the feeling of critiquing the affairs of state through the television screen.

When he saw his on-site speech being broadcast on television, the corners of Ji Hongwen's mouth couldn't help but curl upward.

He hadn't seen much of this camera-wielding reporter before, but the person was quite skilled.

They knew how to convey the voice of the Municipal Committee and Municipal Government's firm commitment to promoting reform.

At the same time, many workers from the Tongan Die-Casting Machine Factory were also sitting in front of their televisions.

News of the Municipal Party Committee Secretary's inspection of the factory that morning had already spread.

Everyone was hoping that after the Secretary's visit, their living expenses would be distributed sooner.

When they heard Ji Hongwen say, "The Municipal Committee and Municipal Government will fully support the restructuring of the enterprise and clear all obstacles on the road to restructuring,"

The veteran worker Sun Dehai suddenly stood up from his stool.

"What a load of bull!"

He roared at the black-and-white television, startling his wife in the inner room, who quickly ran out.

"What's going on?"

"Listen to this! Just listen to this!" Sun Dehai pointed at the television, his hands trembling.

"We're unhappy with the settlement plan and went to the factory to protest a few times, so now we're 'obstacles'? If it weren't for us, where would the Tongan Die-Casting Machine Factory even be!"

On the television, Ji Hongwen's voice continued:

"...not only will we help them onto the horse, but we will also send them on their way..."

"Send them on their way? This is just handing the factory over to that bastard Guo Mingkai for free!" Sun Dehai's face turned red with rage.

"Li Jiacheng and the others were right. What restructuring? This is just blatant robbery!"

His wife understood now and sighed along with him. "What can we do? He's a leader..."

"What about it? Does being a leader mean you can stuff state-owned assets into the hands of your own people?"

Sun Dehai paced back and forth in the narrow living room. "This won't do. Tomorrow I have to call Old Li and the others to go to the Municipal Government together to get some answers!"

Early the next morning, Sun Dehai and Li Jiacheng gathered over three hundred workers from the factory.

Before work began, they arrived to stage a sit-in in front of the Tongan City Administrative Office Center, where the Municipal Committee and Municipal Government were located.

Because they came in a hurry, they didn't have time to make banners.

Everyone just sat there at the main entrance, blocking vehicles from entering or exiting.

The security guards at the office center had seen many such incidents and didn't dare to disperse them by force.

They just stepped forward and tried to persuade them earnestly: "You are breaking the law by disrupting the normal operations of government agencies. If you have issues to report, please go to the Petition Office."

Sun Dehai's eyebrows immediately shot up. "Go to the Petition Office? Which time did we go there and actually get the problem solved?"

The security guard frowned. "If you won't listen to reason, then I'll have no choice but to call the police!"

Li Jiacheng, standing to the side, wasn't flustered at all. "Call them! What can the police do even if they come? If they arrest us, at least we won't have to pay for our own meals."

Among the petitioners, the security guards didn't dare touch anyone as old as Sun Dehai and Li Jiacheng, so they had to call the police.

While the guard was making the call, Ji Hongwen arrived at the front of the Administrative Office Center in a black Audi A6.

Seeing the entrance blocked, he couldn't help but frown.

The driver didn't stop for a moment and immediately drove toward the north gate of the office center compound.

Secretary Xiang Qian dialed the management center's number to notify the staff to open the north gate.

They coordinated with each other seamlessly.

Clearly, this wasn't the first time they had encountered such a situation.

A few minutes after Ji Hongwen reached his office, Secretary Xiang Qian came to report:

"Secretary, the people blocking the gate are all workers from the Die-Casting Machine Factory."

After saying this, he placed the record of the petitioners' dialogue, compiled by the duty security guard, on Ji Hongwen's desk.

"The patrol police have arrived and are currently dispersing the illegal petitioners."

Ji Hongwen waved his hand at Xiang Qian, who immediately exited the room and gently closed the door.

Ji Hongwen picked up the dialogue record and read through it, finding that the biggest grievance among the petitioners was actually that sentence:

"The Municipal Committee and Municipal Government will fully support the restructuring of the enterprise and clear all obstacles on the road to restructuring."

Last night when he watched the television, he had still felt proud of that sentence; he hadn't expected it to blow up in his face so quickly.

He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed out.

"Minister Jiang, notify the Television Station to pull the report on my inspection yesterday. Don't broadcast it anymore."

On the other end of the line, Jiang Wenjun, a member of the Municipal Committee Standing Committee and Head of the Propaganda Department, was a bit bewildered.

He had watched the report last night and hadn't seen any issues; he even thought it was quite inspiring.

"Secretary, is there a problem?"

Jiang Wenjun had to ask clearly; if there was to be any accountability, he needed a clear direction.

Ji Hongwen said irritably, "The reporters at the Television Station have no idea what I want to say and what I don't want to say!"

With that, he hung up the phone with a bang.

Jiang Wenjun was completely baffled. What was going on?

Weren't those words broadcast on TV exactly what you said yourself?

But that wasn't the issue. The issue was:

The Secretary was very angry, and the problem was very serious.

That alone was enough.

He unhesitatingly picked up the phone and called Li Hongyi, the Deputy Director of Tongan Television Station in charge of news.

Because he knew that Director Yuan Gang might not review the news every day, but Li Hongyi had to approve the news broadcast daily.

At that moment, Li Hongyi was in the Television Station's conference room, playing the news for everyone while explaining.

"Did you all see that clearly? Everyone should learn from this in the future. This is how political news should be filmed!"

When he learned that Gao Xiang had sent Zhao Yang to cover the Secretary's inspection, he had been worried for Zhao Yang.

He hadn't expected the kid to do him so proud; the job was indeed done beautifully.

Not long ago, hadn't some people expressed dissatisfaction with Zhao Yang's promotion?

Some had even asserted that he had accepted bribes from Zhao Yang.

He was now using Zhao Yang's professional ability to shut everyone's mouths.

However, just as he was speaking with great enthusiasm, the phone in his pocket rang at an inopportune moment.

Li Hongyi hurried out of the conference room and answered the call.

"Hello, Minister Jiang, please give your instructions!"

"Director Li, the report on the Secretary's inspection yesterday—don't broadcast it on the Tongan Midday News anymore. Pull it."

Li Hongyi was slightly surprised, his expression shifting.

For a news report to make a member of the Municipal Committee Standing Committee and Head of the Propaganda Department personally call to intervene, something big must have happened.

He asked somewhat apprehensively, "Minister, was there some problem with that report?"

On the other end of the line, Jiang Wenjun slowed his pace, but every word carried weight:

"The Secretary was very angry after seeing that report! He said the reporters at your Television Station have no idea what he wants to say and what he doesn't want to say!"

"Ah, this..." This turn of events caught Li Hongyi off guard.

Jiang Wenjun interrupted Li Hongyi and continued:

"Your Television Station must reflect deeply and come up with practical and feasible suggestions for rectification!"

That's how the officialdom works: when a superior applies pressure, that pressure must be passed down.

Jiang Wenjun hung up the phone and let out a long sigh of relief.

If Ji Hongwen followed up, he would at least have an answer.

In the hallway outside the Television Station's conference room, Li Hongyi stared blankly at his phone after the call was disconnected.

Dammit, dammit! I've really been screwed over!