The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 325 These are real men! They're on the front lines!
Qian Jin was speechless.

He thought about it for a moment and decided that this matter had to be done. Since no one else could take the lead, he had to step up.

So he first instructed the staff of the command center to go over there: "Go over there first and calm down the radical crowd. Be careful to control your temper. No matter what they do, just smile and play it safe. I'll make a few arrangements and then go over there right away."

After hanging up the call from the command center, he called the office of the Jiagang Transport Team.

Now that Qiu Dayong is the captain, many things are easier to handle: "Put aside your current work and hurry to Guokang Beach. Send all your men there and tell them to find their friends first..."

“I understand,” Qiu Dayong said readily. “Let them soothe their irritable emotions in the name of friendship.”

Qian Jin said, "No, you don't understand."

"On the contrary, let them stand on the same side as their friends and be indignant. Let them curse and shout as they please!"

Qiu Dayong was stunned: "Huh? Oh, I see, this involves office politics?"

Qian Jin sighed helplessly, "No, you understand even less. I'll go to the scene to handle this later. I'll reason with everyone and persuade them to respond to my call..."

Qiu Dayong suddenly realized: "Now I really understand..."

Qian Jin sighed.

You're so insightful!

Actually, the Taishan Road Labor Commando Team is the most suitable for this role because they have many young friends, which will make it easier to unite the front.

Unfortunately, the commando team had already gone to the countryside, so he had to settle for second best.

In addition, he also called Xu Weidong, Wang Dong, Yang Dagang and others, asking them to quickly mobilize their friends or send young workers from their workplaces to the bathing beach.

Finally, he called the police station: "Send all the plainclothes officers over there. If I can't handle the situation, arrest a group of ringleaders to make an example of them!"

After hanging up the phone, he thought about it again.

No wonder everyone wants to be a high-ranking official.

It feels so good to give orders!
Qian Jin bought a few things at the mall, slung his bag over his shoulder, and rode his motorcycle at breakneck speed towards the bathing beach.

At the beach, a large group of young people were making a ruckus.

This group of people, wearing only shorts and shirtless, were shouting and cheering with unusual enthusiasm:
"20 seconds? Are you kidding me? What can that wash away?"

"Exactly! My body is covered in salt particles, it's so itchy! This shower is worse than not showering at all!"

"Where are the management staff? Are they all fucking dead? Get out here and give us an explanation! In this sweltering heat, can't we even take a proper shower?"

At least several hundred young people surrounded the small office of the bathhouse management, demanding that the shower time be extended or that the unlimited showers be reopened.

Then there are even more people watching, who can be transformed into a vital force at any time.

Qian Jin rode his motorcycle around the road, estimating that everyone at the entire bathing beach was involved in this.

All the staff at the management office pretended to be dead, locking the doors and windows and not showing their faces.

Several people were surrounded by the crowd. These were familiar faces; they were the vanguards that he had assigned to the command post.

The Vanguard team was heavily criticized.

They explained the policies and emphasized the drought, but to little avail.

As the crowd grew larger, the situation became somewhat out of control, and even pushing and shoving occurred.

The beach security force was limited, and the situation was on the verge of escalating.
"We want to take a bath!"

"20 seconds isn't enough!"

"Drought is drought, but we can't stop people from living, can we?"

Qiu Dayong was also shouting in the crowd. He saw Qian Jin and wanted to come over. Qian Jin looked at him and shook his head.

He pushed through the crowd and climbed directly onto the roof of the management office.

This is not difficult.

The management office of the bathing beach is not a proper building, but a few small low houses, which are specially prepared as work rooms for the staff on duty.

Qian Jin took out a loudspeaker, coughed once, and the sound became deafening.

This is a high-power, high-volume speaker produced by the mall, which is said to be able to affect an area of ​​5,000 square meters.

The sudden loud noise startled the crowd, and the noise level dropped considerably for a moment.

Seeing this, Qian Jin seized the opportunity to speak:

"Fellow workers, citizens, comrades! Please be quiet! Let me say a few words!"

He's been speaking alongside the leader lately, and he's learned a lot from his speeches. His tone of voice is quite calm and steady, which makes him seem more powerful.

The sound, amplified by the loudspeaker, instantly drowned out the cacophony.

More than one person instinctively asked, "What are you talking about? Who the hell are you?"

Qian Jin answered the question perfectly: "I am Qian Jin! Qian Jin from Taishan Road! And also Qian Jin, the deputy commander of the drought relief command center!"

That's how someone immediately recognized him:

"Hey? Isn't that Director Qian from the supply and marketing cooperative?"

"Yes! It's Qian Jin! The big brother from Taishan Road, I drank with him during the Chinese New Year!"

"That's right, it really is Boss Qian. He's going to open a training school, and a few of us from work went to fix his electrical circuits..."

Someone even waved at him in a mock manner: "Commander Qian, what brings you here?"

Qian Jin nodded at him.

Then the young man solemnly introduced him to those around him: "Qian Jin, my best buddy, a really capable guy. With him here, we can definitely solve this problem..."

Qian Jin felt a little relieved when he realized that everyone had recognized him.

Not bad, buddy, you've got a certain level of popularity now.

He turned up the volume of the loudspeaker and shouted:
"Comrades, I am Qian Jin. I won't hide it from you. You can scold me if you want. To tell you the truth, this '20 seconds per person' water restriction rule was a suggestion I made to the command headquarters..."

"Why are you being scolded? Everyone knows you're incredibly busy right now. Everyone knows you have to go to the countryside every few days to check on the drought situation!" someone shouted.

Qian Jin didn't even need to look to know who was yelling.

Brother Xu is a tough guy who talks the most.

Not to be outdone, Qiu Dayong also shouted:
"I know Commander Qian. He's been working himself to the bone on the drought relief efforts and has ruined his health. A few days ago, I went to the city hospital for a checkup and ran into Commander Qian getting an IV drip!"

Several burly men immediately chimed in:

"Commanding money isn't easy..."

"This matter actually has nothing to do with him. He's a cadre in the supply and marketing cooperative, living a life of luxury..."

“My uncle is Qian Zhihui’s neighbor. He said that Qian Zhihui hasn’t been able to come home since the insect infestation started in the countryside in April. His children at home miss him so much that they cry…”

Qian Jin is a master of the secret passage; all of us brothers are excellent actors.

Both Xu Weidong's and Qiu Dayong's people were shouting at the top of their lungs.

A chorus of "Oh—" immediately erupted from the crowd, indicating that they were no longer so resistant to the idea.

Qian Jin quickly seized the opportunity and said, "Comrades, I know, I know it perfectly well!"

"Twenty seconds is too short, and it's normal for people to have complaints if they don't take a proper shower! If I were in their shoes, I would also want a long and refreshing shower!"

"That's right……"

"The water hasn't even reached the bottom of my buttocks yet..."

"We just wanted to get it clean..."

The crowd was still complaining, but the tense atmosphere eased somewhat.

“I understand your needs! I, Qian Jin, am not some traitor, collaborator, or corrupt official who goes against the masses. I know what you want.” Qian Jin’s voice was filled with sorrow.

Then suddenly he raised his voice: "But, fellow workers!"

"Do you all know how severe the drought is in rural areas right now?! This land beneath our feet hasn't received a single decent drop of rain since spring!"

"The reservoir dried up, the river stopped flowing, and the wheat in the fields withered and died, fucking withered and died. I watched helplessly as large swathes of wheat turned from green to withered yellow..."

He spoke at breakneck speed about the old farmers he had seen in Beilishan and the children fetching water from the dirty ditch, and then cursed and swore:
"Go ahead and do your research. If I'm lying or talking nonsense, I'll jump into the sea here and drown myself today!"

Many people were moved by what they heard.

Today's youth, especially those who were sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution, have one advantage: they have just returned from the countryside and know exactly what the situation is like in a drought year.

Therefore, the scenes Qian Jin described resonated with them.

Many people helped them with their comedic timing:

"Here's what happened: there's no water to drink in the mountainous areas of Northwest China. All the wheat in my uncle's fields has dried up. My uncle's family just started the household responsibility system, and now he's crying at home day and night..."

“Just yesterday, my relatives from the countryside in Anguo County came to my house to borrow grain. What they said really saddened me. They watched the wheat sprout ears, and then wither and die, just slowly, bit by bit, right before your eyes…”

Qian Jin pointed to the distant, faintly visible mountains:
"Can you see what color that mountain used to be, and what color it is now!"

"Let me tell you, just last month, we were searching for underground rivers in the mountains to bring water out and ensure the drinking water needs of our farmers."

"To drill these wells, the engineering soldiers worked day and night, risking landslides, and the surveyors traveled far from home, constantly exploring the desolate wilderness!"

“Our state-owned cotton mill needs water for weaving, the steel mill needs water for boilers, and you need water for showering, but I can say with certainty that none of these needs are as important as the crops in the fields or the life-saving water for ordinary people!”

Since ancient times, tricks have been useless; only genuine feelings can move people's hearts.

People are simply unhappy about not being able to shower freely, not that they have any complaints about society.

Simply put, it was just a momentary lapse in judgment; once they calm down, the matter will be mostly resolved.

Qian Jin's gaze swept over the young faces, and he pulled out the photos and clippings from his bag and threw them down.

"Look, look all you want! This is the real situation in the fields, the current crisis facing our farmers!"

"Many of you are workers, but many of our parents, brothers, and sisters are still farming in the countryside!"

"We can take a bath in Shanghai water and enjoy the Shanghai breeze in the city, but what about them? They might even have to conserve their drinking water! The seedlings in the fields are almost dying of thirst, but there's nothing they can do, there's just no water!"

"To be honest, there are trucks transporting water to the countryside every day. The water you're using for flushing is just squeezed out of the water being transported by those trucks..."

"Stop talking! Commander Qian, the brothers were wrong!" Xu Weidong shouted.

Sighs and groans followed one after another.

Looking at the vast expanse of withered yellow wheat in the photos, at the fearful farmers sitting on the edge of the fields, and at the riverbeds that had dried up and cracked.

The young people quieted down.

The discontent and irritation on many faces vanished, replaced by contemplation and solemnity. The empathy of the worker-peasant alliance shone brightly at this moment.

“Twenty seconds is too short! It’s not enough to wash properly!” Qian Jin began to speak with an understanding and consultative tone.

"But this rule was set by the command center out of desperation, in order to conserve every drop of life-saving water, to save more crops, and to prevent more people from going hungry!"

"It's just like I said, this was my suggestion, and I know I've wronged everyone! I'm putting money here to apologize!"

As he spoke, he bowed deeply to the crowd.

This action stunned the workers present.

The cacophony of shouts resumed:
"Director Qian! Please don't do this!"

"We...we're not unreasonable..."

"Yes, Boss Qian, don't be like this. If Brother Dong finds out that I brought my brothers here to make things difficult for you, he'll definitely beat me up..."

“Commander Qian, this isn’t your fault. You’re a good man. We all know you led the brothers on Taishan Road. We know what kind of person you are…”

A young man quickly climbed onto the roof, pointed at the crowd, and shouted, "Damn it! You guys are all scum! You only think about yourselves and not others!"

"Who among us young people doesn't know Qian Jin? He's a cadre in the supply and marketing cooperative, and he's living a good life! But a bunch of us educated youth who returned to the city from Taishan Road are hated and looked down upon by everyone. He's working hard to lead his buddies from Taishan Road to start factories and build businesses, working hard to make money for them!"

"Brother Qian! You're the leader! You're a big thumbs up, well done!"

A group of people joined in, shouting, "That's right, Brother Qian, you're a hero..."

"Brother Qian, please take us with you too..."

Qian Jin gave a helpless bitter smile, shook his head and said, "I'm going to Anguo County soon!"

“The disaster situation in Anguo County is the most severe. The command center has assigned me as a special envoy to take full charge of managing the disaster! If I can’t manage it, I won’t have the face to face the hundreds of thousands of people in Anguo County!”

"How am I supposed to lead you all now? Brothers and sisters! I'm going to the front lines of disaster relief! I'm going to fight alongside the local farmers! Wait for me to come back!"

"Comrades, wait for me to come back! Especially the comrades in the shock brigade or the educated youth who have returned to the city and are still unemployed! When I come back, I, Qian Jin, will definitely find a way to help you find jobs!"

Qiu Dayong and his men raised their arms above their heads and clapped enthusiastically.

But this time there's no need to act.

Many unemployed young people who felt lost about the future cheered and applauded enthusiastically.

More young people climbed onto the rooftops, saluting and bowing to Qian Jin.

"Brother Qian, you're our big brother! If you're going to the front lines in the countryside, we brothers want to go with you!"

"If you think highly of me, take me with you! I used to be a tractor driver on the farm. I can't promise you anything else, but I'm good at delivering water!"

"Bring the bros along too, damn! Boss Qian, you're so conscientious, I'm not far behind..."

More people climbed onto the roof.

Qian Jin was really afraid of collapsing the roof.

After all, this little house isn't built to a very high standard.

The matter was almost resolved, so he simply jumped down.

A crowd surged forward from all directions, and many young people reached out to shake his hand.

The sound waves from all directions made Qian Jin dizzy.

He tried to shake hands with everyone.

At that moment, he was both bewildered and excited.

He has always believed that the person who can win the genuine love and respect of the masses is the mountain.

He kept trekking towards the mountain, hoping to make a pilgrimage to the holy mountain.

I didn't know when it happened.

He is a mountain too.

Although it is just a small hill, or even just a small mound in front of a majestic mountain range.

But as the saying goes, many grains of sand make a tower, and many mounds of soil make a mountain.

A small mound may one day become a towering mountain!
He gripped the hands reaching out from all directions tightly, while shouts erupted from outside:

"Where's Director Qian? Where's Director Qian? The wine and soda have been delivered..."

Such shouts continued incessantly.

Qian Jin then remembered that on his way here, he had prepared some backup plans in case he couldn't resolve the public's concerns.

He squeezed through the crowd, pointed to the small trucks parked on the road, waved, and shouted through a megaphone, "Unload all the beer and soda! Unload everything!"

Qian Jin turned around and shouted to the crowd, "Comrades, Qian Jin is no big shot, Qian Jin is just a nobody! But Qian Jin knows he was wrong and wants to apologize!"

"The 20-second rinse was my suggestion! I know everyone is covered in seawater, and it's really uncomfortable if you don't rinse properly! Today's incident is my responsibility; the plan was not well thought out, and it caused everyone to suffer! I accept the punishment!"

Then he raised his voice and shouted, "This is the beer and soda from our Taishan Road Department Store! It's on me! I'll treat my coworkers to beer and soda to cool off and relieve their fatigue! Consider this my apology!"

This unexpected move changed the atmosphere of the scene once again.

The anger that represented the conflict disappeared, replaced by cheers and praise.

Soon, several cases of beer and soda were brought over.

Qian Jin personally opened a bottle of beer and held it high:

"Comrades! I, Qian Jin, keep my word! I'll drink this bottle first as a sign of respect! Thank you all for your understanding and support of the drought relief efforts!"

After saying that, he tilted his head back and gulped down the entire bottle of beer in one go, not leaving a single drop!
"it is good!"

"Brother Qian is so straightforward!"

Cheers and applause erupted from the crowd.

Those who managed to grab a beer used their teeth to crack open the bottle caps, creating a continuous 'bang bang bang' sound as the bottles clashed.
"Brother Qian, I'll pay for the whole bottle..."

"From now on, Qian Jin will be the boss of our gang. Anyone who crosses him will face our gang's wrath..."

"Commander Qian, take me with you when you go to the countryside. I'll go with you to fight the drought to the death..."

Upon hearing this, Qian Jin opened another bottle of wine, went up to clink bottles with everyone, and then tilted his head back and emptied it all in one go.

"Great!" Cheers erupted.

Qian Jin tossed the bottle onto the beach and shouted with boundless pride:
"Anyone who drinks my wine today is a brother to me, Qian Jin! If you respect and trust me, please bear with me for another 20 seconds! Once we win this battle against drought, I, Qian Jin, will personally treat you all to a relaxing bath at the beach! All-you-can-eat beer!"

This generous gesture and heartfelt words completely ignited the passion and enthusiasm of the young workers and educated youth present!
"Boss Qian! We'll listen to you!"

"20 seconds is too long, we'll change it to 10 seconds from now on. In these special times, we should just bear with it!"

"Drought relief is everyone's responsibility!"

"Commander Qian, what do you say we do? We'll follow you!"

The crowd is excited!
The conflict and antagonism just now instantly transformed into unity and shared hatred of the enemy!

Moreover, some people were serious about wanting to go to the countryside with him; dozens of young people stood up and asked loudly:
"Commander Qian! The drought in the countryside is severe. What can we do? Saving water alone isn't enough!"

"Yes! We're strong! We'll rest on the weekend and go help out in the countryside!"

"I'm a member of the vanguard team at our No. 2 factory. I'll go back and submit a report demanding that I go to Anguo County with Commander Qian! If you're a man, go to the front line!"

"If you're men, get to the front lines!" More shouts rang out.

Qian Jin looked at the group of enthusiastic young people in front of him and burst into laughter.

A young man stepped forward, reached out and grasped his wrist, shouting above his head:

"Drought relief is a common responsibility for all the people of our city! It can't be done by cadres alone, nor can it be done by farmers alone! It requires the strength of our working class! It requires the strength of every single one of us!"

"Anyone who dares to venture to the front lines, raise your hand! If you're a real man, don't raise your hand today and cower tomorrow!"

A large number of arms were raised.

Like trees that have survived a drought and are growing rapidly.

Qian Jin nodded vigorously: "Great! That's wonderful!"

"Comrades, you have such a kind heart. On behalf of the command headquarters and the folks in the countryside, thank you all!"

"The command center will arrange and organize everyone to go to the countryside to provide support as soon as possible! There will be plenty of work to do, such as fetching water, repairing canals, and rushing to plant crops... We need our comrades to lend a helping hand!"

The young man who shook hands with Qian Jin shouted, "Then let's go! Let's sign up! Let's go fight the drought!"

The aggressive youths changed direction.

The once noisy beach quickly became empty.

The management office door opened, and someone peeked in.

Then they saw several people smiling at them.

The administrator laughed and asked, "You have no more grievances?"

The smiling middle-aged man showed them his identification: "We are from the drought relief command center. What complaints could we possibly have?"

One of the administrators was taken aback: "Huh? Oh! So you're the leaders. What's the meaning of you staying here? Do you want to take a shower?"

Then he looked around and whispered, "Then you can wash without worry. The time—isn't that what we decide?"

The middle-aged man's smile grew even brighter: "No, we're not taking a bath. We're staying to relay the message that Commander Qian gave you."

"What did you say?" The administrators were puzzled.

The middle-aged man beckoned them closer, and then said through gritted teeth, "Commander Qian said it!"

"You'd better find a new job right away! He's got his eye on you all!"

"Once the drought relief work is over, he'll definitely fire you all the moment it's over!"

"Damn it, I'm going to get rid of you all, from the leaders to the clerks!"

A staff member from the command post nearby added, "When our Director Min said 'damn it,' it wasn't him swearing; it was Commander Qian's exact words!"

Director Min pointed at them and said, "Damn it! You bastards, what kind of time is this to cause trouble for the overall situation? You all deserve to be punished! The entire command supports Commander Qian's arrangements!"

"I'll definitely beat you bastards!"

"Furthermore, the words I used to insult you this time had nothing to do with Director Qian; these were my own words!"

The administrator was stunned at first, then looked utterly dejected: "No... please..."

(End of this chapter)