Nominal: Energy sector enters Handong, breaking the deadlock

"That's right," another worker chimed in. "What can you do with that little bit of money from buying out your years of service? Will your wife and kids starve? Hurry up and pay us."

"Everyone, please be quiet." Beads of sweat streamed down Wang Julong's forehead. "The city knows all about the unpaid wages and layoffs. If you all block the gate, you'll only be able to argue your point."

He pointed to the man in camouflage at the front.

"You take the lead, and we'll select a few representatives to come to my office and sit down for a discussion."

What's your name? What's your request? State it here and now.

The man in camouflage shrank back and didn't reply.

I'm mainly a little scared.

They say the nail that sticks out gets hammered down, so I didn't dare to be the first to stand up.

Afraid of being beaten.

The previously noisy crowd around them fell silent.

Nobody's stupid.

After working in a factory for half my life, I know the saying "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down."

"No way!" shouted an elderly, balding worker behind them. "Mayor Wang, don't think we don't know what tricks you officials play. The moment we send our representatives into the government building, you shut the door, stuff them into a police car, and take them to the detention center. Then you'll slap us with a charge of 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble,' and who will we complain to?"

"We're not going. We're saying it right here." The crowd erupted again.

Wang Julong gritted his teeth, cursing Jiang Zhentao eight hundred times in his heart.

If these police officers had arrived earlier to maintain order and isolated the ringleader, it wouldn't have been so difficult.

Now they're being roasted over a fire.

He walked half a circle around the stone block.

Several young people on the periphery of the crowd were holding up their phones and selfie sticks.

The phone screen was lit up, with colorful bullet comments floating on it.

These self-media people also came to join in the fun.

Wang Julong gritted his teeth and pushed the speaker volume to the maximum.

"You don't believe me, do you?" he yelled. "Hey you guys over there, pointing your phones at me. Get closer!"

A few young people who were doing live streaming hesitated for a moment, but actually handed their phones forward.

Wang Julong patted his chest and raised his right hand, "I, Wang Julong, am here today, in front of so many self-media outlets and in front of all the fans in your live broadcast room, to represent the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government and express our attitude."

We will definitely resolve the cotton mill's issues in accordance with laws and regulations.

We will absolutely not make things difficult for representatives of the people, and we will absolutely not resort to any form of retaliation.

Wang Julong's voice cracked from shouting.

"I voluntarily accept the supervision of the people of the city. If even a single hair on the head of the representatives elected today is missing, I, Wang Julong, will voluntarily submit my resignation to the Provincial Party Committee. I will resign as mayor."

After shouting those words...

The scene was completely silent.

No one expected that the mayor would dare to make such a solemn pledge in front of a mobile phone camera.

clap clap.

I don't know who started it, but they slapped me twice.

A round of applause followed.

The man in camouflage gritted his teeth and stood up straight. "Alright, Mayor Wang, I, Wang Dayong, will believe you this time. I'll represent you."

"I, Li Jianguo, am one of them too."

Several elderly workers gradually squeezed out of the crowd.

Wang Julong wiped away his sweat.

I barely managed to get through this hurdle.

Police sirens could be heard from the surrounding area.

Gao Qingyun, the executive deputy director of the Lincheng Public Security Bureau, ran over, panting heavily, followed by dozens of fully armed police officers.

Jiang Zhentao berated him mercilessly over the phone, and Gao Qingyun was also furious.

"Mayor Wang, I'm late." Gao Qingyun squeezed to the stone block, turned around and waved to the person behind him, "Hurry up, clear the passage, don't block the door."

Wang Julong waved his hand, "Once you're here, don't just stand around, quickly disperse the crowd."

The police formed a human wall and began to systematically direct the flow of people outwards.

Once the workers calmed down, they followed the police's instructions and retreated to both sides.

Song Yunhui took off his sunglasses. "Old Zhou, Yuliang, let's go. The show's been pretty much on track."

Gao Yuliang shook his head with a smile, "That Wang Julong is quick-witted. He turned a crisis into a personal show. But the cotton mill is really in trouble right now. What will he use to fulfill his promises after bringing people into his office?"

Zhou Tiejun got into the car. "If he can't come up with the money, he'll probably have to hand in his resignation."

The car started slowly, and Song Yunhui looked out the window at the receding street scene.

The waters of Lincheng seem to run deep.

Wang Julong can hold on today, but what about tomorrow?

Many cities and prefectures have cotton mills, which were once very prosperous.

With the development of the times, these once-star companies have become traditional industries and have gone downhill.

"Governor Song, I told you, the cadres in Lincheng aren't cowards. They dare to take responsibility and are capable of doing so." Li Dakang felt the crisis was over and felt he had to pat himself on the back. "Secretary Yuliang, they were all my soldiers."

The intention to show off is quite obvious.

Gao Yuliang laughed. "Secretary Dakang, your soldiers are very capable. But no matter how capable they are, the one who performed well today wasn't you, but Wang Julong. It has nothing to do with you."

Li Dakang's face fell. "Secretary Yuliang, I don't like hearing that. Just tell me, when I was in charge of Lincheng, wasn't Wang Julong my subordinate?"

Gao Yuliang leaned back in his chair, adjusted his glasses, and said, "Comrade Dakang, now I can say that Wang Julong is subordinate to several of us. Governor Song, Commander Zhou, you, and I are all members of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee."

"Indeed!" Li Dakang couldn't deny it. "And then, Secretary Yuliang, if it were you, how would you handle it?"

"Dakang, I'm not bragging, but if I were in charge, I probably would have handled it better. The masses have blocked the gate. How can we end this without giving them some reassurance? Governance is an art of compromise. If you, Secretary Li, had used more of this art when you were in charge of Lincheng, the Lincheng coal mine issue wouldn't have escalated to the provincial level."

"Don't bring up old grievances with me." Li Dakang glared at him.

He swung his right hand forcefully in mid-air.

"When I, Li Dakang, do my job, I'm meticulous and to the point. Compromise? Can compromise really generate money? Wang Julong makes grand promises today, but tomorrow the cotton mill won't be able to pay his employees' severance pay. If he really resigns, he'll just walk away. Who's going to manage the millions of mouths in Lincheng? You, Gao Yuliang, are going to manage them?"

"I never said I wouldn't take responsibility. As leading cadres, we must be accountable." Gao Yuliang shook his head with a smile. "We solve problems when they arise. Comrade Dakang, you're just too impatient. There's a proper way to do grassroots work. Wang Julong came up with a quick and clever idea, buying the municipal party committee and government some buffer time. But you, by your standards, all the cadres in Lincheng would have to be laid off."

Song Yunhui watched the two bickering without saying a word.

Zhou Tiejun, who was standing next to Song Yunhui, nudged him with his elbow and lowered his voice, "It's starting, it's starting, the free crosstalk is starting."

These two just need to get together.

The three sentences absolutely cannot be separated from fighting.

Let's treat today's performance as a comedy routine.

Song Yunhui smiled and nodded, "Let's just watch the show."

Li Dakang and Gao Yuliang once worked together.

One who values ​​practical work and efficiency, regardless of the consequences.

One should prioritize the big picture and maintain balance, always leaving room for maneuver.

They've been fighting for most of their lives, neither willing to concede to the other.