Reborn as a Noble’s Son
Chapter 1022 - Chapter 1022 Chapter 978 Excitement in the Crowd

Chapter 1022: Chapter 978 Excitement in the Crowd Chapter 1022: Chapter 978 Excitement in the Crowd Outside, the urgent knocking at the door caused the brows of all the standing committee members to furrow. The rules of the Provincial Committee meeting room were clear to all: during an emergency meeting of the Standing Committee, having someone knock on the door like this surely meant that there was a major issue, a serious problem.

Nie Zhenbang’s brows knitted, and he nodded toward Xu Hongzhuan who was seated at the entrance to the meeting room. Xu Hongzhuan, understanding the situation, stood up, opened the door, and Hong Feng walked in, his body turned sideways.

Hong Feng had arrived with Nie Zhenbang earlier on, and Xu Hongzhuan had already informed Hong Feng when reporting to Nie Zhenbang. As Nie Zhenbang’s secretary, Hong Feng naturally followed wherever Nie Zhenbang was during working hours.

Hong Feng didn’t appear very constrained at the moment, after all, his status granted him that much. He leaned over and whispered a few words to Xu Hongzhuan.

At that moment, Xu Hongzhuan still had a calm demeanor, but after hearing Hong Feng’s words, his expression suddenly turned serious. Closing the meeting room’s door, Xu Hongzhuan immediately said, “Secretary, I just received a call from Bu Rongchang of Luji City. Now, the villagers from the Zhang Clan Village in Qingan County have already gathered. It looks like they are preparing to carry a corpse to the Qingan County Committee and government offices.”

As soon as Xu Hongzhuan spoke, Nie Zhenbang’s expression darkened, as did the faces of all the standing committee members. He Yusheng’s face showed great embarrassment, his expression unpredictable.

After a pause, He Yusheng spoke up, “Secretary Nie, these people from Zhang Clan Village in Qingan County are truly lawless. To think they would carry a corpse for a collective petition. What are they trying to do? I suggest we immediately notify Luji City. Let Bu Rongchang take immediate actions. Starting now, all police, judicial, and civil officers in Luji City will have their leaves canceled. Additionally, if necessary, we can mobilize the armed police from Luji City.”

Hearing He Yusheng’s words, Nie Zhenbang’s brow immediately furrowed. What was He Yusheng implying? At first, he was silent, but after learning about the potential collective petition in Qingan County, he made such a clear, straightforward decision and even authorized Luji City to mobilize the armed police.

Such ruthless tactics were never to Nie Zhenbang’s liking; they would not only fail to solve the problem but might actually inflame the conflict. Of course, under such force, the issue might be resolved, but that would be a form of suppression, which Nie Zhenbang did not want to see. It also contradicted President Qiao’s principles of improving relations between officials and the masses, as well as the party and the people.

Beside him, the secretary of the Hongcheng City Municipal Committee, Yao Dingguo, wore a smirk tinged with amusement. Others might not be aware, but Yao Dingguo knew that the Earth Company had a somewhat ambiguous relationship with He Yusheng’s son, He Miao. Now, with He Yusheng’s actions, he probably feared escalating the situation further, possibly affecting him personally.

Unfortunately, Wen Baogui was currently out visiting the masses in the cities below and could not attend the meeting. In such times, Yao Dingguo had no choice but to step up himself.

Straightaway, Yao Dingguo raised his hand and said, “Secretary Nie, I have a few words to say.”

Seeing Yao Dingguo raise his hand, Nie Zhenbang smoothly paved the way, gesturing, “Comrade Dingguo, if you have a different opinion, you may of course express it.”

Yao Dingguo nodded, and from Secretary Nie’s words, he sensed a different tone, reassuring him. It seemed that Secretary Nie didn’t want to resort to such extreme measures. His face now carried a confident smile as he began, “Secretary Nie, I disagree with Vice Governor He’s approach to handling this. Land acquisition and relocation have always been thorny issues for party and government departments. This time, Qingan County has caused such a big stir, regardless of the reasons. Qingan County must ultimately take leadership responsibility. Furthermore, someone has died. I believe the deceased’s family and the masses must be very indignant at this moment. If we take this kind of action, it will likely provoke further conflict. In my opinion, we should handle this matter carefully and prudently.”

As Yao Dingguo finished speaking, the secretary of the political and legal committee, Chen Le, and the secretary of the discipline inspection committee, Gong Zheng, also expressed their views, both aligning with Yao Dingguo’s. At such a time, it was indeed unsuitable to take forceful measures.

Nie Zhenbang, after listening to everyone’s opinions, turned his gaze to Qin Guanghan, who had yet to speak, and asked with a smile, “Comrade Guanghan, do you have any different views?”

At this moment, Qin Guanghan was also hesitating and struggling. After the two sessions of the Hongjiang River, Qin Guanghan’s position had become somewhat awkward. Although he was now a full-time deputy secretary, his real power had diminished compared to before. It was the so-called promotion on the surface but a demotion in the shadows.

Thus, Qin Guanghan also had to contemplate his relationship with He Yusheng. After pondering for a moment, Qin Guanghan slowly said, “I have no objections. I will comply with the collective decision.”

With those words, He Yusheng’s expression grew darker. Although Qin Guanghan did not state his position explicitly, his lack of stance at this moment signified his position; it was clear that Qin Guanghan was gradually distancing himself from He Yusheng.

Nie Zhenbang couldn’t help but smile inwardly. This was exactly the effect he had been aiming for, to first throw the relationship between Qin Guanghan and He Yusheng into disarray. Next, it would be Wen Baogui and Yao Dingguo’s turn. Only by doing this could there be only one voice in Hongjiang Province, could only one voice exist.

Then, Nie Zhenbang concluded, “Alright, now that everyone’s opinions are clear, I think, in the matter of Qingan County, we should not delay. I suggest Comrade Chen Le, on behalf of the Provincial Committee, to rush to Luji City, Qingan County today and take charge of the overall situation. Secretary Chen, you must stay in touch with me at all times. Minister Wei, the Propaganda Department of the Provincial Committee also needs to start making contact and communicate with the various media outlets to ensure that the impact of the situation is minimized to the greatest extent possible. The meeting is adjourned.”

…

Just as the Provincial Committee arranged for the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, Chen Le, to rush to Qingan County, in Zhang Clan Village, Chengguan Town, Qingan County, there wasn’t the slightest bit of festive atmosphere at this moment.

Zhang Clan Village might sound like just any ordinary village, but now its name had reached the ears of the Hongjiang Provincial Committee, and it might even become known throughout the country soon.

This was a typical area where the city’s outskirts met the countryside, where the farmland was abandoned all around. Looking around, on one side was the new city under construction, with outlines of construction sites big and small visible everywhere. On the other side, however, lay the quiet countryside.

Along a muddy road, numerous houses were scattered around. This was where Zhang Clan Village was located, its road filled with yellow earth–an area clearly marked for development.

At this moment, in an ordinary two-story house in Zhang Clan Village, a small building with four rooms and two floors, which was considered a rather wealthy family in the village.

Today was New Year’s Eve, a time when one would normally affix Spring Festival couplets and the atmosphere would be of joy and celebration. However, here, at the entrance of the small building’s grain-drying ground, a crowd of villagers had gathered.

On the ground of the main hall, on a mat of grass, lay a body, straight and rigid. The shoes had been replaced with paper-made seven-star nails shoes, and at the foot of the body, a sesame oil longevity lamp burned. The body was dressed in a black funeral robe and covered with red silk satin and wore a green hat. Yet, the black face showed traces of being burned.

This was the home of Zhang Dan, the deceased in the self-immolation incident.

Zhang Clan Village was a place where the Zhang clan congregated, with over ninety-seven percent of the population sharing the Zhang surname. The whole village, with more than five thousand residents, shared a common ancestral hall. Although many were beyond the fifth degree of kinship, the ties of blood and clan remained.

Inside the house, Zhang Dan’s aunt, his wife, was still immersed in her grief. Zhang Dan’s three sons all sat nearby with faces of gloom, yet it was clear to see the fury that was almost breaking through.

On the grain-drying ground, several elders from the Zhang clan stood with stern expressions. An old man, about sixty, slowly began to speak, “Brother Cheng San, I’ve already called my son who works at Huaxia Agency. He understands the party and government policies better than we do. Regarding Dan’s situation, he says the government is definitely responsible. Attacking suddenly on New Year’s Eve is definitely illegal, forcibly demolishing houses before signing an agreement with the villagers is a crime in itself. Dan’s death, though an accident, cannot be overlooked. This is just the first batch of house seizures in Zhang Clan Village. If we let this go, our village will be left at the mercy of others.”

No sooner had he spoken than Zhang Dan’s three sons came out from the house. None in the Zhang family, including Zhang Dan himself, were known for being compliant, otherwise they wouldn’t have become nail-household resistors.

The three brothers, known for hanging around the streets, didn’t commit bad deeds or break the law, but they were not the sort to allow themselves to be taken advantage of.

The eldest son, Zhang Qinghua, came forward, struggling to suppress his rage, “Uncle Cheng San, you’re all aware of my father’s situation. Everywhere else, they exchange area for area, but here in the development zone, they only offered us four hundred per square meter in compensation, which is simply impossible. We three brothers have decided, no matter what backing this Earth Company has, we will carry my dad’s body to the county government and demand an explanation.”

Zhang Chengsan, as the patriarch of Zhang Clan Village and also the village party secretary, was aware of the compensation standards from the authorities above. To be fair, the price was indeed pitifully low.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Chengsan then gritted his teeth and nodded, “Alright, this time, young and old from Zhang Clan Village will carry Dan and demand an explanation!” (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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