mesbooks Chapter 18 Something Big Has Happened
Chapter 18 Something Big Has Happened
After dealing with the troublesome villagers, Li Fugui approached Lin Chen with a beaming smile: "Squad Leader Lin, are you satisfied with how this was handled? Our village fully supports the construction project. There were just a few unruly villagers who didn't know any better. I'll have someone keep an eye on them when we get back, and I guarantee they won't cause any more trouble."
"Alright, alright, let's get to work." Lin Chen waved his hand, for some reason not wanting to see him.
But it must be said, he really did solve the problem.
As soon as the villagers dispersed, dust billowed as the excavator's iron arm swung, and no one dared to come out to stop it anymore. Lin Chen didn't rush back to the station; instead, he turned to Tang Yuwei and nodded, "Let's go check on Wang Guisheng."
Wang Guisheng was weaving baskets in the yard. With nimble fingers, the bamboo strips were transformed into exquisite baskets, each selling for five yuan.
"Squad Leader Lin, we owe you so much! I know this water diversion project is a benefit you brought to our village. We can finally drink clean water and stop living in fear." He pointed to the rumbling construction site outside the courtyard and poured each of them a glass of cooled boiled water.
Lin Chen took the water glass, took a sip, and got straight to the point: "Uncle Wang, I really don't understand. This is clearly a good thing that benefits the whole village, so why are they making a fuss? Do they really want to drink that murky water that reflects the mud like a mirror for the rest of their lives?"
Wang Guisheng sighed, sat down on the threshold, and ran his fingertips along the splinters of the bamboo strips: "It's all because the compensation is too little! Last year, the neighboring village upgraded their power grid, and they got 300 yuan per mu, 200 yuan per grave, and 30 yuan per tree. But in our village, it's only 200 yuan per mu, 100 yuan per grave, and 20 yuan per tree. There's a huge difference. How can anyone accept that? If I were in their shoes, I'd make a scene too!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Chen realized what was going on and left without disturbing them. Back in town, Tang Yuwei took Lin Chen to eat tofu pudding, which was quite famous in Balu Town.
The little girl looked slender, but she had quite an appetite. After finishing a bowl of tofu pudding, her eyes were still fixed on Lin Chen's bowl. Lin Chen smiled helplessly and simply pushed his bowl over to her.
Tang Yuwei scooped up a large spoonful of tofu pudding and stuffed it into her mouth, then suddenly stopped, her brows furrowing. "Squad leader, I remember the director said before that the compensation standard this time was 300 yuan per mu of land, 200 yuan for the grave, and 30 yuan for the trees? How come Wang Guisheng said it's so different?"
Lin Chen shook his head, his tone flat: "Someone pocketed the difference in price."
"What?" Tang Yuwei's eyes widened, her voice suddenly rising, "Did the village chief and the others swallow it?"
"Well, otherwise why do you think Li Fugui was working so hard today? He's an old man, but he was at the forefront blocking the villagers, afraid that things would escalate and cut off his source of income."
He had half a sentence left unsaid: the director had eaten, and the people above the director had eaten too. It was like peeling an onion, layer by layer, until all that was left for the villagers was that dry, shriveled core.
But he was too lazy to say it, and couldn't say it, for fear of tainting the purity in Tang Yuwei's eyes that hadn't yet been worn down by reality. This was also why he didn't want to climb the social ladder. This world, sometimes, is truly a fucking absurd.
Tang Yuwei puffed out her cheeks in anger and said angrily, "This is too much! Why don't we report them? Why should we let them make this kind of dirty money? This not only harms the villagers, but also ruins the company's reputation."
Lin Chen gave a wry smile and retorted, "You saw the scene today. If it weren't for Li Fugui and his gang holding things in check, could you have kept those villagers in check? To get more compensation, they were willing to build fake graves and plant dead trees overnight. How are you going to clean up this mess?"
Tang Yuwei was speechless for a moment before muttering indignantly, "Can't we do some persuasion work with them one by one?"
"Villagers in the township," Lin Chen shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of weariness from having seen through the ways of the world.
"Most of them haven't read many books, have narrow horizons, and are easily swayed. When it comes to getting things done in this place, the easiest way is to find the village cadres. They can read and write, communicate well, and have prestige in the village. They can intimidate honest people and fool troublemakers. If we give them some benefits, our project can proceed smoothly. On the contrary, if they lead the sabotage, this work simply cannot be done."
Having lived in rural towns for so many years, he had long seen through this system. Land acquisition for real estate development and highway construction—wasn't it always the same? Exploiting information asymmetry, layer upon layer of exploitation, seizing by trickery and force, in the end, it was the ordinary people at the bottom who suffered.
Tang Yuwei rubbed her throbbing head, looking bewildered: "So, in today's matter, who was right, the village chief or the villagers?"
Lin Chen curled his lip, his tone laced with sarcasm: "They're all the same, there's no right or wrong." Tang Yuwei blinked, then suddenly asked, "So, are we both bad guys too?"
Lin Chen chuckled and flicked her forehead: "You're not a bad guy, you're an idiot." Suddenly, he felt that doing so was a bit wrong.
"You're the stupid one!" Tang Yuwei rubbed her forehead, slamming her bowl on the table angrily. "I'm not offering you any tofu pudding! I hate you!"
They started flirting.
……
The next morning at ten o'clock, the director had apparently slipped away to some widow's house to fool around again, and no one answered the phone no matter how many times he called.
Just then, Zhang Junmin from the county company office suddenly called, his tone sharp and aggressive: "Lin Chen! A villager from Meihua Village in Balu Town is causing a ruckus in Director Tan's office, blocking him inside! You need to come over and take him back right away, or no one can afford the consequences if something happens!"
Lin Chen frowned and said irritably, "What does this have to do with us? Isn't this what your office is for?"
"It has nothing to do with you?" Zhang Junmin's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undisguised reprimand.
"Lin Chen, I don't think you realize how serious this is! The person is from your Balu Town, and you didn't handle the dispute well. Now you're making a scene in front of the leaders. If you hurt even a finger of Director Tan, your entire Balu Police Station will be in deep trouble."
"Then you guys aren't having an easy time either." Who are you trying to scare?
What kind of attitude is that?
"I'll do whatever attitude you give me."
"Should I ask Director Song to invite you here?"
"Go find it yourself." Lin Chen ignored him completely; he had no desire to improve himself anyway.
But shortly after I hung up the phone, the director called.
The station chief on the other end of the phone was so frightened that his voice trembled, and he suddenly collapsed: "Lin Chen! Go to the county immediately, and bring him back to me by any means necessary! If anything happens to Director Tan, you and I will both be fired."
Why aren't you going?
"I'm out there, I can't make it in time, please, go quickly."
Damn it, this is disgusting! Lin Chen had no choice but to rush to the county company on his motorcycle, even though the director had begged him. What kind of trouble is this every day? I might as well stop writing my novel.
There were quite a few people gathered outside Director Tan's office, including security guards. It was said that a villager from Balu Town somehow barged in and blocked Director Tan inside, so no one dared to go in rashly.
Upon seeing Lin Chen in the office, Zhang Junmin immediately launched into a tirade: "You don't know how to do your job! You're utterly useless! You've caused someone to come to the boss threatening suicide! You've ruined someone's life!"
Lin Chen was already furious, and this insult only fueled his anger: "If you're so great, why don't you go in yourself? Why did you call me here? Are you brain-dead?"
Zhang Junmin had never seen anyone so arrogant: "You've got a temper now, haven't you?"
Lin Chen ignored him: "Why can't I have a temper? Is it your right to have one?"
Zhang Junmin: "You really don't know what's good for you!"
Just then, Chen Ya appeared and quickly pulled Lin Chen aside: "Lin Chen, what are you doing? Just accept the criticism. Hurry up and go in to take the person back. But be careful, the person inside seems to have a weapon. Director Tan is currently in a stalemate with him inside. Don't hurt the leader."
Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he was instantly stunned.
Is there a weapon? Can I still do this job?
For such a trivial matter, are we really going to risk our lives? Is the leader's life important, but his isn't?
Since we're already here, let's see how things go first. If it doesn't work out, we'll leave.
He took a deep breath, pushed open the office door, and saw a middle-aged man holding a blue-green snake, roaring at Director Tan: "If you don't give me an explanation today, nobody's going to get away with this!"
Director Tan, hiding behind his desk with a pale face, seemed to see Lin Chen as a lifeline when he saw him enter: "Xiao Lin, Lin Chen, quick, quickly persuade him not to act impulsively."
Lin Chen glanced at the man and recognized him as Wang Ping from Plum Blossom Village.
The snake in his hand was clearly an ordinary grass snake, which could be found everywhere in Balu Town. It was not poisonous; at most, it just looked scary.
Lin Chen felt a little calmer.
No, Director Tan, why are you so scared?
That can't be right.
Lin Chen didn't know that Director Tan was terrified of snakes and didn't understand them at all.