Chapter 364: A Negotiation Where the Upper Hand is Taken!

Nie Kai stood by the window, his expression gloomy as he watched the crowd disperse, his eyes filled with a mixture of helplessness and resentment.

He slowly retreated to his desk, picked up the rarely used mobile phone, and his fingertips pressed out a string of numbers with force.

"Boss Xu, have you gone mad? Those people actually dared to commit violence in public!" His voice carried suppressed anger.

From the other end of the line came Xu Zongchao's indifferent laughter.

"County Magistrate Nie, wasn't it you who said you wanted to cause some trouble for Han Guangyao? The bigger the commotion, the more the Municipal Party Committee will think he is incompetent."

Although he had long since fled Hanzhou and hidden his tracks, Xu Zongchao knew the situation in Hanzhou like the back of his hand, especially since he still maintained secret contacts with certain forces in Suiyuan County.

Nie Kai said in a low voice, "The point is that those three people didn't handle things cleanly and actually got caught."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zongchao frowned: "They are all veterans; how could they fail? Could it be that someone leaked the news?"

Nie Kai looked troubled: "I suspect the same... but can you ensure they won't talk?"

Xu Zongchao sneered, his tone vicious: "Don't worry, even if they can't hold out, they will only push the blame onto me. I'm already on the blacklist anyway. By the way, how is Tang Ye? Is he dead?"

Nie Kai's tone revealed a hint of regret: "This kid is too lucky; he only got a few scratches. But at least he saw blood, which counts as a lesson for him—Suiyuan County isn't a place where just any greenhorn can come and stir things up. Besides, this isn't over; the problem with Runsheng is a dead end to begin with."

Hearing that Tang Ye was not dead, Xu Zongchao was furious and grabbed the whiskey glass on the table, smashing it against the glass table.

The glass shattered with a bang, and shards flew everywhere.

The woman accompanying him nearby exclaimed, and blood was seen streaming down her left cheek from her temple; another woman, heavily made up, was so frightened that she hurriedly covered her mouth, her face as pale as paper.

"Bad luck! Give her some money and send her to the hospital!"

Xu Zongchao waved his hand in disgust, and someone immediately took the injured woman away.

He turned back to the phone and said viciously: "You can dodge the first day, but you can't dodge the fifteenth. Tang Ye has caused me heavy losses, making me flee in a sorry state like a stray dog. I will never let this matter rest!"

Nie Kai could only offer low words of persuasion: "He is young, after all, and doesn't consider the consequences. But we must still be cautious and not be overly eager for quick success. If something big happens right after he takes office, it will easily alarm the Municipal Party Committee."

Xu Zongchao scoffed disdainfully: "What are you afraid of? Han Guangyao and Gao Hong are taking the heat at the front! You need to be bolder to seize more opportunities."

Nie Kai shook his head with a bitter smile: "Alright, I will communicate with you in time if there are any further developments."

After hanging up the phone, a wave of regret surged in Nie Kai's heart.

He knew clearly that the once high-spirited entrepreneur Xu Zongchao had long since transformed into a desperate and vicious outlaw.

But he had no other choice—after Wang Xingjian's incident, although he was temporarily protected, his leverage had already fallen into the hands of others.

If he did not cooperate with Xu Zongchao, his end would only be worse than Wang Xingjian's.

Meanwhile, inside the County Magistrate's office, Gao Hong was pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan.

He never expected that Tang Ye would be attacked by thugs while handling the problem.

If this matter were known to his superiors, he would inevitably face questioning—after all, he was currently the representative of the local officials in Suiyuan.

Gao Hong hurried to Tang Ye's office, only to see that the latter had already bandaged his wound and was preparing to go to the conference room to talk with the enterprise and worker representatives.

"I heard you were injured, so I rushed over to see. Don't attend the upcoming dialogue; your health is more important." Gao Hong's tone was serious and filled with concern.

Tang Ye had once suspected whether this matter was related to Gao Hong.

But seeing him so nervous and anxious, which did not seem feigned, he knew there was another story.

"Don't worry, County Magistrate Gao, it's just a few scratches; it's no hindrance. I must successfully complete the first task assigned to me by the County Party Committee; I cannot let those with ulterior motives make a joke of it." His expression was calm, and his tone was firm.

Gao Hong sighed: "Little Tang, your drive is admirable. But you are new here and don't understand the situation. You must not be greedy for progress. If something happens, I will be the one held responsible."

Tang Ye understood his concerns and simply got straight to the point: "I know you are worried that others might suspect you are involved in this. But I have a basic understanding of you—you act openly and honestly, and wouldn't use such underhanded methods. However, there are certainly unclean people hiding in our ranks."

These words made Gao Hong feel relieved, and he couldn't help but exclaim: "You see things very clearly. Do you need me to step in and help with the negotiations with Runsheng?"

Tang Ye politely declined: "If it exceeds my capabilities, I will certainly ask for your help. But please rest assured, I have the confidence to handle it."

Inside the conference room, Tang Ye met the boss of Runsheng, He Bin.

He Bin's gaze fell on Tang Ye's arm, and his brow twitched.

The fact that criminals had appeared among the crowd blocking the door made him feel deep regret.

He was afraid of being held accountable!

Tang Ye saw through his psychology and thought to himself that he must seize this advantage!

After sitting down, Tang Ye said softly, "General Manager He, state your demands, and I will report them to Secretary Han and County Magistrate Gao later."

He Bin gathered his thoughts and began to complain, "County Magistrate Tang, I will be blunt. It was Suiyuan County that attracted us here through investment promotion. For so many years, we have paid plenty of taxes, solved many employment issues, and participated in social welfare. Now that you are making us stop operations directly, I hope the government will give me and the workers a reasonable explanation."

Tang Ye paused slightly, "General Manager He, as far as I know, the Environmental Protection Bureau has given you many opportunities to rectify, but you have never fulfilled them. The problem lies with you; why haven't you reflected on it?"

He Bin was a bit stunned; he had come to seek an explanation from the government, but Tang Ye had snatched the initiative back in one go.

"County Magistrate Tang, to tell you the truth, I have thought about rectifying, but it requires a large investment. Besides, there are many enterprises that pollute more than we do; why are you fixated on us? We are really in a difficult position now. If we continue to stop operations, it will lead to breach of contract on orders. If the government doesn't provide a solution, the only path left for me is to jump off a building."

"We will put the pollution problems of other factories aside for now, and we will deal with them one by one later. You should know the nature of blocking the government; the County Leaders have been tolerant, not because we dare not handle it according to the law, but because we don't want to be too extreme. Therefore, I am giving you a reminder here: you are in a business predicament, and that is something the enterprise must face. If anyone blocks the government again in the future, we will handle it seriously, no longer showing mercy, and we must pursue it to the end!"

"County Magistrate Tang, as long as the Environmental Protection Bureau removes the seal and lets us resume production, this batch of orders can be completed within the deadline, and I guarantee that no one will go to the government to make trouble again. I guarantee it!" He Bin's momentum had been on the losing side the whole time!

Tang Ye was injured, but he had no pessimistic emotions.

He conducted the negotiation with He Bin with reason and evidence, taking the initiative from the very beginning.

Zhao Bin secretly admired him in his heart.

The level of the new Deputy County Magistrate was truly impressive!