Chapter 868: Executive Chen's Frequent Blunders!

Before they had even reached the entrance.

Tang Ye heard a commotion, and a dense crowd of people stood in the distance.

They seemed to have been prepared for a long time; after the leaders walked out, the group of people standing at the very front, all of whom were elderly people over sixty, suddenly knelt down in unison and began kowtowing incessantly.

The people behind them unfurled banners with red characters on a white background, which read, "Violent demolition, trampling on human life, collusion between officials and businessmen, harming the common people, intolerable by the laws of heaven!"

Xie Zhan swept a glance toward Ou Xiye and questioned him coldly, "Secretary Ou, what is going on here?"

Ou Xiye looked toward Chen Qing.

Chen Qing clenched his fists and gritted his back teeth.

How could something like this happen?

He had put in a lot of effort to invite Mayor Xie over this time.

This was supposed to be his first major move after taking office!

He wanted to use Mayor Xie's presence to boost his own standing in the County Government.

Before he could react, a figure suddenly rushed in front of the crowd.

It was actually Tang Ye!

Tang Ye walked onto the steps and shouted loudly, "Everyone, please calm down. Today, City Leaders are here for an inspection. The team is led by Executive Vice Mayor Xie, and County Party Committee Secretary Ou is also on the scene. If there are any issues, we can discuss them properly. Please remain calm, exercise restraint, and absolutely do not act impulsively."

His words were like a small stone thrown into a calm lake.

Some people stood up, but a group of people remained kneeling.

The elderly wailed loudly, and some people were shouting at the top of their lungs.

The situation did not improve; instead, it became even more chaotic.

Chen Qing frowned, secretly thinking that it would have been better if Tang Ye had said nothing.

Once he spoke, it was like lighting the fuse of a firecracker, and the emotions of the masses were directly ignited.

These common people were no pushovers; they understood the principle that the crying child gets the candy.

The more pitiful they appeared, the more sympathy they could elicit.

The more Mayor Xie saw this scene, the more compassion he would feel!

The workers in the factory also put down their work and walked toward this side.

They felt no repulsion toward the crowd blocking the gate; on the contrary, they showed sympathy.

Many of the workers were locals, related by blood or marriage.

"The Mayor is here, but I wonder if there will be any results."

"What results could there be? Officials protect one another!"

"The Government is also helpless; in order to push the project forward, they surely have to use special means during demolition."

"But they can't use violence! It's too barbaric."

"That's right, my aunt's husband is in that group. He heard a rumbling sound in his sleep; if he hadn't run out in time, he probably would have been buried alive."

"The main thing is that the official in charge has changed. The first few villages that were demolished weren't this heartless."

"The compensation for the last batch was really too low; the profits were carved up by the demolition company. You know, before, the government handled the demolitions, unlike now where they hired some demolition company. As long as they drive the price down, it all ends up in their pockets."

"If you ask me, this demolition company and some government cadres are birds of a feather."

As these discussions reached his ears, fine beads of sweat broke out on Chen Qing's forehead.

The demolition company was something he had requested to be added.

After taking office, he discovered that the progress of the Anthracite Project could be accelerated, so he had Qiao Lin find a professional demolition company. Although it required paying a certain fee, it could speed things up, and in this way, he could demonstrate his own ability.

This was also one of the "three fires" of a new official taking office.

As it turned out, the fire didn't burn, and he ended up covered in filth.

The Anthracite Project was Tang Ye's lifeblood.

He could not let his hard work be ruined by others!

Furthermore, he was in charge of emergency management; if a situation arose, he was duty-bound to handle it.

Tang Ye walked into the crowd and helped the oldest elderly woman up.

"Elder, if there is an issue, we can discuss it. You are so old, please don't do this."

The old woman did not get up and began to wail loudly.

She lifted the hem of her shirt, revealing purple bruises on her waist, and sobbed as she spoke.

"Young man, I am seventy-eight years old this year. I've lived a long life and have always followed the Party's words, that individual interests must yield to collective interests. But they have destroyed my faith!"

"A group of people rushed into my home and, without a word, picked up sticks and started beating people. My old man is still lying in the town hospital receiving treatment; the doctor said his leg was broken, and at his age, it can't be healed at all."

An old woman next to her also lifted her pant leg, "These people are beasts. They smashed everything in my house and dragged my daughter-in-law by her hair from one end of the village to the other."

"I tried to stop them, and they kicked me. My son and my husband were also beaten. They went to the town to report the problem and were arrested. They are still locked up in the Police Station, and they've even put out word that they're going to send them to a psychiatric hospital!"

Tang Ye had previously encountered the complaint materials, but at the time, those materials lacked actual evidence, so he could only have Xing Zhijun investigate in secret.

Looking at the deep wrinkles on the common people's faces and their tear-blurred expressions, his heart twitched violently several times.

Tang Ye suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, please get up quickly; don't kneel here. Kneeling like this makes us feel ashamed. If you are in the right, you can stand tall and speak out. Kneeling cannot solve the problem."

Among them, a commoner seemed to recognize Tang Ye and asked softly, "You, are you County Magistrate Tang?"

A commoner next to him chimed in, "That's right, he is Tang Ye. He's not the County Magistrate anymore, he's the Secretary. We know you are an Exchange Cadre, and the Anthracite Project was something you secured. You have to help us!"

"He's helpless too! Just after he achieved results, his position was adjusted, and the Anthracite Project is no longer under his management. The Anthracite Project was handed over to a Deputy County Magistrate surnamed Chen to manage."

"No wonder it's such a mess! These people kill the donkey after the millstone is turned; they love to reap the rewards, but when the meal is served to their mouths, they don't even know how to eat it!"

The gossip reached Chen Qing's ears in fragments, making him blush with shame!

From being a Standing Committee Member of the County Party Committee to an Executive Vice Mayor, after being entrusted with such an important task, he was full of ambition.

Carrying a heart full of passion and aspirations, he was determined to achieve results and to perform even better than Tang Ye.

However, in order to achieve results as quickly as possible, he committed the error of being eager for quick success and instant benefits.

Yet, at this moment, he discovered that desire had turned into poison.

Mayor Xie is in all likelihood extremely disappointed in him!

At this moment, he must make amends!

Chen Qing kept signaling to Qiao Lin with his eyes.

Qiao Lin hurriedly moved closer to Chen Qing.

Chen Qing whispered instructions, "Get the Police over here to disperse the crowd!"

"Understood!" Qiao Lin nodded slightly and dialed a number.

A few minutes later, a piercing, long siren sounded.

Not far away, police cars drove over one after another.

In the blink of an eye, six police cars arrived nearby.

They stopped at the perimeter of the crowd, the doors opened, and more than twenty police officers jumped out.

As soon as the leading Police officer's feet touched the ground, he waved his arms and shouted, "Control the scene and protect the City Leader."

Seeing this scene, Tang Ye was quite speechless; he subconsciously looked toward Chen Qing, no longer able to hide his look of disappointment.

Planning to use the method of creating confrontation to forcibly solve the problem!

Executive Chen!

You are panicking and seeking medical advice blindly, making one foolish move after another...