Reborn as a Noble’s Son - Chapter 352:

Chapter 352: Chapter 343 Group Interview Incident_1

Nie Zhenbang wore an apologetic expression. At a time like this, it surely seemed impolite to answer a phone call during a private dinner at the old secretary’s house. However, He Dingbang smiled amiably and empathetically at the moment, “Mayor Nie, you have a lot on your plate. Don’t let an old man like me hold you back from your work.”

Nie Zhenbang glanced at the caller ID on his phone – it was a call from Yi Jun. Knowing Yi Jun’s character, Nie Zhenbang was certain that unless circumstances were extraordinarily unusual, Yi Jun wouldn’t disturb him during his dinner with He Dingbang.

Therefore, Nie Zhenbang didn’t hesitate. He stood up, walked outside the study, and answered Yi Jun’s call. As soon as the call connected, the urgent voice of Yi Jun came through, “Mayor, there’s trouble. Reliable sources say that the employees of the first and second Spinning Factories and the Cotton Textile Factory have secretly joined forces. These factory workers are planning to stage a sit-in protest at the city government office tomorrow.”

Upon hearing Yi Jun’s report, Nie Zhenbang’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Mass visit incidents’, as their name suggested, were mass activities involving ordinary people expressing grievances concerning their lives or work. These individuals would collectively bypass their direct superiors and express their opinions and requests directly to the higher echelons of the government.

When mass visit incidents occur, it usually means that existing conflicts and disputes have reached an irreconcilable state or that the people have lost faith in their immediate higher-ups.

At this stage, the crowd, teetering on the verge of an explosion, is akin to a powder keg. Should the government mismanage the situation, even a slight mistake could lead to a severe crisis.

Furthermore, a mass visit incident is an illegal act, something no Party Committee or government would want to see. If such incidents do occur, it would imply a failure of governance by the Party Committee. Apart from the political implications, this could well jeopardize one’s political career.

Given these considerations, Nie Zhenbang didn’t dare dilly-dally. He returned to the study and said to He Dingbang, “Old Secretary, I’m afraid I can’t stay here any longer. I just got a call saying that the workers of the first, second Spinning Factories and the Cotton Textile Factory have gathered together today, preparing to petition the city government tomorrow.”

He Dingbang was no novice in politics. Upon hearing this news, he stood up and said gravely, “A mass visit is a big deal. Mayor Nie, you must attend to your work. Remember what I’ve told you. If my words can be of some help to you, that is all I ask for.”

After a pause, He Dingbang added, “Mayor Nie, my grandson Qingjun is also involved in the politics and law sector. To appease and suppress the mass visit incident, both soft and hard measures are needed. The local public security system might not have enough police force. Why not have Qingjun drive you over there?”

Hearing He Dingbang’s words, Nie Zhenbang paused, awed by the experienced strategies of a seasoned municipal secretary. He outlined the crux of the issue: situations like these call for a two-pronged approach, both maintaining the dignity of governmental authorities and allaying the public’s discontent. In any case, a mass visit incident cannot be allowed to happen.

Through offering his grandson He Qingjun to accompany Nie Zhenbang, He Dingbang displayed his shrewdness. This move would express his stance to others, and offer He Qingjun the opportunity to acquire experience and benefits.

Yet, in this moment, Nie Zhenbang did not reject He Dingbang’s proposal. Briefly contemplating, he nodded and said, “Alright. I will have to trouble Comrade Qingjun then.”

…

The first and second Spinning Factories, and the Cotton Textile Factory, were located in the old district of Liangxi City, a place known as Guicheng District. In its heyday, Liangxi City’s textile industry was renowned across the country and was known as the textile capital. Jiangbei Province has always been a hub for the textile industry. In modern times, its silkworm silk was exported overseas. After the founding of the nation, Liangxi City’s textile industry was concentrated in Guicheng District. In the past, working in these textile factories was a matter of pride. But with the rise of Yuedong and the textile industry’s nationwide decline, Liangxi City was no exception. The city’s three factories had become a significant financial burden on the city. Every year, tens of millions in funding couldn’t even cover the workers’ wages. Consequently, the city began considering institutional reforms and unloading such burdens, leading to an emergence of conflicts.

By the time Nie Zhenbang and He Qingjun arrived, they couldn’t even drive their vehicle within five or six hundred meters of the entrance to the Spinning Factory due to traffic congestion both sides of the road.

Rows of thick and luxuriant camphor trees, each with over forty years of growth, lined both sides of the road. This road might have been considered wide in the past, but it was outdated now.

“Mayor…” He Qingjun turned his head, about to say something.

Seeing this, Nie Zhenbang raised his hand to interrupt him and said, “Let’s go up and take a look first, Qingjun.”

At this point, it was not advisable to disclose his identity. Looking around, there’s a sea of people on all sides. Cars, buses, and various types of sedans were blocked on both sides of the road. This was all the old city area, surrounding several textile factories, all of which were family quarters for the factory workers. This area housed at least fifty to sixty thousand residents.

The Chinese people have always had a strong curiosity and a habit of rubbernecking. A commotion of such magnitude in Qingfang City naturally attracted hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of onlookers.

Pushing through the crowd, Nie Zhenbang and Lv Qingjun finally squeezed to the entrance of the Spinning Factory. At this moment, at least two hundred workers in blue uniforms had already gathered on the forecourt of the factory’s office building, which was inlaid with purple ceramic tiles. There were men and women of all ages.

At the factory’s gate, two rows of uniformed police officers had already formed a human wall. Their purpose was clear: they were here to supervise these workers.

Within the human wall, Fan Changsheng, the secretary of the municipal party committee, stood with a serious expression on his face. Beside him stood Li Guohua, who also looked serious. Standing closely beside the two was Hu Youquan, the secretary-general of the municipal party committee. The director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, Chen Le, stood to the side.

At this point, whether they were newcomers or old timers from Liangxi City, not a single cadar could escape the link. The situation had escalated, and although Nie Zhenbang could evade responsibility by claiming to be new, it was inevitable that others would get the impression he was ineffective in his duties.

As for Fan Changsheng and Li Guohua, these two had an even greater responsibility. As the top leader of Liangxi City and the main leader on the government side, their responsibility was greater than Nie Zhenbang’s.

Standing next to the two, a man in his early forties, about one point six meters tall and slightly chubby. He had the side-parted hairstyle common among officials, and his strikingly thick eyebrows. This man should be Lu Wu, the secretary of the Guicheng District Committee.

Sure enough, as Nie Zhenbang was contemplating, Lv Qingjun introduced him in a low voice, “Mayor, the man next to Secretary Fan is Lu Wu, the Secretary of the Guicheng District Committee.”

Upon the arrival of Nie Zhenbang and Lv Qingjun, the police officers present did not stop them. Some recognized Nie Zhenbang, others recognized Lv Qingjun.

As soon as they walked in, Chen Le came over to greet them and said in a low voice, “Mayor, you’re here.”

Nie Zhenbang nodded and without wasting words, asked directly, “What’s the situation?”

Accustomed to Nie Zhenbang’s direct style, Chen Le was hardly taken aback. He had spent nearly three years with Mayor Nie in Xinli City and had long gotten used to his manner. Chen Le began to explain, “Mayor, the situation is clear. Vice Mayor Li has proposed a reorganization plan for the entire municipal textile system. The city decided to divest all the major textile companies this year, trim down the enterprises, and reassign the laid-off workers. However, there seems to be some unfairness in the selection of those who are buying out their years of service and those who are being reassigned.

Chen Le paused before continuing with a smile, “Mayor, as you know, the chiefs of these spinning factories all hold divisional level positions. Guicheng District claims to lead, but in reality, they can’t control them. After several unsuccessful negotiations, these people began to gather, planning to petition the municipal party committee and municipal government.”

Hearing these words from Chen Le, Nie Zhenbang immediately understood. The layoffs, the buyout of years of service – these were not unusual events for many large state-owned enterprises. These factories were collapsing under heavy burdens. The huge corporate loads left these factories with no way out; their products couldn’t keep up. Without benefits, these factories were an abyss that no amount of filling could satisfy. Objectively speaking, Li Guohua’s decision was correct.

However, under the correct decision, the lack of effective and fair methods led to disputes. The Chinese people have always been like this, resenting not poverty but inequality. Even the best policies can go awry in practice. Unfairness, once it emerged, would lead to extremely awkward situations like the one unfolding now.

Seeing Nie Zhenbang approach, Fan Changsheng nodded. Now was not the time for personal disagreements. All parties had to work together to quell the workers’ anger and prevent mass petitions, which was the priority.

At this moment, Nie Zhenbang also spoke up, “Secretary Fan, how’s the situation now?”

PS: For the past dozen days, no writing has made my mind numb. I struggled with this chapter today, writing and scrapping three different versions. I wasted 9000 words until I finally settled with this one. Regaining momentum isn’t something that can be achieved in a short time. I’m taking it slow, so I hope you’ll give me a few days. (To Be Continued… If you like this work, you are welcome to recommend and vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)