Chapter 156: Public Outrage Cannot Be Defied

The question caught Jiang Zhonggen off guard immediately. Recovering slightly, he said, "Actually, this is a historical issue left over from the past, and sewer construction cannot be completed in just a day or two. The inadequacy and even clogging of the sewers are what triggered this flood disaster. However, you must believe that the municipal government will definitely solve this problem within five years."

"Is five years really reliable?" the reporters questioned one after another. "Is this just an empty promise?"

Facing the accusations from the crowd, Jiang Zhonggen hurriedly left the scene. Secretary Zhang replied, "Everyone, Secretary Jiang has a lot of official business to attend to, so the press conference will temporarily conclude here!"

The reporters chased after him one by one, only to be intercepted by the security guards at the scene. Faced with such an attitude from the municipal government, everyone had no choice but to leave helplessly.

The statement from the Jianghuai Municipal Government immediately angered all the citizens. The death toll of thirty-six people triggered widespread skepticism. Soon, a large number of posts questioning the Jianghuai Municipal Government's statement appeared on Tianya, Mop, and Facebook.

The anger of the netizens ignited a storm on the internet. Some hackers hacked into the Jianghuai Municipal Government's website and posted the list of over a hundred dead. For a moment, the entire city of Jianghuai was in an uproar. Someone commented that the major Wenzhou bullet train accident had also concealed the death toll because state regulations stipulated that once the death toll exceeded forty, it would be classified as an extra-large major accident, requiring reports to be submitted to the central authorities for handling. Yet the Jianghuai Municipal Government was actually imitating the practices of the railway department.

The anger of the people of Jianghuai was thoroughly ignited. Everyone took to the streets, rushing onto the roads where the floodwaters had not yet receded, continuously protesting and demonstrating.

The municipal government's public relations fell into a crisis. A large number of citizens marching on the streets aroused the government's anxiety. The municipal government's spokesperson immediately stood before the public, expressed sincere apologies, and re-emphasized that the same tragedy would never be allowed to happen again and that the sewer problem would definitely be resolved within five years. Unfortunately, there were government informants hidden among the crowd.

Meanwhile, related posts on websites like Tianya and Mop were ordered to be deleted under threat of being charged with endangering national security and disrupting social order. Soon, through the municipal government's carrot-and-stick approach, the unrest subsided.

The deaths of those children made the parents determined to petition the provincial committee or even go to Beijing.

"Hmph, if they dare to go, let them make sure they never return!" Liu Jiang秋 sneered coldly. "Jiang Zhonggen is about to be promoted to the provincial committee and will walk away leaving this mess behind, but the future of Jianghuai belongs to me. Whoever dares to stir up trouble in my territory, I will make sure they don't live to regret it!"

Compared to Liu Jiangqiu, Jiang Zhonggen was considered a relatively benevolent leader. At the very least, Jiang Zhonggen would often uphold the image of the municipal government and the state. However, Liu Jiangqiu's rule would undoubtedly become a malignant tumor in Jianghuai City; this fellow was not only ruthless and vicious, but also extremely domineering.

"Secretary Liu, what should we do then?" the secretary hurriedly asked.

"Immediately notify those parents and the relatives of the deceased, and demand that they come to the municipal government right now to negotiate compensation!" Liu Jiangqiu sneered coldly.

"Yes!" the secretary nodded immediately.

The next day, the families of the deceased arrived at the scene one after another. Liu Jiangqiu, acting as the person in charge of this negotiation, received these families. Altogether, more than three hundred people came. In some cases, entire families had been wiped out; during this flood, it was common for multiple members of a single household to perish. Other relatives did not come because they were away in other cities. Therefore, there were a little over three hundred people present this time.

Liu Jiangqiu first told everyone very politely, "Dear families, I express my deepest condolences regarding this accident. After death, people wish for peace in the earth. The municipal government gives top priority to handling your compensation matters."

"How do you plan to compensate us?" the families questioned one after another.

"According to the national compensation regulations, adults will receive two hundred thousand each, and children one hundred thousand each!" Liu Jiangqiu waved his hand grandly, shocking everyone present. Damn it, such compensation terms were outrageously unfair. Forget about two hundred thousand; even three hundred or four hundred thousand would not satisfy anyone.

"No, absolutely not!" the families protested in unison. "Since when is a human life cheaper than a dog's?"

Not long ago, a foreigner's golden retriever accidentally wandered into the municipal government compound and was mistakenly beaten to death by security guards. Afterwards, the foreigner immediately filed a lawsuit demanding compensation from the Jianghuai Municipal Government, and after negotiations, the municipal government paid three hundred and fifty thousand to settle the matter. But now, these were real, living human beings who had died, yet the compensation was only two hundred thousand—it was literally worse than a dog. How could the families accept this?

"It doesn't matter. If that doesn't work, we can still negotiate!" Liu Jiangqiu smiled faintly. "Three hundred thousand for adults, one hundred and fifty thousand for children. Those who agree can sign the contract immediately."

"No!" Everyone refused again.

This time, Liu Jiangqiu's expression was not as pleasant as before. He sneered coldly and said, "If that still doesn't work, then you can all leave. But let me make it clear first: if anyone steps out this door and still expects compensation from the municipal government, forget about it. Anyone among you who dares to try making trouble, I will have you all thrown into a mental hospital. Heh heh, daring to petition? Daring to appeal to the higher authorities? Go ahead and try!"

Liu Jiangqiu's threats actually managed to stun everyone present. The family members whispered among themselves because, in the minds of the Chinese people, the mindset of "the common people do not fight with officials" had been deeply ingrained for thousands of years. Deep in their bones, Chinese people feared officials; no one dared to struggle against them. Finally, two elderly people dressed like farmers stepped forward from the crowd and said, "Forget it, three hundred thousand is three hundred thousand. We accept it!"

"Good!" A sharp glint flashed in Liu Jiangqiu's eyes. As long as someone took the lead, there was nothing to fear. What he feared most was no one stepping forward, which would have been troublesome. Having originally planned to increase the offer slightly, Liu Jiangqiu immediately steadied his mind. He grinned and said, "Elderly folks, sign the agreement over here!"

Soon, bundles of cash totaling three hundred thousand were handed into the hands of the elderly couple. Clutching the three bundles of cash, the two seniors broke down in bitter tears. Losing a son was traded for a meager three hundred thousand. Although they felt a lingering resentment in their hearts, faced with Liu Jiangqiu's tyrannical intimidation, they had no choice but to submit. Especially as farmers, they dared even less to fight against officials.

With the two elders taking the lead, several others stepped forward one after another, and Liu Jiangqiu wore a satisfied smile. Half an hour later, the remaining hundred-plus people showed no signs of yielding. Realizing they could not negotiate terms with the municipal government and preparing to leave, they discovered that the main gates had been locked by security guards, and the internal signals had been jammed—all cell phone signals vanished, making it impossible to make calls.

"Damn it, what do you bastards want to do!"

"Let us go, we are going to report you!"

The citizens inside roared successively, shouting in fury. However, Liu Jiangqiu stood at the doorway and sneered, "You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeiture. We offered you money, but you refused, insisting on suffering instead. You brought this on yourselves!"

More than a hundred people were thus locked inside the dark conference room. No one could have imagined that the Jianghuai Municipal Government would commit such a shameless act. Soon, they discovered it wasn't just confinement: dark figures crawled in through the windows and, taking advantage of the darkness inside, dragged women into corners to rape them, while the men were savagely beaten. All of this was directly ordered by Liu Jiangqiu.

Inside the conference room, waves of lewd laughter echoed, accompanied by the sorrowful, pleading cries of women and the agonizing screams of beaten men. Standing outside the conference room, Liu Jiangqiu said coldly, "Chinese people are all just a bunch of spineless wretches."

Before long, this group chose to submit and compromise. The violated women dragged their exhausted bodies out of the conference room. One woman of fierce integrity slammed her head directly into a wall and died right in front of Liu Jiangqiu.

"Secretary Liu, what should we do now?" the secretary asked nervously.

"Drag her away, send her straight to the crematorium, and notify the family to come pick up the money!" Liu Jiangqiu took a puff of his cigarette, threw the butt onto the ground, ground it out with his foot, and walked away leisurely. The matter was finally resolved, though Liu Jiangqiu did not know that this incident had planted a hidden danger for his eventual downfall.

"Yes!" the secretary nodded immediately.

This incident was handled with extreme discretion by the Jianghuai Municipal Government. The women who threatened suicide were persuaded and comforted by the local neighborhood committee, and compensated symbolically with some money. Many people were dissatisfied with the government's handling; some remained determined to go to the provincial committee or petition in Beijing. However, once those people left, they never returned. Some said that the moment they walked out of the urban area, they were ambushed and had burlap sacks thrown over their heads by unidentified men; others said they were locked up in mental hospitals; and still others said they had long since been dumped in pauper's graves.

In short, the matter finally quieted down, and no one dared to petition anymore. Those people had no choice but to honestly accept the few hundred thousand in compensation from the municipal government and stopped making trouble. Liu Jiangqiu had already instructed Yan Er's people to spread the word among the troublemakers: anyone who dared to cause trouble again would find the crematorium to be their final resting place. A single sentence instantly brought peace to everyone. Please remember to visit for the best reading experience!