Chapter 383: Responding to the Municipal Committee

On the last day of the 88th year of the Gregorian calendar, a major event occurred in Linyang that would make headlines across the city. Even twenty years later, people would still speak of it with admiration. Especially for those who grew up alongside Linyang, they would later recall that the city's economic rise and its becoming one of the most important economic cities in the central region all began on this day.

At nine o'clock that morning, a grand procession marched down the most bustling street in Linyang's city center. This procession consisted of over a thousand people. Although their clothing varied from winter coats to work uniforms, indicating a mix of cadres and ordinary workers, their expressions were all resolute. They carried banners for petitioning and headed toward the Linyang City Government.

This procession was made up of the staff and workers of the 760 Factory, with Zhou Ming, Yuan Zhigang, Wang Chen, and other factory leaders leading the front.

For this petition, Zhou Ming did not bring Su Han and Kong Xiaolin. It was not out of fear of an incident but because it was truly unnecessary. Both women understood and did not insist on joining.

Pedestrians on both sides of the road couldn't help but stop and watch the procession with curiosity. Some even followed them along the way. Thankfully, this was not the information explosion era of twenty years later; otherwise, the internet would have exploded within minutes.

Although the internet was not as advanced in this era, information was not completely closed off. The police system had already been alerted, and not only were officers following the procession, but by the time Zhou Ming and his group arrived at the municipal building, hundreds of police officers were already on high alert.

Seeing the situation at the municipal entrance, Wang Chen immediately became anxious. Deep-rooted notions among people made him worry that if something went wrong today or if they angered the municipal leaders, there would be serious consequences.

In this mindset, Wang Chen said to Zhou Ming, "Boss Zhou, maybe you should go back. Let us handle this."

Zhou Ming smiled, understanding that Wang Chen's suggestion was out of concern for him. After all, the law does not punish the crowd but the leader. Wang Chen's advice was to spare Zhou Ming from potential punishment.

However, Zhou Ming would not abandon everyone in the heat of the moment out of fear of being arrested. He didn't see himself as a heroic figure, but he wouldn't act so cowardly.

Furthermore, Zhou Ming knew that now that things had progressed to this point, his presence or absence was irrelevant. If the police really wanted to arrest him, they wouldn't let him go just because he wasn't there, nor would they naively think that the petition was not organized by him. Running away at this point would only be a foolish act of self-deception and burying one's head in the sand.

Moreover, and most importantly, Zhou Ming had already discussed with two central leaders in Yanjing that he would go abroad immediately after everything was settled. Although the Tan family had been removed, some impacts were difficult to eliminate quickly. The Tan family was not a simple group; many people's interests were involved. Now that the Tan family had fallen, those who lost their interests couldn't blame the central government, so they would direct their anger at Zhou Ming. As long as Zhou Ming remained in the country, it would be difficult to handle certain matters. Only by going abroad could he mitigate these impacts.

For whatever reason, Zhou Ming intended to leave. Thus, he wasn't afraid of any subsequent accountability from the Linyang Municipal Committee; after all, he was about to leave.

Zhou Ming couldn't fully explain this to Wang Chen, so he only said, "Don't worry, Director Wang. We should have confidence in the party and government. Our demands are legitimate, and the higher-ups will support us."

Wang Chen wasn't unaware of these thoughts, but seeing Zhou Ming still standing with them at the forefront of the petition touched him deeply. Wang Chen nodded and said, "Yes, with a leader like you, I believe the party and government will see our cause and support us. They won't allow anyone to act with impunity!"

Wang Chen's words lacked logic; after all, Zhou Ming was just a businessman. How could personal qualities affect government decisions?

But logic wasn't always necessary. At this moment, Wang Chen's words seemed entirely reasonable.

Arriving at the municipal building entrance, Zhou Ming and his group hadn't spoken when a police officer approached, bombarding them with questions: "Which unit are you from? What are you doing here? Who did you apply to? What are your intentions? Who sent you here? What is your purpose? What are you trying to disrupt?"

Faced with this barrage of questions, Wang Chen was initially stunned and stood there uncertain of what to do. It wasn't just him; other factory leaders were also nervous, as the officer's questions seemed to brand them as counter-revolutionaries, which could be punishable by death!

In contrast, Zhou Ming, who had experienced a similar situation in Yanjing, thought: Why is it always the same questions? Can't they come up with something new? If one didn't know better, they'd think the author was being lazy!

All the factory staff and workers focused their attention on Zhou Ming, trusting that since he had led them here, he surely had a solution.

Zhou Ming would not disappoint them. Standing at the forefront like a standard-bearer, he addressed the officer with composure: "Hello, comrade. I am Zhou Ming, an elected provincial representative. I am here to address some issues with the municipal authorities. This is a legitimate action in support of the revolutionary cause. Here is a letter we've written to Secretary Chen Da of the Municipal Committee, along with relevant materials about our 760 Factory and the entire township industrial park. We hope it can be delivered to the Municipal Committee."

As Zhou Ming spoke, he took out a letter and a thick envelope to hand over to the officer.

Seeing Zhou Ming's demeanor, the officer instinctively took a step back, showing a somewhat awkward stance.

This reaction from the officer was understandable. Even the capital city's top officials didn't know how to handle such situations, let alone an ordinary municipal officer. Perhaps he had received some directives from his superiors, making him reluctant to act rashly.

Unlike the situation in Yanjing, Zhou Ming didn't want to escalate matters. He was taking this path of petitioning to end the sanctions on the 760 Factory and the township industrial park as quickly as possible and restore their normal operations.

With this goal in mind, Zhou Ming suggested to the officer, "Comrade, you can contact your superiors to get instructions on how to proceed."

The officer glanced at Zhou Ming and the large petitioning group behind him, gritted his teeth, and said, "Okay, wait here. Don't cause trouble, or we'll arrest you all."

Zhou Ming smiled and reassured him. The officer, seeing Zhou Ming's smile, felt that his threat was unnecessary. Clearly, this young man understood political tactics well, with a clear mind on what to do and what not to do. He knew that, faced with so many petitioners, even the municipal secretary would be cautious about issuing arrest orders.

Watching the officer's hurried departure, Wang Chen approached and asked, "Boss Zhou, will this petition really be effective?"

Zhou Ming didn't answer directly but instead countered, "What do you think?"

Wang Chen was initially taken aback but soon came to his senses and answered firmly, "I believe it will be effective. The municipal leaders will certainly support our legitimate demands!"

"That's right. If we didn't have this confidence, we wouldn't be doing this," Zhou Ming said with a smile.

After a while, the officer returned and said to Zhou Ming, "Representative Zhou, please wait here. Secretary Chen Da will come soon."

The officer's voice was not loud, but it was just enough for many to hear. Although everyone was eager to have the Municipal Committee leaders hear the 760 Factory's demands, the news that the Municipal Secretary would personally come was met with uncontrollable excitement. After all, the Municipal Secretary was the highest authority in Linyang, and there were even calls for him to join the provincial standing committee. For ordinary people, this was a significant figure.

After a while, a group of middle-aged men in suits arrived. These were familiar faces from television and newspapers; they were the Linyang Municipal Committee members.

Municipal Secretary Chen Da walked in front of the group and approached Zhou Ming, saying, "Representative Zhou, hello. I am Secretary Chen Da. I heard you have something to report to the city?"

Zhou Ming nodded and said, "Hello, Secretary Chen. We are the staff and workers of the 760 Factory. Recently, our factory and some projects in the township industrial park have faced significant policy obstacles. Many projects have been inexplicably halted. I believe this is due to certain officials targeting and making things difficult for us. Our projects have no issues."

"Our projects are endorsed by the provincial government and are of national importance. Linyang's Ba Bao Congee is a renowned brand nationwide, so there shouldn't be so many problems. Therefore, we hope the city can organize an investigation to clear the 760 Factory and the township industrial park of any accusations. Here are the materials we've prepared for your review, Secretary Chen."

As Zhou Ming handed over the envelope and file to Chen Da, Wang Chen and the other factory workers suddenly shouted, "Please, Secretary Chen, act on our behalf!"

Chen Da took the materials and said to Zhou Ming and the other 760 Factory staff, "Comrades of the 760 Factory, I understand your concerns. Please remain calm and trust in the party and government. We will definitely organize a dedicated team to investigate this matter thoroughly. If any officials are found to have broken the law or abused their power, they will be severely punished, and we will give you a satisfactory resolution as soon as possible."

With Chen Da's response, everyone cheered.