Chapter 535 – Challenge!
Morning.
Liu Xiang, South Hu Tong.
“Fresh meat buns. 4 RMB a basket!”
“Move! Don’t block the way!”
“Hey! Get out of the way!”
“1 RMB! 1RMB! All items are selling at 1 RMB!”
Bicycle bells and store owners shouting filled the Hutong. This place is messy, especially the half-completed building at the end. The workers had placed the bricks and tiles on the road, blocking the traffic and people’s path. Dong Xuebing and Zhou Yanru walk over and saw two workers working. Piles of sand and bricks are placed against the wall, and a gust of wind made the whole place dusty.
A few passersby grumbled.
“Who is constructing a building here?”
“Who else can it be other than Xue Gui? I heard he is going to open a breakfast stall.”
“Hmph! He can make money, but how are we going to use this road? Is he crazy? Why is there no one stopping him?”
“Who dares to stop him? I heard Xue Gui has a District Leader relative. The District had said they are going to demolish these illegal buildings for years but still have not done anything.”
Zhou Yanru overheard the conversation and whispered to Dong Xuebing. “Xue Gui is Chief Xue’s Nephew.”
“The residents here are unhappy.” Dong Xuebing looks around and walks faster. “Sir, Mdm, please stop for a minute.”
The old man and woman turn. “What is it?”
Dong Xuebing walks with them and points to the area behind him. “Why is this place so messy?”
The old man grumbled. “How can it not be messy with those people building houses everywhere they want? I think this road will be blocked in a few more years!”
“Do they have the approval to construct these buildings?” Dong Xuebing asked. “Do they have operating licenses?”
“Young man, are you from this area?” The old woman sighed. “How can they have approvals and licenses? Just look at the place. All these stalls and buildings are built by themselves. Some are used for their own businesses, and some are rented out. All of them are unlicensed and illegal.”
Dong Xuebing asked the obvious. “Didn’t anyone check on them?”
“Who dares to check?” The old woman turned towards that uncompleted building. “Can you see that building which is under construction? A District Leader’s relative constructs that. With this building, Xue Gui has already constructed three buildings here. One is rented to the tailor, and the other is a restaurant. This has been ongoing for years, and no one had done anything against him.” The old woman lowered her voice. “Xue Gui did not only build buildings behind his house’s walls, but he also forcibly occupied other people’s walls a few years ago. The occupants had refused initially, but he got some hooligans to beat up the occupants until they are hospitalized. After that, he continued to build illegal buildings there.”
Dong Xuebing’s eyes turned cold. “He still dares to beat up others?!”
The old man continued. “Many of the hooligans around here listen to Xue Gui. Alright. Let’s go.”
“Sigh… these people are too much.”
The old couple left.
Zhou Yanru moved closer to Dong Xuebing. “Before you are transferred here, we have received the most complaints about Liu Xiang area every month. See those Hu Tongs? Their paths and cleanliness are affected by this area. Those that opposed tearing down these buildings are the business owners and residents here, and there are not many of them. Xue Gui is considered the leader among them, and he was the one who gathered a bunch of people to cause trouble when we tried to tear down these buildings previously.
A commotion started as they are talking.
“The Police are here!”
“It’s the Subdistrict Office!”
“Why are there so many people? What do they what?”
A few business owners walked over.
Subdistrict Office Deputy Directors Yu Rongfeng and Guo Mingfeng, and few staff members are following behind them. Liu Xiang Neighborhood Committee’s Party Secretary and other staff are with them. Peng Gang is afraid things might turn violent and brought Police Officers with him. Their group consists of more than a dozen people.
The staff discussed among themselves and went to different stalls separately to inform them of the demolition of illegal buildings.
One stall….
Five stalls….
Ten stalls….
The stall owners and all residents there started shouting!
“Why?! Who are you all to demolish our stalls?!”
“You all had tried to do this two years ago! Why are you doing this?!”
“This is our house! Whoever dares to demolish my house, I will fight it out with my life! You all got to step over my dead body first!”
Peng Gang is used to such people. He stared at them. “Stop shouting! These are illegally built buildings! Who gives you the right to build them?!”
Yu Rongfeng shouted at them. “Illegal electric wirings, stealing electricity, failing to adhere to fire safety regulations, etc., are serious concerns to the surrounding residents. The Subdistrict Office will be demolishing 16 illegal buildings. All of you must remove your belongings today, and we will not be responsible for your losses! Are you all clear?! A fatal accident had happened in another Subdistrict Office area because of illegally constructed buildings. This is for everyone’s safety!”
The tailor stall’s Boss shouted. “What does that got to do with us? Nothing had happened here.”
Another stall owner added. “What’s wrong with us staying here? Ah?! Are we a threat to other people?! Ah?! You all cannot evict us!”
Suddenly, a young man in his mid-twenties walks out of a building. He is skinny and has a dark complexion. “I don’t care what happened in other districts! That has nothing to do with us! I want to see who dares to demolish our buildings!”
A group of hooligans rushed out from the units nearby.
“Brother Xue!”
“Brother Gui!”
“Who dares to tear down our buildings?! Try it!”
Peng Gang looks at Xue Gui. “Xue Gui! Are you trying to stop us?!”
The skinny Xue Gui looks at him. “Chief Peng, I am not targeting you. Isn’t this issue been settled a few years ago? Why are you all here again? The accident is in another District and not here! You claim that we are affecting the safety of other residents. Who did we affect?! Ah? Who is that resident?! Can’t you all see that many people are opposing this force eviction and tearing down of these buildings?!”
Guo Mingfeng replied. “We have already informed you all, and don’t try to go against the Government.”
Xue Gui looks at them. “You Government are trying to kill us!” He walked over and grabbed the notification from the tailor, and tore it into pieces.
The rest of the stall owners copied his actions and threw them on the floor.
Dong Xuebing, who was watching everything from a distance, got mad.
Hutong
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutong
