Evening, 8 pm.
District Party Committee Building’s meeting room.
Dong Xuebing slammed the door as he stormed out of it.
Wang Anshi is looking terrible. He had summoned Dong Xuebing here is to make him answer and apologize for what he had done. He needs to explain to the City Government Leaders for causing this alarm. But Dong Xuebing showed no remorse and scolded all the District Leaders for doing nothing. He is revolting against the District Government!
Dong Xuebing! How come a scum like him can enter the Government Service?!
Dong Xuebing is behaving like a hooligan today. No one has expected him to say these things. He is burning his bridge, and he cannot remain in the Government Service if there’s no earthquake.
No one felt an earthquake would happen.
Wang Anshi doesn’t believe it will happen, and Dong Xuebing’s actions had disrespected him. “Talking back to the Leaders, disobeying the District Government’s orders! Dong Xuebing is too much. Secretary Wu Liang start an investigation against him. Arrest him when necessary. Stabilizing the situation is our top priority now! The publicity Department got to stop the rumors and stop the people from panicking. All other departments got to increase manpower to maintain law and order. We must stop this earthquake rumor!”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Don’t worry. We will do our best.”
The Leaders acknowledges.
Suspending Dong Xuebing and stopping the rumors are standard procedures. There’s nothing wrong with it as the Earthquake Administration had said there will not be any earthquakes. They are the experts compared to abnormal animal behaviors.
But some Leaders felt Dong Xuebing is right. Although the chances of an earthquake happening are slim, no one can confirm it. What if the District Party Committee treated this as a rumor and an earthquake happened?
Meeting dismissed.
District Mayor Geng Yuehua had not expressed her views during this meeting.
The District Commission for Discipline Inspection Secretary Wu Liang went up to Geng Yuehua after leaving the meeting room. “Mayor Geng, I need to speak to you in your office.”
Geng Yuehua nodded and went downstairs with him.
Geng Yuehua and Wu Liang sat on the sofa in the District Mayor’s Office.
“Mayor, I don’t agree with Secretary Wang’s way of handling this.” Wu Liang had been close to Geng Yuehua and is a member of her faction. He sighed. “I did not feel anything before the meeting, but Dong Xuebing’s words touched me. I admit that I dislike him for being reckless, but I felt ashamed after hearing what he said. We cannot eliminate the possibility of an earthquake happening, and I had heard of cats and dogs behaving differently. However, no one wants or dares to bear this responsibility, and everyone pretended not to see it.”
Dong Xuebing had changed Wu Liang’s perception of him in the meeting room. Wu Liang even respected him for risking his career for the people.
Geng Yuehua looks at Wu Liang. “What do you think are the chances of an earthquake?”
Wu Liang thought for a while. “I think it is at least 10%.”
The office becomes silent again. No one said a word, and the only sound was the second hand on the wall clock.
Geng Yuehua said after a while. “10% is not low.”
Wu Liang hesitated and asked. “You mean….”
Geng Yuehua replied emotionlessly. “The City Government will not support or agree with Dong Xuebing, and I don’t have the authority to order an evacuation. But we can still do something.” She took out her phone and called her secretary. “Hello, contact the TV station immediately. Tomorrow morning, I want the second channel to play earthquake prevention and mitigation awareness and earthquake responses promotional videos. Contact all the Subdistrict Offices and ask them to prepare for earthquake disaster responses. Don’t ask any questions and do what I said. That’s it!”
Wu Liang’s heart skipped a beat. He had wanted to discuss with Geng Yuehua and did not expect her to be so decisive. Once she sets her mind, she does things swiftly without hesitations.
The District Party Secretary wants to stop the rumors and stabilize the situation.
The District Mayor wants the residents to be wary and take precautions against an earthquake.
This is a war between District No. 1 and 2. Wu Liang knows either Wang Anshi or Geng Yuehua will leave after this incident.
An earthquake is going to happen within the District Government. This is not the geology earthquake. It is a political earthquake.
At the same time.
Guang Ming Subdistrict Office.
It’s nighttime, but the subdistrict Office’s lights are on.
Dong Xuebing called for an emergency meeting. He called all the Subdistrict Office Leaders and most of the staff back. Even the neighborhood committee staff are called to this meeting. There are almost one hundred participants at this meeting. It is almost all of Guang Ming Subdistrict Office available manpower.
Everyone is talking about the situation before the meeting start.
“Did you hear about it? The whole Fen Zhou City is in chaos now.”
“Yes, and it’s caused by our Director Dong’s article.”
“I heard our Director was suspended. Sigh…. This had blown out of proportion, and it’s too late to salvage the situation.”
“What should we do? Is our Subdistrict Office going to be implicated? Director Dong had kicked the hornets’ nest this time.”
“Is there anything that our Director doesn’t dare to do?”
“Have you all heard what happened at the District Party Committee Building meeting room? Director Dong was summoned to the meeting. He scolded District Party Secretary Wang and all the Leaders for being timid.”
“Damn! Are you serious?!”
“It’s real. I heard this from a friend in the District Party Committee office.”
“No one can imagine what Director Dong will do.”
“Do you all think an earthquake will happen?”
“I don’t know, but I had sent my family away. I would rather believe it than the risk it.”
Screech!!! The microphone on the podium squealed as it was switched on, and everyone stopped talking. Everyone is wondering why they, including the neighborhood committee members, are called to this emergency meeting. Director Dong must be going to announce or do something shocking.
Geng Xinke, Zhou Yanru, Wang Yuling, and the other Subdistrict Office Leaders are seated at the front. Some of them are anxious, and some are frustrated. Too many things had happened today.
Dong Xuebing walked up the podium and looked at everyone with complicated emotions.
Everyone is looking back at him.
Dong Xuebing took a deep breath and said. “I believe most of you have heard that the District Party Committee had suspended me, and I should not and don’t have the authority to be standing here. But there are things I must say because it concerns the lives of countless people.”
Someone among the audience asked. “Director, is there going to have an earthquake?”
This is the question in everyone’s mind.
Dong Xuebing looked at everyone and replied calmly. “I don’t know either.”
“Huh?” Many people are shocked. “You also don’t know if there is an earthquake going to happen?!”
Geng Xinke, Zhou Yanru, and the rest are shocked. They thought Dong Xuebing was confident that an earthquake would happen, and that’s why he did those crazy things. But even he doesn’t know if an earthquake will happen or not.
“This….”
“Director, you….”
“Ah… how is this possible?”
Dong Xuebing raised his voice. “I don’t know if an earthquake is going to happen or not, and I don’t dare to say those dogs and cats’ abnormal behaviors are indications of an impending earthquake. But I am the Subdistrict Office Director, a Party Member, and a Government Official! I am responsible for the lives of almost one hundred thousand residents in our Subdistrict! I got to do something if our residents are in danger! This is my duty and the duty of our Subdistrict!”
Everyone kept quiet.
Dong Xuebing continues. “I cannot tell you all if an earthquake is going to happen. But I cannot gamble, even if there’s a slim possibility of it happening. I cannot gamble with our residents’ lives. Even if I lose my position, get fired from the government service, and have my Party Member status revoked, I will not risk our residents’ lives! They must be safe from harm! What’s the point of having our Subdistrict Office, Neighborhood Committees when we are not going to do anything to help our residents during this time?!”
Dong Xuebing paused for a second and continued. “I am suspended today and might be removed from my position tomorrow. My Party Member status might be revoked the day after tomorrow. This might be my last time standing before all of you. The City and District Government doesn’t believe an earthquake will happen, and I know most of them are afraid of being held responsible for making mistakes. They are afraid, but I am not! I am Guang Ming Subdistrict Office Director, and I must protect my residents!”
Dong Xuebing looks at everyone. “I am going to evacuate all residents living in old buildings in our Subdistrict. I repeat this. This is not an exercise, and this order is not approved by the District Government or the City Government. This is my decision, and I will bear full responsibility for it! Those who are with me, come forward. Those that are afraid of being held responsible can leave quietly. I will not blame you all.”
