The earthquake is happening soon.
Dong Xuebing’s phone rang. It was Wang Yuling. “Director, it’s me. Xiao Wang.”
Dong Xuebing asked. “Have you all evacuated all the residents from those locations?”
“Not…. Not yet.” Wang Yuling replied. “We have some problems here.”
Dong Xuebing’s face changed. “Why are they not evacuated after so long?! I don’t care if you all had to carry the residents or what you do. I want all of them out!”
“Most of the residents have evacuated, except for a low-rise building estate. This is the last location according to your evacuation plan. These houses are old and lack maintenance. They will surely collapse during an earthquake. The residents here refused to move, and we had been persuading them for almost half an hour.”
“Wait there! I am reaching soon.”
Dong Xuebing had expected this situation. He knows not everyone is willing to evacuate their homes. He looks at his watch, and he doesn’t have much time left.
The earthquake is almost here.
Wei An East Estate.
This is an alley of low-rise buildings.
Dong Xuebing drove into the alley and heard people arguing.
An old man is shouting at the Subdistrict Office staff angrily. “Why are you all forcing us to move?! The TV had asked us not to believe the earthquake rumors! Who are you trying to fool?!”
Zhou Yanru patiently replied. “Sir, we have received orders to evacuate the residents. This is for the safety of everyone. Please cooperate with us.”
Wang Yuling added. “Yes. Please leave your house now.”
Old Man Cheng let out a loud hmphed. “We are not leaving! Go away!”
The other residents shouted. “That’s right. I think they are trying to trick us into leaving our houses and tear them down!”
“Don’t believe them!” Old Man Cheng’s son shouted. “I heard other Subdistrict Offices are not evacuating their residents. The earthquake will not happen, or else they would have done something!”
“Yes. They are trying to trick us into leaving and demolish our houses!”
“Old Man Cheng, we will listen to you! We will not move!”
Dong Xuebing walked over. “Director Zhou, what happened?”
Zhou Yanru quickly tells Dong Xuebing what happened.
This place was sold to developers, and the residents were supposed to be evicted. But some of the residents were not happy with the compensations, and they didn’t move. These residents demanded more money, and Old Man Cheng was the leader. He had led the remaining residents to create trouble for the developers. They are worried the developers will take over their houses if they leave.”
Dong Xuebing looks at the time. “What about the other locations?”
Zhou Yanru replied. “All the residents have evacuated except for this place.”
“Call Old Pang over.” Dong Xuebing ordered. “Ask him to bring all his men.”
Zhou Yanru did not say anything and called Pang Gang.
Dong Xuebing stepped forward and shouted. “I am Guang Ming Subdistrict Office Director, Dong Xuebing! I am in charge of the evacuation.”
Old Man Cheng looks at Dong Xuebing. “So, you are Dong Xuebing! I have heard about you!”
Dong Xuebing continued. “I know about your worries. I can guarantee that the developer will not demolish your houses during evacuation. Trust me and trust the government!”
Old Man Cheng shouted. “You are the one who led people to demolish the houses in Liu Xiang Hutong! What can you promise us?!”
Dong Xuebing continued patiently. “Old Man Cheng, we are doing this for everyone’s safety. Please believe us. Grab your valuables and leave with us.”
“The other Subdistricts are not evacuating their residents. Why must we evacuate?!”
“The Subdistrict Office must be up to something. Don’t believe them!”
“We will leave when the eviction compensation is doubled!”
Old Man Cheng and his son led the rest of the residents to protest. They refused to listen to Dong Xuebing.
Both sides enter a stalemate. Pang Gang and his men arrived after ten minutes.
Dong Xuebing looks at his watch again and is anxious. He looks at the stubborn Old Man Cheng, the residents, and the Subdistrict Office staff. Only he knows there’s not enough time. The newspaper states the earthquake will hit around 11 am, and it is almost 11 am now!
Dong Xuebing looked at Pang Gang and decided. “We don’t have time to wait anymore. These people must leave! Drag them into the cars and bring them to the relief centers!”
Pang Gang gritted his teeth. He went over to the residents with six police officers and seven Subdistrict Office staff to force a dozen residents into their cars.
Old Man Cheng and his son got mad. “What are you all doing!? Stop!”
Pang Gang did not say anything and pulled a teenager towards his car. The teenager shouted and struggled. But Pang Gang is stronger, and the teenager was pushed into a car.
They are arresting us!”
“Don’t touch my son!”
“F**k! Fight it out with them!”
Old Man Cheng is furious. He swings his walking stick towards Dong Xuebing and hits his head.
Dong Xuebing couldn’t react in time and almost fell to the ground.
“Ah….”
“Director Dong!”
“You are bleeding!”
Zhou Yanru, Pang Gang, and the rest of the Subdistrict Office staff are shocked.
Old Man Cheng is also shocked. He looks at his walking stick and doesn’t know what to do.
Dong Xuebing touched the side of his head, and his palm was covered in blood. Zhou Yanru and the rest rushed over to help, but he waved them off. He had been shot countless times, and such injury is nothing to him. “Carry on! Bring all of them to the space in the garden! Why are you all looking at me?! Hurry!”
Blood is dripping on Dong Xuebing’s white shirt, and he looks scary.
Pang Gang and his men are impressed by Dong Xuebing, and they start dragging the residents out of their houses. Most of the residents brought their valuables and left willingly after seeing Pang Gang and his men’s aggressiveness. But a few of them, like Old Man Cheng, his son, and his daughter-in-law, are still inciting the residents not to move.
“Hold on!” Old Man Cheng is swinging his walking stick around. “Our houses will be demolished if we leave! They are here to tear down our houses!”
An officer was elbowed in the face by the young man he was dragging. “Let go of me!”
The officer shouted in pain and was injured.
Dong Xuebing shouted. “Don’t retaliate! Just pull them out! We don’t have time!”
Two officers rushed forward and pulled that young man into the car. He was also handcuffed.
Dong Xuebing looks at the time again and pulls two middle-aged men out of their houses. He was punched and kicked several times, but he ignored it. He dragged them into a police car and shouted to the driver. “Drive!”
A group of residents was forcefully sent away, and the remaining residents were dragged out of their houses.
At the same time.
Nan Shan District Party Committee has an emergency meeting.
District Party Secretary Wang Anshi and many committee members are looking terrible. They had received a piece of shocking news. The Public Security Bureau’s Officers, including Deputy Chief Chu, were locked up for impersonating police officers. They were sent to Guang Ming Subdistrict to force the residents to return home. This meeting is held so late because it’s chaotic everywhere. Furthermore, who would believe Public Security Bureau’s Deputy Chief Chu and his men will be arrested by the local police officers.
The District Public Security Bureau Branch Chief, Wen Wei, is furious. “Guang Ming Subdistrict Office’s Dong Xuebing is too much! He even dares to arrest my men! What is he trying to do?!”
District Organization Chief Xue Qingrong said. “He has been suspected, and he is still creating chaos in the Subdistrict! I suggest to fire him now!”
District’s Commission for Discipline Inspection Secretary Wu Liang frowned. “I think it is too early to decide about this. Xiao Dong is worried about the earthquake, and that’s why he is more overbearing.”
Wen Wei shouted. “You call this overbearing?! This guy has no regard for the law!”
“What earthquake are you talking about?!” Xue Qingrong shouted. “Secretary Wu Liang, why are you bringing up the earthquake again?! Are you trying to spread earthquake rumors?!”
Yan Tai County, County Party Committee Building.
Xiang Daofa and Xie Huilan are sitting opposite each other in her office.
“Mayor Xie, I hope you know what you are doing.” Xiang Daofa said coldly. “We don’t have the City Government’s permission to evacuate the residents. You should know the consequences of doing this.”
Xie Huilan looks at Xiang Daofa. “The consequences will be severe if there’s an earthquake.”
Xie Huilan had gained complete control of Yan Tai County, and Xiang Daofa didn’t have the power to go against her. This morning’s voting result had made him realize it. He might look angry, but he is laughing in his heart. He felt Xie Huilan had made a wrong move, which would kill her career.
Earthquake?!
It is impossible!
How can you claim an earthquake is coming because of some dogs barking? You are stupid to gamble your career because of some dogs and cats. Xiang Daofa objected to the evacuation during the meeting. He wants to see how Xie Huilan is going to clean up this mess now.
