Tuesday.
Late Morning.
The first batch of earthquake preventive and mitigation awareness brochures are printed. But due to budget constraints, the quality and layout are not nice. Nevertheless, it can still be used, and Dong Xuebing is satisfied. He sent these brochures to Liu Xiang Neighborhood as more one-story houses are there.
After lunch, Dong Xuebing watched Wang Yuling print the second batch of the brochures before bringing her to Liu Xiang Neighborhood to monitor them.
Wang Yuling is driving. “Director, should we notify them first?”
“No need. We will go there unannounced.” Dong Xuebing is going to conduct a sudden inspection.
When Dong Xuebing was a Staff Member, he hated Leaders conducting routine and sudden inspections. He felt they have nothing to do and is trying to pick on the staff. But after he became a Leader, he realized the importance of these inspections. If you don’t watch them or give them pressure, they will think their task is unimportant. They will not do their best. He will be using this sudden inspection to warn all neighborhood committees and let them know the importance of this task.
At the entrance of a Hu Tong.
Wang Yuling parked the car. A red banner with an earthquake preventive and mitigation slogan is hung up. A table full of brochures is under the banner, and the Neighborhood Committee Secretary Song Qing is sitting there. A few Neighborhood Committee members are sitting or standing around him. A few residents would look at the brochures and take one, but most residents would just walk away without looking at them.
Dong Xuebing got mad when he saw this.
A Neighborhood Committee staff beside Song Qing saw Dong Xuebing and quickly told him.
Song Qing looks up and quickly walks over to welcome them. “Director Dong, Director Wang, why are you all here?”
Dong Xuebing replied. “I am here to see how you all are doing.”
“We have set up the promotion points.” Song Qing had worked with Dong Xuebing during the forced demolition of illegal buildings in the neighborhood a few weeks ago. Dong Xuebing was newly transferred to the Subdistrict then, and he left a deep impression on Song Qing when he fought against more than a dozen hooligans. “This is one of the promotion points, and the other is on the east side of the Hu Tong. Our neighborhood has set up four points, and we are giving out these awareness brochures.”
Dong Xuebing’s face changed. “Is this how you all give them out?”
Song Qing paused for a second. “Err….” He felt he had done nothing wrong as they had been giving out these information brochures this way in the past.
“What did I say during yesterday’s meeting? Did you forget?” Dong Xuebing got mad. “I asked you all to give out the brochures to every household, and you all just place all the brochures on a table for the residents to take it themselves. Is this how you all do things?”
Song Qing is speechless, and the other Neighborhood Committee staff dare not say anything.
Dong Xuebing points at the table. “It will be a miracle if 10% of the residents get these brochures with your method. I don’t care how you all created awareness in the past, but this method cannot carry on. I am telling you this again. I want every household to get a brochure.” He suppressed his anger. “Alright. If you all don’t know what to do, I will teach you all. Gather all your Neighborhood Committee members, staff, and neighborhood activists, and knock on every door. Register every household that receives the brochures and doesn’t leave them on their doors. You all must meet someone from the household. If old people can’t read, you all must explain to them and make sure they understand. If no one is at home during the daytime, go back at night. If the resident still has not come back at night, return the next day. I don’t care what you all do, and I only want to see results! Every household must receive at least one brochure!”
Song Qing is sweating. Is there a need to be so serious?
Wang Yuling passes a bottle of water to Dong Xuebing.
Dong Xuebing took a sip and looked at Song Qing. “What’s wrong? Did I not make myself clear?”
“Yes. I will do it now.” Song Qing quickly sent his staff to contact the other staff and ordered two staff to knock on every household in the Hu Tong with the brochures. He saw Dong Xuebing is so concerned about this awareness campaign, and he immediately picked up the loudhailer. He stood in front of the Hu Tong and shouted. “Everyone! The Subdistrict Office is conducting earthquake prevention and mitigation awareness campaign now. We have prepared brochures for you all! Come and get it!”
Song Qing’s shouts attracted many residents.
“Earthquake prevention and mitigation brochures?”
“Eh, give me a copy.”
“I want a copy too. Thanks.”
Wang Yuling also helped give out the brochures and answer the residents’ queries. She also helped explain what the residents should do when an earthquake happens.
Dong Xuebing nodded and felt better.
Song Qing saw Dong Xuebing’s expression and was relieved. After shouting for a while, his voice became hoarse, and Dong Xuebing called him over. “These brochures must be given out, and I want the residents to read every page of it. This is harder than giving them to every household. Secretary Song, you have been working at the grassroots level for many years and understand the residents better than I do. Do you have any suggestions on how to do this?”
“Hmmm….” Song Qing thought for a while and answered. “How about we organize a quiz with prizes?”
Dong Xuebing immediately got interested. “Tell me about it.”
“We can print multiple-choice quizzes about earthquake prevention and mitigation awareness. The questions in the quizzes must be different, and let the residents take the quiz at our promotion points. Every quiz should have around five questions, and if the resident got all correct, they could get a small gift, like face towel, toothpaste, mugs, etc.” Song Qing continued. “The gifts must be practical, or else the residents will not be interested.”
“This is a good idea.” Dong Xuebing thought about it for a while and nodded. “Let’s do this. I will let the Work Party Office Department prepare the quizzes and gifts and start with your neighborhood. If the result is good, we will implement it in other neighborhoods. Even after we started these quizzes, you all must not stop other promotional methods.”
“Yes.”
