"You told me to clear the site, not to cause deaths. Do you know how tricky this problem is now?"
Before they could even start, such a situation had arisen, and Gao Mingyuan pinched the space between his brows, feeling a headache.
'Coal Ball' dismissed it, "It's just one death, and he hanged himself, so it has nothing to do with us. These people are inherently cheap. If you don't use some extreme measures, they won't obediently sign and move. Not to mention the money now, even if we gave them the full compensation amount according to the regulations, they would still be insatiably greedy for more. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Gao Mingyuan: "I will try my best to suppress this matter. You be mindful of your actions and get them to move out as soon as possible."
All the money he had was tied up in the upfront engineering costs. If they didn't start construction soon, the longer it was delayed, the more disadvantageous it would be for him.
West of the city, in a dilapidated courtyard, a woman in white knelt in the mourning hall, with two children, only six or seven years old, beside her.
If one looked closely, the woman's eyes stared blankly ahead.
"The old man is still sick in bed, the daughter-in-law has poor eyesight, and there are two little ones at home. How will they get by in the future?"
"Old Tian was such a good person. These damned scoundrels not only suppressed the matter but also forced us to move. It's simply too much bullying."
"I have a relative who is a reporter for the provincial newspaper. We should expose their crimes!"
"Yes, expose their crimes!"
...
As soon as Zou Liang got off work and returned home, he saw a relative visiting. He didn't pay much attention at first, but when he heard the other party's account, his brow furrowed tightly.
"They are too arrogant."
"We are all common people and can't do anything against them. We are forced to seek your help."
Zou Liang: "As a reporter, my duty is to report the truth accurately. Don't worry, leave this matter to me, and justice will surely be served for everyone."
The man was grateful and reminded him, "Thank you so much. It's just that those people have wicked methods, you must be very careful."
The next morning, Zou Liang informed his newspaper leader and went to the west of the city with his camera.
He first went to the Tian family. While he was understanding the situation, 'Coal Ball' and his group arrived at the scene again, gathering everyone together.
There were still threats and intimidation. Anyone who dared to resist was met with a beating, and after seeing that everyone was obedient, they began to force them to sign.
Zou Liang saw everything. He was already extremely angry, but he did not forget the purpose of his visit. He quietly took out his camera and recorded all the crimes of 'Coal Ball' and his group.
"You with the glasses, what are you doing?"
Suddenly, one of 'Coal Ball's' subordinates pointed in Zou Liang's direction and shouted loudly.
Everyone's gaze instantly focused on Zou Liang.
It was too late to put away his camera. Two people immediately walked towards him.
"How dare you take pictures! I think you're tired of living, kid. Put the camera away and teach him a good lesson," 'Coal Ball' commanded coldly.
This was something he had painstakingly captured, and he would never let it fall into the hands of those scoundrels.
Seeing the people approaching, Zou Liang hurriedly put the camera into his satchel, turned, and ran in a certain direction.
'Coal Ball' was not stupid. If he let this person take the photos he had taken out, he and the company would be finished.
"Hurry up and chase him! Make sure you destroy the camera!"
Although Zou Liang's body was in good shape from his constant interviewing, he was unfamiliar with the terrain. The west of the city was an old district with complex alleys and lanes. After twisting and turning, he soon lost his direction.
Seeing that the people behind him were catching up, Zou Liang began to panic. The consequences of being caught would surely be dire.
Another building in Jiangpan Garden topped out. After handling matters at the company, Gu Xingdong was preparing to go to the site to check the situation. Unexpectedly, halfway there, a figure suddenly darted out from the alley beside him. Fortunately, he was not speeding and stopped the car abruptly.
As he got out of the car to inquire about the other person's condition and whether they were injured, he saw several people rush out from the alley entrance and grab the man who had fallen to the ground.
"Where's the camera? Hand it over!"
Unable to break free, Zou Liang looked up and realized that Gu Xingdong was standing opposite him. His eyes lit up.
"Comrade, I'm Chen Lishu's friend. You are her husband, right? My name is Zou Liang. I've reported on you before. These people are trying to steal my things, please help me quickly."
As if seeing a savior, and ignoring the pain in his arm, Zou Liang said loudly.
'Coal Ball's' subordinate glanced at Gu Xingdong and said disdainfully, "Get lost if you know what's good for you, or we'll deal with you too."
Gu Xingdong didn't remember Zou Liang, but since he said he was Chen Lishu's friend, he had to get involved no matter what.
Just as the other party was about to snatch Zou Liang's satchel, Gu Xingdong kicked him to the ground and, with two punches to the sides, knocked over the two people restraining Zou Liang.
"Are you crazy to dare to go against our 'Coal Ball' brother!" the leader scrambled to his feet, daring only to glare at Gu Xingdong from a distance, not daring to approach.
"I don't care if he's Coal Ball or Dung Ball," Gu Xingdong said, looking at the now-standing Zou Liang, "Are you okay?"
Zou Liang shook his head, "No, I'm fine."
Gu Xingdong pulled open the car door, "Get in."
The subordinates, having been taught a lesson, dared not stop them and watched as the two drove away before helplessly returning to report the situation.
"Thank you so much for your help today," Zou Liang said after the car had driven a distance, rubbing his arm where he had been grabbed.
Gu Xingdong asked casually while driving, "How did you get involved with those people?"
"They are simply too rampant..." Then Zou Liang gave a general account of what he had learned.
Gu Xingdong's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He turned his head and asked, "And you now?"
"I've recorded everything they've done. Next, I'm going back to the newspaper office to report on their actions."
Gu Xingdong nodded, turned the steering wheel, and took the man directly to the entrance of the newspaper office.
"Useless!" 'Coal Ball' looked at the subordinates who had returned and angrily threw the compensation agreement in his hand at their faces.
If this matter were to be reported, he would be in serious trouble.
"You're saying that Hongyuan Construction Company did this?" Gao Mingyuan's brows furrowed tightly into the shape of the character '川' after listening to 'Coal Ball's' report.
"Yes, when my men chased after him, it was that guy surnamed Gu who stopped them, and that kid even got into his car. He didn't outbid us in this tender, and I didn't expect him to retaliate against us with such tactics," 'Coal Ball' said with a sinister look.