Chapter 572 — Kill One to Warn a Hundred (Part 1)

Later the city carried out a unified overhaul of its garbage collection system, setting up several temporary refuse collection points in the shantytown, and only then was this dump finally done away with. Otherwise, the stench in summer would have been unbearable.

Once cleared, the place had become a spot where the shantytown's old folks gathered each day to play chess and exercise, and an open ground where the children played. Today, though, it had become the venue for negotiations with the developer.

Between the two big trees behind the open ground, a banner had already been strung up: Welcome to Qibing Real Estate's Redevelopment of the Shantytown!

Zhao Qibing sat in the back of the Audi Q7, with Zhong Fabai serving as temporary driver. In the passenger seat sat Jin Gubang, and beside Zhao Qibing was a middle-aged man—a middle-aged man whose identity was impossible to read. Early that morning, he had abruptly appeared at Zhao Qibing's side.

Zhao Qibing offered no introduction, and the middle-aged man said little. But Zhong Fabai and Jin Gubang surmised that this must be one of the close guards Zhao Qibing had brought along, simply not in place until a few days ago.

Behind the Audi Q7 followed a black van, carrying Zhong Fabai's underlings—the muscle for the negotiations, whose purpose was to straighten out any residents who refused to comply.

The cars stopped near the open ground. Zhao Qibing spotted the banner at once, and his heart swelled with satisfaction. It seemed these residents had been longing for redevelopment for a long time; that being so, the initiative was in his hands, and when the time came he could squeeze the price down further.

"Young Master Bing, these people look like they're all welcoming you!" Zhong Fabai said fawningly, while inwardly calculating his own plan to divert the trouble elsewhere.

"Hmph. Wait till you quote the price in a bit—then we'll see whether they're still welcoming." Young Master Bing was no fool; he knew full well these people had no idea what compensation he was offering. Once the price came out, they likely wouldn't be so welcoming.

"So what if they're not welcoming? They still have to be demolished, don't they? This is the first project of your grand entry into Songshan City, Young Master Bing—you can't let a bunch of obstinate peasants wreck it!" said Zhong Fabai.

"Of course it won't be stopped on their account. But if these obstinate peasants refuse to let us demolish, that's a nuisance." Zhao Qibing looked over the crowd in the square and frowned. "These people have plainly coordinated in advance. When it comes to haggling over the price, it probably won't go smoothly."

"Well, that depends on your resolve, Young Master Bing!" Zhong Fabai said with a smile. "Since Brother Cihua brought me in, I understand a thing or two. I do have my methods—but you have to tell me how far I can go. How big a mess can you cover for?"

"As long as nobody's killed, these people are no problem," Young Master Bing said flatly. In his eyes, the residents of this shantytown were a weak underclass, no more than ants. He did not believe they could stir up any real storm.

"With your word, Young Master Bing, this will be easy!" Zhong Fabai patted his chest. "Just you watch, Young Master Bing! Dealing with obstinate peasants is my specialty. If it comes to it, we roll in the bulldozers and to hell with the consequences—that'll scare the life out of them!"

"En. As long as no lives are lost, anything goes!" Young Master Bing nodded. "But in a bit, I'd best have you make an example of someone—kill one to warn a hundred. If it causes too big a stir, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep the lid on it. Still, injuring or crippling one or two—that's just collateral damage, isn't it?"

"Understood!" Zhong Fabai nodded. "Young Master Bing, in a bit we'll see if there's a troublemaker, and once we put that troublemaker down, the rest will be easy."

"That's exactly what I mean. But Old Zhong, isn't your crew a bit small?" Looking at the crowd of shantytown residents filling the square, Zhao Qibing wondered whether the men Zhong Fabai had brought could really overawe these people. He himself, of course, was not afraid; it was precisely the fear of an incident that had made him ask his father for this capable man at his side. Never mind the few hundred people in this square—even more, and he would still be safe. But after all, using a close guard against these people would make the matter rather too big.

"Young Master Bing, these are just the staff who came with us. There are bulldozers and trenchers behind us too—they'll be here any minute!" Zhong Fabai glanced at his watch. "Should be soon!"

"Good. Then I'll leave what comes next to you." Hearing that Zhong Fabai had more men on the way, Zhao Qibing was reassured.

"In a bit, we'll see who won't submit, and tear down his house first. We should come on strong from the start, or these obstinate peasants will take a mile!" Zhong Fabai was scheming: in a moment, tear down Tang Zhi's house, and better yet make a big noise of it and hurt Tang Zhi—Wei Zhao surely wouldn't stand by and do nothing, would he? Then he would shift all the blame cleanly away and let Wei Zhao go take his revenge on Young Master Bing! Wei Zhao going up against Young Master Bing—wasn't that just courting death?

Young Master Bing nodded and got out of the car. Accompanied by Zhong Fabai, Jin Gubang, and the close guard, he came to the row of makeshift tables set up in the square as a rostrum and sat down.

The shantytown residents below had fallen silent now, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the people on the stage. These were the people who could decide their fate; the words they spoke next would be worth gold. How dared they not be cautious?

"This is Chairman Zhao Qibing of our Qibing Real Estate Development Company—Chairman Zhao, who is in charge of this shantytown redevelopment. If you have any demands, please raise them, and we will study the demolition plan!" Zhong Fabai had kept Zhao Qibing's words firmly in mind—kill one to warn a hundred, shoot the bird that sticks its head out. He had to find someone to make an example of, so he deliberately put out the invitation, waiting for some reckless peasant to make an outrageous demand, whereupon he would deal with that person and leave the others too afraid to raise any demands at all.

Zhong Fabai's words rather stunned the residents present! Wasn't it always the way that a developer came in, forcefully quoted a price, and asked whether they would demolish or not? Why was it negotiation this time? Could it be that this developer really had a conscience and was preparing to bring some real benefit to the shantytown?

So the residents' minds began to stir, but still no one dared to step forward first. After all, no one knew whether the developer's words were true or false.

Seeing that no one spoke, Zhong Fabai was in no hurry. "Take a moment to talk it over among yourselves," he said. "Once you've made up your minds, send a representative out to negotiate with us. We're going off to grab something to eat first."