Chapter 182: Chapter 182 Disturbance
Yun Hanrui was also well aware that this situation was a hot potato, but there was no way around itâher technicians were now surrounded by villagers at the Biological Park Base, and with Chaoyang Biotechâs recent high-profile appearance, everyone knew that the Biotech Park project was a large-scale science and technology park jointly developed by the Municipal Committee and Chaoyang Biotech!
For both public and private reasons, Yun Hanrui didnât want to see anything happen to the technology park! And once reporters caught wind of this, Chaoyang Biotechnologyâs reputation could truly be taintedâa prospect Yun Hanrui found intolerable!
Soon, Yun Hanrui and her group arrived at the Biological Park Base, which was by then a hubbub of noise. From a distance, a crowd of villagers in heavy coats could be seen yelling with fervor about something, causing Yun Hanruiâs heart to sinkâit seemed that the situation was much worse than she had anticipated!
"Eh? Thereâs something going on!" At that moment, Mu Ziyi, who was behind Yun Hanrui, sharply focused her gaze, and her hand, which was holding fries, froze: "I smelled something really uncomfortable just now, but itâs gone!"
"Uncomfortable smell?" Liu Tingyu sniffed forcefully: "I didnât smell anything... Did someone fart?"
Mu Ziyi shook her head seriously: "No, it was a kind of... discomforting smell that made me uneasy. I hope itâs just my imagination."
Yun Hanrui, looking at the crowd outside, sighed and said, "I also smelled an ominous odor."
This area was an old village demolition site where remnants of the original village could still be seen.
As Yun Hanrui and the others walked over, they could hear a man shouting excitedly from afar: "They deceived us, getting us to sign some damn contract, and now we havenât received a centâall swindled by these unscrupulous businessmen. If we donât get a satisfactory answer today, weâre not going anywhere!"
"Right, weâre not leaving! We canât swallow this injustice silently!" Another man also said heatedly: "We have to call the reporters, expose their misdeeds! Weâre going to bring them down in disgrace, weâll have them thrown in jail!"
The crowd below, spurred on by a few, grew even more impassioned!
Yun Hanrui furrowed her brows: "Find out whatâs happened. Why is everyone gathered here obstructing the construction?"
Suddenly an employee returned, looking grave: "President, itâs bad news. According to the villagers here, the demolition compensation has not been paid, and with the lunar new year approaching, they have no houses to live in and are now renting outside! Furthermore, thereâs a rumor that the compensation has been embezzled by our company, which is why theyâve come to surround us and hinder the construction!"
Yun Hanrui was stunned: "Our company embezzled the compensation? What a joke! That compensation is specifically earmarked for this purpose. Whoâs spreading these rumors?"
Obviously, someone was instigating this behind the scenes, but Yun Hanrui was still unclear about the instigatorâs purpose.
Nevertheless, no matter their purpose, she couldnât let the villagers continue like thisâif the situation were reported by the media, then Chaoyang Biotechnology would really become the scapegoat.
"People inside, come out!" a villager shouted: "We wonât make it difficult for you, just call your leaders here. Today we must resolve this issue, and until itâs settled, weâre not moving. Letâs see who can outlast whom!"
"Thatâs right, weâll leave when we get the money! I donât believe thereâs no justice anymore!" an honest-looking old farmer said angrily: "You demolished my sixty-year-old house, you have to provide me with a place for my old age, right? If this isnât resolved, Iâll die at your doorstep!"
"I am their leader. Whatever you have to say, just tell me!" At this point, Yun Hanruiâs cool voice came through.
Instantly, everyoneâs gaze turned toward Yun Hanrui. The leading man looked at her skeptically: "Who are you trying to fool? With such a young girl like you, a leader? What a joke! Stay out of the way!"
Yun Hanrui walked toward the base, and Mu Ziyi, emanating an imposing aura from behind her, involuntarily made the villagers part ways to let them through.
Upon entering, Yun Hanrui stood up high and said: "Fellow villagers, good day to you all! I am the president of Chaoyang Biotechnology, and my name is Yun Hanrui. Whatever issues you have today, I hope we can talk about them calmly and rationally. However, I must tell you that anger and violence will not solve any problems, everyone..."
"Bullshit! You talk better than you sing; weâve seen right through you ruthless businessmen!" At this point, the man shouted loudly: "Youâre just a bunch of capitalists exploiting the people. Itâs because we believed your words that we havenât received the demolition compensation and have no place to live. We wonât believe you anymore!"
"Thatâs right, give us the money, we wonât believe anything else!"
"The lunar new year is coming. After the holidays, the children still have to go to school. We canât keep staying in rental houses, right?"
"Yes, you canât keep dragging this on; you have to give us an explanation!"
...
Yun Hanrui furrowed her brows, looked at the agitated villagers, and said loudly: "I understand whatâs on your minds, and I really get that you all want to receive the money to have a peaceful new year. But you should at least let me understand the situation, right? Please, donât be agitated. Who is your representative? Please step forward!"
"My name is Shitou, and I represent them!" The man stepped forward and said: "I see youâre also young, and we donât want to bully you, so as not to be accused of picking on a young girl. So hereâs the thingâthe demolition compensation was supposed to be paid within two months, and now itâs been three months with seventy percent still unpaid. With the new year closing in, we canât let everyone spend it anxious, right?"
"Regarding the compensation issue, I will consult Secretary Lin, and I will give everyone a satisfactory response," Yun Hanrui said: "Please trust Secretary Lin. The Biotech Park is a project that Secretary Lin values highly. Itâs also the largest biotech park currently planned by the nation. Many eyes are watching this project, so nobody would dare to tamper with it. Please rest assured. We chose this location hoping to build a mutually beneficial relationship with the locals! Why would we make things difficult for ourselves?"
"Why should we trust you!" Shitou said coldly: "Are the words of businessmen like you trustworthy? Everyone knows that you are nothing but a bunch of profiteers."
Yun Hanrui earnestly said: "I know that gaining your trust is not easy, but please trust me! If youâre informed about the compensation, you should be aware that it is distributed by the Municipal Committee and doesnât pass through our company at all. In fact, by surrounding our companyâs employees and injuring our engineers, youâre not helping your case for receiving the compensation. Moreover, if things escalate, this could even be a criminal act!"