Power and Wealth

Chapter 534 – Reorganizing Illegal buildings!

The next day.

Sunday.

The storm lasted a day and stopped the next morning.

The air is fresh and cooling.

Dong Xuebing got a call from the District when he woke up and knew he got to work today. He is not grumbling and left home after washing up. After midnight, he accumulated another minute of power. But he has no intention to try REVERSE again. Although he still can’t fully gasp REVERSE, he got a better understanding of it now. He had used up all his accumulated time yesterday and needs to save it for any unexpected circumstances.

Guang Ming Subdistrict Office.

Side building, Party Secretary Office.

Dong Xuebing is in a good mood after figuring out REVERSE. He sat at his desk and admired the scenery outside while smoking.

Knock… knock…

Dong Xuebing replied. “Come in, please.”

“Director, are you looking for me?”

Dong Xuebing snubbed his cigarette. “Have you notified the rest to come back to work today? How come there’s not many staff around?”

Zhou Yanru explained. “I had called everyone in the morning. Some of them are living further and have not reached.” She looks at her watch. “But I think they will be reaching soon.”

“Ok.” Dong Xuebing nodded.

Zhou Yanru said. “Director, the traffic accident at Nan Shan District’s Nan Wei Street is a chain collision involving five vehicles. Two people are dead, and six are injured. District Mayor Geng and other District Leaders rushed to the scene to direct the rescue party. I heard the weather is only one of the causes of the accident. The main cause of the accident is an illegal building by the road had collapsed and caused the chain collision. Mayor Geng is furious. Is the District going to…?”

Dong Xuebing nodded. “This is a serious issue, and the District wants all the subdistrict offices to start to clean up all illegally constructed buildings.”

Knock… knock…

Deputy Directors Yu Rongfeng and Guo Mingfeng entered the office.

After a while, Police Chief Peng Gang arrived.

These three are the three generals of the Geng Faction.

“I have an announcement to make.” Dong Xuebing said. “The District Leaders had ordered all Subdistrict Offices and the enforcement units under them to reorganize illegal buildings in our area.” He looks at Zhou Yanru. “Director Zhou, where are the illegal buildings located under our jurisdiction?”

Zhou Yanru replied. “The area which is more serious is located at Liu Xiang Neighborhood.”

“Liu Xiang?” Dong Xuebing remembers that area is a small neighborhood with a few Hu Tong.

Peng Gang frowned. “We had tried to organize that area two years ago, but the people there are not cooperative. They clashed with our enforcement unit, and it ended there. It will not be easy to organize the illegal buildings there.”

Zhou Yanru retorted. “It’s only a small group of uncooperative people. They are the store owners and tenants of those illegal buildings. The residents in that area had made several complaints about those illegal buildings. Our neighborhood feedback unit had received tens of complaints about those people stealing electricity, blocking pathways, and setting up electric cables illegally everywhere. Those illegal buildings in the Hu Tongs had affected the surrounding residents’ lives and safety.”

Peng Gang gave Zhou Yanru a stare. “I am not saying we are not going to do anything about it. We should do it slowly.”

Dong Xuebing looks at Peng Gang. “We must still do it. Director Yu and Director Guo will bring our staff to Liu Xiang Hu Tongs to inform them of the seriousness of illegal buildings and ask them to move out. Set a deadline for them to demolish the buildings. The urban management enforcement team should be arriving tomorrow. Chief Peng will work with them to maintain law and order.”

Yu Rongfeng and Guo Mingfeng acknowledged emotionlessly.

Dong Xuebing knows these three will only follow Geng Xinke’s orders, but this is an order from the District to all subdistricts. He is not afraid of them not doing their jobs, as no one will gain if anything goes wrong. After they left, Dong Xuebing called Work Party Deputy Secretary Geng Xinke to inform him of the Subdistrict Office’s plans to demolish those illegal buildings. Geng Xinke said he is supportive of this reorganization but did not offer any help. He hung up after a while, and he seems he is not interested in assisting Dong Xuebing.

What kind of attitude is Geng Xinke showing?

Dong Xuebing frowned and noticed something is off. He grabbed his bag and went downstairs. On his way downstairs, he called Zhou Yanru. “Director Zhou, come with me to Liu Xiang Hu Tongs.”

In the car.

Dong Xuebing asked. “Tell me about the situation in Liu Xiang Hu Tong.”

Zhou Yanru held the steering wheel and replied after a short pause. “That area is dirty and messy. The former Party Secretary had tried to tear down those buildings a few times. Still, the residents there obstructed our actions, and we nearly faced violent obstructions. The Subdistrict Office is afraid the situation might get worse if we tear down those buildings by force… and it was put aside until now.”

Dong Xuebing frowned. “Didn’t we speak to the residents there? What is the Neighborhood Committee Director doing?!”

“We had sent people, but the residents refused to listen. Some of the old people, who had built illegal buildings in front of their houses, locked themselves inside with their months’ old grandchildren. They dared us to tear down the buildings by force and bury them inside.”

Dong Xuebing knew there must be a leader among them.

“And…” Zhou Yanru hesitated for a second. “I heard our District’s Organization Department Chief’s relative is also living there. He builds two out of the dozen illegal buildings.”

Nan Shan District’s Organization Department Chief Xue’s relative?!

Dong Xuebing had met Chief Xue, and he had read out his appointment orders at the Subdistrict Office. He is well respected and one of the top Leaders within the Nan Shan District. No wonder Geng Xinke doesn’t want to get involved. Convincing a group of people to move is not easy, and he is afraid of offending Xue Qingrong.

The District’s attitude on this reorganization is not very aggressive, as there are no meetings or written orders. They only inform the Urban Management and Subdistrict Offices to take action. The District is afraid there might be violent clashes if they demolished those buildings by force. Using the word “reorganizing” does not mean they must demolish those buildings. It can also mean enforcing hygiene, electricity, and fire safety measures. If the District is determined to enforce the regulations, there will be meetings and official orders. This means the Subdistrict Offices will not get the District support and will face pressure from all areas.

For example, Xue Qingrong. If Chief Xue made a call, Dong Xuebing’s work would have to be halted. How is he going to demolish the building if the District Leader orders him to stop?

Although Chief Xue does not represent the District Government, who dares to defy his orders?

Dong Xuebing knows this is not an easy task. He thought for a while. “Let’s go there and take a look. The demolition notifications must still be given to the residents there as a warning. As for the implementation, that will depend on the situation. If we can demolish those buildings, we must tear them down. These are safety issues, and something might happen anything.”

Zhou Yanru nodded and continued driving.

……..

Liu Xiang.

South Hu Tong entrance.

The car stopped. “Director, we are here.”

Dong Xuebing had wandered around his area these few days and had passed by this area. But he did not enter the Hu Tong area. He can smell deep-fried food, sewage, etc., the moment the car stopped.

Dong Xuebing alighted and is looking terrible. He did not expect such a dirty place to be under his jurisdiction.

Small stalls had almost filled the Hu Tong. There’s a breakfast stall and a tailor stall beside it. Behind the tailor stall is a closed BBQ stall. There’s a hair salon and other stalls under a canopy, including a restaurant. None of them are legally built, and other than the hair salon and a few other stalls are built by bricks, the rest use tents and simple construction boards. Electrical wires are hanging dangerously everywhere, rubbish and goods are scattered everywhere. These are all fire hazards.

These illegal buildings should be built by the residents of the two Hu Tongs’ behind. Some residents even tear down a wall to make space for more than a dozen families to live there. The narrow road between the Hu Tongs, which can only allow a car to pass, had become narrower and dirtier. The whole place is a mess, and the road can only allow a few bicycles to pass.

“This place is too messy!” Dong Xuebing frowned. “It must be organized!”

Zhou Yanru sighed. “Yes. It’s a miracle that nothing had happened these few years. If this carries on, accidents will happen sooner or later. Eh? Someone is building a house over there. This place is already in a mess, and how can they still build more buildings?”

A building is being constructed at the end of the Hu Tong.

Dong Xuebing walks forward. “Let’s go and take a look!”