Chapter 594: Who Says My Hands Are Tied?

Seeing Cheng Yuan, Yu Dazhi and the workers found their backbone. They hurried forward, all talking over each other to complain.

“Chairman Cheng, they’re trying to haul away our new equipment! You have to do something!”

“It’s not just the fire safety equipment! They’re trying to take our production lines, too!”

Cheng Yuan pressed his hands down slightly, and the crowd fell silent. In a calm voice, Cheng Yuan said, “Everyone, relax. First, tell me, which one of you is the leader from the Fire Department?”

“That’s the Director of the Fire Department, Ji Yunbing.”

Cheng Yuan turned to Ji Yunbing and spoke amicably. “Director Ji, we all do business here in Dongshan. We’re bound to cross paths again. It’s always best to leave a little leeway, so we can meet again on good terms.”

Ji Yunbing curled his lip in disdain. ‘Sure, I do business in Dongshan, but Yuanxi Pharmaceutical is about to go bankrupt!’

Ji Yunbing paid Cheng Yuan no mind whatsoever, ignoring him completely. With a wave of his hand, he said in a low voice, “What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and move the equipment back for testing!”

“Yes, sir!”

Cheng Yuan’s expression darkened. “I’d like to see who dares to move.”

Cheng Yuan’s voice wasn’t loud, but it boomed in everyone’s ears like a sudden clap of thunder.

The staff members clutched their ears, their faces contorted in pain as they stared at Cheng Yuan in terror.

After a full five or six seconds, Ji Yunbing finally recovered. He stared coldly at Cheng Yuan. “Chairman Cheng, is it? Do you intend to resist law enforcement?”

Cheng Yuan looked at Ji Yunbing, his face devoid of expression. “Director Ji, Yuanxi Pharmaceutical is a legitimate enterprise, and I, Cheng Yuan, am a legitimate businessman. We are not pushovers, and I will absolutely not allow you to manipulate us as you please.”

Ji Yunbing sneered. “Chairman Cheng, please watch your words. We have absolutely no intention of ‘manipulating’ Yuanxi Pharmaceutical. Our procedures are all legal and compliant. This is a legitimate inspection. Chairman Cheng, would you like me to show you the paperwork?”

“You know perfectly well in your hearts whether or not this is legal and compliant. But that’s not important. Very soon, you’ll be receiving a call from your superiors. I suggest you wait a few more minutes, to avoid this escalating into a situation you can’t easily resolve.”

Cheng Yuan was so composed that he managed to stun Ji Yunbing for a moment.

Kang Tianlong of the Environmental Protection Agency curled his lip in disdain. ‘That Ji Yunbing, always so timid and hesitant. No wonder the senior leader isn’t fond of him.’

‘An opportunity this good to get on the senior leader’s good side absolutely cannot be missed.’

Kang Tianlong stepped forward and said coolly, “You all can take your time deciding whether to move the equipment. However, we must test Yuanxi Pharmaceutical’s wastewater! If the pollutant levels exceed the legal limits, your company must immediately halt production for rectification!”

Kang Tianlong waved his arm, and the staff from the Environmental Protection Agency hurried after him, heading straight for the workshop’s wastewater storage tank.

Kang Tianlong personally collected a sample and ordered in a low voice, “Test this wastewater on-site, immediately!”

“Yes, sir!”

Yu Dazhi grew anxious and rushed forward to protest. “Director Kang, this is all wastewater that hasn’t gone through the purification system yet! You should be testing the purified water!”

Kang Tianlong sneered. “Do you need to teach me how to do my job? Who here understands environmental protection, you or me? This wastewater is being stored in the workshop—isn’t that a threat to the workers’ safety?”

Yu Dazhi said, looking aggrieved, “The wastewater area is a restricted zone! Workers don’t go over there.”

Kang Tianlong sneered, not bothering to argue with Yu Dazhi. He turned and ordered his men, “You! Get on with the testing!”

“Yes, sir!”

Yu Dazhi rushed over to Cheng Yuan and the others, his face a mask of grievance. “Chairman Cheng, President Lin, Old President Lin, President Hua, they’re testing the untreated wastewater. They’re clearly just looking for trouble!”

Cheng Yuan frowned. “Director Yu, to be fair, we can’t entirely blame them. If we installed a pre-treatment purifier on our production line, they wouldn’t be able to find any fault even if they wanted to.”

Lin Ruoxi, standing beside him, explained, “Cheng Yuan, almost no factories in this country install pre-treatment purifiers. Only some high-tech, cutting-edge industries abroad use them…”

Cheng Yuan nodded, indicating he understood.

No longer dwelling on the matter of pre-treatment purifiers, Cheng Yuan walked up to Kang Tianlong and said calmly, “Director Kang, I know you’re all just following orders. Your hands are tied. There’s no need to be so proactive and enthusiastic. Just going through the motions would suffice.”

Kang Tianlong, however, was having none of it. He retorted without hesitation, “Who says my hands are tied? I would give anything for the cause of environmental protection in Dongshan! Even my life!”

Kang Tianlong’s performance was one of impassioned, righteous indignation.

Cheng Yuan almost burst out laughing.

‘If he hadn’t gotten that message from Zhu Jiang, Cheng Yuan might have actually believed him!’

“Director Kang, that’s about enough. You’ll be receiving orders to stand down soon, so don’t waste your time.”

Cheng Yuan’s words made Kang Tianlong laugh.

The few others also shook their heads slightly.

‘Truly, the ignorant know no fear.’

‘Where does this kid get his confidence?’

‘He probably has no idea this is the senior leader’s will, does he?’

‘In Dongshan, absolutely no one dares to defy the senior leader’s will.’

Kang Tianlong sneered. “Chairman Cheng, don’t think you’re so special just because you have a little bit of dirty money! I’m telling you, even if God himself called me today, I wouldn’t pull my team out!”

Cheng Yuan grinned. “Director Kang, you shouldn’t speak in such absolutes. It’ll be quite embarrassing when you have to pull out in a little while.”

“Hahaha, Chairman Cheng, are you trying to make me die laughing? I’ll tell you the truth! I am absolutely not pulling out today! Tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that, I’ll be back to inspect you myself!!”

Kang Tianlong laughed, and the few other leaders who were in on the situation laughed as well.

‘This kid really thinks he’s something, doesn’t he?!’

Only Xie Dongshu’s pupils contracted slightly. ‘He had just leaked the information to Zhu Jiang. Logically, this Chairman Cheng should know that the senior leader is the one behind all this.’

‘So where on earth does his confidence come from?’

‘Could it be…’

‘That this Chairman Cheng’s background is astronomically powerful?’

The gears in Xie Dongshu’s head were spinning frantically, and he soon grasped the crux of the matter!

‘The previous City Lord of Luocheng, Shen Jiangnan, had offended the senior leader. But instead of being reassigned to some remote region, he ended up going to Beijing.’

‘He, Xie Dongshu, wasn’t part of the senior leader’s inner circle, just a peripheral figure destined to never rise any higher.’

‘But, if he could seize this rare opportunity…’

‘Maybe…’

THUMP! THUMP!

Xie Dongshu’s heart began to pound uncontrollably!

Amidst the roaring laughter, Xie Dongshu stepped forward and proactively shook Cheng Yuan’s hand. “Chairman Cheng, after a spot check by our Administration for Industry and Commerce, we’ve found that all of Yuanxi Pharmaceutical’s accounts are crystal clear! We apologize for the disturbance!”

After speaking, Xie Dongshu waved to the staff of the Administration for Industry and Commerce.

“All personnel from the Administration for Industry and Commerce! We’re pulling out!!”

Huh?

The raucous laughter in the workshop died instantly. Everyone stared at Xie Dongshu, completely dumbfounded, wondering why he had suddenly issued such an outrageous order.

Ji Yunbing, who was on relatively good terms with Xie Dongshu, nervously tugged on his sleeve. “Old Xie! Have you lost your mind? You’re defying… Do you not want to work in Dongshan anymore?”

Ji Yunbing didn’t say the words “the senior leader,” but everyone knew who he was talking about.

Everyone stared at Xie Dongshu as if he were a lunatic, wondering if he had completely lost his mind.