Chapter 12: You Behave, I'll Let Your Son Be a Team Leader Too

Around nine-thirty in the evening, after the Zha'nan District Police Department officers finished taking statements at the People's Hospital and left, the two team leaders who had been crippled by Changqing Company were just being wheeled out of emergency.

In the hospital parking lot, Kong Zhenghui had been there for over an hour, but because there were police officers and some Sanitation Management Council people upstairs earlier, he hadn't gone up immediately.

After most people had left, Kong Zhenghui finally brought several family brothers to enter the surgery building, coming to the special care ward area on the third floor.

Outside the ward, many workers from both the Bai and Kong families had come - friends and brothers of the seriously injured team leaders. When everyone saw Kong Zhenghui arrive, they immediately gathered around.

"Little Kong, Daming and Old Li are both seriously injured. The doctor said they'll definitely be disabled, as for whether they can keep their lives, it depends on the follow-up treatment," a middle-aged man of considerable age said urgently. "Our group went on strike to support you companies, now people are injured, the company can't ignore this!"

"That's right, these people are disabled now, how will their families manage in the future?!"

"...!"

The workers present were all very afraid, speaking up for the two team leaders in a clamor.

Kong Zhenghui looked at everyone with a grave expression and said resolutely: "Everyone don't panic, the company will definitely take care of Old He and Old Li's situation. I'll discuss with Bai Hongbo later about how to handle the money. I'm giving you my word, even if the criminals aren't caught and we can't get compensation, the company will still pay."

Hearing these words, everyone's expressions eased considerably.

Kong Zhenghui waved his hand and continued: "It's getting late now, everyone should disperse. Don't all crowd around here. Oh right, don't spread word of today's incident for now, to avoid affecting other workers' moods. But don't worry, my contact at the Police Bureau just called, they've roughly identified the thugs who did the attack, and this kind of thing won't happen again."

The workers had very little access to information. Seeing Kong Zhenghui speak so definitively, they didn't ask more questions, only leaving together uneasily.

After everyone left, Kong Zhenghui finally met with his team leader He Daming's wife and his newly adult son.

In the ward's care room, Kong Zhenghui closed the door and looked at He Daming's very simply dressed wife: "Sister-in-law, don't worry, the company will definitely seek justice for Brother He's matter and won't let those attackers off."

He Daming's wife had little education. She had been crying since arriving at the hospital, and now looking at Kong Zhenghui with red eyes, she said: "Little Kong! We don't need the company to seek justice anymore, and we won't look for the attackers. We're really scared now. We can't fight Changqing Company's people... Old He was beaten like this, we accept it... as long as the company pays to treat his injuries and keep him alive, I'll be satisfied... really!"

Kong Zhenghui frowned at her and said in a low voice: "Sister-in-law, we definitely can't let this go. We're good people, why should we let them cripple us?! Listen to me, I've already found connections at the Police Bureau, and two well-known media outlets will be coming shortly. They'll interview you and expose this case. Once public attention rises, someone will definitely have to pay for this."

"What, expose it?! We don't dare, Little Kong! We'd barely been striking for three days when people got crippled. If this really gets exposed, can our family of three even keep our lives? Changqing Company's people said if we make more trouble, they'll really take lives!" He Daming's wife cried out in terror.

"Sister-in-law, I've arranged everything with the media. Once it's exposed, they won't dare make more trouble."

"No, Little Kong, listen to me, we're just ordinary people, we can't fight with Changqing Company." He Daming's wife grabbed Kong Zhenghui's arm with a trembling voice and said: "I'm begging you, don't lead any more trouble, don't do any interviews."

Kong Zhenghui fell silent hearing these words.

"Little Kong, save people first!" He Daming's wife said somewhat pleadingly.

Kong Zhenghui paused before saying: "Sister-in-law, if you don't cooperate with the company, when this news spreads tomorrow, other workers won't dare strike anymore. If the company falls later, how can we take care of Brother He?"

He Daming's wife was stunned: "What do you... mean by that?"

"...We need to get through this crisis together, catch our breath together, Sister-in-law!"

"Little Kong! Old He was supporting your family's company when he led the worker brothers to strike. Now that something's happened, you don't want to take care of him?!" He Daming's wife's tears hadn't dried as she demanded with a trembling voice: "This isn't how things should be done, Little Kong!"

"I paid you for striking, Sister-in-law," Kong Zhenghui replied expressionlessly.

He Daming's wife stared at Kong Zhenghui in shock, speechless.

"Regular workers get their normal wages plus allowance for striking one day, while team leaders like Brother He get one thousand yuan per day from me, and that's not counting the contract area I promised to give Brother He," Kong Zhenghui bent slightly, saying in a low voice: "Sister-in-law, money isn't earned for free!"

"Little Kong, your words have no humanity at all...!"

"It's not that I have no humanity, it's that reality doesn't give you the chance to consider humanity." Kong Zhenghui turned to point at the IV drip beside the hospital bed, asking word by word: "Let me ask you, if we don't pay today, can the life-saving medicine go into his veins? Sister-in-law!"

The woman bit her teeth, saying nothing.

"The media people will come shortly. You tell them clearly about Changqing Company's monopoly and suspected violent retaliation against workers, the more tragic the better," Kong Zhenghui narrated softly. "After you finish talking and cooperating, I'll have someone come pay the hospitalization fees. As for compensation, the company will also give you the maximum amount. Let me be clear, at least twenty thousand yuan, and your son can join the company later. Brother He can't work anymore, I'll give him the contract area to manage, that's how it is, Sister-in-law."

After speaking, Kong Zhenghui turned to leave, not forgetting to remind at the door: "Don't spread too much negative emotion to other workers, Sister-in-law."

The woman looked at her husband on the bed with his legs smashed, and her newly adult son outside the door, muttering in an extremely helpless tone: "Join the company... won't my son just be a worker too...!"

Yes, workers' children rarely become anything but workers...

Tears fell, extremely turbid.

......

An hour and a half later.

Bai Hongbo finished drinking at a famous KTV in Zha'nan District and came to the hospital drunk, going to the ward of the Bai family worker leader Li Gang.

"Big Bai, your uncle was beaten like this, what should we do?" Li Gang's wife asked.

Bai Hongbo sat in a chair, replying in a hearty voice: "The company will handle it! Medical expenses, lost wages, pension, compensation - the company will pay for all of it."

"Big Bai, we don't dare strike anymore, we'll lose our lives if we make more trouble," Li Gang's wife said crying.

Bai Hongbo hiccupped from drinking and stood up looking at her saying: "With people in this state, how could we let you keep making trouble? Alright, Auntie, you take care of Uncle and help him recover well, don't worry about anything else."

"Ah!" Li Gang's wife nodded.

Bai Hongbo lowered his head to take out his wallet, pulling out all the cash inside - over three thousand yuan - and casually throwing it on the bed saying: "I was treating some people from the city today about my dad's matter, spent almost everything. Take this first to pay fees and buy some nutritional supplements, it won't count toward what the company gives you."

"Ah!"

"This is just how the world is, try to accept it, Auntie!" Although Bai Hongbo was drunk, after giving the money he didn't leave immediately, but stayed chatting with Li Gang's family for a full hour before leaving.

Before leaving, Li Gang's wife said voluntarily: "Big Bai, we won't spread word carelessly to the workers below, you have it hard too."

Bai Hongbo picked at his eye discharge, smiling bitterly as he replied: "Yes, it's hard for everyone."

......

After eleven o'clock at night.

In the main building of the Su family garbage yard, Su Tianyu sat in the living room, listening to the workers' chat.

Because of recent events, and the Su family taking the lead in arm-wrestling with Changqing Company, the yard kept seven or eight workers on night watch every night. These people had nothing to do at night, so they gathered to smoke and tell dirty jokes.

Su Tianyu quite liked this atmosphere, so he sat in the living room watching everyone play cards and chat nonsense.

In the corner of the room, Black Iron Tower Wu Shixiong sat on a small stool, working on a half-carved wooden sculpture.

Su Tianyu was bored and asked curiously: "Daxiong, why do you take night duty every night, don't you go home?"

"Th-thirty yuan per day, I can earn more by taking night duty," Daxiong replied simple-mindedly.

"Hehe, you're quite money-loving!" Su Tianyu laughed.

"I have four brothers at home, only I... I... my brain's not good... My dad said... no money to find me a wife, I have to earn it myself," Wu Shixiong replied with a grin.

Hearing such a plain and honest reason, Su Tianyu was somewhat surprised and looked at Daxiong anew.

Beside them, a worker smoking a cigarette grinned and asked Wu Shixiong: "Stupid Xiong, have you ever done it with a woman? You're always talking about wanting to get married?"

"No," Wu Shixiong replied honestly.

"Then will you know how to do it after you get married?" the worker asked purely to make idle conversation.

"H-how to do it?"

"Let me tell you, someday when you're not on night duty, when you're staying at home at night, if you hear noises from your parents' room, secretly peek through their window... watch a few times and you'll learn, haha!" the worker said laughing.

Hearing this, Su Tianyu frowned slightly but didn't say anything.

Wu Shixiong glanced at him, then lowered his head to continue working on his wood carving without responding.

"Stupid Xiong, have you ever heard noises from your parents' room?"

"...!" Wu Shixiong kept his head down, silent.

"Fuck, how old is his dad? What noise could they make? You're asking nonsense," another worker picked up the conversation.

"Haha!"

The six or seven people in the room all laughed idly at this.

"Tap tap!"

Footsteps sounded as Third Sister came down from upstairs, scolding fiercely: "Are you all sick? Making fun of Daxiong every day?! How mean are you! Are you all too free? Quickly go patrol outside, stop smoking!"

Seeing Third Sister come down, no one dared talk back. They gathered in groups of three to five and walked out of the main building.

Wu Shixiong secretly glanced at the fierce Third Sister, then turned to put the wood carving in his pocket: "I... I'll go patrol too."

"Tap tap!"

Footsteps sounded as Su Tiannan arrived at the yard in the early morning hours, saying to Tianyu: "The striking workers had an incident, two were seriously injured."

Su Tianyu showed no surprise on his face, slowly standing up to reply: "Let's talk upstairs."

......

In Zha'nan District's New Paradise, Lu Feng sat in a private room holding his phone: "I'll see if his workers withdraw tomorrow! If they withdraw, I'll immediately take down another family, then we can wrap up this game, everything up and down can be arranged properly."

"Which family are you going to hit? Have you decided?" Li Hongze asked.

"Hehe...!" Lu Feng grinned.