Chapter 222: Formally Establishing the Association

After Su Tianyu, Kong Zhenghui, and Bai Hongbo moved into the Yu family villa, the straight-as-steel Su Tianbei also moved to this fencing dormitory due to his father's constant harassment.

"Anyone who comes is a guest," Yu Mingyuan immediately expressed welcome. "Leave the luggage in the living room, pick a room when we get back tonight - let's handle important matters first."

"What matters are we going to handle?" Su Tianbei asked.

"Hold an internal meeting, talk with everyone," Yu Mingyuan replied with a smile.

Seeing Yu Mingyuan's stable emotions and gentle speech, completely different from a few days ago, Su Tianbei's anxious heart also calmed down: "All us brothers' futures are placed on you - do well, Little Yu!"

"Yes, Big Brother," Yu Mingyuan replied obediently.

......

At 8:30 PM, in the Su family garbage plant, many Tongji Association core members gathered in the halls and rest rooms of the first and second floors - over a hundred people inside and out.

Actually, many people here hadn't received meeting notices, but after hearing rumors, they all came anyway. Because everyone wanted to see - with Yu Jinrong gone, whether the Yu family's new helmsman was capable, what kind of explanation he could give everyone, whether the many benefits promised before could still be realized.

Because Su Tianyu, Kong Zhenghui, Bai Hongbo and others had been busy absorbing members and designing association rules and systems before, plus the Yu family had originally wanted to build their own new compound as the association headquarters, they had temporarily set the Su family garbage plant as the temporary office location. With so many people coming today, this place felt very crowded - the corridors were full of spit stains and white smoke haze, looking extremely informal, somewhat like a makeshift operation.

When most people had arrived, Yu Mingyuan saw the meeting room couldn't fit so many people, so he suggested everyone go to the courtyard for an open-air meeting, with leadership and union members communicating face to face.

And so, Su Tianbei, Bai Hongbo and others moved all the tables and chairs from the meeting room outside, and connected a microphone via Bluetooth to a large speaker as the meeting broadcast system.

Outside, the crowd surged - most of the over hundred members had no chairs of their own and could only squat down or find random bricks and metal sheets to lay on the ground to sit.

Tonight the sky was clear and the stars bright. Yu Mingyuan sat behind the shabby desk, adjusted the dirty microphone, and looked up at the dense crowd, grinning as he said: "Hehe, our association is probably the one established under the most difficult conditions - no tea, no snacks, not even chairs. If outsiders saw this, they'd probably think we were running a pyramid scheme!"

Everyone smiled knowingly and listened quietly.

"Many people here don't know me - let me introduce myself," Yu Mingyuan rested his elbows on the desk and looked at everyone with a gentle expression saying: "My name is Yu Mingyuan, Yu Jinrong's eldest son. After graduating university in Zone One, I came to Dragon City with my father and established a trading company. My resume is very ordinary and my social experience shallow. If nothing had happened to my family, I should have first studied beside my father for a few years before gradually taking over management. But... unfortunately, my father passed away, so whether I'm willing or not, I have to take over this operation and work hard to do it well."

The scene was quiet as Yu Mingyuan looked at everyone and continued in a deep voice: "The reason I continue doing this is very simple - because many people have given so much for this association. Including the Su, Bai and Kong three families, and also those members who, upon receiving notice, rolled up their bedding and fled with us to Zone One. If I withdrew now, first I'd fail the investors, second I'd fail everyone. Though my abilities are limited, I will definitely try my best to fulfill the promises made to everyone before! The association's current accounts will be disclosed by Kong Zhenghui shortly - I will tell everyone how much money we have left, how much funds can be used for association operations. When investor money runs out, I will take bank loans; when banks won't lend money, I will sell family assets to inject capital into the association myself. In short, I will think of every way to let the association survive, fulfill the association's promises to every member, let everyone have work to do, let the association's guidelines be realized."

In the courtyard, hearing Yu Mingyuan's words, everyone's hearts settled somewhat, because after Yu Jinrong's death, many had guessed Yu Mingyuan would run back to Zone One and the association's establishment would definitely be aborted. But unexpectedly, just two days after the funeral, he came to hold a meeting with everyone.

Sitting in the lead position, Yu Mingyuan first conveyed to everyone the determination to continue the association, letting those below have confidence, then had Kong Zhenghui announce the association's current funds, telling everyone that currently the Tongji Association had bullets financially and maintaining operations wasn't a problem.

After boosting morale, Yu Mingyuan also very systematically informed everyone: "Our maritime trade supply channels are stable, and we've formed certain cooperation patterns with the Zha'nan Dock Workers Association. The Tongji Association's main industry in the future has its own blood-making function and doesn't lack profit models. Please give management some patience, and please unite together to jointly work hard to do big things! Here, I promise one thing - as long as the Tongji Association's people don't all run away, I, Yu Mingyuan, will absolutely not leave Dragon City!"

After the shouting echoed and over a hundred members were quiet for a long time, suddenly a burly man with crossed arms looked up and called out: "After saying so much, I just want to ask Chairman Yu - when can we resume work? When can brothers make money to support their families?!"

"Sanitation Management Association work will fully resume within a week at latest; maritime trade will restart operations within three months at latest," Yu Mingyuan stood up and called out resoundingly. "During the work stoppage period, association subsidies will be paid normally. Even if I can't eat, I'll let everyone eat!"

"These words are solid," the burly man called out very satisfied. "I believe you!"

"If we can support families and make a living, we'll work with you," an old man sitting in the front row called out. "If Changqing could fight from Zone One to Dragon City and make an association of tens of thousands, so can we! We are society's bottom layer who are poor to the bone - nothing to fear."

"We'll work with you!"

Yu Mingyuan's frank and straightforward meeting speech made the Tongji Association, which had almost disbanded, gather breath again. These bottom-layer social compatriots had very simple demands - they needed to make money, needed to support families, and since the association could bring them these stable things, everyone definitely didn't want to disperse.

The meeting lasted until after 11 PM at night before everyone dispersed contentedly.

After the main force left, Yu Mingyuan held an internal meeting. At the meeting it was decided that Su Tianyu would serve as Tongji Association vice chairman, Kong Zhenghui as office director, Bai Hongbo, Su Tiannan, and Su Tianbei as directors and deputy directors of the Alliance Certification Department - simply put, the first, second and third in charge of the personnel department.

The Tongji Association established a board of directors composed of internal core members and district heads, twenty-eight people in total, mainly responsible for deliberation. When over 60% of the board's votes rejected top leadership's decisions, the association must readjust direction. Similarly, top management also had veto power over proposals from the board of directors.

The framework wasn't perfect but had at least built relatively simple rules and systems. Now they just needed to get money flowing into the association - other loopholes could be patched during operations.

That night, after the meeting, the association's main leadership all sat in front of the small building and took a group photo.

In the photo, Yu Mingyuan, Kong Zhenghui, Bai Hongbo, Su Tianyu, Su Tiannan, Su Tianbei and others all showed bright smiles.

That night, seeing everyone's group photo in the social software group, Zhou Tonghui immediately excitedly booked a plane ticket. He didn't care whether the Zhou family would send management to the association again, but at this moment, he wanted to be with that group of Dragon City demons and monsters, doing something together.