*Chapter 100: The East Wind and the West Wind (Part 4)*
Xiaqinglin Town had several coal mines, making fatalities an unfortunate inevitability. Consequently, the Enterprise Office possessed considerable experience in handling such tragedies.
Li Guofu, the director of the Enterprise Office, was a gaunt middle-aged man. He hopped onto a stone pedestal and announced, "I am Li Guofu from the Enterprise Office of the township government. I have been entrusted by Secretary Zhao and Mayor Qin to handle this matter. The incident has already occurred, and it must be resolved. Please do not block the main gate. The Liu family relatives should first carry the body back, and then send a few representatives to the small conference room."
Li Guofu had served as a bugler in the army. Perhaps due to years of blowing the horn, his voice was exceptionally resonant and clear. It instantly silenced the chaotic crowd. They all stretched their necks, staring at the lean Li Guofu.
At that moment, He Hongfu, Zeng Xiangang, and others arrived at the small courtyard of the old township government. These men were connected to the quarry industry. Seeing that the "Tian Dadao" quarry had suffered a safety accident, they secretly felt a sense of relief at their own good fortune.
He Hongfu stood beside Hou Weidong and said, "Madman, you really had foresight. Let’s go back and review the safety regulations again. We must make the workers memorize the Twelve Safety Rules by heart."
Hou Weidong shared this sentiment. "Merely memorizing the regulations is not enough," he replied. "We need to appoint a dedicated safety officer at the quarry. The bookkeeper can take on this role. As long as the quarry is operating, safety checks must be conducted at all times. Safety must become the high-voltage line of the mine—something that cannot be touched under any circumstances."
The crowd of onlookers grew larger, and some began to make snide remarks. "They are so crazy for money that they don’t even care about their lives," one person said. "Even if I eat pickled vegetables at home every day, I wouldn’t go to the mine." Another shouted, "Make Tian Dadao pay out all the money he earned!"
Seeing the constant flow of trucks at the quarry, these people, though unaware of the internal details, guessed that the boss must have made a profit. Envy stirred within them. Now that an accident had occurred, they gleefully joined in the commotion.
As the deputy leader of the working group, Hou Weidong followed Mayor Huang into the conference room. He intended to observe how the township government would handle the situation, treating it as a learning opportunity.
Li Guofu had already taken the lead in the meeting. "Regarding compensation for deaths in mining enterprises, the county has established regulations. Let me read them to you." He took out a yellowed booklet and read aloud in a voice like a bell: "Compensation standards for work-related injuries and deaths in mining enterprises are formulated with reference to the 1993 standards of Shazhou City."
After reading the regulations, the family members began to argue loudly. Liu’s mother cried, "A human life is worth only twenty thousand yuan? Whose law is this?" Liu Erwa’s wife wailed, "Funeral expenses alone will cost several thousand yuan. With such a small compensation, how are we, the widow and orphan, supposed to live?"
Mayor Huang was in charge of enterprises and family planning. These were traditionally considered two desirable positions in the township government, but every advantage has its downside; this is dialectics. In recent years, as the number and scale of enterprises increased, accidents became frequent. Last year, a major water-inrush accident at the Xiaqinglin Coal Mine killed three people, resulting in a major demerit for Mayor Huang from the county. Although the coal mines had been safe this year, the fatal accident at the quarry reminded him of past failures, making him furious.
Li Guofu was accustomed to such scenes. He did not back down in the face of the crying and shouting Liu family. "I understand your feelings and deeply sympathize with you," he said. "However, when an enterprise has an accident, the compensation amount is determined by policy. The enterprise can only compensate according to these rules. The government’s responsibility is to urge the enterprise to pay the full amount promptly."
The angry Liu family could no longer hold back. Old Liu slammed the table with force, tears and snot streaming down his face. "We don’t want money; we want our son! Hand over Tian Dadao, and I will settle the score with him myself."
Mayor Huang said, "Old Liu, you must be reasonable. We are here to help you. If you maintain this attitude, we will not intervene further. You can go find Tian Dadao yourself." He added a threat, "Who was it that hit Chi Ming earlier? If serious consequences result, it will be a criminal offense."
Old Liu jumped up and cursed, "I know you officials protect each other. If you don’t resolve this, I will carry my son’s body to the county seat."
This was Hou Weidong’s first experience with such mediation. He shook his head as he listened. "This is clearly an enterprise safety accident, with no relation to the township government. Why is the township government getting involved? Old Liu has just lost his son and is grieving. For Mayor Huang to threaten him at this moment might have the opposite effect."
Mayor Huang addressed Old Liu, "You are making trouble without reason. No matter where you carry the body, the price remains the same." He paused to soften his tone. "As a father, your heart is hard. It has always been said that the dead should be buried to find peace. Carrying Liu Erwa’s body around prevents him from resting in peace. Think it over carefully."
Struck at his most painful point, Old Liu covered his face and sobbed.
After much haggling, it was soon past six o’clock. The Liu family finally accepted the mediation proposed by the Enterprise Office, with a compensation amount of twenty-six thousand yuan. Although Old Liu continued to make fierce remarks, Hou Weidong could see the compromise in his expression.
"A human life is worth only twenty-six thousand yuan."
As the boss of a quarry, Hou Weidong secretly breathed a sigh of relief. However, as a person with a conscience, the price of a human life made him feel heartache.
The Liu family carried Liu Erwa’s body away, filled with sorrow.
Mayor Huang’s expression relaxed. He asked Li Guofu, "Has the notice been sent out?"
Li Guofu slapped his head. "Ah, look at my memory. I was so busy dealing with this group that I completely forgot." He looked around. "Hou Weidong is here. Tian Dadao has fled. Xi Zhaoyong is upstairs. So, we only need to notify Qin Dajiang and Zeng Xiangang."
He then turned to Mayor Gao. "Old Mayor, ask Li Yong and Zheng Faming to notify Qin Dajiang and Zeng Xiangang. Tell them to come over immediately; there is important news to announce."
Li Yong and Zheng Faming went to fetch the men. Li Guofu said to Mayor Huang, "Work is never-ending. While they haven’t arrived yet, let’s fill our stomachs first." He then addressed Hou Weidong. "University Student Hou, you are the initiator of the Shangqinglin Quarry. Today, Mayor Huang went up the mountain primarily to resolve the quarry issues. You should treat us to a meal to thank Mayor Huang."
Since the Enterprise Office was a department he needed to interact with frequently, Hou Weidong agreed readily. "Alright. Let’s eat at the place near the Foundation. I’ll go ahead and check if they still have ingredients."
The small restaurant next to the Foundation was the regular haunt of Hou Weidong, Bai Chuncheng, and their group. Upon hearing the arrangement, Hou Weidong quickly opened the refrigerator, picked up a large cleaver, and chopped a frozen, hard duck into uniform small cubes with a dozen swift strikes. He then poured in vegetable oil, added fermented bean curd, old ginger, and yellow wine. After frying the seasonings until fragrant, he tossed the duck pieces in for a quick stir-fry. Soon, the aroma filled the air.
In no time, he had magically prepared a table full of dishes. Hou Weidong watched with drooling envy. He stole a braised pork leg and gnawed on it rapidly. Before he could finish, Mayor Huang and the others had arrived.
After everyone sat down, they ate heartily, filling their stomachs halfway. Mayor Huang asked, "Hou Weidong, you are a grassroots civil servant. How did you end up running a quarry? The Discipline Inspection Commission has regulations prohibiting cadres from engaging in business or running enterprises."
Hou Weidong had prepared his explanation in advance. "Mayor Huang, this quarry is not mine. The legal representative of the Goubeiwang Quarry is Liu Guangfen. I only occasionally help him look after things. He Hongfu is the one who manages the daily operations."
Mayor Huang had only asked casually and did not intend to pursue the matter seriously. He smiled. "Don’t explain. Everyone knows the truth. You are just playing on the edge of the rules."
After everyone finished eating, Qin Dajiang and Zeng Xiangang also arrived at the old township government. The conference room was brightly lit and bustling with voices. Since coming to Shangqinglin Township, this was Hou Weidong’s first night meeting. By intuition, he felt that holding a meeting at night was not a good sign.
Sure enough, as soon as the meeting began, Mayor Huang’s expression became exceptionally serious, and his tone turned cold. After a brief opening, he said, "The county allocates us a death quota of only five people each year, all assigned to the coal mines. Who knew the quarries would also have an accident? We have now exceeded the quota. Today, our safety work will be criticized by the county again. We must thoroughly summarize the safety accident at the Tian Dadao Quarry. Now, I announce two decisions made by the Party Committee and the township government."
The so-called "death quota" was an allowance for enterprise fatalities assigned by the county government to each township at the beginning of the year. As long as the number of deaths remained within this quota, safety production was considered qualified. Since Qinglin Town had several coal mines, and based on previous years' fatality rates, the death quota was set at five.
Theoretically, this quota seemed absurd and ridiculous. However, in reality, it was a practical metric and one widely accepted by everyone.
"First, starting tomorrow, all quarries in Shangqinglin will suspend production for rectification. The Enterprise Office will conduct inspections. Production will resume only when safety requirements are met. Which enterprise meets the requirements will be the one to resume production.
"Second, to prevent the phenomenon of bosses fleeing and refusing to pay after an accident, and to truly take responsibility for the workers, a deposit system will be implemented. Yinggang Quarry and Goubeiwang Quarry must each submit a deposit of thirty thousand yuan. Qin Dajiang’s Quarry, Zeng Xiangang’s Quarry, and the quarry run by Xi Zhaoyong’s wife must each submit a deposit of twenty thousand yuan. You must voluntarily pay the full amount to the Enterprise Office within one month. If the deposit is not paid in full within one month, the supply of explosives will be stopped."
Upon hearing these two demands, Hou Weidong, Qin Dajiang, and others were stunned.
Hou Weidong’s mind raced. The Shangqinglin Quarry was supplying materials for a key county project—the Shayi Highway. After the suspension for rectification, the Transportation Bureau would be the most anxious. They would naturally communicate with, or rather, exert pressure on, the township government. However, paying a thirty-thousand-yuan deposit exceeded the financial capacity of the quarry bosses.
Qin Dajiang refused to accept this. He glared and said, "I have no money. If the township government can get the Transportation Bureau to settle the payments, I will pay the deposit."
Mayor Huang replied, "The Transportation Bureau does not owe the township government money. On what basis would we go to the Transportation Bureau?"
Zeng Xiangang also complained, "We really have no money. Let’s skip the deposit, or pay it a few months later."
Xi Zhaoyong, who operated the quarry in his wife’s name, was a police station officer. He had never taken Mayor Huang seriously. "Which article and clause stipulates the payment of a deposit?" he asked. "Collecting money without a legal basis is arbitrary charging."
Mayor Huang was momentarily speechless. After thinking for a while, he threatened, "If you do not pay the deposit, starting tomorrow, we will cut off your electricity and supply of explosives."