There were many possible angles from which to approach a news story. Looking at the same thing from different perspectives could also lead to different conclusions.
In this regard, Director Ma had more experience than we did.
To the Demolition Office, Workers and Peasants Sixth Village and the other Workers and Peasants residential compounds were all difficult buildings to demolish. This wasn't a shantytown, and the living conditions weren't bad enough to make demolition absolutely necessary. So the residents here usually didn't just want a larger apartment as compensation. They also had demands regarding the environment around their homes, the location, and even whether there were good schools nearby.
All things considered, Workers and Peasants Sixth Village had a fairly strong desire to be demolished.
The neighboring team had already run into several residents who refused to move no matter what. The Demolition Office and the neighborhood committee took turns trying to persuade them, and were exhausted by the effort.
There was no right or wrong in this kind of conflict.
Cities had to develop and be planned, which meant changing existing buildings. But real-world urban development wasn't like clicking a mouse in a game. Nor could the government issue an order, mark a plot of land for development, and simply wait for the countdown to end before construction was complete.
The five of us sat in the office drafting the story, discussing revisions together. We wrote a little over three thousand words, then prepared a condensed version. After that, I went to report to Director Ma.
Director Ma read it over, asked me a few questions about the details, then said, "We've reached an agreement with the TV station. Your leader will be the one interviewed on our side. The program will focus on left-behind children."
Xu Gang probably