At the end of January, just as the whole country was putting up festive decorations in preparation for Chinese New Year, Wang Ye's private jet landed at Saint Petersburg Airport.
Local officials had long been waiting there. Wang Ye strode down the airstairs, his entourage filing out behind him.
After shaking hands with the mayor of Saint Petersburg, who had come to receive him, Wang Ye skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.
"How are things now?"
The mayor answered with a pained expression, "We've already sent a task force into Pikalyovo and spoken with the workers several times, but their stance is extremely firm. They insist that all overdue wages must be paid immediately before they resume work and production. Otherwise, they refuse to return to work, and they won't allow us to send anyone into the plant."
Wang Ye frowned and pressed on, "What about the Rusal Group headquarters? What did they say?"
The mayor's expression grew even worse. Spreading his hands helplessly, he said, "Their position is the same. They said they won't release the wages until they thoroughly audit the local aluminum plant's accounts. They even said they intend to file a lawsuit and resolve the matter through legal channels.
"But the problem is that legal proceedings could drag on for a long time, and we can't wait that long here.
"The heating and hot water have already been cut off for three or four days. Some residential areas in Saint Petersburg have also been affected, and the public is already full of complaints. If this drags on much longer, the city itself may descend into chaos."
Wang Ye nodded without saying more. He simply strode toward the convoy waiting nearby, with the local officials and his entourage following closely behind.
Once inside the