When Vice Mayor Xie Chenglin arrived by car, the sight before him made his scalp prickle.
Several hundred residents facing forced relocation had surrounded the staff of Qingfa Real Estate and the demolition company. The enraged crowd had even begun shoving the district police officers maintaining order.
District Party Secretary He Zaiwen, District Chief Feng Shuliang, district public security bureau Director Cai Li, and the other officials were sweating with anxiety. Someone burning-or falling-to death was already trouble enough. If they mishandled this and caused an even bigger disaster, they would have a hundred percent chance of being held accountable, over a sixty percent chance of being removed from their posts, and at least a thirty percent chance of disciplinary dismissal... Their chances of emerging unscathed were practically zero!
"Everyone, listen to me. Sun Guoyun has been taken to the hospital for emergency treatment. This was just an accident, an accident. Please stay calm. On behalf of the district Party committee and district government, I promise we will give the injured man's family a satisfactory explanation..."
He Zaiwen shouted through a megaphone, but his words did little to calm the anger of the injured man's relatives and the residents who remained.
The horrific scene they had just witnessed was seared into their minds. As someone had said, if they did not seize this chance to fight for their rights to the death, they would be the next victims of oppression and persecution.
Escorted by urban management enforcement officers and police, Xie Chenglin joined He Zaiwen and the others, immediately took the megaphone, and addressed the restless crowd in a powerful voice.
"I am Vice Mayor Xie Chenglin. On behalf of the municipal government, I solemnly promise that we will handle this accident properly and require the developer and demolition company