Yu Zhou hadn't expected trouble to arise from his hometown at a time like this. He knew his wife well enough to understand that if it wasn't a monumental issue, she wouldn't have called him at the factory. So, even though Jiang Jie hadn't explained everything clearly over the phone, Yu Zhou knew it was an urgent matter.
Seemingly sensing the new boss's distress, Liang Xiaohai immediately said, "We have a vehicle at the factory, a Little Flying Tiger bought last year. I'll have someone drive you there." This wasn't about showing loyalty; at this point, such gestures were unnecessary. He genuinely felt Yu Zhou's urgency and had no intention of being a hindrance. After all, this man was going to be his boss from now on, and his problems were their problems.
Yu Zhou didn't stand on ceremony and immediately got into the Little Flying Tiger, heading straight for the suburbs. The suburban area where Yu Zhou's parents lived wasn't far from the factory, about a twenty-minute drive. Not having to squeeze onto a bus, and with the factory staff knowing he was the new factory director rushing to an emergency, they reached his home in about fifteen minutes.
As soon as he got out of the car, Yu Zhou saw Jiang Jie waiting anxiously, but his parents were nowhere in sight. "What happened? What's wrong at home?" Yu Zhou asked Jiang Jie as soon as he got out. Seeing her like this, he felt a pang of nervousness. Jiang Jie, though not one to cause trouble, was generally composed. If it weren't for something major, she wouldn't be this flustered. It was clear that whatever had happened to make her lose her composure couldn't be a small matter.
"The land allocated to our village was being eyed by a group of people today who wanted to buy it all for a mere thousand yuan. My parents refused, and they almost came to blows," Jiang Jie explained. "Now, those people have already driven off to claim the land, and my parents have gone after them. Things are likely to escalate quickly."
Jiang Jie quickly recounted the entire incident, which turned out to be about land. Even though Yu Zhou's grandfather had been a factory worker and his household registration wasn't originally in this suburban area, he had let Yu Zhou take over his position when he was in his early fifties. Afterward, he returned to the countryside and, during land redistribution, received a family's share of land. Since it was only the elderly couple, and their two sons didn't have rural household registrations, the land they received wasn't much, just seven mu of contiguous land. However, this land was the couple's lifeline. Because Yu Zhou hadn't quite met the requirements for recruitment at the time, his grandfather, after working at the second factory his entire life, had given up his pension to let Yu Zhou fill his position. Therefore, for them, these seven mu of land represented their security in old age. The idea of selling it for a thousand yuan was absurd.
"A thousand yuan? For all our land?" Yu Zhou was stunned. Leaving aside the fact that he was now in business and knew that value was relative, buying seven mu of land for just a thousand yuan was nothing short of robbery. It was an insult not only to workers who earned around a hundred yuan a month but also to the value of the land itself.
"Yes, they're ignoring all objections and forcibly leveling our land. I was afraid something would happen, so I had no choice but to call the fruit processing plant..." Jiang Jie was also anxious, explaining the cause and effect to Yu Zhou as they walked. At this time, inland cities hadn't widely opened up to commercial housing. There weren't strict regulations regarding land sales. "Buying land" often meant a small payment to get rid of the owner, and then the land belonged to the buyer, regardless of the details. While such tactics might work against honest people, Yu Zhou wouldn't tolerate it when it targeted his family.
"This is a decision from the town. You have no right to interfere." "Yu Hongchang, don't be ungrateful." As Yu Zhou approached his family's land, he heard a man in a suit, with a pager on his belt and carrying a satchel, speaking harshly. He looked as if he could make anyone who crossed him suffer a terrible fate. In the center of the land, Yu Hongchang, his face flushed red, stood his ground. This was his lifeline. Not only was a thousand yuan unreasonable, but he wouldn't sell even for ten thousand. Furthermore, these people had clearly come with the intention of strong-arming them, so it was impossible for him to agree.
"Stop talking nonsense. This land is leased by my family. Without my signature, you can't take it away." "Don't think I don't know the law. I've contracted this land for fifty years. If you want to take it, fine, show me official documents from the town. Without official documents, there's nothing to discuss." Yu Hongchang was extremely uncomfortable, on the verge of rage. Their family had faced many troubles in the past year, often due to others bullying them. One or two instances might be tolerable, but now they were being harassed again. Wasn't this just bullying the honest people?
"If I tell you to let go, you let go. Why so much talk?" "To tell you the truth, we intended to get this land without paying a cent." "This is the location we've chosen to build a factory. If you obstruct us, the entire town will suffer because you've prevented investment." "Can you bear the responsibility for such a grave offense?" "I'm not afraid to tell you, today you will sell it whether you want to or not."
The man was clearly arrogant. Investing in a factory? Hearing his tone, Yu Zhou, who had rushed over, was also baffled. Had development progressed so rapidly? Could anyone just invest tens of thousands or even millions in a small town? He had to remember that this suburban area wasn't even part of Jiangbei City's core district yet. It was remote, and only after 2008, when the economy boomed, would it gradually be developed. There were still nearly twenty years until 2008, and someone was already trying to forcefully buy land here? Could they be scammers? Yu Zhou considered several possibilities but couldn't figure it out. If it was a scam, why target their land? Wouldn't they just make empty promises and try to fool the town officials?
It had to be admitted that Dushan Town, located in the suburbs of Jiangbei, had decent transportation, being only a twenty-minute drive from the factory district and about half an hour from the city center. However, economic development seemed truly lacking. What were they trying to do?