Chapter 36 The Two Demands

Inside the Regulatory Committee building, in the fourth-floor reception room, Ouyang Zhen, the chief of the Regional Security Inspection Department, sat in the head chair on the left side of the room with only his personal secretary.

A short while later, Riel, the chairman of the Regulatory Committee, who had just finished a phone call with the upper echelons, entered the reception room with seven or eight people, even equipped with secretarial staff.

According to convention, conversations of this level should have a secretary to record the content, but today's atmosphere was clearly not suitable for that procedure. Riel's move was intended to put psychological pressure on Ouyang Zhen.

Ouyang Zhen glanced at Riel and said expressionlessly, "If the following conversation needs to be recorded, then we'll have it another way."

Riel grinned. "You misunderstand, Mr. Ouyang. I thought you needed secretarial staff."

With that, Riel's secretary waved for the stenographers to leave, and the others bent over to take their seats.

Ouyang Zhen was too lazy to pay attention to such petty tricks. Seeing everyone seated, he went straight to the point. "We won't discuss who initiated this conversation. It's pointless. Let's talk about the results directly. What do you think?"

"Of course. Both our times are precious," Riel said, picking up a cigar and having his secretary light it for him.

Ouyang Zhen looked at him and said, "Based on the current situation in Dragon City..."

"Excuse me, I'd like to interrupt you for a moment, Mr. Ouyang." Riel frowned, cutting Ouyang Zhen off. "Before the conversation begins, we need to know the truth about two things. This is very important. First, are the extremist elements who killed the people from the Bao Long Corporation currently at Li Mingsheng's house? Second, has Director Liu Changming of the Victory District Police Department, who has an outstanding work record, been killed?"

Ouyang Zhen frowned as he listened to the other party's words. "That's not important."

"No, no, it's very important. It concerns whether our mayor is personally involved in criminal activity," Riel waved his hand.

Ouyang Zhen looked at the old fox who was evading the issue and tapped the table, replying with a frown, "I can tell you that Liu Changming has been killed because he wanted to assassinate the mayor of Dragon City. As for the talk of suspects, it's completely a rumor, a malicious smear."

"We need to verify..."

"Enough, Chairman Riel!" Ouyang Zhen interrupted unceremoniously. "You know best whether you want to kill Li Mingsheng! If you want to take the initiative in the negotiation, then this method is too low-level. I don't have time to waste here talking in circles with you."

"What is 'talking in circles'?" Riel looked blank; his Chinese proficiency didn't allow him to understand the idiom.

Ouyang Zhen calmed himself down, looked at the old bastard, and said directly, "We have two demands: First, the Bao Long Corporation must pay for this mining disaster. We won't pursue the big issues, but the small issues must be fully addressed. Compensation cannot be reduced, fines cannot be reduced, and the handling of relevant personnel must have credibility. Second, the Regulatory Committee's absolute power has affected the implementation of various government orders and municipal decisions in Dragon City. This is not conducive to the development of a city, so the power distribution must be renegotiated, such as the power to appoint personnel, etc."

Riel looked at Ouyang Zhen in disbelief. "Oh, my God! You want to weaken the Regulatory Committee's power? Are you kidding me?!"

"Excessive power must be checked and balanced."

"Mr. Ouyang, I advise you to pay attention to your position when you speak. The Regulatory Committee exists to ensure the interests of the Great District. The funds spent on this main city combined could reach the moon!" Riel responded equally excitedly. "Weaken the Regulatory Committee's power? What happens if Dragon City becomes uncontrollable? Oh, yes, I remember, you are a Chinese with yellow skin and black eyes. Your remarks have a nationalistic standpoint!"

"Bullshit!" Ouyang Zhen immediately stood up to retort when he saw the other party attacking him. "I am Chinese, and I am also a leader in an important department of District One. I understand my position. If you have any doubts, I can take out my naturalization declaration and household registration book for you to see. Weakening the Regulatory Committee's power is only because the absolute power of this department has affected the orderly development of Dragon City! You know best how corrupt it is here! The Regulatory Committee's credibility is declining, especially among those Regulatory Committee leaders who are already half-buried in the ground. They have to wear dentures when they eat, and they need healthcare physicians and respirators during meetings. They are too old to take care of themselves, so how can they drive the development of a city with nearly ten million people?"

"You damned fool, are you attacking me?!" Riel threw his cigar away diagonally in anger, hitting his stunned secretary on the head.

"Gentlemen, calm down, calm down!" The secretary knocked the cigar off his head and immediately stood up to劝 said.

"Alright, alright, let's not argue. It's pointless." Ouyang Zhen calmed himself down and looked up at the aging Riel. "The two demands I just mentioned to you are not Li Mingsheng's attitude, nor are they mine personally, but the attitude of the entire Minzheng Dang faction. These two demands are not negotiable. If the Regulatory Committee does not make concessions, then today's Real News station report will definitely not be the end. The protest activities of various associations in Dragon City may continue, and this event will receive attention from the entire District One population. We will use all our resources to let the people of District One see what the Regulatory Committee has been doing here!"

"Are you trying to incite a second war of independence?!"

"I agree with your statement that, when necessary, a more radical approach may be the most effective." Ouyang Zhen ignored the other party's threat, dropped a sentence, and turned to leave.

Riel had been staying up late for several days in a row, and his body couldn't take it anymore. He was further sprayed by Ouyang Zhen, and his mentality exploded on the spot, causing rapid breathing.

He certainly couldn't smoke a cigar, so he had to urgently put on a Sofy diaper and go to the infirmary for an IV drip.

...

Around 8:40 p.m.

Inside the Bao Long Mining Company, the group of executives waiting for Yang Decheng to return had not left yet. Instead, they had ordered some takeout, eating and chatting.

"Hey, Daming, do you still have that chili sauce in your locker?" a middle-aged man asked with a smile.

"Yeah, go get it." The other person threw out the key to his personal locker.

The middle-aged man took it and turned to walk towards the personal storage area.

Outside the office, the company's ordinary staff had already left, and the cleaning staff had also finished work. The entire corridor was very dark.

The middle-aged man reached out and pulled open the door, just about to step inside.

"Boom!!!"

Suddenly, an explosion that echoed throughout the entire district resounded through the night without warning.

Before the group of executives in the office could react, they instantly felt the entire building shaking violently, followed by countless bricks, tiles, dust, and flames spreading towards them.

...

On the street back to the mining company, Yang Decheng was sending a text message on his phone.

"Squeak!"

Suddenly, the driver slammed on the brakes because a tricycle had fallen diagonally in front of them, blocking the road.

Just as the car stopped, a man in a blue uniform walked over from the side of the road, wearing a mask, and knocked on Yang Decheng's car window.