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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Six: The Conversation Between Father and Son
"What is it?" several members of the demolition team, including Glasses Man, asked almost simultaneously.
What they most wanted to see was the residents willing to sign. Although demolition work was their primary duty, Director Zhao had assigned them a task: they needed to complete five households within a day to meet the goal. Exceeding that would earn them rewards, but failing to meet it would result in penalties. They had only completed four households so far; otherwise, they wouldn't have come to Zhang Qiu's home to face this trouble. Everyone knew that not long ago, the thugs hired by Director Zhao had beaten the head of this household into the hospital.
Zhang Zhi Hua looked at Glasses Man, sighed repeatedly, and after a while, steeled himself and said, "My son has been sent home by the school for reflection. I hope he can return to class. If you can make that happen, I will sign immediately without hesitation."
Glasses Man exchanged glances with Backcombed Hair and nodded, saying, "Alright, we will take care of this. Shall we sign?"
"Sure," Zhang Zhi Hua replied.
"Dad..." Zhang Qiu felt a storm brewing inside him, and his eyes became slightly moist. His father had compromised; even violence hadn't made him yield, but now he was willing to give up the hard-earned family business for his sake. No, this couldn't happen. Zhang Qiu suddenly lifted his head and snatched the contract from Glasses Man's briefcase, tearing it into shreds with a few quick motions.
In the astonished gazes of everyone present, Zhang Qiu shouted loudly, "No way! We can't sign anything!"
Zhang Zhi Hua slammed his hand on the table: "I am in charge of this family." His tone was authoritative and left no room for doubt.
Glasses Man quickly added, "We can communicate with the school to let your child return to school." He then turned to Zhang Qiu and said, "If you sign the contract, you can go back to school. Plus, if you sign now, other families are getting an extra five square meters; that's worth over twenty thousand yuan—what a great deal."
"How can you be so sure that I can go back? Beiluan No. 1 High School is known for its strictness," Qiu Wan said as she looked at Zhang Zhi Hua. "Dad, don't let these people deceive you."
Hearing this from Zhang Qiu made Zhang Zhi Hua doubt as well. He said to Glasses Man, "How about this: once my son is back in school, you bring the contract for me to sign."
Seeing the opportunity slipping away, Glasses Man hurriedly reassured Zhang Zhi Hua: "You can rest assured about this matter; we will definitely get it done. Director Chen has emphasized that demolition work is currently a top priority; no one or organization can obstruct it. All major departments in the county and various enterprises are mobilized to contribute to the development of Beilan County. Just listen—these are Director Chen's exact words. Are you still worried?"
Zhang Qiu scoffed disdainfully: "So a leader's word can change regulations? Ha! That's just laughable."
Zhang Zhi Hua sighed in relief and said, "Fine, I'll sign. I hope you can expedite this process and not drag it out."
"Dad," Zhang Qiu called out loudly, "it's just a reflection period; it's not worth sacrificing our house for this. The government keeps rolling out policies; they wouldn't dare forcefully demolish." Zhang Qiu was anxious; he truly didn't want his family to suffer losses because of him. If that happened, he would feel extremely guilty.
Zhang Zhi Hua waved his hand at Zhang Qiu and said, "Don't worry about it. Even if it's just one, it's still good for school. You don't need to concern yourself with this; after all, I am the one in charge of this family. Just sign." After saying that, he ignored the impatient Zhang Qiu and turned to Glasses Man, asking, "Do you have the contract?"
"Yes, yes," Glasses Man hurriedly pulled out a contract and personally handed the pen to Zhang Zhi Hua.
Zhang Zhi Hua quickly skimmed through the contract, sat up straight, and solemnly signed his name. After signing, he said, "Make sure to take care of my son's matters promptly."
Seeing that Zhang Zhi Hua had signed, Glasses Man and the others all breathed a sigh of relief. Today's task was considered complete, and they had managed to secure such a difficult agreement. When they returned to report to Director Zhao, he would surely reward them. Glasses Man stood up with a smile and said, "Mr. Zhang, I wish us a pleasant cooperation!"
Zhang Zhi Hua nodded and reminded once more, "Make sure to take care of my child's matters."
Glasses Man patted his chest in assurance, saying, "Don't worry; by tomorrow at the latest, your son will definitely be able to go to school." After that, he carefully placed the contract into his briefcase and prepared to leave.
"Zhang Qiu, see them off," Zhang Zhi Hua instructed.
Reluctantly, Zhang Qiu responded with a grunt. He was still immersed in regret over his father's signing just moments ago. It was all because of him that things turned out this way. Watching the smiling faces of Glasses Man and Backcombed Hair filled him with rage; he wanted nothing more than to punch their fat faces. However, Zhang Qiu had no choice but to suppress his anger and see Glasses Man and the others out.
At the entrance, Glasses Man said to Zhang Qiu, "You have a great father. We will take care of your matters as soon as possible. Make sure to study well."
"Get lost!" Zhang Qiu slammed the door shut.
Returning to the living room, Zhang Qiu hurriedly said to Zhang Zhi Hua, "Dad, how could you sign that?"
Zhang Zhi Hua smiled but did not rush to answer. He patted the seat beside him and said, "I know you don't understand. Sit down; let's have a good talk."
After sitting next to Zhang Zhi Hua, he asked, "Are you feeling particularly confused about this?"
Zhang Qiu nodded.
Zhang Zhi Hua explained, "The relocation project is something that is primarily managed by the county. Anyone who tries to obstruct it is like an ant trying to stop a chariot. It's like facing a flood; you are about to be submerged—are you going to run away or futilely try to block it with a sack?"
"Run away," Zhang Qiu replied weakly.
"This is it. You just said it; they have their eyes on our land. They have the power and the money, can you stop them?"
"No."
"Then that's settled. No one can stop this. Your uncle called today, and he meant for our family to sign. As the deputy director, he is under a lot of pressure regarding this matter. According to your uncle, when the tax bureau director's house was facing demolition, he was the first to sign, and it was reported on television."
Zhang Qiu snorted softly and remained silent.
Zhang Zhi Hua continued, "Our house will definitely be demolished. The neighbors, including us, are against it because the compensation plan is unreasonable. Everyone wants it to be higher, right?"
Zhang Qiu nodded.
Zhang Zhi Hua added, "But that compensation is quite illusory. Once they decide, even if it changes, it won't be much higher. Real estate developers are not philanthropists; if they can give us a little less exploitation, that would be a blessing. Even if we don't sign today, we will have to sign tomorrow or later. If I sign now, you can go back to school, your uncle won't have to bear the pressure from the county anymore, and our family will gain an extra five square meters. Looking at it another way, aren't we making a profit?"
Zhang Qiu silently nodded. Undoubtedly, what his father said was correct; he had been too simplistic in his thinking about this matter.
Zhang Zhi Hua continued, "In the grand scheme of things, nothing is that important; money can always be earned back. For our family, what is the most important thing?"
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