63: Chapter 63 The Coldness of Lake Mining Township

In November, the weather in Hukuang Township was so cold that even a runny nose would freeze.

The coal mine had been shut down for three months, and the workers had waited from autumn into winter, from being full of hope to falling into utter despair.

At first, General Manager Wan Baolai would come out every few days to say that it would be soon, that operations would resume immediately, but later on, his shadow couldn't even be seen.

Wages were four months in arrears, and not a single cent had been paid.

There were those whose families couldn't even afford a meal, those waiting for money to pay their children's tuition, and those whose elderly parents were sick with no money for medical treatment.

The workers would gather to smoke, curse a few times, and then disperse, with no one willing to be the one to stick their neck out.

Until Guo Changlin stood up...

Guo Changlin was forty-six years old and had worked at the mine for twenty years, going from a sturdy young man to someone with greying temples.

He didn't say much, but he worked honestly, and he held some prestige among the workers.

The day he stood up, he didn't preach any big principles; he just said one thing.

"If we don't speak up now, we won't be able to get through this year."

With just that one sentence, he moved the hearts of dozens of people.

That afternoon, the workers at the mine agreed to go to the mine the next morning to demand their wages.

General Manager Wan Baolai found out the news that same evening; he was in a private room at Cuiyun Villa, with his arm around a young girl, a table full of food and wine spread out before him.

After hearing his subordinate's report, he sneered and slammed his wine glass onto the table.

"Demand money? I'll demand their damn lives."

General Manager Wan Baolai picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Old Hu, bring your men tomorrow morning. There are a few people who don't know what's good for them and want to cause trouble."

A hoarse voice came from the other end of the line: "General Manager Wan, what's the scale?"

General Manager Wan Baolai narrowed his eyes and said: "Just don't kill them, anything else is fine."

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, people gathered at the mine.

Guo Changlin stood at the very front, followed by thirty-some workers.

They wore tattered cotton-padded jackets, their hands tucked into their sleeves, breathing out white mist, waiting for General Manager Wan Baolai to come out and give an explanation.

After waiting for more than half an hour, General Manager Wan Baolai didn't show up, but a dilapidated minibus did.

The door opened, and more than twenty men jumped out, wielding iron bars and pickaxe handles.

The leader was a bald man surnamed Hu, nicknamed Boss Hu, who was the head of the thugs raised by General Manager Wan Baolai.

Guo Changlin's heart sank, but he still bit the bullet and took a step forward.

"We are here to ask for our wages, not to cause trouble. Let General Manager Wan come out and talk."

Boss Hu, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, squinted at him and said: "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Guo Changlin, and I've worked at the mine for twenty years."

"Worked for twenty years?"

Boss Hu spat on the ground and sneered: "Worked for twenty years and still a poor wretch, you have the nerve to say that."

Boss Hu waved his hand and said: "Beat them."

As soon as the words fell, that group of people pounced like starving wolves.

An iron bar landed on Guo Changlin's leg with a muffled thud.

Guo Changlin let out a scream and fell to the ground.

Immediately followed by a few more blows, he clutched his legs and rolled on the ground, his screams ringing through the morning at the mining area.

Other workers wanted to go up and help, but were blocked by that group of people.

Iron bars danced wildly, pickaxe handles flew, and the workers were beaten and fled in all directions.

A few who ran slowly were pinned to the ground and beaten until their heads were bloody.

The whole process took less than ten minutes.

After finishing the beating, Boss Hu squatted in front of Guo Changlin, looked at his curled-up body, and said coldly: "Guo Changlin, right?"

"Remember, in this mine, General Manager Wan has the final say."

"If you dare to lead trouble again, next time it won't be as simple as breaking your legs."

He stood up, waved his hand, and the group got into the minibus and drove away.

Only then did the workers dare to crowd around. Guo Changlin lay on the ground, his face deathly pale, his two legs twisted at a strange angle.

He was covered in sweat from the pain, but couldn't say a word.

"Quick, quick, call 120!"

"What about the police station? Call the police!"

Someone took out a mobile phone, just about to dial, when two people walked out from the crowd.

One was surnamed Ma, the other surnamed Sun, both old workers at the mine.

When they were discussing demanding wages earlier, the two of them had been the most active and the loudest.

The worker surnamed Ma stopped the person calling and said coldly: "Don't report it."

That person was stunned and said: "Why?"

The worker surnamed Ma lowered his head, not daring to look into Guo Changlin's eyes.

"It's useless even if you report it."

"What can the police station do even if they come? The people have run away, and General Manager Wan won't admit to it."

"When that time comes, we'll be the ones suffering the consequences."

The worker surnamed Sun also echoed: "Exactly, exactly, let's go back first and think this over carefully."

The other workers looked at each other, not knowing who to listen to.

Just at this moment, a van drove over.

The door opened, and several men in work uniforms got out.

The one leading them was recognized by all the workers; he was General Manager Wan Baolai's confidant, the second-in-command at the mine.

"Fellow workers!"

"General Manager Wan asked me to come and tell everyone that he knows about today's incident."

"Those who laid hands on you were not from the mine; they were from outside, and General Manager Wan is currently investigating."

"Everyone rest assured, General Manager Wan said that although the mine is in difficulties, he can't let everyone have no money for the New Year."

"Starting tomorrow, we will first pay one month's wages, everyone come and collect it!"

As soon as these words were out, the workers were stunned.

"Really?"

"General Manager Wan said it himself, could it be fake?"

That man smiled and said: "Everyone go back for now, and come to collect the money tomorrow."

"As for Master Guo's matter, General Manager Wan said he would personally pay ten thousand yuan for medical expenses first, and settle accounts with those who attacked later."

The workers looked at one another; the expressions on their faces changed from anger to bewilderment, and then from bewilderment to relief.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go back first."

"Come to collect the money tomorrow, don't miss it."

The crowd began to disperse, and Guo Changlin lay on the ground, watching those who had just been standing with him turn and leave one by one.

He wanted to shout but couldn't make a sound; he wanted to move but couldn't.

The worker surnamed Ma and the worker surnamed Sun walked at the very back. When they passed by him, the worker surnamed Ma squatted down and said in a low voice: "Old Guo, don't blame us."

"It was General Manager Wan who sought us out; you shouldn't cause trouble anymore, nothing good will come of it if you keep going."

"If your leg is broken, it's broken. Take the ten thousand yuan and go home to recover; it's better than losing your life."

Guo Changlin glared at him, his eyes bloodshot.

The worker surnamed Ma didn't dare to look into his eyes, stood up, and walked away quickly.

The mining area was empty, and Guo Changlin lay alone on the cold ground, shivering from the pain.

I don't know how long it had been, but finally, the sound of police sirens rang out in the distance.

The police car from the Hukuang Township Police Station drove in, and Director Li Zhongmin jumped out of the car; seeing Guo Changlin on the ground, his expression changed instantly.

"Quick, lift him into the car!"

Several policemen busily lifted Guo Changlin into the car. Director Li Zhongmin squatted beside him, looking at his two deformed legs, his teeth grinding together.

"Master Guo, who did this?"

Guo Changlin opened his mouth, but couldn't make a sound.

Director Li Zhongmin patted his hand and said: "Don't speak, let's go to the hospital first."

"I'll find witnesses later, I will definitely get justice for you."

The police car drove toward the county seat. In the car, Guo Changlin closed his eyes, tears sliding down from the corners of his eyes.

He wasn't crying because of the pain, but because his heart was cold.

Those people were all his fellow workers of many years.

They had gone down into the pit together, sweated together, cursed General Manager Wan Baolai together, and drank loose liquor together.

They had agreed to bear it together, agreed that no one could back down.

But the moment they turned around, they...

Hukuang Township, Police Station.

After sending Guo Changlin off, Director Li Zhongmin took the policemen back to the mine to conduct interviews. He wanted to find some witnesses, some people willing to testify.

He visited over a dozen households, and not a single one would speak up.

"Saw what? Didn't see anything, I was sleeping at home at the time."

"Guo Changlin? He must have fallen on his own, right? He's so old, his legs aren't good."

"The ones who hit him? Didn't see, don't know."

Director Li Zhongmin stood in the courtyard of Guo Changlin's home, feeling a tightness in his chest.

Guo Changlin's wife sat on the threshold, her eyes red and swollen, not saying a word.

Beside her stood two children, the older one fourteen or fifteen, the younger one only seven or eight, looking at him timidly.

"Sister-in-law, rest assured, I will definitely investigate this case to the end."

The woman raised her head, looked at him, and suddenly knelt down.

"Director Li, I beg you, stop investigating."

Director Li Zhongmin was stunned.

"They said that if you keep investigating, they'll take our whole family's lives."

The woman's tears flowed down as she said: "Old Guo's legs are already broken, we can't let him lose his life too."

"I still have two children; I can't let them lose their father too..."

Director Li Zhongmin helped her up, wanting to say something, but found he couldn't say anything at all.

He walked out of the courtyard, stood on the dirt road, and looked toward the coal mine in the distance.

The sun had set, and the mining area was pitch black, like a giant graveyard.

From behind him, the crying of those two children came out; it seemed that some things still required power to be accomplished...

Director Li Zhongmin began to regret not leaving with Xu Weidong; he had thought that things could be accomplished by relying on conscience...

He never imagined that in the eyes of some people, it was just a joke...

Three days later, Guo Changlin returned home from the hospital.

Both legs were broken, and the doctor said that even if he could stand up again, he wouldn't be able to do heavy work.

The ten thousand yuan from General Manager Wan Baolai was delivered by the worker surnamed Ma.

"Old Guo, General Manager Wan said that this matter is over. You focus on recovering, and don't cause trouble anymore."

Guo Changlin lay on the bed, looking at him, and didn't speak.

The worker surnamed Ma stood awkwardly for a while, placed the money on the table, and then left.