Chapter 23 Continue to Tinker

  The village branch secretaries looked at Liu Li and then whispered to each other, finally making a proposal: the ten village committees would take turns inviting Liu Li to dinner, ordering whatever he wanted to eat or drink, with one condition - Liu Li had to waive the fine.

  After they finished discussing the proposal among themselves, seeing that Liu Li did not respond, the village accountant from Du's Village said: "Officer Liu, I won't hide it from you either. Those workshops have been operating in our village for many years and have made some contributions to the village."

  We also know that they don't have the proper procedures, but if they did, they wouldn't choose to set up their workshop in our village, they would go straight to the development zone.

  "Officer Liu, our village relies on these small workshops for income. If you were to shut them all down, we would have no source of economic income in the future. Please show mercy and just fine them symbolically, then let them continue operating."

  "Symbolic fines? How much?" Liu Li asked back, then got up and walked to the equipment cabinet in front of him. The equipment cabinet was where police equipment was stored, including each civilian policeman's personal gear and some private items.

  Liu Li rummaged through the cabinet and found a pack of cigarettes and a lighter: "I don't smoke, so I didn't prepare any cigarettes. You guys came over, not even bringing water to drink, it's too much. This is some good tobacco stored by Deputy Director Tian, you all try some."

  "Wow... this is really good tobacco, twenty yuan a box! I didn't know Deputy Director Tian had such good stuff stored away. No wonder it was hidden so well, haha... today we're benefiting from Officer Liu's good fortune, otherwise we wouldn't have gotten to smoke this good stuff." Liu Li's actions made the atmosphere in the duty room much more relaxed.

  "How about a small workshop paying 500 yuan in fines? This number shouldn't be too little, right? However, I need to add that after paying the fine, the rectification is exempted, and your police station can't continue to investigate them." A village branch secretary smiled and continued the previous topic after lighting a cigarette.

  "That's not acceptable, the fine is actually a joke, those small workshops can't even pay one cent of the fine, but they must be suspended for rectification. Only after the industrial and commercial, land tax, national land, fire protection, safety supervision, quality supervision, and environmental protection departments have checked and accepted, can they continue to operate and produce. Before that, all workshops will stop production." Liu Li's words left no room for negotiation.

  After hearing Liu Li's words, the village branch secretaries frowned: "Officer Liu, if we really follow your proposal to rectify and then invite those departmental personnel to come over for acceptance, these small workshops will not be black workshops but regular enterprises. In that case, do we still need to come here to plead with you?"

  "To be honest, aren't you just going to those small workshops to fine them some money? How about this: after we go back, we'll do some work with the people in charge of those workshops and let them pay a fine of 1,000 yuan each. This matter will be settled, and during holidays, let the people in charge of those workshops show some respect to Officer Liu. Everyone will get along harmoniously, how's that?"

  Upon hearing this, Liu Li smiled: "Hehe... I suppose you leaders still haven't figured out one thing, which is that we want to deal with those black workshops for the sake of your village's safety, for the sake of the masses, not just to collect fines."

  I understand what you all mean. Alright, let the leaders go back first and have those small workshop owners come here to prepare a case, then suspend business for rectification, handle operating procedures, and wait for inspection.

  "Alright, after you all go back, please inform the people in charge of those small workshops that starting from tonight, we will begin to visit each household. If during our visits, we find out that those small workshops are still secretly operating and producing, then we will directly arrest them."

  All the village branch secretaries saw Liu Li being so uncooperative, and their faces couldn't help but look a bit ugly: "Officer Liu, from what you're saying, it seems like you don't want to give us face. You've just arrived, maybe you're not familiar with the situation in each of our villages in Deyang Township."

  Although we are all branch secretaries in some villages, we also have some abilities in our respective villages. We often deal with the police station and when police officers go to the village to find someone, it is us who lead the way.

  If you give us face today, then in the future we will also give Officer Liu face and cooperate with every one of your tasks. When it's time to eat, we'll treat you to a good meal.

  "But if Officer Liu loses face today, who knows, we might also lose face in the police station later. That would be embarrassing for both of us. We're all doing public service, why ruin personal relationships over official business?"

  "I don't have any personal feelings with you, and even if I did, it's not like it would make a difference." After saying this, Liu Li pointed to the door: "You all can leave slowly, I won't see you out. Also, let me declare one thing: without your cooperation, our police station's work will still be completed, and it will even be done better."

  As soon as Liu Li's words fell, those village branch secretaries had already figured it out. Liu Li didn't plan to give them face. Seeing Liu Li's firm attitude, the village branch secretaries' faces sank: "We only know that the police are in charge of catching people and solving cases, but we didn't know they could also be in charge of economic development."

  "Economic development? Are you referring to those small workshops that have no procedures and cause serious environmental pollution?" Liu Li asked back.

  Upon hearing Liu Li's counter-question, a village branch secretary puffed out a smoke ring and said slowly: "Of course, those small workshops are enterprises that the village has attracted through investment promotion. Although their procedures are not complete, their quality is slightly poor, and they have some pollution, every year they can pay a fee to the village committee, and also solve the problem of villagers finding work. Isn't this economic development?"

  Additionally, please forgive me for speaking bluntly, small workshops without proper procedures producing products is under the jurisdiction of the Administration for Industry and Commerce, unqualified fire safety facilities are under the jurisdiction of the Fire Brigade, unqualified product quality is under the jurisdiction of the Quality Supervision Bureau, hidden dangers in the factory site are under the jurisdiction of the Land Management Bureau, polluting the surrounding air is under the jurisdiction of the Environmental Protection Bureau. None of these relevant departments have said to rectify, what right do you have to order people to suspend business and rectify?

  "Hmph... Let's put it this way, if we don't agree, no one can shut down those workshops in the village. Do you believe that? Unless, Officer Liu, you have the ability to get all the relevant departments to join forces and enforce the law together."

  However, we are not afraid to tell you the truth. In fact, those functional departments have been settled by us, otherwise our village's small workshops would have been banned long ago and wouldn't be left until now.

  I thought we could have a good talk and negotiate, but I didn't expect that you, as a police officer, wouldn't understand the rules and wouldn't take us seriously. Since that's the case, let's see who has the harder backbone.

  You go check, the remaining workshops, neither sell smuggled goods nor use fake trademarks, nor produce counterfeit products. I'll see how you deal with those workshops?

  Let's put the ugly words first, if it's a joint law enforcement by various departments, our village committees will actively cooperate with the work. But if only your police station people go to investigate, we suggest that those workshop owners go to petition and tell you that the police are overstepping their authority." After finishing speaking, these village branch secretaries walked away with cold smiles on their faces.