Biao Biao drove at breakneck speed, and within an hour, they were on the highway. Only when he confirmed no one was chasing them did everyone truly relax.
Liu Yong, though very weak, seemed somewhat excited. "Er Jian, I never expected you to come all this way to save me. Why didn't you give me a heads-up?"
Yang Jian didn't want to talk to him and ignored him.
Liu Chao, however, retorted directly, "Brother, what have you done? If it weren't for your two young nephews, we really wouldn't have risked coming to save you. And you want a heads-up? Do you know how much Brother Jian spent, over twenty thousand yuan, not including travel expenses, to hire someone else for this operation today?"
"I'm sorry, Er Jian. I've caused you trouble. I got carried away, I was foolish, and I was tricked into gambling, which led to this situation today."
"Don't tell me you're sorry. Have you even thought about how this will be resolved? What will happen to those workers if they don't get their wages?"
Yang Jian finally couldn't hold back and yelled at Liu Yong.
"All those workers went to the town government today, so they should get their wages. It's just that if we don't get the money for this project, you've lost so much money. I can only repay you slowly in the future."
"Don't talk to me about repaying me later. I just want to ask you, what if the town government can't solve the problem of the migrant workers' wages?"
"I have no way. I can only repay you slowly later."
Before Liu Yong could finish speaking, his body suddenly leaned towards Yong Li beside him.
"Yong Ge, what's wrong?"
Jing Yong Li quickly supported him and realized he had fainted.
Yang Jian, sitting in the passenger seat, looked back and knew the situation was serious.
"Biao Biao, Yong Ge is not doing well. Speed up, find the nearest exit to get off the highway. We need to go to the hospital."
"Alright, hold on tight."
Biao Biao stepped on the accelerator, and the car's speed shot up to 160 kilometers per hour.
"Xiao Chao, pinch your brother's philtrum and see if he can wake up."
None of them had any first-aid knowledge. Yang Jian could only try a method he'd seen in movies.
Liu Chao pinched Liu Yong's philtrum twice, but there was no reaction.
Everyone was extremely anxious. If they didn't get to a hospital quickly, Liu Yong might die in the car.
Fortunately, ten minutes later, they saw an exit named Yun County. Less than ten kilometers off the highway was Yun County town.
The condition was serious. After asking two passersby, Biao Biao drove the car directly into Yun County People's Hospital.
After emergency treatment, Liu Yong finally woke up, but his mind was not clear. Following the emergency doctor's advice, they performed a full-body examination.
Two hours later, all the examination results were out.
"Are you the patient Liu Yong's family? His condition is very serious. He has severe spleen and lung damage, two fractured ribs, a broken left arm, and a concussion. He has soft tissue injuries in over a dozen places. Was the patient subjected to severe beatings before?"
When he received the test report, the attending doctor asked Yang Jian and the others with a serious expression.
Yang Jian nodded. "Yes, we are all Liu Yong's relatives. He was beaten at the construction site. We planned to take him back to our hometown, but he fainted on the highway."
"Also, through urine and blood tests, he has a history of drug use."
"Doctor, how should he be treated?"
"Your accents suggest you are from out of province. It's inconvenient for the patient to travel long distances now. He needs to be hospitalized. Given that it's inconvenient for you as outsiders here, I suggest he stay in the hospital for at least three days until his condition stabilizes before leaving. Afterward, go to a provincial or municipal hospital for further examination and treatment. Our equipment here is too backward. I estimate that even if this patient recovers, he will have serious sequelae."
"Okay, he'll stay for three days. Please handle the hospitalization procedures, Doctor."
Lives were at stake, and Yang Jian had to accept the doctor's advice. They would deal with the sequelae later.
The hospital fees were not expensive. Liu Chao swiped his bank card, paid two thousand yuan, completed the hospitalization procedures, and stayed to look after Liu Yong.
Yang Jian, along with Biao Biao and Jing Yong Li, booked two rooms at a hotel near the hospital.
Baoping Town Government.
Manager Chen was summoned by Town Mayor Hu, who was in charge of construction. The local workers were causing a lot of trouble. They had not only blocked the main gate but also brought their elderly and children to protest, resorting to all sorts of disruptive behavior. The situation was extremely serious and completely disrupted the normal work of the unit.
"Manager Chen, the issue of migrant workers' wages is being closely monitored from top to bottom. Why are you, as the construction party, withholding wages from migrant workers?"
Town Mayor Hu was thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, with a refined appearance and glasses, but his tone was stern.
"Town Mayor, it's not that we're withholding wages. We've already advanced a significant amount of funds for the construction here. According to our contract with the power plant, due to the Chinese New Year, before the project funding milestone is reached, and after the basement is completed before the festival, all labor wages are to be paid by the power plant. Here, this is a supplementary agreement we signed with the client."
Manager Chen handed over an agreement.
Town Mayor Hu merely glanced at it. "I've heard about this from the power plant. But they said your carpentry team exceeded the budget, which is why the wage payments were withheld. This should be your responsibility."
"Town Mayor, it's simple logic. The carpentry team signed a contract with our project department. Whether they exceeded the budget or not is our internal matter. The client should not interfere. They only need to pay the corresponding wages according to the contract. Withholding the carpentry wages is clearly irregular."
"That's the logic, but they provided the purchase and sales contract for the carpentry team leader, which are all material costs, and they also said you agreed to have the client deduct them."
"Yes, I did make such a promise, but I meant for the client to deduct the carpentry team's material costs directly upon completion and settlement of the project, not to withhold their wages now."
Town Mayor Hu nodded. "Well, your explanation is reasonable. So what now? So many people are blocking the gate, and it's causing a great impact. Why don't you put up some more money and give everyone a little to go home for the New Year?"
"Town Mayor, this project requires a large amount of upfront investment, and we genuinely have no money. Please ask the client to think of a solution."
"The client only agreed to give 200,000 yuan, which is clearly not enough. We plan to give this money only to local workers. You should find a way for your own workers. Give them a little less, and we can settle the rest next year, alright?"
Manager Chen became anxious upon hearing this. "Town Mayor, this won't do. You must treat everyone equally. Migrant workers from other provinces have a harder time than local workers. Many of them haven't gone home all year. If I don't get any money, I can't explain it to them."
"So we're asking your project department to think of a way and come up with some money for them to go home for the New Year."
"We really have no money."
"It's settled then. For the sake of stability, we must first appease the local workers. According to labor law, all labor wages should be paid by you. If you don't cooperate, the labor department will legally penalize your company. Because the agreement you signed with the client does not comply with labor regulations, it is invalid."
It was pure local protectionism, and Manager Chen had no recourse but to comply.
After leaving the town government, he immediately instructed the project department's management staff to appease the migrant workers from Xinhe. Then, he called Liu Yong and Yang Jian, telling them to be mentally prepared, as these migrant workers would definitely come to demand their wages upon their return.