1novels Chapter 38 Forced Demolition
Chapter 38 Forced Demolition
Chen Yan slowly pressed the record button.
In the viewfinder, the blue brick engraved with the words "Pay Back the Debt" was completely submerged in the gray mud, and the bubbles created by the vibrating rod burst one by one.
"Card."
Chen Yan straightened up and turned off the monitor.
The sky was already turning a pale white, and thick fog was slowly moving between the roof tiles of the old factory street.
Wu Gang led his fellow craftsmen, covered in mud and grime, around a fire to warm themselves, sparks dancing in the cold air.
"Chen'er, have something hot."
Zhang Yuan handed over half a steamed bun that was as hard as a rock.
Chen Yan took the steamed bun, but didn't eat it. Instead, he looked towards the end of the alley.
Three white-painted law enforcement vehicles with warning lights on their roofs cut through the morning mist, their tires crunching through the dry clods of earth, leaving behind a long, piercing sound.
The car door opened, and a dozen men in dark blue uniforms jumped out.
The man leading the group was in his early forties, with a buzz cut, and clutching a briefcase in his hand.
He strode quickly to the construction site's cordon, his leather shoes scraping against the black mud.
"Who is in charge?"
The man's voice was loud and distinctly rough.
Chen Yan stuffed the steamed bun into his pocket and jumped down from the scaffolding.
"I am."
The man looked Chen Yan up and down, then pulled a document with a red stamp from his bag.
"I am Sun Jianguo from the district urban management law enforcement team. Someone reported that you are illegally storing hazardous chemicals and that your construction permits are suspected of being forged."
He slammed the documents onto the wooden fence next to him.
"Upon receiving instructions from higher command, immediately demolish the clock tower's frame to eliminate safety hazards."
The man waved behind him.
Two yellow bulldozers roared out from behind the white car, their buckets rising.
Wu Gang suddenly stood up and blocked the bulldozer.
"Captain Sun, the formalities were handled personally by Director Liang. This is a temporary base."
Sun Jianguo didn't look at Wu Gang; his eyes were fixed on Chen Yan.
"Liang Qinian is in charge of public security, not planning or safety supervision. This document was approved by the district overnight and has an official seal. Director Chen, please cooperate and don't make things difficult for us."
Chen Yan walked up to Sun Jianguo and extended his hand.
"Let me take a look at the documents."
Sun Jianguo snorted coldly and didn't let go.
"Look carefully, this is a demolition order with a deadline. Now is the final deadline."
Su Wan ran out of the makeshift house, her face still flushed, clutching a stack of documents in her hand.
"This is the approval document from the Cultural Bureau, and also the film crew's registration certificate."
Sun Jianguo brushed Su Wan's hand away, not even glancing at the papers.
"These are useless. The fact that this place is used for storing hazardous materials is enough to raze it to the ground."
He turned around and gestured for the bulldozer driver to move forward.
"Director Chen, don't force us to use force."
Chen Yan took out a brown paper bag from his pocket and pulled out a blue contract.
"Captain Sun, before you start using the bulldozer, I suggest you take a look at this first."
Sun Jianguo glanced at the French text on the cover.
"Don't try to fool me with foreign words."
"This is an international co-production agreement signed between WildBunch Pictures and the feature film 'Thunder'."
Chen Yan turned to the last page of the agreement.
"It is clearly stated here that all building components, experimental equipment, and artistic assets at the No. 107 Old Factory Street construction site belong to the French investment share, equivalent to US$1.5 million."
Sun Jianguo was stunned for a moment.
"What French assets? This is Tianjin land."
"The land is leased, but the building is owned by foreign investors."
Chen Yan took out another letter from his bag.
"This is a letter of support for artistic exchange issued by the Cannes Film Festival Organizing Committee. A copy has already been sent to your Foreign Affairs Office."
He took a step forward and stared into Sun Jianguo's eyes.
"The piece of wood you're pushing away now, from a legal perspective, is damaging the cultural assets of our international partners."
Sun Jianguo gritted his teeth.
"What's going on now? President Lu said you guys are just a makeshift operation."
Did Lu Haiming tell you all this?
Chen Yan turned to look at Zhang Yuan.
"Old Zhang, turn it on."
Zhang Yuan quickly hoisted the heavy, cinematic-grade camera onto his shoulder.
The camera rotated and focused on Sun Jianguo's face.
"What are you doing? Turn the machine off!"
Sun Jianguo instinctively covered his face with his bag.
"Don't be nervous, Captain Sun."
Chen Yan's voice was very calm.
"This footage will appear in Cahiers du Cinéma and the art sections of mainstream European media tomorrow morning. I've already thought of the titles."
He pointed to the two bulldozers.
"The Obstruction of the Renaissance of Eastern Art: A Brutal Demolition Targeting an International Cooperation Project."
Sun Jianguo's sweat trickled down his temples.
He'd been in that position for ten years and had never seen anything like it.
The roar of the bulldozer was somewhat jarring, and the driver huddled in the cab, at a loss.
"Director Chen, this constitutes malicious slander against the work of government departments."
Sun Jianguo's words already sounded somewhat lacking in confidence.
"I'm just recording things as they are."
Chen Yan patted the camera's base.
"This one second of footage is worth $50,000. If you want to make headlines, we can film a little longer."
Sun Jianguo took two steps back and looked back at the three white law enforcement vehicles.
He took out his phone, walked to the side, and dialed a number.
Five minutes later.
Sun Jianguo walked back, his face ashen, and put away the documents.
"Take your identification documents and go to the district office for re-verification. We won't demolish it today, but you're not allowed to start work."
He waved.
"Fall back!"
The white car and bulldozer made a hasty retreat amidst a cloud of dust.
Wu Gang spat out a mouthful of saliva.
"Director Chen, the name of this foreign devil is really useful."
"A reputation can only keep flies away, not snakes."
Chen Yan carefully put the agreement away.
Before Su Wan could even catch her breath, her gaze was drawn to a red figure at the alley entrance.
Zhou Man, wearing a red cashmere coat and high heels, emerged from the morning mist.
She was carrying a silver briefcase.
Chen Yan stopped what he was doing and watched her walk up to him.
"Director Chen, that international public relations move was brilliant."
Zhou Man stood at the entrance of the construction site, without stepping into the mud.
"But President Lu asked me to pass on a message. Making a movie requires money, but paying off debts also requires money."
She opened the briefcase and took out a yellowed old piece of paper.
The moment Su Wan saw the paper, her face turned even paler than the morning fog.
"Ms. Su, the debt your father signed in 1998 has now reached 2.3 million due to compound interest."
Zhou Man waved the original document in her hand.
"The original proof of repayment is with us. With just one phone call from Mr. Lu, the court's seizure order can be delivered to your home tomorrow."
She took the paper back.
"Director Chen, are you protecting your clock tower, or your fiancée's home?"
Chen Yan looked at the paper without saying a word.
Su Wan gripped Chen Yan's sleeve tightly, her fingertips digging into the fabric.
Zhou Man closed the briefcase.
"Tomorrow night at 8 PM, Tiansheng Hotel. Mr. Lu will be waiting for you on the top floor for a casual meal."
She turned and walked toward the all-black Audi A8 parked in the distance.
Chen Yan lowered his head.
Su Wan's hands were still trembling.
"Chen'er, you can't go."
Zhang Yuan walked over.
"This is a trap."
Chen Yan looked at the cement crack in the mud that hadn't yet hardened.
That stack of secret account slips had been completely buried under the $1.5 million worth of cement.
"go."
Chen Yan turned around and looked at the unfinished clock tower.
"He wants me to pay off my debts. I also want to ask him when he's going to repay the lives he owes."
The last rays of the setting sun shone down.
The reflection of the clock tower stretched extremely long, like a giant pointer pointing into the depths of Old Factory Street.
Su Wan squatted on the ground, covered her face, and let out a suppressed sob.
Chen Yan pulled a soaked film from his bag and rubbed it repeatedly in his palm.
far away.
Liang Qinian appeared at the intersection.
He held a rusty key in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the crowd and landing on the base of the bell tower that represented the altar.
A black sedan stalled at the alley entrance.
The car window rolled down, revealing a wrinkled face.
That's Boss Liu.
"Director Chen, are you still delivering the cement?"
Chen Yan straightened up.
"Pour in the rest of the portion."
"Even if I have to fill this land in, I'll make sure mines grow here."
late at night.
Tiansheng Hotel.
Chen Yan stood in front of the revolving door.
He wasn't carrying any documents, only the pair of pliers he used to cut cables in his pocket.
"bite."
The elevator stopped on the 32nd floor.
Lu Haiming stood with his back to the door, gazing down at the starry night view of Tianjin.
"You're here?"
Chen Yan walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down heavily.
On the table was a plate of top-quality steak that was still bleeding.
"Mr. Lu, let's talk about the two million three hundred thousand and the life lost."
Chen Yan put his hand inside his clothes.
Lu Haiming's body tensed slightly.
Chen Yan pulled out a tattered roll of film and slapped it directly onto the edge of the plate.
"It's time to wrap up this play."
Freeze.