Can following the rules be called rebirth?

Chapter 287, Section 285: Pilot Units (6.7k)

The conference room was bright and clean, with a long oval table so shiny it reflected the light.

Sitting opposite Zhou Mingyuan was a group of leaders headed by Li Jianguo, a district political and legal official.

In addition to the members of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, there was Zhao Weimin, director of the Letters and Visits Bureau, Liu Wenhua, deputy director of the Public Security Bureau, and relevant officials from the Comprehensive Management Office and the Justice Bureau.

On the table was a report document from Mingli Legal Consulting Company, consisting of dozens of pages, entitled "Summary and Deepening Ideas of the Pilot Work of the 'Police-Enterprise Joint Construction' Mechanism".

The rustling sound of papers turning began to spread.

Secretary Li Jianguo sat in the main seat, picked up the teacup in front of him, gently blew on the tea leaves, took a sip, and his gaze never left Zhou Mingyuan and the others.

young.

The founder of Mingli Legal Consulting looks far too young.

In terms of its approach, model, and operational methods, Mingli Company does not seem to limit itself to its legal consulting business.

They have an innovative mindset, for example, in their reports on the promotion of internet traffic pools, which were presented in a way that was difficult to understand.

They also have a strong sense of the big picture, such as their initiative to propose "police-enterprise cooperation" with the High-tech Zone Branch.

This young Mr. Zhou is not only young, he also understands politics.

Who is the mastermind behind this?

"Mr. Zhou."

Finally, Li Jianguo put down his teacup, his voice steady, breaking the silence.

"We just took advantage of a surprise visit to the co-working space and witnessed some snippets of daily operations."

"The neighborhood noise dispute handled by Attorney Zhang is a typical example and demonstrates his skill."

"Now, we sit down and want to hear your more systematic and in-depth thoughts."

"Don't just read from the book. Tell me what you think is the core value of this police-enterprise cooperation model?"

Li Jianguo is a typical cadre who came from a grassroots background.

He didn't use official jargon or waste time on small talk; he got straight to the point.

The other leaders sitting to the side also looked up, their eyes focused on Zhou Mingyuan.

"Secretary Li, Director Zhao, Director Liu, and other leaders."

Zhou Mingyuan nodded and smiled, paused for a moment, and then continued.

"From our company's perspective, the core value of police-enterprise cooperation lies in its creation of a new channel for resolving grassroots conflicts that combines firmness and flexibility, and integrates law, reason, and emotion."

“In the past, many grassroots conflicts were often difficult to resolve.”

“Especially in disputes that fall on the border between public security management and civil litigation, the police have strong authority and can quickly control the situation. However, due to limitations in their functions and resources, they are unable to thoroughly clarify the rights and wrongs. Often, they can only address one problem at a time, or simply tell the victim to go to court.”

"I'm sure Director Zhao and Director Liu must feel this very strongly."

"."

Zhao Weimin and Liu Wenhua exchanged a glance and then burst into laughter.

It must be admitted that Zhou Mingyuan's words hit the nail on the head, accurately reflecting the current state of many grassroots conflicts.

"I myself worked in the court for a period of time, so I have a good understanding of the difficulties faced by the court."

"The court litigation process is rigorous, but there are too many cases and too few judges. The process is long and the costs are high. For many small disputes and neighborhood frictions, the parties involved often hesitate to go to court, which leads to the accumulation of conflicts and even escalation into petitions or more intense conflicts."

At this point, Li Jianguo raised his hand, looking curious.

"Xiao Zhou, which court did you work for?"

The public security, procuratorate, and court are all nominally under the leadership of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

Upon learning that Zhou Mingyuan worked at the court, Li Jianguo immediately changed his address from "General Manager Zhou" to "Little Zhou," a more intimate title.

Those familiar with this former leader's resume know that Li Jianguo is a law student by training. He worked his way up from the grassroots courts, serving as the presiding judge of the civil division, a member of the party committee, the vice president, and the president. He then transferred to the public security system before finally being promoted to work in the Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

He has always had a strong sense of kinship with people in the courts.

“Secretary Li, I was at the Hongshan District Court at the time.”

Zhou Mingyuan responded politely.

"Is Bitao still in Hongshan District?"

"Yes, yes, it was still Dean Bi. I was assigned to the case filing division at the time, helping out at the newly established litigation service center. You could tell that Dean Bi attached great importance to resolving conflicts at the grassroots level."

In just a few words, the old man and the young man became close friends.

He Min and the others sitting next to Zhou Mingyuan were completely confused.

However, the leaders were all seasoned veterans, and they all saw admiration in each other's eyes.

This young Mr. Zhou is clearly a remarkable person, judging from his words and actions.

Has high emotional intelligence!
"Alright, Xiao Zhou, continue."

Li Jianguo didn't let the topic veer off course, waving his hand to signal Zhou Mingyuan to continue.

"Let me give you all an example first."

Zhou Mingyuan sat up straight and said.

"For example, we successfully handled a group conflict caused by the installation of elevators in an old residential community."

“There are sharp conflicts of interest and emotional confrontation between owners of high-rise and low-rise buildings, and they have almost come to blows several times.”

"After the police are called, they can only maintain order and prevent fighting, but the root cause of the problem cannot be solved."

"The community and street offices mediated multiple times, but due to a lack of professional legal support, it was difficult to persuade all parties, and it was on the verge of falling into a mass petition incident."

"Fortunately, at that time, Director Liu signed a cooperation agreement with us, and the local police station, with a try-it-out mentality, took our staff and went there."

Zhou Mingyuan smiled and nodded to Liu Wenhua, interacting with him promptly.

"After we intervened, the lawyers, together with the police and community officials, first clarified the relevant provisions on compensation for interests in the Property Law and the Property Management Regulations from a legal perspective, so that all parties could understand the boundaries of their rights and the legal consequences."

"Then, instead of simply discussing right and wrong, we guided them to negotiate within the legal framework."

"The lawyers are responsible for providing various feasible compensation options and legal risk warnings, the police are responsible for maintaining order during negotiations, and the community is responsible for emotional support and follow-up supervision."

"Ultimately, through everyone's efforts, a comprehensive compensation agreement and elevator construction plan were reached, signed and became effective, and the elevator is currently under construction."

"Yes."

Liu Wenhua cleared his throat and interjected, "This case involves nearly a hundred people, which I remember quite well."

"Compared to our own staff, the communication skills of Mingli Company's employees are particularly outstanding."

"Do you have a set of effective sales techniques?"

"Director Liu, it's not a matter of rhetoric."

Zhou Mingyuan said in a serious tone, "Sincerity, sincerity is always the most important thing."

"Put yourself in my shoes."

"Not bad."

Li Jianguo clapped his hands and couldn't help but give Zhou Mingyuan a thumbs up.

"Young people should have this sense of social responsibility and commitment."

"."

He Min, who had been sitting attentively listening to the meeting, was about to lose her composure.

She exchanged glances with several frontline staff members she knew well, her cherry lips pressed tightly into a thin line.

Words!

The right communication skills are the most important thing!
Compared to government employees who are dedicated to mediation, Mingli Company has a much more flexible role.

There are far too many flexible options.

There are some things that people in uniforms and with official positions dare not say, or cannot say clearly, for various reasons.

But Mingli and his group, of course, had wildly imaginative ideas and no scruples.

Go ahead and sue me about this. I'm a lawyer, do you think I'd lie to you? You can't win!

Do you think I don't know what the court's verdict will be?

Trust me, bro, go ahead and try to mediate. Mediation might get you more money, and they can even help you get more back on your feet.

You read the legal provisions, and I'll guide you through them.

Ultimately, it's all about the connections between different people.

For many staff members at the implementation level, whether they can, understand, and skillfully use legal means is sometimes the key to solving problems.

"So let's talk about this case."

After a few seconds of pause, Zhou Mingyuan concluded.

"It actually demonstrates the effectiveness of our police-enterprise cooperation."

"Authority and order are the strength of the police officers, providing protection and endorsement; reasoning and mediation are the gentleness of the lawyers, resolving the confrontation that may result from relying solely on rigid means."

"The law here is not a cold weapon, but a ruler that combines firmness and flexibility to measure right and wrong, and a bridge to build consensus."

“We are not just resolving individual disputes, but also popularizing legal rules, guiding social expectations, and reducing the friction costs and subsequent risks of grassroots governance through this process.”

"well said!"

Li Jianguo clapped his hands again, smiling as he looked Zhou Mingyuan up and down.

Unlike other entrepreneurs who are slick and either present PowerPoint presentations or compile thick stacks of ledgers and materials, this guy is quick to launch into a long, rambling monologue whenever he gets the chance, displaying an overwhelming desire to express himself in front of his superiors.

Zhou Mingyuan simply presented a simple and easy-to-understand case. His overall presentation was not lengthy, and he did not deliberately exaggerate the results. His expression was extremely precise, and he always managed to get right to the point.

"Does anyone have any further questions?"

"Secretary Li, I have a question for General Manager Zhou."

Zhao Weimin, who was in charge of handling petitions, listened attentively throughout the entire process. After a while, he seemed to be deep in thought before interrupting to ask a question.

"Mr. Zhou, do you have any data to support your claims about reducing risks and the impact on the number of petitions?"

"Yes, Director Zhao."

Zhou Mingyuan turned his head and made a gesture to He Min.

He Min immediately understood, connected to the pre-prepared projector, and opened a data chart.

"Distinguished leaders, please take a look."

Zhou Mingyuan pointed to the projection.

"This is the main pilot area for our Mingli Company."

"Taking the jurisdiction of Donghu Road Police Station as an example, here is a comparison of relevant data over the past three months."

"Data shows that in the pilot area, the rate of repeated police reports caused by civil disputes has decreased by 18%."

"By having lawyers intervene in advance, providing legal guidance and mediation solutions, we have successfully diverted 25% of non-emergency and non-police-related disputes, effectively reducing the burden on frontline police officers."

"This is the comparison data."

Zhou Mingyuan turned his gaze to Zhao Weimin.

"The number of initial petitions and visits to district-level and above petition offices in the region has decreased by 32% year-on-year."

"Most of these are conflicts and disputes that were easily escalated from minor issues to major ones, and major issues to the point of explosion."

"We have genuinely resolved quite a few issues."

32%!

This number caused the leaders present to exchange glances, and even Li Jianguo's eyebrows twitched slightly.

The pressure of handling public complaints is a barometer of grassroots governance, and this decrease is highly convincing.

"Behind the data lies a change in work patterns."

Zhou Mingyuan continued to elaborate on this point.

“We require our assigned legal staff not to sit in the office waiting for cases, but to actively integrate into the community grid.”

"With the joint efforts of the police and enterprises, our Mingli Company has gained a certain level of credibility and established a linkage mechanism with community grid workers."

"Whenever grid workers discover emerging or potential problems, they can immediately push the information to our on-site legal staff through the linkage platform."

"The early intervention of legal experts, who provide legal advice, can often extinguish conflicts before they escalate."

"For example, some time ago, a resident had a tense relationship with the property management and neighbors because of the problem of construction waste piling up. After the grid member found out, our staff took the initiative to visit the household, explain the rights and obligations, and help to formulate a reasonable waste removal plan, thus avoiding possible conflicts and complaints in the future."

"Ok."

Zhao Weimin nodded, clearly very satisfied with the data. "Xiao Zhou, I have a practical question."

Li Jianguo then asked.

"For example, when your staff are handling the scene, especially when the police are also present, how are their identities and responsibilities defined?"

"If the parties involved do not accept the lawyer's mediation, or if the legal opinions provided by the lawyer are inconsistent with the initial assessment of the situation at the scene, how will your collaborative mechanism operate?"

"How do you guarantee neutrality and impartiality? Or, as a market-oriented consulting firm, won't you be biased?"

"Old ginger is spicier," Li Jianguo said, raising a very pointed question.

He can spot some risks at a glance.

However, Zhou Mingyuan seemed to have been prepared and answered calmly.

"We have actually considered this issue, Secretary Li."

"First of all, regarding the definition of identity, we are very clear that in the police-enterprise co-construction mechanism, our Mingli Company plays an auxiliary and supportive role."

"Our role is that of legal experts and mediators, not law enforcement agencies."

"All on-site handling is primarily directed by the public security authorities, while we provide professional support within the legal framework."

“In this regard, Mingli has developed a strict work manual and boundary list, clearly defining what can and cannot be done.”

Li Jianguo rubbed his chin, indicating his approval: "Yes, that's fine."

"Secondly, regarding the coordination mechanism."

"We have established a tiered response and consultation mechanism with the pilot police stations."

"For general disputes, the stationed staff will conduct mediation independently; for complex or potentially escalating disputes, joint mediation will be implemented, with the police officers responsible for judging order and security, and us responsible for legal analysis and plan formulation."

"For cases that are major, complex, or involve disputes over the application of law, we will initiate a consultation mechanism, in which the leaders of the police station, the police officers handling the case, and our company's senior legal experts will jointly discuss the matter to ensure that it is handled in accordance with the law and regulations."

"Ultimately, our lawyers' opinions are for professional reference only, not for law enforcement. The final decision rests with the public security authorities."

Zhou Mingyuan paused for a moment, his expression serious.

Finally, there is the issue of neutrality and impartiality.

"Secretary Li, this is the lifeline of our Mingli Company."

"Although we are a business that needs to make a profit, we are even more aware that credibility is our greatest asset in cooperation."

“We have strict professional ethics guidelines and conflict of interest review mechanisms. The salaries and performance evaluations of all staff members involved in the police-enterprise joint construction are calculated separately.”

“Mingli Company pursues a resolution that brings both legal and social benefits to the parties involved, rather than simply getting the case off the hook.”

"At the same time, our service process is recorded and traceable, and is subject to all supervision. Any violation will be severely punished."

Halfway through his sentence, Zhou Mingyuan smiled and spread his hands.

"In fact, precisely because Mingli is a market-oriented consulting firm, we cherish this opportunity to cooperate with the government more than anyone else, and we pay more attention to maintaining our brand and reputation."

"When you're in the business world, reputation is everything, right?"

"Ha ha ha ha."

Hearing Zhou Mingyuan's sassy remarks, Li Jianguo couldn't help but laugh.

He raised his eyes, his gaze lingering on Zhou Mingyuan for a moment before sweeping over the energetic profiles of He Min and the others.

"Xiao Zhou, your team looks so young, but you think about problems and do things in a very methodical and pragmatic way."

Li Jianguo spoke slowly, summarizing as he habitually did.

"The data you mentioned, especially the decrease in the number of petitions, is indeed quite convincing."

"Grassroots governance, in essence, is about working with people, resolving conflicts and promoting harmony."

"Your model has also provided our Political and Legal Affairs Commission with a new approach."

He abruptly changed the subject, raised his fingertips, and tapped the table a few times.

"We've come here today for a few reasons."

"On the one hand, I want to see what Wen Hua told me about the new model of social governance, and on the other hand, I want to see if it can be promoted on a larger scale."

Inside the meeting room, several staff members in the corner listened with great excitement.

promotion?

Should we continue promoting it?

"However, there are several practical problems in promoting this."

Li Jianguo took a sip of tea and held up three fingers.

"The first is cost."

"How long can your staff maintain their public service duties once they are stationed in the area?"

"How should this service be defined? Everyone knows that it's unsustainable to keep asking you to mediate for free. Who will ultimately bear the cost?"

"The second is standardization."

"Can your Mingli Legal Consulting Company guarantee that every lawyer you assign will possess the same professional competence and community outreach skills as Attorney Zhang today?"

Can service quality be controlled?

"The third is sustainability."

"You are a young startup. If the service is rolled out citywide, can you guarantee a long-term and stable partnership?"

"If something unexpected happens along the way, such as a shift in your business or operational problems, how will the work that has already been started continue?"

"."

Zhou Mingyuan blinked and remained silent for a few seconds.

The agreement was supposed to be "no questions asked, no questions asked, no questions asked," but Old Li clearly brought something with him.

Each of these issues points directly to the crux of the cooperation model, determining whether it can move from pilot projects to widespread adoption.

I'll go through them one by one.

Having lived two lives, he was used to grand occasions and was not at all intimidated by this sudden question.

The man said in a deep voice.

"Secretary Li, you don't need to worry about the cost."

“When we first proposed the cooperation, Mingli Company had already conceived a multi-level model of ‘public welfare + low-cost + government purchase of services’.”

"Basic legal consultation, simple dispute mediation, mainly public welfare services, to build brand and reputation."

"For mediation involving property rights and requiring the preparation of complex legal documents, we can introduce low-cost, transparent, and voluntary services that can cover part of the labor costs."

"For some legal service projects that are universal and exemplary, or for assistance to specific disadvantaged groups, we hope to explore including them in the government's list of public services purchased to form a long-term guarantee mechanism."

"For the police-enterprise joint construction business, we are not pursuing high profits, but rather hoping to find a balance point that can generate its own revenue and operate sustainably."

Zhou Mingyuan said casually.

It's fine for entrepreneurs to have a sense of social responsibility, but there's no such thing as working for free.

For leaders who are at the top-level design perspective, it is difficult to distinguish whether Mingli is profitable or not.

In fact, Zhou Mingyuan had already settled this score long ago.

Even if they are sent to various jurisdictions at their own expense, seasoned salespeople can quickly carve out a niche for themselves with the backing of public trust.

One of the biggest challenges for many legal professionals is gaining the trust of their clients.

But how did Mingli do it?

Leaving aside online internet strategies for now.

By standing alongside the police in person, they can be said to have seamlessly skipped the case sourcing stage and directly reaped the benefits.

Who are the people who cause trouble for the police?

Conflicts and disputes, conflict resolution, and all sorts of small cases can almost help with natural filtering.

Even if they do some basic legal work for free, Mingli Company can still receive an overwhelming amount of consulting services.

Because word-of-mouth has a far-reaching influence.

Some people will never go to court in their entire lives, while others are born to find fault and wish they could deal with the court every day.

Therefore, making money from these people is often a natural thing.

The conflict in the jurisdiction appears to have been put on hold today, and the police can breathe a sigh of relief.

However, in many cases where mediation fails, the final recourse is still the courts.

Therefore, a series of related services will fall within the business scope of Mingli Company.

"There's no need to worry about standardization and talent; we are establishing internal training and a rigorous certification system."

Zhou Mingyuan continued to answer Li Jianguo's questions.

"All lawyers involved in the project not only need to pass a legal professional examination, but also must receive comprehensive training in methods of working with the public, communication skills, and basic psychology, and participate in simulated mediation drills."

“We have a detailed ‘Police-Enterprise Joint Construction’ service operation manual and ‘Quality Assessment Standards’, and we conduct full-process quality management through methods such as case spot checks, follow-up visits to parties involved, and data monitoring.”

"At the same time, we have also reached an in-depth cooperation with Leying Law Firm. Next, we plan to work with the School of Law of Jiangcheng University of Economics and Law to explore the establishment of an internship base and talent pool."

"On sustainability."

Zhou Mingyuan smiled and said decisively.

“Secretary Li, although Mingli Company has only been established for less than half a year, we have a long-term vision.”

"We firmly believe that the downward extension and specialization of legal services is the future trend, and the innovative model of police-enterprise cooperation has broad prospects."

"The company has always regarded its cooperation with East Lake High-tech Development Zone as a core strategy and has invested the best resources in it."

"If it can really be extended to a larger scale, we can sign an agreement to stipulate an exit mechanism and contingency plan to ensure uninterrupted public services."

"."

Li Jianguo listened with his chin in his hand, but did not speak immediately.

The meeting room fell silent once again.

The secretary glanced around at his deputies and exchanged glances.

Zhao Weimin and Liu Wenhua both nodded slightly.

"good."

About ten seconds later, Li Jianguo spoke again, smiling.

"Xiao Zhou, your thinking and preparation are more thorough than I imagined, and the data and cases are quite surprising."

"The district will carefully study your plan. This mechanism of police-enterprise cooperation can be further expanded on the basis of the existing pilot projects and gradually promoted in communities and police stations throughout the district where conditions and needs permit."

"Our Political and Legal Affairs Commission will take the lead in formulating a more detailed set of guidelines for its promotion."

Halfway through his speech, he finally dropped a bombshell.

"Furthermore, the Political and Legal Affairs Commission has made a preliminary decision to award your Mingli Legal Consulting Company the title of 'Pilot Unit for Community Comprehensive Governance Innovation in East Lake High-tech Development Zone'."

"In a few days, at the year-end ceremony for outstanding achievements in the political and legal system, your contributions to the construction of a safe society will be recognized, and you will be awarded the honor of 'Advanced Unit in the Construction of a Safe Society'."

"Remember to come and claim your prize."

As soon as she finished speaking, He Min's eyes widened and her breathing became rapid.

"Thank you, Secretary Li and all the leaders, for your recognition and trust!"

Zhou Mingyuan immediately expressed his support on behalf of the team.

"We will cherish this honor, go all out to do our work thoroughly and meticulously, and live up to the expectations of the district committee, the district government and the people."

The young man is quite interesting.

He has a slightly sharp edge, and he can also speak clichés fluently when necessary.

"Actually, there was some internal controversy about giving you the brand."

"Therefore, we have conducted this on-site inspection today. We hope that you can truly play a leading role as a pilot and advanced example, and explore more experiences that can be promoted for the construction of a safe environment and the innovation of grassroots governance in the High-tech Zone."

Li Jianguo nodded, his eyes full of appreciation, and stood up.

"Thank you, Secretary Li!"

Zhou Mingyuan smiled, reached out his hand, and gripped it tightly.

The research and reporting have now come to a successful conclusion.

(End of this chapter)