Me! A high-ranking official!

Upon hearing this, a troublemaker in the crowd immediately jumped up, pointing at Zhao Jianguo and shouting, "Don't listen to his nonsense! Let's put in more effort and get justice for Lao Du!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the group swarmed back to the main entrance, ready to shout slogans again.

Zhao Jianguo could tell from the look that these people were still in a bad mood, so he waved to the security guard and said, "Sir, please keep an eye on things as before. I'm not in good health, and it's too hot here for me to handle. I'll come out again when they've completely stopped causing trouble."

After saying that, he turned around and went back into the building.

This completely infuriated the people outside. Was this some kind of joke, putting people through this in the sweltering heat? As soon as they opened their mouths to complain, the leader would just pack up and leave, completely unafraid of making a scene or being exposed by the media and smearing the organization. In the middle of the day, the ground temperature was so hot you could fry an egg on it. Who could stand this kind of stalemate?

Before five minutes had passed, the group was completely deflated, and scattered back to the shade of the trees in twos and threes, too exhausted even to whisper among themselves.

The security guard called the office for the third time.

He pushed open the door and came out, still with that same smiling face: "Everyone, I see that the two kids' faces are all red from the sun. If they keep kneeling like that, they'll definitely get heatstroke. How about we choose two people who can make decisions and take charge, come into the conference room, enjoy the air conditioning, sit down, and have a proper talk?"

One should press on with one's might, but the momentum wanes with each attempt, and exhausts with each subsequent one. Zhao Jianguo's unyielding and aloof attitude completely wore down their spirits. Coupled with being baked in the high temperature for half a day, everyone understood that if they continued to make trouble, the other party would leave again, and in the end, they would be the ones who suffered.

In the crowd, a dark-skinned man in his sixties stood up, dusted off his trousers, and asked gruffly, "Are you in charge at the bureau?"

"Yes, the leadership has fully entrusted me to speak with you all." He smiled and asked, "What's your surname, sir? What's your relationship with your family?"

"My surname is Du, and the one who died was my own second brother," Old Du sneered.

"Uncle Du must be a highly respected figure at home." He went along with it. "You see, we're here to resolve this issue, and staying on the street isn't a solution. The air conditioning in the meeting room is on full blast, and tea is ready. Why don't you pick a few people who can make decisions, and we'll go in and talk?"

Old Du looked up at the bright sun, then at his relative who was sweating profusely beside him, nodded in a muffled voice, turned around and shouted to the woman kneeling at the front: "Xiaojuan, get up and stop kneeling. Since the bureau has arranged for someone to come in, let's go in and hear what he has to say. Old Yang, Donglin, you two come with us. The four of us will go in. The rest of you can find a shady spot outside to rest for a while."

Zhao Jianguo led the four people into the conference room. Wang Pingping moved quickly and efficiently. The air conditioner blew out a cool breeze, and bottled water was neatly arranged on the table.

He gestured for them to sit down, pushed the water over, and cut straight to the point: "I've seen the whole story. Nobody's feeling good after such an accident. I wasn't at the office for a while, and I just got back today. The boss handed this whole thing over to me. I figured we can't keep dragging this out. So today, let's try to get the terms finalized this afternoon, with a problem-solving attitude. But I have to be frank: the three million yuan in compensation you asked for was indeed too high."

Upon hearing the words "inflated," Old Du's anger flared up instantly. He slammed his hand on the conference table, making the water bottle shake violently. "Inflated? What do you mean by inflated? That's a real human life! My second brother is only in his early forties. He earns over six thousand a month working on the construction site. If this hadn't happened, he could have worked for at least another thirty or forty years! Seventy or eighty thousand a year, forty years—that's a lot of money! He also has two daughters to support. If you do the math, it's over three million!"

Zhao Jianguo wasn't annoyed. He patiently listened to him finish before speaking: "Sir, I completely understand your feelings. Human life certainly can't be measured solely by money. But since we've come to this point with compensation, there has to be a legal standard. I believe you've consulted a lawyer about the relevant national laws and regulations. We're a government agency, and all expenditures and mediations must be conducted within the legal framework. If we really have to go to court, we'll have to judge according to the standards..."

"Stop giving us that bureaucratic talk!" the man called Old Yang rudely interrupted him. "Du Lao Er was the pillar of our family. Now that he's gone, leaving behind a widow and her children, how are they going to survive?"

Hearing this, Xiaojuan, who had been keeping her head down, burst into tears, covered her face, and sobbed, "Yes, with the second son gone, it's like the sky has fallen. My two daughters are still in school. If they get married and start families, people will find it hard to find husbands because they know they're fatherless! Isn't this a loss for our family?"

Immediately afterwards, Lao Du, Lao Yang, and Dong Lin began to pour out their grievances one after another, their words becoming increasingly heated, as if they were about to drown Zhao Jianguo in their spittle in the conference room.

Zhao Jianguo leaned back in his chair quietly, letting them vent their anger. His gaze swept across their faces, and he had already figured out their relationship and their intentions. Old Du seemed to be standing up for his brother, but he kept talking about money, and his eyes revealed a greedy nature. As for Xiaojuan, the widow who really needed protection, she couldn't get a word in edgewise and was completely coerced by those men.

To break this deadlock, we absolutely cannot argue with these men.

Once their voices had subsided, he picked up his water glass, took a sip, and suddenly looked at Xiaojuan: "Sister-in-law, you are the first in line of legal heirs of the deceased. The compensation will only be effective if you sign it. There are some confidential documents regarding the subsequent pension and social security arrangements that you need to personally confirm. Wang Pingping, you can have some water with the three gentlemen here. Sister-in-law, come with me to the office next door."

Upon hearing that Xiaojuan was to be taken away alone, Lao Du immediately became alert: "Is there anything that can't be said here in front of everyone?"

Zhao Jianguo's face hardened, and he adopted an official tone: "Uncle Du, this is the official procedure. It involves the deceased's bank statements and tax information, which, according to regulations, can only be verified with the first-in-line heirs. What, are you going to obstruct even the legally prescribed procedures?"

Old Du was speechless, and could only watch helplessly as Xiao Juan stood up and followed Zhao Jianguo out.

He entered the small office next door, closed the door, and pulled up a chair for Xiaojuan to sit down. Without the oppressive feeling of the men outside, Xiaojuan seemed a little awkward, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.

He didn't produce any documents, but looked at her calmly and said in an extremely frank tone, "Sister-in-law, since there are no outsiders, I'll be frank with you. The bottom line for the investment group is one million. Even if you sue in court, based on your husband's urban or rural household registration, the judgment amount will be around that number. Three million is absolutely impossible."

Xiaojuan's face turned pale, and tears welled up in her eyes again.