The next day, on the way to the Governor's Hall, Haruno Takayoshi reported the salary dispute in detail to Aoyama Xiu Xin.

"Due to poor management, Shūichi Kujō has depleted a large amount of funds. Except for managing to barely maintain the basic salary for the management staff, ordinary employees of various companies and factories have been owed wages for as long as five months, with the shortest being three months. The employees who surrounded the Kujō Building yesterday morning were just a small portion."

"For such a long time, involving so many people, how did it manage to not escalate?" Aoyama Xiu Xin asked.

Ordinary people can only succeed by making things escalate.

Once it escalates, only then would bureaucrats like him intervene for the sake of reputation, stability, and evaluations.

Haruno Takayoshi lowered his head and said, "Shūichi Kujō has continually hired the Black Society and the police to alternately threaten and intimidate those employees. Those who caused trouble earlier are already in jail, so few dare to follow suit."

"The reason so many people went yesterday is because a security guard from one of Shūichi Kujō's companies injured a worker demanding back pay, which aroused public anger, prompting them to surround Shūichi Kujō's headquarters building."

"Useless." Aoyama Xiu Xin cursed.

He didn't care about Shūichi Kujō bribing the police and the Black Society to threaten and intimidate the workers demanding back pay, but when these rascals were not effectively threatened, causing them to march with banners to demand wages,

that was something he had to get involved with.

Haruno Takayoshi took a newspaper out of his briefcase and handed it to Aoyama Xiu Xin, "It's already been reported."

Aoyama Xiu Xin took a look and saw a section precisely covering the protest at the Kujō Building demanding back pay.

Well, now he had no choice but to get involved.

"Arrange for a meeting with various media outlets to ask them not to report any rumors that could affect social stability." Aoyama Xiu Xin said casually, crumpling the newspaper into a ball and throwing it out of the car window without any regard, then added, "What time do I have free this morning?"

Haruno Takayoshi immediately took out a notebook he always carried and replied after checking, "You have half an hour free after ten o'clock."

"Use that half-hour to arrange for Shūichi Kujō to meet me." Aoyama Xiu Xin said expressionlessly.

Haruno Takayoshi respectfully replied, "Yes!"

As soon as he arrived at the Governor's Hall, Aoyama Xiu Xin began processing the various documents submitted below, squeezed in a short meeting midway, and finished just at ten o'clock.

"Governor, Shūichi Kujō has arrived and is arranged in reception room number 2. Do you want to see him now?" Haruno Takayoshi asked tentatively.

Aoyama Xiu Xin nodded, took a sip from his cup to moisten his lips, and then got up and walked out directly.

In the reception room, the rotund Shūichi Kujō, upon seeing Aoyama Xiu Xin, immediately stood up with a smile, slightly bent his waist, and walked quickly up to him, "Governor Aoyama."

Aoyama Xiu Xin gave a cold nod as a response and walked past him, sitting down on the sofa.

The smile on Shūichi Kujō's face froze, sensing the bad omen, quickly put on a smile again, turned around, sat down opposite Aoyama Xiu Xin, and said in a low posture, "I'm thrilled to be summoned by Governor Aoyama. What guidance might the governor have for me?"

"It's not about guidance; it's just in my capacity as a local official to urge President Kujō to release the owed wages as soon as possible so that the employees don't lose control and cause trouble," Aoyama Xiu Xin said in a flat tone.

The expression on Shūichi Kujō's face stiffened again, forcing a smile, "I really didn't expect such a trivial matter to attract the governor's personal attention. It truly is my dereliction. Please rest assured, governor, I promise not a single employee will come forward to cause trouble again, and it will not impact you or Hokkaido's image."

"You'd better sort it out." Aoyama Xiu Xin could hear his implication, pointed at him, and unceremoniously warned, "If you can't sort it out, I'll sort you out."

"Yes! Please don't worry." Shūichi Kujō nodded seriously with a somewhat relaxed expression, then said, "Our company is willing to donate some vehicles to the Governor's Hall for public use. Do you think…"

"That's not necessary." Aoyama Xiu Xin waved his hand to refuse his bribe, saying, "First, resolve this matter, and then everything is negotiable, understood?"

If Shūichi Kujō couldn't resolve this matter, he was always ready to take care of the issue to calm the public outcry.

How could he accept benefits before that?

If Shūichi Kujō resolved the matter, it wouldn't be too late to accept his bribe, and is it really worth taking with just that little thing?

"Yes!" Shūichi Kujō nodded heavily.

"I have other matters to attend to, so I won't keep you. Take your time, President Kujō." Aoyama Xiu Xin looked at his watch and said.

Recognizing the cue, Shūichi Kujō got up, bowed, and took his leave.

Watching his back, Aoyama Xiu Xin squinted and said, "Arrange for the police to keep an eye on him and restrict him from leaving Hokkaido by any public transport."

Can't let this damned fat man escape, or else the issue of unpaid wages for so many employees would fall on the government.

"Yes!" Haruno Takayoshi understood the implication.

...............…

"Baka!" Upon leaving the Governor's Hall and getting in the car, Shūichi Kujō, with a sullen face, clenched his teeth in rage, saying, "A bunch of rascals, showing no respect after being given face. Check out who led the commotion yesterday, give them a harsh lesson, and warn others that if anyone dares to cause another disruption, they can forget about ever getting a single cent of their salary!"

"President, I have already found out." Shūichi Kujō's secretary, also very astute, took out some documents from his briefcase and handed them over, "The one who led the commotion yesterday is called Takahashi Ryo, a university student who just graduated and joined us last year. The others have been quite docile recently, but he's been agitating with inciting remarks."

"After yesterday's incident, he has now seemingly become the leader among those common folks. They all look up to him and follow him. It seems he intends to organize more extensive protests."

"Students are always restless." Shūichi Kujō cursed as he looked at the document in his hand, his eyes rolling as he devised a plan, "Book a good restaurant and arrange a meeting with him, saying I want to discuss the salary issue."

"Is the President intending to bribe him to stabilize those employees?" The secretary immediately understood.

"Hmph, since those lowly folks trust him so much now, if we can take care of him, doesn't it mean effectively taking care of everyone? And the cost of dealing with him is certainly less than dealing with everyone." Shūichi Kujō smiled proudly, thinking that personally stepping in to buy off a newly graduated and penniless university student would surely be easy.

But the secretary wasn't as optimistic, "But I see Takahashi Ryo as a rather stubborn and hard-to-bend stone."

"If the offer is big enough, no matter how hard, he'll soften." Shūichi Kujō was confident, then added viciously, "If he truly doesn't recognize the opportunity, then let him be the example to deter others. These lowly folks only look to others to take the lead, merely following behind waving flags, none daring to fight for their own rights. If all those who dare to lead are dealt with, they will remain content in their misery, and after some time, we can give them a little money, and they will rush to agree."

As an experienced boss.

He knew how to handle the workers beneath him.

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