Rightist Memoir XXXIX: Entrepreneur-CEO Retires, SOE Automobile Plant Collapses and A Murder

Find other chapters listed at Kong Lingping’s Rightist Memoir I: “Blood Chronicle” By Long-time Prisoner of Mao Zedong

The full Chinese text can be downloaded from bannedbook.org 

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6.  I Fight for a Place to Live

In the latter half of 1989, under the leadership of Li Lun, the Specialty Automobile Factory 专汽厂 had overcome its losses. The blueprint for constructing a total of 700 worker apartments, reviewed personally by Li Lun, was placed on the agenda of the factory workers’ representative assembly. These 700 apartments, nearly one per worker in the factory, amounted to six times the total number of residential units built in previous years! They were erected in phases as Buildings 9, 10, and 11 along Benyue Road, Yunquan Road, and Yuntian Road.

After their completion, the workers of the Specialty Automobile Factory would bid farewell forever to the era of three generations sharing one room, and families crowded in dark and damp “gray” slums. It fulfilled his grand promise of, in the words of Du Fu’s poem “where can I find big houses and mansions, to shelter all the poor of the world with happy faces,” “安得广厦千万间，大庇天下寒士皆欢颜”  finally bidding farewell to the days of “In winter like an icehouse, In summer like a fire pot, hurriedly repairing the roof in rain, leaning against fences to keep them from collapsing in the wind.” “冬来似冰窖，夏日如火盆，雨中忙盖瓦，风里倚围栏”

This is what Li Lun left behind as his most valuable memorial to the 3,000 employees of the Specialized Automobile Factory, and the best reward for my “selfless” work! This is the ultimate goal of the factory quality assurance slogan “Kong Lingping’s Spirit Never Dies!” Otherwise, why bother saving the factory?

At the end of 1991, the first building, Building 9, with a total of 75 housing units, officially completed construction in Moon Field. Because the area where I lived on Caishi Street had been requisitioned by the housing development company, all the residential houses there were about to be demolished, so I faced an urgent need to relocate. I had thought that according to the factory’s housing allocation regulations, regardless of any tricks played, I could be at the forefront of the housing allocation queue and move into Building 9 without any surprises.

However, before I could be assigned to Building 9, under Xiang Yun’s control, a new “housing allocation scheme” was proposed through the workers’ representative assembly. Following the original rule that “one qualifies to queue only after working in the factory for five years,” a clause was added: “scoring based on years worked in the factory and queuing according to this score.”

The rationale was that only seniority counted as contributing to the factory. The longer one had worked in the factory, the greater the contribution, and therefore more eligibility for enjoying the factory’s benefits.

Following this logic, compared to those old hospital patients who had been in the factory for decades and had lazily eaten from the shared rice bowl all those years,  my contribution had been minimal. In allocating to me the kind of place I had was already the factory showing me what it thought of me; if I wanted a nice apartment, I would have to stand at the back of the line.

According to this revised method, my original position was readjusted to beyond three hundred, not only missing out on Building 9 but also likely to last in line even when Building 10 was completed. I didn’t know if this consistent bully was targeting me or showing Li Lun who was in charge. I especially couldn’t understand why Li Lun still let this bully preside over the distribution of the “wide houses and mansions to shelter all the poor of the world with happy faces.”

In fact, this was no longer the era when Li You grabbed opportunities to build an engineer’s building for himself. In that era, many workers, hoping to live in a two-room apartment, had to wait until their hair turned white;

In that era, in order to disrupt the housing allocation order, those in power inserted clauses favorable to themselves into the housing allocation regulations in every possible way;

In that era, just to be ahead or behind in the housing queue, colleagues could fight to the point of violence, doing everything possible to squeeze others out of the housing allocation queue. The scenario of Cai’s hospital dealing with my mother resurfaced in my mind.

That Xiang Yun and his wife occupied two sets of housing and still were not satisfied, using the power of the union chairman to tease those dissatisfied people was infuriating; how could people’s hearts become so mean?

– 714 –

By contrasting the present to the factory’s threadbase past, talking about today’s glorious achievements, Li Lun’s self-promotion, not matter whether it was intentional or unintentional, not only disparaged his predecessors and former superiors at the Chongqing Machinery Bureau but also deeply offended people like Xiang Yun. Implementing a seniority system at the factory to measure performance is actually another form of pushing back against Li Lun! Although that scoundrel openly praised Li Lun to the skies, he harbors an indescribable jealousy and hatred for him.

However, things are vastly different now. Watching new houses being built one after another around the factory, with the quality of the houses getting better and better, there’s no need to squeeze in and compete for the good ones that are still to come. I really don’t need to worry about ranking high or low, nor do I want to stoop to the level of people like Wang Hui and Xiang Yun. But regarding Xiang Yun’s rogue nature, I, who dare to confront him, should let him understand that the world has changed.

Then came the demolition of Caishi Street! The notice from the Beibei Urban Construction Command required all households slated for demolition to vacate the premises by the end of the year. Otherwise, when the bulldozers come in, those who do not move out will bear the consequences. I was in a dilemma where I couldn’t move into Building 9 and Building 10 hadn’t been completed yet.

Facing the ultimatum from the Urban Construction Bureau, I had no choice but to go back to the factory’s General Affairs Office to ask them to arrange temporary accommodation for my family in the old houses vacated after the allocation of Building 9! When I walked into the logistics office to find Chen Tao, he showed me the “written notice” from the factory union regarding the arrangement of temporary dormitories for employees.

It stated: “Since the old houses vacated by those moving into new houses have already been allocated, all requests for temporary housing from now on will be stopped.”

The notice was signed by Xiang Yun. It’s true troublemakers are always ready to ambush you where they find an opportunity 寻衅者路窄; whenever I urgently need to resolve housing issues, Xiang Yun is always the one against me. Is it a coincidence, or is there some hatred I don’t know about that makes him haunt me like a ghost?

I’ve been familiar with the black-heartedness and unscrupulous methods of scheming Communists for forty years. They don’t persecute others because of their mistakes but for their own displeasure. It is Mao Zedong’s motto and the highest principle of the Communists: “The pleasure of struggling with people is endless.” 与人斗争其乐无穷 After being persecuted for so many years, I have become familiar with the nature of Communist Party members.

Their common trait is bullying the kind and fearing the evil 善怕恶. To deal with someone as vile as Xiang Yun, I should use the methods used against hooligans, just like how I dealt with prison officials and troublesome “dogs” in prison; how I dealt with Zheng Shuxun; how I dealt with that registrar Baldy Wang at Caijiagang; how I dealt with Principal He Xilian of No. 24 Middle School, and Party Branch Secretary Wang Guangming of Caijia Hospital. Under the Communist rule, the world is full of rabid dogs, and their nature cannot be understood with human nature.

Several times I wanted to confront Xiang Yun at the factory gate and publicly curse him to vent my frustration, but then I thought again. The situation is different now. Firstly, my position in the factory is no longer the same as ordinary workers. Secondly, I still have the reputation of Kong Lingping’s spirit, and using such blunt methods would damage Li Lun’s reputation, who has personally intervened in my housing issue twice. I cannot harm Li Lun just to humiliate a rogue.

Therefore, I have always adopted a tolerant attitude towards this scoundrel. But now, my surrounding neighbors have all moved away, and the Urban Construction Bureau’s bulldozers are already poised in front of our last few lonely houses, ready to “flatten” them at any moment!

In the evening, I ran into Xiang Yun in the corridor of the Foreign Affairs Office. I heard he was arranging to welcome a vice-chairman of the National Federation of Trade Unions coming to the factory for inspection. So I blocked his way and sneered, “Do you want me to report your achievements to the All-China Federation for you?” Seeing my fierce expression and aggressive tone, he immediately lost his courage, didn’t dare to confront me, lowered his eyes, and walked around me without a word.

-715-

As he walked in, Li Lun’s secretary Xiao Yang came out. He tried to calm me down, saying, ‘Elderly people shouldn’t get angry; getting upset harms the liver, which is most damaging to health.’ At the same time, he pulled me aside and whispered, ‘Director Li is currently holding a preparatory meeting to welcome the national trade union’s visit to inspect the factory. There are journalists from two newspapers in Chongqing inside. Even if you have strong opinions, you must endure it for now. We can discuss things after the inspection.’

Still burning with anger, I bitterly pointed at the Foreign Economic Office and said, ‘This old bastard is really pushing people too far.’ Then I recounted to this young man how Xiang Yun had blocked my legitimate participation in the housing allocation process on three separate occasions.

Just then, on the stone steps leading to the rear gate of the factory, my mother suddenly appeared, supported by Liu Qijian. She had come personally to find Li Lun, knowing we were about to be homeless and unable to wait any longer.

Li Lun heard the commotion and greeted them at the door, helping them inside while repeatedly saying, ‘We haven’t done our job well. I’m sorry to trouble you, elder.’

The next day, Chen Tao called to inform me to attend a meeting at the Logistics Office around two in the afternoon, chaired by Director Li himself, regarding my housing issue. Also attending this special meeting were the leader of the housing allocation team, Xiang Yun, and the deputy leader, Wang Hui. I was instructed to prepare.

More than solving my six-year-long dispute over housing qualifications, this was an opportunity to expose the conspiracy between this ambiguous couple right in front of Li Lun. Six years ago, because I reported the factory’s situation to the city, Li You deliberately concocted a reason, claiming I had written a promise upon joining the factory not to seek housing. They twisted this into me supposedly refusing housing for my own gain.

Since then, I’ve been excluded from every housing allocation among the factory workers. This time, I intended to completely expose this conspiracy! When I pressured them to produce the written promise I supposedly made to not seek housing upon entering the factory, I would reveal their long-term illegal deprivation of workers’ rights in front of all the factory workers, forcing them to admit this was their vindictive strike.

With my plan set, I arrived punctually at the Logistics Office at two in the afternoon.

Once Li Lun announced the start of the meeting, I immediately cut to the chase and asked, ‘Regarding the housing adjustments at our factory, Secretary Wang and Chairman Xiang said I had given a written assurance upon joining the factory that I would not seek housing. Now, please, both of you, in front of Director Li, show the written assurance I supposedly made.’

This sudden demand caught them both off guard. In fact, stuffing private materials into personnel files is a common practice by the CCP to harass individuals. Back in the day, to label a student as a rightist, they would take a single phrase or diary entry, escalate it infinitely, and fabricate ‘crimes’ of being anti-party and anti-socialist, leading many innocents to suffer for decades, dying unjustly in prison.

Many demanded to see their ‘black files,’ but the authorities later claimed these wrongful records had been destroyed.

– 716 –

However, now I have reason to believe that the party workers of the Specialized Automobile Factory are using these despicable methods to continue their harassment. Now, facing my inquiries, the cunning Xiang Yun avoids direct answers, hurriedly reaffirming his stance from when Li You held power, advocating for the resolution of the old issue of the Wenxingwan old houses that affected my housing.

So I calmly brought up old matters, from Xiang Yun concealing the truth six years ago in response to the visit of Zhang Wenxin, Chairman of the District Political Consultative Conference, to his arrogant attitude in allocating Residence No. 8; from the 1985 housing allocation regulations to the current changes in many provisions of the housing allocation regulations, exposing Xiang Yun’s meticulous schemes…

“A union chairman should, at critical moments when our factory faces major turning points in reversing losses, do work that benefits the unity of all employees. For example, explain the temporary difficulties of the factory to the workers regularly, instilling confidence in overcoming these temporary challenges; frequently visit families facing particularly difficult situations, inquire about their well-being, and resolve specific difficulties; promptly resolve family conflicts among the workers to prevent disturbances in the factory affecting the reversal of losses, and so on.”

“But as the union chairman, what practical work have you actually done? In all these years, I haven’t heard of anything substantial.” “Give a few examples. Qu from the General Office had a serious illness in his family and asked the union for a loan, but you insisted on not giving it, forcing him to sell blood at the hospital; the factory’s shuttle bus has been broken down for half a year; in the staff canteen, there was a place shielded from wind and rain for single staff to eat, the mess hall team asked you for a bit of wool felt and you dragged it out for a whole year… There are too many such incidents.”

“With my housing allocation qualification, it was clearly intentionally deprived by you. You know how busy my work is. Tell me, what kind of devilry are you plotting in your mind? Are we really so naive to let you treat us like monkeys?”

I rebuked this routinely arrogant union leader, leaving him looking like a bewildered wooden chicken! Sitting there dumbly, perhaps he was in his mind hatching a plan to attack me further.  But I was not afraid; after decades of battling such devils, I’ve not only toughened my courage but also sharpened my wit.

After finishing my words, Li Lun sighed deeply, it seemed that this fellow’s confidence had been shaken by harsh reality. He didn’t have the ability to lead the voluntary soldiers of the party, government, and workers together. His “united front” steel cadre remained just like ordinary bureaucrats under the CCP, relying on his prestige among the workers, playing a double game, only pretending to follow orders!

At this moment, he raised his tired and impatient eyes and asked his two “assistants,” “So, what do you think should be done about Kong Lingping’s housing?” Today, he intentionally made me confront the top leaders of the two factories face-to-face. Because only such a confrontation would expose their usual conspiracies.

Under his questioning, the two wooden chickens remained silent, and Chen Tao finally spoke. He suggested, “According to the decision of the factory’s workers’ congress, Building No. 9 has seven units of housing managed by the factory director. I suggest Director Li can use this handling authority to resolve this issue.”

This approach neither brought up past matters nor solved my current difficulties, also giving the two a chance to step down gracefully, avoiding “harming” the superficial unity of the leadership team, which could be considered quite thoughtful. However, at this moment, while they didn’t speak out, they surely had other schemes in mind, working with such people was truly exhausting.

In this moment when ‘How vast are the mansions and halls, how benevolent to shelter all people under the sky’ 安得广厦千万间，大庇天下寒士尽欢颜 [from Du Fu’s poem  My Thatched Roof Is Ruined by the Autumn Wind  茅屋为秋风所破歌 ] arrives, we exchange our labor for this fruit, truly feeling no guilt in our hearts! Look at the factories around us, some collapsing, some barely surviving! Without Li Lun leading us in these past years of struggle, could we have gotten housing at the Specialized Automobile Factory?”

– 717 –

So, I am unwilling to accept any special treatment from anyone,” I said. “Today, I demand that the Party Committee and Trade Union restore my long-deprived right to my rightful housing allocation. They should publicly admit their mistake. Then, my housing issue should be resolved in the name of correcting this error. That’s what would satisfy me.”

Unexpectedly, as soon as I finished speaking, Wang Hui, who had originally planned to remain silent, immediately jumped up as if pricked by a needle, shouting, “How can this be? The Party’s actions, as determined by the organization, cannot be corrected.”

Refusing to admit wrongdoing, and preventing others from seeking justice after harassment, this is again the traditional style of the Communist Party of China. For the CCP, as the ruling party. If it were not for Deng Xiaoping, who was once overthrown, and Hu Yaobang’s handling of unjust convictions created by Mao Zedong, who would seek justice for those oppressed as landlords, capitalists, counter-revolutionaries, bad elements, and rightists? It’s natural for a deputy secretary of a small factory party committee not to admit mistakes.

On the third day, the regulations on “Rewarding Housing Allocation at Chongqing Special Purpose Automobile Factory,” a red-headed document signed by the factory director’s office, were distributed to all departments and workshops of the Specialized Automobile Factory. Among the seven awardees, I ranked first. Although it was still a compromise, it set a precedent for this factory: at the age of fifty-five, I received housing in the form of an award for the first time.

However, if it weren’t for the entire factory’s achievement under Li Lun’s leadership, my housing would probably still be a distant prospect! However, for ordinary workers like me, of my age or even older, there are still many families without their own housing due to the chaos caused by Mao Zedong. On the vast land of China, the days of ‘How vast are the mansions and halls, how benevolent to shelter all people under the sky’ are still far from arriving!

In August 1992, under the urgent directive from the Urban Planning Command, I finally, amidst the urging rumble of a bulldozer, hired a Chang’an van and hastily moved my family out of the ruins surrounding the Vegetable Market Street and into a sunny three-bedroom apartment in Building No. 9 of the Specialized Automobile Factory. This ended my history of squatting in damp and moldy slums; I was already 55 years old by then.

Sitting in the living room, I was filled with mixed emotions. Although I didn’t truly accept this award given in the factory director’s name, I thought, if the Agricultural Vehicle Factory had continued to decline, who knows where I would be living now? Would I be living on a street corner? As for seeking ‘justice’ in a society under CCP rule, where do I even begin with people like Xiang Yun?!”

7.  The Collapse of the Specialized Automobile Factory

The reason the Specialized Automobile Factory was able to “revive” in a short period of time was because it faced the threat of bankruptcy. If the company had gone bankrupt, its 1,000 employees and their families, totaling more than 3,000 people, would have taken to the streets demanding food from the government. This would have been troubling for the CCP government. In such times, Li Lun, who was relatively uncorrupt and had a strong tactical sense of how to operate in the bureaucracy, was able to successfully transform “Specialized Automobile Factory into a flourishing company”.

The over 1300 Specialized Automobile Factory workers saw a brief hope for the factory and enjoyed its benefits. They had no need to get red-faced arguing with farmers over a few cents for vegetables on the streets of Beibei and they could use coarse language on the street. However, those superior organs that had been “guiding” this factory for many years got ever more jealous. As for the newspapers that were eager to seize news about the Specialized Automobile Factory, reporters were following it closely once again.

“New Money” 暴发户 is how the leaders of the Chongqing Machinery Bureau viewed Li Lun. They never turned around to look at the past, thinking about why such a change happened. They did not appreciate how the big capitalists like Li Ka-shing and Ho Ying-tung started their businesses at that time. Instead, they always stood in suspicion of each other within the CCP, with envy and the party’s inherent lack of humanity, to judge those who create business.

– 718 –

The big capitalists started their businesses as family conglomerates, while Li Lun also aimed at his future career prospects! However, buried here is a tragic ending to Li Lun’s career.

Sadly, Li Lun’s stubbornness and self-importance prevented him from seeing through the political situation at the time. He remained intoxicated within a group of sycophants who cheered him on. Some had warned him: ‘You’ve accomplished so much in that factory, but you’re bound to alienate some people who appear to support you. Moreover, state-owned enterprises under the leadership of the CCP have no future. Be cautious.’

Regrettably, he dismissed his friends’ sincere advice with a smile and boasted, ‘Who can deny the achievements I’ve made over these years? I can buy ten former Agricultural Automobile Factories in just one year. If anyone dare slander me, they’ll see what happens!’ But in the end, unfortunately, his friends’ predictions came true.

Just like the commune secretaries and presidents who fed off the people’s communes in the past, the factory directors under state-owned enterprises are ignorant of how to manage factories. They aren’t concerned about the survival of enterprises in market competition; they merely follow orders from higher authorities like obedient servants, implementing a myriad of directives. At present, they only recognize money and power.

Since 1987, with Li Lun taking over and treating the factory’s affairs as his own, Chongqing Special Purpose Automobile Factory had achieved an annual profit of 10 million, becoming a leader among state-owned industrial enterprises in Chongqing (and nationwide). Although the superiors at the Specialized Automobile Factory disapproved of Li Lun’s unruliness, previous figures like Li You and Sun Yu had all been defeated one by one. Therefore, they could only endure Li Lun’s arrogance in silence.

Out of his seven-year tenure, the first four years were spent compensating for the previous 4.8 million losses. By 1991, when the factory’s losses had already been reversed ahead of schedule, a new office building was completed, a new assembly plant was in operation, a new welding production line was operational, a new metalworking workshop was established, and over 700 employee apartments were completed one after another. The workers of the Specialized Automobile Factory moved into their new homes.

Beside the flag-raising platform on the left side of the office building, a two-meter-high marble monument was erected. He personally inscribed the joys and sorrows of his entrepreneurship on that stone monument, pouring his emotions into the inscription. The monument was called the ‘Profit Turnaround Memorial‘, which read:

‘In the year 1988 AD, the factory incurred losses of 4.8 million… At that time, sighs of sadness were heard everywhere, scenes of desolation were seen everywhere, everyone thought about what they would do next, the capable thought of leaving… After three years, through three scorching summers, three bitter winters, not a single day passed without thorough reform. Nine months ahead of schedule in spring 1991, it was announced to the world that Chongqing Specialty Automobile had risen again… Surveying the world, from ancient times to the present, survival of the fittest is intense in today’s competitive world. Reforms come first. Having suffered the bitterness of losses, the people of Specialty Automobile vowed not to repeat the history of losses… Remembering the past, to provide lessons for the future, this monument is specially erected.’

Seven years ago, this insolvent agricultural vehicle manufacturing plant has now transformed into a major factory with fixed assets worth 250 million. It has developed into a large-scale automobile production enterprise in Chongqing City with two major categories—off-road and public vehicles—and over fifty varieties, with an annual value of production exceeding 500 million RMB. It has become a designated production base for more than twenty government departments including public security, agriculture, health, environmental protection, and postal services.

In the intersection of Yunquan Road and Yuntian Road, where there once stood heavy, gray, worn-out felt hats, new factory buildings now stand tall on the previously desolate land. The yellow office building in the central area has been demolished from its foundation on a small hill. The site, once overgrown with weeds and used for parking blue agricultural vehicles, now hosts a new eight-story office building covering an area of 6,000 square meters, rising up from the ground.

– 719 –

1996 年五月一日前一天的晚上，党政工召开了全厂的职工大会，决定成立北泉汽车集团 公司，并同时成立集团公司的董事会。这一夜，李伦带着初愈的病体到厂主持了最后一次“交 权”大会，在作了长篇的工作讲话后，便宣布了他的工作交待，接任他担任厂长的是原汽车公

司的一名生产处处长王洼。

To the east of the office building, there is a row of five-story buildings totaling two hundred suites with bathrooms and air conditioning. Alongside these are the boiler room and restaurant, collectively named the Beiquan Hotel, a luxurious guesthouse welcoming guests from all corners. This marks the permanent end to Li Lun’s days in the dark, damp small hut, and the bleak times of squatting in a corner with a rice bowl.

Looking back at the earth-shattering changes on this land, more than 80,000 square meters that had been silent for thousands of years underwent a dramatic transformation from desolation. Astonishing. One naturally wonders why, with each new factory director and secretary, no one thought to make such changes during their tenure?

It seems as if this 1.88-meter-tall giant was needed to finally begin transforming its old appearance? Today, only those builders who worked silently, caring little for fame or fortune, truly understand how hard-won all of this is.

However, no one anticipated that in the spring of 1993, after seven years of day and night battles, during a meeting that lasted until 2 a.m. the next day, he collapsed at the venue. As staff helped him up from the fainting chair, they discovered a thick cushion soaked in his blood—due to rectal prolapse, tormenting him throughout the night.

His wife, children, and close aides tearfully carried him to the hospital ward at Chongqing Medical College. He had to lie on the hospital bed for three months straight, still managing ‘Specialty Automobile Enterprise’ through his secretary, as he had always done.

In April 1995, the Chongqing Municipal Government awarded him a special honor, placing his name on the Glory List of entrepreneurs in the Mountain City for his achievements. He was also given a one-time bonus of one hundred thousand yuan. During the award ceremony, he announced that, in recognition and encouragement of those who contributed to the technological progress of the Specialty Automobile Factory, he decided to donate the award to establish the Beiquan Automobile Group’s Technology Invention Award Fund.

At the time, Party Secretary Wang Hui and Union Chairman Xiang Yun delivered ‘extremely moving’ speeches at his sickbed, with Wang Hui referring to Li Lun as the father of the Specialty Automobile Enterprise. The video camera captured tearful and emotional moments from her speech, instantly decided by the Party Political Office and named ‘Fighting Against the Current‘ 逆流奋进 as a long documentary film, recording the Specialty Automobile Factory’s seven-year journey under his leadership to overcome difficulties and turn losses into profits.

The opening of this documentary featured Li Lun’s emergency speech during his tenure and the Specialty Automobile Factory Anthem, which he personally participated in writing. When I saw Wang Hui appear on the screen, noticing her several times taking off her glasses to wipe away tears in the corners of her eyes, I felt a nauseating discomfort, but still half-believed her.

Almost no one could understand everything he did. However, just as people were discussing the peak of his career, one day he woke up from his sickbed realizing he had actually done something grandiose and foolish, suddenly realizing that his health could no longer enable him to continue fighting to fulfill his dreams. 

However, like a beautiful melody suddenly breaking a string, Li Lun’s career at the Specialty Automobile Factory came to an abrupt end.

On the evening of April 30, 1996, the Party and Government convened a general assembly of all employees to establish the Beiquan Automobile Group Corporation and simultaneously set up the company’s board of directors. That night, with his newly recovered health, Li Lun presided over the final ‘handover’ meeting at the factory. After delivering a lengthy work speech, he announced his work arrangements. The person succeeding him as factory director was Wang Wa, the former head of the production department of the original automotive company.”

– 720 –

The meeting continued until eleven o’clock at night. Li Lun, who had not fully recovered, sat on the chairman’s podium, his pale face illuminated by the lights.

After the meeting adjourned, unlike usual, he wasn’t surrounded by a large group of people. Instead, he left the office building alone and hurriedly got into the car waiting for him. At that time, I only heard that Li Lun, promoted to president of Beiquan Group, continued to plan his corporate strategies in an office at the Specialty Automobile Factory.

The shift change was completed dramatically like this, and Li Lun never returned to the Specialty Automobile Factory again. The so-called Beiquan Group Corporation was never officially established, and the ‘glorious’ entrepreneurial period of the specialized automobile factory ended with his departure. Without a successor to carry on, what the factory had become appeared like an aberration, a phantom apparition during the seven short years of his tenure. No one else would sacrifice as much as he did to achieve the unprecedented glory of the factory.

To Li Lun’s surprise, two months later, his son Li Jia was criminally detained by the Procuratorate for illegally purchasing certificates for importing cars for Beiquan Automobile Assembly. Chen Zeng, who had been demoted to the Foreign Economic Office Director, was reappointed as the Executive Deputy Director by Wang Wa. The documentary ‘Fighting Against the Current’ ceased production. It seemed as though all this misfortune had been waiting for this moment to arrive.

Li Lun overestimated his abilities to accomplish his goals. He fundamentally failed to recognize that under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, anyone with talent but without the backing of those in power would achieve nothing!! The success of the Specialty Automobile Enterprise only illustrated the views of a faction of the Chinese Communist Party. Without recognizing this, how could he achieve anything?

An audit team led by Director Wang Hui and Team Leader Liu Gui was announced, and their office was set up opposite the Party Committee Office on the fifth floor of the office building. They began a comprehensive financial audit of Li Lun’s tenure. The audit team spread rumors, claiming that Li Lun had embezzled millions of public funds before leaving office. Holding up a whistleblower letter, she asserted that the audit office would produce a report satisfying all factory workers.

This narrative seemed to fit the general logic of what happened to corporate legal persons during the Chinese Communist Party’s reform period, hence it had considerable persuasive power. That logic would suggest that during his tenure, an incapable person managed to make a mess of an enterprise, grabbing as much as possible for personal gain.

In such a situation, people grab for all the power they can; once their time has passed, it all goes away —this was the prevalent rule under Deng Xiaoping’s management of state-owned factories in the Chinese Communist Party. Some likened the managers of this period to a swarm of locusts, flying about, devouring the crops and leaving desolation in their wake. Li Lun enriched the factory and had the opportunity to grab something. It was only right for him to reap some rewards. If not, didn’t his son do so, taking advantage of his father’s departure to smuggle dozens of car certificates?

Yet, some of the workers at the Specialty Automobile Factory sympathized with Li Lun. Master Huang said, ‘A greedy person could never have brought this factory from ruin. Besides, if Li Lun took some money, it is only right that he should get a proportionate share. Over these years, he revived our factory and brought in so much profit. It’s only fair. Anyway, it’s better than locusts eating everything and flying off elsewhere.’

On the other hand, individuals like Chen Zeng, who had been punished severely under Li Lun’s strict governance, incited workers to sign a joint letter to the Bureau of Mechanical Engineering, demanding a thorough investigation into all of Li Lun’s accounts during his tenure.

Li Lun was treated like a scapegoat by a group of petty people. Such chilling political struggles within the Chinese Communist Party, the nauseating about face by Wang Hui, makes one realize how today’s society has lost its ancient morals. The rule of the Chinese Communist Party makes people feel that morality is in decline! How many party members of the Chinese Communist Party put up a pretense of being angels but are really devils? Haven’t you seen how Mao Zedong dealt with Liu Shaoqi? The legacy of our founding master persists to this day, shaping the party’s style of governance!”

-721-

Small cars smuggled into the mainland, after resale, could earn up to 200,000 RMB per vehicle. In order to control the distribution of these cars, bureaucratic groups strictly controlled the certificates of these smuggled goods, and those in power used the issuance of certificates to advance within the Chinese Communist Party’s ‘middle-class’!

To support the funding needed for Li Lun’s Hino production line, Xiao Yang 肖秧 once granted Li Lun special rights to operate a car smuggling operation 肖秧曾给李伦特批了走私车经营权 . Under government auspices, every imported car assembled per unit brought in ‘capital’ to the Specialty Automobile Factory, amounting to 200,000 RMB per vehicle.以政府名义 给每台组装进口的小车，以每台二十万，向专汽厂输入了“资本” This was simpler and quicker than the municipal government allocating three hundred million. Three hundred million equated to the assembly rights of 1500 imported cars, it only took two days for two people to assemble each car.

After Li Lun retired, the assembly of imported cars reached its peak. Officials of all sizes in Chongqing were like a swarm of flies, eyeing the opportunity to make a quick 200,000 profit. After his retirement, the distribution rights of imported cars fell into Wang Wa’s hands, who formally engaged in the resale of certificate business. This marked a significant step forward from six years ago when the Duke of Yin 殷大公子 [Agricultural Vehicle Factory Vice Director Yin] scalped farm vehicle purchase coupons at the factory gate.

In early 1996, Wang Wa approved one hundred vehicle import certificates to Chengdu’s sales director, Chen Ping, for assembly. I don’t know how Li Jia, who was already a North Quan car dealer at the time, learned of this. Anyway, Li Jia bought thirty assembly certificates in one go from Chen Ping.

However, because the profits were so high, the Chinese Communist Party soon dispatched special personnel to seize and clear smuggled cars. Chen Ping was summoned by the Public Security Bureau as a result. Thus, Li Jia’s purchase of thirty certificates from Chen Ping became ‘evidence’ of Li Lun’s corruption. Under this ironclad evidence, Li Lun, once acclaimed as a pioneering hero, overnight descended into a ‘semi-prisoner’ under investigation…

In the midst of intense movement, one’s mind can become heated and prone to blind impulse, sometimes committing grave errors without awareness. When the passion subsides and one reflects on past events, one may find one’s actions extremely absurd and in need of correction, even realizing that the basic direction was completely wrong, leading astray and requiring a change in direction.

Li Lun fell into despair amid the struggles over the allocation of profit within the privileged class of the Chinese Communist Party. During the uncertainty of property rights in the era of reform and opening up, this kind of plunder ultimately manifested as a power struggle, causing his former glory to vanish. Therefore, he need not attribute personal disappointments to some workers lacking conscience. Ordinary Specialty Automobile Factory workers, apart from obeying orders, were at most victims of venting grievances.

In the vast ancient Chinese library, records and discussions on economic classics appear insufficient. For thousands of years, the Thirteen Classics revolved around the theme of ruling, with benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, music, and official ranks adhering to the system without escaping the overarching social relations. This was because China was still dominated by feudalism, under conditions of self-sufficient natural economy, where the ruling class only focused on social order and chaos.

When the 1911 Revolution introduced the democratic blueprint for building a nation into China, it was intercepted by communism imported from the North. The Three Principles of the People were unjustly labeled as unredressed injustice on the part of reactionary bourgeoisie and then exiled to a lonely island in the ocean. The socialist economy implemented on the mainland was a closed economy under dictatorial rule. After suffering, the Chinese people finally brought Chinese history back to the starting point of a market economy. However, which way this power-dominated ‘market economy’ will ultimately slide remains to be seen.

Wang Wa, who took over as the director of the Specialty Automobile Factory from Li Lun, harvested the fruits of our hard work over seven years. Not only did he enjoy the conditions created by his predecessor, but he also enjoyed the honor and benefits of a wealthy large factory corporate person. Inept and greedy, he quickly handed over the factory management rights to the ambitious Chen Zeng. Under Chen Zeng’s manipulation, colluding with Xiang Yun, Wang Hui, and other ‘old officials’ of the Specialty Automobile Factory, they seized control of the factory.”

-722-

The North Quan Factory, originally doing well, lost its previous profit momentum within less than two years due to internal strife, and by 1996, it had gone back to operating in the red. That year, the factory actually lost five million RMB, and Chen Zeng, fearing exposure, fell out of favor. He used false reports of inventory and exaggerated infrastructure investments to cover up the actual losses that had occurred.

The heads of the Machinery Bureau pretended not to see anything, because their pockets were stuffed with the ‘holiday bonus money’ Wang Wa sent around at year-end while on their desks lay reports still showing Specialty Automobile’s profitability. Deceiving and bribing were tricks that factory directors of state-owned enterprises mastered during this period. On the pretext of covering their dirty dealing, they even hung up posters on  the ‘Learn from the Handan Spirit, Strive for Excellence.’

In May 1996, I officially took early retirement, ending my twelve years contributing to this factory. At 58, my son was only 14, a third-year middle school student. To raise funds for his future education fees and to save a bit for my own retirement, I embarked on a career as a laborer.

Occasionally returning to the factory after leaving, every time I returned to the workshop, the workers surrounded me with questions. Xiao Sen, who used to be the deputy director of quality, told me:

‘Since you left, the original quality regulations have all been canceled, and no one actually manages the quality of the products. Car owners who encounter faults drive their cars to block the factory gate. They bring accident reports to negotiate with the factory director, scaring Wang Wa into hiding in the office building. The drivers blocking the gate shouted in protest, and over time, all the old customers of Specialty Automobile Factory left one by one. The number of cars sold each year decreased significantly, while after-sales service became extremely busy.’

He also told me that recently, ten cars sent to Xinjiang had brake and electrical problems. Not only did the customers refuse them, they even asked the Specialty Automobile Factory to take them back. The round trip costs and repair fees added up to tens of thousands. After saying this, he shook his head in frustration and said, ‘This year’s expected losses have already exceeded ten million. I think the factory can’t hold on anymore.’

The following summer, when I returned to the factory’s management office to handle my retirement procedures, I met Rong Lu. She was flipping through a large stack of quality management documents I had drafted years ago, which had been relegated to obscurity by Chen Zeng. When she saw me, it was as if she had encountered a long-lost mentor. She quickly asked me to sit down, brought a glass of water, and asked where I had been working since leaving the factory, and also inquired about what Li Lun was doing now. She said everyone hoped we could return to the factory again.

I replied, ‘There are no saviors in the world. Whether it’s Li Lun or Wang Wa, as long as they have the spirit of enterprise, they can revitalize the factory.’ As I spoke, I casually flipped through the documents piled on the table and asked, ‘How’s the factory’s operation been recently?’ She shook her head and said, ‘Since you left, no one has really managed product quality.”

She also told me, “Because the factory has returned to losses, the Municipal Machinery Bureau recently sent a working group to audit Chen Zeng. Not long afterwards, Chen Zeng was removed from his position. Seeing hundreds of cars piling up in the garage unsold, Wang Wa convened a factory meeting and decided to reprint the management methods you drafted before and the economic responsibility system for quality assessment. After being sorted out by the Chief Engineer, they were reissued for implementation, and the Chief Engineer was instructed to oversee them.”

Hearing her explanation, I felt calm. At sixty, I deeply understood that ‘Heaven’s Decrees’ 天命 cannot be resisted. Chen Zeng thought human intentions could defy objective laws and abolished the entire quality management department to remove a thorn in his side. From then on, the Specialty Automobile Factory would no longer have that stubborn and reckless Kong Lingping! Back then, the only thing I wanted was a proper reputation, earned through my own efforts, and the housing and treatment I rightfully deserved.”

-723-

Now our retirement funds ensure our basic needs, housing is also settled, so why do we still chase after empty fame? Moreover, those who replaced Li Lun are some Xiaoxiao. Li Lun’s advocacy for the spirit of the commando spirit 敢死队 has become a joke! Who else now acts as foolishly as Li Lun did?  Rong Lu wanted me to say something but I could only smile and say nothing, as Yan Shu’s poem goes: ‘A new poem and a cup of wine, last year’s weather at the old pavilion. When will the sunset return? Helpless as the falling flowers, like a familiar swallow returning.’ 一曲新辞酒一杯，去年天气旧亭台。夕阳西下几时回？无 可奈何花落去，似曾相识燕归来

Chen Zeng’s dismissal sparked condemnation at the Specialty Automobile Factory. Two years later, Wang Hui went, gloomy and gray, into retirement. When people mockingly asked her, ‘When will the issue of Li Lun be satisfactorily resolved for all factory workers?’ she could only smile bitterly without an answer.

As for the dismissed Li Xiaobing, he called Wang Hui’s home to congratulate her on finally stepping down from the position of factory Party Secretary, hoping she wouldn’t continue to deceive people as she did in office. Hearing this public ridicule, she could only treat it as another splash of mud thrown at her. Truly this was a case of [Liu Zihui’s poem]

Regrets for the past dynasty’s overturned sacred tripod, 

Bones decay amidst human scolding.’  空嗟覆鼎误前朝，骨朽人间骂未销  Why should people vie for high or low? Right and wrong will naturally be judged.

Since Wang Wa took over from Li Lun in 1995, the Specialty Automobile Factory has again been plagued by losses. By 1998, under Lu Rui’s leadership, losses had reached one billion! Li Lun’s vows inscribed on the ‘turnaround monument’ in 1990 had finally become the wishful thinking of a generation of entrepreneurs! A large state-owned enterprise, which started from losses and amassed over three billion, was sold by the Chongqing Municipal Government to a private Mobang Lifan Group for a mere fifty million ‘jumping off the building price.’ Chongqing Special Purpose Vehicle Factory struggled on at its factory side until it disappeared.

Lu Rui, a playboy, under the protection of the CCP municipal government, gained a vice-general manager position at Lifan Corporation and a hundred thousand yuan salary in return for the ‘cheap sale’ of this large factory, enjoying a boss’s lifestyle with cars and mansions.

As for the cheap purchase of the Specialty Automobile Factory by Yin San, he had no intention of inheriting the former glory of the factory on this land. After buying this golden land for fifty million from Lu Rui, he hurriedly prepared to flip it to the Beibei District Government for four billion.

Unfortunately, this private deal has not yet been finalized, facing opposition from two thousand Specialty Automobile Factory workers who have collectively reported to the municipal government, temporarily preventing Yin San from succeeding! Of course, this is all due to the manipulation of certain CCP officials behind the scenes.

After Lu Rui’s shuttle negotiations, the farce of the ‘restructuring’ of the Specialty Automobile Factory began in 2003. This so-called ‘restructuring’ involved handling the retired portions of the original state-owned enterprise employees, whose pensions had been handed over to ‘social security,’ ensuring they would not go hungry. Those who had not yet retired were left with nothing.

Thus, citing overstaffing as its excuse, the Chongqing Municipal Government bought out the remaining seven hundred workers’ seniority for seven hundred yuan per year. Naturally, facing a survival crisis, the dismissed workers could rise up in resistance. Unfortunately, the characteristics of the ‘Ugly Chinese’ made them like a heap of loose sand, unable to unite, and thus they could only sadly and anxiously fend for themselves.

This reminds me of the medieval period in England, where landlords, driven by the desire for huge profits, evicted generations of peasants attached to their land and turned these lands into pastures for grazing sheep. They saw the profits from sheep farming far surpassing those from tenant farmers growing crops, leading to a tragic history where sheep devoured men, known as the ‘Enclosure Movement.'”

– 724 –

The workers expelled from the factory suddenly fell from their status as ‘masters’ into the deep pit of hiring themselves out as laborers. The employees of the Specialty Automobile Factory were left to wander the streets.

One of my neighbors, Ms. Tan, due to financial difficulties in her family and a divorce, would have been homeless with her nine-year-old daughter if not for the house allocated to her father by Li Lun.

My neighbor, Ms. Tan, due to financial difficulties in her family and divorce, would have been homeless with her nine-year-old daughter if not for the apartment that Li Lun had allocated to her father.

The Specialty Automobile Factory only survived for a short decade. The efforts Li Lun put into it vanished. The monument he erected to turn losses around was demolished by his successor Lu Rui, reduced to rubble under people’s feet. The volunteer spirit of the commando squad, written on the gate pillars, became mere gossip over tea.

Every time I think of the ‘fighting day and night’ back then, a shameful memory of that foolish zeal rises in my heart. Now, only the eight hundred housing units left behind from Li Lun’s era hold a bit of commemoration in the hearts of the workers who live in them!

When asked why hundreds of workers lost their factory so easily to Lu Rui, you should know: when Li Lun started the venture, relying on thirteen hundred workers on the same site, he built the Specialty Automobile Factory here. Achieving an annual profit of forty million made it clear that having many workers is not the reason for a company’s decline. In fact, Lu Rui was just a small pawn in the new CCP ‘restructuring’ scheme. Mao Zedong’s state ownership inherited from his godfather Stalin didn’t work, so they tried a new approach. But who suffers? The workers!!

Just as I was writing this, a shocking event occurred in my workplace, the current director of Chongqing Specialty Automobile Factory, Li Anlin, was assassinated in his office. [see news article below.]

That day, his wife, seeing her husband hadn’t returned by eleven in the evening and hadn’t called since the afternoon, assuming his phone was dead, took a charger from home to his office to find him. As she entered the second floor of his office, the whole floor was pitch black and silent.

She turned on the corridor lights and approached his office door, which was ajar. Inside, in the darkness, there was no sound. She flicked on the room light and was horrified by what she saw.

She found her husband lying in front of his office sofa, the blood on the floor turned black, his body stiff. It seemed he had been dead for half a day. She quickly, trembling, woke the security guard on duty downstairs and called ‘110’. Li Anlin had been stabbed eleven times.

News of Li Anlin’s murder quickly spread throughout Block 11’s residential buildings, sparking widespread discussion. The morning after Li Anlin’s murder, someone told me that in the open square near the main gate of the Specialty Automobile Factory, just a wall away from our Block 8, they were setting up the victim’s memorial hall.

Since my retirement in 1997,  a full eight years have passed. In the first few years, I occasionally visited the assembly workshop, usually at the request of friends buying cars who wanted my opinion. But in the past four or five years, I haven’t set foot in the factory at all, strictly adhering to ‘not in the position, not seeking to influence policies’. Despite hearing about Wang Wa’s incompetence as the factory’s director, it was all just background noise to me.

Later, I, one of the owners of these seven sold houses, moved three households out. Two families moved into a newly built, luxurious floor-style residence of two hundred square meters each near Yunquan Intersection. I found it strange—having housing should satisfy, why do they need more, occupying one apartment after another?

The harsh reality facing the Specialty Automobile Factory workers is that since Li Lun left, no one appointed by the authorities has been able to stabilize the factory amidst the tidal buffeting of the market economy.. From Wang Wa to Chen Zeng, and then Lu Rui, it only took five years to squander three billion in assets.

The grand venture of the Specialty Automobile Factory ended in just one short decade!!”

-725-

Next: Rightist Memoir XL: Despite CCP Policy, Confiscated Private Home Never Returned

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2005 news report:

Here is the translation of the entire text, followed by the Chinese text.

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Chongqing Specialty Automobile Factory General Manager Found Dead with Multiple Stab Wounds in Office

重庆专用汽车厂总经理办公室内身中数刀遇害
http://www.sina.com.cn
August 28, 2005 03:07 Sichuan News Network – Chengdu Evening News

On the afternoon of the 26th, Li Anlin, the general manager of Chongqing Specialty Automobile Factory, was found dead in his office with multiple stab wounds. His relatives suspect that he was murdered due to a business-related dispute. The police are currently investigating the case.

General Manager Found Dead with Multiple Stab Wounds in Office

Yesterday morning, according to the deceased’s brother, Li Zhang, a friend’s son had been accepted to university, and they had planned to celebrate with a dinner at 6 PM on the 26th. However, Li Anlin did not show up, and his friend called him but found his phone switched off. Li Zhang said the constant unavailability of his phone made the friend suspicious, who then called Li Anlin’s wife. Around 11 PM, thinking her husband might have run out of battery while handling business outside, Li’s wife went to his office with a battery. She took the company accountant with her and opened the iron gate to the office. When she found the office door ajar, she pushed it open and turned on the lights, only to see Li Anlin lying face down in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds on his chest and back, his body already stiff.

Family Suspects Premeditated Murder

Li’s family deduced that he was likely murdered before the end of the workday. The company closes the iron gate to the office building at 6 PM every day. The office building is frequented by many people, and there is no log of people entering and exiting, so the killer might have mingled with the crowd before the office closed.

No Signs of Struggle, Hands Protecting Chest

Li Anlin’s brother-in-law, Xiao, mentioned that in the office, he saw Li with his hands protecting his chest, lying face down near the sofa by his desk. There were signs of movement on the coffee table, and keys and a watch were found on the floor, while the mobile phone was missing. Xiao said that the office was next to a main road with a bus stop under the window, and any disturbance in the office could be heard clearly from downstairs. From the scene, it appeared that Li was likely entertaining someone he knew and was attacked from behind without any defense, as there were no signs of a struggle.

Suspicion of Premeditated Murder

Xiao said that the family found Li’s death suspicious. According to Li’s wife, a few days before his death, a stranger had visited their home, but they didn’t pay much attention to it at the time. Li had four offices, not in the same place, but his schedule was relatively fixed, sometimes working in two different offices in the afternoon, though outsiders didn’t know his routine. The family believes Li was murdered due to business matters, and the perpetrator was familiar with both internal and external environments.

Plans for Overseas Expansion Before Death

Several friends of Li mentioned that he was a steady person, physically strong, and did not drink. One friend said they met on Wednesday that week and discussed expanding the company’s overseas market and improving employee welfare. According to Li Zhang, after the incident, Li’s wife was in shock and hospitalized. Because it was too late yesterday, the reporter could not reach the current head of the automobile factory.

Reported by Chongqing Business News

Original text:

重庆专用汽车厂总经理办公室内身中数刀遇害
http://www.sina.com.cn 2005年08月28日03:07 四川新闻网-成都晚报
　　重庆专用汽车厂总经理李安林26日下午身中数刀死在办公室。其亲属怀疑死者系有人图谋因公事被人杀害。目前，警方已对此进行调查。

　　老总办公室内身中数刀

　　昨日上午，据死者弟弟李章讲，李安林一朋友的儿子考上大学，约定26日下午6时去参
加贺宴。但6时已过他却未到。朋友给他打电话，发现手机关机。李章说，电话一直不通使朋友感到很奇怪，便打电话给嫂子。晚上11时多，嫂子像往常一样以为丈夫在外办事将手机电池用完，便到办公室替其取电池。李妻叫上公司会计，打开通过办公室的铁门，发现办公室的门虚掩着，推门开灯一看，李安林俯卧地上，全身是血，前胸后背身中数刀，身体已僵硬。

　　据李的家人推断，李安林应是当天下午下班前遇害的。因进入办公室铁门公司每天下午6时准时关闭，该办公室所在楼房进出人员混杂，没有对进出人员登记，凶手可能在下班前混了进去。

　　双手护胸无搏斗痕迹

　　李安林的妹夫肖某说，在事发办公室，他看见哥哥双手护在胸前，俯卧在办公桌旁的沙发边，茶几有平移的痕迹，钥匙和手表掉在地上，手机被拿走，其它地方却没有丝毫翻动痕迹。肖说，办公室外是一条主公路，且窗下设有一个车站，平时在办公室也能清楚的听到楼下擦皮鞋的声音，如果上面有什么动静下面肯定有人听得到。他说，从现场分析，哥哥当时可能是接待一个熟人，背部伤口证实他是毫无防备时被人偷袭，受到致命一击；从办公室完全没有混乱的迹象看，哥哥当时应该没有与对方搏斗过。

　　家属怀疑系有预谋杀人

　　肖说，一家人都怀疑哥哥死因蹊跷。他事后从嫂子口中得知，哥哥死前几天，家中曾有陌生人“拜访”，但当时没有在意。他告诉记者，哥哥有4个办公室，并不在同一个地方。但上班地点的时间安排是相对固定的，有时候下午可能在不同的两个办公室办公，但外人并不知道他的作息安排。他认为，哥哥这次肯定是因公被害，且此人对内部、外部环境较为熟悉。

　　死前三天打算海外发展

　　据李的多名好友介绍，李生前为人稳重，身体健壮，不喝酒。其中一朋友说，本周三他们还见过面。当时他们还谈到企业如何拓展海外市场，如何给职工谋福利等问题。据李章讲，出事后，李妻已神智不清住进

医院。因昨日太晚，记者未能联系上该汽车厂现在的负责人。据重庆商报