Averi was woken up by Jordan's phone call.
"Averi, boss, something's happened."
Hearing these three words, Averi snapped awake instantly. Clearing her throat to suppress the hoarseness, she asked, "What is it?"
"Today, Construction Team B went to Maple Hollow Village in Northside for a project. The village was supposed to be empty, but as soon as we started work, a crowd of people suddenly appeared, holding banners that accused us of forced demolition by the J Corporation. They claimed they were coerced into signing the contracts and are now demanding to see the person in charge. They've formed a human barrier to block the road and are threatening to damage our equipment. I just got the call, don't have all the details yet, and I'm on my way to the scene."
"The team leader of Team B says that a dispute has arisen on both sides, and the situation is getting out of control."
"One of the villagers started it by throwing stones and injuring a staff member's head. But the scene is chaotic, and no one saw exactly what happened."
Averi frowned, quickly sorting out her thoughts.
The redevelopment of the four villages in Northside was taken over by Johnathan when he was in charge of real estate. Unexpectedly, the demolition proved to be far more challenging than anticipated. Unwilling to admit his mistake, Johnathan refused to increase the compensation, causing the project to stall for over four years until Averi took over.
During these four years, most of Northside District had been redeveloped, leaving the four villages as a lingering scar. Most villagers were not truly determined to resist; many had just joined in for the excitement, and after four years, their resolve had worn thin. At this point, Averi appropriately increased the compensation and promised to distribute it within forty-five days after the start of construction, leading to a majority signing agreements and moving out.
For the few who remained steadfast, Averi did not confront them directly but instead persuaded the village chief to intervene. The agreement stipulated that the demolition compensation would only be issued after the start of construction. With some refusing to move, construction couldn't begin, and others wouldn't receive their payments. In the village, where personal relationships mattered deeply, few could withstand the pressure of being resented by their neighbors, and these individuals eventually signed and moved out as well.
The four villages in Northside had been empty for over a month, so why did a group of people suddenly appear to protest?
Averi spoke sternly, "Alright, I understand. Go ahead first, and I'll follow. Jordan, immediately inform all staff on-site that no one, regardless of the circumstances, is allowed to retaliate! The company will take full responsibility for those injured. Everyone present today will receive appropriate compensation upon returning to the office."
"But if anyone does retaliate, they won't receive any compensation and will face internal disciplinary action from the company."
"Got it," Jordan said, not without concern. "Averi, you shouldn't come. Given the current situation, who knows what might happen, especially if they target you—"
"If it's escalated to this point, they want me there. Not going would be a problem." Averi instructed Jordan, "Have the PR department prepare to avoid media coverage. Also, send our own people to take photos and videos at the scene for evidence. Remember, no one is to retaliate, no matter what happens."
"Got it, Averi, I understand. I'll call the construction captain and the PR department right away."
After hanging up, Averi, ignoring her sore body, got out of bed and dressed as quickly as possible.
Not only did she need to show up, but she had to do so with a good appearance. If the media captured her image, it would represent the J Corporation's image.
Given the urgency, Averi hadn't deliberately avoided Dallas while on the call, and he had heard the gist of their conversation.
As she was getting ready, Dallas had already dressed and stood by the door, waiting for her. "I'll go with you."
"No need, this is company business—"
"But if anything happens, my experience is more extensive than yours."
His expression was serious, devoid of any flirtatiousness, genuinely suggesting his offer was based on professional judgment rather than a gesture of affection.
Averi hesitated for a moment, then looked at him and said, "Alright."
Dallas's driving skills were far superior to hers, saving a considerable amount of time.
Seeing the two, Jordan wondered why Dallas was there, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. She refocused and reported to Averi: the injured employee had been sent to the hospital, no one else was hurt, and several well-informed media outlets had already arrived at the scene.
Averi glanced at the protesting crowd and suddenly realized something was off—there were too many people.
She remembered that Maple Hollow Village was the smallest of the four villages in Northside, with only around fifty households. Even if every man, woman, and child in the village came out, it wouldn't add up to this many protesters.
"Jordan, if anything happens, call Director Smith from the Public Security Bureau and the Bureau of Land Management right away."
Upon hearing this, Jordan quickly asked, "Averi, can't we play now
Averi shook her head and said, 'In this situation, even if they come, they can't do anything.' Instead, for the sake of stability, she may be asked to make some impossible promises, which indirectly confirms the charge of forced demolition.
After calming the emotions of the employees present, Averi took the loudspeaker and walked up to the high ground.
There were many broken stones and bricks on the ground, and high heels were inconvenient. Before Jordan, Dallas stepped forward and helped her.
Without waiting for Averi to thank him, he retreated to a position two or three meters away, scanning the surrounding crowd with a guarded expression.
Averi didn't have the mental space to think about anything else. She glanced at him briefly before picking up the megaphone and introducing herself: "Hello, everyone. I'm Averi, the project lead for Forbes Real Estate. It's unfortunate that we're meeting under these circumstances. Forbes Real Estate highly values this redevelopment project, and I'm here to listen—if you have any additional concerns, we can discuss them in detail."
"Everyone, don't listen to her! "Someone suddenly shouted among the villagers, "She tricked us into signing before."
As soon as the words fell, someone threw something at Averi again.
Averi had a chance to see what was coming at her, she instinctively raised her hand to protect her head, already bracing herself for the impact. She had considered the possibility of getting hurt before she came. Although it meant enduring pain, it could still serve as a way to claim the moral high ground.
The expected pain did not come, and Dallas rushed forward at some point, enduring this for her.
Unexpectedly, it turned into a forced demolition, with colleagues hanging banners. The construction team members were holding back their anger when they saw the other party throwing stones again. They couldn't help but rush forward and curse, "Do you still have shame, even hitting women!"
"Serves you right for the forced demolitions!" someone shouted.
The scene suddenly became chaotic, and the protesting crowd rushed forward, surrounding Averi and several others, shouting and pushing.
Hurry up. "Dallas protected her body for a moment and whispered," There's a problem."
Averi's shoulder was gripped tightly as she stumbled forward. While giving Kerry a meaningful look, she reiterated her command, "No one from J Corporation is to engage."
