Only after quite a while did Fang Long and the other two come back in. Once they entered, their expressions were no longer as heavy as before, having eased somewhat.
No one knew exactly how their discussion had gone. Presumably, they had called Relativity Media, worked on Matthew, and communicated with the other companies as well.
After all, everyone was rather concerned about this matter.
After they sat down, Fang Long said, “We discussed it just now. We agree to have Matthew apologize, and we also agree to remove Matthew from the position of assistant director.”
Even if they did not remove him, Matthew probably would not have the face to stay.
Wang Zhongjun then pointed at Qin Xuan and continued, “As for you, you have to leave too. You are not allowed to enter this circle again.”
Qin Xuan let out a laugh. “Heh.” He figured this was probably what many people wanted. After all, he had touched capital’s cake.
Seeking benefits and dignity for those at the bottom—was that not touching their cake?
“No problem. I can leave. As for whether I enter this circle or not, that isn’t up to you.” Qin Xuan had already mentally prepared himself.
It was just that this was something he had not expected when he first started doing this. All he could say was that his opponents were not all fools; they had brains too.
Wang Zhongjun did not waste more words on him. A thing like this was only relying on someone else’s power to shout blindly. Without someone else’s backing, who would even know him?
He looked at Director Huang and said, “Director Huang, we’ve done everything we should. Let’s leave this matter at that.”
“Do you have any other demands?” Director Huang asked Qin Xuan.
“Of course. The issue of treatment still hasn’t been resolved,” Qin Xuan said.
“Matthew has already agreed to apologize. What more do you want?” Wang Zhongjun was somewhat exasperated.
He knew this meant they were going to cut flesh from him.
“I said that was only a precondition. Your unfairness exists in every aspect, especially regarding food, drink, basic needs, housing, and overall treatment.” Qin Xuan wanted dignity, and he wanted proper treatment too.
“Aren’t you asking for a bit too much?” Wang Zhongjun said unhappily.
“This problem is indeed an objective one, and it is also an issue of basic保障. You also promised to improve the treatment of grassroots employees,” Director Huang spoke up to help.
This issue was something that had to be negotiated in the first place. If nothing changed and things remained as they had been before, it would be hard to prevent those people from causing trouble again.
“Then say it!” Wang Zhongjun felt as if he had eaten shit.
At the start, Qin Xuan had relied on them to force Fei Lei to yield; now he was relying on Director Huang to force them to yield. One move after another.
But there was no helping it. They had indeed said at the start that they would definitely resolve this issue, and Director Huang had also promised as much.
“For meals, the standard should be three dishes and one soup. For drinks, the same as the other Hong Kong employees—bottled mineral water. As for lodging, I won’t ask for four- or five-star hotels, since you won’t want to bear that cost, but work sheds and the like won’t do. At the very least, there must be separate, free air-conditioning and bathrooms.
“As for wages, I won’t ask you to raise them. Whatever the market rate is, pay according to that. But you must strictly abide by labor law: an eight-hour workday standard, and double overtime pay for overtime.” Qin Xuan finished in one breath, as if reciting something he knew by heart.
After all, these were all things he had personally experienced as a beast of burden. And raising wages was impossible; if they did that, the impact would be too wide, and Hengdian, as a base, would not agree either.
An eight-hour workday was already a disguised wage increase.
“That’s all fine, but this eight-hour thing you mentioned—if everyone rests, who’s going to work?” Wang Zhongjun was unwilling.
“I’m very curious. Why is it that Hong Kong people and Americans can strictly implement an eight-hour workday? But our people can’t? Are we different kinds of people?” Qin Xuan said.
Wang Zhongjun was instantly blocked, unable to say a word. It was that same old standard of not treating people as human.
They had an eight-hour rule because they had such a regulation. As for us… we also had such a regulation.
“Do you have any objections?” Director Huang pressed them.
Wang Zhongjun, Fang Long, and Fei Lei exchanged glances, seeming to reach a tacit understanding. Fang Long said, “No objections.”
At worst, they would split the cost and earn a little less. They had already prepared themselves to bleed from the start.
Fei Lei no longer spoke. There was nothing much to say about spending money.
“Good. Then we’ll do it this way. Don’t let any other problems crop up,” Director Huang finalized it directly.
His task was to calm such incidents and prevent them from becoming known to everyone. Now all the extras in Hengdian knew about it, and the impact was very bad.
After the negotiations were settled, the group left the work shed and came outside. When Minkoff, Li Bailian, and the other main cast and creators saw them, they instinctively came forward and followed along beside them.
They wanted to ask something, to say something, but seeing that every one of them had stiff expressions, they could not very well speak or ask. They could only whisper among themselves. Those who had not participated in the negotiation did not know what had been discussed.
Only Matthew’s face looked rather ugly.
Liu Xiaoli had just arrived from afar and still did not know the situation, so she asked her daughter, “What’s going on here?”
“Early this morning, a lot of people started striking. That person…”
Liu Yifei pointed at Qin Xuan, who was beside the man in the administrative jacket, and said, “He became the representative of the ordinary workers and negotiated with the production crew. Now we just don’t know how the talks went.”
Liu Xiaoli narrowed her eyes and looked over. She saw a young man walking over calmly amid a crowd of people surrounding him.
On the palace square, Shen Ao, Zhang Linke, Li Miao, and the others saw Qin Xuan and the rest approaching, and their hearts grew extremely uneasy.
As for the hundred or so people waiting there, their eyes were all filled with expectation.
“Matthew will be removed from the position of assistant director.” Qin Xuan faced them, sweeping his gaze over their expectant faces.
These words filled the eyes of everyone present with joy. This plague god was really going to leave.
“He will also apologize to you.”
Qin Xuan gestured to Matthew. “Come over. What are you standing there for?”
Matthew glanced at the production’s main creators. They were all silent. Then his gaze settled on Fei Lei. Seeing that Fei Lei’s face was expressionless, he knew he had to do it.
Because the three of them had spoken with him just now, and Relativity Media had also tacitly agreed.
He stood where Qin Xuan had been, facing the many people he had once berated or ignored, yet he could not open his mouth.
These were the “yellow people” he looked down on!
“Hurry up. Don’t you feel awkward standing there?” Qin Xuan urged.
Those words made Matthew’s face burn. Looking at those countless pairs of indifferent eyes, he felt extremely unwilling.
He took a deep breath and said, “I’m sorry, everyone. In the past, I was negligent in my work and failed to consider your feelings. I was a bastard. I was an asshole. Here, I want to say sorry to everyone.”
After he finished speaking, he bowed deeply to the people present.
Whether it was because he had no face left or for some other reason, after bowing, he quickly walked toward the back and soon disappeared. Presumably, he had lost all face.
The joy of everyone present also faded, replaced by excitement, by the feeling of being valued. When had this American ever humbled himself like this before?
The scene was quiet, and no one spoke, but that surging emotion could be felt.
There was a sense of finally being able to hold their heads high.
“Every person has the right to be respected. When facing those who do not respect us, silence is indulgence. We must respond with the strongest voice…” Director Huang delivered a short speech.
“Good!”
Qin Xuan clapped loudly, taking the lead.
Thunderous applause immediately rang out across the scene. Some people were very emotional, moved to the point that tears welled in their eyes.
They had not only come to solve the problem, but also to win a wave of popular support.