Chapter 575 (1/2)
”Dear citizens of Moscow, I'm sorry to inform you that the workers' new town project, which we are proud of in Moscow, will be forced to stop work. As for when to resume construction, we have to wait for the higher authorities to give further notice...”
At about 6 p.m. Moscow time, before the evening news broadcast, Moscow's local TV station first broadcast a speech by Yeltsin himself. In this speech, Yeltsin appeared on the TV screen with tears in his eyes and regretfully informed all Moscow citizens that the workers' new town was going to be shut down.
The citizens who have invested their life savings in the bonds of the workers' new town project are angry, the citizens of Moscow who are waiting to move in are angry, and the construction contractors who are sweating on the workers' new town project are angry. That night, just half an hour after the news broadcast, thousands of ordinary people gathered in front of the Moscow municipal government, and they all clamored for Yeltsin to explain.
At this moment, standing at the window of Yeltsin's office, she silently watched everything below. She turned to Yeltsin and asked, ”are you ready for the next thing?”
”Xie liaosha, what do you think our chances are?” Yeltsin asked uneasily.
”Brother Boris, you are the first Secretary of Moscow city. If you don't do this, the workers' new town will no longer exist, and all your efforts during this period will be in vain. You should believe that we are doing a good job! The people of Moscow have the right to know the truth, and they have the right to refuse the unreasonable demands of the central government! ” Xie liaosha encouraged Yeltsin with words. For a bureaucrat who had been in the Soviet Communist Party system all his life, the street movement was too strange. Soviet officials always had to be responsible to their superiors. They didn't care about what people were thinking most of the time. Even for people like Yeltsin, it is extremely difficult for him to completely change his mind overnight.
Yeltsin took a deep, watery breath, then stepped out of his office. He left the room and swaggered down the stairs. Some staff members saw Yeltsin trying to get out of the building and tried to stop him, but Yeltsin reached out and refused the staff's kindness. He calmly walked out of the office building, through the courtyard, and then walked out of the gate of the Moscow municipal Party committee despite the obstruction of the guards.
”Citizens of Moscow, comrades of workers, here I am! Ask what you want to know, I will tell you without reservation... ”Yeltsin snatched the loudspeaker from the hand of an interior police officer who kept the order on the scene, and then said aloud.
”Secretary Yeltsin, why did the workers' new town shut down? My pension is invested in it. The monthly interest is the vast majority of our family's income. If you shut down, what can I do about my living expenses...”
”Secretary Yeltsin, I'm going to be a father soon. The workers' new town is closed. Where do we live?”
”Secretary Yeltsin, I'm a construction worker in worker's new town, our salary...”
Yeltsin's appearance made the crowd even more excited. Everyone pushed forward with all sorts of words, just wanted a statement and a guarantee. Yeltsin turned on the megaphone to the maximum, and then said in a loud voice: ”citizens of Moscow, the notice of the shutdown of the workers' new town was decided by the Secretariat of the Central Committee. I only knew it a few hours earlier than you. In line with Secretary Gorbachev's call for us to be open and transparent, I decided to inform you of the news before the evening news, Our Moscow municipal government has invested a lot of resources in the workers' new town project. What a pity if this project just stops! ” Yeltsin wiped the cold sweat on his forehead with his sleeve to incite the masses to fight against the Central Committee. This was the first time Yeltsin did it. It was a lie to say that he was not nervous. Fortunately, when he spoke just now, it was still quiet around him. It seems that these people listened to his words. Yeltsin decided to add more drama to himself.
”Citizens of Moscow, comrades of workers, please rest assured that our Moscow municipal Party committee is duty bound to report this matter to the higher authorities, so as to stop the project of workers' new town, which has cost tens of billions of rubles. Anyway, we have to make a statement. I promise you that if the higher authorities do not solve it, I'll vacate the office building of the Moscow municipal Party Committee for everyone to live in. Myself and all the staff of the Moscow municipal Party committee will move to the unfinished houses in the workers' new town to work... ”Yeltsin said impassioned.