The next morning, Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou, along with Lin Jianguo and several village representatives, went to the demolition office for negotiations. The demolition office was located in a temporary building in the town, and the staff there were arrogant and showed no enthusiasm whatsoever when they saw Lin Wanqiu and her group.

"What are you doing here? Haven't we already told you? The compensation standards are set by higher-ups and cannot be changed!" Director Liu, the head of the demolition office, said impatiently, sitting in his chair with his legs crossed.

Lin Wanqiu wasn't angry. Instead, she calmly took out the organized documents and policy papers and placed them on the table: "Director Liu, we're here today to have a serious talk with you about the demolition compensation. This is a national policy document on rural demolition, which clearly stipulates the compensation standards and resettlement methods. This is the housing information and reasonable compensation demands of the villagers of Linjia Village. We hope you can take a look at it carefully."

Director Liu glanced at the documents and said dismissively, "We know these documents, but the specific compensation standards still need to be determined based on the actual local conditions. The economic conditions of Linjia Village are like this; fifty yuan per square meter is already quite a lot."

“Director Liu, you’re wrong about that,” Shen Tingzhou stood up and said seriously. “Although Linjia Village is a rural area, it has a superior geographical location, close to the highway, and convenient transportation. Moreover, most of the villagers’ houses are brick and tile structures, and some are even reinforced concrete structures. Fifty yuan per square meter is not even enough to cover the cost of building the houses, let alone resettling the villagers. According to national policies and local market prices, a reasonable compensation standard should be one hundred and twenty yuan per square meter, and the villagers should be provided with resettlement housing or corresponding resettlement subsidies.”

Director Liu's expression changed. He hadn't expected Lin Wanqiu and her group to be so well-prepared and knowledgeable about policies and regulations. He forced himself to remain calm and said, "The standards you've set are too high; we can't make that decision."

“It’s okay if you can’t make the decision, we can talk to someone who can,” Lin Wanqiu said firmly. “If you can’t provide reasonable compensation, we will report the situation to the County Housing and Construction Bureau and the County Government. If necessary, we will protect our legitimate rights and interests through legal channels. We have also learned that the demolition compensation standards in several surrounding villages are higher than here. Why is the standard so low in Linjia Village? Is there something wrong here? We will also report this to our superiors.”

Director Liu's expression grew increasingly grim. He knew Lin Wanqiu was not someone to be trifled with; "Natural Flavor" wielded considerable influence locally, and Shen Tingzhou seemed to possess a powerful aura, making him difficult to deal with. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Alright, I will relay your requests to my superiors. Give me three days, and I will give you a response."

“Okay, we’ll wait for your reply,” Lin Wanqiu said. “But I hope you can report the situation truthfully and not deceive your superiors. If we don’t receive a reasonable reply in three days, we will take further action.”

After leaving the demolition office, Lin Jianguo breathed a sigh of relief: "Wanqiu, Tingzhou, thanks to you both, otherwise we really wouldn't know what to do."

“Brother, no need to thank me, it’s what I should do,” Lin Wanqiu said. “However, we can’t let our guard down. Over the next three days, we need to continue collecting information, contacting villagers in the surrounding villages, and understanding their compensation situation for reference. At the same time, we also need to reassure the villagers and tell them not to worry, and to believe that we can definitely help them get reasonable compensation.”

Over the next three days, Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou contacted villagers in surrounding villages to gather more evidence while reassuring the villagers. Seeing their tireless efforts for everyone's sake, the villagers' anxieties gradually dissipated, and they expressed their trust in them, pledging to unite and face the situation together.

Three days later, Lin Wanqiu and her group returned to the demolition office. This time, Director Liu's attitude was noticeably better. He presented a new compensation plan and said, "After reporting to our superiors and conducting research, we have decided to increase the compensation standard to one hundred yuan per square meter. We will also arrange resettlement housing for the villagers, or provide each person with a resettlement subsidy of two thousand yuan. What do you think?"

Lin Wanqiu reviewed the compensation plan, pondering its implications. While the compensation standard was significantly higher than before, it was still lower than the standards of surrounding villages, and the resettlement housing was located in a relatively remote area with inadequate facilities. She said, "Director Liu, this compensation standard is still unreasonable. The compensation standard for surrounding villages is 130 yuan per square meter, and the resettlement housing is in a very good location. We demand 130 yuan per square meter, resettlement housing in a convenient location with complete facilities, or a resettlement subsidy of 3,000 yuan per person."

Director Liu frowned: "This standard is too high, we really can't meet it."

“Director Liu, our demands are not excessive; they are all in line with national policies and market conditions,” Shen Tingzhou said. “If you cannot meet our reasonable demands, we will have no choice but to continue to appeal to higher authorities. Moreover, we have already contacted the media; if this matter escalates, it will not benefit anyone.”

Director Liu hesitated for a long time, but finally compromised: "Okay, I'll try to get it from my superiors again, and I'll give you a final answer tomorrow."

The next day, the demolition office presented its final compensation plan: 120 yuan per square meter, with resettlement housing located in the town's new urban area, boasting convenient transportation and complete supporting facilities. Villagers who did not wish to accept resettlement housing would receive a resettlement subsidy of 3,000 yuan per person. This plan was unanimously approved by the villagers.

When Lin Wanqiu shared the good news with the villagers, cheers erupted at the entrance of the village committee. The villagers' faces lit up with joy, and they all expressed their gratitude to Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou.

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