The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 223

223. Beijing Spring

Tiananmen Square.

For three days, citizens and students from all walks of life had gathered. They set up tents adorned with their respective banners, issued declarations, staged hunger strikes, and peacefully voiced their demands for democracy.

A general assembly was held in the morning.

The attendees chanted in unison after the leader.

“All power belongs to the people!”

“Down with bureaucracy, down with corruption! Long live the incorruptible Communist Party!”

Because such diverse groups had converged, a wide spectrum of opinions on democratization emerged.

They clustered in groups, engaging in fervent discussions.

The student council president of Nanjing University declared,

“The corruption of officials isn’t a fundamental flaw of the communist system itself. It stems from the attitude and ideology of the party cadres [government officials] who operate it. It can be rectified through ideological education and rigorous inspection!”

The branch manager of the Beijing Workers’ Autonomous Federation countered,

“The student’s words are idealistic. Even if you subject the managers at the labor sites to twice the ideological education, nothing will change. The party cadres themselves constitute a bureaucratic class that lords over the people.”

A farmer chimed in,

“That’s right. They’re all the same, constantly scheming about how to exploit us, regardless of their actions. Educating them won’t dismantle the bureaucratic class.”

The student retorted, seemingly incredulous,

“How can that be? You’re being overly pessimistic. If I remain incorruptible, the whole system will become incorruptible.”

“If the higher-ups demand bribes, even incorruptible lower-level managers are compelled to solicit them. If they fall out of favor with their superiors, they’ll be relegated to insignificant positions or dismissed. Conversely, those who offer bribes effectively will ascend through the ranks. The Communist Party is structured like a pyramid, with party members bribing each other at every level.”

“…….”

“Ideological education? They are the very instructors who preach ideology!”

“…….”

“Who will provide ideological education to the high-ranking leaders?”

“…….”

An office worker added,

“If you merely curry favor with your boss, you’ll be absolved of any wrongdoing and secure promotions. Even if you appoint inspectors to oversee high-ranking positions, those inspectors will inevitably accept bribes and become complicit in the same corrupt practices. To address the problem at its root, freedom of the press must be guaranteed, enabling anyone to publicly report corruption. This is unattainable in a closed society like ours.”

The student countered,

“Aren’t there self-criticism and criticism sessions? Problems can be discussed and resolved there!”

“Let’s be realistic. Are you unaware that uttering the wrong thing in such a public forum can lead to permanent repercussions? You’ll be ostracized and disadvantaged. If freedom of the press existed, why would they control the media and insist on internal reporting, which ultimately festers? At the very least, the current leadership shouldn’t be re-educated; they should resign en masse!”

“If the press isn’t controlled, won’t slander and harmful information from capitalist forces inundate and corrupt society – a capitalist evil?”

“A system where class distinctions are dismantled and everyone can speak freely will serve as the foundation for mutual monitoring and encouragement, devoid of class bias. It possesses self-purification mechanisms. Capitalism, where freedom of the press is guaranteed, doesn’t collapse.”

“Are you advocating for capitalism now?”

“We should learn from effective systems.”

Ultimately, the protest fractured into two opposing factions: those advocating for reform within the existing system and those demanding a change of system altogether.

At that moment, a man who had been listening intently interjected,

“Theory is just gray. The crux of the matter isn’t whether a system is democratic or not, but how it’s implemented. If a government or system is truly democratic, there should be no forced, bloodless suppression of peaceful demonstrations like this.”

“The Party has pledged to uphold the right to peaceful demonstrations, which is precisely what we’re doing. The public security and the military haven’t intervened, so are you suggesting that this isn’t a democratic government?”

“My family was subjected to torture and killed in a bloody crackdown.”

A union worker inquired,

“Where are you from, sir?”

“I’m from Xinjiang Uyghur [an autonomous region in Northwest China].”

“Ah, you’re a separatist!”

“Indeed. We initially organized peaceful demonstrations and voiced our concerns, but the response was detention, torture, and disappearances. How can you label this a democratic government or a democratic country? Corrupt officials? That’s a superficial issue. It’s merely a facade for a dictatorship!”

“Isn’t separatism a form of factionalism? Isn’t it condemned as a cancerous element in totalitarian regimes?”

“Didn’t you assert that all power emanates from the people? Isn’t what the people of Xinjiang Uyghur desire the power of the people?”

“…….”

“If you also recognize the inherent wickedness of this government and this system, you’ll realize that this discussion is merely an academic exercise. Now is the time to prepare for force by preparing for force.”

“Comrade, you seem excessively radical and reckless. The People’s Republic will never harm its own people.”

*

That day, leaflets bearing orders to disperse were scattered across the square, purportedly issued by the Communist Party.

– Everyone must disperse by midnight today! Failure to disperse will result in forcible removal!

A public security vehicle equipped with a microphone patrolled the area, announcing,

“Disperse immediately! Everyone must disperse by midnight today!”

*

The protest leaders convened a meeting.

“Tanks, armored vehicles, trucks, and thousands of armed soldiers are converging around the square. It appears they intend to forcibly disperse us.”

“They can’t forcibly disperse a million people. And why would they forcibly disperse us when we’re exercising our right to assemble and demonstrate? Even if they disperse us, they won’t resort to violence.”

“That’s right. We’re scheduled to hold a rally until next week, so there’s no need to react.”

“Good. Let’s not back down! If we adhere to the principle of peace, there will never be a violent crackdown. Even if the military suppresses us, instruct each leadership to respond peacefully.”

“Yes, I understand!”

*

10 a.m. the next day.

Krrrrrr~

Tanks, with their cannons trained, entered the square in formation.

On the opposite side, armored vehicles advanced, their machine guns mounted.

The rabbit hunt had commenced.

The protesters were terrified as the armored vehicles charged forward.

“Don’t be afraid! Just adhere to the principle of peaceful protest!”

A citizen ran towards an advancing tank and blocked its path.

The tank hesitated.

The protesters joined hands, forming a human chain to obstruct the tanks and armored vehicles from entering the square.

“We are holding a peaceful rally! The People’s Liberation Army is the protector of the people, so stop advancing!”

*

Deng Xiaoping, upon receiving a report that they were refusing to disperse, issued the order,

“Damage should be minimized, but some bloodshed is unavoidable. Execute the dispersal operation!”

Krrrrrr~

The ‘People’s Army’ aimed its cannons at the people and charged into the crowded square.

The tank plowed directly into the protesters who had formed a human chain.

“Agh!”

The citizens crushed beneath the heavy tracks were obliterated without a trace.

The protesters were horrified by the scene.

“The People’s Army is killing the people!”

“Stop the bloody crackdown immediately!”

“We are the people you are supposed to protect!”

The protesters all chanted for a peaceful protest.

However, the tanks disregarded their pleas and continued to charge towards the densely packed protesters.

“Aaaagh!”

In the wake of the tank tracks, only a bloody mess of crushed and severed limbs remained.

The protesters then realized that the government had resolved to initiate a violent crackdown.

They hurled soft drink bottles at the tanks and struck them with flags.

“Killing the people!”

“Get out!”

However, the unarmed protesters were futilely striking a rock with an egg [an idiom meaning attempting the impossible].

The military commander issued the order.

“The rioters are attacking! Exercise the right of self-defense! Fire!”

Tudatadatada-

Machine guns fired from tanks and armored vehicles.

“Agh!”

“Kuk!”

The square was stained with blood.

The startled protesters pushed each other, desperately trying to escape the square.

Bicycles became entangled, causing protesters to fall.

People were killed by bullets or trampled by the crowd.

Krrrrrr~

The tank rolled over them.

The leaders of the protesters were stunned.

“The People’s Army is crushing the people to death!”

“Ah, we should have prepared for armed struggle!”

At that moment, a citizen from Xinjiang Uyghur exclaimed,

“Look! This is the true nature of the People’s Army and the Communist Party that you were talking about!”

“Ah, we realized it too late!”

They shed tears of blood.

“We must also wage an armed resistance!”

“Even if we wanted to, we prepared for a peaceful protest, so we don’t have any weapons.”

“Don’t worry. The weapons are here, so those who can shoot can take one each.”

Automatic rifles, ammunition, and grenades were distributed from one side of the parked vehicles.

Thousands of warriors who had infiltrated from the conflict-ridden autonomous region took the lead.

The warriors charged towards the soldiers who were disembarking from the trucks and indiscriminately firing at unarmed civilians.

They hurled grenades at the densely packed soldiers.

Tuk~

The People’s Liberation Army soldiers blinked as they saw the grenade falling in front of their feet.

“A grenade? How could the bare-handed protesters have grenades….”

Kwang!

Dozens of People’s Liberation Army soldiers fell.

The armed protesters shouted.

“Fire!”

Tururururuk-

Tutatata-

The machine gunner who was hunting humans from the tank splattered blood and fell down.

A warrior climbed onto a careless tank, placed an automatic rifle against the hatch, and shouted.

“Everyone out!”

In this manner, the warriors seized tanks and armored vehicles and turned them against the People’s Liberation Army tanks.

Kwang!

The People’s Liberation Army tank, which had been hunting humans, was ambushed and engulfed in flames.

“Woo-ah!”

The crew members, ablaze, crawled out of the tank and collapsed onto the ground.

The protesters cheered at the sight.

“Long live armed struggle!”

“Let’s fight too!”

A bloody battle erupted in Tiananmen Square, which was supposed to conclude with a one-sided bloody crackdown by the armored forces.

This marked a stark contrast to the pre-regression scenario, which was a one-sided massacre.

The warriors even fired RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades], destroying tanks and armored vehicles.

Swoosh-

Kwagwang!

Fierce fighting raged between the protesters and the government forces.

However, the protesters, gradually pushed back by the firepower of the regular army in the open square with no cover, sought refuge inside Tiananmen [Gate of Heavenly Peace].

The news that armed protesters had occupied Tiananmen and the Forbidden City [Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty] was telegraphed to foreign media around the world.

The Western reporters who happened to be staying there entered the Forbidden City and covered the democratic protesters in real time, broadcasting live.