In the early 1990s, China's rural areas underwent profound social and economic transformation amid the wave of reform and opening up. During this period, Daeguzhuang on the outskirts of Tianjin, a small village that had suffered from poverty due to land salinization, achieved an economic leap through the efforts of village cadres. Rapid economic development is often accompanied by abuses of power and the temptation of the law to the edge. It is in this context that a village secretary named Yu Zuomin has gradually moved from a hopeful person in a poor village to the opposite side of the law.
In 1976, Yu Zuomin's speech at the village rally was like a spring breeze, blowing away the gloom in the hearts of the people of Daeguzhuang. His words were impassioned and full of hope for the future: "Fellow citizens, it's time to put an end to our poor lives!" I will lead you to open up new horizons and let the name of Daegu Village resound in the sky! The applause of the people was thunderous, and Yu Zuomin's leadership and appeal were fully recognized by the villagers at this moment.
With the establishment of the iron and steel plant, Yu Zuomin not only solved the employment problem in the village, but also drove the development of the surrounding economy. Every wisp of smoke coming out of the chimney of the steel mill symbolizes a new phase of prosperity for Daegu. Yu Zuomin's prestige among the villagers has increased day by day, and he has gradually changed from an ordinary leader to the undisputed leader of the village, known as the "Emperor of the Soil".
With the expansion of power, Yu Zuomin's personal ambitions also grew quietly. In 1992, the breakup of BGI became a turning point. While dealing with the company's finances, Woo Zuomin discovers possible corruption, and he decides to settle it privately in order to maintain his authority and the stability of the village. "These wolf-hearted people must be made to pay!" He said to his subordinates in a private meeting.
Soon, an unauthorised interrogation took place quietly in the night. The victim died tragically under numerous tortures, and in order to cover up the facts, Yu Zuomin instructed the villagers to obstruct the police investigation. He told the villagers: "This is a conspiracy by outsiders to destroy our Daegu village, and we must unite to protect our homeland." The villagers were blinded by the love for the village aroused by his words and responded one after another.
In 1993, when the legal sanction finally came, Yu Zuomin was faced with ironclad facts. At the trial, he still looked arrogant: "Everything I did was for the development of Daegu!" There was a deep sense of remorse in his words.
The court sentenced Yu Zuomin to a heavy sentence of fixed-term imprisonment on charges of obstruction of official duties, harboring, bribery, and illegal detention. On the day of the trial, the sky was overcast in Daegu, as if to herald the beginning of a new era for this once-prosperous village. When Yu Zuomin was taken away, his deep eyes were full of complex emotions, both unwilling and remorseful, but more of an indescribable emptiness.
The former model secretary has now become a negative teaching material in people's mouths. When Yu Zuomin's wife visited the prison, his only advice was: "Let the children learn the law and abide by the law." This sentence may be the last bit of light in his heart, hoping that his children can take a different path from him.
Woo's story is a cautionary tale of power, greed and corruption. His life, like a tragedy, reminds everyone that behind the power lies great temptations and dangers. In the pursuit of development and progress, law and ethics are our indispensable guiding lights. As the ancients said, "A gentleman loves money and takes it in a good way." "Yu Zuomin's ultimate fate is not only a tragedy of personal fate, but also a profound revelation to future generations, reminding us that we should not pursue individual or collective interests at the expense of law and morality at any time.