On October 14th, a netizen posted a video claiming that on the evening of the 13th around 8 p.m., Yuan Shengmin, the leader of the Tourism Bureau of Zhushan County, Shiyan City, Hubei Province, and the chairman of the Zhushan County Writers Association, caused a disturbance at the Zhushan Lijing Holiday Hotel due to accommodation issues. He insulted the hotel front desk staff and repeatedly declared that “I call the shots in Zhushan”.
The circulated CCTV footage showed Yuan Shengmin and another man coming down from the hotel upstairs, demanding a room from the front desk service staff. When the staff said “there is only one room available”, Yuan became agitated and started insulting the staff. He later sat on the lobby sofa, loudly telling his companion statements like “I call the shots in Zhushan”, “You guys are in for it”, “I decide who gets what”, “Who dares to oppose me”, and more.
Subsequently, Yuan Shengmin rushed to the front desk, verbally abusing the staff while sweeping the stationery off the counter to the ground. Although his companion tried to stop him, it was ineffective. Later, Yuan even kicked a female service staff member standing next to the door with his foot, before being pulled away by other people present.
According to a report by Xiaoxiang Morning News, hotel staff at Zhushan Lijing Holiday Hotel stated that the man was drunk at the time and got into a dispute with the front desk over accommodation issues. By the morning of October 14th, the matter had been resolved and coordinated. The staff member declined to provide further details.
On the 14th, Yuan Shengmin, in an interview with the media, admitted that he accompanied a friend to the hotel for dinner that evening, consumed a significant amount of alcohol, and said, “After drinking, anyone can lose their reason and morals.”
As per Yuan Shengmin’s statement, on the morning of the 14th, he went to the Zhushan Lijing Holiday Hotel to apologize to the parties involved and provided compensation for the mental distress caused. Currently, he has been suspended pending investigation.
In response, when reporters contacted the Zhushan County Disciplinary Inspection Committee, staff members stated that Yuan’s actions had violated discipline, and they would report to relevant leaders and departments and conduct an investigation.
On the 15th, the topic “Chairman of Writers Association exposed for causing trouble and insulting hotel front desk staff while drunk” trended on Weibo. Netizens expressed various opinions, such as “Such abuse of power”, “One’s behavior after drinking reflects their character”, “It’s just revealing true nature”.
Some comments included, “This apology seems more about protecting interests rather than acknowledging one’s mistakes”, “There should be a reduction in the number of association members, they are not part of the supervisory layer but rather flaunt their power”, “Perhaps restructuring such departments like the Writers Association and implementing a system of elimination based on performance might be more effective”.