Chapter 52 - 52 52 Righteous Means

Words : 2077 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

52: Chapter 52 Righteous Means 52: Chapter 52 Righteous Means Upon uttering those words, Lin Xiaosu felt her image was flipped yet again. The playful and slightly willful temperament in her eyes diluted the image of a solitary and elegant orchid... At that moment, Lin Xiaosu’s phone rang. After answering, she heard Miao Ruolan’s voice: “little Su, come back quickly.” There was a tinge of nervousness in her voice... Lin Xiaosu’s heart skipped a beat as she got up: “I have something to take care of, I must go now. We’ll talk more next time.” “...” The woman with the scroll seemed to want to tell her that she had forgotten to take her painting, but Lin Xiaosu had already left the library. Because she had a premonition that something was about to happen. Ruolan practiced Ancient Martial Arts; she was usually calm and steady, not one to easily get anxious. Crossing the street, she arrived at the Detective Agency, and as soon as Lin Xiaosu walked in, she felt a peculiar atmosphere. Two uniformed individuals were sitting on the couch. The one on the left was about forty years old, while the one on the right was in his twenties or thirties. Perhaps there’s an inherent aura around uniformed personnel. Miao Ruolan, standing by the table, looked a bit tense. Upon seeing Lin Xiaosu, Miao Ruolan quickly approached: “They... they are from the City Security Bureau.” City Security Bureau. Formally known as the Market Security Administration. An all-encompassing department. Responsible for all aspects of market regulation. They oversee everything from product quality to store operations. Any business with open doors cannot escape their supervision. “Are you Lin Xiaosu, the person in charge of the Detective Agency?” the one on the left casually asked with his leg crossed. “Yes!” Lin Xiaosu replied. “little Song, show him the credentials!” the middle-aged man said. The younger one pulled out his ID and handed it to Lin Xiaosu. Just the act of presenting an ID carried the authority of official business and conveyed the dignity of law enforcement, and it was this very action that made Miao Ruolan very nervous. Lin Xiaosu glanced over the ID without any expression: “Seen it. Now tell me, what’s the matter?” “Any business must have a clearly marked price list. Where is your rate card?” the middle-aged man looked around, but obviously, there was no price list on the walls. Lin Xiaosu shook her head lightly: “We don’t have a price list.” “little Song, take photos as evidence!” little Song took out a camera and began to take pictures of all four walls. Meanwhile, the law enforcement recorder in front of the middle-aged man was flashing, indicating it was also working in sync. Lin Xiaosu’s earlier response had been recorded as evidence. “little Song, check their ledger!” little Song approached Miao Ruolan: “Bring out the ledger!” Miao Ruolan’s heart trembled. Even she found the ledger shocking – were they really going through it? The middle-aged man’s gaze turned towards her, authoritative and icy: “Let me remind you, any resistance to law enforcement will lead to severe consequences. Bring it out!” His last three words suddenly escalated in volume. A few passersby on the street stopped and looked at one another, puzzled. Miao Ruolan saw the neighbors outside, and her anxiety intensified as she turned her helpless gaze towards Lin Xiaosu. Lin Xiaosu said: “Give it to him.” Miao Ruolan opened the drawer and took out the ledger. As the ledger was opened, little Song’s eyes suddenly lit up... “Captain Zhou, take a look!” He handed the ledger to the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man scrutinized it, and his expression turned even more authoritative: “Charging thirty thousand for an hour of searching for a dog, back and forth! Investigating an affair, from filing the case to closing it in just one day, charging a hundred thousand! No wonder you wouldn’t dare to put that rate card on the wall!” The number of onlookers on the street grew, and everyone exchanged glances, talking among themselves upon hearing this. Indeed, such pricing was a shock to the nerves of average people... In a small place like Fengcheng, where finding a job that pays three thousand a month is difficult, there are those earning a hundred thousand in a single day! The middle-aged man’s gaze swept around: “Such illegal operations cannot be tolerated. little Song, issue the maximum penalty!” “Leader...” Miao Ruolan was desperate: “We operate legally, we have a business license, we...” She was truly anxious. Although she was skilled in Ancient Martial Arts and had a steady temperament, capable of defeating even the most vicious of criminals with a split of her cheongsam and a swift kick, that was against bad people. Could she resort to force against a legitimate law enforcement agency? Thus, she pleaded with an attitude of humility she had never shown before. However, the two officers were unyielding, slapping a ticket down on the table. The bright red stamp on top listed a fine of 1.3 million yuan! Miao Ruolan’s legs trembled: “Leader, we... our shop has only been open for less than a month, we’ve only made less than eighteen thousand in total. How can we bear a fine of 1.3 million?” When the amount was announced, the bystanders outside were also stunned. A million in fines! And more than just a million, heavens, who has ever seen such a heavy penalty? This couple had just started their business, and such a hefty fine would surely ruin them. Miao Ruolan was truly devastated. 1.3 million, it wasn’t just the newly-opened small store that couldn’t afford it— even if they were to sell everything behind both Lin Xiaosu and herself, it still wouldn’t be enough. Even selling the rural courtyard wouldn’t cover it! Done for, their budding enterprise was utterly ruined! “Illegal operators, confiscation of illegal gains, and a fine of three to ten times the amount, are all clearly recorded in the law!” Captain Zhou said coldly, “Sign it!” Miao Ruolan desperately shook her head: “You can’t do this! We... we haven’t done anything illegal, we...” “You? Will you sign or not?” Captain Zhou interrupted, casting a commanding gaze toward Lin Xiaosu. Everyone’s eyes were on Lin Xiaosu. It wasn’t until this moment that everyone noticed something off about this person in charge. Such a major incident had occurred at the store, yet he remained indifferent, sipping tea, listlessly watching the street outside the door, letting law enforcement inspect the accounts and issue fines without protest. It wasn’t until Captain Zhou directly addressed him that he gently shook his head. “No need to sign!” Captain Zhou said, “We just need to record on the enforcement recorder that we have delivered the notice. Little Song, let’s go!” The fine notice stamped with a bright red official seal was slapped down in front of Miao Ruolan. The two law enforcement officers turned and left. The wind they brought with them picked up the thin fine notice, but it was enough to break the psychological dam inside Miao Ruolan. She had never experienced anything like this before. She couldn’t remain indifferent to it. This little shop mattered greatly to her. Here, she had found the value of her life; here, she had dreams at night and passion during the day. How many times had she made beautiful wishes for herself by the window, gazing at the distant Huashi Bridge? But now, as the million-dollar fine notice lay in front of her, all of that had shattered. They could no longer keep the shop running. Her dream hadn’t even properly begun before it came to an abrupt halt... This is how unpredictable life can be. People outside the shop were also discussing fervently. Some said that this kind of profiteering industry should be dealt with harshly, making years’ worth of money in a month, and without enforcement, it would be intolerable. Others felt a touch of sadness in their hearts, quietly affected by Miao Ruolan’s complete despair... Captain Zhou and little Song swept their gaze over the crowd, feeling a touch of pride inside. Being someone who dictates the fates of others does come with its thrills. Just as they were about to step out of the Detective Agency, a voice rose softly: “Wait a moment!” It was Lin Xiaosu’s voice. He finally spoke up. This meant the first time he had truly spoken since the two had entered the shop, previous pleasantries excluded... Captain Zhou and little Song stopped but didn’t even bother to turn around. Lin Xiaosu said: “I can’t be bothered to explain the relevant national laws to you, because you would likely choose not to understand them anyway!” Captain Zhou turned around suddenly. Lin Xiaosu raised his teacup to him: “Go back and tell the person behind you, his troubles are coming!” As these words were spoken, everyone inside and outside the shop was shocked. Captain Zhou’s face turned grim: “Are you threatening a law enforcement officer?” “It’s not a threat, just a piece of advice!” Lin Xiaosu said, “I know my existence makes many lowlifes tremble with fear, and they would go to any lengths to get me out of Fengcheng! But those scumbags who act as dogs for criminals, acting as the blade to eliminate me, will have to endure my wrath!” “Daring to openly defy the law, daring to slander law enforcement, Lin Xiaosu, you have closed the door to negotiating the fine yourself. I can responsibly tell you that you won’t get away with a penny less than the 1.3 million fine!” Captain Zhou’s voice was deep and forceful. Miao Ruolan’s face turned deathly pale. The other merchants nearby were also terrified. Fines, something every businessperson has dealt with a few times... Receiving a fine, if you show a good attitude, take the initiative to visit and admit fault, beg for mercy, or secretly deliver something to the key person, it’s possible to get a significant reduction. A 1.3 million fine might in the end be settled for a hundred thousand, or even tens of thousands. It’s not impossible. But who does it like you do? Just as Captain Zhou said, you have shut the door to negotiation yourself! Lin Xiaosu stood up: “Ruolan, give me the electric scooter keys!” “Where... where are you going?” Miao Ruolan handed him the keys. Lin Xiaosu pointed directly at Captain Zhou’s face: “Deal with him!” This finger, everyone saw it clearly! Including Captain Zhou himself! His face turned a deep shade of blue... Lin Xiaosu passed by him, mounted the electric scooter, and disappeared into the traffic of Fengcheng. Captain Zhou and little Song left. The onlookers outside dispersed. Miao Ruolan hurriedly picked up her phone to make a call. Half an hour later, Zhou Mei rushed over in a hurry... After listening to Miao Ruolan’s nearly crying account, Zhou Mei also looked at their account books and gently shook her head... Her shake made Miao Ruolan’s heart nearly fly away... Zhou Mei sighed, “I said that if you guys mess around like this, sooner or later there would be trouble. Offering one service for thirty thousand, settling an affair for someone’s marriage—I even asked him how much he charged, and he wouldn’t say. I knew it wasn’t a small amount. Who would have thought that you directly jumped over the hundred thousand mark? I mean, can’t you focus on small profits but quick turnover, make the business long-term? Is doing this kind of one-shot deal really a good idea?” “Now is not the time to discuss the business model; just tell me... what do we do?” Miao Ruolan was anxious. In fact, her opinion was the same as Zhou Mei’s; she also thought charging too much wasn’t good, but since Lin Xiaosu insisted on doing this, what could she do? In front of outsiders, she couldn’t badmouth Lin Xiaosu, she could only face the consequences. What do we do? “The City Security Bureau enforcing the law is official enforcement, we can’t just hard resist it. I have a friend at the City Security Bureau, I’ll give him a call...” “Call him now!”

Chapter 52 - 52 52 Righteous Means

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