Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1232 Unexplained Inspections and High-Level Power Struggle

Everything was going in a positive direction, so Li Long basically stopped caring.

Gu Xiaoxia also brings back good news from time to time. There are fewer people spreading rumors these days, and most people believe that Li Long's statement is correct. National unity is the unity of everyone, and we cannot always ask some people to compromise and unite with others.

Of course, Li Long didn't think this matter would be completely over. He spent his days at the purchasing station, occasionally talking to the middlemen and inquiring about the situation.

But the person Zhu Yuzhang mentioned never reappeared.

There's nothing we can do about it. The county town is so big, it's a bit difficult to find someone who doesn't have any particularly distinctive features.

Business wasn't great in winter, but the effects of the TV and newspaper ads continued, and people would come in to buy cars every now and then, so Li Long naturally didn't neglect them.

The number of cars in the yard decreased one by one. In early December, Liu Gaolou came over and told Li Long that the interval between visits might be longer because the weather was cold and the roads were slippery, and a long convoy would also cause safety problems.

"I came here to make money, not to risk my life." Liu Gaolou was still shaken by the trip, especially when he encountered an avalanche while crossing Guozigou. The snow rushed down the mountain all at once, and its force terrified him.

Their convoy had just passed by; if it had been ten or thirty minutes later, they might have been pushed down the mountain by the avalanche.

"I grew up in the plains, and this is the first time I've ever seen such a dangerous scene!" Liu Gaolou excitedly told Li Long. "In winter, I think it's best to avoid going out too much. Let's wait for a clear day; our lives are more important!"

Li Long thought Liu Gaolou was right and didn't refute him. He just told Liu Gaolou to be careful on the way back, to check the weather when he got to Wutai Mountain, and not to go to Guozigou if the weather was bad.

Liu Gaolou brought ten cars to Li Long this time, because Li Long had called and said that the high-horsepower tractor hadn't been sold, so it hadn't been brought over either.

The rest were the usual hides and antlers—there were no antelope horns on this trip. According to Liu Shanmin, there were already people there who were specifically buying antelope horns, which was probably related to another route in China. The price was too high, so he felt it wasn't worth it and didn't buy any more.

Li Long didn't think much of it; after all, the corner of his two rooms was enough.

Liu Gaolou's trip replenished the number of cars at Li Long's purchasing station, which boosted his confidence.

After seeing Liu Gaolou off, Li Long began to return to his normal winter life. He now lived a very simple life, going to the purchasing station after breakfast, either to help Liang Shuangcheng and the others clean up the cars, or to chat with the middlemen to get information.

Of course, if he felt lazy, he could stay home and tend to the vegetables in the greenhouse. Li Long felt this was just a hassle, but he didn't see anything wrong with it; he was idle anyway. In a few years, when winter came and things got busy, he wouldn't grow anything in the greenhouse anymore; he could just go to Wucheng and pick up vegetables a few times.

That morning, after he finished eating, he went to the purchasing station. He had just chatted with his father for a few minutes and was setting up the stove outside with Liang Shuangcheng when he saw a car drive up and stop at the door.

The car was a Santana, which was rare in the county. It had a new B license plate, but Li Long felt it was unfamiliar.

Is it some rich person who bought it, or is there some other reason?
Four people got out of the car, two men and two women, carrying briefcases and wearing cotton hats. Judging from their expressions and postures, Li Long understood that they had come for an inspection.

He clapped his hands, went to greet them, and said with a smile:

"Welcome, leaders, for your inspection. You are..."

"We're from Wucheng Customs, here for a routine inspection in conjunction with the State Taxation Bureau." The leader flashed his work ID in front of Li Long.

Routine check?
Li Long looked at the three people among the four who didn't look like Han Chinese, and he began to understand.

"Welcome, welcome." Li Long's expression remained unchanged as he led them inside. "Come on, let's go to the reception room."

"No need. I heard you sell imported cars here? Do you have the necessary paperwork?" The man in the lead spoke good Mandarin, but Li Long could hear a slight accent in his speech that didn't quite sound like standard Mandarin.

Yes. Would you like to look here or come inside?

"Take a look here. And check your car's paperwork while you're at it."

Another woman in the group said:
"And your tax filing situation."

“Okay,” Li Long said. “Then please wait here for a moment.”

“No need. You’re not the only one here, are you? Go prepare the documents and have the others take us to see your used car,” the leader said.

"Alright, since you're not cold, I don't mind," Li Long said to Liang Shuangcheng.

"Shuangcheng, you accompany them to inspect the vehicles. The paperwork for each car is in the vehicle. Drive one car out and inspect it one by one. After you finish inspecting, put the paperwork back in, lock it, and then inspect the next car."

After saying that, he handed the car keys to Liang Shuangcheng and went inside to prepare the materials.

The four of them then followed Liang Shuangcheng to look at cars.

Li Long vaguely heard one of them say:
"They're still wary of us... they open one and check it one by one..."

What can you do if you don't take precautions? If you lose even one piece of paperwork, that could cost tens of thousands of yuan!
Several middlemen had already come in, looking at the situation with a mixture of worry and curiosity.

"Alright, open the cabinet and receive the goods," Li Long said to them. "Routine inspection, nothing special."

Li Qingxia glanced at Li Long and asked in a low voice:

"Are you okay?"

"It's alright, all our paperwork is in order, and we've paid all the taxes," Li Long reassured his father.

As he passed the counter, he picked up the phone and called Li Xiangqian. After briefly explaining the situation, he called the tax bureau, saying that the state tax bureau, together with the Wucheng Customs, was coming to inspect.

The tax authorities were surprised and said they would be here soon.

Li Long then went to prepare the materials.

The materials were actually very simple: my own business license, which contained a permit to sell cars, and some documents that I received from Liu Gaolou each time.

For convenience, Li Long placed detailed information about each car inside the vehicle.

He didn't take the things out immediately. Instead, he tidied up the reception room, set out the teacups, and then slowly walked out.

At that moment, the four men were checking the paperwork for a Volga. Liang Shuangcheng watched from the side, looking a little nervous.

"Do all these used cars have these kinds of documents?" the man asked Liang Shuangcheng. "Didn't you handle these documents yourselves?"

“They were with us when we bought the cars,” Liang Shuangcheng said, though he was a little nervous but understood what was going on. “They’re with every single one.”

"What about the previous ones? What about the paperwork for the cars that were sold?" another woman asked.

“They bought the car, so they must have taken the paperwork too, otherwise how could they register it?” Liang Shuangcheng felt that these people were causing trouble, and his tone became somewhat impolite.

Li Long walked over and said:
"Comrades, this is our business license for selling cars. These are the qualification documents we use for each time we import cars and tractors."

"Hey, you even have a high-powered tractor?" another man asked, looking at the tractor. "This tractor must be expensive, right?"

"Not cheap." Li Long nodded.

"Do you have the necessary paperwork?"

"Yes, it's inside the tractor." Li Long took the key from Liang Shuangcheng, opened the door to the tractor's cab, went up, and retrieved the documents from inside.

The leader glanced at the paperwork Li Long had given him, his expression changed, and he said:

"Do you have any records here? Inbound and outbound records?"

"some."

Li Long then retrieved the inventory registration form. The person returned the document Li Long had just given him, and Li Long looked it over and asked:
"There's another document here? I just gave it to you."

"What paperwork? I've already given it to you..." the man said impatiently while checking the inventory records. "Don't talk nonsense here."

“I saw you give it to your colleague,” Liang Shuangcheng suddenly said, pointing to the woman next to him. “She had it tucked in her notebook.”

Li Long's expression changed as he looked at the man in the lead. "Oh, I forgot," the man explained as if nothing had happened, taking the paper from his female colleague and handing it to Li Long.

"You'd better really have forgotten." Li Long was very angry; these people were clearly here to cause trouble.

"What's wrong? What else do you want? I already said I forgot." The man's voice suddenly rose. "Cooperating with our inspection is your obligation, do you understand?"

"It's my duty, but stealing isn't your responsibility, is it?" Li Long couldn't take it anymore. Damn it, they're bullying him.

"Who are you calling a thief?" He's always been high and mighty when he comes to inspect, and everyone has to be careful around him. This time it's a temporary official business, and he's already a bit temperamental. After all, nobody wants to go out on business in the dead of winter, and he didn't expect to run into such a troublemaker!

"You. Didn't you just say you'd give it all to me? It's only been a few seconds!" Li Long said bluntly. Sometimes he was too lazy to expand his business because he didn't want to serve these people.

They hold low positions but act arrogantly, wielding only a little power while scheming to manipulate people.

Of course, most of it is normal, but it is that small minority that has tarnished the image of public trust.

The man was speechless, his face turning as red as a monkey's bottom, not expecting Li Long to respond so directly.

Just then, a car sounded, and a Lada drove into the yard. Li Long saw familiar faces; they were officials from the county's industry and commerce bureau and tax bureau.

Seeing that people had arrived, the previously tense atmosphere eased somewhat. Representatives from the industry and commerce bureau and the tax bureau came over and asked:
"You are……"

Before the people on this side could speak, another Volga drove in, very fast, and blocked their way. Li Xiangqian and Section Chief Zhou got out.

"Comrade Li Long, these people are..."

“They are staff members from the Wucheng Customs and the State Taxation Bureau conducting a joint inspection,” Li Long said.

"Oh, you're from customs. Did you find anything?" Li Xiangqian asked. "I'm Li Xiangqian from the county supply and marketing cooperative. Comrade Li Long is an employee of our county supply and marketing cooperative..."

The implication was clear: if you have any problems, come at our supply and marketing cooperative.

"Li Long's company has no problems with its tax records," the tax official said, showing the documents. "He has always been proactive in paying taxes, and his tax payment ranks among the top in our county..."

"The amount of tax paid doesn't tell us anything..." The state tax official interrupted the county tax official.

“After each large transaction, Li Long would proactively come to pay the outstanding taxes.” The county tax official was also getting a little angry. “We’ve checked, there’s no problem!”

This staff member was angry about more than just that. The fact that his superiors conducted unannounced inspections in the counties and cities below was a sign of distrust in the work of their subordinates, so it was no wonder he was unhappy.

Moreover, Li Long is a leading taxpayer in the county's tax bureau jurisdiction. If Li Long is shut down, many of the county's tax bureau's tasks will be difficult to carry out.

If you've managed to shut down a company that actively pays its taxes, what are other companies and businesses supposed to think?
The leader didn't expect Li Long to gather so many people in such a short time.

In fact, based on Li Long's confrontation with him just now, he could easily find a few minor faults to seal this place off.

Even if Li Long manages to reopen the company after it's been closed for a while, the losses will likely be substantial.

But now that there are officials around, those little tricks can't be used anymore. There are too many discerning people, and it's hard to deal with those underhanded tactics.

That seemed to be the end of it, so he made a quick decision and said:
"Alright, that concludes today's inspection. We will send a report on the inspection results to each of your units."

After these people left, Li Long led the people from the Industry and Commerce Bureau and the Tax Bureau, along with Li Xiangqian, Zhou Yuan, and others, into the reception room, thanking them for coming to his rescue.

"I think these two groups coming to inspect are definitely doing it behind closed doors." The tax official, a veteran of twenty years, surnamed Chen, named Chen Guoqing, had a loud voice.
"As soon as they saw us arrive, they knew it was bad to accuse you, so they ran away immediately. We'll call the state tax office to report this when we get back... Coming to our territory, they're really arrogant."

At that time, Beiting did not have a customs office, and the investigation of smuggling was handled by Wucheng Customs.

"This... is probably just meant to annoy Li Long. If we can find out, we'll shut it down directly. If we can't, we'll still make you suffer," Li Xiangqian said. "Li Long, don't be afraid. From now on, just call us if anyone comes again... Do you really think our supply and marketing cooperative is just sitting around doing nothing?"

He didn't tell Li Long, but decided to call Director Qian when he got back.

The fact that both the Wucheng Customs and the State Taxation Bureau could come together suggests that the people behind them have considerable influence.

He's not as straightforward as Chen Guoqing; if some accusations were to fall on him, he might not be able to handle them. It would be better for him to find someone with a bigger reputation.

These people, including Li Xiangqian, did not stay here for long and left quickly, all telling Li Long not to worry and that everything was fine.

After they left, the vendors started discussing it animatedly.

Li Long believed that it wouldn't be long before the news spread, as these people's mouths were like loudspeakers.

He walks upright and stands straight, so he's not afraid of anything.

"Shuangcheng, you did a great job today," Li Long said to Liang Shuangcheng with a smile. "Here, here's a reward of one hundred yuan!"

If Liang Shuangcheng hadn't pointed out on the spot that the form had been stolen and resold, this matter would probably have been quite troublesome.

"This... Brother Long, is it really necessary? This is what I should do." Liang Shuangcheng said a little embarrassed.

"Those who should do their jobs should also be rewarded!" Li Long stuffed a hundred yuan into his hand. "We're on the same side, so I won't say anything else to you. Just be careful when you encounter similar situations in the future."

He went to the front and told his father, Li Qingxia, and Sun Jiaqiang about it. Sun Jiaqiang patted Liang Shuangcheng on the shoulder:

"Shuangcheng, well done!"

“Yes, it deserves the award!” Li Qingxia also said, “Excellent, excellent.”

Liang Shuangcheng blushed with excitement at the praise.

Who wouldn't like to be genuinely praised?

After Li Xiangqian returned, he called Director Qian and reported the matter.

"Are you sure there's nothing wrong with Li Long?" Director Qian asked after a moment's thought.

"Absolutely no problem. Of course, I didn't say that. They came to inspect precisely to find fault. It turned out that Li Long was the most proactive in paying taxes, the import documents for the used cars were complete, and the qualifications to sell cars were also obtained. Every single one of those cars had the necessary paperwork."

This so-called joint working group left without finding anything. Otherwise, given their enthusiasm, how could they have slunk away like that?

"Okay, I'll ask about it," Director Qian said before hanging up the phone.

Although Li Xiangqian had some doubts about whether Director Qian was not taking this matter seriously, he didn't say anything and was still a little uneasy.

If another working group comes looking for trouble, can Li Long handle it?
After hanging up the phone, Director Qian thought for a moment and then made another call.

"Boss, this is Xiao Qian. I have something to report to you... There's a staff member in our Ma County—a temporary worker named Li Long... Yes, yes, the one who makes the big broom, you remember him, boss? Yes, yes, that's him... Today a working group came to inspect... Customs and Tax Bureau..."

Director Qian hung up the phone, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

He placed his hands on the armrests of the chair, leaned back, and closed his eyes slightly. Hmm, the feeling of tattlering is actually quite nice.

We're not without people above us, right?

Soon, Director Qian received the news. This joint working group was formed because a higher-ups had read Li Long's draft, felt something was wrong, and made a few remarks at a meeting.

Then, privately, some people "understood" the leader's meaning and assigned this working group to investigate Li Long.

Now, Director Qian has brought this matter up to higher authorities, and the leaders from the supply and marketing department slammed their fists on the table at the meeting, putting that leader in a very passive position. He was just venting his frustration because he felt things were going well before, but it seems like Li Long is stirring up trouble.

He only said a couple of words, and then he got roasted, and he was completely speechless. Although he didn't do it, it was his people who did it.

As a result, Li Long's manuscript also came into the view of the higher-ups.

(End of this chapter)