1988: Back to the human world for a few years

Chapter 178 Hello, hey, hey, where is the conflict we agreed on?

"Compensate!"

"Compensate!"

"If you don't pay me, you'll lose your life!"

The guys who were carrying the door panel earlier shouted angrily. The leader dragged the stall owner out without saying anything. Then he pointed at the unlucky guy lying on the bed like a mummy and shouted, "CNMD, see? This is the result of being tricked into buying a pressure cooker by you!... I'm telling you, if you don't pay me today, I'll bleed you!"

The stall owner, who looked to be in his thirties, glanced at the beveled steel pipe in the man's hand, and then glanced at the guys who were yelling while standing in a triangle, completely blocking his route. A fierce look flashed across his brows, and then he suppressed it. He exerted force with both hands to pry open the big hand that was grabbing his chest. After taking a deep breath, he asked, "Don't get physical right away. Explain clearly first... What's going on?"

These people were dressed in very messy clothes. Some wore red vests and Liberation shoes, some wore short-sleeved shirts and bell-bottom pants, and the man in the lead was wearing a weird Dacron, which showed the diversity of clothing in the urban-rural fringe area vividly.

Anyone with a little social experience can easily tell from the sinister and manic temperament of these people that these guys are definitely not ordinary villagers.

Yoho~!

Yang Tianxing, the leader, looked at this guy who dared to pry open his fist. A flash of anger flashed across his face, and he was about to poke out with the steel pipe in his right hand.

But after glancing at the crowd of people who were surrounding him, he endured it again and patted the stall owner Li Shihai's face with his left hand: "What's going on? Can't you see? My brother was almost killed by the pressure cooker you sold!... In front of so many people, tell me, how are you going to compensate me!?"

In recent years, pressure cookers have become a very popular gadget. Not only do city dwellers like this type of cooker that saves coal and gas, but some rural people are also willing to follow the trend and spend dozens of dollars to buy a pressure cooker that can cook a pot of porridge in just over ten minutes.

Obviously, Yan Laoxi and his colleagues realized the huge business opportunities therein and regarded the promotion of pressure cookers in rural areas as a very important income-generating project.

In view of the successful market model of Double Happiness pressure cookers in the past two years, some other pressure cooker brands are also willing to hand over their products to private enterprises and sell them through their own channels... The feud between "Diboer" and "Double Happiness" in later generations is well known. Now there are some considerable conflicts between the two sides. Therefore, this public-private partnership model with many hidden dangers is not actually favored by people. But there is no way, the situation is stronger than people, and state-owned units also have to eat, right?

However, although pressure cookers are convenient, their hidden dangers are also visible to everyone; especially in this era when the cultural level of the people is generally low, there are many tragedies caused by the quality of the pressure cookers themselves or improper operation; therefore, this thing is indeed a mixed bag, and it is not uncommon for stalls selling and wholesale pressure cookers to be visited by victims seeking compensation.

………………

Faced with Yang Tianxing's extremely insulting behavior, Li Shihai's eyes shrank, but he did not fight back. Instead, he walked to the door, took a close look at the unfortunate guy who was still groaning, and carefully removed the gauze on his body.

Well, there are several dense blisters on the right arm and chest. It seems that he was indeed scalded by the boiling water in the pressure cooker.

Fortunately, although these blisters look scary, the area of ​​each burn is not large, so the situation is actually not serious.

Fortunately, there were no signs of impact on this guy's head or other parts of his body, so his life was not in danger... Among the accidents caused by pressure cookers, the most frightening things are, first, large-area burns all over the body, and second, the pressure cooker lid directly jumping onto the head or torso under the enormous pressure.

Seeing that the thing he was most worried about did not happen, Li Shihai breathed a sigh of relief, and then, in the stunned eyes of everyone, he took out a booklet from his stall and opened it: "Name? Originally registered address? When did you buy the pressure cooker from us?"

Yang Tianxing pushed him hard, then raised the steel pipe in his hand: "What, you want to default on your debt?"

The veins on Li Shihai's forehead jumped. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. "You are not the only one who has been injured by pressure cookers due to improper operation. Our Xialiu Sales Agency has also introduced relevant compensation policies in this regard. As long as the information is verified and the responsibilities are clearly divided, we have corresponding standards for how much compensation should be paid!"

As he spoke, Li Shihai calmly showed his name badge to the crowd of onlookers who were pointing and talking: "We, Xialiu Sales Agency, are just a small unit. We dare not say anything else, but we can do what we say... No matter what products you buy from us, as long as these products have any problems in your hands, just bring them to us and we will definitely give you a satisfactory answer!"

As he spoke, Li Shihai raised his head with some pride: "We are a distribution agency, not a manufacturer. We cannot guarantee that the quality of everything we sell is flawless... But we can guarantee that no matter what problems arise with the goods shipped from us, you will definitely get a safe and sound solution!"

These words were so powerful that the onlookers, who originally had some disgusted expressions, suddenly felt favorable towards Li Shihai and Xialiu Sales Agency, and many people even praised them.

This is an era where consumer rights are not protected at all. Consumers are accustomed to being the fish on the chopping board, and are also accustomed to "no responsibility after leaving the counter" and "you are responsible for what you buy". Therefore, when they suddenly encounter a company that is willing to bear the consequences, regardless of whether it is true or false, they will at least have a good impression.

Moreover, although the Xialiu Sales Agency has only expanded its business scope to Linyi County, this commune-like unit is already quite famous in several nearby counties. Everyone has relatives or acquaintances in Lin County, so they have vaguely heard of their names... Although it is not clear what they are like in detail, since they have made a name for themselves, I guess what they say should not be too exaggerated.

Yang Tianxing turned around and stared at the cheering villagers for a while, until they shut up in his warning eyes, then he turned around and said, "Yang Erlu, No. XX, Yangjia Village, Xinglong Town, Tiankou Township, I bought the pressure cooker at the market in Litun Township, Yucheng about two months ago... and I bought it from you!"

As he said that, he spat fiercely: "Damn it, Erlu was a little tempted at first, thinking about buying a few pressure cookers from you guys and selling them back in the village, but it turns out that you're almost out of money!"

Li Shihai ignored his nonsense and just buried his head in the account book.

With the specific information, Li Shihai easily found the corresponding content and nodded: "Yes, there was such a person who bought a pressure cooker from me... This matter is recognized by our Xialiu Sales Agency!"

As he spoke, Li Shihai glanced at the patient's injuries and said, "Since this matter is related to our Xialiu Sales Agency, we will naturally not shirk our responsibility. According to our procedures, we should determine how much responsibility we should bear next... Ladies and gentlemen, have you brought the problematic pressure cooker with you?"

Yang Tianxing frowned. Before he could say anything, a man in a red vest next to him sneered and took something out of the bag tied to the door and threw it to him: "Catch the thief and the stolen goods. Of course, we brought this broken pot with us!"

Looking at the pressure cooker that was not seriously deformed, Li Shihai squatted down and examined it carefully.

"There are no cracks along the edge of the pot, so it's not caused by a material problem;"

"There are no cracks on the pot body. Although there are slight bumps, they are caused by collision with the ground and are not a problem.

"The valve core was not blocked by debris, so the explosion was not caused by illegal operation."

After loudly announcing the inspection results of several departments most prone to problems in a reporting tone, Li Shihai suddenly picked up the pot lid, pointed at the yellowish sealing ring on it and said, "The problem has been basically identified... The explosion was caused by the aging of the sealing ring!"

Hearing that Li Shihai did not shirk responsibility as he had said before, everyone's expressions were a little strange... a mixture of relief and regret.

Yang Tianxing chuckled a few times: "Since you yourself admitted that it was your pot's fault, then tell me how to compensate!"

Li Shihai glanced at him and said, "Unlike problems with other parts, the sealing ring of the pressure cooker is a consumable part. Accidents caused by the sealing ring may be caused by problems with the quality of the product itself or by improper use and maintenance... I need to conduct further investigations to determine the proportion of responsibility of our Xialiu Sales Agency in this compensation."

As he spoke, Li Shihai picked up the booklet and flipped through it, frowning at the notes on it: "Look, I remember this very clearly. I once told Yang Erlu that for safety reasons, the sealing ring must be replaced within 2 months, and the original sealing ring in the pot should be replaced after one month... For this reason, I specially gave him 3 sealing rings as a gift and demonstrated to him how to replace them step by step."

After opening the booklet called "Guest Information Registration Book" and showing the corresponding contents to everyone, Li Shihai looked at Yang Tianxing: "The accident happened exactly two months after Yang Erlu bought the pressure cooker. Judging from the aging of the sealing ring, the sealing ring that comes with this pot has not been replaced since it was bought."

"So according to the company's regulations, our Xialiu Sales Agency should bear 40% of the responsibility for this accident. We will also bear a corresponding portion of the injured's medical expenses!"

As he spoke, Li Shihai looked up at Yang Tianxing and said, "Isn't this division of responsibilities fair enough?"

"Strictly speaking, this accident was caused by Yang Erlu's own lack of safety awareness. Although our Xialiu Sales Agency had some communication omissions and was also responsible for not visiting and rechecking in time, we will bear 40% of the medical expenses... Apart from our Xialiu Sales Agency, can you try looking for other units?"

The onlookers nodded their heads at this statement. People have repeatedly emphasized that you'd better replace the sealing ring after a month, and even gave you three of them. If you are reluctant to replace it or are too lazy to follow the regulations, who can you blame if something goes wrong?

This is because they are kind and are willing to bear 40% of the medical expenses. If it were any other unit, you would get as far away from me as possible!
But it was obvious that as a bully in Xinglong Town, Yang Tianxing did not come here to seek justice for his brother... In fact, Yang Erlu was just from the same village as him, and their relationship was very close. His purpose in making such a big fuss was obviously obvious.

He sneered, "Okay, 40%, let's say 40%. We asked the doctor, and it will cost at least 10,000 yuan to cure Erlu's injury... If it's 40%, then that's 4,000 yuan!" "Besides, it's the busy farming season now, and Erlu is the only strong man in his family. For the loss of work and nutrition fees, you should at least compensate him 2,000 yuan, right?"

As he said that, Yang Tianxing put down the steel pipe and patted his chest: "Four thousand plus two thousand, that's six thousand... Hey, my math class when I was a kid was not in vain, right?"

The other men laughed: "You calculated correctly, it's six thousand... You little brat, stop looking at me. If you can't come up with this much money today, don't even think about leaving!"

As soon as this number came out, the faces of the villagers watching suddenly changed.

Six thousand?

Isn’t this too dark?

Yang Erlu's injuries look scary, but he only needs to be sent to the hospital and have some burn ointment applied and a few days of saline drip to recover. The cost will only be one or two hundred yuan at most. Why does his precious body need four thousand yuan in medical expenses?

As for the two thousand yuan of lost wages, that's even more ridiculous. An ordinary farmer can only earn two or three hundred yuan from the soil after a year of hard work. Can you try to miss two thousand yuan of farm work for me in a year?
However, as locals, they all knew the character and behavior of Yang Tianxing and his gang. Although they felt sorry for the young man from Xialiu Sales Agency, no one dared to stand up.

The folks in some places in Qilu are very tough. Having worked in Xialiu Sales Agency for nearly three years, Li Shihai is not the kind of young man who has never seen any storms. Hearing this, he just took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Friend, although a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake, but our Xialiu Sales Agency has already given its sincerity. It is better to leave some room for maneuver when doing things... So, the medical expenses, nutrition expenses, and lost wages together... How about 300 yuan?"

If it were in the future, businessmen would never speak so harshly. They would most likely flatter and smile softly before offering a "venue fee" within their mental range.
But now is not the future. Not only is the world in chaos, but all kinds of powerful people have jumped out from the corners of Gala. If your attitude is too soft, you will be eaten up in minutes without leaving anything behind.

"300? Ha, you are just treating beggars like this!"

Yang Tianxing sneered and glanced at several members of the marketing agency who were standing quietly outside the crowd... These people were actually not difficult to recognize. Although their clothes were different, they all had a small badge-like sign on their chest.

Patting Li Shihai's face with his right hand, Yang Tianxing's face was full of arrogance: "Don't say that I didn't give you a chance. You Xialiu Sales Agency has a lot of people. I'll give you three hours to call people. Let me see your ability and see whether our Xinglong Town has more people or your Xialiu Village people are more ruthless... If you can't give me a satisfactory answer after three hours, hehe, we will take the goods from your dozen stalls!"

Seeing Yang Tianxing calling out, dozens of people gathered around from all directions. Li Shihai's expression suddenly changed: "Are you here for these goods?"

There were quite a lot of things displayed on the dozen or so stalls of Xialiu Distribution Agency. Although there were some worthless things like dried fruits and champagne, there were also valuable goods like pressure cookers, tape recorders, and leather jackets, which cost tens or hundreds of dollars each. If all of them were confiscated, the loss would be at least nearly 100,000!

Yang Tianxing snorted, "Snakes have their own ways, rats have their own lairs. Your Xialiu Sales Agency has offended quite a few people in the past two months... It's okay to set up a stall in other places, but you dare to set up a stall in our Xinglong Town. Have you asked me the meaning of my last name Yang?"

In the 1980s and 1990s, many places already had organizations similar to "self-management committees" on the streets, but the situation in different places was different. In some places, the "self-management committees" simply collected booth fees and management fees, and might even help you maintain public order on the spot.

But the "self-management committees" in some places are different. Not only do they collect all the fees they should collect, but they also want to monopolize some lucrative industries. If other businesses dare to come in and get involved, they will kick them out in minutes.

Take Yang Tianxing for example. It doesn't really matter whether he has a pressure cooker or not. His business is actually the construction, decoration and clothing industry in this town, especially women's clothing and leather clothing...but his method is different from that of Xialiu Sales Agency. Although his people also use vans to sell clothes in bulk, their prices are much higher than others. People who have been involved in this industry know how huge the profits were in the 1980s and 1990s.

Although Xialiu Distribution Agency sells a wide variety of items, kitchen utensils, clothing and electrical appliances are their three most important categories of products. Not only do they pursue a people-friendly approach, but they also provide excellent after-sales service. Therefore, their sales are always impressive in the streets and towns.

This has greatly damaged the interests of some people who have been eating alone locally.

If the other party is just an ordinary businessman, he will immediately experience what it means to take a two-pronged approach through such blind behavior, and then go home dejectedly with his bruised body, hugging his wife and crying.

But the Xialiu Sales Agency is different. It is a village collective enterprise composed of almost all the villagers. Not only are these people incredibly united, but they are also much tougher than ordinary private bosses... Not to mention the previous two years, in just these two months, they have had no less than five conflicts with local tyrants.

To be honest, Yang Tianxing didn't really want to confront them head-on, but there was no other way. The monopoly businesses in several towns in the surrounding counties had been crushed by their almost dumping tactics. He really didn't want to see his clothing business, which he had worked so hard to build, go down the drain, so he did what he did today.

He just didn't believe it. There were so many people in Xinglong Town, and he had managed so many of them. If a conflict really broke out, could he lose to a small village in Lin County with only more than 300 people?

However, it is better not to take action if possible. After all, in a conflict of this magnitude, even if he wins, the compensation and subsequent consequences will make him feel distressed for a while.

So, this is why he gave the other party three hours... When the person in charge comes and sees the situation on his side, he can try to trick him and maybe he will wisely take all his stuff and leave, never coming to Xinglong Town again.

There is a saying that goes, if you want to make a living, the first thing to do is to make money; there is no need to fight and kill for everything!
But before meeting with the other party's leader, you still have to show enough momentum!
Seeing Yang Tianxing's attitude, Li Shihai nodded grimly, then squeezed through the crowd.

No need to think, he must have gone to the landline to make a call...

………………

Just one hour later, someone came from Xialiu Sales Agency.

But unexpectedly, the imagined large number of people did not come. Instead, there were only three people in front of Yang Tianxing, led by a short and strong man who looked like a wild panda.

"Either, we'll give you one thousand yuan in medical compensation, let our people and goods go, and we promise not to come to Xinglong Town again;"

"Or, as you wish, we from Xialiu Village will fight with you to see if we are afraid of you!"

After not seeing each other for a few months, Sun Jian had become much darker and a little thinner, but he looked much more capable and had a vaguely fierce aura.

Yang Tianxing was stunned. He never expected that the other party would only send a manager as a messenger, nor did he expect that this guy would say such two harsh words right from the start.

Damn it, have you watched The Legend of the Condor Heroes too much and think you are Genghis Khan’s messenger?
Although these two sentences, which were almost like a notice, made him lose face, his goal had been achieved anyway.

"Okay! Give Erlu one thousand yuan for medical expenses, and don't come to Xinglong Town anymore. This matter is over!"

Yang Tianxing glanced at Li Shihai who looked unwilling beside him, snorted, and spoke in a magnanimous tone, as if he didn't want to bother with this small pawn in front of him.

Just as Sun Jian nodded, took out an envelope from his bag and was about to hand it over, a disappointed voice suddenly came from not far away.

"Hey, hey, hey, Captain Sun, I've been waiting for a good show for most of the day, and this is what you show me?"

"Where's the group fight you promised? Where's the large-scale conflict you promised? Why is it gone?"

"Tsk tsk, Captain Sun, can you do this? I haven't seen you for a few months, why are you so cowardly?"

Hearing this familiar voice, Sun Jian turned his head in surprise.

However, in the corner of the tofu pudding stall ten meters away, Yang Mo was pouting with disappointment, and next to him was a middle-aged man whom he had never seen before, staring at Yang Tianxing and his gang in front of him with a face as black as a pot...

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PS: There were some unexpected situations yesterday and I was unable to update. Sorry for that.

(End of this chapter)