1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 55 The Crackdown Protected Him (First Update!)

Zhou Yan went back to the kitchen to continue cooking. The security department of the state-owned factory today is not the same as the security guards in later generations.

Luo Weidong and the security officers, who were armed, were also called economic police. They were under the dual management of the public security bureau and the enterprise, and were responsible for handling public security cases such as theft and fighting in the factory and living areas. Only major cases were handed over to the public security organs.

In the past two years, due to the crackdown, the security department of the textile factory has handled many security cases and was even recognized as an advanced unit.

If you arrest a petty thief like Wang Mazi, you'll strip him naked in no time.

"I still don't understand, how could Wang Mazi not know that this shop is owned by you? How dare he?" Zhou Jie held a crucian carp in his hand, looking puzzled.

“Exactly, I could take on ten of these little punks,” Zhou Hai said with a simple smile as he sat behind the stove tending the fire.

The Zhou family has many sons, each one physically strong. They don't cause trouble, but when they do, they are ruthless and loyal. They are also very united and protective of their own, so few people have dared to mess with them since their fathers' generation.

By the time it came to Zhou Yan's generation, he had six older cousins. Three of them slaughtered cattle, two were soldiers, and one studied martial arts on Mount Emei. Zhou Yan had never been bullied in school since he was a child.

It was only after I entered the textile factory canteen that I began to suffer.

Workplace bullying often kills silently.

“Maybe Wang Mazi thinks that a crackdown will protect him,” Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Releasing a cockroach and making a ruckus, even if you don't get any money out of it, will disgust the restaurant owner and damage its reputation.

This method is crude, but it is effective.

Wang Mazi probably didn't expect Zhao Niangniang to be so fierce, picking up her knife and slashing without even arguing with him about whether the cockroach belonged to the restaurant or not.

The question of how many bowls of noodles you ate can easily lead you into a self-justification trap.

Zhou Yan felt that Aunt Zhao possessed great wisdom.

Of course, he probably didn't expect that the restaurant also had two formidable men, Zhou Hai and Zhou Jie, and he ended up getting a beating for nothing.

Zhou Yan cultivated a good relationship with the security department beforehand to prevent this kind of thing from happening.

They sent Zhou Momo, a policewoman in reserve, to get help. The little girl explained the whole story in a childish voice, looking pitiful no matter how she did it, which made Luo Weidong put the restaurant in the position of the victim.

What happened next was only natural.

Zhou Yan's intuition was that Wang Mazi was being instructed by someone behind the scenes; it all depended on how tough he was to stick his tongue out.

Zhou Jie and Zhou Hai pondered Zhou Yan's words for a moment, and then they both laughed.

“That’s true. If it weren’t for the crackdown, I would have beaten them to a pulp.” Zhou Jie wholeheartedly agreed.

“If he dares to cause trouble again next time, I’ll go to his house and wait for him,” Zhou Hai said with a laugh.

Zhou Yan and the others chatted in the back kitchen while Aunt Zhao smiled and cooked braised beef for everyone in the front.

They all looked the same, but when the workers called out to Aunt Zhao, there was a noticeable increase in respect.

The workers went to work, and Zhou Yan and the others started eating lunch.

"Fourth Aunt, you told us not to make a move, so why did you grab a knife and go in yourself? Aren't you scared?" Zhou Jie asked, holding his rice bowl.

Zhou Yan and the others also looked at Aunt Zhao.

"What's there to be afraid of? When I was a militia member and got first place in target practice, those hooligans were still playing in the mud." Aunt Zhao said calmly. "When the restaurant business is good, some people will definitely get jealous and cause trouble. We have to beat them hard so that others won't dare to come back a second time."

"To paraphrase a great man, it's about 'striking once to avoid a hundred blows later.'"

"I know Fourth Aunt was a female militia member, but you also won first place in target shooting?" Zhao Hong asked in surprise.

“I’m a very good shot. A few years ago, before I had to hand over my gun, I could easily shoot rabbits and pheasants just by going up the mountain. I even shot a wild boar with them once.” Zhao’s face showed a hint of pride when she talked about shooting.

“No wonder everyone in the village calls Fourth Aunt Iron Lady,” Zhou Jie said suddenly. “Let’s not dwell on the past, let’s eat.” Aunt Zhao laughed, “Look how much Momo is eating, not saying a word.”

Everyone laughed when they saw Zhou Momo engrossed in eating.

Zhou Yan put two pieces of pork ribs into her bowl; the little one had also done a great job today.

"Thank you, bro." Zhou Momo said indistinctly, her small, oily hands holding a rib and her mouth full of rice.

"You're welcome, enjoy your meal," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

After lunch, Zhou Yan made a list.

Aunt Zhao was still heartbroken over the table she had chopped into.

"I'll call a carpenter to fix it tomorrow. Besides the cost of the meal, I also gave them five yuan for the damage to the tables and chairs," Zhou Yan said with a smile as he walked over.

"Four good-for-nothings can't even scrape together eight cents. What can they possibly afford to pay for this?" Aunt Zhao sighed, touching the tear. "But we still need to call someone to fix it and apply a coat of clear varnish. Otherwise, the oil will seep in and it'll rot completely in a few days."

"Okay." Zhou Yan replied with a smile, took the handwritten list, went out, and turned into the security office next door.

Luo Weidong is out interrogating people; he's not in his office.

However, after greeting Xiao Wu, the officer on duty, he saw Zhou Yan standing at the door and greeted him with a smile, "Zhou Yan, just put the list on Section Chief Luo's desk."

"Okay." Zhou Yan came in and placed the form on Luo Weidong's desk, casually asking, "Brother Wu, are you still not done reviewing it?"

“These scoundrels won’t commit big crimes, but they’ve done plenty of petty theft. Section Chief Luo is interrogating them separately with his men right now; it’ll probably take half a day.” Xiao Wu said with a smile, “Don’t worry, we just searched them. They have a few dozen yuan on them, enough to compensate you for your losses. It’s just that there are procedures to follow, so it won’t be quick.”

"Okay, then you go ahead and do your work, I won't bother you any longer." Zhou Yan took out two cigarettes, handed them to him, and turned to leave.

He doesn't smoke, but he always carries a pack of Yuxi cigarettes with him, and offering cigarettes can quickly enhance the relationship between men.

This cigarette was given to Comrade Zhou by Xia Yao, but his mother wouldn't let him smoke it, so she handed it to him instead.

These cigarettes are hard to buy without a license, so he didn't sell them and kept them to use for personal connections.

He had already prepared to feed the dog this meal, and made the list in order to get Wang Mazi and the others to get a higher sentence. He was naturally happy that he could still get the money.

Adding to the damage to the table, it cost twelve yuan and sixty cents; who wouldn't feel bad about losing it?

However, the fact that these hooligans had several dozen yuan on them confirmed his suspicion that someone had probably paid them to cause trouble.

It's either Wang Defa or Huang Fusheng; they have a vested interest, so it's not hard to guess.

Wang Laowu's noodle stall couldn't even stay afloat anymore; he didn't have a few dozen yuan to hire someone to mess with him.

"Zhou Yan is quite particular." Xiao Wu tucked the cigarette behind his ear, took out a match, lit another one, blew out a smoke ring, and nodded at the cigarette in his hand: "It's definitely much better to smoke than Hongmei!"

……

Zhou Jie and Zhou Hai went home after dinner. Zhou Yan rode his bike out and glanced at the panel as he went:

Side Quest: The Legacy of Braised Beef with Pork Belly. Apprentice: Zhou Jie, Learning Progress: 2/3

Main Quest: Dominate the Textile Factory: Quest Progress: 552/1000

The task of dominating the textile factory is more than halfway complete, with significant growth today and the factory manager's efforts in recruiting new employees being particularly effective.

The task of preserving and passing on the tradition of Qiaojiao Beef is progressing steadily and will be completed tomorrow.

"Boss Gao, send me another twenty crucian carp to the shop." Zhou Yan parked his car in front of the fish stall and said to the bearded young man who was dozing on a bamboo chair.

(End of this chapter)