Rebirth 04: Starting from Taking an Unconventional Approach

"They're trying to sabotage our business!" said Boss Zhou. "They ripped our magazines off the shelves and threw them away, replacing them with some shady stuff without publication numbers. I know you've got your suspicions. That's why I came all the way here this morning to sit for a bit."

"Want to sit down?" Old Liu turned his head to the side.

"Yes. To tell you the truth, those troublemakers yesterday weren't just after my few magazines; they were after the rules of the entire industry. If they could steal my stock yesterday, they can replace yours today. Think about it, their magazines have no publication number, no censorship, they're all just random stuff. If the higher-ups investigate, your business will be in trouble..."

The kettle began to emit a low whistle.

" shut down?" Old Liu interjected, his eyebrows furrowing in question. "Fined? They can arrest me?"

Boss Zhou nodded, then shook his head, then nodded again, confirming the fact while expressing deep regret.

"So," said Boss Zhou, "I'm not here to cause you trouble today. I'm here to keep watch for you. I'll just sit here, drink tea, smoke cigarettes, and not interfere with your business. If those people really show up, don't get involved; I'll handle it. If they're reasonable, I'll reason with them. If they're not... look at my physique; just standing here, they'll have to think twice. Besides, I'm backed by Qingniao Publishing House, a legitimate organization. They're just some shady characters. We're in the right, so what are we afraid of?"

Old Liu looked at him suspiciously: "Fatty Zhou, are you using yourself as a shield?"

Boss Zhou laughed loudly and shook his head: "I'm just using myself as a stake to keep this business under control. We're doing legitimate business, selling legitimate books, so why should we let anyone bully us? Don't worry, if there's nothing else later, I'll treat you to morning tea. If there is, that's fine too. I'll help President Han identify those people, and they'll either follow the proper path or report them. We don't cause trouble, but we're not afraid of trouble either."

Old Liu stared blankly into the sky, ignoring the increasingly loud whistle.

"Sit down if you want, just don't tear down my little stall."

"water......"

"Look, I'm getting old." Old Liu picked up the kettle from the stove and put it on the ground. "If you want tea, pour it yourself. I don't have time to serve you."

Old Zhou grinned, picked up an enamel mug, put tea leaves in it, and poured in hot water. He dragged a stool to the doorway so he could see what was happening on the street. He picked up the mug, blew on the tea leaves floating on the surface, and almost burned himself when he drank.

Just then, he heard the faint sound of a car approaching in the distance, and looked out onto the street. At the highest point of the slope at the street corner, he saw a gleaming piece of metal reflecting the sunlight. It was a cool August morning, but the air above the asphalt was still trembling.

......

Han Fei sat in his office and dialed the phone at Boss Zhou's business hall again, listening to the unanswered announcement coming from the receiver.

"Still no one answering?" Zhang Ruiyi asked, looking down at the report she had just written.

"Hmm, this Boss Zhou..." Han Fei said, hanging up the phone. He had already called Boss Zhou three times by landline and twice by mobile phone. Although Fatty Zhou was slippery, he always kept his word and would never disappear without a reason. No one answered the landline, which could be explained by him being at home and not at the service center. But no one answered the mobile phone, which meant there was probably trouble. His biggest worry now was that Boss Zhou would act impulsively and clash with Qian Youde's men. That would not only hurt Boss Zhou but also escalate the situation from "commercial infringement" to a "public security incident."

He got up from his chair, paced back and forth in the room, checked his phone, and then glanced at the landline on his desk.

"How's the report coming along?"

"That's fine," Zhang Ruiyi said. "As long as it's accompanied by the evidence from Boss Zhou's side, we can submit it."

Han Fei walked to the table and looked through the materials—a report on the illegal publication and unfair competition of the magazine "Stories of the People." The materials detailed the matters reported, the facts of the illegal publication of "Stories of the People," the facts of content infringement, the facts of unfair competition and aggressive distribution, the legal basis, and the demands of the report.

"Okay, that's fine," Han Fei said. He had just put down the materials when the phone rang. He quickly picked up the receiver. The call was from Boss Zhou's wife at the business hall, saying that Boss Zhou had spent the night there, but the door was locked when she went to the store, and she couldn't get through to Boss Zhou's cell phone.

Han Fei hung up the phone, his fingers tapping on the table as he considered his options. The situation had likely escalated, and he didn't even know where Boss Zhou was.

The letter of complaint was beautifully written, with each legal basis clearly listed and the demands expressed in a restrained yet forceful manner. Once submitted, the relevant departments would likely process it, but the time required for the procedures to be completed was uncertain. Even if Boss Zhou didn't get into trouble, what would Qian Youde's men be doing before the complaint process was finished? They would continue throwing away Qingniao magazines, threatening newsstand owners, and even dumping garbage in front of Boss Zhou's business hall.

By the time the official document arrived, the township channels had already disappeared.

By the time law enforcement intervened, people's spirits had already been dampened.

He now needs someone to help him stabilize the situation and prevent the other party from continuing to assault him while the complaint process is underway. Only one person can do that.

Han Fei took out his phone and dialed Ma Yongxing's number.

......

A copy of Bluebird magazine drew a large arc in the air and fell to the ground half a meter in front of Boss Zhou.

Boss Zhou stood there, glaring angrily at the man in front of the newsstand. The man had a head of blond hair that looked like a broom, and a strong, protruding chin. He had one hand on the metal sheet of the newsstand, half of his body inside, and was throwing Bluebird magazines out with his other hand while snorting and laughing.

The second man was very short and stood in the newsstand. Whenever the blond man threw out a copy of Bluebird Magazine, he would put out a copy of People's Stories.

What caught Boss Zhou's attention most was the third man. This man wore an elegant gray short-sleeved shirt, had a woman's face, and his tanned skin was covered with many colorless little scars, as if he had been exposed to acid rain. He was picking his teeth with a toothpick and pacing back and forth in front of Boss Zhou, who found him extremely annoying.

His voice was higher and softer than Boss Zhou had imagined: "You're the owner here?"

Boss Zhou squinted hard, trying to blink away the sweat stinging his eyes. Damn it, the moment those three parked their van in front of the newsstand, Old Liu vanished. In the past ten minutes, he'd heard his phone ring three times. He knew it was most likely Director Han calling. It's all over, all over.