Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 153 You're not doing so well, are you? (Give my daughter's dad +6)

Old Chen nodded. It was indeed a bit cold, and unlike the onlookers who were hunched over with their hands tucked in, he listened to Xiao Wei's words and walked towards the bone restaurant. Anyway, he was here to visit the restaurant today, so it was good to take a look early. Yingzi poured some hot water and brought it over.

Xiao Yong has recovered now. He can't stand up yet, but his complexion is much better and he can speak again.

"Fuck you, ouch, it hurts so much! You remember this, if I don't put you in, I'll take your surname. Ouch, fuck, it hurts so much."

Xiao Wei chuckled, walked over, squatted down in front of Xiao Yong, and looked at the nervous man, saying, "Don't be afraid, I won't fight anymore. And let me tell you, you don't need to be defiant with me. You're finished, you know? Abusing your power, ruining the reputation and image of the power supply bureau—this might be the last time you wear this uniform in your life."

Xiao Yong twitched his face and said, "You're just bragging. Who do you think you are? You even tried to take my clothes off. Let me tell you, this isn't over. My brother-in-law is the police chief, you know? Nobody can do anything about it."

Xiao Wei pointed a rolling pin at the bone restaurant, scaring Xiao Yong so much that he closed his eyes. Xiao Wei said, "Don't be afraid, I really won't hit you. Do you know who that guy with the phone was? And who was the one who made the call after that? You're not exactly a good catch either. The guy who made the call after that is the head of your Longcheng Power Supply Company, you know? Director Li. The one with the phone is the head of your provincial power bureau, surnamed Chen, remember? You've run into a bullseye today, no, you've run into a 152mm howitzer, what luck. Tsk tsk. Sigh." Xiao Wei shook his head, stood up, took out a cigarette, and lit one.

A crowd had gathered around to watch the spectacle. Those doing business nearby were empathizing with the situation, gossiping about the various problems with the power supply. Passersby would listen in, chiming in here and there, creating a lively atmosphere. Despite the freezing weather, no one seemed to mind the cold.

Back then, residential electricity cost around 30 cents per kilowatt-hour, but commercial electricity prices varied greatly, ranging from 1.1 to 1.8 yuan. Prices also differed depending on the industry. Moreover, bribery and extortion were rampant in the 1990s, with many shady dealings involved. The best job in the 1990s was in various government departments, which the public collectively referred to as "extortion brokers."

The main reason was that people's income was relatively low during this period, but their consumption was relatively high, and not just a little high. A Montblanc short-sleeved shirt cost 1800 yuan, and a pair of Lao Ren Tou leather shoes cost 3500 yuan. These prices would be unbelievable in later years, yet many people still bought them (due to the competitive nature of young people). Money had to be spent, so people had to find a way to earn it. In the late 90s, local governments in Northeast China began to crack down on profiteering, and the market gradually developed a reasonable order.

Back then, resources were just becoming abundant, and the market had just opened up. Doing business was incredibly profitable. A clothing seller could close down and travel around after selling just three or five items a month, earning many times more than a factory worker. Fortunately, the market for essential goods was strictly regulated, keeping the cost of living for ordinary people quite low and maintaining a strange kind of stability.

When Director Song arrived at the scene, panting, nearly twenty minutes had already passed.

Director Song had clearly been engaged in some kind of friendly exchange activity; he reeked of alcohol, his coat was buttoned up incorrectly, and he was sweating profusely despite the cold weather. He squeezed through the crowd, surveyed the situation, and asked the two power supply workers standing to the side, "Where's Director Li?"

Xiao Yong was being helped to squat, his legs still aching from any movement. Seeing Director Song, he struggled to his feet and called out, "Brother-in-law."

Director Song turned to look at Xiao Yong and asked, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Yong pointed at Xiao Wei and said, "I got beaten up."

When questioned, the employee pointed to the bone shop and said, "Everyone's in that shop."

Director Song glanced at Xiao Wei, then said to Xiao Yong, "I'll go in and take a look first, we'll talk later." He turned and walked towards the bone shop. The employee pointed at Director Song's shirt and said, "Director, your clothes."

Director Song glanced down, unbuttoned and buttoned his shirt again, rubbed his face, and went into the bone restaurant. As soon as he entered, he saw Director Li sitting at a table with an unfamiliar middle-aged man, drinking hot water. The restaurant was dark, with no lights on, and a young girl standing to one side. There was no one else there.

Director Song forced a smile and walked over: "Director, you were looking for me? What brings you here today?" As he spoke, he looked around the restaurant; he had never eaten at this place before.

Director Li turned to look at Chief Song, pointed to the back room of the restaurant, and said, "Take a look at this meter yourself."

In just a short while, Director Li learned the whole story from Yingzi. At noon, Xiao Yong and a few others went to the restaurant for lunch, which cost over two hundred yuan including food and drinks. When it came time to pay, they wanted to pay on credit, but An Laowu refused, which caused a bit of an unpleasantness.

In the afternoon, Xiao Yong led two power company employees to check the electricity meter. Everyone didn't take it seriously. After a few checks, they said the meter burned out because the restaurant's electricity usage exceeded the limit and they had to pay compensation and a fine. An Laowu couldn't stand this and started arguing. Xiao Yong then cut off the restaurant's power, and An Laowu started fighting with them. Later, Xiao Wei and a few others, along with Lao Chen, arrived.

Director Song had no idea what was going on and didn't dare to ask. He went out to the power supply worker to get some tools, then went into the back room of the restaurant to fiddle with the electricity meter. He took the meter apart to check what was inside. Although the director didn't look like much, he was quite skilled in his work.

The old-fashioned mechanical meters are quite different from the electronic meters used today. The mechanical structure is also more complex, with three lead seals inside. If a user tampers with the lead seals, it's a big problem; fines, power outages, and detention are all likely to be involved.

The first seal opens to the power input/output connection point. The second seal is the meter's safety device. The third seal is the internal mechanical operating part. Primary power theft occurs at the first seal, where wiring is done. Advanced power theft occurs at the third seal, where the mechanical speed is altered.

The lead seals used in the power industry were round lead blocks about the size of a shirt button, three or four millimeters thick, with a horizontal through-hole on top. They were sealed with special pliers and could not be reused. The pliers and the seals were for internal use only, so back then, all the "high-level black" (referring to those involved in illegal activities) were insiders. This was also an open little secret for insiders to earn some extra money.

The electricity meter at the bone shop was quickly disassembled. Director Li stood behind watching and asked, "Did the electricity meter burn out?"

Director Song turned to look at Director Li and said, "No, this thing isn't that easy to burn. Our stuff is extremely reliable. It's fine even in a factory, let alone a small restaurant. Besides, it has fuses even in the event of a momentary overload. How could it possibly burn?"

Director Li nodded and asked, "What's the matter with that table?"

Director Song carefully inspected the area and said, "There's nothing wrong with it, everything's fine. Oh, this seal inside has been tampered with. It wasn't the original factory seal, it was one from our bureau. That shouldn't be happening." He reached out and tore off the lead seal, opened the door, and poked around with a screwdriver, saying, "The wiring inside is broken. This... it was cut with pliers. What's going on? Stealing electricity isn't about cutting wires, is it?"

(End of this chapter)