Chapter 69: Chapter 69: This... Is Criminal

"Alright, alright, I won’t say any more. I’ll let you save some face."

Qin Youyou looked toward Lin Jiang.

"Brother Jiang, we’ll be your waitresses today and help you close up shop."

"Oh, please don’t. My humble little noodle shop can’t afford two young ladies of high society like you."

As he spoke, Lin Jiang shut down his computer. "Closing up. Time to go home."

The Qin Sisters were very diligent and helped with a few small tasks.

After pulling down the roll-up door, Lin Jiang decided to act the part of a gentleman and drive the Qin Sisters home.

But just as they were about to leave, they saw Zhou Chengrong and Ma Shangxi, completely drunk and with cigarettes dangling from their fingers, stumbling toward them.

The moment the two saw Lin Jiang, they stopped in their tracks, seeming to sober up a little.

Qin Youyou looked at the two men, who also seemed familiar to her.

"Brother Jiang, that guy, isn’t he the owner of Spring Harmony Noodle Shop? I think I’ve seen him once before," Qin Youyou said.

"Yeah, that’s him."

Lin Jiang responded but had no intention of engaging with them.

"Lin Jiang, you’re really riding high these days, aren’t you? Not only is business booming, but you’ve also got two beautiful women with you. No one can compare to you."

"It’s fine. You can be as jealous as you want. I won’t stop you."

"Don’t you be so fucking arrogant."

Fueled by liquid courage, Zhou Chengrong stepped forward and shoved Lin Jiang. Lin Jiang went with the motion and sat down on the ground, showing no intention of getting back up.

"Not only did you ruin my shop, you also got me fined a ton of money. You just fucking wait. This isn’t over."

"We can settle that later. First, let’s settle the score right here."

Lin Jiang glanced at Qin Yangyang. "Qin Lu, you’re up."

"A lawyer?"

Upon learning Qin Yangyang’s identity, Zhou Chengrong’s aggressive demeanor instantly deflated.

In the minds of ordinary people, lawyers carry a lot of weight and have a strong deterrent effect, almost synonymous with the police and the courts.

"Allow me to make a grand introduction. The woman standing before you is named Qin Yangyang, and she is the Director of the Legal Department for our Xiaojiang Noodle Shop. You have gathered here to cause trouble, and you have physically and verbally assaulted me. This matter will be handled exclusively by my lawyer. You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."

Ma Shangxi: ???

Zhou Chengrong: ???

’A noodle shop has a Director of Legal Affairs?’

’Is he for real?’

"Brother Jiang, Brother Jiang..." Qin Youyou whispered a reminder,

"You’re overacting. This is the mainland, not Hong Kong Island. That speech doesn’t really fit here."

"Got it."

Qin Yangyang, phone in hand, glanced at the two men and dialed the police.

"Don’t you two go anywhere. I’ve called the police. They’ll handle the immediate situation. I’ll just be responsible for filing the lawsuit."

Hearing the word "lawsuit," both men went numb.

"Don’t try to scare us! We just pushed him a little. On what grounds can you sue us?!"

"You are suspected of gathering to cause a public disturbance, threatening my client’s personal safety, and physically assaulting him. My client naturally has the right to sue you."

As she spoke, the call connected. Qin Yangyang described the situation to the police and then hung up.

"The police station isn’t far from here. The officers will be here shortly."

The two men exchanged a look, and a sense of panic began to set in.

"I just gave him a little push. It doesn’t have to be like this, right? Worst case, I’ll pay him some money." Ma Shangxi was the first to lose his nerve.

"This isn’t about money. Let’s just wait for the police."

The two men stood there dumbfounded, their minds completely blank, with no idea what to do.

Ten-odd minutes later, the police arrived.

Qin Yangyang introduced herself to the two officers and described the course of events.

The police looked at Zhou Chengrong and Ma Shangxi and felt that the two had really picked the wrong people to mess with.

"You look a little familiar. Weren’t you the one who used to run a noodle shop that got shut down for rectification because of problems with your food?"

"Uh, yes..." Zhou Chengrong answered awkwardly.

"Were you jealous that his business was doing well, so you came here to stir up trouble?"

"No, no, Officer, this is all just a misunderstanding..." the two men hurriedly explained.

"It’s not that serious! We just gave him a little push, and he sat on the ground. He’s definitely doing it on purpose to frame us!"

The officer glanced at Zhou Chengrong.

"If everything was fine, why did you push him? You think you can bully people just because you’re built bigger?"

"I..."

The more Zhou Chengrong tried to explain, the guiltier he sounded. He stammered and stuttered, unable to give a clear explanation.

The officer turned to Lin Jiang and Qin Yangyang.

"How do you two want to handle this? If it’s nothing major, I’d recommend you settle this privately."

"That won’t do. You have to file a case and investigate. Otherwise, who knows what might happen in the future," Lin Jiang said, pointing up.

"There’s a security camera at the shop’s entrance. It recorded everything, so you can use it as evidence."

The officer expected Lin Jiang would say that. After all, there was a lawyer standing right next to him. It was clear they wanted to fight this to the end and wouldn’t settle easily.

"In that case, come back to the station with us."

"Alright, I know where the station is. I’ll just drive over myself."

"That works too."

Lin Jiang pressed his car key, and the lights of a Maybach flashed on.

Ma Shangxi and Zhou Chengrong were stunned. Women might not know much about cars, but there are few men who wouldn’t recognize it.

"That... That Maybach is yours?"

"Who else’s would it be? It’s not that much money. Don’t make a big deal out of it, you look like you’ve never seen the world."

Lin Jiang got into the car with the two women. The officer glanced at them, then back at Zhou Chengrong and Ma Shangxi.

"Are you two drunk? The man drives a multi-million-yuan Maybach, and you dared to come pick a fight with him? What were you thinking?"

The two men forced awkward smiles, their minds reeling. ’How can a noodle shop owner like Lin Jiang afford a Maybach?’

"Stop staring. Save it for the station."

"Understood."

The two got into the police car, and the entire group headed to the station.

Once there, the proper procedures could not be skipped.

As suspects, Ma Shangxi and Zhou Chengrong had to empty their pockets before being put in a cell.

The police went through the motions, asking about the course of events once more.

One officer was responsible for asking questions, while another took notes.

After the process was complete, the officer looked at Lin Jiang.

"What happened between you doesn’t rise to the level of a criminal prosecution. According to the relevant laws and regulations, they will be fined 1,000 yuan and face seven days of administrative detention."

Lin Jiang looked at Qin Yangyang, who nodded, indicating that there was no problem with this outcome.

He had hoped they might be locked up for a few more days, but given the current situation, that seemed unlikely.

Ma Shangxi and Zhou Chengrong hung their heads. Just seven days in detention was acceptable; at least they weren’t being sued.

RING RING RING—

Just then, a cell phone on the table rang.

An officer picked it up and waved it at the two men. "Whose phone is this?"

"Mine," said Zhou Chengrong.

The officer answered the call, put it on speaker, and held the phone next to Zhou Chengrong.

He’d thought it was his wife calling, but when he saw the caller’s number, a cold chill shot up from his heels to the crown of his head.

"Brother Rong, the shop we’re supposed to smash is called Xiaojiang Noodle Shop, right? We’re already here. We’ll make our move after midnight and wreck the whole place. We won’t leave a single thing intact."