Reborn as Zhao Ruilong of Handong, I will defy fate.

Chapter 219 Severe Punishment for Minor Mistakes! Isn't this bullying honest people?

Jingzhou City, Guangming District.

The van slowly turned onto Ping'an Road.

When they were still dozens of meters away from the gate of Furong Residential Area, Zhao Ruilong ordered the car to pull over.

Sitting in the car and looking at both sides of the street, the contrast between the two sides is striking and clear.

On the left is a row of low, old houses, various shops, and messy wiring.

On the right, the Furong residential area features rows of high-rise apartment buildings, giving it a clean, tidy, and modern feel.

After getting out of the car, Zhao Ruilong hadn't walked far when he saw the Fulin Old Restaurant with its doors tightly locked and several seals affixed to it.

The restaurant has a great location, right next to the main entrance of the residential complex.

Located in this prime location with no shortage of foot traffic, whether you're running a restaurant or a supermarket, you're guaranteed to make a profit.

But now...

The shop was closed, and the glass door was sealed.

Zhao Ruilong walked slowly to the store entrance and glanced inside.

The large menu on the wall offers a wide variety of dishes, including steamed buns, porridge, noodles, braised dishes, cold dishes, and grilled skewers.

It's estimated that the owner and his family plan to take turns selling from morning till late at night, making the most of this prime location.

But if it weren't for wanting to earn more money, who would work so hard from dawn till dusk?

However, upon closer inspection of the tables, chairs, and decor inside the store...

There were also advertising signs, small tables and stools piled up on the open ground.

All signs indicate that the store was shut down shortly after it opened.

A glance at the X-shaped seal date affixed to the glass door further confirmed Zhao Ruilong's conjecture.

"Mr. Zhao!"

Wan Kui'an stepped forward and called out.

Zhao Ruilong withdrew his gaze and looked at the row of old houses and shops across the street.

“Let’s split up. You go across the street and find a shop to ask about this Fulin Old Restaurant.”

"Why can't this place, which has a large area and a great location, open for business? What exactly was the reason for the fine?"

Wan Kui'an nodded quickly and left.

Zhao Ruilong strolled around the surrounding shops for a while.

I originally wanted to ask a merchant for information, but I saw an old man setting up a shoe repair and shine stall under an old parasol.

The old man was quite relaxed, half-reclining in a rocking chair, listening to the radio and reading the newspaper.

There was a pot of tea on the small table next to me.

Look how comfortable he is, and the location he's using for his stall...

Clearly, he's been in this area for quite some time.

Such an old man must know everything about the affairs of the surrounding neighborhood.

Like a group of elderly men and women chatting together at the entrance of a rural village.

The chat location is the intelligence center.

The elderly folks chatting there were all 'know-it-alls'.

"Sir, can you shine my shoes?"

Zhao Ruilong stepped forward and asked with a smile.

The old man immediately pressed down on the newspaper with both hands and glanced at Zhao Ruilong.

"Sure, but it'll cost one dollar a pair."

Zhao Ruilong was taken aback.

"One yuan? Isn't it fifty cents?"

"I have better skills and use more expensive oil, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

The old man looked very confident.

"Okay, then I'll trouble you to wipe it for me."

Zhao Ruilong pulled over a small bamboo chair and sat down. As he took off his leather shoes, he casually asked:

"Sir, do you know how that Fulin Old Restaurant at the entrance of the residential area was shut down?"

"Why are you asking about this?"

The old man asked with some suspicion.

"I'm looking for a shop to start a small business, but I haven't found a good one after visiting many places."

"I finally found the door of Fulin Old Restaurant next to this community and thought it was going to be transferred, but I didn't expect it to be sealed by the court."

After taking off his leather shoes, Zhao Ruilong offered the old man a cigarette.

With work to do and cigarettes to smoke, the old man was naturally delighted.

"Forget about that shop!"

"The boss has offended someone and is almost driven to his death!"

Zhao Ruilong feigned surprise.

"Really? He runs a small restaurant, working hard from dawn till dusk to earn a meager living. Who could he possibly offend? Besides, I see a court seal on it. Could he possibly offend the court officials by running a small business?"

The old man had a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he deftly polished his shoes with both hands.

"He didn't offend anyone from the court, but rather Liu Lao Er, a local."

"But Liu Lao Er knows a lot of people, otherwise why would the urban management, sanitation, and fire departments keep checking this restaurant?"

"After investigating and investigating, they couldn't find anything wrong, but it still affected his business. He made an advertising light sign to sell braised duck, but the industry and commerce bureau said it violated the advertising law and imposed a fine of 20,000 yuan!"

At this point, the old man raised his hand, picked up his cigarette, shook off the ash, and sighed.

"Twenty thousand, young man!"

"Old man, I have to polish tens of thousands of pairs of leather shoes to earn 20,000 yuan!"

"You're saying it's just a small restaurant, and fining it 20,000 yuan is too much of a rip-off?"

Zhao Ruilong nodded repeatedly in deep agreement.

"That's right. A friend of mine works in a factory and works overtime every day, but he only earns two thousand yuan a month."

Even if a small restaurant is doing well, it would probably take several months to earn 20,000 yuan!

"That's for sure!"

The old man lit a cigarette and then grumbled as he polished his shoes.

"There are so many braised duck vendors advertising everywhere, why is it that their business is breaking the law?"

"The fine is 20,000 yuan. Paying 2,000 yuan is not enough. They will impose another 20,000 yuan fine."

"The owner refused to agree, so they enforced it and shut down the restaurant."

"It's said that they've frozen the boss's bank cards and seized the house; if he doesn't pay, they'll auction it off."

Zhao Ruilong shook his head slightly and clicked his tongue in amazement:

"They inspected him from various departments, but couldn't find anything wrong with it. However, when they discovered that his advertising language was inappropriate and illegal, they fined him to death... This is just too damn shady!"

The old man sneered contemptuously: "How can this be called 'black'? Liu Lao Er said he wasn't deliberately picking a fight or causing trouble."

"They followed all the legal procedures, everything was done meticulously and flawlessly, leaving no room for criticism. Even if you're not satisfied, what can you do? You can't win a lawsuit!"

Zhao Ruilong frowned and said, "From what you're saying, it's Liu Lao Er who took a liking to this shop and wanted the owner to transfer it to him, but the owner refused, so Liu Lao Er kept reporting him, right?"

The old man nodded slightly.

"That's right, it's actually a very simple matter. The root of the problem is that the restaurant has a great location and does a great job, which caught the eye of a local named Liu Lao Er!"

"If someone else's business is doing well, that's their skill. If Liu Lao Er wants to take over and run it himself, he should offer a high price to get the owner to transfer the business!"

Seeing the old man's sheepish grin, Zhao Ruilong immediately asked:

"Does Liu Lao Er not want to pay a high price and just want someone else to transfer it to him?"

"Can he afford it? After the boss opened, his family worked from morning till night and could earn thousands of yuan. He signed a three-year contract with the village, and he could earn over a million yuan in three years. How could such a good business be given to Liu Lao Er?"

As the old man spoke, he turned his head and gestured towards the residential area with his lip.

"Back when the developers were carrying out the urban village renovation project, during the demolition process, in order to get the locals to agree to the demolition, they promised to give the village a row of shops and collect rent and dividends every year thereafter."

"Later, the developer finished building the building and fulfilled his promise to give that row of shops to the village. Many people wanted to rent the shops, so in order to be fair, the village organized a lottery."

"The owner of Fulin Restaurant was lucky. He won the lottery for that shop and signed a three-year contract. In order to make more money, he invited his relatives to work with him. They not only sold breakfast, lunch and dinner, but also barbecue and late-night snacks. Business was particularly good."

"Seeing how good his business was, Liu Lao Er wanted to spend 10,000 yuan to get the shop, but how could the owner's whole family be willing to give up such a good business? Liu Lao Er couldn't afford the high price, so he reported it every now and then."

At this point, the old man couldn't help but sigh.

"This boss and his family are really unlucky."

"The hygiene and fire safety checks were all fine, but when I made a light-up sign advertisement, I was caught violating the law."

Listening to the old man's ramblings.

Then look at the restaurants that have been shut down.

Zhao Ruilong was still very puzzled.

It's normal for a restaurant in such a prime location to be so popular and attract envious glances.

It's understandable that the boss wouldn't give in if he only offered 10,000 yuan to get the business to resell it.

After all, why would a restaurant that could earn millions in three years be transferred to Liu Lao Er for only ten thousand?

But the problem is...

According to the old man, Liu Lao Er didn't have much strength!

He's just a local who wanted to steal someone else's business and start his own.

They probably don't even qualify as thugs or scoundrels; it's more likely they used coercion and bribery than various forms of reporting.

But why is it that someone who doesn't have much money or influence can get the Industry and Commerce Bureau to impose the maximum penalty on this restaurant?

The Industry and Commerce Bureau wasn't satisfied with just one fine; they imposed a second fine and even applied to the district court for enforcement.

Even more incredibly, the Guangming District Court of Jingzhou City actually passed the judgment.

If it weren't for someone suggesting that the boss file a lawsuit...

I reckon the boss and his entire family were so angry they set themselves on fire.

"Grandpa, does this Liu Lao Er have a relative who is an official and has a lot of power?"

"I don't think so. His older brother works in the comprehensive law enforcement team of the subdistrict office, but he doesn't have a permanent position. This job was arranged for him when the demolition was carried out. Liu Lao Er was also there, but he was fired because he often went to play cards."

Zhao Ruilong was even more puzzled.

Local residents whose properties were being demolished are eyeing the success of restaurants owned by people from other places. When they are unable to sell their properties at a low price, they repeatedly report such incidents.

This behavior is not hard to understand, but what about the Industry and Commerce Bureau and the District Court?

The two Liu brothers don't seem to have a very powerful background.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible to arrange two unemployed, idle positions for them to make a living only after the demolition.

If someone truly had connections and a powerful background, they would have already secured a stable job and lived a life of comfort. Why would they be envious of someone else's small restaurant?

At this time, the cell phone rang.

Upon seeing that it was Lu Yike calling, Zhao Ruilong quickly answered the call.

"Hey, I'm near the restaurant. I asked an old man shining shoes, and it's not complicated..."

Zhao Ruilong explained it concisely, but of course, he didn't forget to raise his own questions.

“I’ve also asked around at the Guangming District Procuratorate and found out the details.”

"It is said that when the first fine was 20,000 yuan, the boss and his whole family went to pay the fine, but they were only willing to pay 2,000 yuan, and their attitude was not very good."

"I guess he was too angry, so he said a lot of very nasty things, saying that everyone had no conscience and that if they wanted to make money, they should just say so and not use fines to bully ordinary people."

"The boss and his family said a lot of angry things like that. After the people from the Industry and Commerce Bureau called the police, they were taken away by the police. They were still shouting and cursing at the gate, which attracted a lot of onlookers and had a very bad influence."

"As a result of this commotion, the fines not only had to be increased, but an appeal was filed for additional penalties and enforcement. Several of the owners and their families who refused to comply were even detained for a few days."

"This detention naturally made the owner's family even angrier. They somehow got hold of two cans of gasoline and wanted to pour it on themselves and set themselves on fire in public. Fortunately, someone persuaded them in time to save their lives and fight the case to the end."

Hearing this, Zhao Ruilong finally understood.

Originally, he was just a local who thought he knew the law, but when he failed to steal business from outsiders, he reported them to retaliate.

As a result, the case escalated and expanded, turning into a major case that, if not handled properly, could result in the deaths of many people.

Zhao Ruilong had read many news reports about small matters turning into big cases before his time travel.

Originally, it was just a matter of failed investments, divorce disputes, and unsatisfactory performance reviews...

Even just feeling angry after an argument.

The results of it?

In a fit of anger, a large number of casualties were caused.

This matter could very well escalate from a minor incident into a major case.

For example, after being released from detention, the boss was so angry that he threatened to set himself on fire with gasoline.

If he gets so angry that he doesn't want to live anymore, he might actually take gasoline and set it on fire.

Once the fire starts, countless innocent people will be killed or injured.

But what if a case actually results in large-scale casualties?

This is undoubtedly a huge blow to Handong Province, which is continuously optimizing its business environment and vigorously attracting investment to develop a high-quality economy.

"That passerby who persuaded the boss's family has made a great contribution to the social stability of our Handong!"

"Otherwise, our Handong Province would have already made the news because of an arson case that killed many people!"

No sooner had Zhao Ruilong finished speaking than Lu Yike said angrily:

"But the crisis is not over yet!"

"It almost caused a major disaster, but the Jingzhou Intermediate People's Court upheld the original verdict in the second instance."

"Now that the Handong Provincial Higher People's Court is about to make a final judgment, quite a few people are actually supporting the rejection of the appeal and the upholding of the original judgment. My mother is furious."

"I curse these old bones for wielding their power like it's nothing. They're all truly cold-blooded and ruthless, without a shred of humanity or compassion. It's as if no matter how big the commotion, they won't be the ones to die!"

"I don't think they even deserve to be human beings, let alone law enforcement officers. Does upholding the law mean endless inspections? Does handling cases according to the law mean imposing heavy penalties for minor offenses and giving small restaurants exorbitant fines?"

"Such inhumanity and lack of compassion are bound to anger the people, and it's only right that they curse them mercilessly. Yet, instead of feeling ashamed, they want to increase the punishment. Are they really going to drive an entire family to their deaths before they're satisfied?"

Zhao Ruilong gritted his teeth.

He stood up angrily without even putting on his leather shoes.

"It's probably not just one family that was driven to their death!"

"If the boss and his family were to be driven to complete despair and seek revenge, who knows how many people would be killed or injured."

"Now that they are listening to advice and are even thinking of resolving the issue through legal means, they are actually respecting the law and giving it a chance."

"Morality is the bottom line for an individual to restrain their own behavior, while law is the bottom line for a society to maintain public morality and trust."

"If the law cannot be used as a weapon, and it forces honest people to abandon the law and take up arms, then it is no small matter. If they can get two cans of gasoline, how can they not commit a shocking case?"

Lu Yike said, both angry and annoyed:

"Yes, our country is a country of the people. The original intention of enacting and promulgating laws is to protect and serve the people, not to bully or harm them!"

"A bunch of law students who are actually law enforcement officers think that just because they've studied a few more years, they've mastered the law and can judge people from a high and mighty position, leaving them no way out, and they even call it strict law enforcement!"

"Therefore, I think that even without waiting for the final judgment, this case concerning whether to revoke the administrative penalty has already fully exposed that some law enforcement officers in our Handong Province are simply not fit to be human!"

"The reason why the business environment is not good is because of their sabotage. If we want to improve it, we must clean up these old stubborn people who have no conscience or humanity and do not care about the people at all!"

Zhao Ruilong narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Let's stop being angry. Holding in our anger won't help."

"So, the case hasn't reached a final verdict yet, has it? Isn't it quite controversial?"

"Then let's hold a discussion, invite everyone we can, and have a free and open discussion."

"I want to see which bastards are the ones who insist on punishing minor mistakes so severely, pushing people to the brink of death!!"