Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

On the way back, the Wang family of three all wanted to ride in Li Long's car. Wang Shengli even sat directly in the passenger seat, seemingly wanting to have a good chat with Li Long. However, there were some mushrooms in the back of Li Long's SUV, making it a bit inconvenient for Ms. Liu and her child to squeeze in.

Li Xiangqian arranged for Zhou Yuan to sit in the back of Li Long's car, while he let Ms. Liu and her child sit in the back of his own car.

Everyone had a great time, so no one objected. After putting out the fire, closing the doors and windows, and locking the gate, the two cars drove out of the mountain one after the other.

On the way back, Wang Shengli talked about his work and casually inquired about Li Long's business empire.

He said that in his years of working in the commercial sector to attract investment, he has also attracted many businessmen from the area to invest here.

The implication was clear: if Li Long wanted to attract investment, he could contact him, and he would definitely help.

Li Long didn't take the bait. He was very clear about his own abilities. He had the advantage of being reborn and caught up with the trend of the times, so he was one of the lucky ones who were among the first to ride the wave.

But to say he has any real ability is debatable. If he were to really go big, he might not be able to succeed. If he were to run into some cunning speculators, he might be swallowed up by them, and he might end up counting money for someone else.

When the car arrived in the county town, Li Long dropped the people off at the county guesthouse. After dropping off Wang Shengli and Zhou Yuan, Li Long made an excuse that he still had to deliver mushrooms to other people and drove off first.

Wang Shengli had no objections at all. When President Li left, he waved goodbye with a smile on his face.

The two didn't go into the hotel; they just chatted at the entrance about Li Long's situation. Wang Shengli inquired about Li Long's family background from Zhou Yuan, and also verified what Li Long had said along the way.

Zhou Yuan's answer was naturally flawless, which made Wang Shengli feel even more that Li Long was still very capable.

Of course, he also knew that, judging from the current situation, he probably wouldn't be able to get in touch with them. They were only receiving them because of Director Qian's reputation, and they didn't intend to consider him a close friend.

Although it's a bit of a disappointment, it's still an eye-opening experience, and I'll have something to talk about in the future. Who knows, maybe we'll run into each other again someday, or maybe we'll have something in common.

Li Long drove to the purchasing station first and saw a few scattered people in the yard. He remarked that the purchasing station was not as good as it used to be. This was because Kazakhstan and our country had reached some agreements on trade issues, allowing private individuals to trade at the border. Those middlemen had all gone to the border to look for opportunities.

There are gains and losses, and news comes from time to time about who has made money, which makes some people who were originally unwilling to take this step eager to try.

After all, the types of goods that purchasing stations can buy are becoming increasingly restricted. With the introduction of animal protection laws, many things can no longer be purchased, leading to a shrinking scale of purchasing and making life difficult for these middlemen.

Li Long greeted a few acquaintances, then drove to the backyard, parked the car, got out, opened the trunk, and called Liang Shuangcheng and the others to come and help move things.

Li Long observed the categorized storage of furs and antlers. He picked out a pair of antlers, each with three forks, intending to keep them as a keepsake.

Although there are many red deer in the Tianshan Mountains, it seems that wild ones can be found in the jurisdiction of each county.

Even 20 or 30 years from now, it's said that in certain elk valleys, you can collect deer antlers by the truckload, but even if you do, you can't take them out. The forestry department will tighten its control over this as time goes on. Checkpoints will be set up in every valley, and the process of obtaining a permit to enter the mountains will become increasingly complicated.

So it's good to keep some in good condition now as collectibles, to avoid trouble later.

After handing the hide and sika deer antlers to Liang Shuangcheng, Li Long left him and Sun Jiaqiang each a kilogram or two of wild mushrooms before driving away.

Liang Shuangcheng was already married and had his own small courtyard in the county, not far from the purchasing station. The two of them were very happy holding the wild mushrooms; these things were rare and unseen in the plains of the county.

Of course, what's more important is what Li Long gave them; what does that represent? It represents trust.

Li Long drove back to the courtyard, put half a bucket of wild mushrooms in the kitchen, and took the rest to the fourth team.

Old Ma kept some, about three or four kilograms, enough for the old folks to cook for a meal. The rest were taken to the eldest brother's place.

When Li Long drove to his older brother's yard, he found a stranger talking to his older brother, Li Jianguo.

After carrying the mushrooms down, Li Long remembered that person from another team, surnamed Wang, named Wang Shicheng. It seemed that he and his older brother had been colleagues in the well-drilling team. They were the kind of old friends who didn't see each other often, but would always talk about the past when they met.

After greeting them, Li Long carried the mushrooms into the kitchen. His sister-in-law and mother were busy in the kitchen. After greeting them, Li Long asked, "What's Old Wang doing here?"

"I've run into some trouble and wanted to come over to ask your older brother for some advice." Liang Yuemei had also worked in the well-drilling team before and knew Old Wang, so she was quite familiar with their situation. She first praised the mushrooms that Li Long brought back, and then told him about the matter.

It turns out that Lao Wang's younger brother is now working in Shicheng. Similar to his older brother, he also came from his hometown and was sent to work in a factory in Shicheng by Wang Shicheng through connections.

Wang Shicheng's younger brother settled down in Shicheng and had two daughters after getting married.

This person is a bit traditional and feels that without a son, the family cannot stand.

However, according to policy, they cannot have any more children. Wang Shicheng has many children, two sons and two daughters. His younger brother discussed with Wang Shicheng the possibility of sending one of their children to Shicheng to develop their careers.

The idea was simply to have this child take care of Wang Shicheng's younger brother in his old age in Shicheng.

Wang Shicheng's two sons are not young anymore, the older one is seventeen or eighteen, and the younger one is fifteen or sixteen. The older one graduated from junior high school but did not pass the high school entrance exam, so he stayed at home and helped his father with farm work, working on farm machinery.

The younger one is now in high school.

Wang Shicheng thought this was a good idea, so he thought of sending his eldest son there, which would be a way out.

After all, at this time, it's definitely not as good to develop in the countryside as it is in the city. This is both a fact and the opinion of 99% of people.

However, Wang Shicheng's younger brother wanted to send their youngest son over there, saying that the teaching quality in Shicheng was relatively high and that if he studied there for two years, he might be able to get into a good university.

At that time, the probability of getting into university was relatively low, unlike in later generations when the probability could reach 60%, 70%, or even 80%.

Wang Shicheng was conflicted, unsure whether to follow his own ideas or his younger brother's suggestion.

After listening to her eldest daughter-in-law's words, Du Chunfang muttered, "She didn't have any good ideas either. She can't have children of her own, so she wants someone else's son..."

Li Long didn't comment; he just helped his sister-in-law and mother peel mushrooms.

These mushrooms had some soil on their stems, making them difficult to clean. So Li Long took a small peeler and peeled off all the soil-covered parts of the mushroom stems.

My sister-in-law and mother felt it was a waste to do it this way, and suggested that they find a small brush to scrub it off, which would be better.

Li Long said that even if you scrub it, it's not easy to clean it thoroughly, and it will still have a slightly earthy smell when you stir-fry it. Since there's so much of it, you might as well just peel it off.

Li Long laughed as he listened to the advice given by the older brother outside.

"I know your two kids' personalities pretty well. The older one has been working with you for a few years and is relatively outgoing. The younger one is focused on his studies; to put it bluntly, he's like a bookworm."

I'm not praising Qiangqiang, but your little one isn't as agile as Qiangqiang.

If you ask me, you should send your eldest child to your younger brother's house. Given the eldest's personality, he'll be more adaptable and will be doing quite well.

If you send your younger child there, given your brother and sister-in-law's personalities, they'll bully your child to death. Besides, this idea was proposed by your brother; your sister-in-law might not be willing. If she really isn't, your child will be the one who suffers in the end.

Li Long never expected his elder brother to actually give advice. In later generations, people talked about cause and effect, saying one shouldn't interfere in other people's fates.

But at this time, friends will genuinely offer more pertinent advice, and they are not afraid of offending anyone.

Li Long then heard Wang Shicheng say, "My wife is having a hard time; neither of the two children wants to go."

Li Jianguo then asked, "What does your eldest son think?"

“He wants to go there. His uncle said that no matter who goes, they will help him get a city household registration and get a food ration.”

This suggestion is still quite tempting for young people in rural areas. Otherwise, later on, a batch of rural residents were issued urban household registrations that could be purchased for 4,000 yuan. At that time, the rationing system was basically obsolete, but a large number of people still bought them.

Leaving the countryside is truly a dream for many people.

"If your eldest son wants to go, then let him go. Does your younger brother have the ability to find him a job?"

"My younger brother actually still wants our youngest son to go over. So I asked what would happen after the two children went over."

He said he would try his best to get his eldest son a job if he could, and he would definitely give him one if the opportunity arose. My brother also said that he would let him learn to drive first, with him and me each paying half the cost. Once he got his driver's license, it would be easier for him to find a job.

It would probably be best if the youngest son went there, because he could directly enroll in school and transfer there. His household registration would then be under their family's name. After he gets into university, we'll see about the subsequent job assignments.

After hearing this, Li Jianguo thought it was quite good and said, "Your brother's consideration is quite thorough. However, my idea is that if you really want to send the child over, then send your eldest son over as well."

Anyway, you're still young, so even without help, the work won't be too difficult. Your youngest son is a natural student; sending him there will definitely affect his studies in that kind of environment. He might be able to get into university now, but that's uncertain now, since he'll need to adapt to all sorts of things.”

Wang Shicheng remained silent for a while.

Liang Yuemei poured two glasses of water and asked Li Long to take them out. After Li Long took them out, he handed one to his elder brother and the other to Lao Wang.

Upon seeing Li Long emerge, Wang Shicheng changed the subject and began discussing Li Long's business, expressing his envy of his family's possession of several high-horsepower tractors and inquiring about their prices.

Unlike his older brother, Li Long genuinely didn't want to get involved in other people's affairs, so he casually mentioned the benefits of high horsepower.

After chatting for a while, Li Long saw that it was getting late, so he said goodbye to the two of them and drove back. On the way back, he was thinking that if this kind of thing happened in the fourth team, probably neither of them would have offered to help.

The living conditions in the fourth team have generally improved, and are much better than in other villages.

Working outside doesn't necessarily earn as much money as farming in the fourth team.

Moreover, judging from the current situation, cooperatives are the future trend, and farming will become simpler and less tiring than before. Therefore, many farmers who originally thought of sending their children out to become workers are no longer so eager to do so.

Of course, times are changing, and cities are still the mainstream. The generation after Qiangqiang and his younger generation still yearn for the city, but most of them didn't get into high school or university. After working odd jobs for a while, they earned two or three thousand yuan a month, which wasn't as comfortable or as much money as those who stayed in the farm. So, they all eventually came back.

When I returned to the courtyard, Sister Yang was already back and preparing to cook.

Li Long quickly processed the mushrooms he had left at home, first washing two plates of them and then having Sister Yang stir-fry them with green peppers, as it was best to eat them while they were fresh.

Tonight's dinner consisted of porridge and steamed buns. From Li Qingxia to Mingming and Haohao, everyone ate quite a bit. They all praised the mushrooms for being fresh and tasting good, and ended up eating too much.

There was nothing else Li Long could do but let them move around more to aid digestion and prevent them from having trouble sleeping at night.

When they went to bed that night, Li Long told Gu Xiaoxia about Wang Shengli's family situation and Wang Shicheng's problems.

Gu Xiaoxia, who was still struggling with whether or not to resign, was less conflicted after hearing about the situations of the two families and sighed that every family has its own troubles.

Li Long respected her thoughts. She was a little confused at the moment, so he decided not to make a decision yet and to continue being a teacher for the time being.

After sharing this idea with Li Long, Li Long agreed: "If you haven't figured out what you'll do after quitting, then don't quit yet. Although your family doesn't need your salary, it's always better for both men and women to have a job."

People tend to stir up trouble when there's nothing to do. Having a job is much better.

Once you've decided what you want to do, we'll discuss it. If we think it's feasible, then you can resign. At that point, you'll have a clear direction.

After things were settled, Gu Xiaoxia slept well that night, no longer having to think it over and be conflicted.

Liu Gaolou came again on June 20th.

In the summer, he makes more trips, explaining that there is a greater shortage of supplies there, and each additional trip he makes earns him more money.

This time, Liu Gaolou brought Li Long not only two high-horsepower tractors, four GAZ trucks, four Volga cars, two Mercedes-Benz cars, two Land Cruisers, two truckloads of leather goods, and a truckload of antelope horns, but also a truckload of local specialties from Central Asia and some news.

The reason I mention Central Asian specialties is that they include items from countries like Türkiye.

Kazakhstan is currently facing severe economic difficulties, so it is doing business with many neighboring countries in hopes of curbing inflation. Almaty, as the capital, is a hub for specialties from all over the country and even from Central Asia. According to Liu Gaolou, these were all brought over by his second uncle.

Compared to all these other things, Li Long was more concerned about the messages that Liu Gaolou had sent.

"Kazakhstan's economy is currently in turmoil. In order to import large quantities of goods and ensure domestic market supply, they, like other former republics, are printing a large amount of money, namely rubles. Now this thing is depreciating very quickly, causing ordinary people to be unwilling to use it and prefer to barter."

My second uncle said that their domestic economic officials revealed that they are considering setting up a new currency, but it's currently just an intention, and actual issuance won't happen until at least next year. After all, this is no small matter and requires comprehensive consideration; otherwise, it could easily lead to a collapse.

In addition, a large number of factories are still closing down and workers are losing their jobs. Overall, the market is not very stable.

My second uncle originally wanted to invite you over, but it seems it's not the right time yet.

After leaving these messages and supplies with Li Long, Liu Gaolou rested for a day and then hurriedly returned to the port with canned goods and sugar.

According to him, he would work hard for a while when it was hot, but once it got cold and frozen, he didn't plan to work hard anymore.

After Li Long finished taking inventory of the supplies and handed them over to Liang Shuangcheng and the others to handle, he quickly called Chen Dajun and reported the situation that Liu Gaolou had described.

Chen Dajun took it very seriously and asked Liu Gaolou for his exact words, indicating that they had been recorded.

He didn't say much, and Li Long didn't think much of it after hanging up. Anyway, it had been like this every time he called, and he was used to it.

On June 22, Li Longzheng and Liang Shuangcheng were sorting through the antelope horns and hides in the backyard.

The antelope horns that were brought over this time were of varying sizes, some large and some small. After Li Long noticed this, he called Liu Gaolou, who said that there were more people trading antelope horns recently, and the price had gone up.

The people his second uncle had selected to work with antelope horns were not as well-equipped as the others, and they were caught off guard, so they only managed to get some scraps.

Moreover, the price of antelope horn may rise further, mainly due to increased competition.

It's understandable to think about it this way. After all, the price of antelope horns in China has already been driven up. Although it's still far from its peak, as long as the channels for importing them are opened up, it's pure money.

There were definitely more than just Liu Shanmin who could open up channels, so Li Long didn't think much of it.

I've already stocked up on a lot of goods, I'm satisfied.

"Xiao Long, someone's looking for you outside." Li Qingxia's voice came from behind the counter. Li Long sensed something was wrong from the voice and immediately stood up and went outside.

Two cars from out of town, with Wucheng license plates, were parked in the yard: a Mercedes and a Santana.

The four men were looking at the imported cars under the shed and discussing them.

"Zhengyang, I think your Mercedes isn't as good as theirs. They're not even from the same series. And just because it's yours doesn't mean it can't compare to their secondhand one?" A short-haired girl in a shirt and jeans joked with a young man.

The girl's shirt hem was tied in a knot, which looked pretty cool. She was also quite pretty, but there was an air of arrogance about her.

The young man had a slicked-back hairstyle like Aaron Kwok, a white shirt tucked into blue trousers, hands in his pockets with his thumbs showing, and stood there swaggeringly, saying, "My car is also a pure import, and it's brand new."

This car looks nice, but it's secondhand. Who knows how many times it's been tampered with? It's hard to say whether the engine and other parts are even original.

The other two people, whose presence was less imposing than the man and woman, simply stood by and smiled politely.

Li Long listened to their discussion about cars from the side and didn't interrupt. The middlemen chatting there didn't dare to say anything more; although they weren't very knowledgeable, they still recognized the numbers on the license plates.

Most people wouldn't actually be able to get this number at this point.

"I think these two SUVs are pretty good, it's just a shame I don't have a driver's license, otherwise I would definitely get one and drive it around." The short-haired girl then commented on the Land Cruiser, "Of course, it needs to be modified before driving it, it has to be tough enough!"

"Why would a girl like you drive an SUV? A sedan is enough. Besides, getting a driver's license is a piece of cake."

“I’m not like you. If you want a driver’s license, people will just hand it to you. If I don’t study systematically and get a license, my dad will beat me,” the girl said half-jokingly. “I don’t want to make my dad angry.” After the two finished talking about cars, they turned around and saw Li Long, the young man named Zheng Yang. He looked him up and down and said, “You’re Li Long? My name is Qi Zheng Yang. I’m here today to discuss a collaboration with you.”

Li Long pointed behind him and said, "Let's go to the meeting room to talk."

“Great, there’s even a reception room.” At this moment, a young man next to Qi Zhengyang said, “Come on, come on, I’m so thirsty from being out here in the sun.”

His gaze swept over the watermelons displayed under the windowsill, covered with a mesh screen and already cut into pieces. As usual, whoever wanted some could take it, but the young man felt a little embarrassed.

When Li Long led them to the reception room, Liang Shuangcheng and his men had already begun arranging the sliced ​​watermelons.

Qi Zhengyang sat down casually, picked up a slice of watermelon, and said while eating, "Oh well, it'll have to do. It's not seedless, but we can't expect too much from a small place like this."

Li Long ignored his words, waved for Liang Shuangcheng and the others to leave, and then sat down opposite Qi Zhengyang.

He didn't speak, waiting for Qi Zhengyang to speak.

Qi Zhengyang and the other three were eating watermelon while observing Li Long. It was unclear whether they were testing Li Long's patience or sizing up his appearance.

Li Long also took a slice of watermelon and ate it slowly, saying as he ate, "The watermelon from the wild fields tastes pretty good."

Qi Zhengyang's expression changed slightly. He slammed the half-eaten watermelon onto the table, wiped his hands with a tissue, and said to Li Long, "Boss Li, time is precious, so I won't waste any more time with you."

I've started a project in Wucheng, planning to co-build a commercial building right across from Tianbai Department Store, which is a good location.

"You're quite famous, so I've come to you hoping to collaborate. You put up three million, and I'll give you 10% of the shares. Please transfer the money by the end of this month, and we can get started as soon as possible, ideally opening for business next year."

Li Long slowly finished eating the slice of watermelon before putting it down, muttering to himself, "I can't waste it."

He took out a tissue, wiped his hands, and put the melon peel and tissue into the trash can before saying to Qi Zhengyang, "Firstly, I'm not interested in your project, and secondly, I can't come up with three million, so let's just forget about this collaboration."

Qi Zhengyang must have expected him to say that, so he smiled and said, "You might think I'm a fraud. Actually, I didn't want to come here using my father's name, but since you don't believe me, I'll say it anyway."

He gave his father's name and position.

His father is a department-level leader in the district.

Li Long shook his head and said, "I don't know the leaders over there, but I really can't get involved in this business. Sorry, everyone, please go back."

The short-haired girl chuckled and said to Qi Zhengyang, "What do you think? Your plan is a bit rough, isn't it? When people look for partners, they at least have a plan and some details to explain. But you're just using your dad's name to try and get someone to invest three million. No one will believe that easily."

Qi Zhengyang felt a bit humiliated and mocked by the girl. Unable to vent his anger on her, he coldly said to Li Long, "Li Long, I think you should understand that asking you to cooperate is giving you face. If you don't know what's good for you, I have plenty of ways to make you come begging to me!"

Li Long shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, we can't cooperate."

Qi Zhengyang was furious, but looking at Li Long's huge size, he couldn't really get angry. After saying a few harsh words, he left with his men.

The short-haired girl walked at the back and whispered to Li Long, "He didn't lie to you. You'd better find a way to contact someone quickly, otherwise your purchasing station may not be able to keep going."

Finished talking and left.

Examples of cunning and plundering from later short dramas flashed through Li Long's mind, including Prince Milk, airlines, and gas stations along the Urumqi-Yinchuan Highway.

Compared to those who run gas stations, Qi Zhengyang is just a nobody.

Li Long thought about his business again and realized that he hadn't done anything illegal. The imported goods had all the necessary permits and he had paid all the taxes he was owed.

Of course, since they've made such a tough statement, we have to respond.

So Li Long gave Liang Shuangcheng and the others a few instructions, telling them to tidy up the things in the yard, and then he drove out to visit all the relevant departments and bureaus in the county.

He didn't directly mention that someone might be making things difficult for him; the purpose of his visit was to talk to these organizations and see if there was anything he could have done better.

Li Long is quite well-known in the county. When he came to visit, the staff from these ministries and bureaus were very polite. After checking his records, they all said that Li Long had done business without any problems over the years.

He pays his taxes in full, hires legal and compliant staff, and actively cooperates with fire safety measures. There are no issues with food safety or anything like that, so there's no problem.

Li Long greeted Li Xiangqian again, vaguely mentioning the matter. Li Xiangqian immediately suggested that they should inform Director Qian and make preparations.

Li Long said it wasn't necessary, and they would talk about it later. After Li Xiangqian hung up the phone, he thought it over and over again and still felt that it would be better to make a phone call.

Li Long mainly felt that Director Qian's connections were limited to Beiting Prefecture, while Qi Zhengyang's connections were within the district, which Director Qian might not be able to reach.

So after visiting a bunch of people, he called Chen Dajun.

Since Secretary Zhang introduced Chen Dajun to him, Chen Dajun has been in contact with him and has reported intelligence several times, and the feedback from the other side has been very good.

So it's perfectly fine to take the initiative to ask for help when you're in trouble; the other person might even be waiting for you to call them.

After Li Long called and told Chen Dajun about Qi Zhengyang's situation, he also gave him a detailed account of his company, including tax payments, hiring, and business scope.

Chen Dajun really took it seriously. He asked Qi Zhengyang about all the details he had given, and then said that he understood and asked Li Long and others to notify him.

He told Li Long that there was no need to worry and that he should continue to operate his company legally and compliantly.

Li Long was finally relieved.

After receiving Li Xiangqian's call, Director Qian took it to heart and complained to Li Xiangqian that Li Long hadn't called him, which meant he was being treated like an outsider.

Despite his complaints, Director Qian immediately contacted a third party after hanging up the phone, and through the third party, he got in touch with Qi Zhengyang's father.

He and the other party were not directly subordinate to each other, and their ranks were different, but the person he asked for help had a fairly strong relationship. After listening to Director Qian's words, the other party said that the child was being silly and that he would talk about his own child.

People at this level never give a definite answer, and Director Qian was a little uneasy, so he could only wait for the result.

Actually, he wanted Li Long to take the gifts to that person in the district to plead for leniency, but considering Li Long's personality, he figured he wouldn't do such a thing.

So he asked his supervisor to see if they could put in a good word for him.

The leader who promoted him back then has now retired to a secondary position, so it's hard to say how much influence he still has.

Although Li Long felt relieved, he did not let his guard down. He then asked Liang Shuangcheng and Sun Jiaqiang to clean the company inside and out, while he put away all the necessary documents and paperwork.

If someone comes to inspect, he can immediately retrieve the item and handle the situation normally.

Just to be on the safe side, he simply took the calligraphy from the courtyard and hung it directly on the wall of the reception room at the purchasing station.

As a humble farmer, he truly spared no effort and used all his resources and connections to deal with someone like Qi Zhengyang.

Whether it works or not, that's it.

During dinner that evening, Li Qingxia said with some concern, "We ordinary folks can't compete with them. If things get tough, we can just close down for a few days and take a break. We have enough money to spend now, so if we don't want to continue, we can just quit."

Li Long shook his head and said, "That's not how it is. They want us to pay to take the fall. Even if we close down, they can find other ways. We're operating legally now, and it's not like we have no connections. Don't worry, Dad, he has people, and we have people too. He might not be able to suppress our people."

Sister Yang and Gu Xiaoxia already knew the whole story, but they couldn't come up with any better solutions. They just hoped that things would pass peacefully.

These past few years have been exceptionally smooth. Whenever there are any problems, Li Long handles them all himself. Whether it's Sister Yang or Gu Xiaoxia, everything goes smoothly, and they don't have to confront these problems and difficulties directly.

This time, faced with a problem, they were somewhat panicked. Just like when Sister Yang encountered such a difficult situation, she eventually received help from others.

Now they hope that the connections Li Long mentioned can be of help.

On June 29th, the day primary school was out for summer vacation, Li Long had just dropped Mingming and Haohao off at his older brother's house in the morning when he returned to the purchasing station and was met with an inspection.

A joint inspection team from the autonomous region, including representatives from the industry and commerce bureau, tax bureau, drug administration, and fire department, came together.

The scene was so grand that the onlookers at the entrance quickly dispersed.

Li Long was still thinking that these people were probably already gossiping about him to others, and that his acquisition station was likely going to collapse.

Because of prior preparation, Li Long was able to allocate enough people to deal with each situation individually.

All the documents and qualifications to be checked were laid out on the table in the meeting room, ready for inspection.

These people didn't cause any trouble too early; they each checked their own things.

Some speculate that the influence of certain individuals might have played a role; if Qi Zhengyang wanted to bring him down, he would at least need legitimate evidence.

The person leading the team was a man in his forties. When he came to inspect, he introduced himself as being from the district's industrial and commercial department. He didn't participate in the inspection directly; he just watched others go through the documents and then looked up and saw the calligraphy.

"Hey, quite the boast." The middle-aged man looked at those four words, feeling they were incoherent, and then he saw the stamp.

He leaned closer and carefully examined the characters on the seal.

Perhaps because I wasn't familiar with the font, I only recognized the surname after trying for a long time.

He looked up and asked Li Long, "Who wrote this for you?"

Li Long hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should mention that person's name.

The middle-aged man thought Li Long was trying to intimidate him, so he beckoned a young man over and said, "Xiao Deng, take a look at what's written on this."

“Zhang Zi, I’ve actually done some research on this. This is seal script. Let me take a look…” Xiao Deng subconsciously read out the name.

Upon hearing this word, everyone conducting the inspection immediately stopped what they were doing and looked up.

The middle-aged man was stunned.

At that moment, Li Long admitted that his vanity had kicked in, and he felt a strange sense of pleasure.

The inspection ended abruptly, and Li Long was forced to give a brief explanation before the inspection team left.

In the afternoon, Director Qian and Chen Dajun called separately. The former breathed a sigh of relief and told Li Long that Qi Zhengyang's father had taken the initiative to call Director Qian and said that the matter was a misunderstanding.

The latter told Li Long that Qi Zhengyang might be imprisoned soon, and that his father was also involved in some matters, so he wouldn't have any negative impact on Li Long in the short term.

Li Long can now rest easy.

All the arrangements have worked, and according to Chen Dajun, they may have had a significant effect, exceeding his expectations.

He had heard some of these things before, and some of them in his past life. Now they were happening to him, but luckily he was stubborn enough to get through them.

The purchasing station continued to operate the next day.

Those who left when the inspection team arrived yesterday have gradually come back.

They were genuinely surprised, having assumed that the purchasing station would likely close down after the joint inspection team arrived, and might even be sealed off.

Surprisingly, nothing happened.

After a while, various departments in the county, belatedly realizing the situation, came over one after another to inquire about the news from Li Long.

Li Long didn't exaggerate the facts; he just told the story normally. He had already put the calligraphy away, and presumably it had spread by now, so there was no need to hang it here anymore.

After the people from the county left, Li Long called Secretary Zhang again to report the matter.

Ultimately, the most direct effect was achieved by the calligraphy itself.

Secretary Zhang simply said he understood, and then told Li Long that as long as he abided by the law and conducted business normally, everything would be fine.

After hanging up the phone, Li Long knew that Secretary Zhang probably already knew about this matter, but it was hard to say whether he learned it from Chen Dajun or from other channels.

The middlemen spread the word about it throughout the county, and Li Long's purchasing station became a legendary place.

After all, the fact that two cars from Wucheng and a group of uniformed people came to inspect the place that day, but nothing came of it, shows that the purchasing station's power was beyond the imagination of the people in the county.

Those who had originally planned to take advantage of this purchasing station gave up their plans.

Not everyone can stand up to the district inspection team.

To Li Long's surprise, after this incident, the purchasing station's business actually boomed. Many people came from other counties to sell their goods here, and its reputation really grew a lot, attracting more and more visitors.

Sun Jiaqiang also complained that he was consuming several more watermelons every day.

For the next few days, Li Long stayed at the purchasing station. Although all indications suggested that the matter was settled, he was still a little uneasy.

If something really happens, you'll have to handle it yourself.

On July 6th, Li Long stood behind the counter to collect things in place of his father. Li Qingxia hadn't come over after going back yesterday, saying that there was a flood in the fourth team and he had gone fishing with Li Junfeng's father, so Li Long could take care of things here.

Li Long actually wanted to go too, but because of his father's actions, he had no choice but to stay here.

Around 12 o'clock, a Santana drove into the yard.

Li Long was somewhat surprised when the person who got out of the passenger seat of Wucheng's car was the short-haired girl who had come with Qi Zhengyang last time.

After the girl got out of the car and walked to the door, she saw Li Long and smiled meaningfully, saying, "No wonder you were so arrogant that day. I didn't expect you to have such a close relationship with him. You even got Qi Zhengyang sent straight to the police station. You're really something!"

"You know how powerful I am, yet you still dare to come?" Li Long, not wanting to lose in front of this girl, retorted, "Aren't you afraid of getting yourself thrown in too?"

"I haven't done anything wrong, what am I afraid of?" The girl pointed inside. "Shall we talk inside?"

Li Long wasn't afraid of what kind of tricks the girl might have up her sleeve; he was just curious about what she could possibly say.
So he took the girl into the reception room.

The girl scanned the walls of the reception room, but didn't see what she was looking for. Somewhat disappointed, she asked, "Where did that legendary thing go?"

“I’ve put it away,” Li Long said. “Let’s get down to business.”

“I’d also like to discuss a collaboration with you,” the girl said. “Don’t worry, it’s not the kind of collaboration Qi Zhengyang does, it’s a legitimate collaboration.”

Li Long refused without even thinking. No matter what kind of cooperation it was, cooperating with these people was not safe.

The girl said, somewhat exasperated, "Can you please let me finish explaining what we're collaborating on? I'm genuinely here to ask for your cooperation!"

Faced with the girl's relentless pursuit, Li Long really had no choice.

Then tell me. (End of Chapter)