Chapter 149: Let Them Watch Enviously!

The scene instantly became deadlocked, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air.

The shop's customers had already been frightened into hiding to one side, whispering among themselves.

Douzi and Yaya's faces turned pale, at a loss for what to do.

Wang Shifu and Sun Shifu also rushed in from the back yard, their faces full of worry.

Su Ruan's heart sank to the bottom of a valley.

She could see that these people came with ill intent; the so‑called investigation was probably just a pretext, the real aim being to manufacture public opinion, suppress Chongsu, and perhaps even target the Demolition Compensation they had just received!

Father's and grandmother's worries were indeed proven correct.

Sudden wealth brings not only envy but also a poisonous jealousy.

She took a deep breath, walked to Jiang Ran's side, gently tugged his arm, signaling him to stay calm.

Then, facing the Senior Cadre, she spoke in a calm tone that left no room for doubt.

"Leader, we are of course willing to cooperate with the investigation."

"But as my spouse said, law enforcement must also be regulated."

"Please present your joint investigation's official documents and search procedures."

"As long as the paperwork is complete, all our ledgers, invoices, and goods are at your disposal for inspection. We conduct ourselves uprightly, unafraid of scrutiny."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the two cameramen, her voice a few degrees colder: "As for these reporter comrades, until the facts are fully investigated, any biased reporting that harms our shop's reputation will give us the right to pursue legal liability."

"I suppose your newspaper also doesn't want to get tangled in unnecessary lawsuits, does it?"

Her words were reasonable and measured, showing a cooperative attitude while holding the line, and subtly hinting at the stakes involved.

The two cameramen visibly hesitated for a moment, looking toward the Senior Cadre.

The Senior Cadre's expression shifted, clearly not expecting this seemingly gentle young woman to be so hard‑to‑handle.

He had indeed received orders from above to thoroughly investigate the high‑profile Chongsu, hoping to uncover some issue, stir up a commotion, crush the Jiang Family's prestige, and intimidate other envious parties eyeing demolition.

Although the paperwork was supplemented, it was far from thorough, especially with the reporters involved—it was mainly to apply public‑opinion pressure.

Just as he found himself in a bind, a steady, authoritative voice suddenly came from outside the shop.

"What's going on? Why all the fuss?"

Everyone turned, and Jiang Jianguo was standing at the shop entrance, dressed in a crisp Zhongshan suit, his expression calm, eyes sharp as lightning, slowly scanning the crowd inside.

Behind him followed two men also dressed in cadre uniforms, their bearing noticeably more dignified.

When the Senior Cadre saw Jiang Jianguo, his face changed slightly, and seeing the two men behind him made his heart skip a beat.

They were acquaintances from the City's Industry and Commerce Bureau and Tax Bureau, of higher rank than him!

"Jiang, Factory Director…" the Senior Cadre's stature instantly shrank by half.

Jiang Jianguo nodded, entered, first giving Su Ruan and Jiang Ran a reassuring glance, then turning to the Senior Cadre.

"Section Chief, bringing such a large entourage to my son‑in‑law and daughter‑in‑law's small shop—does this involve an important case?"

His tone was even, yet carried an invisible pressure.

Section Chief's forehead broke into sweat, forcing a smile: "Factory Director, why are you here? It's… it's because we received a report that this shop has some issues, so we're here to investigate according to law…"

"Oh? A report?" Jiang Jianguo raised an eyebrow, "Where's the tip‑off letter? The investigation paperwork? Joint enforcement requires procedures to be compliant first."

"I, an old man managing production in the factory, also know that everything must follow the rules."

His words both highlighted procedural problems and implied that the other side was not following the rules.

Section Chief grew even more embarrassed, stammering and unable to finish his sentence.

A City Bureau cadre behind Jiang Jianguo spoke up in time, his tone stern: "Lao Wang, verifying reports is our duty, but enforcement must be standardized, paying attention to methods and protecting the rights of lawful operators."

"We can't just take every rumor as fact, nor can we disrupt normal business order. I see there are many customers here; causing too much disturbance would be bad, right?"

Another City Bureau cadre added: "Indeed, especially bringing non‑law‑enforcement personnel to film, which violates regulations. Xiao Wang, you all should pack up first; for the report, follow the proper procedures—send inquiries when needed, retrieve documents when needed, and avoid on‑site raids, which easily lead to misunderstandings and conflicts."

These words were almost equivalent to outright rejecting Section Chief's actions today.

Section Chief's face flushed red then white, realizing the performance could not continue; persisting would only make it uglier.

He could only sigh, wave his hand, and order his subordinates and the two reporters to put away their equipment.

"Since… since the City Bureau leadership says so, then… we'll head back today and handle it by procedure." Section Chief said, almost biting his tongue, then glared fiercely at Jiang Ran and Su Ruan, and left with his men, looking dejected.

The shop fell silent instantly, leaving only startled customers and staff.

Jiang Jianguo turned, apologized to the customers with a smile: "Sorry for the scare, everyone. It was a small misunderstanding, now resolved."

"Feel free to continue shopping; today all items are at a ten‑percent discount to ease the shock."

The customers finally relaxed, praising Factory Director for his sense, and the atmosphere gradually eased.

Jiang Jianguo nodded to Wang Shifu and the others, signaling them to resume work, then whispered to Su Ruan and Jiang Ran: "We'll discuss it at home."

Back at the Jiang Family Courtyard, after closing the door, the atmosphere finally grew truly solemn.

"Dad, today we were lucky you arrived in time," Jiang Ran said, still shaken and angry, "That Wang guy was clearly looking for trouble! And he brought reporters! He wants to ruin Chongsu in one breath!"

Jiang Jianguo sat in his chair, his expression gloomy: "It's not about Chongsu; it's about us, about the money in your hands. The Demolition Compensation issue has inevitably attracted flies."

Li Huijuan asked anxiously, "What do we do now? They left today—will they come back? Will those reporters write nonsense?"

"I gave Section Chief a tap, and the City Bureau comrades also voiced their stance; they won't dare act brazenly in the short term."

I gave Wang Kezhang a little tap, and the City Bureau comrades also showed their stance; he won't dare to act brazenly again in the short term.

"But covert little moves, tip‑off letters, will probably continue. As for the reporters, I asked City Bureau friends to make a call; that should suppress it. Still, this kind of thing is hard to prevent completely."

He looked at Su Ruan and Jiang Ran, his gaze deep: "Today's incident is a warning."

"A tree that stands out in the forest draws the wind's destruction. You now are the thorns in many people's eyes."

"From now on, every step must be taken more carefully, more solidly."

"Accounts, taxes, quality, price—each link must be flawless, able to withstand the strictest inspection."

"Accounts, taxes, quality, price—each link must be flawless, able to withstand the strictest inspection."

"Also," Jiang Jianguo paused, "the cooperation with the Chen Family of Guangzhou is a good thing, but we must also watch our limits."

"Now there are many people watching you; any large financial transactions or cooperative projects could be used as fodder for criticism."

"We must proceed steadily and step by step, and not give people any pretext that we are colluding with out‑of‑town capital or shifting assets."

Su Ruan and Jiang Ran nodded heavily.

They understood that from the moment they received the Demolition Compensation, they were no longer merely individual operators of a clothing store.

They now possessed enviable wealth and would inevitably bear the open and hidden attacks that would follow.

"Dad, we understand," Su Ruan said firmly, "we will run the shop better and keep the accounts clearer."

"The cooperation with Guangzhou will focus on design exchange and product trial sales, while keeping the scale and cash flow under control."

Jiang Ran also clenched his fist: "Trying to bring us down with such despicable tactics? No way! We will make Chongsu even bigger and stronger, and let them watch with envy!"