Chapter 438: The meat the humiliated maiden feeds to the dogs

The sunset was beautiful, but Huang Tao's mood was terrible.

The "Elegant Maiden No. 1," as huge as a warship, had a spacious deck, yet there was no place for Huang Tao to stand.

After getting off the ship,

Han Zhang's thunderous "Get lost!" still buzzed in Huang Tao's ears, and the dockworkers' gleeful laughter at his misfortune stabbed his heart like needles.

How awful!

Huang Tao hung his head, his steps somewhat awkward; he dared not slow even a step, just wanting to flee quickly from this damned place that had disgraced him.

"That brat Zheng Sanshui has already been released—right! Let that lawless good-for-nothing second-generation heir take on Fan Donglin! Zheng Canghai will do anything for his son; let them fight like dogs!"

"And there's Chen Shaokang, suspended yet still restless—we need to find a way to drive him out completely……"

A series of vicious revenge schemes sprouted up like bamboo shoots after rain.

Just as Huang Tao was scheming how to kill with a borrowed knife and vent his anger, a familiar figure caught his peripheral vision—Lin Ziniang!

The dock fish market is a relatively complex seafood trading market.

However, to trade in the fish market, one must pay management fees, stall fees, sanitation fees, plus value-added tax, surcharges, and so on—all added together, a considerable expense.

Some fishermen couldn't afford these costs, so they set up stalls on either side of the road outside the market.

Before:

As long as they paid the Sea Dragon Society's "Sea God money," the authorities would not drive them away.

Now:

The Sea Dragon Society's people were barred by Lin Dongfan from coming to the old dock, even the "Sea God money" was waived, and more and more fishermen set up stalls outside the market—Lin Ziniang was one of them.

The sky grew dark.

At her modest stall, Lin Ziniang bent over to gather the meager catch, preparing to head home.

The water in the plastic basin was mixed with ice shards; the ordinary sea fish had already belly‑up, destined to become salted fish ashore—there's no hope of ever turning things around in this lifetime.

Yet, in one of the basins, two leopard coral grouper were still alive.

Those star‑like red spots stood out starkly in the murky water! By eye, each weighed about two catties—valuable goods.

Huang Tao's steps suddenly froze in place.

Thinking of the wealthy Fan Dongfan, who had not only given Chen Xiaoyu a huge "Elegant Maiden No. 1," but was said to be preparing an "Elegant Maiden No. 2" for Lin Ziniang.

Huang Tao's heart churned with a raging flood!

He thought, "What gives them the right?"

These lowly fishermen! These little loaches that used to struggle in the mudflats! Do you really think that by latching onto someone surnamed Fan you can change your fate and turn into a phoenix?

Keep dreaming your spring‑and‑autumn fantasies!

I, Huang Tao, a proper section‑level official, am your heaven! As long as you remain fishermen, don't even think of riding on my head and showing off!

If I can't handle Fan Donglin, I can still deal with a mere fish‑seller like you!

"Lin Ziniang!"

Huang Tao's face darkened as he strode purposefully toward Lin Ziniang's stall, his leather shoes striking the wet ground hard and splashing filthy water.

Hearing the call, Lin Ziniang looked up, saw Huang Tao, and her face turned deathly pale.

"Section Chief… Section Chief Huang, what's the matter?"

Terrified of officials coming to cause trouble, Lin Ziniang instinctively shifted the basin holding the two leopard coral grouper half a foot inward, thinking the basin was encroaching too much on the path.

"What are you moving for? Don't move!"

Huang Tao stood firm before the fish stall, his eyes fixed on the trembling Lin Ziniang.

He adopted an officious tone: "Do you have a business license? A health permit? Who allowed you to occupy the road here to do business?!"

These three simple questions left Lin Ziniang helpless.

Lin Ziniang replied weakly, "Before… wasn't it allowed to set up stalls here? And I'm not the only one doing it……"

"Before was before, now is now!"

Huang Tao's voice suddenly rose, his reprimand unquestionable: "You're illegally occupying the road! According to Articles 15 and 28 of the Haishan City Fishery Market Management Regulations, I hereby notify you——

Having said that, Huang Tao deliberately paused.

Seeing Lin Ziniang so frightened she dared not utter a sound, her face grew even paler.

Huang Tao gave a cold smile.

He then put on a show of serving the people: "Originally I was going to revoke your fishing permit, but I see that going out to sea and selling your catch ashore is no easy task. If you pay a fine of five thousand, the permit can be kept. However, you must not ask me for a receipt of the fine; otherwise, I will still revoke your permit."

"Five thousand?!"

Lin Ziniang was struck as if by lightning, her voice changing tone.

To her, five thousand was no small sum; she toiled day and night for a living, and even after a month of back‑breaking work she could not save that much.

Having to pay the fine without being able to get a receipt—isn't that just extortion?

Lin Ziniang instinctively protested: "Section Chief Huang, this… this is too much—I didn't even sell that much today! Besides, setting up a stall… seems not to fall under your fishery bureau's jurisdiction."

"Who says the fishery bureau doesn't manage this?!"

The false smile on Huang Tao's face instantly turned savage; he kicked the electronic scale hard: "You're illegally occupying the road, using a non‑standard electronic scale, shortchanging customers! Do you still have any excuse?"

When one kick didn't break it, Huang Tao stomped four or five more times.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! ……"

The violent stomping sounds slammed hard against Lin Ziniang's heart; she dared not step forward to stop it, nor could she wail and rage like a shrew.

She just stood there, tears in her eyes, watching in anguish.

It wasn't that she didn't want to resist; she realized the problem: Huang Tao had come to pick a fight, and the more she made a scene, the worse the consequences—he might even have her arrested.

Her scale was perfectly fair; there was no such thing as short weight.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

The tray on the electronic scale had been stepped on and severely deformed, the electronic screen also burst, and parts and shattered plastic fragments flew in all directions!

Huang Tao glared angrily: "I'm asking you one last time—will you pay the fine, or do you want your fishing license revoked?!"

"I have no money!"

Lin Ziniang turned her head aside and stubbornly wiped away a tear.

At this point Huang Tao didn't waste words with her, bent down, grabbed a plastic bag, and shoved the two lively, jumping spotted groupers from the basin into the bag: "These are illegal catches, confiscated!"

"!!!"

Lin Ziniang swallowed her tears in resentment; earlier someone had offered 120 yuan per jin for these two fish, she thought the price was too low and didn't sell, but now thinking about it she feels a bit regretful.

Those fine spotted groupers, fed to the dogs!

Huang Tao lifted his "spoils of victory," truly like a triumphant hyena, and as he turned to leave, he glanced at Lin Ziniang, who was raising her hand to wipe her tears.

And he left with a light chuckle: "Because of your bad attitude, I hereby notify you: not only must your fishing license be revoked, but you must also be fined the maximum amount—one hundred thousand! I give you tonight to raise the money; tomorrow you must voluntarily pay the fine to me, otherwise you'll be washing your clean backside and waiting for jail!"

"!!!"

Lin Ziniang still held back her resentment, staying silent, neither arguing nor defending herself.

One hundred thousand!

Even if she sold herself, she couldn't come up with that much money.

After Huang Tao left, Lin Ziniang also dried her tears. She bent her exhausted body and silently cleaned up the mess all over the ground.

Just as she was feeling sorrowful about her ill-fated destiny.

Suddenly a friendly voice sounded in her ear: "Lin Sis, just now didn't Huang Tao demand a hundred-thousand-yuan fine from you? Take this money and give it to him."

She looked up and saw it was Lin Dongfan; moved by emotion, Lin Ziniang's eyes welled up with tears again.

Lin Ziniang hastily turned her head aside and dried her embarrassed tears.

Lin Dongfan asked with a smile: "Lin Sis, am I that ugly? I actually made you tear up."

"No..." Lin Ziniang, teased by Lin Dongfan's humor, felt much lighter; she turned back and politely declined his kindness: "I can't take your money, it's fine—I'm not afraid of going to jail."

"Don't talk nonsense." Lin Dongfan directly shoved ten yuan in cash into Lin Ziniang's hand: "Take it, hurry and pay the fine; later you'll see how I deal with him."

"He's clearly extorting me—I won't pay." Lin Ziniang remained stubborn; it was obvious she completely failed to grasp that Fan Ye was planning to use the dog's-head ploy.

Lin Dongfan advised with a smile: "This isn't money—it's a meat bone for the dog. You have to let the dog happily grab this piece of meat first, then you can pick up a stick and beat the dog, got it?"