txolops Chapter 123 A Legitimate "Protective Talisman"
Chapter 123 A Legitimate "Protective Talisman"
The next morning, around 7 a.m., the sun was shining brightly.
Wang Hai drove the bread truck through the morning rush hour traffic.
Lin Chen sat in the passenger seat, watching the street scene rushing past the window.
In the back seat, Tangtang sat obediently in her child safety seat, holding her little backpack, her two short legs swinging gently in the air.
"Daddy."
Tangtang's clear voice came from the back row.
Lin Chen turned to look at his daughter: "What's wrong?"
The little girl blinked her big eyes and asked expectantly, "Will the pretty auntie come to our stall for fried rice again this evening?"
Lin Chen replied gently and patiently, "Auntie has her own job."
If she gets off work early today, she'll probably come over if she has time.
"Oh……"
Tangtang nodded as if she understood, then raised her little face and said seriously, "When Tangtang hands out the spoons today, she should save my little chair for Auntie to sit on!"
We made a pinky promise!
Wang Hai, who was driving, couldn't help but laugh out loud when he heard this.
"Don't worry, Tangtang."
Looking at the road ahead, Wang Hai smiled and chimed in, "Your pretty auntie will definitely come."
Your dad's fried rice is so delicious, she'll definitely crave it if she doesn't eat it for a day.
My uncle bets she'll come again this afternoon.
"Really? That's great!"
Tangtang smiled happily, revealing her two little tiger teeth.
Lin Chen didn't respond to Wang Hai's comment, but just looked ahead: "Turn right at the next intersection, we're almost at the kindergarten, drive carefully."
"Alright!"
Wang Hai responded and skillfully turned the steering wheel.
A few minutes later, the bread truck stopped in front of the kindergarten.
Lin Chen got out of the car, opened the back door, and helped Tangtang unbuckle her seatbelt and carry her out.
When Ms. Liu, who was in charge of greeting people at the entrance, saw Lin Chen, she greeted him with a smile: "Good morning, Tangtang's dad."
"Good morning, Teacher Liu. Thank you for your help today."
Lin Chen nodded slightly, his tone calm.
"Goodbye, Daddy! Goodbye, Fatty Uncle!"
Tangtang slung her little backpack over her shoulder and waved to the two of them.
"Eat your meals properly at kindergarten and listen to your teacher."
Lin Chen reached out and rubbed her little head.
"Mmm! Tangtang is the best girl!"
Watching the little girl skip and hop into the kindergarten gate with Teacher Liu, Lin Chen turned around and got into the car.
"Brother Chen, let's go to the farmers' market!"
Wang Hai stepped on the gas, and the van headed towards the city's largest agricultural wholesale market.
After dropping the kids off, the next step is always the same: preparing the ingredients.
Upon arriving at the market, the two clearly divided their tasks.
Lin Chen walked to the grain and oil store, carefully inspected the rice he wanted to buy today, and only after confirming that the grains were plump did he let the shopkeeper load it onto the car.
Afterwards, he went to the poultry and egg section to select fresh free-range eggs and old hens for making soup.
After purchasing the goods, the two drove back to their rented apartment.
After the unloading was completed, the yard and kitchen immediately transformed into a busy workspace.
"Splash!"
As the sound of running water filled the air, Lin Chen rolled up his sleeves and began cleaning the old hen.
Blanch the chicken, remove the scum, add scallions, ginger and spices, put the whole chicken into a huge stainless steel soup pot, and simmer over high heat.
On the other side, Wang Hai sat on a small stool, quickly peeling the white part of a scallion and chopping it into even scallion pieces.
Soaking mung beans, steaming rice, chopping radishes... The entire morning was filled with the raw aroma of various ingredients, a busy yet fulfilling experience.
……
At the same time.
At 10:30 a.m., on the top floor of Yintai Building, in the president's office.
The office was quiet, with only the faint sound of airflow from the air conditioner vents.
Su Qingxue sat behind her desk, wearing a well-tailored pure white silk shirt.
She had her head down, a pen in her hand, and was intently reviewing several project proposals on the table.
The pen tip scratched across the paper, making a "scratching" sound.
"Knock knock knock".
There was a knock on the door.
"Enter."
Su Qingxue didn't even raise her head, her voice clear and calm.
Secretary Chen walked in, holding a folder in her hand.
"President Su."
Secretary Chen walked to the desk and stood there.
After reading the last line of the document in her hand, Su Qingxue signed her name, closed the folder, and looked up at Secretary Chen.
"How's it going?"
Su Qingxue asked.
"It's all taken care of."
Secretary Chen handed over the transparent folder and placed it on the desk.
"As per your instructions, the site use permits for the external merchants of the plaza, as well as the temporary food business registration forms, have been processed through the expedited process."
It bears the official seals of the shopping mall property management and relevant departments.
Secretary Chen reported, "With these procedures, Mr. Lin's stall in the square's flower bed area is operating in a completely compliant manner and is not afraid of any surprise inspections."
Su Qingxue glanced down at the documents in the folder and nodded slightly.
"The efficiency is not bad."
Su Qingxue responded and pushed the folder aside.
Secretary Chen continued his report: "In addition, President Su, the investigation into the malicious whistleblowing phone call yesterday evening has been completed."
Su Qingxue's expression remained unchanged; she simply looked at Secretary Chen, waiting for him to continue.
"The whistleblower is Liu Rui, the manager of the newly opened Western restaurant on the first floor of the plaza."
Secretary Chen summarized the core cause: "There were no customers in their restaurant yesterday during mealtime."
Seeing that the stalls by the flower bed were doing brisk business, Liu Rui first went to Captain Zhang of the security department to try to forcibly drive the people away.
Captain Zhang rejected him because Boss Lin's team had not violated any rules.
Dissatisfied, Liu Rui directly dialed the urban management hotline and fabricated a fire hazard to file a formal complaint under his real name.
After listening to Secretary Chen's report, the office fell into a brief silence.
Su Qingxue leaned back in her chair, her slender fingers gently tapping the table.
She showed no anger, but her eyes held a coldness.
When they can't compete with roadside stalls through fair competition, they resort to these underhanded tactics to maliciously target them.
"understood."
Su Qingxue snapped out of her thoughts, looked at the folder on her desk, and spoke.
"First, keep this folder safe."
If I have a meeting after get off work in the afternoon, please go downstairs as usual and go to Mr. Lin's stall to pack some fried rice and hot soup for me.
Give him these documents while you're at it.
Su Qingxue instructed: "The venue management fee and administrative processing fee for obtaining the certificate should be calculated normally."
When Boss Lin asks, just collect whatever amount is due and keep clear accounts.
She knew Lin Chen's personality very well.
If he didn't accept money, Lin Chen would feel burdened; only by going through the proper accounting process could both parties maintain a comfortable distance.
"Understood, Mr. Su."
Secretary Chen nodded and made a note of it.
"The second thing."
Su Qingxue's tone turned cold: "Now notify the person in charge of the plaza's property management department to go to the Western restaurant on the first floor and meet with the manager named Liu Rui."
"Give him a warning. Tell him exactly what you said: Yintai Plaza provides a fair and competitive business platform and does not welcome any underhanded practices that disrupt the order."
"Warn him that if such malicious reporting occurs again, the legal department will unilaterally terminate their lease agreement on the grounds of violating the Merchant Self-Discipline Convention."
These few words struck at the other party's Achilles' heel.
Using the mall management's authority to launch a direct attack is far more effective than any covert retaliation.
"Okay, Ms. Su, I understand."
Secretary Chen tidied the folder in his hand and replied, "I'll go and inform the property management department now. I'll deliver the documents to Boss Lin on time this afternoon."
"Go."
Su Qingxue nodded slightly and picked up the pen on the table again.
Secretary Chen took the folder, turned around, and walked out of the president's office, gently closing the door behind her.
The office fell silent again, with only the scratching of pens on paper continuing to fill the air.