Shen Qiqi and Lu Qing were packing up the stall. Lu Qing carefully stacked the remaining embroidery neatly, while Shen Qiqi carefully counted today's income with a smile on her lips.

Suddenly, a noisy sound of footsteps broke the tranquility of the market, like a group of wild wolves rushing into a flock of sheep.

Shen Qiqi's heart tightened, and an ominous premonition came to her mind.

She looked up and saw Qian Dipi and a few ruffians swaggering towards their stall.

Qian Dipi had a face full of flesh, and at this moment he looked even more ferocious as if he wanted to eat someone. The few thugs following behind him also looked ferocious and it was obvious that they were not good people.

The air around seemed to freeze, and a tense atmosphere quickly spread.

Seeing this, Lu Qing immediately protected Shen Qiqi behind him, staring vigilantly at Qian Dipi and his group who came with ill intentions.

Although he was not tall, he was like a mountain at this moment, firmly guarding Shen Qiqi behind him.

"Hey, isn't this our handicraft master Shen Qiqi?" Qian Dipi said sarcastically, his tone full of sarcasm, "Business is good, it looks like we're going to make a fortune today!"

At Qian Dipi's command, the gang of thugs behind him immediately surrounded Shen Qiqi's stall, like a group of hungry wolves staring at their prey.

They cursed and spoke vulgarly, and deliberately pushed customers who tried to get closer, making the originally bustling stall deserted in an instant.

The smile on Qian Dipi's face became even more arrogant. He walked up to Shen Qiqi and looked down at her with malice in his eyes. "I said, this market is my territory. If you want to set up a stall here, you have to pay protection fees! You have to pay today even if you don't want to!"

Shen Qiqi was not intimidated by Qian Dipi's threats. She took a deep breath and tried to keep herself calm.

She knew that she couldn't panic at this moment and had to find a way to delay time.

"Qian Diba, don't go too far!" Shen Qiqi said firmly, looking him in the eye without fear, "I've said it before, my stall is legally run, why should I pay protection money?"

Qian Dipi sneered, "Legal operation? In my territory, I have the final say! If you don't pay today, forget about setting up a stall here!"

As he spoke, he reached out to grab Shen Qiqi's handicraft.

Lu Qing was quick-witted and quick-handed. He grabbed Qian Dipi's wrist and twisted it hard. Qian Dipi immediately grimaced in pain.

"Let me go!" Qian Dipi roared, "If you dare to touch me, I will make you pay for it!"

Lu Qing ignored his threats and looked at him coldly, "I advise you to be sensible and take your people away from here!"

At this moment, Shen Qiqi quietly leaned over to Lu Qing's ear and whispered, "You go..."

Shen Qiqi lowered her voice and whispered a few words quickly in Lu Qing's ear, with a hint of imperceptible anxiety in her tone.

"Go to the market management office and find Manager Li." She said quickly, signaling Lu Qing to leave quickly with her eyes.

Lu Qing frowned when he heard this. Of course, he was worried about Shen Qiqi facing this group of thugs alone, but seeing the determination and trust in her eyes, he could only choose to believe her.

Before leaving, Lu Qing looked at Shen Qiqi deeply, and Shen Qiqi gave him an affirmative look in return, silently conveying: Don't worry, I can handle it!

The stall owners around saw this tense scene and were all worried for Shen Qiqi, casting worried glances at her.

There was a tense atmosphere in the air, like the calm before the storm.

Shen Qiqi took a deep breath, turned her head, and put on that "harmless" smile again on her face, as if the tension just now was just an illusion.

She slowly and methodically straightened the embroidery that had been messed up by the ruffian Qian, and said in a calm tone, "Oh, Boss Qian, what you said is quite right. I'm just a little girl, how dare I go against you? It's not that I can't pay the protection fee, but the amount should be discussed."

When Qian Dipi heard this, a smug smile appeared on his face. He felt that this little girl had finally given in, and his tone softened a lot.

"That's better. Wouldn't it have been easier if it had been done earlier? I like dealing with sensible people the most." He rubbed his hands proudly, as if he had already seen the white silver going into his pocket.

Shen Qiqi looked at Qian Dipi's smug look and sneered in her heart: Oh, what a country bumpkin who has never seen the world!

With this little IQ, you still want to fight with me?

She still smiled on the surface and continued to delay, "Boss Qian, look, there must be some rules for paying protection money, right? Otherwise, why don't you tell me what the rules are? That will make me more convinced, right?"

Qian Dipi was flattered by Shen Qiqi's words, and his chin was almost raised to the sky.

"Rules? I am the rules!" He said complacently, completely unaware of the cunning that flashed across Shen Qiqi's eyes.

At this moment, Sun Xingxing, who was standing by, looked at Shen Qiqi being surrounded by the gangsters, and a gloating smile appeared on his face.

A hint of malice flashed in his eyes, but he quickly hid it. He then walked towards Qian Dipi and the others, shouting hypocritically, "Hey, what's going on? What are you all doing here?"

When Sun Tongxing saw this scene, he fanned the flames from the side, and the gloating expression on his face became more and more obvious.

A sinister emotion burned in his heart, with a sneer on his lips. He approached Qian Dipi and said with feigned concern: "Hey, what's going on? What are you all doing here? Doesn't Shen Qiqi always know the rules? How dare you go against you, Boss Qian, today? You deserve it!" His tone was full of malice, as if he was enjoying Shen Qiqi's predicament.

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