Lin Yue's face gradually turned cold as she looked at Zhang Guodong, whose expression was calm but frosty.

"Xiao Ye, you go out first!" Lin Yue said to Xiao Ye.

As soon as Xiao Ye left, Lin Yue went ballistic.

"Mr. Zhang, can you explain why those two people's arms and legs were broken? Intentionally injuring people and keeping aggressive wild animals as pets—do you have any respect for the law? You're committing a crime!"

Zhang Guodong's relaxed brows furrowed. "What did I do to you? You're ignoring the real criminals and instead causing trouble for me: Captain Lin, I strongly disagree with your statement. According to your understanding, if someone stabs you with a knife, you should just stand there and let them stab you a few times? And then we can talk about reason after they're done?"

"Furthermore, you say I keep wild animals, but I don't admit that. I only kept a pet that was loyal to its owner, but the pet is gone. It was probably stolen by those people, and I'm the one who suffered the loss. Besides, aren't there plenty of people in the city who keep large pets? Those are all wild animals, and they can be aggressive!"

"And another thing—" Zhang Guodong's voice rose in agitation. "I think this is prejudice against me, and I have a problem with it! This time, someone is clearly trying to cause me trouble and take my life. Can't you police protect citizens and instead frame me? Why are you causing trouble for me?"

Zhang Guodong was agitated. He'd already endured enough glares from Lin Yue, hadn't he? Now he exploded, his voice rising. Although Lin Yue was the head of the criminal investigation team at the district public security bureau, Zhang Guodong wasn't stupid. The fat man was right there; what did he have to hold back now? Besides, Lin Yue and the fat man had grown up together; she couldn't be unreasonable, could she?

Finally, Zhang Guodong was indeed seething with anger!

"My shop was smashed to pieces, resulting in losses of hundreds of thousands of yuan (I deliberately exaggerated a bit). My life was threatened. If I hadn't experienced it firsthand, who would have known that someone would commit murder right at the entrance of the Provincial TV Station? The security in this area is extremely poor!"

"Furthermore, this was self-defense! Those two knives are proof; if I hadn't resisted, I would have been the one dead! I have nothing more to say!"

"You!" Lin Yue roared in anger. This person was so stubborn! "Xiao Ye, lock this man up first. The case isn't closed; he can't escape suspicion of intentional assault!"

When the fat man saw Lin Yue's anger, her face turning pale, he was startled. He quickly pulled Zhang Guodong aside and winked, saying, "Guodong, how can you talk like that? How can we help you solve the case if you don't cooperate with the police? Captain Lin, calm down. My brother here is really angry. If the case isn't solved every day, he'll lose twenty or thirty thousand yuan. If it's not solved in half a month, his losses will be huge! This time, he was even cornered at knifepoint in the shop, and something almost happened. I'll keep an eye on this!"

In his heart, he thought, "Brother, you've got guts! We're not short of people. If we were really bullied like this, how could we stand it?" Zhang Guodong was purely a victim in this matter, and he was in the right. He silently carried out his attack, and you could see that the two thugs' arms and legs were swollen up to the size of elephant legs.

However, the fat man also had some doubts. Why did Lin Yue and Guo Dong not get along? What had happened between them? Fortunately, only his own people were here.

Actually, Zhang Guodong seemed to regret his words a bit afterward; his voice had been a bit loud. As the saying goes, "The common people shouldn't fight with officials; otherwise, it's always the ordinary people who suffer."

However, with the fat man present, he felt a bit emboldened. No matter what, as long as his own people were there, at least no one would dare to abuse their power or force a confession.

Zhang Guodong was still quite wary of some of the 'investigation methods' used.

But this woman was acting strangely; Zhang Guodong always felt that she disliked him. Instead of discussing how to handle the case, she was making trouble for him first.

But somehow, Lin Yue was also a good friend of Fatty and Li Yun.

Xiao Ye felt a little awkward standing outside, but he understood what was going on. These people were all "one of us," so whether they argued or not didn't matter. Zhang Guodong should be fine.

While the law sympathizes with the ultimately weaker party, it tends to favor the victim. The roller shutter was down at the time, there were no witnesses, and everything happened so quickly that it's impossible to say no one paid attention to what was happening inside. Ultimately, Zhang Guodong had to be charged with self-defense; otherwise, revealing the case would be detrimental to the police.

In this case, at least Zhang Guodong stands on the moral high ground of justice.

"Yueyue, you've misunderstood Guodong. With his physique, how could he fight back? If it weren't for that stick, he would have been killed!" Li Yun got up and walked behind Lin Yue, shaking Lin Yue's shoulders to plead for Zhang Guodong. As a result, this girl even mentioned the stick, leaving Zhang Guodong speechless.

Zhang Guodong was touched, but also indignant: Am I really that bad?

Thinking about it, it really is true.

With his loose, flabby skin, he probably wouldn't stand a chance against a petty thug. Sigh, I need to find some time to work out!

At this moment, the fat man winked at Zhang Guodong, stood up and said to Lin Yue, "Captain Lin, I have something to do. Guodong, would you like to walk with me?"

District Public Security Bureau, tree-lined path.

The fat man and Zhang Guodong walked slowly: "Hey, after this mess, your shop is going to have a lot more trouble in the future—"

"That's right!" Zhang Guodong was also a bit troubled, remaining silent as he couldn't think of a good solution. He now understood the reason: Green Treasure Pavilion was too special! This incident greatly increased the possibility of being targeted, which was indeed a troublesome matter.

The fat man continued, "What are your plans? If you ask me, you might as well join my sister's company. Even if you're just a figurehead, it's better than working alone. You won't have to hand over a single penny of the profits, which would save you a lot of trouble."

That's true.

Zhang Guodong was deeply moved; this was true brotherhood. But after a moment's thought, he shook his head and said, "My life goals are different from yours. I don't have many ambitions. I just want a stable, carefree, and relaxed life. That suits me better. I appreciate your kindness, haha. Don't worry, who's going to die from holding their pee? At worst, I'll do something else! Green Treasure Pavilion is just a temporary place to make some money—"

"Oh? So you have long-term goals? Haha, kid, it's good that you're alright. I just realized that you were keeping a low profile in college all this time!" the fat guy laughed. "Quietly creating a Green Treasure Pavilion, grabbing everyone's attention, it's impossible not to be jealous in this world!"

“However—” the fat man’s tone turned cold as he changed the subject. “Although there’s no evidence yet that Haitong and that Ming guy were behind it, if you want to get rid of him, I’ll help you take him down!”

Zhang Guodong looked at him with surprise, his heart filled with interest. He casually said, "You? Don't be ridiculous. You're just a secretary, not a law enforcement officer. This kind of thing is for law enforcement agencies, right? I've heard that Brother Ming has gathered a bunch of henchmen with criminal records. Their **arendi** are questionable. I suspect that company isn't operating properly either. Companies that harm society like this really should be thoroughly investigated—their hygiene, fire safety, taxes, and so on!"

"Haha, you're right!" The fat man's eyes lit up, and he laughed heartily. "We're civilized people!"

"I didn't expect you to be so cunning!" he added.

Zhang Guodong corrected, "This isn't called being cunning. Isn't this what you officials like to do to your opponents? I learned it! Actually, I really wanted to keep Zhenbaoxuan open, but it doesn't matter now. Business isn't big, so it doesn't matter if we don't open to the public—"

With this relaxation, Zhang Guodong actually came up with a plan: by not operating the business to the public, he could save on taxes—a clever scheme to achieve his goal secretly.

Inside the office of the head of the criminal investigation team at the Public Security Bureau.

Lin Yue rolled her eyes, looking helplessly at Li Yun, who had just been chattering on and on for Zhang Guodong. She thought to herself, "What happened to this Li witch?" The two of them were best friends. As soon as Fatty and Zhang Guodong left, Li Yun lashed out fiercely, "You've gone too far! Guodong is the victim! How dare you cause him trouble!"

Lin Yue rolled her eyes again, speechless. "Extinction Master?" That was a nickname Li Yun gave her. Of course, Li Yun also had nicknames, which she herself had given her, but outsiders didn't know that.

"And another thing, Guodong's family is living in your grandfather's old work unit housing. What's going on here? Pfft, don't tell me you two aren't having an affair. I remember you said that the house was in your name and had been rented out for a year but hadn't been rented out. You two actually pretended not to know each other when you met. Hmph, many people are indifferent when they meet, but who knows what's going on behind the scenes. Tell me the truth."

Lin Yue stared straight at her and said calmly, "Are you done?"

Li Yun didn't know why Lin Yue was so calm.

"I, Zhang Guodong, am your tenant, so whether his family stays or not is none of my business. That's the first point. Secondly, don't think I'm being fooled. Those injuries were inflicted after the two men were incapacitated. That's intentional assault. Even if those two are guilty, the law will decide and punish them. But before the law makes a judgment, anyone who inflicts harm on them is committing a crime. Thirdly, Zhang Guodong brought back several wolves. You and I both know that. It's very dangerous if they're released. What if something happens again? Fourthly, I have nothing to talk about with him. We're just landlord and tenant, so what does it matter whether we know each other or not?"

“There is someone who ran away from home and is actually living with a man. If I hadn’t told you that someone was staying at my place, do you think some of his elders would have reacted?” Lin Yue looked at her with interest.

Upon hearing this, Li Yun immediately deflated, pacing back and forth in frustration, then said pitifully, "Yueyue, you know, as soon as I got back, they arranged blind dates for me. It's so annoying!"

Speaking of this, their current situations are actually quite similar.

Lin Yue was also being pressured by her parents to go on blind dates. Seeing that she was becoming an "older" daughter, her parents were anxious. But she had no choice but to use her busy work at the bureau as an excuse to avoid it.

Fortunately, Lin Yue and Li Yun have completely different personalities. One is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and is quite calm, while the other is impatient and restless. Lin Yue's excuses are more tactful, while Li Yun's is blatant resistance.

"Li the Demoness, tell me, have you fallen for him?" Lin Yue asked. "Tell the truth!"

Like it? That's a complicated matter.

"I wouldn't say I like him, right? I just feel good about him, at least I don't dislike him!" Li Yun frowned. Liking someone implies affection, but she didn't feel that way with Zhang Guodong yet. She just felt natural and comfortable being with him, without any barriers. "He's a very good friend, very reliable! Yes, that's it! Hehe, if I'm ever really annoyed, asking Guodong to fill in for my boyfriend is no problem. You can even borrow him if you want!"

Lin Yue was both amused and exasperated. Could men really be lent out so easily? The suggestion, however, did intrigue her; it was a good idea, but it depended on the right person. Zhang Guodong? Even if all men in the world went extinct, he wouldn't stand a chance!

"Li Younu, as your good sister, I have to remind you that the more honest a person looks, the more cunning they are. You should keep your distance from him in the future, or you might end up crying to me after you suffer a loss!" Lin Yue said, trying to sow discord.

"Ugh, you've got me. You can be a nun for life, you old maid!" Li Yun said nonchalantly. "I'm leaving. Don't tell anyone I was here. Bye-bye!"

Lin Yue shouted angrily, "You damned witch!"

She could never win an argument with Li Yun, but she always had the upper hand when it came to reason. Li Yun was her only best friend; her other friends were just ordinary acquaintances, people she couldn't truly confide in, like Fatty.

The two had known each other since childhood, but they were not close confidants.

After this commotion, the fact that Green Treasure Pavilion was vandalized was even featured on Channel 2 of the City Express that evening. Ye Cuihua, the mother, loved watching the news. When she saw the name and it sounded so familiar, she immediately called Zhang Guodong to inquire. Hearing that only the first floor had been vandalized and that no one was hurt, she breathed a sigh of relief. After cursing those people, she asked her son worriedly what to do.

Zhang Guodong smiled and comforted her, saying it was okay, and then hung up the phone after a while.

On the third day, Huang Mao and Gangzi woke up. The police quickly made a breakthrough and learned from Huang Mao and Gangzi the important information that Liu Meng had instructed them to smash the store. However, Liu Meng had already fled and his whereabouts were unknown, so the clues ended there.

Even more frustratingly, three of the people who participated in vandalizing the store that day have disappeared. Clearly, these individuals had prior knowledge of the incident.

With the man still at large, the case is stalled, not to mention any compensation. In short, Zhang Guodong is just unlucky. However, with Fatty pulling the strings, this counterattack is only just beginning.

As for the aggressive pet, Zhang Guodong didn't allow Lao Qing to show his face again. He told Lao Qing to stay in Peach Blossom Spring and avoid trouble.

By the seventh day, some people had given in.

I asked someone within the system to pass a message to Zhang Guodong: Haitong Catering is willing to communicate privately to clarify this misunderstanding. In fact, things started to get unsettled at Haitong the day after the Green Treasure Pavilion was vandalized.

The tax audit uncovered numerous problems; the fire safety inspection resulted in an order to cease operations and rectify the situation; the health department's inspection revealed substandard practices, also issuing a notice for rectification within a specified period. Most importantly, those thugs, unable to withstand the power of the government, actually uncovered some criminal activities, and some people were arrested.

Ming was initially furious about this. How could a small shop owner turn around and mess with Haitong? But Zhang Guodong had been very careful these days, barely leaving the shop. Ming couldn't hold out any longer; time was running out for him.

Zhang Guodong sneered, "Haitong Catering? I've never even heard of it. What misunderstanding could there be? There's definitely no misunderstanding!"

If you do the first thing, others can do the fifteenth. Zhang Guodong had been threatened at knifepoint once, so naturally he would not be lenient with Haitong again!

Zhang Guodong denied knowing Haitong at all, and no matter who delivered the message, the result was the same. Of course, the messenger lacked influence, which cut off Haitong's last lifeline. Now, six people from Haitong have been investigated and taken away; anyone involved is likely to suffer. How could someone of influence get involved?

The fat man then made a phone call: "Captain Lin, shouldn't we arrest them? It's not good for a cornered dog to act rashly!"

P.S.: Second update, 4,000 words! It's a bit late because Tiandao made some revisions, which caused the delay. I must check and revise before uploading; this is something Tiandao has to do. Otherwise, I'd rather not upload at all. Thank you for your understanding!

Also, thank you to the three great masters '无剑书生', '1uiz', and '0' for their generous donations. It feels wonderful to see more people on the donation leaderboard. Heaven is looking forward to the appearance of the first 'disciple' level, haha!