I jogged all the way to Renmin Road and found the bar where Taozi worked. By then, it was the peak tourist season during the Chinese New Year, and the bar was full of all sorts of people, including some tourists who had arrived late and had to add chairs in the aisle.

Squeezing through the crowd, I finally saw Peach at the bar. Perhaps because there were so many people ordering, she was so busy mixing drinks that she didn't even have time to look up. It wasn't until I tapped on the table that she looked up at me and asked with a smile, "What brings you here?"

"Something came up."

"Is it urgent?"

"It's extremely urgent, so put what you're doing aside for now."

Peach looked around again, then shook her head and replied, "The boss is watching over there. You sit down and wait a bit. I'll buy you a beer. I'll come find you after I finish what I'm doing."

"Can you get in touch with Tie Nan? I can talk to Tie Nan about this."

"He didn't answer your call?"

"Didn't answer..."

“He’s had a long day and is probably sleeping… Try calling him again, he might wake up.”

"I'll go find him directly."

As I was about to leave, Peach called me back and asked, "Is it about the inn? Did you hear something?"

I nodded emphatically, hoping she would take it seriously.

Peach's expression turned serious. After a brief silence, she replied, "Don't go to Tie Nan yet. He's hostile towards you about this. Talk to me later. I'll finish what I'm doing as soon as possible."

...

The bar was too crowded, so I sat on the steps outside, smoking and waiting anxiously... I had even forgotten that I was also caught in the vortex of this investigation. If Sun Jiwei's information was reliable, the losses that Tie Nan would face would be far beyond what he and Taozi could bear, especially since he still owed the original innkeeper the transfer fee.

After sitting for a while, I remembered my own situation and took the opportunity to call Cao Xue while waiting. I remembered a detail from our last conversation: he said that Cao Jinbo had asked him to find a locksmith company, and the locksmith company's prerequisite for changing the locks was to see the original property ownership certificate of the shop. This indirectly proved that the original property ownership certificate was definitely in Cao Xue's hands now.

After a short wait, Cao Xue answered the call, and I immediately asked him, "I have a question for you. Do you have the original property ownership certificates for these shops in Jiulongju?"

Cao Xue replied in surprise, "That's amazing! How did you know I was here?"

"There's no time to explain. I really need your help this time... I want to sign a formal short-term rental contract with your uncle, clearly stating in black and white the obligations and responsibilities of both parties, as well as the distribution of profits. You have the original property ownership certificate, so could you please make a few copies for me? I'll draft the contract in a bit, and then you can take it to your uncle to sign."

“I’m familiar with the lease agreement, and I have the original property ownership certificate. I can sign it on his behalf.”

After weighing the options, I replied, "It's better to be cautious. It would be best if he could sign it himself... Brother, to tell you the truth, I need to take this contract to the Industry and Commerce Bureau for filing, in order to deal with any surprise inspections by relevant departments during the Spring Festival."

Cao Xue laughed, then said nonchalantly, "So many unlicensed inns in the ancient city are fine, what are you afraid of with your temporary one? ... Just listen to me, operate it as you normally would, and I'll cover for you if anything goes wrong... This doesn't need to be so complicated."

"What if the higher-ups really take action? ... What if they classify my business as a disguised hotel operation?"

Cao Xue was getting a little impatient: "You're being too cautious! There are thousands of inns in the whole ancient city. Even if they wanted to inspect, do they have that many people to handle it? And since you're located in that godforsaken place, Jiulongju, nobody cares... Let me tell you, my uncle does this kind of business that skirts the law, and when have you ever seen him get into trouble?"

"Nothing will happen if no one is watching, but it's when someone is watching that you're worried... Your uncle's paper mill was shut down, so being cautious isn't a bad thing."

Cao Xue was speechless...

I added, "Signing a contract will only benefit your uncle and not harm him... The situation has now reversed. If we don't sign a contract, and I go back on my word after this month's business is done, what about the half of the profit I verbally promised him?"

Cao Xue replied coldly, "You dare! In Dali, no one has ever dared to swindle him out of his money in this matter, unless you're tired of living!"

I smiled and said, "What if I leave Dali after finishing this deal? ... I don't believe your uncle has the energy and manpower to come looking for me all over the country; going through formal channels is even more useless because without a contract, there is no legal obligation or responsibility."

After a brief pause, I continued, "Brother, let's stick to the facts. If I can't handle the inspection and something goes wrong, I definitely won't be able to pay you the money I promised... because it's an unforeseen event... so you should think about what to do."

Cao Xuexian pondered for a moment, then replied, "Okay, I'm out of town right now. Send me the contract tomorrow morning, and I'll go to him to handle it."

...

After ending my conversation with Cao Xue, I didn't feel relieved. I waited for about ten minutes before Taozi came out of the bar. She stood face to face with me, her expression serious.

I took out a cigarette, lit it, and said, "I just spoke with Sun Jiwei on the phone. He said that during the Spring Festival, relevant departments were instructed to conduct joint law enforcement operations and raid unlicensed guesthouses and seaside guesthouses around the ancient city. Seaside guesthouses are the main targets of the crackdown... In order to avoid getting involved, I advise you not to risk operating during the Spring Festival."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!