Zhixiufang

"Seal off?!"

These two words were like a basin of cold water, instantly extinguishing the festive atmosphere of the opening of "Zhi Xiu Fang".

The guests present were stunned and stepped back, murmuring incessantly. Jin Meiling's face darkened. Someone dared to disrupt the situation in her territory in this way, showing no regard for her.

"Which department are you from?" Jin Meiling stepped forward and asked unkindly, "Do you know whose shop this is?"

Section Chief Zhou, who was leading the charge, clearly knew Jin Meiling. His aura softened slightly, but he maintained a stern expression and spoke in a businesslike manner, "Mrs. Jin, we're following the rules. We've received a public report that this 'Zhi Xiu Fang' is illegally engaging in high-value business activities without a business license and is engaging in serious tax evasion. We have both witnesses and evidence, and we must handle this according to the law."

The shifty-looking man behind him immediately stepped forward and added, "That's right! We have evidence! She used to mend clothes for Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Li, and the others, charging tens or even hundreds of dollars a pop. But did she ever pay a penny in tax? These ladies can all testify to this!"

These words immediately made the faces of the ladies present become a little embarrassed.

Ling Xiuqing's gaze fell coldly on the man with shifty eyes.

She had an impression of this man. In her previous life, he was Han Shaoheng's most capable lackey, responsible for handling some of the more shameful and shady matters.

It's him!

Han Shaoheng finally came.

Ling Xiuqing understood instantly. This move, like "cutting off the firewood from under the cauldron," was swift and ruthless, hitting home. A new store's opening was all about reputation and success. If it were labeled "operating without a license" or "tax evasion," and publicly shut down by the Administration for Industry and Commerce, "Zhi Xiu Fang" would be completely tarnished before it even opened, and its future in Shanghai would be incredibly difficult.

What a vicious method!

"Who is the boss? Come out and answer!" Section Chief Zhou saw Jin Meiling was choked and shouted again.

Under everyone's nervous gaze, Ling Xiuqing slowly walked out from behind the crowd.

She was still dressed in plain clothes, with no trace of panic on her face, as calm as a pool of deep water.

"I am."

Section Chief Zhou looked her up and down, a trace of contempt flashing in his eyes: "You? Little girl, you're quite brave! Come with us!"

As he spoke, the two subordinates behind him were about to come forward to arrest the man.

"Wait."

Ling Xiuqing's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable power that made the two men stop in their tracks.

She didn't look at Section Chief Zhou, but instead turned her gaze to Murong Bai and the reporters from various newspapers who had rushed over after hearing the news. At this moment, their cameras were pointed directly at her, their spotlights flashing non-stop.

"Dear journalists," Ling Xiuqing's voice echoed clearly throughout the shop, "Today is the grand opening day of my 'Zhi Xiu Fang'. I didn't expect to receive such a 'gift'. Since the gentlemen from the Industrial and Commercial Bureau say I'm operating without a license, I'd like you all to be my witnesses."

As she spoke, she calmly took out a document wrapped in a brown paper bag from under the counter.

She walked up to Section Chief Zhou, opened the document, and read it word for word: "'Business License from the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce'. Trade Name: Zhixiufang. Legal Representative: Ling... Ah Xiu. Registration Date: October 15, 1936, seven days ago. Business Scope: Clothing design, production, and sales. Tax Registration Certificate Number..."

With each word she read, Section Chief Zhou's face paled. By the time she finished reading all the information and displayed the license and tax registration certificate with the bright red seal in front of everyone, cold sweat had already seeped out of Section Chief Zhou's forehead.

How is that possible?!

He had clearly checked and found that the registration information of this shop was still under Jin Meiling's name, and there was no business called "Zhi Xiu Fang" registered at all!

"As for tax evasion..." Ling Xiuqing's lips curled up in a cold arc. She pulled out a stack of tax receipts from under the counter. "Although all my previous income was earned at Mrs. Jin's house, I used the name of personal labor income and commissioned the best accounting firm in Shanghai to proactively declare and pay taxes to the tax bureau. Here are all the receipts. Chief Zhou, would you like to check them one by one?"

This time, the whole audience was in an uproar!

Everyone looked at the young girl as if she were a monster.

Who could have imagined that, even as her fame and fortune soared, she could still maintain such clarity and caution, completing all legal formalities in advance without a single flaw! This foresight, this meticulous planning, hardly resembled that of a teenage girl, but rather that of a seasoned businessman with decades of experience in the business world!

Section Chief Zhou was completely dumbfounded. He stammered, pointing at the license: "This... this is impossible! I checked it yesterday..."

"Oh?" Ling Xiuqing interrupted him, her eyes sharp as a knife. "Then I have to ask, Chief Zhou, who gave you that outdated information from 'yesterday', asking you to bring people to my new store opening today and conduct such a 'precise' law enforcement?"

Murong Bai, standing nearby, immediately grasped this crucial point. He raised his camera to Section Chief Zhou and pressed him, "Section Chief Zhou, was this law enforcement action orchestrated by your bureau, or was it your personal act? Was there someone behind this? Was there any abuse of power or malicious defamation of legitimate businesses?"

Upon hearing this, the reporters immediately swarmed over like sharks smelling blood, pointing their microphones and cameras at Section Chief Zhou and the whistleblower who was already scared out of his wits' length.

The situation suddenly reversed!