Ji Xia and Xie An's expressions immediately changed. Why were so many people gathered outside the courtyard? What happened?
Ji Xia even started to have conspiracy theories. It just so happened that someone came to the courtyard to cause trouble right when Chen Jing left. Was it possible that someone deliberately got rid of Chen Jing?
Xie An's face flushed with anger. Before Chen Jing left, he had specifically asked Xie An to look after Ji Xia, worried that she, a girl, wouldn't be able to handle the situation, since she was just a female college student.
Xie An made a guarantee that his workshop would be fine.
The workshop had just been put on the train when the accident happened. Isn't this a slap in the face for him?
The two parked their car at the entrance of the alley and strode inside, loudly demanding, "What's going on? Why are so many people gathered here?"
Hou Fang, Chen Qiuyu, and a group of employees were angrily questioning several staff members wearing red armbands: "...Why? There are vendors everywhere on the street, why can they do it but we can't?"
"Yeah, why should we? We finally got a job, and you won't even let us go—"
The others, though stern in appearance, shouted menacingly, "Get out of the way! I'm telling you, if you keep arguing, we'll arrest you all too!"
Xie An took a few steps closer and raised an eyebrow when he saw the man in the lead: "Feng San, what are you doing bringing so many people here?"
Upon hearing the voice behind them, Hou Fang and Chen Qiuyu were overjoyed and turned around, and the crowd immediately parted to make way for them.
It was as if a king had returned, his momentum overwhelming.
"Brother An, Sister Xia, you're back?"
"Brother An, these comrades suddenly attacked, saying we've broken the law and they want to take all the goods and sewing machines from the yard..."
"Brother An, they're saying we're cutting off the tail of capitalism, but now you can set up stalls everywhere on the street, so why are they saying we're cutting off the tail of capitalism..."
Several people surrounded Xie An and began to complain, while the men wearing red armbands opposite them also changed their expressions when they saw Xie An.
Feng San subconsciously put on a fawning smile: "Fourth Young Master Xie, does this courtyard belong to your friend?"
Xie An walked up to Feng San with a cold smile, his gloomy eyes sweeping over the men in red armbands. The men couldn't withstand the pressure and took a few steps back.
"What's going on?" Xie An glanced at Feng San, then turned to ask Hou Fang and Chen Qiuyu.
Chen Qiuyu angrily pointed at Feng San and the others, cursing, "Brother An, these people are like bandits! They barged into our yard the moment they arrived, smashing and looting everywhere..."
"No, we didn't loot or vandalize. We just received a report that you were harvesting the tail of capitalism."
Xie An curled his lips into a cold smile, a hint of sarcasm in his eyes, and Feng San immediately fell silent.
"Feng San, you're really showing off, aren't you? Harvesting the petty bourgeoisie's tails and even wearing a red armband? Tell me, who reported me? Who doesn't like this young master?"
Feng San's expression changed slightly, and his smile froze: "Fourth Young Master, is this your courtyard?"
"The yard belongs to my friend, but the equipment inside was purchased jointly by my friend and me. What? Any objections?"
Feng San's face turned pale. He cursed the person behind him to death in his heart, but he could only smile apologetically at Xie An: "Fourth Young Master, I'm sorry, the brothers didn't know about this. We've never heard anyone say that this place belongs to you."
Xie An narrowed his eyes: "At least a dozen of my brothers know that Chen Jing is my friend, and I also have a share in this courtyard. Feng San, where did you come from? You don't even know this?"
"Furthermore, the higher-ups have already approved the opening up of the economy and allowed private enterprises. For the past year or two, no one has been cracking down on the petty bourgeoisie. Who gave you the authority to do so now?"
"The streets and night markets are full of vendors. A large number of educated youth have returned to the city and there is no way to arrange jobs. The state allows them to find employment elsewhere and solve their own employment problems. Who gave you permission to arrest this now? Let's go ask your boss what he wants to do now?"
As he spoke, he grabbed Feng San and tried to walk out. Feng San was speechless and begged for mercy.
Feng San and his team did not obtain permission from their superiors for the search. In fact, everyone knew that their inspection team had no future and should be shut down.
Their leaders are pulling strings everywhere, trying to get transferred out of the department to other positions. How could they possibly agree to let them offend people and needlessly make enemies for the inspection team?
The other henchmen turned pale when they saw Feng San follow Xie An to the side and beg for mercy.
Although they didn't have the opportunity to befriend Xie An, these people were well aware of Xie An's formidable reputation.
Ji Xia followed behind Xie An the whole time. When she saw that Feng San, who was in charge, was taken aside by Xie An, she walked to Chen Qiuyu's side.
"Was there looting and vandalism inside? What was lost?"
"Sister Xia, several cars have been smashed."
"And our cloth was thrown on the ground and trampled on."
"Several grape trellises in the yard were smashed."
"And Amei, Qiufang, and several other girls were also injured by them."
Several female workers and Chen Qiuyu gathered around one side, crying and glaring angrily at the men opposite them.
Seeing the indignant expressions on the faces of the female workers, several women wearing red armbands huddled nervously to one side, not daring to say a word.
A short while later, Feng San, with a smile on his face, followed Xie An back to Ji Xia's side.
Xie An glanced around with a sullen face, noticing that the neighbors nearby were also looking around, and frowned: "Let's go inside first!"
Xie An and Ji Xia led the way through the gate, while several women in red armbands hesitated, only to see Chen Qiuyu and a group of female workers staring at them intently.
"Why aren't you going in?"
"Yes, go in—"
Chen Qiuyu kicked a young man without hesitation, sending him into the house. Seeing this, the other female workers felt relieved and pushed him into the yard.
Thirty or forty female workers filed in and then closed the gate.
In the front yard, Feng San bowed his head in embarrassment and apologized, "...We really didn't mean to offend you. Brother He from Xicheng came to see us with a four-eyed guy, gave us two packs of cigarettes and a red envelope, saying it was a chance for us to make a fortune. If we had known he was a friend of the Fourth Young Master, we would never have dared to come..."
Xie An coldly advised Ji Xia: "I've already sent someone to warn Brother He from Xicheng. How do you plan to handle this situation?"
Ji Xia thought for a moment and said, "I don't have any plans. I just ask that the things inside be restored, that the broken parts be repaired or replaced with new ones, that the scrapped fabric be compensated, and that our colleagues who were injured be compensated for their medical expenses."
Upon hearing this, Feng San and his companions' expressions changed slightly: "Compensation?"
Over the years, while others have lived in fear of them, no one has ever dared to demand compensation from them.
Ji Xia tilted her head: "They smashed our motorcycles, came to our place, and damaged our raw materials for no reason. Shouldn't they compensate us? Can an apology really make up for our losses? Why should we? Is an apology so valuable? Can I break their legs and then say sorry, and that be okay?"
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