The onlookers turned pale with fright and retreated, no longer daring to utter a sound.
The indignant spirit they had just displayed vanished instantly, leaving only a chilling fear that silenced them completely.
Looking at Ah Hu's fierce appearance, they were afraid that this towering man would throw a punch at them.
Upon seeing this, Wang Ming revealed a satisfied, sinister smile.
He pointed at the silent crowd and shouted even more triumphantly.
"Hmph! A bunch of idiots! You don't know what's good for you! I'm doing this for your own good, to stop you from buying these exorbitantly priced vegetables! And you still dare to talk back to me? Look! Look at these vegetables! How much more expensive are they than other places? This Xu guy is a heartless and unscrupulous merchant!"
"You're talking nonsense!" a young helper retorted, his eyes red with anger. "Our vegetables are the cheapest of all the stalls around here! You can ask around if you don't believe me!"
Wang Ming scoffed, his face full of disdain: "Cheap? Who knows if all the vegetables around here are from Xu Kuo's family? Monopolizing the market! Deliberately raising prices! You accomplices, don't even think about getting away with this!"
"You..." The young helper was trembling with anger, but he was rendered speechless by Wang Ming's shameless logic.
Just then, Secretary Wen, who was standing to the side, could no longer suppress his anger.
Her pretty face flushed red with anger. She took a step forward and her clear, furious voice rang out: "Shut up! That's utter nonsense!"
Faced with Secretary Wen's angry, clear questioning, Wang Ming remained unmoved, instead displaying a contemptuous sneer and snorting a foul breath.
"Shut up? You have no right to point fingers here! If you know what's good for you, get out of here!"
"Insolence!" Secretary Wen was completely enraged by his unreasonable attitude. She straightened her back, her voice suddenly rose, and her words were full of authority.
"I am the town party secretary! I ask you, who exactly are you people? How dare you run wild on our town's territory? Do you have any respect for organizational discipline?!"
Upon hearing the words "township party secretary," the thugs behind Wang Ming visibly flinched, and even the towering Ah Hu frowned even more deeply.
Town Party Secretary? That's a proper official... Could this guy surnamed Wang be trying to trick them?
Wang Ming snorted again, a cunning glint in his eyes.
He slowly pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and waved it in front of Secretary Wen. The paper did indeed appear to be stamped with a red seal, giving it a rather intimidating air.
"Township Party Secretary? Hmph, what an arrogant official!" Wang Ming said sarcastically, his chin held high.
"Look carefully! We are here on orders from our superiors to investigate and punish your behavior of protecting and condoning speculation and disrupting market order! Someone reported that you are colluding with this Xu to drive up prices!"
Secretary Wen looked at the note and his heart sank.
This...this really is a cop from above?
But why is it an investigation of the vegetable market, and why is it specifically named that I am covering for someone?
This is very unusual! Could it be... that Wang Ming is behind this?
But where does he get such great power?
Suppressing her shock and suspicion, she retorted sharply, "That's utter nonsense! The vegetable prices in our town have all been verified. Comrade Xu Kuo's vegetables are fresh, plentiful, and reasonably priced. Where does this talk of price gouging come from? You're slandering me!"
"Slander?" Wang Ming abruptly put away the note, his eyes turning fierce.
"I think you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin! Still so stubborn! A town party secretary, instead of serving the people properly, colludes with these unscrupulous businessmen, abusing your power to profit from the national crisis! I think you're all in cahoots! Colluding with each other!"
He didn't give Secretary Wen any chance to explain further, and suddenly waved his hand, shouting at the thugs and Ah Hu behind him.
"What are you all standing there for? Seize her! I think she's the protector of this shady operation, one of the ringleaders! Take her away and interrogate her properly!"
"Yes!" Several thugs who had been holding back for a long time pounced on him like wolves!
Although Ah Hu hesitated for a moment, seeing Wang Ming's confident look and the "note" in his hand, he could only acquiesce to his subordinate's actions.
"How dare you?!" Secretary Wen was both shocked and furious, struggling fiercely. "Let me go! This is an abuse of power! You have no right to arrest me! I am a state cadre!"
Two thugs, one on each side, grabbed Secretary Wen's arms tightly and dragged her backward.
Secretary Wen was so angry that his face turned pale, but he was no match for the other party's brute force.
Wang Ming looked at Secretary Wen, who was now subdued, and a smug grin spread across his face.
He turned around and raised his voice at the silent, trembling people who dared not speak out.
"Look carefully, everyone! This is what happens when you collude with unscrupulous merchants! From now on, anyone who dares to buy vegetables from this stall is going against the government and the people! Remember this! Get out of here now!"
A suppressed commotion arose in the crowd, but seeing the fierce-looking Ah Hu and the thugs, as well as Secretary Wen who was being forcibly taken away, no one dared to step forward.
Fear hung like a dark cloud over the market. People buying vegetables shook their heads and sighed, silently dispersing and not daring to approach any further.
The young men helping Xu Kuo at his stall were both angry and anxious, but helpless.
One of the quick-witted young men, sensing the danger, quietly slipped out through an inconspicuous little door behind the stall amidst the chaos and ran wildly towards the village!
He needs to hurry and tell Brother Xu!
These people are so lawless, they even dared to arrest Secretary Wen!
...
Meanwhile, on the open space at the east end of the village, the newly built greenhouses gleamed in the sunlight.
Xu Kuo had just spent a lot of points to redeem a batch of specially made high-efficiency compound fertilizer from the system shop.
This fertilizer has amazing effects, greatly promoting crop growth, especially for improved varieties like sweet corn that require a lot of nutrients, it is a great help.
"Erbao, yes, that's it. Spread the fertilizer evenly around the roots, but don't put it too close to burn the seedlings, and don't put it too far away to waste it."
Xu Kuo was patiently instructing Niu Erbao and the others on how to fertilize the corn. Looking at the sweet corn seedlings that had already sprouted tender green shoots in the greenhouse, he was filled with anticipation.
With this batch of fertilizer, the bet is a sure win!
Let's see what that old bastard Li Tie has to say then!
The position of village chief is naturally within reach.
Just then, a series of urgent shouts came from afar, breaking the tranquility of the fields.
"Brother Xu! Brother Xu! Something terrible has happened!!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a person running over, panting and looking terrified.
Xu Kuo frowned and went to greet him: "Gousheng? Why are you back? You look so flustered, what happened?"
Niu Erbao and several other villagers gathered around, asking questions all at once.
"It's...it's the vegetable market!" Gou Sheng, supporting his knees and panting heavily, explained hastily, "Someone's causing trouble! They brought a bunch of people to the vegetable market and caused trouble! They surrounded our stalls and wouldn't let people buy vegetables!"
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