Chapter 16
The "ultimatum" brought by Li Yuanshan's assistant was like a cold boulder thrown into water, creating huge ripples within the core team of "Mingqing's Shop". After Li Ming calmly reiterated the other party's demands—to sign a statement and sever ties with Li Ziqing in exchange for Li Yuanshan's "favor" and the Zhou family's withdrawal—the warehouse fell into a deathly silence.
Liu Qiang's mouth dropped open, his face filled with disbelief and indignation. Wang Hao pushed up his glasses; even the code on the screen seemed to have lost its appeal. Zhao Zhen frowned, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, his eyes darting between Li Ming and Li Ziqing, as if weighing the pros and cons of this "deal."
Li Ziqing reacted the most violently. Her face was deathly pale, her chest heaving, and her voice trembled with humiliation: "How dare he... how dare he arrange my life like this! What does he take me for? A bargaining chip?" She looked at Li Ming, her eyes filled with a hint of panic and an unprecedented determination, "Li Ming, you can't agree to this! We've finally made it..."
"I won't sign." Li Ming interrupted her, his voice not loud, but carrying a resolute force that instantly stabilized the situation that was about to spiral out of control. His gaze swept over everyone. "If you abandon your partners today because of pressure, you'll betray your principles tomorrow for profit. This kind of business won't last, and this kind of person isn't trustworthy." His words clearly conveyed a message: Li Ming would not accept coercion, much less sacrifice his partners for his own safety.
A complex emotion flashed in Zhao Zhen's eyes, which eventually turned into a soft chuckle, tinged with self-mockery: "Looks like we're stuck on this pirate ship. Fine, let's see what tricks Young Master Zhou has up his sleeve."
The crisis has temporarily brought the team closer together. However, the storm is still raging.
The consequences of rejection came faster and more violently than expected.
A few days later, one morning, two official vehicles bearing the logos of "Industrial and Commercial Administration" and "Tax Inspection" unexpectedly pulled up in front of the small warehouse they had rented. Several serious-looking staff members showed their identification, claiming they had received a "real-name report" and were investigating the premises for "operating without a license," "evading taxes," and "selling substandard products."
The atmosphere in the warehouse froze instantly. Liu Qiang turned pale with fright, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet. Wang Hao silently closed his laptop. Zhao Zhen tried to negotiate, hoping to use his eloquence and connections to smooth things over, but the other party was adamant, demanding an immediate supply of documents including a business license, purchase invoices, and tax payment certificates.
What formal business license did they have? Previously, their business was small, and they had been skirting the rules by claiming to be "student entrepreneurs" or "personal online stores." Taxation was even more of a gray area; all their income was recorded in Li Ziqing's personal account, far below the tax threshold, but certainly not in a regulated manner.
“Comrade, this is a student-run entrepreneurship project, and it’s still in its early stages…” Zhao Zhen tried to explain.
"Even in the initial stage, illegal operations are not allowed." The middle-aged man leading the team said expressionlessly, directing his subordinates to begin inventorying the goods and taking statements. "Please cooperate with the investigation."
Li Ming stood in the corner of the warehouse, calmly observing everything. He knew this was no ordinary routine inspection. The timing was too perfect, the target too clear. Zhou Ruilin, or perhaps the forces tacitly approved by Li Yuanshan, had finally mobilized resources within the system—a devastating blow. Using such methods against a student startup project was utterly ruthless.
"Brother Ming, what do we do?" Liu Qiang leaned closer, his voice trembling with tears. "They said they're going to seal it up and impose a fine..."
Li Ming didn't answer; his mind was racing. A direct confrontation would be a dead end; the other side's procedures were compliant, while his own were riddled with loopholes. Beg for mercy? From whom? Zhou Ruilin was waiting to see him make a fool of himself, while Li Yuanshan was waiting for him to bow down.
We must break this deadlock! And we must do so in a way that exceeds the opponent's expectations.
He took a deep breath, walked up to the middle-aged man leading the team, and said in a respectful but not servile manner, "Sir, we do indeed lack experience and have made some oversights in our procedures. We are willing to cooperate actively and rectify them as soon as possible. However, one point needs to be clarified: all the local specialties we sell come from legitimate farmers and cooperatives, are verifiable, and are absolutely guaranteed to be of high quality and safe. They are not 'three-no products' (products without manufacturer's name, address, or production date)." He gestured for Liu Qiang to produce the contracts previously signed with the suppliers and the contact information of some of the farmers.
Then, he changed the subject, his tone carrying the sincerity and even a hint of helplessness typical of students: "We are all students from Jinyang No. 1 Middle School. We started this business in our spare time, firstly to improve ourselves, and secondly to help our hometown's high-quality agricultural products find markets. Perhaps our methods are wrong and have caused you trouble, but we have absolutely no malicious intent." He deliberately emphasized the two key words: "students" and "helping farmers."
The middle-aged man leading the team looked into Li Ming's clear and calm eyes, then glanced at Liu Qiang and Wang Hao, who still looked quite young, and his serious expression seemed to soften slightly. Student entrepreneurship was still a relatively new concept in this era, carrying a certain positive connotation.
Just then, Li Ziqing strode in from outside, clearly having received the news. She ignored the staff and went straight to Li Ming, saying in a low, quick voice, "I've contacted Shen Yan."
Shen Yan? That astute financial reporter? Li Ming's heart skipped a beat.
Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, Shen Yan arrived, panting, carrying a camera bag. He seemed to know the middle-aged man leading the group, and greeted him with a smile: "Wang Ke, such a big commotion? Is this... inspecting students' extracurricular practice projects?"
The middle-aged man, referred to as "Wang Ke," frowned: "Reporter Shen, we are simply carrying out our duties in accordance with the law."
"I understand, I understand." Shen Yan's smile remained unchanged. He took out his notebook and recorder. "Coincidentally, our newspaper is currently working on a special feature on 'Youth Entrepreneurship and the Business Environment.' Wang Ke, could you please share your views and suggestions on student entrepreneurship in our city from a regulatory perspective? For example, how can we encourage innovation and protect this rare enthusiasm while maintaining standardized management?"
Shen Yan's words, seemingly casual yet subtly barbed, instantly elevated a simple law enforcement inspection to the level of "youth entrepreneurship" and "business environment." Wang Ke's expression turned somewhat grim. His instructions were to "investigate and handle the matter according to law," but he hadn't expected it to attract reporters, let alone be labeled with such a serious accusation. Once the matter was reported, regardless of the outcome, it would become sensitive and complicated.
The atmosphere at the scene became subtle. The staff slowed down their inventory checks, and all eyes turned to Wang Ke.
Li Ming spoke again at the opportune moment, his attitude even more sincere: "Section Chief Wang, we realize our mistake. Please give us a chance to correct it. We guarantee to complete all the relevant procedures within the stipulated time and operate in a standardized manner. We are willing to accept supervision and guidance."
Shen Yan's intervention and Li Ming's strategic retreat provided Wang Ke with a way out.
Wang Ke pondered for a moment, then said sternly to Li Ming, "It's good that young people have ideas, but they must act legally and compliantly. Given that this is your first offense and your attitude has been relatively positive, we will temporarily refrain from seizing your property. However!" he emphasized, "You have one week to complete all the necessary paperwork! Otherwise, you will be severely punished! Also, all goods are temporarily removed from the shelves pending the results of a quality inspection!"
After leaving the rectification notice, the inspection team got into their car and left.
Inside the warehouse, everyone breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling utterly exhausted as if they had survived a disaster.
"That was close..." Liu Qiang wiped away a cold sweat.
Zhao Zhen looked at Li Ming and Shen Yan with a complicated expression: "I didn't expect you to have this trick up your sleeve."
Shen Yan put away his equipment and smiled at Li Ming: "Little Li, you're not simple. This is temporarily over, but since they've made their move, they won't give up easily. You need to get yourselves into a more professional organization as soon as possible."
Li Ming nodded solemnly: "Thank you, Reporter Shen, we understand."
He knew that Shen Yan's help was largely due to Li Ziqing's influence and the news value of the story, and he couldn't rely on him every time.
After seeing Shen Yan off, Li Ming looked at the notice of rectification within a specified period and said to the team members, "Did you hear that? One week. Zhao Zhen, you have many connections, so I'm counting on you to get the business license and related permits done as soon as possible, even if it costs money. Wang Hao, work with Zi Qing to compile all the product information and supply chain details into a booklet to prepare for quality inspection. Liu Qiang, continue to be in charge of warehouse organization to ensure it is standardized."
Having made the arrangements, he walked alone outside the warehouse. The setting sun cast a long shadow of him. He knew this was just the first wave. Zhou Ruilin's revenge would not stop here. And Li Yuanshan, more like a silent mountain, watched coldly from afar.
He pulled out his old phone, the cracked screen still visible. He found a text message from his father, Li Jianhua, back in his hometown of Lincheng. The message was simple: asking if he had enough money and if he was settling in well at school. The plain language carried a deep concern from afar.
The disparity in power was so vast. With his reborn prophethood and personal efforts, he had painstakingly accumulated his first pot of gold and a small team, but in the face of true power, he was still as fragile as a candle in the wind.
However, there was no sign of discouragement in his eyes; instead, a more intense flame burned within him.
Formalization and corporatization are only the first steps. He must accumulate capital and build his competitive advantage more quickly.
He returned to the warehouse, turned on his computer, and began searching for information about domain registration, server leasing, and early social networking projects. A bolder, more forward-thinking plan gradually took shape in his mind. E-commerce could accumulate initial capital, but to truly gain a voice, he needed to access the more core, future-oriented traffic entry points.
Just as he was engrossed in planning, his phone vibrated again. It was an unfamiliar local number.
Li Ming frowned and pressed the answer button.
On the other end of the phone came a young male voice, tinged with frivolity and malice; it was Zhou Ruilin:
"Li Ming, the inspection team members, were you very helpful? I heard you have a bedridden father? Working as a gatekeeper at Lincheng Machinery Factory? Tsk tsk, that's really tough. Tell your dad to watch his step; those piles of scrap metal in the factory don't care about anything."
"Click." The call was disconnected.
Li Ming's fingers, gripping the phone tightly, turned white at the knuckles, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged. A cold, unprecedented rage instantly engulfed his entire body.
Zhou Ruilin's threats have extended beyond the business sphere to his family!
The bottom line has been crossed.
Li Ming slowly raised his head, his calm gaze replaced by a sharp, icy glint. He looked out at the deep night, as if he could pierce through time and space to see that arrogant and domineering playboy.
The storm has only just begun. And this time, he no longer intends to merely passively defend.
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