Chapter 165: Another Defeat
The next day, I took Yifan with me, picked up reporter Shu, and went straight to the tobacco and alcohol store run by the Xiang family.
This store is quite big, doing both retail and wholesale, and has quite a few customers.
I said to a female clerk, "Comrade, a case of Maotai liquor, please."
A male clerk carried a case of wine, walked out of the counter, and asked, "Where's your car?"
"Put it on the ground first. I also want to check if it's genuine. Is that okay?"
He stared at me with a strange look: "You want to test?"
"Yes. What if yours is fake?"
The clerk became alert and looked at me with an angry look on his face: "What? We are selling fakes?"
I sneered, "I'm not saying you're selling fake stuff. I just want to open a bottle and try it out. I bought a bottle of 53% alcohol from you last time, and it tasted like plain water. I'm a little suspicious, so why not test it?"
My words attracted the attention of other customers in the store, who gathered around. Reporter Shu blended in with the crowd, with Yifan protecting her. However, Shu didn't have a large camera, only a pinhole camera, so it wouldn't be noticeable to most people.
"If you want to buy it, buy it. If you don't want to buy it, don't buy it. We have been selling wine for more than ten years, and no one has ever said it's fake. We have never had the habit of testing the wine."
"It's never happened before, so can't it be changed?" I shouted sternly.
At this time, the shop assistants began to panic. They knew that the visitor was not friendly, and someone secretly called for help.
"I won't sell it to you, okay? I won't sell it to someone like you."
He bent down to move the box of wine. I stepped on the carton and said, "I'm going to buy this box of wine. I suspect it's fake."
The store erupted in an uproar. A burly man rushed out from behind the counter, squeezed into the crowd, and yelled at me, "Are you blind? Don't you even see who owns this store?"
I, Wan Shanhong, no longer use medicinal skills. Ever since Master Chen taught me how to pick up tofu in water, I have been practicing it every morning. This two-finger Zen skill is basically equivalent to two iron sticks.
I laughed: "Whoever opened it, I will check it. I don't curse or hit anyone. If you want to do it, let me show you my skills first."
I poked the carton with two fingers, slicing it open like a pair of scissors. I pulled out a bottle of wine and pinched it with my fingers. The bottle's mouth made a crisp sound, and the lid gradually cracked. With a touch of my hand, it broke off at the mouth.
This scene scared the two men in the store. They originally wanted to fight, but now they just stared at me viciously.
Yifan pulled out a disposable paper cup she'd prepared. I poured the wine into the cup, took a sip, and then handed it to one of the male employees. "You said it was real wine, drink it yourself. It's 53% alcohol, not even as good as a glass of rice wine."
The waiter hesitated, so I poured another glass and passed it around. One took a sip, another tasted it, and they all exclaimed, "This is wrong! It's definitely not as good as rice wine. Why is it so bland?"
The clerk was also dumbfounded.
I yelled, "Drink!"
The clerk didn't dare to answer it.
At this moment, a man rushed in from outside and shouted loudly:
"Who said my family sells fake goods?"
When I looked, the person coming was Xiang Xi.
When Xiang Xi saw me, she was like an enemy meeting, her eyes red with envy. She pointed at my nose and said, "You're talking nonsense. You're causing trouble again. Who said my family sells fake wine? I've been selling wine for decades."
I snapped, "I told you your family sells fake liquor! Drink it yourself."
"You...you...you...are slandering me."
"Drink it." I pushed the cup towards her face.
She knocked over the paper cup with one hand.
Reporter Shu had already taken out the camera from the car. Suddenly, someone shouted, "Someone's recording."
Xiang Xi looked and saw that there was indeed a woman holding a camera. She rushed forward and tried to grab it.
Yifan yelled, "What are you doing? She's a reporter."
When they heard it was a reporter, a few more shop assistants rushed out. I no longer needed my medicinal power and stood in front of them, shouting, "Who dares to hit a reporter? This is a disaster! Come at me."
This shout really stunned the crowd. But Xiang Xi still rushed forward. Yi Fan deliberately feinted, and Xiang Xi pushed reporter Shu away.
Yifan yelled, "They're beating up reporters! They're beating up reporters!"
I took the opportunity to record a video.
More and more people gathered around. Yifan protected reporter Shu as they got into the car.
Xiang Xi and the shop assistant stopped the car.
I picked up the phone and called the police.
During the stalemate, the police patrolling the street came over.
With the police's protection, reporter Shu got out of the car again and began taking photos of the scene. The police were at a loss as to what to do. They had no choice but to persuade Shu to go to the police station temporarily, citing safety as a pretext.
Reporter Shu said, "Okay, let's go now."
The reporter came to Wuxiang for an undercover investigation. This was no small matter, and he was a famous reporter who was fearless. Immediately, the leaders of the relevant departments came to the police station in person.
Everyone knows how powerful she is because she has sent several people to jail.
Reporter Shu made her demands: First, immediately seal off the Xiang family warehouse to protect the counterfeiting site, and she must be allowed to record the scene. Second, protect the counterfeiters. If these conditions are not met, she must also record and report on the actions of the local government.
The relevant department leaders said to report it immediately and they would definitely not act as a protective umbrella.
As for the specific process of this matter, I will not record it.
On July 20, the provincial TV station broadcast the news segment titled "Wuxiang's crackdown on counterfeiting: Reporter assaulted. How long will counterfeit liquor continue to run rampant?"
On July 21, the provincial TV station broadcast "Wu Township accepts public opinion supervision and launches investigation into fake liquor case."
On July 28, the provincial TV station broadcast "The Wuxiang Fake Liquor Case Leads to the Fake Liquor Manufacturing Chain."
…
I hadn't imagined things would get to this point, nor had Old Li, and certainly not anyone in the Fengyanting neighborhood. Thanks to the involvement of the news media, the case was solved in just over a month, from filing to investigation.
It is a foregone conclusion that the village tyrant Xiang was sent to prison.
In September, the property changed hands. It was a client who had previously had his fortune told. After he took over, his first visit was to me. He said, "Teacher Wan, we will serve you well. If anything goes wrong, tell me, but don't call the reporters. My dear, I'm begging you."
Wan Shanhong suddenly became a celebrity in Wuxiang. Some said he had defeated Wuxiang Mo Xia, the Wuxiang fortune-telling community, and Director Xiang, and that he was a man to be reckoned with.
I discovered a truth: either be a person like my master, who is good at dealing with people, has a powerful presence but hides his authority, and no one dares to bully him; or be a person who cannot be provoked.
Because they couldn't afford to offend, the guards wouldn't dare to stop them when they heard they were looking for Wan Shanhong. Instead, they would say respectfully, "Go quickly, there's a queue for the master."
If a customer talks until one in the morning, as long as he says that he had a late-night conversation with Master Wan, the security guard will not dare to offend him for fear of getting into trouble.
My shop is always crowded because it's not just because I have good skills, but also because of the reputation behind it. When people come to see Master Wan, the doorman is always polite, which makes them feel respected.
Things are getting better.
Just as I was about to take root here and become the "mountain king" of the city's fortune-telling community, Lao Xiao drove over with his group's chairman, Chen Yousheng...
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