169: Chapter 169 A Glimpse into a Noodle Shop

Zhu Wenhao found a square table in the middle, sat down, and calmly looked around.

The emptiness of a restaurant often conceals the most authentic realities of grassroots governance.

Holding a greasy rag in her hand, the proprietress stood behind the counter, looking ill at ease.

"Everyone," the proprietress finally shuffled forward and said, "this noodle shop... isn't open for business today. Please go eat somewhere else."

Zhu Wenhao sat calmly in his chair, not saying a word.

Director Xu Jie smoothly took over the conversation.

"Auntie Cui, what's wrong?" Director Xu Jie asked in a very gentle tone, pointing to Zhu Wenhao beside her. "This young man and I came here for noodles just a few days ago. Your broth is so authentic, and business has always been booming. Why are you suddenly closing up?"

Auntie Cui gave a couple of dry laughs, her hands tightly wringing the rag, a troubled look on her face.

Observing her expression, Director Xu Jie knew that to get Auntie Cui to talk, she had to reassure her first. Turning to Police Chief Zhao Gang sitting on the other side, she introduced, "Auntie Cui, don't be afraid. This is Director Zhao from our Town Police Station."

Director Xu Jie calmly played her trump card. "You've heard about the case in Heishui Village from a few days ago, right? The ones who completely wiped out Zhang Xing's gang of village bullies were led by Director Zhao."

Hearing this, Auntie Cui's dull eyes instantly lit up. She stared intently at Police Chief Zhao Gang, her eyes turning slightly red.

"That's wonderful... Director Zhao, you are truly an upright official," Auntie Cui said, her voice trembling with irrepressible excitement. "Zhang Xing and his gang of thugs have been running rampant on this street for so many years, eating and taking things without paying. Finally, someone has dealt with them."

Once fear found an outlet, grievance gushed out like water from a burst dam.

"Auntie, please sit down and tell us," Director Xu Jie said, pulling out a bench. "It's right in the middle of the lunch rush, the busiest time of day. Why aren't you allowed to open? Just tell us if you've run into any trouble."

With the success of the anti-gang campaign in Heishui Village as reassurance, most of Auntie Cui's worries faded. She let out a long sigh and draped the rag over her shoulder.

"Originally, we were open and doing fine this afternoon, with over a dozen tables completely filled," Auntie Cui lowered her voice. "Suddenly, Director Zhang Qiu of the Town Health Clinic came in with two uniformed staff members."

"As soon as they arrived, without saying a word, they barged straight into the kitchen with law enforcement recorders strapped to their chests. They looked around for less than two minutes, and when they came out, their faces had completely changed. They claimed our shop's hygiene was severely substandard, posing a major food safety hazard, and decided on the spot to fine us fifty thousand yuan."

Fifty thousand yuan.

For a roadside shop that made its living selling bowls of noodles, this was practically several years of net profit.

"They even wanted to shut down our shop on the spot," Auntie Cui said, tears welling up in her eyes. "My husband, Old Qi, is an honest man. When he heard they were going to shut us down, he panicked. He thought they were just trying to extort some money since the New Year is approaching. So, Old Qi took off his apron, grabbed the entire day's revenue of over a thousand yuan from the drawer, and went over to hand it to Director Zhang, begging for some leniency."

As Auntie Cui said this, she wished she could slap herself.

"Who would have thought that Director Zhang was waiting for exactly that? As soon as Old Qi handed over the money, Director Zhang stepped back, pointed at Old Qi's nose, and accused him of openly bribing a public official. He even tapped the machine on his chest and said, 'We are recording all of this. This is called bribery.'"

"After saying that, he issued us the maximum penalty notice, giving us a deadline to pay the fine at the health clinic. Until the fine is paid in full, we must suspend operations and rectify the issues. Anyone who dares to open will be arrested."

Zhu Wenhao felt a cold chill in his heart after hearing this.

Entrapment and fabricated charges. Such tactics had long moved past traditional extortion and evolved into "procedural plundering" cloaked in a legal guise.

"Are there usually many people coming to the town to collect arbitrary fees?" Zhu Wenhao asked, his tone steady.

Seeing how composed Zhu Wenhao was, Auntie Cui assumed he was an assistant traveling with Director Zhao, so she poured her heart out completely.

"How could there not be? All kinds of fees—hygiene, fire safety, city appearance—different groups of people come every few days. Some write IOUs, while others just take the money and leave without writing anything. If we don't pay? The next day, they'll tear down our shop's signboard."

After saying this, Auntie Cui turned and went behind the counter. After rummaging around for a moment, she brought out a thick stack of crumpled receipts and IOUs, walked back, and handed them to Zhu Wenhao.

Zhu Wenhao reached out and took them.

The papers were stained with old grease, and the handwriting on them was scribbled messily. Some read "Hygiene Inspection Withholding Fee," others read "Street Cleaning Coordination Fee," but most were just IOUs with only amounts and thumbprints.

He spread the stack of receipts flat on the table.

"Director Xu Jie," Zhu Wenhao tapped his knuckles beside the receipts. "Get your phone and take photos of all these IOUs and the penalty notice. Don't miss a single one, keep a backup."

Director Xu Jie did as instructed, pulling out her phone, adjusting the lighting, and capturing the evidence one by one.

"Once you're done, package them and send them to Director Li Qiang of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection."

Since they had stationed themselves here under the banner of "rectifying work style issues in Heishi Town," he would deliver a very real "work style issue" right to them.

Zhu Wenhao instructed systematically, "When you send the materials over, pass a message to Director Li Qiang. Say this: Comrade Su Qinghan from the Third Office of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection went to the grassroots level for research today and happened to receive a real-name report from the public regarding arbitrary fee collection and entrapment by town agencies. The relevant physical evidence has been secured. In a few days, the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection will issue a special follow-up letter regarding this matter."

The nail left behind by the county had instead become a free thug to clean house for him.

Su Qinghan, who had remained silent the entire time, did not feel angered upon hearing Zhu Wenhao unabashedly use her Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection title. Instead, she naturally straightened her back a bit, tacitly agreeing to the endorsement.

"Understood, Secretary Zhu. I'll coordinate with Director Li in a moment." Director Xu Jie put her phone away.

Zhu Wenhao turned to Auntie Cui. "Auntie, the town will take care of your matter. Not only will we handle it, but we will also re-establish the rules."

He pointed to the IOUs on the table. "From what you said just now, when they came for law enforcement in the past, they would just take a small amount of money or write an IOU and leave. Why did they have to be so ruthless today and shut down the shop directly?"

Reassured by the bearing of Director Zhao and the others, Auntie Cui grew bolder.

"Director Zhang Qiu of the health clinic indeed used to come every few days to eat, sign a tab, and then just throw down two hundred yuan at the end of the year to settle it. Today's incident wasn't about inspecting hygiene at all."

Auntie Cui reached out her rough hand and pointed across the street.

Everyone looked in the direction she pointed. Directly across the road, a newly decorated noodle shop with a bright red signboard had recently opened, with several grand opening flower baskets still standing in front of the door.

"That's the newly opened 'Zhangs Noodle Shop,'" Auntie Cui gritted her teeth. "The owner is from the first branch of the Zhang Clan in Heishui Village. Director Zhang Qiu of the health clinic is actually his cousin by generation."

Using public power to conduct a blatant commercial sweep. The tentacles of clan forces had not only seized mines and land, but now they even wanted to wipe out the profits of a single bowl of noodles in the town.

Competing with the people for profit, stripping them of their last means of survival.

Such evil deeds crossed Zhu Wenhao's bottom line of governance.

Just as Auntie Cui was about to continue, a harsh screech of brakes suddenly sounded outside the shop.

A car with a "Hygiene Supervision" logo parked at the entrance.

The door curtain was violently swept aside, letting the cold wind pour in.

"Old Qi! Old woman Cui!"

A man with parted hair, wearing a uniform and carrying a briefcase, strode in, followed by two young men in uniform.

"Didn't I order you to shut down for rectification? Why is the main door still wide open? Are you treating my words as a joke?!"

The newcomer was indeed the director of the health clinic, Director Zhang Qiu.

In the back lounge, Uncle Qi, who had been holding back his anger, rushed out upon hearing the commotion. The old man was shaking with rage.

"Director Zhang, we've run this noodle shop on this street for over a decade. Our hygiene has always been spotless, and we've never made anyone sick! Your machine just swung around inside, and you say we're substandard. On what grounds?"

Director Zhang Qiu sneered, pulling a document out of his briefcase and slapping it loudly against his hand.

"On what grounds? The machine recorded it crystal clear: raw and cooked foods aren't separated in the kitchen, and rat-proofing facilities are substandard. We law enforcement officers go by evidence. How could we be wrong?"

"Let me tell you, even if the King of Heaven himself came today, this shop is getting sealed tight! If that fifty thousand yuan fine is short by even a single penny, you'll be waiting to get arrested!"

Auntie Cui was so anxious that she reached out to pull Director Zhang Qiu's sleeve, wanting to say something to soften the blow.

Right then, Zhu Wenhao, who had been sitting calmly at the head of the square table, stood up.

"Director Zhang."

His volume wasn't high, yet it carried a solemnity that held the power of life and death.

"What grand authority. What a swift and decisive style of law enforcement."

Director Zhang Qiu was about to flare up, wanting to follow the voice and curse out whichever reckless peasant dared to cross him. But when he turned his head and his eyes met the straight-backed young man in the dark jacket, the arrogance on his face instantly froze.

He had seen this deputy secretary at Town Government meetings.

"Se... Secretary Zhu," Director Zhang Qiu's voice cracked. "Wh... What are you doing here?"

"I am merely a diner who came to this old shop for a bowl of noodles." Zhu Wenhao stood with his hands behind his back, walking steadily toward Director Zhang Qiu.

He stopped in front of Director Zhang Qiu, his gaze like ice.

"Since Director Zhang repeatedly insists on evidence, it just so happens that I am here today. Why don't we conduct a joint on-site law enforcement action together?"

Zhu Wenhao reached out, making a gesture of invitation toward the kitchen door.

"Let's go, Director Zhang. Lead the way. Let's go to the kitchen together and see exactly how substandard this restaurant's hygiene is."