The salty life in Life of Pi

Chapter 79 You Should Thank the Police

Wu Xianyu on the other side of the phone recalled Jiang Tianhao's description.

"Yes, my classmate said that a group of people in black suits walked in directly. Although they didn't take any action, they still threatened us verbally."

"Then can you ask your classmate to communicate with me personally?"

Wu Xianyu looked at Jiang Tianhao who was already dumbfounded and signaled with his eyes.

"Sure, he's right across from me now."

Handing the phone to Jiang Tianhao, Wu Xianyu briefly explained

"Just tell the truth about the situation at that time, don't make any subjective judgments"

After a while, Jiang Tianhao returned the phone to Wu Xianyu.

"Captain Li said he knew and needed to contact my parents and asked for our home address."

"Then let's hand it over to the police. Otherwise, there's nothing we can do as minors."

After hanging up the phone, Captain Li frowned and thought for a while. It was difficult to get direct evidence in such a matter. Even if the person was caught, he would probably only be detained for a few days, which would have a bad impact on the Jiang family.

After hesitating for a while, Captain Li stood up and walked towards the director's office to report.

After knocking on the door, Captain Li walked into the office and stood in front of the director.

"Director Wang, we received a call from the public saying that the Jiang family, which recently went bankrupt, was threatened by an underground bank. I would like to bring two people to their home to ask them in detail."

"Ok?"

Director Wang looked at his computer.
"I don't see any record of receiving a call from the police."

"He called me directly. I don't know if you remember, Director Wang, the counterfeit currency case we uncovered during the Chinese New Year last year. The high school student who provided us with important evidence was a classmate of the Jiang family's child, so he called me directly."

As he spoke, Captain Li took out his cell phone and pulled up the call record.

Director Wang looked at the name on the call log, raised his eyelids slightly, thought for a moment, stood up, and looked at Captain Li.

"Let's put it this way. We will focus on this matter. We won't care if the business loses money or goes bankrupt, but if it threatens the safety of the people, it is our responsibility. You should bring more people with you and deal with those who are caught seriously. I will give you a tip in advance. The whole country will crack down on it again soon. Do you understand what I mean?"

Captain Li was no fool. When he heard this, his expression became serious. He stood up straight and saluted politely.

"Yes! I guarantee to complete the task."

After leaving the office, Captain Li looked at the name on his phone with a flickering look in his eyes. He had seen the director's behavior just now and saved Wu Xianyu's phone number. Captain Li did not delay and came to the front, put on his police uniform, and gave orders to several police officers who had nothing to do.

"You guys, come with me."

After thinking for a while, he whispered

"Bring your guns"

After all, it is an underground money house. Just hearing the name you can tell it is not clean, so Captain Li is also being cautious.

A group of people drove out of the Public Security Bureau in two cars without turning on the police lights and arrived in front of the Jiang family's villa.

When Captain Li got out of the car, he saw several black vans parked at the door. He was startled and asked the police to follow him.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry up, get your guns ready!"

The group was moving at a fast pace. When they reached the door, they heard voices of conversation coming from inside. Captain Li breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that no action had been taken.

"Boss Jiang, since you can't come up with the money now, there's nothing much for us to talk about. But it's not right for us brothers to come out and not bring something back. How about treating everyone to a meal? This shouldn't be a big deal for you, right?"

As he walked into the Jiang family's villa, he heard a very arrogant voice. Captain Li turned the corridor and saw a group of people gathered in the living room. They were wearing colorful clothes, and some of them were holding baseball bats. They shouted
"Everyone, put down your weapons, put your hands on your head, and lie on the ground!"

The yellow-haired leader saw the police and had a bad look on his face, but he was not panicked at all. He squatted on the ground with his head in his hands and threatened Jiang Qilong with his mouth.

"You dare to call the police? Just wait for me."

But Jiang Qilong was also confused, he didn't call the police.

Captain Li saw that the situation was under control, so he came up to Jiang Qilong and saluted.
"Excuse me, is this Mr. Jiang Qilong? Could you please come with us to the Public Security Bureau?"

Turning his head to look at Duan Xiaohong who was a little panicked, Jiang Qilong patted her hands.

"Pack your things at home first, I'll be back soon"

"Don't worry, we're just taking a statement, and we'll send someone to bring Mr. Jiang back later."

Captain Li spoke in a gentle tone, watching the colorful people around him being taken out, and explained softly:

"It was your son who called the police. Please go to the police station and tell them the details, Mr. Jiang."

Duan Xiaohong was relieved to hear that it was her son who called the police, but Jiang Qilong had a headache. It was right for her son to call the police, but sometimes she really couldn't call the police.

When they arrived at the Public Security Bureau in a police car, Captain Li personally took Jiang Qilong's statement, poured him a glass of water, and explained in detail.

"Mr. Jiang, you don't have to worry about the follow-up. Those people will definitely not cause you any trouble in the future, so you can tell us anything that happens."

Hearing this, Jiang Qilong's heart moved. He seemed to have seen something similar more than ten years ago. Licking his lips, Jiang Qilong made up his mind to speak.

"Actually, this isn't the first time we've been threatened. Previously, it was the bald boss Meng who brought people to threaten us, but they only threatened us verbally and didn't bring any weapons. This is the first time they came on their own."

Nodding, Captain Li signaled Jiang Qilong to continue
"Then tell me what happened this time. Why did I run straight to your house?"

"Ugh"

Jiang Qilong looked tired, leaning back on his chair.
"I borrowed some money from an underground bank, and it's not due yet. I guess they heard about our bankruptcy and came to my house early because they were afraid they wouldn't get the money."

"How much do you owe, and are you able to repay it?"

"Yes, we owe three million, but our trademark can be sold for five million, and many people have clearly expressed their interest."

Nodding, Captain Li stood up and extended his hand to Jiang Qilong.

"Okay, I understand. I'll stop here for the transcript. I'll contact you if I need you. I'll take you out."

Jiang Qilong was a little confused. How could it end so hastily? But he still shook the hand that Captain Li extended and was sent out of the Public Security Bureau.

After leaving the noisy Public Security Bureau lobby, Captain Li exchanged contact information with Jiang Qilong and personally sent him to the police car.

Jiang Qilong returned home in a daze, still a little confused, but he was sure of one thing, that this was a good thing. Duan Xiaohong was relieved to see that Jiang Qilong returned safely, and she cooked a bowl of noodles with gravy herself.

Jiang Qilong was indeed hungry, so he picked up the noodles and started eating. Halfway through, the doorbell rang. Duan Xiaohong got up and walked towards the door, saying, "You eat first, I'll go see who it is."

Jiang Qilong nodded, but his eyes still looked towards the door.

As the door opened, Duan Xiaohong spoke in surprise

"Lao Li?! Why are you here?"

Lao Li and Jiang Qilong have a very good relationship. They have known each other since they were humble, but Jiang Qilong has better luck and means, and he rose to prominence faster, accumulating assets worth hundreds of millions in just a few years.

Old Li is the type who takes things step by step. He has developed over the years, but certainly not as fast as Jiang Qilong's family. When his family got into trouble, Old Li was the first to help. It's just that he only has assets worth tens of millions, so he really can't be of much help. Later, he was threatened by Boss Meng, so he didn't dare to help. No one knew what he came for this time.

Old Li was carrying a bag and his forehead was covered with sweat. He ran over immediately after hearing the news from a relative of his. He had a smile on his face and greeted Duan Xiaohong first. When he saw Jiang Qilong sticking his head out, he sat down in front of him without any hesitation and told him the good news.
"Did you know that Meng Guangtou was arrested?"

"Huh? When?"

"Just now, I guess you were still in the police station at that time, so it's normal that you didn't know. It really is retribution. You did so many dirty things, and now you are being punished."

Jiang Qilong shook his head. He was not so optimistic.

"I don't think anything will happen to him. He is a clean man and he is not a fool."

"Yes, he will be fine, but he won't be able to do anything he wants to do. For example, he won't threaten me again if I want to buy your trademark."

Hearing this, Jiang Qilong stopped eating noodles, looked at Lao Li, and nodded slightly.

"Yes, I feel comfortable handing over our trademark to you. Let's say five million. The main thing is that I still owe money and I really need the money urgently. Otherwise, I would give it to you for free."

"Ten million, how about that? You also said that you are in urgent need of money. Wait until you are back on your feet and buy it back. I won't charge you any interest, and I will still sell it to you for ten million then."

"Need not"

Jiang Qilong smiled
"I don't have the heart to do that anymore. I'll give it to my son. Ten million is too much. I feel bad for my son. Five million is enough. The pressure won't be that great."

"That's it"

Old Li sighed, feeling a little sorry that his friend had no intention of making a comeback, but he could understand it. He sniffed and wiped the corners of his mouth.

"Do you have any noodles left? Give me a bowl too. I'm in a hurry and haven't eaten yet."

Jiang Qilong was stunned and laughed
"Yes, yes, yes. We only have a little food left at home. Xiaohong, give Lao Li a bowl of noodles as well."

“Coming soon”

The two old men sat on the sofa, ate noodles with a slurp, lit a cigarette and talked about the past. When they talked about the past, they heard Jiang Qilong talking about Jiang Tianhao. Old Li was happy and a little envious. He wondered when his own child would grow up.

Elite High School, boys dormitory.

Wu Xianyu came back from the balcony and just hung up the call. He looked at Jiang Tianhao who had been pacing in the dormitory with an anxious look on his face since he received the call.
"Don't worry, uncle is fine. He has been sent home. Those who caused the trouble have been arrested. The bald boss Meng has also been taken to the police station for questioning. There is no problem with your family's safety."

"Huh, that's good"

Jiang Tianhao first saw the news on Wu Xianyu's mobile phone. He was nervous when he saw the police taking a lot of people away from his home. But when he heard that nothing was wrong at home, he immediately relaxed.

The tense nerves relaxed, and Jiang Tianhao's eyes became red as he looked at Wu Xianyu.

"Xianyu, thank you. If you hadn't reminded me to call the police, something might have happened to my parents tonight."

“You should thank the police.”

Wu Xianyu speechlessly pushed away Jiang Tianhao who wanted to hug her.
"I just called the police. I didn't go to protect my uncle and aunt. You can rest assured now. Just study hard. I heard from Captain Li that your trademark has been decided to be sold."

“Well, I’m mentally prepared.”

When talking about his family's trademark, Jiang Tianhao still felt depressed.

Wu Xianyu didn't say much. He patted Jiang Tianhao on the shoulder, turned off his phone, and lay down on the bed to go to sleep.

Jiang Qilong acted quickly. After signing the contract and getting the money, he paid back the money to the underground bank. He spent the rest of the time cleaning up the house with Duan Xiaohong and preparing to move to the Country Garden. As for the bank debt, they were very anxious at first, but for some reason they stopped pushing for it these days.

Just after moving the last load of luggage to the new home, Jiang Qilong's cell phone rang. Seeing that it was Lao Li, he picked it up immediately.
"Hey, what's going on?"

"Lao Jiang, I really want to change your sign. If you are reluctant, I will stop it."

"Change it, Haohao will have his own trademark, why keep mine, it's an eyesore"

"Okay, I get it. I'll get started then. We're going out for a drink tonight, so we should have finished moving by now."

"Okay, I'll go after I finish cleaning the house."

Sitting on the sofa, Jiang Qilong looked at the screen of his mobile phone, but his attention was wandering somewhere else. After a while, he looked at the large and small boxes at home, then stood up and cleaned the house.

Jiang Tianhao, who had devoted himself to studying, was suddenly told something during the afternoon break.
"Haozi, the signs of your branches have all been taken down."

Jiang Tianhao barely finished the afternoon class, but he knew that he didn't listen to anything. Taking advantage of the last self-study class, Jiang Tianhao wanted to sneak out of the school, but he hesitated when he stood in the gap of the wall. He gritted his teeth and went to the office to find Zhao Rongbao.

"Teacher, I want to ask for leave"

Old Zhao also knew about Jiang Tianhao's family, so he didn't look impatient. Instead, he asked with concern:
"Is there something wrong? Do you need a teacher to take you there?"

After a moment of silence, Jiang Tianhao took a deep breath and spoke

“I want to see our sign.”

Hearing this, Zhao Rongbao remained silent. After a short while, he picked up his car keys, stood up, put his arm around Jiang Tianhao's shoulders and walked out of the office.

"Come on, the teacher will go with you. I am really worried about you going out alone."

He drove Jiang Tianhao to the Jiang Family Kitchen branch near the school. Through the car window, Jiang Tianhao looked at the bare storefront and felt very upset, but he remained silent.

Zhao Rongbao kept an eye on Jiang Tianhao as he drove towards the main store of Jiang's Kitchen.

Along the way, Jiang Tianhao could see the scene of his family's sign being taken down from time to time. Seeing those words falling to the ground and shattered into pieces, Jiang Tianhao felt that his body was also shattered.

Until they arrived at the head office, Jiang Tianhao looked at the workers busy at work through the car window, his eyes became more and more sad, but soon, Zhao Rongbao found something wrong, the sound was not loud, but it was still very obvious in the closed car.
"Hey, this doesn't look like dismantling, it looks like installing something."

Jiang Tianhao reacted, opened the car door, walked a few steps closer, and saw a small trademark on the upper left corner of the Jiang Family Kitchen sign.
"Lee."

Jiang Tianhao could no longer hold back his tears, his vision instantly became blurred, and he knew that it was Uncle Li who helped save his family's brand.

(End of this chapter)