Chapter 119: Connections Make Things Easier

However, at this moment, he was too worried about Black Calf to have any appetite. The boiled fish he put in his mouth tasted like wax.

Ding Lan noticed this and urged him, "Don't be like this. It’s hard enough to get you to come out and have a meal with me; can you stop looking so glum?"

"I'm not," Liu Xing replied, forcing a smile.

Seeing that even he felt his smile was fake, he put down his chopsticks and returned to a serious expression. "Sister, regardless of anything else, I really have to thank you for telling me so much today. Otherwise, if something happened to Black Calf, I wouldn't even know why."

"You don't need to thank me for that." Knowing Liu Xing had already eaten, Ding Lan stopped worrying about his meal. She picked up a spoon, ladled some fish soup into her bowl of rice, stirred it well, and began to eat with refined grace.

Halfway through, she suddenly dropped her bowl and chopsticks. "Oh my! It's so spicy! The food in this little restaurant is very authentic, but it's just too spicy."

"Sichuan cuisine is naturally spicy," Liu Xing said with a smile.

"That's true." Seeing the short girl busily bringing more dishes to the table, Ding Lan called out, "That's enough, that's enough! If you bring any more, we won't be able to finish it."

"Okay!" the short girl promised, but she didn't slow down her pace of bringing dishes to the table.

This left Ding Lan feeling both amused and helpless.

Liu Xing, however, didn't pay her any mind. "Sister, let me ask you something. If some villagers from Old House Village want to apply for temporary business licenses for the market, is the procedure complicated?"

"Why are you asking that?" Ding Lan took a sip of tea and picked up her bowl to continue eating.

Seeing Liu Xing looking a bit embarrassed, she added, "It's not complicated. For a temporary business license, you just need to have a word with the relevant staff at the Administration for Industry and Commerce. However, it has a limited duration. If it were me, I wouldn't bother with a temporary one."

"People at the market only sell things on the third and eighth days of the lunar calendar; who would apply for a formal business license? That would be a waste of money," Liu Xing said, voicing his thoughts.

Of course, these were also the thoughts of people like Nie Quan and Zhang Jinde who wanted to do business at the market. After all, once a formal business license was obtained, taxes had to be paid every month. Although it wasn't much, for rural people, it was still a burden, and a significant one at that.

"Oh! So you want to help the villagers of Old House Village get temporary licenses!" Ding Lan suddenly understood. "Then give me a report on it. I'll speak to my father when the time comes, and it won't take more than a few days to get it done."

"Actually, you don't need to go to that much trouble. Just let those villagers who want to do business go ahead and do it boldly, as long as they aren't selling contraband. Because the policy of Reform and Opening-up is meant to let a portion of the people get rich first. As for the business license, once the business is on the right track, they can apply for it later." After a pause, Ding Lan added.

This was exactly why she had brought the enforcement officers from the Administration for Industry and Commerce to the black market without interfering with other private traders. The current policy allowed it; if the Administration for Industry and Commerce dared to go against the policy and act recklessly, they would face severe consequences.

"Sister, your words have given me peace of mind!" For some reason, Liu Xing’s appetite returned. He picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of bacon fried to a golden brown on both sides, and put it in his mouth. "If that’s the case, I’ll have the confidence to manage the market. By the way, Sister, your high-heeled sandals are ready. When you have time, you can go to my sister's place and take a look. If there’s anything you don't like, I can still make adjustments."

"Really?" Ding Lan was overjoyed upon hearing this.

Seeing that the other diners had mostly left, she said in a low voice, "I will definitely go get the shoes when your shop opens. Right now, I have something very important to tell you. Do you know what Niu Lianfang and Director Wu were doing today?"

"How would I know that?" Liu Xing smiled.

"They went to the Fengheng Phosphate Fertilizer Factory," Ding Lan lowered her voice further. "You might not know this, but based on your tip last time, Director Wu sent people to the factory and found dozens of tons of fake phosphate fertilizer, as well as a large amount of production equipment and a complete record of the sales chain."

"Xiao Daode and other leaders of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative are involved in this. This time, Director Wu, Niu Lianfang, and the others went to the factory in person to force Xiao Daode to confess."

"Of course, in the face of overwhelming evidence, it’s impossible for Xiao Daode to deny it now, because the manager of the Fengheng Phosphate Fertilizer Factory, after being arrested, immediately sold out Xiao Daode and the others."

Ding Lan said everything she knew in one breath. Seeing Liu Xing’s look of shock, she couldn't help but laugh.

However, she quickly wiped the smile off her face. "So, now is the best time for you to take over the management of the market. As long as you don't do anything illegal, no one will dare to bother you, because leaders like Xiao Daode of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative don't have the time to find trouble for you; they might not even be able to save their own lives!"

"Are you saying that Xiao Daode is likely to be executed?" Liu Xing asked after regaining his composure.

"Based on his crimes, being shot ten times wouldn't be enough," Ding Lan picked up her teacup and took a sip. "But I must state first, I am not with the Bureau of Justice, so I can't confirm this for sure, but Xiao Daode is definitely finished."

"Hmm," Liu Xing nodded in agreement.

Selling fake and shoddy products, and it involved grain at that. If he wasn't dragged out and shot, then the era he was living in wouldn't be called the "eighties."

"However, to protect you, Director Wu did not include your name in the case files for this fake fertilizer case. You might lose out on some of the credit for solving the case, so don't be unhappy about it!" Ding Lan reminded him with a smile.

"Am I that kind of person?" Liu Xing laughed along.

"That's true," Ding Lan had to admit.

At the same time, she felt a bit envious of Director Wu for having such a clever nephew as Liu Xing. Otherwise, given Director Wu's connections and capabilities, he might never have been able to gain a foothold in the Municipal Bureau.

But now, with the fake fertilizer case broken, besides receiving commendations from his superiors, Director Wu was likely headed for a promotion. After all, in the early eighties, a fake fertilizer case of this magnitude was rare nationwide.

"Let's not talk about these unpleasant things anymore." Liu Xing picked up a piece of bacon for Ding Lan. "Let's eat. There’s so much food; it would be a shame not to finish it or have to pack it up."

"Hmm, this bacon is truly excellent," Ding Lan nodded in agreement.

...

After the two were full and satisfied, they rested at the small restaurant for another half hour. Seeing that Zhou Can had not returned, Liu Xing told Ding Lan he was leaving and got up to go to the kitchen to pay the bill.

At the stove, Boss Wang was waiting for this very moment.

Seeing Liu Xing approach, he quickly put down his kitchen knife. "Did you eat and drink well?"

"Yes, how much do I owe you?" Liu Xing asked.

"What talk of money? You are Zhou Can's master, which makes you an honored guest of mine, Old Wang. This meal is on the house," Boss Wang said with a smile.

"That won't do," Liu Xing laughed.

"Oh! There's no such thing as 'won't do.' I heard from Zhou Can that you have a say in the matter of handling individual business licenses. Just put in a good word for me when the time comes." Seeing Liu Xing take out money, Boss Wang immediately voiced his hidden agenda.

"Even so, I can't eat your food for free." Liu Xing took out twenty yuan and placed it in Boss Wang's hand. "How about this: come with me now to speak to Sister Ding Lan about getting the individual business license for this little restaurant. Maybe she'll be in a good mood today and get it processed for you when we go back."

"Okay! Okay!" Boss Wang was eager for this. After giving Liu Xing his change, he led the way out of the kitchen.

"Is the bill settled?" Ding Lan asked casually as she saw Liu Xing walking over.

"Yes, but there is something Boss Wang would like to ask for your help with," Liu Xing poured himself a cup of tea.

"What is it?" Ding Lan looked at Boss Wang in surprise.

This look made Boss Wang feel a bit nervous. After all, he wasn't familiar with Ding Lan, an enforcement officer from the Administration for Industry and Commerce, and didn't know what she was thinking.

But in the end, he summoned the courage to say what he wanted: "I would like... I would like to apply for an individual business license for my little restaurant. I wonder if that's possible?"

"Pfft..." Ding Lan, who was drinking tea, spat it out upon hearing this, a teasing smile on her pretty face. "Why wouldn't it be? But I don't have time to process it for you today. Tomorrow, or the day after, come to the Administration for Industry and Commerce and find me personally, and I will process it for you."

"Let me tell you, the policy from above has now relaxed the approval for individual business licenses. As long as your little restaurant is operating legally, an individual business license is very easy to get."

"Really?" Boss Wang couldn't believe his ears. After all, he had gone to the Administration for Industry and Commerce last year, and the interrogation he faced had almost scared him to death. Now that Ding Lan was telling him this, he even doubted whether the Administration for Industry and Commerce he had visited last year was real.

"Of course it's true. Would I lie to you?" Ding Lan checked the time. "Alright, I have things to do, so I'm leaving first. If you have any questions, I'll answer them when you get to the Administration for Industry and Commerce."

"Okay! Okay!" Boss Wang nodded repeatedly.

"I'm off." Liu Xing reached out and patted Boss Wang on the shoulder, then walked out of the restaurant alongside Ding Lan.