Chapter 23: Chapter 21 Protection Fee? (Please Collect and Rmend!)_1


    Tang Qing silently watched the customers pouring in.


    In the hall.


    Proposing toasts, ying dice games, calling each other brothers and sisters, couples unting their love, and noisy spoiled brats running around - he smiled happily, because... all of these represented money.


    "Jing, did anything happen these days? Other than in financial aspects?" Tang Qing casually asked.


    Zhang Jing rarely called him normally.


    She only made weekly report calls.


    Hence, the question.


    "Actually, there was something. A couple of days ago, when we didn''t have many customers in the afternoon, three guys came asking for protection money, threatening that they would cause trouble at the entrance if not paid. They seemed pretty fierce," she said.


    "Thinking it was better to spend some money to avoid disaster, Boss Li gave them three thousand yuan. Those hooligans said they woulde to collect every month. Boss Li wanted to talk to you personally about this, so I didn''t mention it until now."


    Zhang Jing was somewhat anxious.


    She feared that Tang Qing would think her incapable because she didn''t tell him about such a significant matter, which made her feel uneasy.


    "Hooligans? Protection money?"


    Tang Qing spoke in a low voice.


    Such a situation happening at his own restaurant was beyond his expectation. He had never encountered such a thing in his past life. After all, the government had been quite strict in its crackdown against such disruptive economic behaviours.


    In hister years.


    Under the firm crackdown of the government.


    There was usually no chance ofrge-scale extortion happening.


    Moreover, with the rapid development of the national economy, there were so many ways to make money, there was no need for these reprehensible actions that could easily spark public outrage, and ultimately be a target of suppression.


    Every time he saw news about someone being caught for extortion.


    Tang Qing could onlybel them as -- Stupid.


    Their predecessors were transforming.


    Many of them had monopolized businesses in certain industries locally, which was safe and rxing. The so-called gangs and sects portrayed in novels simply couldn''t exist nor have any room for survival domestically.


    At most, there would be grey matter groups.


    When others abandon things they didn''t want to touch or dare to pick up, you foolishly pick them up, how it could have a good oue. Speaking of this, Tang Qing couldn''t help but againin about the Hong Kong and Taiwan gang movies.


    What sort of ideas would mentally unbnced teenagers who saw such things have? Forming gangs in schools, emting gang behaviours, worshiping big brothers, unsure about how many people have gone astray due to this, leading to many being bullied in schools by such people.


    Talking about the matter at hand.


    But now in 2004.


    He couldn''t guarantee that there was no such organization.


    Furthermore, he wasn''t sure if it was local or a group of drifters doing such things.


    "Did the other shops pay?" Tang Qing asked.


    "Doesn''t seem like it, Uncle Li asked around a few other shops and they hadn''t," Zhang Jing answered honestly.


    Hearing this.


    Tang Qing immediately understood that these were drifters.


    They move from ce to cemitting crimes, threateningrge restaurants to pay money and settle the matter. Thinking about it, if they were collecting protection money in an organized and systematic way, the police would have long since crushed them into bits, they wouldn''t be so arrogant.


    Thinking of this, Tang Qing didn''t say anything, he would discuss with Li Jianguoter. He didn''t me Li Jianguo for not telling him, after all, as business people, it''s often better to avoid trouble than to invite it.


    Even though he knew that his uncle was a police officer, a deputy station chief.


    But that''s South City.


    It''s not under his jurisdiction. Li Jianguo probably didn''t want to bother his uncle, or perhaps did not dare threaten those hooligans using his uncle''s name without his consent.


    Tang Qing''s initial reaction was to use his uncle to solve these problems.


    However, there was a problem.


    This ce was not under his uncle''s jurisdiction.


    Furthermore, the station chief here had a grudge with his uncle. Even if it was manipted through his uncle, it could beplicated and might cause a lot of trouble in the future, so he did not want to trouble his uncle.


    Just that.


    If Li Jianguo could swallow this, how could he ever swallow this? If there is a first time, there will be a second time, a third time...


    My money.


    Isn''t that easy to pocket.


    Tang Qing clenched his fist.


    Then, Tang Qingforted Zhang Jing, telling her not to overthink and praised her for doing the right thing, as this wasn''t a serious issue and hadn''t impacted his core interests, and he didn''t me her.


    "Anything else?" Tang Qing asked again.


    "Another thing, a few days ago, some officials came from certain departments, and Uncle Li spent a total of six thousand yuan to deal with it," Zhang Jing said truthfully. Hearing that Tang Qing didn''t me her, she breathed a sigh of relief.


    Upon hearing this, Tang Qing felt helpless.


    After all, they were thew-enforcement departments.


    He was just an ordinary citizen, and also in the wrong; setting up tables outside the restaurant, firstly, definitely took up the road, secondly, the customers were not very well-behaved and casually littered the ce.


    In the catering industry.


    If you want to perfectly meet the hygiene requirements.


    A single word, hard. As long as they want, there is always room for finding faults that leave you no room to object.


    ...


    After all the customers left.


    Second floor.


    In therge box room.


    Zhang Jing and another were nervously counting ounts, while Tang Qing and others were drinking tea.


    The employees did not leave after they had finished cleaning. They were watching TV in the hall, waiting for their wages and bonuses for the half month. The dormitory was upstairs, very close, and they were not in a hurry to return.


    Since there would be a total ount calction daily.


    And cross-checking.


    Today''s workload was not much.


    They just needed to settle today''s ounts and add the previous ones.


    After a while.


    The calctions were checked by the two.


    "Boss, excluding drinks for this half month, our total sales is 412,000. After deducting employee wages, material costs, and ounts payable, the profit is 88,500 RMB," Zhang Jing announced with a trembling voice.


    The money earned by the restaurant for this half month was equivalent to several of her annual sries. However, considering the size of the restaurant and the number of people, earning this money was not too exaggerated, and even more could be earned next month.


    When he heard about these sales figures.


    Tang Qing was very satisfied.


    This was still considering the 50 percent discount in the store''s initial phase. Once it''s on track, the monthly profit would be at least more than a hundred thousand, or even over two hundred thousand. ording to the proportion, he should recover his investment very soon.


    He was simply too excited.


    Li Jianguo was also very excited.


    ording to this rate, he''d receive approximately sixty-thousand.


    The sum was simr to his annual ie before he opened the restaurant. He looked at Tang Qing next to him with gratitude. Without Tang Qing, he''d have to buy the property across the street.


    He didn''t know what would happen afterward.


    Unlike now.


    He had truly earned money.


    It wouldn''t be long before he could recover his investment, which made him exceedingly happy.


    "Uncle Li, I suggest we don''t rush to divide the money. We should equip the restaurant with better things, such as stand-alone air conditioners for the hall to cool it in summer and heat it in winter. Every box should also have an air conditioner installed."


    "Also, get a washing machine for each dormitory, and acquire a minivan or pickup truck for the restaurant. You know how to drive, Uncle Li. What does Uncle Li think? Keep the money in the restaurant for now. If Uncle Li wants to withdraw a little, we can divide the rest at the end of next month." After the excitement, Tang Qing spoke slowly.


    Tang Qing was indeed thinking about dividing the money before.


    But after a walk in the restaurant, he came up with a new idea. He didn''t have much money before and was thinking about saving whenever possible; only thergest box had an air conditioner, and the other boxes merely hadrge fans.


    They didn''t look very high-grade.


    So, he wanted to make arge-scale upgrade.


    After all, he didn''t have many ces to spend the money.


    When he reaches Level 2, he''d get a reward of 200,000 RMB, not to mention he wouldn''tck these tens of thousands of yuan. By winter, when it would be cold here unlike The North which has heating systems, buying air conditioners would make everyone morefortable.


    Speaking of the vehicle.


    Of course, it was for procuring goods. Uncle Li had previously ridden a tricycle to buy groceries, which didn''t look like something a boss would do. So, considering the future, having a car would be convenient.


    "I agree. It''s time to savage in some new arsenal," Li Jianguo agreed. With money, his mentality had changed. In the future, he would be a wealthy man, and riding a little tricycle was not good enough. Even if the car was just for deliveries, it would carry some status, wouldn''t it?


    "Then, Uncle Li, is there anything else you want to buy?" Tang Qing asked.fгeewebnovёl


    "No, there''s just one thing I wanted to tell you. A few hooligans came a few days ago to collect protection money. I didn''t want to cause trouble, so I gave it to them," Li Jianguo finally revealed this matter.


    He didn''t hide anything from his son, Li Kai.


    The son had grown up.


    He should also understand the dark side of society and the helplessness of wanting to make money.


    "Uncle Li did the right thing. I''ll figure out a way. A few small hooligans can''t make big waves. Next time theye, you try to take a photo. I''ll find someone to investigate and get a clear understanding of their backgrounds," Tang Qing said disdainfully.


    Seeing Tang Qing''s confident appearance.


    Li Jianguo breathed a sigh of relief.


    Tang Qing originally intended to give them more to constitute extortion and send them to jail. Many people in the future acted like this, and because of this method, many greedy people were yed into thew enforcement''s hands by the rich.


    The consequences were predictable.


    Remember: Greedy money is not easy to obtain;; it burns the hands.


    So, on second thought, never mind.


    After all, the amount was not considered huge. If there were too much, they wouldn''t dare to take it and thus couldn''t be sentenced for too long. In the end, when they came out, there might not be any issues for him, but the restaurant and Li Jianguo could be in danger.


    Thinking about it,


    He''d better solve it in a way to intimidate them or eliminate future problemspletely. Chancing it directly carried too much risk, with numerous potential problems.


    In Tang Qing''s view, to get rid of future issuespletely, one method was to make them afraid, and the other was to make it impossible for the other party, meaning either making them disappear permanently or unable to act. Thetter method was not necessary right now.


    So, he could only use the former one.