Several establishments had already been shut down, so Shen Qingqing could only head to the coffee shop currently in a standoff.
The shop had been doing excellent business since its renovation, and Shen Qingqing herself enjoyed coming here for coffee. Upon arrival, she found the staff in a tense confrontation with a group of people in uniform.
"You can't shut down our shop!"
"That's right! What right do you have to close our business? We're doing perfectly fine, never breaking any rules. Why are you doing this?"
"Are you saying we're the ones who decide whether you've broken any rules?" the uniformed man, with a square face and a gruff voice, retorted. "If you have eyes, then don't block us. Otherwise, if you obstruct us from performing our duties, I can take you away."
His threat silenced the employees.
The man flashed a triumphant smile and reached out to push the employees aside. Suddenly, a slender figure appeared before him, a delicate face expressionless, her gaze sharp and chilling.
"You're supposed to follow regulations, but the regulations don't say you can resort to force, do they?"
The employees, upon seeing Shen Qingqing, became agitated and began to pour out their grievances. Shen Qingqing, already aware of the situation, ushered the young women behind her, facing the square-faced man alone.
The square-faced man was momentarily stunned by her beauty, his gaze lingering on her face as he asked, "Who are you?"
Shen Qingqing replied calmly, "I am the owner of this shop."
The square-faced man gave a soft "Oh," followed by a meaningful smile. "So you're Boss Shen. Then I officially inform you that according to our inspection, your shop does not meet the standards and must now be closed for renovation."
Shen Qingqing calmly retorted, "In what aspect is it not up to standard?"
"It's not up to standard in every aspect!" the square-faced man huffed, his eyes critically scanning the surroundings. "Everything here is problematic!"
Yet, he refused to specify what exactly was wrong.
Shen Qingqing narrowed her eyes. "If you can't tell us what's wrong, we cannot agree to close the shop."
"Whether you close or not is not up to you!" The square-faced man, having initially spoken to her more politely due to her attractiveness, now saw her as stubborn and difficult, and his demeanor turned sour. He ordered his colleagues to seal the shop.
Several burly men immediately moved towards Shen Qingqing and the other young women.
Shen Qingqing did not want to escalate the situation, as they were officials. Just as she was about to speak, she saw a man reach out his hand inappropriately.
Her eyes instantly narrowed, and she moved to intervene.
But at that moment, a cold wind brushed past her ear. Relying on instinct, she dodged to the side and looked closely. The projectile was an extremely fine silver needle!
She quickly turned back, looking in the direction the needle had come from.
There were two people there, seemingly unremarkable. From the angle, either of them could have made the shot.
If she wasn't mistaken, the silver needle had been aimed directly at her neck, a place with numerous pressure points. A slight miscalculation could lead to unconsciousness or even death.
This person's attack was so venomous, she couldn't let it slide easily.
Her expression grew colder, causing those around her to fall silent, the atmosphere becoming increasingly tense and heavy. The square-faced man, feeling his authority undermined by his colleagues' apprehension, lost face.
"You are obstructing public duty. I can arrest you. Do you want to end up in jail?"
Shen Qingqing said coldly, "Do you have the ability to do that?"
She didn't want conflict, but that didn't mean she feared it. She simply preferred to avoid trouble. However, if the other party persisted, then...
Her eyes fixed, and just as she was about to speak, she suddenly saw someone walk in through the entrance.
He was tall, handsome, and exuded an imposing aura. Upon seeing him, the square-faced man and his colleagues' expressions shifted, their arrogant demeanor vanishing, replaced by a sudden meekness.
The square-faced man's face was a canvas of changing colors. After a long moment, only flattery remained. "Master Fu, what brings you here?"
Fu Jingshu narrowed his eyes slightly. "What are you doing here?"
"This shop has some issues." The square-faced man, unsure why this extremely busy man had suddenly appeared, chose his words carefully. "So I came to investigate..."
Fu Jingshu's voice was slightly cold. "Don't you know my relationship with the owner?"
"I... I didn't know."
Fu Jingshu walked to Shen Qingqing's side in silence, cast a gentle glance at her, and then turned his gaze to the square-faced man, which instantly turned icy.
"Do you know now?"
His rhetorical question made the square-faced man break out in a cold sweat.
Shen Qingqing was associated with Fu Jingshu?!
No one had told him!
In a car not far from the coffee shop, Chen Xiang sat in the passenger seat, observing everything unfold inside the café. Her resentment festered.
If only Fu Jingshu hadn't been there to back her up...
She took a deep breath, her hands clenched into fists, her gaze fixed on Shen Qingqing through the glass, a terrifying hatred burning deep within her eyes.
Ahead of her car, another vehicle was parked. Ye Lin emerged from it. He had been in the vicinity for some time.
He had hoped to witness Shen Qingqing's misfortune firsthand but was disappointed. Not only had she not been at the mercy of others, but Fu Jingshu was also there to support her.
No wonder she dared to lay hands on his son; she had a powerful backer.
He paused for a moment, opened his car door, and strode into the coffee shop. As the door swung open, all eyes turned to him. A flicker of surprise crossed Shen Qingqing's eyes.
What was he doing here?
Ye Lin approached, his expression stern. "Even with Master Fu's backing, violating regulations warrants punishment and closure. Does Master Fu intend to use his status and influence to interfere with the affairs of the economic bureau?"
Fu Jingshu's gaze deepened. "What does this have to do with you?"
Having been cornered by Fu Jingshu's pointed question, Ye Lin was flustered. "It... it has something to do with me, otherwise I wouldn't be here."
"What does it have to do with you?" Shen Qingqing found it strange. Fu Jingshu had already settled the matter of her beating Ye Tianbao last time, and they hadn't bothered her since.
Had they regretted it now?
She had always assumed that Shen Zhizhong or Xiao Wenyao was behind this, but now, perhaps not.
"Mr. Ye, are you perhaps here for your son?"
She asked slowly, and Ye Lin, with a straight face, replied righteously, "You're overthinking it. I'm not that petty. That matter is long past. I'm here now because of this shop!"
"Even if my shop has some issues, it doesn't seem to concern you?" Shen Qingqing stated calmly.
Ye Lin cast a veiled glance at Fu Jingshu, who stood beside Shen Qingqing. He knew that revealing the truth would be tantamount to challenging Fu Jingshu. However, with the situation having escalated this far, he was unwilling to let this opportunity slip away. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Your shop occupies land belonging to my Ye family. Do you think it has anything to do with me?"