mtl008 Chapter 615 Too much
Chapter 615 Too much
At 2 p.m., Accountant Chen returned from the bank with a copy of the freeze notice in her hand.
"Factory manager, we've investigated thoroughly." Accountant Chen's face grew even uglier. "The freezing order was issued by the municipal tax bureau, saying someone reported us for tax evasion."
Li Xiangyang took the notification and examined it carefully, then sneered, "A report? Anonymous or named?"
"The bank said it was an anonymous report, and the materials were very detailed, even including some details of our contracts from last year."
Wang Ergou slammed his fist on the table: "These bastards must have done their homework beforehand!"
Li Xiangyang remained calm: "It seems they have a very clear understanding of our situation. However..." He paused, "Since they dared to use such methods, it means they're also in a hurry. The more anxious they are, the easier it is for them to slip up."
Just then, there was another knock on the office door.
"Come in."
This time, it was production supervisor Lao Liu who came in, his face full of anger.
"Factory manager, a few people from the Industry and Commerce Bureau just came and said they want to check our production license. They found a bunch of problems, saying our fire safety facilities don't meet standards and demanded we stop production for rectification."
Li Xiangyang frowned deeply; this series of actions was clearly organized and premeditated.
Are they still alive?
"Yes, right there in the workshop," Old Liu said through gritted teeth. "Those people clearly weren't there for a normal inspection; they were just looking for trouble."
Li Xiangyang stood up: "Let's go take a look."
Upon arriving at the workshop, Li Xiangyang saw three people in business uniforms pointing and gesturing, one of whom, a young man, was taking notes in a notebook.
"May I ask which department you are from?" Li Xiangyang stepped forward and asked.
The middle-aged man at the head of the group didn't even look up: "Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce, routine inspection. You're the person in charge of this factory?"
"I am Li Xiangyang, the factory manager of this factory."
“Li Xiangyang?” The middle-aged man looked up at him, a strange glint in his eyes. “Your factory has quite a few problems. The fire exits aren’t wide enough, the fire extinguishers aren’t adequately equipped, and the layout of this production line doesn’t meet the standards.”
Li Xiangyang carefully examined the issues they pointed out; they were all trivial matters that no one would normally take seriously.
"May I take a look at your identification documents?" Li Xiangyang asked politely.
The middle-aged man's expression changed: "What? You doubt our identities?"
"It's not suspicion, it's just following procedure. After all, it involves production suspension and rectification, so I need to confirm whether the enforcement procedures are compliant." Li Xiangyang's tone remained calm.
The young man impatiently pulled out his identification: "Look, it's from the Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce."
Li Xiangyang took the document and examined it carefully. On the surface, there seemed to be no problem, but he still felt that something was off.
"Alright, since it's a routine inspection, I'll cooperate. However, for such a significant matter as a production halt for rectification, I need written notification."
The middle-aged man's face darkened: "Written notification? This is refusing to cooperate with law enforcement!"
"It's not that we're not cooperating, it's that we're following legal procedures," Li Xiangyang said calmly. "The production halt and rectification involves the livelihoods of hundreds of workers, and as the factory manager, I must be responsible for them."
The three men exchanged a glance, and the middle-aged man snorted coldly, "Then you wait, I'll give you a written notice tomorrow."
After saying that, the three of them left in a hurry.
Wang Ergou walked up to Li Xiangyang and said, "Xiangyang, I feel like there's something off about these people."
“Something definitely isn’t right,” Li Xiangyang nodded. “Real industrial and commercial law enforcement wouldn’t be this hasty. And they know our factory too well; it’s like they scouted it out beforehand.”
Old Liu chimed in, "Factory manager, how about I get a few of my men to follow them and see what kind of people they are?"
Li Xiangyang shook his head: "No need, alerting them would be worse." He thought for a moment, then said, "Old Liu, contact the actual Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce immediately and ask if they sent anyone to inspect our factory today."
"Yes, factory manager."
Half an hour later, Lao Liu returned, looking very unwell.
"Factory manager, I contacted the Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce, and they said they didn't send anyone to inspect our factory today."
Wang Ergou slapped his thigh: "It really was fake!"
Li Xiangyang sneered, "South China Investment's tactics are quite diverse. Freezing bank accounts, faking law enforcement inspections—they're trying to put pressure on us from multiple angles."
"Then what should we do?" Old Liu asked, somewhat worried.
"Ignore it for now, let me think of something."
Li Xiangyang returned to his office and made a phone call to his friend Liu Jianjun in the county.
"Jianjun, this is Xiangyang. I need your help with something..."
Li Xiangyang briefly recounted what had happened that day.
Liu Jianjun on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment: "Xiangyang, this matter is a bit complicated. Even if I wanted to help, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to step in directly."
"I don't want the county to deal with them; I just hope they can follow proper procedures," Li Xiangyang said sincerely. "If someone impersonates law enforcement, isn't that deception? If someone maliciously reports someone, shouldn't that be thoroughly investigated?"
Liu Jianjun considered for a moment: "You're right. Here's what we'll do: I'll contact the relevant departments for you, at least to ensure the compliance of the enforcement procedures."
"Thank you, Jianjun."
After hanging up, Li Xiangyang called Ma Laosan again.
"Third Brother, I need your help. A few people posing as business enforcement officers came to my factory today and caused trouble. I want to find out more about them."
"Impersonating law enforcement?" Ma Laosan's voice rose slightly. "These guys are pretty bold. Okay, I'll help you investigate."
At 7 p.m., Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou returned to Xiaoliang Village.
As soon as we entered the village, we saw Li Daqiang leading several young men on patrol at the village entrance.
"Xiangyang, a few outsiders came to the village today to inquire about you, but we chased them away," Li Daqiang reported.
"What do you want to know?"
"They asked who's in your family, your usual schedule, and where your son goes to school." Li Daqiang's face was grim. "I knew they weren't good people the moment I heard that, so I told them to get lost."
Li Xiangyang's face instantly darkened; the people from South China Investment had actually set their sights on his family.
"Daqiang, thank you for your hard work. Patrols in the village will be increased during this time; please notify me immediately if anything unusual happens."
Back home, Li Xiaoyun was preparing dinner in the kitchen, Li Xiangyang's mother Lin Zhi was helping, and Li Xiaohua was playing with Li Wangchen.
Seeing this heartwarming scene only fueled Li Xiangyang's anger.
"Xiangyang, you're back." Li Xiaoyun came out of the kitchen and, seeing her husband's expression, asked with concern, "What's wrong? You look so pale?"
Li Xiangyang didn't hide anything and briefly explained what had happened that day.
"They actually dared to come to the village to inquire?" Li Xiaoyun's expression changed. "These people have gone too far!"