A Divine Farmer

Chapter 270 - Not Good!

“Threats? Who in Qingyuan County would dare threaten him?” Zheng Ming suddenly became serious. “What's going on? Tell me about it.”

Huang Li couldn't help but mentally pat herself on the back for piquing the man's interest.

“Some people are green with envy because he's making a profit with his new factory. They're coming up with every excuse to extort money from him,” Huang Li sighed. “Doing business these days is tough. If you don't make a profit, it's a failure, but if you do well, you become a target.”

“Extortion? What kind of extortion?” Zheng Ming's frown deepened.

“They're at our doorstep every day, claiming our products don't meet standards or that our wastewater is polluting the river. They're just looking for trouble to get money. These people have no integrity. They only see the profits, not realizing the hard work that went into earning them,” Huang Li grew more upset as she spoke. “Today was the worst. They came demanding money and had the audacity to get violent. They injured over a dozen of our workers, who are now laid up in the hospital. They're nothing but thugs!”

“What?” Zheng Ming slammed his hand on the table and stood up. “Is Zhigang okay? Why didn't he tell me?”

“He was worried you'd be too busy, being the chief and all. Plus, he didn't want people to accuse him of getting special treatment because he's your brother-in-law,” Huang Li explained with a sigh.

“That foolish boy. We don't condone illegal activities, but we can't ignore threats against our own family. And even if he didn't want to bother me, he should've reported it to the police. If we let these violent criminals off the hook, it'll only lead to more danger in the future!” Zheng Ming declared earnestly.

“The police were notified, but the culprit is slippery, refusing to confess or pay a dime,” Huang Li said angrily. “Old Zheng, Zhigang doesn't care about compensation. He just wants justice. That man injured so many people; if he gets off scot-free, it would be an utter disregard for the law.”

“How preposterous,” Zheng Ming fumed, “Rest assured, while sentencing is a matter for the courts, if the allegations are true, I will see this investigation through to the end. No crime will go unpunished. Now, I'm off to the police station to find out what kind of troublemakers have the audacity to stir up trouble on my watch.”

After the man stormed off, Huang Li quickly dialed a number. “Zhigang, your brother-in-law has agreed to take care of this. Don't worry, if he really did assault your workers, he'll make sure they're prosecuted. But what's the deal with your wastewater? Is it truly toxic or not? We can't afford any incidents because of it.”

“Do you still doubt me?” Huang Zhigang chuckled, “Yes, there's some wastewater now, but it's not affecting the river. It's all exaggeration by others. Our factory is just getting started. In a few months, we'll have the wastewater treatment equipment in place, and there won't be any more issues.”

“As long as you're aware of the risks. Just be careful not to give anyone leverage over you because of this. That could get messy,” Huang Li cautioned.

“I'm well aware. My factory has only just opened, and I've already secured several contracts. I've been cautious about taking on more work because of the wastewater issue. I don't want to risk any problems. The current workload is manageable and completely safe. Those causing trouble are just jealous of my success,” Huang Zhigang responded, clearly irritated.

……

Upon arriving at the Qingyuan County police station, Zheng Ming immediately inquired about the case involving the assault on All Completion's workers. Officer Chang was quick to report to him.

After listening to a brief rundown of the events, Zheng Ming gave a slight nod. The details matched what he had previously learned, which put him somewhat at ease.

“Take me to the interrogation room. I want to confront these individuals who dared to commit such brazen acts of violence,” he said. It had been years since Zheng Ming had encountered a case of such flagrant criminality.

While assaults were not uncommon, the fact that more than ten workers had been attacked in broad daylight made this case particularly egregious.

Led all the way to Zhang Xiaolong's interrogation room, Zheng Ming opened the door and immediately inquired, “Where are the other suspects?”

“There are no others. The perpetrator is him alone, Zhang Xiaolong,” Officer Chang promptly clarified.

“Just him?” Zheng Ming expressed his astonishment, “Are you telling me that he alone injured over a dozen workers at the All Completion factory? No one assisted him, and yet he's completely unscathed?”

“Well…” Officer Chang hesitated, “It seems this individual may have received some sort of special training. Regardless, he is definitely the one who inflicted the injuries. There's no question about that. He's just refusing to confess at the moment.”

“Okay, you're dismissed,” Zheng Ming gestured, ushering the others out of the room.

He had initially inquired about other suspects because Zhang Xiaolong didn't seem to exude much malice. The young man appeared to be quite sincere, perhaps prone to the occasional mistake, but certainly not the ringleader.

However, the revelation that all the actions were attributed to this one person made Zheng Ming skeptical. He sensed that there was more to the story than what he had previously been told.

“So, you're Zhang Xiaolong?” Zheng Ming questioned, “You're the one accused of injuring the workers at All Completion?”

“No,” Zhang Xiaolong denied, recognizing the authority in Zheng Ming's demeanor. “The investigators are just trying to force a confession out of me.”

“Really? Then I'd like to hear your version of the events,” Zheng Ming said, intrigued.

With a smile, Zhang Xiaolong narrated the sequence of events and added pointedly, “While I was at the factory, I kept hearing about Boss Huang's connections. Seems like those connections might involve the police. But I didn't assault anyone, and you're welcome to check the surveillance footage. I'm well aware it doesn't have any blind spots.”

“Of course,” he continued, shifting his tone, “You might not believe me, but I must point out that if I had truly intended to harm anyone, there wouldn't have been an opportunity for anyone to call the police.”

Having heard the account in full, Zheng Ming, though he hadn't witnessed the incident himself, began to piece together a likely scenario. It appeared the truth was not as straightforward as he had initially believed.

He also reassessed Zhang Xiaolong; the young man might look unassuming, but he certainly carried himself with a bold confidence.

“My name is Zheng Ming, and I'm the head of the Qingyuan County Police Station. I'm also the brother-in-law of Huang Zhigang, whom you mentioned. It's possible that I'm the ‘background' he referred to,” Zheng Ming clarified his identity. “However, rest assured that since the facts are clear, I will deal with the officer responsible for the related cases and assist you in reporting to the appropriate departments. Whether the punishment involves shutting down the factory or imposing a fine, I will ensure you receive a proper resolution.”

“Oh? You're taking my word for it just like that?” Zhang Xiaolong found himself intrigued by the chief of police.

“Don't get ahead of yourself. We'll have to wait for the results of my investigation. If it turns out you did injure someone, be prepared to face the consequences of your actions.”

Zheng Ming was about to add more when he was suddenly interrupted by a shout from outside, “Chief, there's trouble!”