Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian's heart skipped a beat and his face turned ugly instantly. He didn't expect the news to spread so quickly. It was obvious that the people who robbed him were not just street thugs, but had connections with the forces in the market.

"I'm really in trouble," Li Xiangqian sighed, his face gloomy, "the corn was taken away, there is nothing left."

Jia Dongxu looked at him and frowned, as if he had not expected the matter to be so serious. He hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Xiang Qian, this matter is not simple. Do you know who those people are?"

Li Xiangqian shook his head, but he knew in his heart that this was no longer a situation he could handle alone. He looked at Jia Dongxu and asked inquiringly, "Brother Dongxu, you are familiar with the people in the market, do you know where these people come from?"

Jia Dongxu's expression became a little complicated. He looked at Li Xiangqian, as if considering what to say. "Xiangqian, I just heard about it," he paused and said in a low voice, "These people are a few small forces near the market. They usually make a living by collecting protection fees and small businesses. You are unlucky to run into them this time, but you'd better not investigate further. It's not good to offend them."

Li Xiangqian stared at Jia Dongxu, listening to his seemingly well-intentioned advice, but a nameless anger rose in his heart. The stolen corn was like his hard-earned wealth, which was plundered overnight, leaving him with nowhere to vent his humiliation and anger. However, Jia Dongxu's words made him realize that he could not fight against the forces that controlled the market on his own. Thinking of this, Li Xiangqian's mood became heavier.

He gritted his teeth, struggled for a moment, and finally suppressed his anger. He nodded gently, and said in a calm and firm tone: "I know, Brother Dongxu, I will handle this matter carefully. But I can't just let it go. The food is gone and the family can't survive. I have to think of a way this time, otherwise, I won't dare to do anything in the future."

Jia Dongxu sighed, looking at Li Xiangqian's stubborn eyes, he knew he couldn't persuade him, so he didn't say anything more. He patted Li Xiangqian's shoulder helplessly and whispered: "Okay, you have your plan. But remember, things must be done properly, and don't offend those who shouldn't be offended."

Li Xiangqian secretly swore in his heart. Although Jia Dongxu failed to help him directly this time, his reminder gave Li Xiangqian more room for thinking. He knew that if he wanted to deal with that group of people, relying on his own strength was indeed too weak. But there was a place that might be able to help him - the security department.

The Security Department was in charge of the order in the courtyard. Although they were usually responsible for handling minor matters in the courtyard, they were still the only official force that Li Xiangqian could think of in this chaotic situation. If he could find a suitable entry point through the Security Department, perhaps those people would be afraid, at least not to the point where he would be powerless to resist.

The next morning, Li Xiangqian got up early, pushed his empty cart, and went straight to the security department's office. Along the way, he kept thinking about what to say next, how to make the security department's leaders pay attention to this matter without getting into trouble.

When he reached the entrance of the security department, Li Xiangqian was still a little nervous. He looked up at the shabby wooden door and secretly made up his mind that he must speak nicely today to win their support. So he took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and raised his hand to knock on the door.

“Knock, knock, knock.” After three crisp knocks on the door, a slightly hoarse response came from inside the door: “Come in!”

Li Xiangqian pushed open the door and saw the old head of the security department sitting behind his desk, looking down at a document. The head was a man over fifty years old, with deep wrinkles on his face and gray hair at the temples, looking very old. He was not very prominent on weekdays, but he was said to have considerable prestige.

"Chief, I have something to report to you." As soon as Li Xiangqian entered the room, he immediately put on a respectful attitude, with a bit of anxiety and uneasiness in his tone.

The old section chief raised his head and squinted his eyes, as if he was sizing up Li Xiangqian, then nodded: "It's Li Xiangqian, sit down, tell me what you want to say."

Li Xiangqian was excited, knowing that this was a good sign. So he sat down, calmed down for a few seconds, and tried not to look too flustered, and then said, "Chief, I was near the market last night, pushing a few bags of corn to sell to supplement my family income. But who knew that when I got to the market, a few people suddenly appeared and snatched all my corn away!"

At this point, Li Xiangqian lowered his voice, with a hint of suppressed anger: "They were particularly ruthless. I didn't even have a chance to resist. I watched helplessly as the food was snatched away. Everything I planned these days was in vain."

The old section chief listened, his expression did not change much, and he still maintained a calm face. But his eyes became more serious. He put down the documents in his hand, leaned back in his chair, thought for a moment, and then slowly said: "Robbery of food? We know about the chaos near the market, but is there really someone who is so blatant?"

"Yes, Chief, they are not afraid of being seen." Li Xiangqian nodded and continued, "These people have some power. I'm afraid they have someone backing them up, otherwise they wouldn't be so unscrupulous. I think if we don't take some measures, I'm afraid other people in the yard will suffer in the future."

Hearing this, the old section chief's face finally became more solemn. He frowned, as if thinking about the seriousness of the matter. Although the security department usually deals with trivial matters, this kind of robbery involving grain has obviously exceeded the scope of daily management. Li Xiangqian seized this point and put the seriousness of the matter in front of him.

"Your case is indeed serious." The old section chief finally spoke, his tone heavy, "Food being stolen is no joke. Did you see the faces of those people clearly? Can you describe their appearance?"

Li Xiangqian had expected to be asked this question, so he nodded and recalled: "I didn't see it very clearly, but the leader wore a black hat, was not tall, but was very strong, and had a scar on his face. I remember his voice was very hoarse, as if he had a problem with his throat. There were a few other people, all wearing black clothes. They were obviously organized, not like ordinary thieves."

After hearing this, the old section chief frowned even more. He knew that Li Xiangqian was not exaggerating, because similar rumors had indeed been heard in the market recently, but no solid evidence had been found. At the moment, Li Xiangqian's description made him feel that this group of people might be more dangerous than expected.