Chapter 1032: A Random Encounter
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
He had bought what he needed to. Although he had not bought anything that was of great value, it did not matter. His parents had told him all along that the important thing to them was not the value of the gift but the thought behind it.
The moment he gets back to Zhongzhou the next day, he would have to start getting to work. Preparing a banquet was definitely not something easy to do. He had to choose a restaurant, buy some wine, as well as prepare the gifts.
Everything in Zhongzhou now was a mess and it would take a huge amount of effort to fix it. However, it was all worth it to give his father a good birthday celebration.
After he got out of the shopping center, just as he was getting ready to get into his car, he suddenly heard a huge commotion in the distance and he saw a huge group of people gathered there.
What’s going on over there? He was extremely curious inside as he did not know what was going on over there. But from the looks of it, it looked like there was some sort of argument going on over there. Furthermore, there were several government vehicles over there as well.
This was a situation that he was very familiar with. After all, he had specialized in selling scallion pancakes in the past. When he had still been pus.h.i.+ng his little cart around, these situations were ones that he tried to avoid.
Studying the road in front of him, it was clear to him that this road was one where people were not permitted to set up their stalls. It was very clear that it was illegal to set up their stalls there.
However, in the face of this huge commotion, he felt a certain urge to go there and get involved.
Furthermore, there were so many people gathered around there.
Thus, he decided not to get into his car for now. He just walked over to the scene.
The whole scene was a mess. There a middle-aged man surrounded by a few enforcement officers at his stall. These enforcement officers were trying to seize the items from his stall.
However, that was not the main factor which compelled Lin Fan to go up and help. In front of the enforcement officer’s car, there was a boy in his school uniform. Both his hands were on the enforcement officer’s car while his eyes were filled with tears. However, although these eyes were filled with tears, they were filled with hatred as well.
It was not very clear whether his hatred was directed towards these surrounding townsfolk who just stood there taking pictures and refused to help or these enforcement officers trying to confiscate the cart.
The townsfolk were all standing very close to the scene and were holding out their phones and taking pictures of this little boy. Some of them were in eating some melon seeds while discussing the scene that was unfolding in front of their eyes.
There were even some of them who were smiling as if there was something funny about this situation to them.
Lin Fan felt that this was not right especially when he looked at the young boy in the school uniform, whose eyes of hatred frightened him as well.
The boy was of such a young age and already had these feelings of hatred towards the society. If the seeds of hatred which had been planted in his heart were to germinate and develop, when he grows old, he would have a heart filled with hatred and distrust towards the society.
“What are you doing? Let go,” Lin Fan stepped forward with no hesitation at all. Then, he looked towards the townsfolk and said with a stern tone, “What are you guys taking pictures of? And what the heck are you guys laughing at?”
To suddenly have some random person come up and reprimand them made all the surrounding people a little angry, thinking that this man was really very arrogant.
“What’s wrong with that? We are just spectating, what’s wrong with laughing?”
“That’s right. Who are you anyway? Mind your own business.”
Lin Fan did not even listen to any of the words of these onlookers. Instead, he went up to the enforcement officers and the shop owner and said, “Everyone, relax. We can talk this out. If everyone explains their own side of the story, we can settle this easily.”
The enforcement officer who was pus.h.i.+ng the shop owner around had initially wanted to just push Lin Fan away. However, when he saw Lin Fan, he was stunned as he said, “Master Lin…”
Then, he immediately let go of the shop owner and anxiously said, “Master Lin, I wasn’t trying to use excessive force in order to maintain the law, it’s just that these carts are prohibited in this area. I’m just following regulations.”
“I know,” Lin Fan nodded and said.
Meanwhile, the people who had been shouting at Lin Fan for his arrogance were all stunned after hearing the enforcement officer speak. None of them had thought that the person standing right in front of them was Master Lin.
Although they had seen Master Lin before, they had not expected that they would actually see him here.
All those people who had been calling him a busybody just now backed off.
Those who had been snapping photos with their phones put their phones away.
Those who had been laughing and smiling hid their smiles away.
Lin Fan walked up to the young boy in the school uniform and said, “Little friend, what grade are you in now?”
Seeing the young boy’s expression, he was a little startled. Then, he put a smile on his face as he placed both his hands on the dirty hands of the young boy which were on the car.
“Grade 6,” the young boy said. His voice was very mature and was not as innocent as that of other children’s. It definitely seemed like he had experienced a lot.
Lin Fan gently patted the young boy’s head. Then, he led the young boy to the front of the enforcement officer and said, “Apologise to this young boy. You guys are enforcement officers and are supposed to be role models, yet you guys treated his father so aggressively. Is this how you guys are supposed to behave?”
The enforcement officers looked at Master Lin, then they looked at the young boy who they had completely ignored. They realized that the eyes of the young boy were burning with anger and hatred.
It was as if their actions had already left a lasting impression on the young boy’s heart.
“We’re sorry,” they said. These enforcement officers were the kind that came in by their own merit, not those who bribed their way in and were filled with an unlimited amount of aggression.
Shanghai had already started implementing strict regulations so that only the best could become enforcement officers.
Lin Fan looked to the side, at the middle-aged man whose face was completely red, and said, “Big brother, you know, too, that you’re not allowed to place your cart at a place like this. Your child is here as well, shouldn’t you be trying to teach him the right values?”
Every single father is definitely the greatest role model in the eyes of his child. Most of the time, the behavior of a child is influenced heavily by their own family.
The middle-aged man looked at the young man in front of him. He had been hawking in Shanghai all this while and would occasionally hear the conversations of other hawkers. So naturally, he knew who Master Lin was.
Then, when he took a look at the expression on his son’s face, he could not help but blame himself.
“Yes, you’re right, Master Lin,” the middle-aged man nodded and said.
Lin Fan patted the young boy’s head and said, “Don’t be angry, don’t hate them. Our society is still filled with love. All that you have witnessed today is just an anomaly. The people surrounding you who were laughing at you do not truly present the loving society that we have.”
Some of the surrounding townsfolk who heard that felt a little uncomfortable inside. However, since it was Master Lin in front of them, they did not dare to do anything.
Some of them who could not take it just left the scene immediately.
Although Lin Fan was very calm in his tone, he had been using the Wuxia major cla.s.sification of knowledge in order to appease the heart of the young boy.
“Just return the things to them. I’ll cover the cost of it,” Lin Fan said as he took out a few red colored notes from his pocket, “Also, please inform this big brother of the right places to go to open his stall.”
The enforcement officer replied, “Master Lin, I can’t take your money. I’ll just let this incident slide for now. However, he just needs to know that it is illegal to open his stall here.”
Lin Fan waved him off and said, “Regulations are regulations. How can you let this slide now?”
The enforcement officer hesitated for a moment before saying, “Okay then.”
Then, he started writing a fine. He looked at the shop owner and said, “You’re lucky to have met such a good person today. Just know that it’s illegal to operate a stall here. Later, you’ll have to come with us to the station. We’ll help you get a permit for operating your stall as well as let you know where you can set up your stall.”
When the middle-aged man heard this, he was a little nervous. He was scared that something would happen to him if he were to follow these enforcement officers.
The enforcement officer felt a little helpless after noticing that. Right now, they had already been extremely kind and as humane as possible. However, the incidents of all the other crooked enforcement officers in the other parts of the country had left their credibility at an all-time low.
“Relax, Master Lin is still here, we can’t possibly lie to you,” the enforcement officer looked at the shop owner and said.
Lin Fan saw the young boy gradually calm down. All the hatred in him gradually dissipated. Upon that sight, Lin Fan could not help but sigh in relief.
“Next time, take note of your methods when trying to enforce the law. I have things to settle now so I’ll make a move first,” Lin Fan smiled and said. Then, he looked at the young boy and waved at him. When the young boy saw that, he waved back as well.
“Thank you, uncle.”
Lin Fan smiled. When he caught a glimpse of the surrounding townsfolk, he shook his head and then walked towards his car.