CHAPTER 103: CHAPTER 103 REMEMBER THAT DAY (5)_1

She thought that if Rachel Bailey felt frustrated, she might be willing to work at her company.

But Rachel’s actions had angered the urban law enforcement officers, and the four officers simply crammed her and her goods into their van.

"Hey, stop the car! Let me off! What gives you the right to arrest people? I’m going to sue you!" Rachel, infuriated, desperately clutched at one of the officer’s uniforms.

"Shut up!" the officer bellowed at her harshly.

Street vending had always existed, and the urban law enforcement officers couldn’t stop it completely. Usually, if they caught someone, they would just confiscate their goods at most; they wouldn’t typically take people in. However, Rachel wouldn’t let them take her goods and kept tugging at them. In a moment of anger, this led them to haul her into the van.

"My mother gave me a mouth to eat and talk with, so why should I shut up?! You yell again! If you yell again, I’ll smash your car windows! This batch of goods cost me several thousand yuan! Do you think it’s easy to make money nowadays? If I can’t set up my stall here, I’ll move. Why do you have to confiscate my goods? I just started business today! Can’t you see it’s my first time? Show a little compassion for once!" Instead of being intimidated, Rachel grew even more indignant and rattled on.

"If we let you off this time, you’ll just do it again. If you want to do business, that’s fine. Rent a shop and do it properly—who would bother you then? You don’t pay taxes, yet you take business from those who do. We all make our living from taxes. Naturally, we work for those who pay them," the officer countered staunchly.

Rachel knew he was right, but she didn’t have much money to begin with. Now that her goods were confiscated, she truly grieved over her several thousand yuan.

What now? she wondered. If I can’t get my goods back and I’m taken in, how much will they fine me?

Along the way, Rachel softened her tone and began to plead with them to let her go. She assured them there would be no next time, saying she would go to the bank, withdraw all her savings, and rent a shop.

"We can’t trust your word unless you have a guarantor," the officers said, uncooperative given Rachel’s initial attitude.

"A guarantor? My guarantor just got married and is on honeymoon now. How could I disturb the newlyweds?" Rachel’s face fell.

Aside from Julia Bluen, she had other classmates and friends. However, they were all wage earners; who among them would be willing to help her? Julia Bluen had just gotten married, and Rachel wouldn’t dream of interrupting her honeymoon. Under circumstances like hers, her friends would definitely tell her to forget about the goods.

But I want my goods back, and I don’t want to be fined, she thought.

A refined, pleasant-looking face flashed through her mind.

Hansen Ruiz! she thought. Right, why not ask him for help? He’s the Chief Assistant of the Valence Group, a prominent figure around here. Though he works under Glades Horne, his abilities are no less than Glades Horne’s. I’ve heard his connections are extensive and his background is incredibly powerful. But I don’t have his phone number.

"Excuse me," Rachel asked the officers, "if I know someone from the Valence Group, would you let me go?" She was unwilling to pull strings unless absolutely necessary.

"The Valence Group has so many employees. How important could the person you know be? Even if you knew Glades Horne himself, you’re still in the wrong this time," one officer snorted, thinking that a street vendor like Rachel couldn’t possibly know any key figures in the Valence Group.

"I don’t know how important he is. I just know his name is Hansen Ruiz. Why don’t you call the Valence Group and ask them how important he is?" Rachel feigned ignorance of Hansen Ruiz’s status.

"Who here doesn’t know the name Hansen Ruiz? You think knowing his name means you actually know him?" the officer huffed. "If you genuinely admit you were wrong, you can get out now, but we are definitely confiscating your goods."

"If I get out now, I’ll lose several thousand yuan," Rachel muttered. Several thousand yuan was no small sum for an ordinary citizen like her. The loss would sting badly.

Hearing this, the officers couldn’t be bothered with her anymore.

Rachel decided to call Hansen Ruiz for help. She didn’t have his number, but she knew the Valence Group’s main line. She took out her phone, dialed the Valence Group’s number, and someone answered quickly. Rachel immediately said she was looking for Hansen Ruiz and asked the operator to transfer her call to his internal line.

Hansen Ruiz wasn’t someone just anyone could reach. The operator flatly refused her request.

Anticipating this rejection, Rachel bluffed as the operator was about to hang up. She claimed that if they didn’t transfer her to Hansen Ruiz, she would personally storm the Valence Group headquarters and make sure Hansen Ruiz fired them. Her fierce words made the operator hesitate for a long moment. In the end, they didn’t transfer her call to Hansen Ruiz, only saying they would call him first. Then they told her Hansen Ruiz wasn’t in the office and asked for Rachel’s name.

With no other choice, Rachel hung up.

Sometimes, knowing someone famous isn’t all that great, she thought. Like right now, I need help and call his company, but they won’t even give me his number. It’s because people like him are on a pedestal; not just anyone can get Hansen Ruiz’s private number.

Shortly afterward, the urban law enforcement officers brought Rachel and her goods to the Betra Street City Management Sub-Bureau.

The personnel at the sub-bureau didn’t give Rachel too hard a time. They simply explained where she couldn’t set up a stall and where she could, advising her to go to the permitted areas and, naturally, pay rent—although most spots were already taken. In the end, they said they wouldn’t fine her but would confiscate her goods and told her to go home.

Rachel’s face immediately fell. After all this hassle, is there really no way to get my several thousand yuan worth of goods back?

"Officer," Rachel pleaded with the one who had "educated" her, "I admit I was wrong. I really do. Considering how hard it is to make a little money, please return my cart and goods to me. I promise you won’t catch me again—oh, no, that’s not it—I promise I won’t illegally set up a stall again."

"Heh, this is the first time I’ve seen someone choose to be a street vendor over a perfectly good white-collar job, get caught, and still shamelessly talk about a ’next time’," came Hansen Ruiz’s warm, amused voice. He was striding towards Rachel. His Range Rover was parked right at the main entrance of the City Management Sub-Bureau, standing out like a crane among chickens compared to the adjacent city management vehicles.