CHAPTER 1582: CHAPTER 1634: KEEPING A GUEST

Yan Silong wanted to show off a bit in front of Li Yifei, and while he was at it, throw a few words at him. It felt incredibly refreshing for him.

He didn’t know Li Yifei’s current situation, and other comrades didn’t tell him either. So, being ignorant, he assumed that after Li Yifei retired, he wasn’t doing well, but still had a big temper, causing trouble everywhere. This wasn’t uncommon, as the military lifestyle often doesn’t translate well into society. Yan Silong also found it hard to adapt right after he retired, but after a year or two of grinding in the government, he got used to it.

Li Yifei’s face lost even the hint of a smile. He was just trying to save himself some trouble, that’s why he didn’t call someone to handle it. He thought, since they were comrades and it was in his professional field, it shouldn’t be hard to resolve. Who would have thought that when Yan Silong arrived, he’d act like this?

Nodding slightly, Li Yifei asked, "So can you handle this?"

Seeing that Li Yifei even lost his smile, Yan Silong interpreted it as an awkward and embarrassing expression. He patted Li Yifei on the shoulder and said, "It’s a bit troublesome, but since you found a buddy, I’ve got to handle this for you. Otherwise, if the comrades hear about it, they’d be cursing me for not even helping our old team leader!"

The black car drivers across from them knew this guy in the black suit wasn’t simple and weren’t as arrogant as before. However, hearing this, they seemed to feel that the guy in the black suit might not be entirely committed, so they said, "Let’s do it this way, we’ll give you some face. We’re all from the Capital City; no need to make it hard for each other. Compensate us a bit for medical expenses, and we’ll forget about it. Otherwise, with so many of us going to the hospital for a check-up, that will cost quite a bit, definitely more than compensating us."

Another black car driver said, "Exactly, nowadays, even going to the hospital for a cold costs over a thousand bucks, sometimes even a few thousand."

The black car drivers thought they were giving a big concession, and as for Yan Silong, he rolled his eyes, glanced at Li Yifei. From what he saw, Li Yifei’s outfit was very ordinary; he didn’t recognize the brand of the clothes, so he naturally assumed it was a no-name brand and that he wasn’t doing well.

Hearing their demand, Yan Silong sneered, not bothering to talk to them, but instead looking at a few police officers, he said, "What are the penalties for driving a black car?"

"Black car... this isn’t under our jurisdiction."

"Just because it’s not your jurisdiction, you don’t know?"

"I’ll inquire," the police officer said awkwardly.

Yan Silong waved his hand, took out his phone, dialed a number, exchanged a few pleasantries, and directly asked, "Hey buddy, let me ask, what are the penalties for black cars?"

Listening for a moment, Yan Silong said, "Take note, operating a taxi business without obtaining the relevant qualifications will lead to a cease and desist order, confiscation of illegal gains, a fine of two to ten times the illegal gains, or if there are no illegal gains or less than 20,000 yuan, a fine between 30,000 and 100,000 yuan. Okay, thanks, let’s have dinner sometime."

After hanging up the phone, Yan Silong looked at the police officers and said, "That’s roughly how we handle it. Detain them for now, contact the traffic police department to collect fines and seize the vehicles."

"As for your medical expenses, they can be compensated," Yan Silong said and then turned to look at Li Yifei, asking, "Old team leader, what do you think?"

Li Yifei reached out to scratch his forehead and directly opened his briefcase. He had just returned from abroad, and honestly, didn’t have much cash on him. Yan Silong glanced at it, pushed the wallet back, and said, "Listen, I’ll cover the money first. Pay me back whenever you can. Old team leader, don’t be polite with me, everyone’s got tough times."

"Hehe, okay." Li Yifei nodded.

In Yan Silong’s eyes, Li Yifei was clearly short of cash but couldn’t swallow his pride and was forcing himself through. So he directly took out a bundle of banknotes from his bag and threw it on the table, saying to the black car drivers, "This should be enough for your medical expenses."

The black car drivers, of course, knew what would happen if caught by traffic police. But they had been caught before, usually managing to find a way to handle it without being fined too much, at most a thousand or two, and the matter would be over.

However, this time, the other party clearly meant business, which made things a bit more troublesome.

In total, seven black car drivers got beaten up. Normally, a thousand for each person, and the first who got hit would get four thousand for medical expenses. Not a small amount. Though it had been a rough ride, that wasn’t how they saw it; they still had a grudge in their hearts.

There wasn’t much they could do at the moment. Some of the black car drivers’ families had connections in government, but most were not in the right departments to suppress the guy in front of them.

Seeing that the black car drivers weren’t saying anything, Yan Silong assumed they agreed. He turned back to Li Yifei and said, "Old team leader, how about it? Is this resolution satisfactory?"

Li Yifei nodded slightly without showing much expression.

Yan Silong then said to the police officers, "Then let’s do it this way. It’ll save you some trouble too. We’ll compensate the medical expenses, but this matter can’t end just like that. Running a black car business is illegal, and if anyone dares to let them go, I’ll come back to check on you."

The black car drivers were upset and questioned, "Why? I’m the one who got hit. What’s wrong with me driving, and who can prove my car is illegal?"

"Exactly, this is my friend. He got beaten, and I came to help, and still got hit. Even if you have authority, you can’t shelter the other side like this."

"Shit, if you keep framing me, even if I have to go to jail today, I’ll beat you up first."

They talked tough, but these guys were all bark and no bite.

The police were in a dilemma. They initially sided with the black car drivers since they were locals, but with Yan Silong getting involved and his official status, they had to be more neutral, or else Yan Silong might catch them slipping.

As for Yan Silong, he wanted to resolve the issue quickly. Seeing Li Yifei in a tough spot gave him satisfaction, but everyone was present, so he wasn’t going to just stand by and watch Li Yifei struggle. However, Li Yifei needed to be grateful; otherwise, it wouldn’t sit well with him.

Yan Silong willingly took out ten thousand and thought he was being generous enough, then brought up the black car regulation to threaten those guys.

Li Yifei realized he had asked the wrong person for help. A small matter became so complicated, but not wanting to waste any more time, he said, "Let’s just leave it at that. I’ve paid the money, and whether you deal with those black cars or not, it doesn’t concern me. I hardly come to the Capital City, and the scam won’t target only me."

The officers forced a smile, and Yan Silong rubbed his nose, watching Li Yifei walk towards the black car drivers. Seven of them instinctively stepped back. Li Yifei ignored them, picked up his suitcase, and walked out silently.

Yan Silong handled it, though his tone and attitude weren’t great, but the issue got resolved. Li Yifei also managed to vent his anger by giving the black car drivers a beating.

Despite the resolution, Li Yifei’s attitude was a bit ambivalent. Not long after Li Yifei left, Yan Silong followed, smiling as he said, "Thanks for today. I’ll treat you to drinks in Mile City another day."

"Why go to Mile City for drinks? We can drink today. Let me contact our group to see who’s in the Capital City. I’ll arrange everything, and we’ll eat, drink, and have fun," Yan Silong said, patting his chest.

Li Yifei shook his head, "Let’s skip it today. I’ll check if there’s a flight; I need to get home."

Yan Silong held onto Li Yifei’s arm and said, "Come on, it’s been years since we’ve seen our old captain. You can’t leave. I’ll be upset if you do. I’ve already taken leave, and there’s nothing to do this afternoon. Let’s see who’s around. Don’t worry, old captain. You’re in the Capital City. I’ll handle everything, and it won’t cost you a cent."

The matter was settled, but Yan Silong hadn’t had enough of showing off. He wasn’t going to let Li Yifei leave easily.

He practically dragged Li Yifei into an Audi, calling people and chatting on the phone, his demeanor completely changed from the young soldier he once was.

Li Yifei just focused on his phone, telling his family he encountered some issues and wouldn’t be returning today.

His family was ready for him, even Xu Shanshan planned to go to the provincial capital to pick him up. However, with Li Yifei saying he wouldn’t return, they naturally asked what happened. Li Yifei explained briefly, and Su Mengxin replied, "Honey, it’s such a small matter. Anyone could have solved it. Why bother your comrades... Okay, have fun for now. I’ll let them know so the kids don’t keep waiting."

"Sorry, I didn’t think it through. I was just trying to avoid trouble, but ended up causing more!" Li Yifei replied.

Su Mengxin sent a smiley face and said, "People change. In the future, if something like this happens, it’s better to trouble family."

"Yes, I’ll remember next time!"

Just after finishing the message, Li Yifei heard Yan Silong sighing on the phone. When he looked over, Yan Silong explained, "Everyone’s said they’re not home. What a hassle—just the two of us wouldn’t be much fun. How about this, old captain? I’ll bring a few friends along for company. The more, the merrier, but we’ll still have our good time. Don’t feel awkward."

What could Li Yifei say? He nodded slightly, and Yan Silong started making calls again. This time things went smoothly—within a few calls, he had five or six people, plus some ladies to accompany them, likely a group of around ten people.

Yan Silong drove Li Yifei for over half an hour to find a restaurant, went inside, and got a private room. Soon enough, the people Yan Silong called started arriving one by one.

Li Yifei didn’t know anyone, and they all brought partners. One woman brought another woman, and the two of them naturally sat beside Li Yifei and Yan Silong, feeling right at home. The woman named Xiaohua leaned into Yan Silong’s arms, the two got cozy, and Yan Silong even reached under her skirt...