Chapter 0422: Going in Person

In this world, things often tend to develop in the direction one fears most.

That's the so-called Murphy's Law.

After much deliberation, Zhao Fusheng felt it would be best to go himself.

After all, given Zhang Qian and Qian Dongliu's personalities, Zhao Fusheng was afraid that if he sent them to deliver gifts, they might end up not getting the gifts accepted and instead come back in a huff.

If Zhang Qian, in a moment of frustration, started a fight, that would be trouble.

"Which department oversees our arcade?" Zhao Fusheng asked Zhang Qian.

Zhang Qian knew this well and quickly replied, "Arcades are entertainment venues. According to the 'Regulations on the Administration of Entertainment Venues,' we need to obtain an entertainment business license from the cultural and sports department, a fire safety approval from the fire department, a public place hygiene license from the health department, and an environmental impact assessment report from the environmental protection department. Then, with those documents, we apply for a business license from the industry and commerce bureau."

He paused and continued, "We also need to get a special industry permit from the public security bureau."

Blinking, Zhao Fusheng smiled awkwardly. To be honest, he hadn't realized that opening an arcade required so many procedures—it was too troublesome.

"So, how many have we completed so far?" Zhao Fusheng asked Zhang Qian.

Zhang Qian glanced at Qian Dongliu, who replied, "All done, except for the business license from the industry and commerce bureau."

Frowning, Zhao Fusheng began to sense something off.

Logically, if all other procedures had gone smoothly, there was no reason to get stuck at the industry and commerce bureau.

It seemed there was something fishy going on!

He wasn't stupid. If it were a case of officials demanding bribes, other departments would have shown similar behavior. But if everything else went smoothly and only the most critical step hit a snag, it suggested that someone was deliberately causing trouble behind the scenes.

With that thought, Zhao Fusheng said, "Buy two cartons of cigarettes. I'll go with you to the industry and commerce bureau."

Regardless, he would check the situation firsthand.

If someone was indeed creating obstacles, Zhao Fusheng figured he might need to set a trap.

Zhang Qian naturally had no objections. Since Zhao Fusheng was the real boss, it was best that he go in person.

The three of them went to a tobacco专卖店 and bought two cartons of good cigarettes. Zhao Fusheng gritted his teeth and spent a few hundred yuan, carrying them in a black plastic bag as they entered the Ninghai City Xiangyang District Industry and Commerce Bureau.

Zhang Qian led the way to the door of an office. Zhao Fusheng said to Zhang Qian and Qian Dongliu, "Wait for me here. I'll go in."

Gift-giving was best done in secrecy—known only to heaven, earth, the giver, and the receiver. If a third party was present, the giver might not dare to speak, and the receiver might not dare to accept.

Knocking on the door, Zhao Fusheng waited for a voice inside to say "Come in" before pushing the door open and entering.

Inside, he saw a middle-aged man in an industry and commerce uniform. The man was short, with a pale, beardless face and small, shrewd eyes. He looked surprised to see Zhao Fusheng and asked, "Who are you?"

Zhao Fusheng placed the plastic bag by the sofa and said with a smile, "Are you Section Chief Zhou? Hello, I'm Zhao Fusheng, the person in charge of the Brilliant Arcade at Wanda Commercial Building."

"Brilliant Arcade?" Section Chief Zhou Wei frowned, then seemed to recall something. He smiled faintly and said, "Have a seat."

Seeing this, Zhao Fusheng sighed inwardly. It seemed Zhang Qian and Qian Dongliu were right—they had indeed been harassed here, and the other party might have been deliberately targeting them.

The reason was simple: as soon as he mentioned 'Brilliant Arcade,' Section Chief Zhou showed a look of sudden realization. Zhao Fusheng was certain that the arcade was on Zhou's radar.

Zhao Fusheng had deduced this from Zhou Wei's expression and reaction. With decades of life experience, his ability to read people was far superior to Zhang Qian's or Qian Dongliu's.

Even Zhou Wei himself probably didn't realize that Zhao Fusheng had guessed so much from just one reaction.

Zhao Fusheng sat down on the sofa opposite Zhou Wei and said with a smile, "Section Chief Zhou, I'd like to ask about the review status of our arcade. How is it going?"

He didn't beat around the bush. The other party clearly knew his purpose, so it was better to be straightforward. Putting everything on the table would make negotiations easier.

"Well, we're still studying it," Zhou Wei replied with a smile, leaning back in his chair and putting on a serious demeanor. "The arcade industry involves minors, so the higher-ups take it very seriously. Our industry and commerce department must conduct a thorough review and also coordinate with the cultural department..."

Watching him rattle off a bunch of documents and regulations, Zhao Fusheng knew the man was giving him bureaucratic runaround.

Such tricks might be hard for Zhang Qian and the others to see through, but to Zhao Fusheng, they were completely transparent. He had seen too many of these tactics in his previous life.

Especially in the Northeast, any leader with a bit of power liked to play this game—spewing a lot of incomprehensible jargon, implying that things were difficult.

The implication, of course, was that they expected a bribe.

"Section Chief Zhou, we've completed all the procedures from other departments. We only need the business license from your bureau. Please help us out," Zhao Fusheng said with a smile, picking up the black plastic bag containing the two cartons of cigarettes and placing it on the desk.

In the North at that time, such practices were common. Though Zhao Fusheng was reluctant, that was the reality, and he had no choice.

To his surprise, Zhou Wei glanced at the plastic bag in front of him without even opening it. Instead, he waved his hand and said, "You're too polite. There's no need, no need."

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback. He hadn't expected the man to refuse the gift. What was going on?

Zhou Wei looked at Zhao Fusheng and said, "Xiao Zhao, don't follow those corrupt social trends—always giving gifts and such. That's not good, you know?"

Zhao Fusheng was completely baffled. Could he have been wrong? Was this man not delaying Zhang Qian and the others to demand bribes? But according to Zhang Qian, they had been to the bureau several times and were always turned away by Zhou Wei. And just now, the man had been giving him the runaround. What was really happening?

Just as Zhao Fusheng was filled with doubt, Zhou Wei smiled and continued, saying something Zhao Fusheng had never expected...