Chapter 253: A Father Knows His Son Best

In the distance, Li Dong has now become a golden nameplate in Dongping.

Nowadays, Li Dong carries many titles.

The youngest billionaire, the fastest rising entrepreneur, the richest man in Dongping, the leader of the post-80s generation...

This string of titles is not widely known among ordinary people in Dongping, but those in government departments who should know, certainly do.

It's not that Li Dong is wealthy but refuses to share; Bureau Chief Niu has no need to curry favor.

But in this day and age, wealth means power.

Li Dong, a young man, has been thriving in the provincial capital. Who would believe he has no one backing him?

After all, it's the provincial capital, where county-level officials are as common as dirt, and department-level officials are numerous.

Bureau Chief Niu is a figure in Dongping, the police chief, which sounds impressive but is actually just a mid-level position.

In the provincial capital, people wouldn't even look at him directly.

So, regarding the current Li Dong, even if Bureau Chief Niu can't flatter him, there's no need to offend him.

Otherwise, a casual word from Li Dong could cause a huge problem for him—it's just not worth it.

After greeting Li Dong, Bureau Chief Niu finally turned to the ashen-faced Chen Li and said, "Chen Li, you had a pretty bold tone just now. Who gave you that authority?"

Chen Li opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then said in a low voice, "Bureau Chief Niu, this matter, I..."

Bureau Chief Niu waved his hand impatiently, "Enough, I already know what happened. Let's end this matter here. Now apologize to Mr. Li and Mr. Li Sr.!"

Chen Li's face was somewhat unsightly, but he still lowered his head and meekly apologized to Li Dong and his father, "Mr. Li, Mr. Li Sr., I'm sorry."

He's not stupid—how could he not realize that he had hit a wall today?

Although he didn't know which boss this Mr. Li was, judging by the bureau chief's attitude, he knew it wasn't someone he could afford to provoke.

Li Dong smiled but remained silent. This guy Niu was interesting.

He appeared to scold Chen Li, but in reality, there was no punishment at all—a simple apology and the matter was over.

Li Dong didn't pursue the matter further and said indifferently, "Officer Chen, can you now tell me which citizen reported this?"

Chen Li was just a pawn. If Bureau Chief Niu wanted to protect him, Li Dong didn't want to tear things apart right now. Letting him off the hook wasn't a big deal.

But Li Dong was determined to find out who was behind framing his father.

Chen Li hesitated, glancing at Bureau Chief Niu.

Bureau Chief Niu remained expressionless, as if he hadn't noticed.

Li Dong chuckled, "Alright, since Officer Chen finds it difficult, I won't ask. I'll ask County Chief Lu later and see if things have changed in Dongping."

At these words, both Bureau Chief Niu and Chen Li's expressions changed.

Chen Li wasn't sure if Li Dong was bluffing, but Bureau Chief Niu knew Li Dong wasn't just scaring people.

Regarding the rise of Yuanyuan Supermarket in Dongping, County Chief Lu had personally inspected it several times.

He had even praised Yuanyuan Supermarket several times in government meetings, stating it had made a great contribution to Dongping's commerce.

Bureau Chief Niu took a deep breath and looked at Chen Li, saying, "There are no outsiders here, Chen Li, tell Mr. Li what happened."

Chen Li's face turned bitter, and he said, "Feng Bin."

Li Dong wasn't surprised by the answer; he just wanted confirmation. After Chen Li finished speaking, he continued to ask, "Feng Bin himself?"

"His son."

Li Dong nodded. Now that made sense.

This kind of thing was just the kind of petty move Feng Jinsong would make—ineffective and lacking in sophistication.

If his father, Feng Bin, had taken action personally, it wouldn't have been so childish. Selling Chinese giant salamanders—even if it were true, the most they would face would be fines, not jail time.

Feng Jinsong was too inexperienced. If his father had taken action, the situation wouldn't be so simple.

Knowing who was behind it, Li Dong didn't ask further.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Bureau Chief Niu, Li Dong suddenly asked, "Were the Chinese giant salamanders real?"

Chen Li was momentarily stunned but then replied, "Yes, but they were farmed."

"Alright, then. Fine us whatever the amount should be, and I'll have someone pay it later."

If this matter were pursued, Li Chengyuan indeed had broken the law. But fines would be the maximum penalty. Li Dong wasn't short on money and didn't need to leave this as a blemish.

Once the fine was paid, there'd be no leverage left against Li Chengyuan in the future.

After saying this, Li Dong bid farewell to Bureau Chief Niu and left the police station with his father.

After they left, Chen Li couldn't help but ask, "Bureau Chief Niu, who was that?"

Bureau Chief Niu glanced at him and snapped, "Why are you asking? Just stop causing trouble! If you create any more problems for me, I'll kick you out myself!"

Strictly speaking, Chen Li and Bureau Chief Niu were distant relatives, though quite distant.

Otherwise, Bureau Chief Niu wouldn't have bothered smoothing things over for Chen Li today.

Earlier, when he protected Chen Li, Li Dong was probably unhappy, but Bureau Chief Niu had no choice. He couldn't really punish Chen Li.

After all, they were on the same team. Li Dong could walk away, but if Bureau Chief Niu lost credibility within the department, it would be a problem.

Moreover, he believed Li Dong wouldn't pursue such a minor issue. After all, Li Chengyuan wasn't injured, and it was just a matter of recording a statement at the police station. Li Dong wasn't likely to dwell on it; he would go after the Feng family instead.

Just as Bureau Chief Niu had guessed, Li Dong wasn't focused on Chen Li now; he was entirely focused on dealing with the Feng family.

The Feng family was a big player in Dongping, locals who had settled there. Even though Li Dong was ten times wealthier, it wouldn't be easy to take down the Feng family.

In Dongping, whether in terms of connections or otherwise, Li Dong couldn't necessarily outdo Feng Bin.

Feng Bin had been rooted in Dongping for decades—it wouldn't be easy to bring him down in one go.

After leaving the police station, Li Chengyuan suddenly asked, "Dongzi, who is Feng Bin?"

Li Dong replied dismissively, "I don't know. Maybe he's a competitor. I've told you before not to set up stalls."

Li Chengyuan glared at him. This guy still dared to brush him off.

After thinking for a long while, Li Chengyuan felt that the name Feng Bin sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

It wasn't until they got in the car that Li Chengyuan suddenly said, "Is it that Feng Bin?"

"Why, Dad, have you heard of him?"

Li Chengyuan frowned and said, "Of course, I know Feng Bin. Is he the boss of Feng Group?"

"Pfft!"

Li Dong almost choked, chuckling, "Feng Group? Did he make that up himself? Does he even dare to call it a group?"

Yuanyuan Supermarket still doesn't dare to call itself a group, and that hillbilly Feng dares to call it a group without blushing.

Li Chengyuan ignored him, glaring at him and asking, "Just tell me, is it him?"

"Probably."

"Then it really is him!"

Hearing that it was indeed the Feng Bin he had in mind, Li Chengyuan immediately became anxious.

Although he didn't know how this matter got entangled with the Feng family, he knew Feng Bin well.

Previously, in the market, people often gossiped about famous figures in Dongping.

Feng Bin wasn't a small name in Dongping, not just because he was wealthy.

If truth be told, Feng Bin's rise was considered legendary in Dongping.

In the 1980s, Feng Bin was just in his early twenties and was nothing more than a petty thug.

But during the severe crackdown in 1983, Feng Bin somehow managed to clean up his act and became the big boss of a restaurant.

At that time, Dongping was still primarily a public ownership economy, and Feng Bin was the first to take the risk. In just a few years, the Feng family became wealthy because of that restaurant.

In a few years, the Feng family's businesses spread across Dongping.

Restaurants, hotels, dance halls, cinemas...

Anything that could be associated with all walks of life, the Feng family had a stake in it. Now, the Feng family was also involved in KTVs and internet cafes.

As long as it made money, the Feng family was into it.

Feng Bin had opened a supermarket because he saw Yuanyuan Supermarket making money, so he wanted in too.

Li Chengyuan didn't believe for a second that someone like Feng Bin wasn't involved in illegal activities.

Having only heard of Feng Bin, a well-known figure in Dongping, Li Chengyuan was now worried about going up against him.

If it were just about doing business, that would be one thing, but Li Chengyuan was mainly concerned that they might not play fair.

Thinking about this, Li Chengyuan quickly said, "Dongzi, let's just drop this. I wasn't really hurt, and there's no need to cause trouble over it."

"Got it." Li Dong replied nonchalantly.

However, in his mind, he added, "This isn't about me causing trouble—it's them who came looking for it!"

Li Dong had never taken Feng Jinsong seriously.

But since Feng Jinsong kept wanting to prove his existence and repeatedly provoked Li Dong, it was time to deal with him. If he didn't squash this nuisance now, it could lead to more issues in the future.

Previously, there was the incident during the college entrance exam, then yesterday at the meal, and now this situation...

Li Dong didn't want to see anything like this happen again. While Li Chengyuan was safe this time, what if Feng Jinsong did something more reckless next time? What if he did something more dangerous in a moment of impulsiveness?

Li Dong wasn't one to tolerate a thief in his house for an indefinite amount of time. If he ever let his guard down and Feng Jinsong managed to cause real harm, it would be a huge loss.

Dealing with the son meant that the father would inevitably get involved.

To eliminate future troubles, Li Dong had to figure out a way to ruin the Feng father and son—not by physically harming them, but by taking away their wealth and influence.

The only reason Feng Jinsong was so arrogant was because of money, right?

Li Dong planned to find a way to bankrupt Feng Jinsong. Once he was left destitute, these problems would naturally disappear.

When the Feng family fell, others would jump at the opportunity to strike. Feng Bin had made plenty of enemies in Dongping over the years.

Feng Bin was a cunning old fox, meticulous in his actions, leaving no evidence behind, making it difficult for anyone to pin him down.

But once the Feng family showed signs of crisis, like a wounded animal, the predators in Dongping would circle in. Li Dong wouldn't even need to lift a finger—there were plenty of people who would want to take advantage.

A father knows his son best, and seeing Li Dong's attitude, Li Chengyuan knew what was on his mind.

He glared at Li Dong and warned him again, "Just focus on doing business. Let's let this matter rest, okay? Your mother and I are moving to Pingchuan early next year, so we'll be back in Dongping less frequently. It's not worth stirring up trouble over this."

"Got it, Dad. Don't worry about me."

"Got it, my ass!"

Li Chengyuan cursed, knowing that trusting his son to let this go was unrealistic. Li Dong had never been one to back down or let things slide.

He wasn't vindictive per se, but he definitely wouldn't allow himself to be taken advantage of.