Chapter 51: Peaches

Hearing this, Chen Ling finally understood the cause and effect and nodded slightly.

“Officer Chen Ling.” Boss Li looked left and right, took a small oil-paper bag from the cabinet, and handed it to Chen Ling, “This is a small token of my shop’s appreciation… Please accept it. If you want to eat cake in the future, just let me know, and I’ll deliver it to your house personally.”

Chen Ling narrowed his eyes, opened the oil paper, and two silver coins still smelling of cream fell into his palm.

His brow furrowed immediately.

Seeing Chen Ling frown, Boss Li, who was good at reading people, felt his heart skip a beat and immediately said, “Officer Chen Ling, this month has been full of heavy rain, snow, and disaster invasions, my shop really hasn’t made much money… Next month, next month there will definitely be more.”

Looking at the two silver coins in his hand, Chen Ling seemed to know what the residents of Frost Street had been whispering about just now…

Just as Chen Ling was about to speak, several more figures emerged from the surrounding shops.

“Officer Chen Ling, I’m from the tailor shop across the street, just call me Little Xu…”

“Officer Chen Ling, do you remember me? I repaired the water pipes for your house before. My hardware store is right next door, this is a small token of my appreciation…”

“Officer Chen Ling looks so handsome… Have time to come sit in our shop? We have quite a few pretty girls in our shop…”

“……”

It seemed that seeing Boss Li of the cake shop make the first move, other shop owners followed suit, all of them smiling, holding oil-paper bags, and trying to hand them to Chen Ling…

Judging by the weight, these owners must have discussed it before he arrived; every shop was giving two silver coins.

Except for the middle-aged woman who said she wanted Chen Ling to come sit in their shop, who stuffed five coins in at once and gave him a “you know what I mean” look.

In just over ten seconds, Chen Ling already had nearly twenty silver coins in his hand…

If converted to pre-cataclysm currency, that was already 5,000 RMB, and this was just walking into the start of the street.

At this moment, Chen Ling suddenly understood why an Arbiter like Ma Zhong could buy such a luxurious residence in District 2. If an ordinary Arbiter could use their position to bring in such income so openly, how terrifying must the income be for Ma Zhong, who was the all-powerful Arbiter of District 3?

Not to mention, his businesses also involved black areas like Ice Spring Street.

Judging by the reaction of the Frost Street residents, this kind of thing seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary in the Aurora Domain…

“Sorry, I don’t accept.” Chen Ling shook his head.

Hearing these five words, everyone’s faces turned pale. After looking at each other, they spoke cautiously:

“Then, then what do you mean…”

“It doesn’t mean anything, I just don’t accept it.”

Chen Ling placed everyone’s money directly on the cake shop counter, turned away, and continued walking toward the other end of Frost Street.

The shop owners’ faces grew even uglier. Gritting their teeth, they took out a few more silver coins from their pockets, stuffed them into their respective oil-paper bags, and hurried to catch up.

“Officer Chen Ling, our revenue this month is indeed not good, please have mercy and let us off for a month…”

“Yes, Officer Chen Ling, we are all neighbors on the same street, please, please be accommodating!”

“If you don’t accept this money, we won’t feel at ease… If other Arbiters come by, we, we won’t have anyone to cover us…”

The voices of the few grew quieter, but Chen Ling’s heart grew clearer.

What they were giving wasn’t just tribute money, it was another form of protection money… They wanted to continue operating in District 3, and they couldn’t do it without someone covering them. If he didn’t accept their money, they would feel even less secure.

They thought Chen Ling’s refusal was purely because the amount was too small.

Accepting was wrong, not accepting was also wrong… Chen Ling narrowed his eyes, and a thought suddenly emerged in his mind.

“You guys, are you testing a cadre with this?” he said coldly.

As soon as these words came out, the other owners were stunned.

“W-we… then, then how much do you want, just tell us a number…”

“I, Chen Ling, have never had any interest in money.”

“Then what do you like? Just say the word, and we’ll prepare it immediately!”

Chen Ling slowly took a peach out of the plastic bag and handed it to Boss Li, “I want this kind, exactly the same peaches… start with a cartload.”

After saying this, Chen Ling turned and left directly.

If these owners were smart, they should go and inquire about where these peaches were bought. It wouldn’t be hard to find the old woman selling peaches on the next street… In this way, they would have paid the old woman, given him the peaches, and gained peace of mind…

Hmm, this plan was perfect.

Chen Ling thought to himself.

As his figure gradually moved away, the eyes of the owners fell on Boss Li’s hand…

Two of them felt their legs go weak and fell to their knees with a thud.

“He… he he he… he said, let us send him this kind of ‘peach’?” The hardware store owner, a 1.8-meter tough guy, was so scared his lips turned purple at this moment,

“He… calls this a peach!?”

At this moment, in Boss Li’s hand.

A fresh, red human heart slowly stopped beating…

……

【Audience Expectation +2】

Seeing this line of text appear in the snow, Chen Ling was stunned.

Why did the audience expectation value rise again for no reason?

Chen Ling frowned, reviewing everything he had just done, but still couldn’t find the point that increased the expectation value… Could it be that the audience was causing trouble on their own again?

Chen Ling thought suspiciously while continuing to go deeper into Frost Street. More and more shop owners came forward to try to build a relationship, and Chen Ling would just hand out the peaches from the bag, tell them he only accepted this, and then turn and leave.

The effect of sending peaches seemed better than Chen Ling had imagined. Every time he sent them out, that group of owners wouldn’t chase after him anymore; they must have all gone to find a place to buy peaches.

【Audience Expectation +2】

【Audience Expectation +2】

【Audience Expectation…】

Watching more and more expectation values pop up, Chen Ling’s brow furrowed tighter and tighter. He seemed to have sensed something and looked down at the bag in his hand.

The only remaining peach lay inside, smooth, tender, and fragrant.

Chen Ling picked up this peach and examined it in his hand for a long time, but couldn’t find any problems.

So, cautiously, he took a bite himself.

Hmm, it’s sweet.

At the same time, in a household across the street that was peeking at Chen Ling through the window, the hostess rolled her eyes and fainted on the spot from fright.

Chen Ling finished the peach in a few bites. By now, he had walked through most of Frost Street. Seeing that it wasn’t early, he headed straight toward the alleyway of his home.

Returning to his doorway, he found that the Zhao Family Breakfast Shop diagonally across had already pulled down its metal shutter. He was slightly surprised; logically, even if Uncle Zhao wasn’t open at this hour, he should still have the door open preparing ingredients for tomorrow…

Chen Ling didn’t think much of it, went home, changed out of his black-and-red uniform, and sat on the threshold of his doorway.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but he looked at the empty street and fell into deep thought…

Why hasn’t anyone come to deliver the peaches yet?