Chapter 22

After returning to Ziyun Mall, Jia Hongjian naturally exchanged real gold and silver for 13 counterfeit Sony calculators. The original price of 100 yuan was discounted to 80 yuan, but the invoice stated 120 yuan per unit.

When Jia Hongjian and his companions politely bid farewell to Section Chief Li, they carried the small box containing the calculators out of Ziyun Mall. Wang Danshui hesitated and asked, "Is what we're doing a bit unfair?"

"Unfair?" Jia Hongjian was curious at this suggestion.

"Section Chief Li was quite polite to us, and it was our request to have the high price on the invoice. Going back to claim compensation later seems like setting a trap to deceive them, doesn't it?" Wang Danshui frowned slightly. She usually acted carefree, but she believed she was clear about right and wrong.

"Naive girl, you're too soft-hearted." To her surprise, Jia Hongjian responded this way. He turned his head and said with a serious and righteous expression, "Have you thought about what kind of organization they are? They are a large state-owned mall! Who would think they could sell counterfeit goods? What do you think it means for such a large mall to sell high-priced fakes? To put it nicely, they were deceived by their suppliers and failed to control the quality of their purchases. To put it bluntly, they intentionally bought fakes to deceive the public. In either case, shouldn't they be taught a lesson? Should they be let off just because they were polite to us? What about the losses they cause to ordinary people?"

Wang Danshui looked at Jia Hongjian in shock for a long time and then nodded silently. She hadn't thought about it this way before. If she did, Section Chief Li and his team should indeed be punished. But strangely, why had she been misled before? Why was Jia Hongjian so clear-headed? What had happened to her little Jian that turned him from a mischievous good child into a man who seemed to surpass her in every way and was incomprehensible to her?

With this thought, she remained silent all the way back to Jia Hongjian's home. "Alright, go change your clothes," Jia Hongjian instructed. She took her clothes and went into his parents' room. But looking at herself in the full-length mirror on the wardrobe door, she stopped changing. The girl in the mirror was so beautiful that it didn't seem like her. The woman in the mirror looked a bit lost, but the sharpness in her delicate features showed her inner strength and resilience.

Wang Danshui suddenly felt that only Jia Hongjian could bring out her beauty, and only in Jia Hongjian's hands could she transform from a "Cinderella" into a shining princess. This feeling made her reluctant to remove her makeup, even though she knew it would raise suspicion among her family...

After seeing off the silent Wang Danshui, Jia Hongjian changed his clothes and then, as if nothing had happened, started reading the book by Kenichi Ohmae in the living room. He was neither excited nor nervous. In his previous life, he was already in his thirties and had seen it all. How could such a small matter disturb his peace of mind? When he decided to implement this plan, he had already considered all possible contingencies and basic strategies.

This mature and calm mindset, which remains unshaken by any storm, is the greatest difference between a charming older man and a naive young boy. Jia Hongjian, with the body of a boy but the mind of a man, naturally possessed this quality.

Time flew by, and soon it was Friday. Wang Danshui brought the lipstick and makeup he had bought for her to his home. After she changed her clothes, he carefully applied a full makeup look for her. As he did, she quietly stared into his eyes. When he finished, she didn't go to the mirror first but asked the question that had been on her mind for days, "Where did you learn to apply makeup?"

"I didn't learn. It was the first time I did it for you a few days ago. I just applied makeup based on my own aesthetic. Is it not good?" For such a sudden question, would Jia Hongjian be stumped? His quick response made Wang Danshui feel that he was a genius.

Yes, except for a genius, how could an ordinary person do so well on their first try? She had seen geniuses at school who only needed three to four hours of study to get into Tsinghua or Peking University. The rest of their time was spent playing or learning advanced subjects like calculus. She found such geniuses incomprehensible. Although Jia Hongjian's explanation had a small flaw, she didn't want to ask more. She felt this answer was good enough. No matter what the boy in front of her became, he would always be the little Jian who led her to school when she was young, and the little Jian who risked his life to save her when she was cornered in a dead-end alley. As long as little Jian was still little Jian, that was enough.

After a short while, the two appeared at the entrance of Ziyun Mall. Wang Danshui, holding a small cardboard box, took a few deep breaths and looked at Jia Hongjian, only to find him calmly polishing his glasses. He was composed, neither frivolous nor tense. She couldn't describe his expression, but it made her feel professional, powerful, handsome, reliable, and steady—basically, all the words that could praise a man.

After polishing his glasses, Jia Hongjian looked up at the clear, sunny sky and took a light breath, "Sigh... There's a special smell in the air, like the scent of money." With that, he stepped into Ziyun Mall, and Wang Danshui quickly followed.

They soon arrived at the entrance of the Operations Department. Ziyun Mall was quite modern, with departmental divisions similar to those of a 21st-century fast-moving consumer goods mall. The Operations Department managed various product categories within the mall, while parallel departments included Procurement, Cashier, Human Resources, and Administration.

Jia Hongjian's mind was clear, so he wouldn't go directly to the Small Appliances Department to find Section Chief Li unless he was full. If he did, the only outcomes would be a face-off or a fight. To get the money smoothly, he needed to find Section Chief Li's superior.

Inside the Operations Department, they quickly found the head, Yang Minxiong. "Please sit down. I heard you mentioned a claim?" Yang Minxiong, who looked a bit like Tony Leung Chiu-wai, asked after exchanging pleasantries with Jia Hongjian.

"You can say that. On Tuesday, we bought 13 Sony calculators from the Small Appliances Department of your mall. Later, we had them appraised at Sony's repair center, and it turned out they were all counterfeits," Jia Hongjian said courteously, gesturing for Wang Danshui to present the evidence.

Wang Danshui took out a stack of A4 papers from her bag, which included copies of the invoices and the written appraisals of the 13 calculators. The original appraisal was only for the sample, but Jia Hongjian had taken the time to get appraisals for all 13.

When she handed over the copies, she remembered her initial confusion and surprise. Fortunately, she didn't ask Jia Hongjian, who was becoming increasingly powerful, why he used copies—she guessed it was to prevent the original evidence from being destroyed during the claim process.

After reviewing all the evidence, Yang Minxiong, who looked like Tony Leung Chiu-wai, laughed, "This is just an appraisal from Sony's repair center. They don't have the authority to make a definitive judgment. It's common for them not to recognize their own products. Mr. Su, you're overthinking it. Our mall is a state-owned enterprise. How could we sell counterfeits? You should trust the country, trust the party, and trust our mall. How could a mall of our size sell counterfeits? Are we that greedy? I can assure you, these calculators are absolutely fine!"

Oh, is Yang trying to fool him with a few words because he looks young? If it were an ordinary person, they might be deceived by his righteous facade, but who is Jia Hongjian? Is he so easy to fool? He came here specifically to deal with counterfeit goods! Having experienced the counterfeit market in the 21st century, he had an unparalleled ability to identify fakes, which he wouldn't casually reveal to others.

"Have you read the new Consumer Rights Protection Law, Section Chief Yang? Article 49 states that consumers who buy counterfeit goods can receive a punitive compensation equal to the purchase price... What do you think of this article, Section Chief Yang?" Jia Hongjian said, nodding to Wang Danshui to take out a copy of the Consumer Rights Protection Law.

Yang Minxiong didn't even reach for the law book on the table. He raised his eyebrows and stared at Jia Hongjian for a long time before asking with a forced smile, "Mr. Su, what do you mean?"

"My meaning? My meaning is to follow the law." Jia Hongjian maintained his smile, and his expression, in contrast to Yang Minxiong's, made him appear extremely composed and dignified.