Chapter 117: Why Not?

By the street on the right side of the main gate, Ding Lan smiled and asked Liu Xing, "Aren't you supposed to be busy with your shoe shop at the Old House Village market? What brings you to the black market today?"

"I'm here to pick up some supplies, like the glass for making display cases and some tools for shoemaking," Liu Xing replied truthfully.

"I see!" Ding Lan realized. "Have you had lunch yet? If not, why don't you join me later? There are some things I’d like to discuss with you privately."

"I've already eaten, but if you haven't, I'd be happy to keep you company," Liu Xing said with a smile.

"I knew you were a loyal friend." Ding Lan patted her stomach. "Now that you mention food, I really am hungry. But I still have some unfinished business to take care of here. Could you wait for a moment?"

"The business you're referring to wouldn't happen to be Zhou Can's application for an individual business license, would it?" Liu Xing couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, but the blacksmith shop Zhou Can is running has a lot of issues. You see how many people are causing trouble there; if I approve his application, it might bring a lot of grief to our Bureau of Industry and Commerce, so..."

Before Ding Lan could finish, Wu Guoqing appeared. "There's no 'so' about it. I've already told Zhou Can that his application for the blacksmith shop's individual business license won't be approved."

"Alright then!" Ding Lan smiled. Her colleague was truly blunt. In truth, there was no need to be so harsh. After all, Zhou Can’s application had been recommended by Xie Zhong. Even if the bureau didn't necessarily need to cater to Xie Zhong, it was always better to handle things with a bit more tact, given that Xie Zhong still held quite a bit of influence in HY City.

Upon hearing Wu Guoqing, Liu Xing felt a flicker of annoyance. He cast a strange look at Wu, then pulled Ding Lan into a quiet corner. "Sister, Zhou Can is my apprentice. For my sake, could you please process his license? Besides, the chaos at the gate was all caused because of me."

He wouldn't have asked if he didn't know Ding Lan could do it—and do it easily. Since it was within her power, helping Zhou Can was no trouble at all. More importantly, Zhou Can’s application was legitimate. Even if Ding Lan didn't help now, it would be a trivial matter in a few years anyway. Why not offer a hand now and have Zhou Can owe him a favor?

"What? You're Zhou Can's master? And this public disturbance has something to do with you?" Ding Lan stared at Liu Xing in disbelief. Seeing Wu Guoqing growing impatient in the distance, she pulled herself together and asked, "What exactly is going on? Tell me the details."

"Fine." With no other choice, Liu Xing explained his relationship with Zhou Can and the inside story behind the new type of iron plow. Seeing that Ding Lan understood, Liu Xing breathed a sigh of relief. "Zhou Can is an honest but slow-witted man. I thought he would master the new plow design after one lesson, but... he still hasn't learned it, which is why the villagers who ordered the plows are upset."

"So that's it." Ding Lan finally understood and couldn't help but laugh. "But my colleague has already rejected the qualification review for his license. It wouldn't look good for me to overturn his decision, would it?"

"What's so bad about it?" Liu Xing checked that no one was nearby and whispered a secret into Ding Lan's ear.

"Is what you're saying true? You aren't lying to me?" Ding Lan looked at him in shock. Xie Zhong was going to become the Township Head of Zhangmu? This was explosive inside information. Even her father didn't seem to know—it appeared the higher-ups were making major moves.

"Sister, why would I lie to you? Just process the license for Zhou Can, and there will be a big surprise in store for you later," Liu Xing said, glancing at the approaching Wu Guoqing. "But keep this a secret for now. Don't tell anyone, or you’ll be the one to suffer the consequences if something goes wrong."

It wasn't exactly a secret anymore; if Xie Zhong had told him, the leadership in Zhangmu probably already knew. Ding Lan just hadn't received the news yet because she was with the city bureau. Revealing it now wasn't just safe—it was beneficial, as it would help Ding Lan avoid making an enemy of Xie Zhong.

Ding Lan understood his intent and smiled gratefully. "Say no more. I'll go process Zhou Can's license right now, and then we'll go eat." Since Xie Zhong was about to become the Township Head, she certainly needed to give Zhou Can face. It was also a graceful exit for the Bureau of Industry and Commerce; she would inevitably have to deal with Xie Zhong in the future, and losing his favor over a blacksmith shop would be a poor trade-off.

"Great!" Liu Xing accompanied Ding Lan back into the blacksmith shop. Wu Guoqing tried to follow, but Ding Lan dismissed him with a few sharp words—leaving him there would only make things more awkward.

Zhou Can was sitting on a low stool, lost in thought, when he looked up and saw Liu Xing returning with the beautiful staff member from the Bureau. He jumped up, stunned. "Master, you... you..."

"Stop stuttering and go pour some tea! My sister is here personally to handle your license," Liu Xing said, giving him a playful kick.

"Ah? Really?" Zhou Can was shocked. Once it sank in, he scrambled excitedly to boil water for tea.

Ding Lan sat down and began writing the application. Liu Xing watched, silently admiring her elegant handwriting and fluid prose. After Zhou Can brought the tea and poured a cup for Ding Lan, he pulled Liu Xing into a corner. "Master, let me ask you something. That man earlier said my shop didn't qualify for a license. Why did everything change the moment you arrived?"

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't. Just make sure you treat me and Sister Ding Lan to a good meal, and don't be stingy!" Liu Xing patted his shoulder and returned to Ding Lan's side.

Zhou Can finally caught on. As soon as Ding Lan finished the paperwork, he said to Liu Xing, "Master, a small restaurant just opened in the black market. The food is great. Would you like me to take you there to try it?"

"Sure, I haven't had lunch yet anyway," Liu Xing replied nonchalantly.

Ding Lan gave Liu Xing a strange look, then smiled and shook her head. To her, this boy was a clever little fox, using these subtle tactics even for a simple meal. But... she liked it.

"Sister, would you like to join us?" Liu Xing asked softly. It was an unnecessary question, but Ding Lan didn't mind at all. Instead, she happily replied, "Sure! My work is done, so why don't I join you for lunch now?"

There was a world of difference between joining Liu Xing for a meal and having Liu Xing join her. The former was perfectly fine if caught by superiors, but the latter could lead to trouble. As someone who had been reborn, Liu Xing knew this well, which was why he phrased it that way.

Seeing Ding Lan agree, Liu Xing smiled and led the way out of the shop. Zhou Can gave a few final instructions to his workers and followed closely behind. To him, this meal was worth every penny. Before leaving, Ding Lan had handed him a license application form, complete with the official seal of the Bureau of Industry and Commerce. As long as nothing went wrong, he would have his license in ten to fifteen days. And all of this was thanks to his master, Liu Xing.

Thinking of this, Zhou Can couldn't help but beam. He realized then that his master’s connections were far beyond his own reach.