The Official Ladder: I ascend to the pinnacle of power, wielding the power of life and death.

"What fees do we need to pay again?"

Xia's father said impatiently.

"Sanitation fee, fifty yuan."

"Why do we have to pay again? Didn't we just pay fifty last week?"

Xia's mother immediately started shouting.

"You're mistaken. Last week's fee was the management fee, this week's fee is the sanitation fee."

The older man said, "Stop talking nonsense and pay up. We only charge you once or twice a month, which is already more than enough. If you don't pay, pack up and get out of here!"

"If we don't want to pay, why should we pay?"

Xia's mother said angrily, "Other people only pay twenty for sanitation fees, but you make us pay fifty. Now there's this management fee. How much do we earn in a month? You want to charge a hundred for both management and sanitation fees. Are you trying to kill us?"

Jiang Yiming frowned when he heard that he had to pay a fee of one hundred yuan.

Keep in mind, this was 2001, and 100 yuan was equivalent to one-seventh of his salary.

This is a considerable amount of money.

"If you don't want to hand it over, fine. Then pack your things and get out of here!"

Two young men wearing red armbands were about to attack.

"stop!"

Jiang Yiming stood up and asked, "What do you want?"

"None of your business, mind your own business, or I'll beat you up too."

The younger man warned.

The older man said, "Let me tell you, get out of here right now. We're collecting fees on behalf of the government. If you dare to stop us from collecting fees, you're defying the government and obstructing us from performing our duties. You'll regret it when we arrest and sentence you!"

"Two beggars dare to call themselves government officials? Stop smearing the government!"

Jiang Yiming sneered.

"How dare you say we're beggars?"

The two men turned pale, feeling insulted.

"Isn't it?"

Jiang Yiming sneered, "Beggars are just like you, going from house to house asking for food. The only difference is that they ask for food, while you ask for money. There's no real difference."

"Fine, you dare to humiliate us? Let's see how we deal with you."

As they spoke, the two began to attack Jiang Yiming.

Upon seeing this, Xia's father rushed over with his knife.

However, before he could make a move, a figure flashed out and quickly knocked the two men with red armbands to the ground.

The two men initially exchanged harsh words, but as Li Shengjun's leg pressure increased, they began to beg for mercy.

"You are not allowed to charge them any fees in the future, or you will bear the consequences."

Jiang Yiming signaled to Li Shengjun to release the other party.

After all, such people exist in every market. Even if the police are called, because the amount involved is small, the people who have been charged are afraid of retaliation and dare not identify the perpetrators, so they cannot be sentenced and convicted, and in the end they can only be released.

The two of them ran away.

Before long, two people wearing red armbands attracted a group of people in uniforms.

These people are city management personnel.

"Captain Ge, it's them! They're obstructing our fee collection and even assaulting us. Arrest them immediately!"

The older man pointed at Jiang Yiming and the other man.

Captain Ge, who was in charge, walked over with a dark face.

"So you're the ones who hit our men?"

Captain Ge said in a deep voice, "Do you know the consequences of assaulting government personnel?"

"Do you know the consequences of impersonating government officials?"

Jiang Yiming said, "Since when did you, as the captain of an enforcement team, have the authority to classify thugs as government personnel?"

"Besides, the county has so many fees, and even if it does, the amounts aren't that high. If you want to charge money, you need to provide evidence."

"Heh, I'm the city management team leader. I can collect as much as I want. If you don't want to pay, then get lost. There are plenty of people who will pay."

Captain Ge said arrogantly, "Apologize to our staff immediately, and I will not pursue this matter further. Otherwise, I will arrest you all."

"Apologize? You did something wrong and you want us to apologize?"

Li Shengjun said, "You're dreaming. Besides, when did you urban management officers have the right to arrest people?"

"I said yes."

Captain Ge sneered, "Since you refuse to listen to reason and are forced to drink the penalty cup, then don't blame me for being impolite. Men, take them back to me."

"Don't arrest me! If you want money, I'll give it to you."

Xia's mother and father were terrified. They thought the other party's official rank was higher than Jiang Yiming's, which was why they were able to arrest him.

"Auntie, don't worry. The more arrogant they are now, the more they'll be proven wrong later."

Jiang Yiming comforted him.

"Heh, you're the ones who got slapped in the face."

Captain Ge pointed at the stalls and said, "And this stall, smash it up. Let those stall owners who dare not pay see what happens to them."

Several uniformed men immediately rushed up and began smashing the stall.

Xia's parents tried to stop them, but were pulled aside.

"Take them back."

Just as Captain Ge and his team were about to leave, police sirens soon sounded around them.

A moment later, five police cars and more than twenty people surrounded Captain Ge and his dozen or so men.

"What are you doing? We are from the urban management enforcement team. Why are you surrounding us?"

Captain Ge stepped forward to argue.

"You still know you're from the urban management enforcement team? And you still dare to arrest people!"

"The lead policeman said in a deep voice."

"Hey, brother, I'm quite familiar with Captain Wang of your Public Security Brigade. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Please be understanding and go along with our difficulties."

Captain Ge offered a cigarette and whispered, "These people are obstructing our official duties, so naturally we have to take them back and teach them a lesson. Otherwise, if everyone were like them, how would we be able to carry out our work? Don't you think so?"

"That's no excuse for you to illegally arrest people!"

The lead policeman waved his hand and said, "Cuff them all and take them back to the station."

"Yes."

The officers behind immediately pulled out handcuffs and went forward to cuff the person.

"Hey, don't do anything reckless. We're all from the same department. What you're doing is going a bit too far, isn't it?"

Captain Ge shouted, "Besides, Captain Wang and I are brothers. If he finds out you arrested me, he'll definitely cause you trouble!"

The lead officer ignored him and quickly walked up to Li Shengjun, saluted, and said, "Commissioner Li, all those suspected of breaking the law have been apprehended by our men. Please give your instructions!"

Li Shengjun is a member of the Party Committee and Director of the Political Department of the Public Security Bureau. Calling him "Director" is easy to confuse him with the Director of the Internal Office, and it doesn't reflect his leadership position.

Therefore, some people call him Committee Member Li, while others call him Director Li directly.

Captain Ge was stunned. He never expected that the person he had arrested was Li Shengjun, the newly appointed member of the Party Committee and Director of the Political Department of the Public Security Bureau.

"Director Li, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding, it's really a misunderstanding. I didn't know it was you. Otherwise, even if you had ten times the courage, I wouldn't dare to arrest you."

Captain Ge quickly admitted defeat.