Chapter 3: The Entire Village Punished

The landlady did not believe for a second that the mayor would come to settle Yang Chen’s expenses. With a stern face, she said, "I’m not in the mood to play along with your charade. Give me a straight answer now: are you going to pay up and keep staying, or are you leaving immediately?"

Yang Chen, intending to avoid conflict as a newcomer, had tried to speak to her reasonably, but it was clear she wasn't someone easy to deal with.

"Ma'am, I have six months' rent as a deposit with you, and I’ve been living here for five years; surely you can wait a little longer? Mayor Wang really will be here soon, and he will definitely settle the balance for you," Yang Chen explained.

"Get your facts straight. A deposit is a deposit, and rent is rent; they cannot be lumped together! Forget it, I’m done wasting words with you. I’m inspecting the property right now, and even if you pay the rent today, I’m not letting you stay!" the landlady snapped. Furious, she pulled a searchlight, measuring tape, and a marker from her bag.

Yang Chen was stunned. "What does that mean?"

The landlady walked over and pulled the main power switch to his room. "I won't take advantage of you; I won't use your electricity. I’ll use my light."

She strode into the room, aggressive and imposing, wielding her searchlight to hunt for any signs of damage.

Footprints on the walls, small dents, worn-out furniture, and cleaning fees for dirty appliances—after her meticulous "calculation," the six months of deposit Yang Chen had paid wasn't even enough to cover the damages!

"Seriously? Ma'am, this is going too far! I don't accept this!" Yang Chen said, growing angry.

The landlady chuckled dismissively. "It doesn't matter if you accept it or not. The deposit is in my hands, and I say what goes, understand?"

Unbelievable. Was she really trying to strong-arm him?

"Who can guarantee zero wear and tear when renting a place? Can you keep your own home looking brand new? Besides, rent already covers reasonable wear and tear; when you rent out a property, you implicitly accept that depreciation. I’m not putting up with this from you!" Yang Chen retorted.

The landlady remained unfazed, smirking, "That’s the rule here. If you’re not satisfied, you can call the police or sue me in court; I’ll play along to the end. Your deposit isn't enough to cover the damages, so the air conditioner, refrigerator, and TV you bought cannot be taken; they will be kept as compensation."

Yang Chen: "..."

Being a landlord sure was comfortable—no effort required, and you get to pocket the furniture and appliances the tenant bought.

"Just get lost! I’ve never seen a heartless landlord like you!" Yang Chen cursed.

The landlady exploded, shrieking, "Who are you telling to get lost? Who are you calling heartless? Explain yourself! Otherwise, this isn't over!"

Hearing her screams, the landlady's family came rushing up.

Her sixteen-year-old son, at an age where he acted without consequence, bolted into the kitchen, grabbed a vegetable knife, and waved it threateningly in front of Yang Chen. "Apologize to my mother! I said apologize to my mother! Now!"

Other tenants gathered to watch, trying to mediate and urging both sides to calm down. They suggested that the landlady shouldn't be so petty and that Yang Chen should just forfeit the deposit and leave.

Before the landlady could speak, her son roared, "No! The compensation must be paid, and he has to apologize, or he’s not leaving!"

Damn it. I’ve walked off a 33-story rooftop; do you think I’m afraid of this?

Yang Chen turned, walked into the kitchen, and also grabbed a vegetable knife. The landlady and her son scrambled backward in fear.

"What? You think you're the only one who can hold a knife? Come on, everyone else get out. Let’s close the door and have a one-on-one. Only the one who walks out alive gets to leave! If you don't dare, then you aren't your father's son!" Yang Chen snarled, looking fierce.

The punk didn't dare respond; he was nothing but a loudmouthed loser.

"We are civilized, law-abiding people. We aren't going to risk our lives with a pauper like you!" the landlady declared.

"Coward!" Yang Chen spat.

Just then, the sound of sirens at the main gate broke the tension.

The landlady walked to the window to look down and was immediately stunned by the sight. A motorcade was arriving—all domestic Hongqi sedans: three H6s in the front, an H9 in the middle, and three H7s following. Such a display was clearly the arrival of government or public sector officials.

The landlady looked at Yang Chen in shock, thinking, "Could it really be the mayor?"

A group of people stepped out of the cars. The landlady recognized the Deputy Mayor, Wang Wenkang, from the Hongqi H9 immediately, as he was frequently on the news.

She slapped her thigh. "Oh no, oh no, the mayor really is here! Dajun, put the knife away! Mayor Wang is here, hurry down to welcome him!"

The family fell into chaos. The son quickly tossed the knife back into the kitchen, and they scrambled downstairs to greet the entourage.

"Oh my, Mayor Wang, what wind has blown you our way?" the landlady asked, bowing and scraping.

Wang Wenkang smiled pleasantly. "You must be the landlady?"

The landlady nodded flatteringly. "Yes, yes, I am the landlady here. My name is Zhou Chunxia. Welcome, Mayor Wang. Please, come in, come in."

Wang Wenkang glanced at his secretary and smiled. "I’ve come to settle the expenses for your tenant, Yang Chen. Xiao Liu, go ahead and settle the accounts with Ms. Zhou."

At that moment, Yang Chen, still holding the knife, leaned out the window. "Mayor Wang, no need to settle. Her family came up here with knives, forcing me to accept 'wear and tear' fees. They didn't just drain my six-month deposit; they wanted to seize the fridge and air conditioner I bought as compensation. Mayor Wang, I’d like to ask: is it the regulation here that a tenant must return a property exactly as it was, or else pay 'wear and tear' fees?"

Wang Wenkang’s face darkened. "There is no such regulation! Renting a property naturally involves reasonable wear and tear; landlords implicitly accept this when they rent out their units. What is this, Ms. Zhou? You’re charging tenants for wear and tear? And you’re trying to deduct six months of deposit at once?"

Zhou Chunxia panicked and rushed to explain, "That’s how everyone does it here! It’s not just me. If Mayor Wang thinks it’s unreasonable, you should tell everyone to stop, not just me, right?"

"Are you saying all the landlords here do this?" Wang Wenkang asked.

Zhou Chunxia nodded. "Yes! It’s the unspoken rule; I wasn't trying to cheat him!"

At this, the neighbors watching the spectacle panicked.

"Hey! Zhou Chunxia, stop talking nonsense!"

"Exactly! Use your brain before you speak!"

"You did this yourself, don't drag us down with you!"

...

Zhou Chunxia realized too late that she had just reported every landlord in the village for illegally charging wear and tear fees to the mayor. If she offended the entire village, her family would never be able to live there again.

Yang Chen spoke up loudly, "Mayor Wang, the tenants here are all working-class people like me. Life is already hard enough, and now we’re being fleeced by these heartless landlords. You have to do something."

Wang Wenkang went out to question the other tenants. They all confirmed that they had been cheated by their landlords in the same way—even reasonable wear and tear had to be compensated, and in most cases, the deposit wasn't enough, forcing them to bleed money before they could move out.

Wang Wenkang was furious. He immediately said to his secretary, "Xiao Liu, call the Housing Authority and tell Zhou Dakang to get over here right now!"

The secretary nodded and made the call.

Zhou Chunxia was completely terrified. She knew she was in big trouble.

"Mayor Wang, I was wrong, I was wrong! I’ll return the deposit to him right now, and I won't charge for the six months of rent and utilities. He can move out immediately. Is that okay?" Zhou Chunxia pleaded, her face tear-streaked.

Wang Wenkang stood firm. "It’s not up to you to decide whether to charge or not anymore. You’ve illegally collected wear and tear fees, and we will deal with this according to the law! And these buildings—they were all illegally expanded, weren't they? Xiao Liu, call the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the Fire Department. Have their heads come over here as well."

Zhou Chunxia’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground. The sky had fallen.

Charging illegal fees was a small matter, but illegal construction was a massive issue. Almost every household in the village had illegally added two or three stories. They had laid foundations for two or three floors, but had built up to five or six to rent out, often without fire hydrants or safety equipment. One inspection would reveal everything, leading to fines and mandatory demolition for the entire village. Wouldn't the whole village hate the Zhou family to their bones?

Yang Chen took only his ID and essential belongings, leaving the rest behind. He walked down with his bag, picked up the vegetable knife, and gestured toward the landlady’s son. "Didn't you want to hack me with a knife earlier? Come on, I’ll give you another chance. Let’s have a one-on-one; the winner gets to live."

The son kept his head down, not daring to look at Yang Chen. He was as cowardly now as he had been arrogant before.

Wang Wenkang signaled his secretary, who stepped forward, took the knife from Yang Chen’s hand, and tucked it away.

Before long, the heads of the Housing Authority, the Ministry of Housing, and the Fire Department arrived.

"Investigate the last five years. Punish every landlord who illegally collected wear and tear fees according to the law!" Wang Wenkang ordered.

"Understood! Right away!" Zhou Dakang replied, stepping aside to make calls.

The other officials followed suit, realizing that the illegal expansions and fire hazards would be easy targets for enforcement.

Wang Wenkang nodded with satisfaction. "The tenants here are working people; they’re already having a hard time. We cannot let them be exploited by unscrupulous landlords while they’re just trying to earn a living. As public servants, we must stand up for the people! You handle this; I’ll be waiting for the results!"

The officials promised to handle the matter thoroughly and without leniency.

Wang Wenkang smiled at Yang Chen. "It’s too chaotic here to talk. Come, I’ll take you to the Jiangcheng Bay Villa Number One to discuss things. Xiao Liu will handle the expenses; you don't need to worry."

Yang Chen nodded and followed him.

Zhou Chunxia suddenly grabbed Yang Chen’s leg, crying, "Yang Chen, I was wrong, I really know I was wrong. I’ll return all the rent from the last five years to you. Please, help me beg the Mayor to show mercy. If he handles it this way, my whole family won't be able to survive in this village!"