Chapter 152: Chapter 151: I Expected Haste, but Not This Much

These words made the hearts of the Grey Parrot Clan Members clench.

Jin Si frowned. “What do you mean by that? The Contract Management Office follows the rules. Occasionally, someone might find a loophole.”

He didn’t speak definitively, but his meaning was clear: if the Contract Management Office made a mistake, it was someone else’s fault. The other implication was that as long as Ji Liang produced evidence, the Office would continue to handle things by the book.

Ji Liang took the official, legally-binding Guangshou City contract from his Beast Skin Bag—the one documenting the transfer from the He Xi Tribe to Wang Cha.

“Sir, please have a look. The He Xi Tribe gifted this property to Wang Cha the Female Saint over a month ago. Meanwhile, the contract we hold for this shop in Dongye Middle Square is dated from before twenty-seven days ago, which is when their lease was signed.

In other words, when the He Xi Tribe signed the contract with the Gray Parrot Clan, they were no longer the owners of the shop.

If the Gray Parrot Clan wants a refund on their rent, they should seek it from the He Xi Tribe. It has nothing to do with us.

On the contrary, the Gray Parrot Clan hasn’t paid this year’s rent yet, have they?

As it happens, we’re taking over the shop and will not be renewing the lease. We hope you can clear out the premises within three days. Otherwise, according to the rules, we’ll start charging you five days’ rent for every single day you overstay.”

The signing date!

The Gray Parrot Clan had been so focused on the rent that they never paid attention to the signing date on the rental contract.

This was usually taken for granted; very few people ever scrutinized this detail. Who would have thought Ji Liang would see the contract and seize upon this exact point!

Ji Liang was a Snake Beastman, through and through. He had laid a trap step-by-step, first letting them grow arrogant and assume the shop was already in their grasp, even eagerly calling on the Contract Management Office to finalize the matter.

Now, due to the pressure from public opinion, the Contract Management Office had instead become an asset to Ji Liang’s group. Perhaps this Snake Beastman had long suspected an issue with the contract’s date and was just waiting for this one look to confirm it.

Jin Si took the two contracts Ji Liang handed him. One was the contract for the shop itself, and the other was the gift contract from the He Xi Tribe, which became effective upon being stamped. Both were issued by the Contract Management Office and bore special markings to verify their authenticity.

Since both of these contracts were genuine, the rental contract that the He Xi Tribe had later signed with the Gray Parrot Clan was no longer valid.

After all, the He Xi Tribe was no longer the owner of the shop.

“That is indeed the case. The Gray Parrot Clan must seek their rent refund from the He Xi Tribe. Since you are unwilling to continue leasing the shop, you only need to return the Gray Parrot Clan’s two-year security deposit. That comes to a total of sixty Level 10 Crystal Stones, which is in accordance with the agreement.”

The Grey Parrot Clan Members were hardly willing, but the official from the Contract Management Office had spoken. Unless the Gray Parrot Clan wanted to stop buying, selling, or leasing property in the future, they could only obey the Office’s decision.

Jin Si offered a token placation. “The Gray Parrot Clan’s dyed coarse cloth is quite good. We at the Contract Management Office will keep an eye out. When a suitable shop becomes available, we will inform you in a timely manner.”

This was just an empty promise. Countless people were eyeing every single shop. It was rare for one to be resold or re-leased. Usually, by the time news reached the Contract Management Office, the parties involved had already negotiated a private deal and were just going there to complete the formalities.

Ji Liang smiled and stepped forward to retrieve the two contracts, covertly slipping a Bone Ring to Jin Si.

Jin Si’s expression flickered. He wanted to refuse, but he subconsciously scanned it with his Divine Sense and discovered it was a Storage Ring!

A muscle in his face twitched. Although it was only a twenty-square-meter model, who among those that possessed a Storage Ring wasn’t a cherished junior of a great family or tribe?

These Storage Rings were essentially priceless heirlooms, known as “mobile snail shells.” Who wouldn’t want one?

Even he, who had always prided himself on being upright and impartial, refusing bribes and never acting against his conscience, couldn’t help but be deeply tempted. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to push it away.

He nonchalantly clutched the Bone Ring in his palm, then pretended to fold the fake contract and stuff it into his Beast Skin Bag, claiming he would take it back to be destroyed.

“Ma Xiao, one shouldn’t be too greedy. And don’t bully newcomers just because they have no foundation in the city. The rules of Guangshou City are not merely superficial.

You lot get up to plenty of shady business, feigning compliance while doing as you please. Now, everyone is watching. If I find you trying any funny business, don’t blame me for reporting it to my superiors and revoking your qualifications to run a stall in the western district market.

The He Xi Tribe has transferred quite a few properties and fields in Dongye Middle Square this time, and there’s a lot of follow-up work to do.

You’d better hurry up and pack. Move out within three days. You don’t want the Contract Management Office to make an example out of you, do you?”

The Gray Parrot Clan thought the official from the Contract Management Office was acting out of embarrassment and anger. They didn’t dare say a word, not even daring to glare at Ji Liang’s group in front of him. They could only mumble their assent sullenly.

Si Shuo quickly took out sixty Level 10 Crystal Stones, placed them in a small Beast Skin Bag, and handed it to Ji Liang.

In front of the official from the Contract Management Office, Ji Liang handed over the security deposit.

Someone in the crowd of onlookers shouted in approval, and everyone else joined in with enthusiastic applause, as if they themselves had won the battle.

On the way back, Ji Liang carried Si Shuo.

She couldn’t help but stroke his head. “Ji Liang, you’re amazing! You solved the problem so easily! I really thought it would take us a year or two, maybe even three to five years, to get this sorted out.”

’Maybe not until I found my last Beast Husband.’

Ji Liang smiled and said, “The Grey Parrot Clan are avians; they’re the most impatient type. They run a business, and we went to eat right after their busy rush, when there were other customers at their stall.

It was easy for them to overhear what we said, so it was only a matter of time before things blew up. They wanted to settle things quickly and decisively, to seize the advantage before we could get our footing.

So we just went along with their plan. Let them call the Contract Management Office, and let everyone hear for themselves just how greedy and tyrannical the Gray Parrot Clan is.

Public outrage is hard to quell. The people from the Contract Management Office couldn’t just gloss over it. That’s when I pointed out the discrepancy with the date, allowing the matter to be resolved smoothly.”

If any part of their setup had been off, the final outcome would have been less than satisfactory.

Si Shuo couldn’t help but praise him again. “Ji Liang, does this mean you also have ideas for our other properties and fields?”

“Not really. I was just planning to take you for a walk and scout the area. I didn’t expect the Gray Parrot Clan to be so impatient they couldn’t wait even a moment.”

Just as he said that, he exchanged a look with Zhi Qi. The two of them quickened their pace, and Kouba and Hang He, who were following closely, also grew solemn.

They weaved left and right through the alleys where the Beastmen lived.

These areas were shaded by lush, large trees, which confused the pursuing Gray Parrot Beastman above. For a moment, he couldn’t tell which way they had turned and could only fly back and forth.

Having temporarily shaken him from their trail, Ji Liang led the group home along the route he had scouted earlier.

’Until the matter is completely resolved, it’s best not to reveal ourselves too early. It’s always right to be cautious.’

Si Shuo was held in Ji Liang’s arms. The scenery flashed by like a slideshow. In just five minutes, she was whisked all the way back home!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep