As the owner of a small, private company, why would he formally pay himself a salary like the CEOs of large corporate chains?
The proof of employment was real, but the monthly salary of 38,000 was fake.
For one thing, his entire cultivation company didn’t even have a total monthly profit of 38,000.
Since the income was fabricated, he obviously hadn’t paid the proper taxes on it.
However, the proof of employment had all the official company seals. To make it look completely authentic, he had even gotten someone at a small private bank to create falsified bank statements.
With that transaction history, he could prove that the company had indeed paid him a monthly salary of 38,000.
Pan Quanhong’s face was now pale with fright. He was in a mess he couldn’t talk his way out of—caught red-handed.
Although he had some money left after selling the company, there was absolutely no way he could pay back over a million in personal income tax.
On top of that, the severance pay for a dozen or so employees, calculated based on their years of service, was another huge sum.
The old saying rang true: in trying to harm another, he had only harmed himself.
He never imagined that the blade he had so carefully aimed would end up turning back and stabbing him instead.
He collapsed limply to the ground, the fierce, cunning look on his face replaced by sheer bewilderment and despair.
Seeing the employees growing uneasy, Li Xiao stepped forward and clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.
It wouldn’t be difficult to find new staff experienced in mushroom cultivation.
However, Li Xiao wasn’t willing to let these people lose out on their substantial severance packages just because he was involved.
He didn’t believe in punishing the group for the sins of one man.
"Alright, everyone, there’s no need to worry."
"As long as you are all willing to help report and expose Mr. Pan’s tax evasion..."
"...there will be no problem with your severance pay."
Hearing that their new boss was willing to settle their compensation, the anxious employees let out a collective sigh of relief.
No one there was a fool. They were all seasoned veterans who had been navigating the working world for over a decade; everyone understood Li Xiao’s unspoken message.
If they helped expose Pan Quanhong’s tax evasion, they would get the money they were owed.
The implication was clear: if they didn’t cooperate, their severance pay had nothing to do with him, Li Xiao. They could try to get it from Pan Quanhong themselves.
Whether or not Pan Quanhong could actually come up with that much money was not his problem.
On one hand, there was their former boss, who would likely default on more than a decade’s worth of severance pay. On the other, there was a new boss willing to cover the cost.
The choice was obvious to everyone present.
Immediately, a middle-aged woman in her forties hurried over to Li Xiao’s side.
"Boss Li, I can testify that Pan Quanhong has always been evading taxes! It’s not just his personal income tax he hasn’t paid; he’s been having people cook the books for the cultivation company too!!"
Li Xiao raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected the very first employee to come forward to drop such a bombshell.
Considering Pan Quanhong couldn’t even afford to pay back his personal income tax, if he were investigated for other tax issues, the combined sentences would be for much more than just three to seven years.
With the first employee having come forward, the others quickly followed suit.
One accused Pan Quanhong of tax evasion, another claimed he used excessive pesticides and illegal growth stimulants. It was as if they were afraid their former boss wouldn’t go down fast enough.
Looking at the despairing Pan Quanhong on the floor, Li Xiao shook his head slightly.
’Honestly, if the guy hadn’t brought this all on himself, I wouldn’t have wanted to take things this far.’
’With these witnesses, the physical evidence, and an ace lawyer like Zhang Li, this guy probably won’t be getting out for at least eight or ten years.’
Leaving the follow-up to Zhang Li and Dong Guojiang, Li Xiao didn’t concern himself with it any further. He simply dusted off his hands and left.
Seeing that it was getting late, he didn’t head straight back to the university but instead drove to the old district.
According to the information Zhou Shishi had gathered, many of his viewers were quite interested in the local snacks here in Yangcheng.
Since he was already out and about, it was the perfect opportunity to fulfill his audience’s request.
Li Xiao parked his Mercedes in the mall’s underground garage.
Many of the snack shops he planned to visit were time-honored establishments that had been around for decades, hidden deep within the alleys of the old city districts.
Finding parking near them was simply impossible.
You could easily spend twenty or thirty minutes just looking for a parking spot.
So, parking the car in advance was essential.
He glanced at the notebook his assistant had prepared for him.
It not only contained specific information about the different snack shops but also included a detailed hand-drawn map with various public transit routes marked out. It was incredibly thoughtful.
Li Xiao started his livestream. Although he hadn’t announced this stream in advance...
...a large number of viewers still began pouring in the moment he went live.
In no time, the number of viewers in the stream had already surpassed 3,000.
Chatting idly with his viewers while following the map, Li Xiao soon arrived at his destination.
At the end of a narrow, secluded alley, Li Xiao saw a stall that seemed to be a relic from a bygone era.
The paint on its golden sign was peeling, but you could still sense the rich history of this time-honored establishment.
This was a mobile food stall that had been in business for over 30 years, not a traditional brick-and-mortar shop.
Although it was just a small pushcart, the owner had been operating from this fixed spot for thirty years, making it no different from a permanent shop.
The simple, faded sign on the stall read: "Outlaw Bowl Fin Soup." Below it, a discolored piece of red paper hung, with prices neatly written in regular script: Small Bowl 10 yuan, Large Bowl 12 yuan.
While waiting in line, Li Xiao began to explain to his viewers:
"A lot of you have been asking about authentic local delicacies, so today I’m going to introduce you to a classic: street-style bowl fin soup, made the traditional way."
The origins of bowl fin soup can be traced back to Hong Kong in the 1940s and 50s.
Back then, Hong Kong’s economy was booming. It wasn’t just the upper class pursuing luxury; ordinary people were also beginning to develop their own small aspirations.
As phrases like "shark fin over rice" and "gargling with shark fin soup" became popular in TV dramas, shark fin became synonymous with luxury and opulence, sparking the curiosity and desire of the common folk.
Since real shark fin was prohibitively expensive, clever street vendors began using the leftover scraps and trimmings. They would add ingredients like glass noodles, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear fungus, shredded chicken, and shredded pork, then cook it all in a rich broth thickened with water chestnut starch or bean flour. Finally, it would be seasoned with white pepper, red vinegar, and sesame oil.
Although the actual shark fin content was minimal, this snack containing a hint of it still came to be known as bowl fin soup.
For the average person on Hong Kong Island, being able to taste the coveted shark fin for just a few dollars was an incredible treat, which is how bowl fin soup rapidly became a popular street food.