171: Verify personal influence

Huangpu District, Cuihua Road.

Ms. Zhao's beauty salon is located in the most prosperous CBD area of this street.

Moreover, unlike conventional beauty salons built inside shopping malls, this store is situated at the entrance of a pedestrian street in a prime location, flanked by fashion boutiques like Louis Vuitton and Gucci.

Just looking at the store's location, this place is extremely valuable, with monthly rent easily reaching nearly seven figures.

The exterior of the beauty salon is also very appealing, with white-gold stands adorned with colorful flowers, and large transparent floor-to-ceiling windows shimmering in the sunlight, stylish and elegant, not at all inferior to luxury goods stores.

Even Gao Ze, who isn't interested in design, felt an urge to go inside and explore.

However, upon entering the beauty salon, the spacious interior was sparsely populated, with only five or six young women in grey uniforms sitting idly at the counter.

“Sir, who are you looking for?”

Observing the unfamiliar Gao Ze, a hint of confusion appeared in the staff member’s eyes.

Just then, Ms. Zhao, who had received a message in advance, came down from upstairs with a surprised look, her eyes shining: “Mr. Gao, you’re finally here! I thought you wouldn't come this morning.”

“Please come this way, we’ll discuss it in the reception room!”

Today, Ms. Zhao was wearing a light purple casual long dress, with crystal earrings, an emerald diamond ring on the middle finger of her fair right hand, and long, wavy hair cascading down her back, exuding the romantic aura of an elegant lady.

Completely devoid of last night's alluring charm, she appeared so proper that it made one want to break that image.

“No need to trouble yourself, I’m here to help you solve a problem. Just tell me the situation simply!”

Gao Ze waved his hand and said, “When do the fire department, the police, and the market supervision bureau come to inspect your store?”

Ms. Zhao glanced at her wristwatch and said, “According to the usual schedule, the Huangpu District Police will come to my beauty salon in about ten minutes.”

“The fire department and the market supervision bureau will come later in the afternoon.”

“Then let’s wait for the police to arrive first!” Gao Ze casually found a seat in the store and sat down. Actually, to solve the problem of Ms. Zhao’s beauty salon, he could directly call the leaders of the relevant departments to inquire about the matter and ask them to resolve it out of collegial relations.

But doing so would be too crude!

What if the relevant leaders were completely unaware of the matter, kept in the dark by their subordinates?

Directly calling them would give them a pushy impression, and if they were stubborn, it could even lead to a secondary conflict, contrary to his original intention of solving the beauty salon's problem.

Every department in the police force has its own rules.

Gao Ze is well-known in the Donghai City police force and is highly regarded by senior leaders, but his current reputation exceeds his actual position, and he does not yet hold a higher rank or position. When facing issues like the beauty salon, which might involve high-level leaders, he still needs to handle it smoothly.

“Mr. Gao, are we just going to wait like this?”

Ms. Zhao asked a staff member to bring tea, her beautiful eyes showing a mix of anticipation and anxiety, and asked, “Don’t we need to prepare?”

After the female staff members in the store understood Gao Ze’s intention, their gazes involuntarily shifted. If the beauty salon’s problem could be resolved, their monthly benefits and performance would be secured, and they wouldn’t have to consider changing jobs.

“No need!”

If even his name couldn't solve the problem of Ms. Zhao's beauty salon, then this problem would at least be a troublesome issue that even a leader of Zhao Mingsheng's level would find difficult to handle.

But no matter how impossible, it wouldn't happen in a small beauty salon.

About ten minutes later.

As Ms. Zhao had said, three uniformed police officers walked into the beauty salon. They made no other moves, only politely asked a few female customers receiving beauty treatments in the store whether their personal rights and safety had been harmed.

“Mr. Gao, you see, there’s nothing wrong with what they’re doing, but our clients don’t like being disturbed while enjoying their services.”

Ms. Zhao sighed, a clear look of worry on her face.

“I understand!” Gao Ze nodded, rose from his seat, and walked over to the three police officers.

“Officer Gao, Director Gao!”

The three police officers, two young and one middle-aged, clearly recognized Gao Ze, even accurately knowing his specific position in the Shanghai Traffic Police Brigade.

Gao Ze nodded in acknowledgment and asked, “Hello, I’d like to know why you are inspecting this beauty salon?”

The middle-aged police officer looked at Gao Ze and Ms. Zhao beside him, his expression hesitant, and said:

“Officer Gao, this beauty salon recently had a beauty medical accident, and there’s a significant dispute between the patient and the beauty salon, so we’re here for a special inspection!”

The police officer held Gao Ze in awe.

Ms. Zhao, standing beside Gao Ze, clearly sensed this was an excellent opportunity. She bravely said:

“I admit to that medical accident, but I’m already close to reaching a settlement with the patient, so why do you still come here for inspections every day?”

“Uh...” The middle-aged police officer met Gao Ze’s sharp gaze, hesitated for a long time, and then stiffened his neck and said, “This is our captain’s order!”

“Captain Fang Jingli?”

Gao Ze was very clear about the organizational structure of the Huangpu Public Security Bureau’s leadership. The captain of the public security brigade was Fang Jingli, and he had even met him and the director of the Huangpu Bureau when he went to the Huangpu Criminal Investigation Brigade.

“Yes!”

“I understand. Tell Captain Fang that I’m at the beauty salon!”

Waving his hand, not wanting to make things difficult for the grassroots police officers, Gao Ze then called Liu Wenzhong, the captain of the Huangpu District Criminal Investigation Brigade: “Old Liu, are you free lately?”

“Of course I’m free, otherwise how could I attend your commendation ceremony at the Municipal Bureau? Brother Gao, do you have something?” Hearing that Gao Ze seemed to have something to discuss, Liu Wenzhong’s attitude became warm, and he spoke directly.

“An aunt of mine has a beauty salon that has been frequently inspected by the public security brigade police recently. I’d like to ask you to help me arrange a dinner with Captain Fang Jingli of the public security brigade.”

Having the police inform Fang Jingli was to let him know that he was already involved in the beauty salon incident.

Asking Liu Wenzhong to invite Fang Jingli to dinner was to make his attitude clear.

After hearing Gao Ze describe what Ms. Zhao’s beauty salon was going through, Liu Wenzhong immediately understood what was happening and said decisively:

“No problem, Brother Gao, your business is my business. You helped me so much back then, so leave this small matter to me.

Should I also help you invite Captain Feng from the market supervision department and Captain Li from the fire department?”

“Captain Feng from the market supervision department, I do need you, Old Liu, to help me invite him out. As for Captain Li Jiangtao from the Huangpu fire department, I will personally invite him to dinner. I’ve dealt with Captain Li before.”

Li Jiangtao had a good conversation with Gao Ze during the Peace Hotel fire incident.

Gao Ze saved people from the finance bureau during that fire, so it could be said that Li Jiangtao still owed him a favor. Therefore, given their relationship, Gao Ze could personally call him to arrange a meeting.

“Oh, and I also want to ask Team Leader Liu to help me invite one more person!”

“Who?”

“Director Sun of the Huangpu Branch!”

Given that the public security, market supervision, and fire departments were all dispatched, Gao Ze guessed that the person who ordered the beauty salon inspections might not be Captain Fang Jingli at all, but a leader of a higher rank than them.

Liu Wenzhong understood the key point and nodded without hesitation: “I understand. I’ll arrange for the people to meet at your designated restaurant at noon.”

In the past, he was always the one asking Gao Ze to solve cases, but this was the first time Gao Ze asked him for a favor. He felt he had to do it efficiently and excellently.

“Will it work?”

Watching Gao Ze end the call, Ms. Zhao’s eyes showed concern, and she tightly clenched her hands.

“There shouldn’t be a problem!”

“Go and book a restaurant, mid-range, with a per-person meal standard not exceeding 100!”

Solving the beauty salon problem was a test of his personal influence over the mid-level personnel of the Donghai City police force, and Gao Ze felt that there should be no surprises.

......................