A Minor Stir at the Online Shop

The morning sunlight streamed through the gaps in the blinds, casting warm strips of light on the wooden floor. Lin Feng had a rare good night's sleep, without nightmares or urgent late-night calls; he simply drifted off to sleep and woke naturally under the influence of his biological clock. He walked barefoot to the cool floor, went to the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water, and leaned against the counter to drink it slowly.

Two days have passed since K's "false alarm" kidnapping incident. Last night, that guy sent a message saying that he had initially figured out several key nodes in the park's internal network and even obtained some encrypted communication records, which he was trying to crack.

His efficiency was frighteningly high, and reassuring. Lin Feng sometimes felt that if you threw someone like K into any environment, he could probably adapt, replicate, and then take control as quickly as a virus.

This thought put him in a good mood. He hummed an off-key tune and began preparing a simple breakfast—fried eggs, toast, and coffee. Life seemed to have temporarily returned to a superficial peace.

As for his parents, Lawyer Zhou regularly arranged for someone to send them living expenses, and also subtly conveyed the message that Lin Feng was "busy with work and temporarily unable to come home." Although the elderly couple were disappointed, they at least knew he was safe and had a "proper job" (working as an assistant at a law firm), so they could only accept it. Monkey's sister's surgery was very successful, and she was recovering. Monkey would send messages every few days, her words full of gratitude, and occasionally she would tentatively ask Lin Feng what "big project" he was busy with, but Lin Feng always gave vague answers.

This tranquility even gave Lin Feng a slight illusion, as if he could truly be like an ordinary young man, struggling in the city, worrying about trivial matters, and planning for the future. Although he knew that the path he was on had long since deviated from the norm, and he was deeply entangled in a web woven from hatred, secrets, and absolute loyalty, he still wanted to cherish this moment of respite.

The doorbell rang at that moment.

Lin Feng frowned. Who would come at this hour? Lawyer Zhou usually called in advance if he needed anything, and that guy Lü Yi was even more elusive; he was more likely to climb over the balcony than ring the doorbell. He wiped his hands, walked to the door, and looked out through the peephole.

A man stood outside the door, around forty years old, wearing a clean but inexpensive jacket and work pants. His hair was shaved very short, and his face bore the marks of years of outdoor labor, but his eyes were bright, and he stood ramrod straight. It was Wang Laoshi —the code name Lin Feng had given him. He was originally one of countless homeless people in the city. After being summoned by the system, Lin Feng arranged accommodation for him and put him in charge of managing the online store used to collect funds for the suicide squad. His main tasks were packing and shipping orders and answering simple customer service questions. Wang Laoshi cherished this job and did it meticulously. He had also become much more energetic than before, having gone from being slovenly and listless.

"Uncle Wang? What brings you here?" Lin Feng opened the door, somewhat surprised. He had given Wang Laoshi a backup address, but had instructed him not to come directly unless it was something important.

"Boss," Wang Laoshi said somewhat awkwardly, fidgeting with his hands, "There's something I feel I should tell you in person. I'm afraid I can't explain it clearly over the phone."

"Come in," Lin Feng said, stepping aside to let him in. "Have you had breakfast?"

"I've eaten, I've eaten." Wang Laoshi nodded hurriedly, standing nervously at the door, not daring to look around. This house was too clean and too luxurious for him.

"Don't stand, sit down." Lin Feng pointed to the sofa, then went to the kitchen, poured an extra glass of water, and handed it over with two slices of toast. "Eat while you talk, what's up?"

Wang Laoshi took the water glass, but didn't touch the toast. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "It's the online store... there's been a problem."

"Online store?" Lin Feng sat down opposite him. "Tell me slowly, what's the problem? Is there a problem with the logistics? Or a system malfunction?"

"Neither." Wang Laoshi shook his head, pulled out an old phone with a slightly scratched screen from his pocket, unlocked it, and brought up a chat app. "Someone... filed a complaint. They said we're selling counterfeit alcohol."

Upon hearing this, Lin Feng raised an eyebrow, then smiled dismissively.

"Oh, a complaint? That's normal. Our wine is so expensive, some people feel it's not worth it, or they feel unwell after drinking it and want to return it for a refund. That's perfectly normal. Just do it the usual way. If they want a refund, give them one, including shipping. If they find it too troublesome, just give them a full refund; they don't even need to return the wine, just give it to them."

He knew the liquor well; it was the most common and cheapest kind of baijiu on the market, wholesaled in bulk from a legitimate distillery, costing less than ten yuan a bottle. He listed it online for over a thousand yuan, never expecting ordinary people to buy it.

The main purpose of opening this shop was to provide the scattered assassins with a "legitimate" channel to pool the money they had earned or "raised" into an account under his control by "purchasing" this outrageously expensive liquor. Simple, crude, but effective.

He even had all the loyal customers who placed orders leave negative reviews. The product details page contained only a blurry photo of the bottle taken with a mobile phone and a single, straightforward statement. "Produced by Huade Distillery, wholesale price approximately 20 yuan per bottle," without any embellishment or advertising. This was to prevent ordinary customers from being ripped off.

"Boss, this time it's a little different." Wang Laoshi handed his phone to Lin Feng, a troubled look on his face. "Take a look at the chat history. This person bought 50 bottles in one go."

"50 bottles?" Lin Feng was genuinely surprised. Even if his shop was a joke, buying over 50,000 yuan worth of this kind of wine in one go was highly unusual. He took the phone, swiped the screen, and carefully read the chat history.

The other person's ID was "Consumer Rights Defender," and their profile picture was a cartoon scale. The chat started late last night.

"Defender": "Are you there? I bought 50 bottles of your 'Millennial Aged Wine' and received them."

Wang Laoshi: "Yes, thank you for your patronage. How can I help you?"

"Defender": "Help me? You've done me a huge favor! You've helped me expose a shady shop selling counterfeit goods!"

Wang Laoshi: "Honey, are you mistaken? All the wine in our store is sourced through legitimate channels, and we have the relevant receipts (although Lin Feng has never given him any receipts)."

"Defender": "Legitimate? What a joke! I had it tested by a professional institution. This liquor of yours is just the cheapest blended liquor on the market, costing less than ten yuan to produce! You're selling it for over a thousand? What else could this be but counterfeit?"

Wang Laoshi: "Dear customer, it's very clear on our product page that this is wine from Huade Distillery, and the approximate market price is also listed. We didn't claim it's 'thousand-year aged,' that's just something we made up for the product title... The price is what we set ourselves, and it may indeed be relatively high, but the wine itself is not fake."

"Defender": "You set your own prices high? Outrageously high prices are fraud! Whether it's stated on the page is one thing, but your actual sales practices constitute misleading and fraud against consumers! According to the Consumer Rights and Interests Protection Law, this constitutes false advertising and selling counterfeit goods! You're entitled to a three-fold compensation for any counterfeit product, understand?"

Wang Laoshi: "Dear customer, if you wish to return the item, we can process your refund and cover the round-trip shipping costs."

"Defender": "Refund? Dream on! I demand compensation! Three times the price back for counterfeit goods! I bought 50 bottles, each priced at 1288 yuan, totaling 64400 yuan. Three times the price back means 193200 yuan in compensation! Immediately! Right now! Otherwise, I'll complain to the platform, report you to the market supervision department, and expose your shady shop online!"

Wang Laoshi: "Dear customer, we cannot meet your request. Our wine is not counterfeit. If you are not satisfied with the price, we can offer a full refund."

"Defender": "Don't give me that! I've seen plenty of stores like yours! Let me tell you, I have a complete authentication report, an unboxing video, and purchase records! The evidence is irrefutable! You either pay me what I demand, or we'll see each other in court! Let's see who can afford to wait this long!"

The subsequent records are mostly filled with various threats and enticements from the other party, attempting to induce Wang Laoshi to admit that "the price is too high, which is equivalent to fraud" or "the quality of the wine does not match the description." Their tone was aggressive, full of pre-set traps and piles of legal jargon. Wang Laoshi, on the other hand, clumsily but persistently repeated the two points, "You can return the goods and get a refund" and "The wine is not fake."

Lin Feng quickly finished reading, tossed the phone back to Wang Laoshi, and a slightly mocking smile appeared on his lips.

"Professional counterfeit hunters," he concluded. "Or rather, professional extortionists. They specifically target online stores with unusually high prices or ambiguous advertising, buy large quantities of their products, and then demand exorbitant compensation under the guise of exposing counterfeits. They take advantage of the fact that many small businesses are afraid of trouble, complaints, and damage to their store's reputation, and will choose to pay to avoid trouble."

Wang Laoshi nodded, looking worried. "I think so too. Boss, the way he talks is completely different from ordinary dissatisfied customers. Every sentence he cites legal provisions, and he's always threatening to report or expose us. What... what should we do? If he really complains, will the platform penalize us? Will our shop be shut down?"

Lin Feng picked up his slightly cooled coffee, took a sip, and said casually, "Ignore him. Let him complain if he wants, let him report if he wants."

"Huh?" Wang Laoshi was stunned. "But... what if he really makes a big fuss..."

"It's not a big deal," Lin Feng interrupted him, patiently explaining, "First, the wine we sell comes from legitimate wineries, with traceable sources. It's not an unregistered product, much less a toxic wine he concocted with chemical ingredients. 'Fake wine' has a clear legal definition. His so-called 'test report' can at most prove that our wine has low costs and ordinary quality, but it can't prove that it's 'counterfeit or substandard.' Our website doesn't make any false claims about its effects; we just list the price and the actual sourcing channels. At most, it might be considered unreasonable pricing, but it doesn't constitute fraud."

"Secondly, our shop," Lin Feng smiled, "Was never intended to operate long-term, and we didn't have much reputation to maintain. If it's closed, so be it, it doesn't matter."

That's the truth. The investment company that Lawyer Zhou is preparing is almost fully established, and it will soon be able to circulate funds in a more formal and efficient manner. This humble online store has almost completed its historical mission.

"What if... what if he really sues us in court?" Wang Laoshi was still a little worried; ordinary people have an innate fear of being sued.

"Let him sue." Lin Feng said dismissively. "The litigation process is lengthy. He'll have to pay the court fees upfront, gather evidence, and go through all that trouble. For a mere 60,000 yuan? It's not even worth the cost. These kinds of people play psychological games, exploiting information asymmetry and merchants' fears to quickly profit. If it really comes to legal proceedings, he'll almost certainly withdraw on his own."

He looked at Wang Laoshi, his tone softening. "Uncle Wang, these next few days you should ship the goods as needed, and give simple replies. Just stick to two points: the wine is genuine, and you can return it for a full refund without any conditions. Don't say anything else, and don't argue with him. Don't be afraid of any threatening messages he sends; just keep a record of them. If the platform's customer service gets involved, reply in the same way. Understand?"

Seeing Lin Feng's calm and composed demeanor, Wang Laoshi's anxiety gradually subsided. He nodded vigorously. "Understood, boss. I'll do as you say."

"Hmm." Lin Feng stood up. "You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? I just fried some eggs, let's have some together. When you get back, go do what you need to do, don't let this affect your mood. The online store is about to be finished, we might not be doing it anymore in a while, I'll arrange something else for you."

"Okay, thank you, boss!" Wang Laoshi quickly replied, a grateful look on his face. For him, having a stable place to live and a decent job, no longer having to wander the streets and go hungry, was already a great blessing. With the boss so calm, what did he have to be afraid of?

The minor incident was resolved in just a few words from Lin Feng, like an insignificant leaf falling into a deep pool without even causing a ripple. After finishing his breakfast, Wang Laoshi left, thanking him profusely.

Lin Feng was clearing away the dishes, looking out at the increasingly bustling city. He thought to himself: professional counterfeiters... in a way, they're like "cleaners" in this distorted business ecosystem, even if their motives aren't necessarily pure. Unfortunately, this time they've chosen the wrong target.

His battlefield has long since moved beyond these trivial business disputes. Online stores and complaints are nothing but fleeting clouds. His gaze has already passed over the tall buildings in front of him, reaching into a more distant and darker depth. There, lies Xie Yunchuan's organ factory, the telecom fraud den that K has infiltrated, and the power network he is quietly weaving for himself.

The peaceful morning was merely a brief prelude to the storm.