Round-robin Inspections (Part 2)

The fire truck was parked right at the entrance.

It wasn't one of those rescue and fire trucks with flashing lights and blaring sirens, but rather an administrative inspection vehicle with the words "Fire Prevention Supervision" printed on its body. But the red color was just as glaring.

The dark-faced man—whose badge read "Chen Jianguo, Second-Level Commander"—didn't enter the store; he stood at the entrance, his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping across the area in front of the store like a searchlight.

Li Wei walked over numbly, his mind still replaying the clinic's closure notice and the five thousand yuan fine. He opened his mouth, trying to make a sound, but his throat felt like it was being rubbed with sandpaper. "Leader... leader..."

Chen Jianguo didn't look at him, but pointed to the side. "Is that your store's fire escape?"

Li Wei looked in the direction he pointed—it was a narrow alley on the side of the shop. The passage, which was originally 1.5 meters wide, was now piled up with things: empty beverage boxes, abandoned tables and chairs, several plastic buckets covered in oil stains, and even a broken bicycle that no one knew who had abandoned there. The boxes were piled up higher than a person, completely blocking the passage.

"This..." Li Wei's mind went blank. This stuff had been piling up for a while. The kitchen couldn't hold it all, so they stuffed it into the alley, thinking it would be a temporary solution, but it ended up sitting there for months. Nobody had paid any attention to it before.

"It's just a temporary pile, we'll clear it out right away!" Li Wei said quickly, reaching out to move the topmost box.

"Don't move." Chen Jianguo's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unyielding and firm tone.

Li Wei's hand froze in mid-air.

Chen Jianguo gestured with his chin to the two young firefighters behind him. "Take photos, gather evidence."

The sound of camera shutters clicking filled the air. Firefighters took photos of the blocked passage from different angles, and even used a measuring tape to measure the length and width of the blockage.

"According to Article 28 of the Fire Protection Law, no unit or individual may occupy, block, or close evacuation routes or safety exits." Chen Jianguo pulled a piece of paper from his folder and began to fill it out. "What you've done isn't just occupying, it's completely blocking them. If a fire breaks out, how will the people inside get out? How will rescuers get in?"

Li Wei's legs began to weaken. He wanted to explain, to say they would clear things up immediately, to say he would be a good person—but the words caught in his throat. What was the point of explaining? The photos were already taken.

After filling out a form, Chen Jianguo walked to the walls on either side of the shop entrance. There were two red fire extinguisher boxes hanging on the walls. He opened one of them, took out a fire extinguisher, and checked the pressure gauge.

The pointer is pointing to the red area.

"It's expired." Chen Jianguo handed the fire extinguisher to a firefighter next to him. "The production date is three years ago, and the pressure is insufficient. What about the other one?"

Another firefighter opened another box, took it out, and shook his head as well. "This one too, the pressure red line."

Chen Jianguo continued filling in the paper. The pen tip scratched across the paper, making a rustling sound that sounded to Li Wei like a knife scraping bone.

"Emergency lighting." Chen Jianguo looked up and pointed to a small light in the corner of the ceiling. "Try it."

The shop assistant quickly pulled the power switch. With a snap, all the lights in the shop went out—this was a simulation of a power outage during a fire. The emergency lights should have turned on immediately.

But the lamp remained motionless. A thick layer of dust had accumulated on the lampshade.

Chen Jianguo ticked another box on the list.

"The kitchen," he said, walking straight inside.

Li Wei followed behind as if his soul had been ripped out. The kitchen had just been bustling with people from the market bureau and the health center that morning, and now several firefighters in blue uniforms had squeezed in, making it even more crowded.

Chen Jianguo's gaze was like a scanner. The power cord of the range hood above the stove was exposed and worn. In a corner socket, three high-powered induction cookers were plugged in, their cables tangled together. Behind the refrigerator, one could vaguely see illegally strung electrical wires.

"Illegal use of high-power electrical appliances, haphazard wiring, and aging wiring," Chen Jianguo reported item by item, while a firefighter next to him took notes on a tablet. "The range hood is not cleaned regularly, grease buildup poses a fire hazard."

He walked to the back door—another fire escape. The door was locked, and there were several bags of rice and several boxes of oil piled up in front of it.

"Fire exit two, locked, blocked." Chen Jianguo turned to look at Li Wei, "Where's the Key?"

Li Wei frantically rummaged in his pockets, pulled out a large bunch of Key, and tried several times with trembling hands before finally unlocking the door.

Outside the door was another alley, similarly cluttered with miscellaneous items.

Chen Jianguo didn't say anything, but took a few more photos.

Back in the lobby, he took out a document with a pre-printed heading from a folder and began filling it out. Li Wei leaned over to look; the title was. "Notice of Rectification of Major Fire Hazards."

"Based on the inspection findings, your establishment has the following major fire hazards: 1. Severely blocked evacuation routes; 2. Ineffective fire-fighting facilities (expired fire extinguishers, damaged emergency lighting); 3. Illegal use of electricity, including unauthorized wiring and connections; 4. Failure to regularly clean the kitchen exhaust ducts. Your establishment is hereby ordered to immediately cease operations for rectification. Operations may only resume after the rectification is completed and passes our inspection."

After Chen Jianguo finished writing, he signed his name and the date, then handed it to Li Wei: "Sign."

Li Wei's hands trembled so badly he could barely hold the pen. He stared at the lines of text—"Major fire hazard," "Immediate suspension of business for rectification," "Business may resume only after passing inspection"—each word felt like a red-hot branding iron, searing into his eyes.

"Boss..." his voice trembled, "Could you... make an exception? We'll fix it right away, today! I'll have the fire escape cleared right now! I'll buy new fire extinguishers and replace them immediately! Please give us one day, just one day..."

Chen Jianguo looked at him, his dark face expressionless, but there was something in his eyes that Li Wei couldn't understand, like... weariness? Or perhaps a numbness from having seen too many of these pleas for mercy?

"When was the last checkup?" Chen Jianguo suddenly asked.

Li Wei was taken aback. "The... the last time?"

"Fire safety inspection. When was the last time we inspected your store? What questions did we raise?"

Li Wei couldn't remember. It seemed like it happened, maybe last year? Or the year before? A few people came, looked around, said a few words like "pay attention" and "make rectifications," and it seemed like they even issued a ticket, but later... later it seemed like nothing happened. The store manager treated him to a meal, gave him a few packs of cigarettes, and that was the end of it.

"I can't remember?" Chen Jianguo answered for him, "But I remember. I came here on September 17th last year. I pointed out the problems of cluttered fire exits and insufficient pressure in fire extinguishers. I issued a 'Notice of Order to Rectify Within a Time Limit,' giving you fifteen days to rectify the issues. Have you rectified them?"

Li Wei's mouth was open, but he couldn't utter a single word.

"No," Chen Jianguo answered himself. "You haven't changed anything. Not only have you not changed anything, but now the passageway is even more blocked, and the fire extinguishers are completely expired. Manager Li, fire safety is not a game. I didn't fine you today, I only asked you to suspend operations for rectification, which is already a lenient treatment considering that you have already been punished by the market supervision and health departments today."

He pushed the notification forward again. "Sign it. Or, you can refuse to sign, and we will note 'the party refuses to sign' on the document, and then take coercive measures according to law."

Li Wei looked at his expressionless face, at the silent but determined eyes of the firefighters beside him, and at the growing crowd of onlookers gathering at the entrance.

He knew it was no use.

He took the pen and wrote his name crookedly in the "Signature of Recipient" section.

The pen is very heavy, like it weighs a ton.

Chen Jianguo put away the copy of the document, leaving him with one original. "During the rectification period, all business activities are strictly prohibited. We will conduct follow-up inspections periodically. After the rectification is completed, submit a written application, and we will come to inspect."

After saying that, he turned around, waved to his teammates, and said, "I'm leaving."

The firefighters packed up their equipment and filed out. Chen Jianguo was the last to leave. At the door, he paused, turned back, and glanced at Li Wei.

Li Wei was still standing there, clutching the notice in his hand as if it were his own judgment.

"Manager Li," Chen Jianguo suddenly spoke, his voice lowered, "Running a shop isn't easy. But there are some bottom lines you can't cross."

He paused, then said, "You're not the only one being inspected today. You'd better watch yourselves."

Then he left. The red car drove away, leaving the entrance empty and silent.

Li Wei slowly squatted down on the cement ground in front of the shop. The three pieces of paper in his hand—from the Market Supervision Bureau, the Health Center, and the Fire Department—were stacked together, forming a thick wad. He buried his face in his knees.

The shop assistants gathered around, wanting to say something but hesitant to speak. Xiao Wang handed over a bottle of water. "Manager..."

Li Wei didn't answer. He looked up; his eyes were red, but there were no tears.

"Close down," he said, his voice hoarse and unlike his own. "Post a notice announcing a temporary closure for rectification."

"How long will it stop?" someone asked in a low voice.

Li Wei didn't answer. He didn't know. The market supervision bureau said they would provide an explanation within three days, the clinic was to be closed for three days, and the fire department... the fire department didn't say anything, only that they could only reopen after rectification was completed.

Qualified? What constitutes qualified? Clearing passageways, replacing fire extinguishers, repairing emergency lights, cleaning kitchen exhaust ducts... all of these cost money. Where will the money come from? Headquarters? Headquarters is struggling to survive itself right now.

He staggered to his feet, walked behind the bar, and tried to pour himself a glass of water. His hands were shaking so badly that he lost his grip on the kettle, and it crashed to the floor, shattering and spilling water everywhere.

No one bothered to clean it up. The shop assistants looked at him with pity, confusion, and fear in their eyes.

Li Wei stared at the water and debris for a long time.

Then he took out his phone and dialed the regional manager's number. It rang seven or eight times before the other end answered; the background noise was very loud, like a meeting was going on.

"Manager," Li Wei said, his voice eerily calm, "The fire department is here too. They've sealed it off, ordered it to close for rectification indefinitely."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a heavy sigh.

"Li Wei," the manager's voice sounded exhausted, "Headquarters... headquarters is in chaos right now. Chairman Zheng is hospitalized, the shareholders are making a scene, and the bank is pressing for repayment. You... you should first rectify the issues according to the fire safety requirements. As for the expenses... you'll have to pay them out yourself first, and headquarters will reimburse you later."

"Reimbursement?" Li Wei suddenly laughed, his laughter dry and hoarse like a broken bellows. "Manager, I haven't even received my full salary from last month. Out of pocket? How am I supposed to cover it? I don't even know where my son's formula money is for next month."

"... Li Wei, calm down. These are critical times..."

"Extraordinary times?" Li Wei interrupted him. "Manager, I just want to ask one question: Is Dongbei about to go bankrupt?"

There was a longer silence on the other end of the phone.

"Take a few days off first," the manager finally said, avoiding the real issue. "The store's employees will be given leave for now. Salaries... we'll let headquarters know."

The call ended.

Li Wei held his phone, listening to the busy tone. He slowly walked to the shop entrance and looked at his reflection in the glass door—his hair was messy, his face was ashen, his eyes were red and swollen, and his apron was still stained with oil splatters from wiping the stove that morning.

Like an idiot.

He reached out and flipped the "Open for Business" sign on the door over, turning it into "Temporarily Closed." Then he pulled down the roller shutter.

A clattering sound rang out as the metal curtain slowly descended, gradually swallowing up the light inside the shop. Finally, with a bang, the door slammed shut.

The world went dark.

Li Wei stood in the darkness for a long time.

Then he took out his Key, locked the door, turned around, and left.

As he reached the street corner, he glanced back. Dongbei's sign was still lit—it was usually kept off during the day to save electricity, but this morning, in preparation for an inspection, he had specifically asked Xiao Wang to turn it on. The red background with white lettering, "Fresh Ingredients, Cooked to Order," stung his eyes in the afternoon sun.

A queue had formed again outside the snack shop across the street. Steam rose from the steaming buns, carrying the aroma of flour and meat filling.

Li Wei sniffed.

He suddenly remembered many years ago when he first came to the city to work as an apprentice in a small restaurant. He would get up at four in the morning every day to knead dough, chop filling, wrap buns, and put them in the steamer. His hands would be blistered from the heat, and his back would be so tired that he couldn't straighten up, but seeing the customers enjoying their food made him feel satisfied.

Later, he joined Dongbei and worked his way up from waiter to store manager. His salary increased, and he no longer had to work from dawn till dusk, but he seemed to never smell that solid, sweaty aroma again.

He took out his phone and opened WeChat. His wife's chat window was pinned to the top. The last message was from him. "This month's salary might not be paid."

My wife didn't reply. Maybe she's busy, maybe she's angry, or maybe... I don't know how to reply.

Li Wei typed. "The shop is closed indefinitely. I'm unemployed."

My finger hovered over the send button for a long time, but I didn't press it in the end.

He deleted that line.

I looked up, and the sunlight was still so blinding.

He walked slowly down the street, unsure of where to go.

My phone rang again. It was an unknown number.

Li Wei answered numbly, "Hello?"

"Is this Li Wei, the store manager of Dongbei flagship store?" A young male voice asked politely. "We are from the Inspection Branch of the High-tech Zone Tax Bureau. We would like to ask you to come and cooperate in understanding some aspects of your store's operations. Is 3 PM today convenient for you?"

Li Wei stopped in his tracks.

He stood on the bustling street, holding his phone, listening to the polite but firm voice inside.

Then he laughed.

I burst out laughing.

The laughter grew louder and louder, until they were bent over laughing, and tears streamed down their faces.

Passersby looked at him strangely, as if he were a Madman.

Li Wei laughed for a long time, until he couldn't laugh anymore, then he straightened up and wiped the corner of his eye.

"It's convenient," he said, his voice eerily calm. "I'm available anytime."

He hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket.

Keep walking forward.

The sunlight stretched his shadow very long.

It looks like a road that has no end.