Chapter 2600: Chapter 2600: Unfair Contract

The villagers were also surprised to see them awake so early in the morning. They had always thought that city folk liked to sleep in and wake up late, since their work usually started when the sun was already high in the sky.

After an hour of morning jogging, Yu Qi returned to the house. The others were already up and were getting ready. Yu Qi took a quick shower and also prepared herself for the day.

They had breakfast before going to the communal hall. After finishing breakfast, they walked together toward the communal hall.

Yu Qi had other plans before the first patient arrived. She caught Su Longuo near the edge of the communal hall, his eyes red-rimmed as if he had not slept at all during the night.

"Chief Su, do you have a moment? I’d like to discuss the health of the villagers and the health of your soil." Yu Qi said with a gentle smile.

Su Longuo flinched slightly. "Ah, Doctor Tang. Of course. Is something wrong? Is the water not good?"

"The water is fine. Let’s speak in your office." Yu Qi suggested, not giving Su Longuo much of a choice.

Long Hui followed silently behind them, leaning against the doorframe once they were inside and acting as a silent, intimidating shadow.

Once they sat down, Yu Qi did not waste any time.

"Chief Su, I am not just a doctor. I also have a deep interest in agriculture and business. This soil... It’s extraordinary. It’s a ’blessed’ land. Any agriculturist would kill for a handful of this earth. So tell me, why is this village struggling to pave a simple road?" Yu Qi went straight to the point without hesitation.

Su Longuo’s face went pale. He sank deeper into his chair, his hands trembling slightly.

"I... I don’t know what you mean. The market prices are low. We are lucky to have anyone buy from us at all." Su Longuo said, clearly wanting to avoid the topic.

"Golden Harvest Exports." Yu Qi stated clearly.

Su Longuo’s head snapped up immediately, his eyes widening with terror.

"We saw the truck last night, Chief Su." Yu Qi continued, her tone softening but remaining firm. Then she added, "I saw the ’service fees’ and the ’waste removal’ payments. They are squeezing you dry, aren’t they? They take the highest-grade kiwis in the country and pay you the price of rotten scraps."

"You don’t understand!" Su Longuo suddenly burst out, his voice cracking with emotion.

Yu Qi stared at Su Longuo calmly.

"It’s not just the money. They... they told us that if we tried to sell to anyone else, no trucks would ever reach this mountain again. They said they would block the only path we have. We are trapped here!" Su Longuo clenched his fists tightly.

"What?" Yu Qi was genuinely surprised.

Su Longuo pulled a crumpled document from a locked drawer. It was a predatory contract written in dense legal jargon that a simple village leader could never fully untangle or understand. He deeply regretted signing the contract.

"They have been here for five years. At first, they were our saviours. They helped us when the crops failed once. But now, we owe them ’transportation debts’ that never seem to go down. No matter how many kiwis we grow, the debt only keeps getting bigger." Su Longuo whispered.

"May I see the contract?" Yu Qi requested.

"Yes, here you are." Su Longuo handed the contract over to Yu Qi.

Yu Qi took the contract and scanned the lines carefully. Her eyes gradually turned cold.

"This isn’t a business agreement. This is debt bondage." Yu Qi remarked calmly.

"What?" Su Longuo did not understand.

When Long Hui heard the words "debt bondage," he stepped forward.

"Who is the man who signs these? Who is your contact at Golden Harvest?" Long Hui asked.

"A man named Manager Kang. He comes every two weeks to check the ’quality.’ He will be here tomorrow for the main harvest pick-up." Su Longuo replied.

Yu Qi looked at Long Hui, and the two of them shared a silent, knowing glance. Then she turned back to the trembling Su Longuo.

"Chief Su, I want you to act as if this conversation never happened. Continue your preparations for tomorrow’s harvest." Yu Qi said, her voice now brimming with quiet authority.

"But... what are you going to do?" Su Longuo asked, a flicker of hope battling with his lingering fear.

"I have a business of my own, YQ Greenhouse." Yu Qi said, a small, confident smirk appearing on her lips. "And I think it’s time Golden Harvest learned that they are not the only ones who know how to play this game. We are going to break this contract, and we are going to do it right in front of Manager Kang."

Yu Qi and Long Hui then left Su Longuo’s office.

"That contract is a masterpiece of fraud," Yu Qi said, her voice low as they walked away. "It uses compound interest on ’fuel surcharges’ that don’t exist and ’storage fees’ for a shed that the villagers actually built themselves."

"It’s a classic shakedown dressed in a suit. If we simply tear up the paper, they will send thugs to harass the villagers. We need more than just a legal argument. We need leverage." Long Hui adjusted his jacket, his eyes scanning the perimeter with military precision.

Yu Qi returned to the communal hall. After entering the communal hall, she sent a message to Neko-chan and Han Baise. Only then did she put away her phone and begin seeing the villagers.

She checked the villagers’ health and informed them about their conditions. After lunch, Yu Qi and Doctor Fang Maomao went from house to house to check on the elderly people who could not walk to the communal hall. They examined their health carefully. The work continued steadily until evening.

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