"The government officer is here!"
"The government officer is here!"
"Everyone, make way, make way!"
The crowd instinctively parted to form a path. The pawnshop manager, with an arrogant demeanor, led the officers in and pointed at Liu Ji angrily:
"It's this impoverished scholar, causing a scene in front of my pawnshop without any evidence. Everyone, don't believe him. Our pawnshop has been open for decades, always honest and fair. There's no way we could commit the vile acts this rogue accuses us of!"
Liu Ji wasn't the only one skilled in talking nonsense; the pawnshop manager was even better, playing the victim on the spot, and angrily saying:
"He's someone who pledged items but reneged and now, failing to extort us, is ruining my boss's reputation! Everyone, don't be fooled by his appearance!"
The murmuring of the onlookers immediately diminished, while some naive young people, unaware of Kaiyang County's notorious trio, blankly asked the old vendor beside them:
