Qin Ye did not hesitate much. He stepped forward to Mi Lan's table, cupped his fists, and said, "Qin Zhong, Street Inspector of Dongshan Prefecture, pays his respects to Lord Chief Constable."
"Hmm, Inspector Qin, right? Look at such a small shop, does it really need two silver coins every month? Besides, their family is genuinely in hardships; even a single silver coin is still far too harsh." Mi Lan frowned as he spoke after a moment of thought. He truly detested this practice of collecting protection money from ordinary folk.
"My lord..." Qin Zhong paused slightly before saying, "This humble subordinate also knows that forcing them to pay is somewhat heartless, but this subordinate has a wife, children, and elderly relatives at home who also depend on this salary to live. The money I collect—though I only receive a tiny fraction of it—allows my family back home to live... somewhat like decent human beings. Besides, even if I don't collect it, someone else will. To put it bluntly, such is the world. I cannot escape it, and neither can he."
Chapter 299