Wang Yu rushed all the way to the Public Security Bureau and was the first to see the gaunt woman pacing anxiously at the entrance, her face haggard.
Beside the woman was a young child, staring at everything around them with bewildered eyes.
"This is Lin Jianguo's wife."
A fellow worker beside them introduced her, saying she was a worker who had also transferred from the State-run Machinery Factory No. 2 with him.
He was also busy on the side and, upon seeing Wang Yu's arrival, treated him as a pillar of support and hurried to meet him.
"What's going on? Is this Sister-in-law?" Wang Yu asked, fumbling in his pocket and pulling out a few milk candies.
He had asked someone in the provincial capital to buy them for his sister, Wang Ling, but the girl wasn't focused on her studies lately, so Wang Yu had directly imposed "high-pressure sanctions" on her, confiscating all her candies and keeping them with him to stave off hunger during his overtime work in the evenings.
"Here, child, have a candy first." Wang Yu placed the milk candy into the child's palm.
Upon hearing the worker introduce Wang Yu's identity, Lin Jianguo's wife hurried forward to kneel and pay her respects, but Wang Yu quickly helped her up, flustered.
"Director Wang, you must seek justice for our Lin!"
Lin Jianguo's wife said emotionally, appearing on the verge of tears.
Seeing this, Wang Yu quickly stopped her, "What exactly happened?"
"The Public Security Bureau came and took Old Lin away, saying his money's source was unclear and they needed to investigate."
A fellow worker nearby quickly explained, "No one believes Old Lin could earn 500 yuan in salary. We explained that he was even rated as a Level 4 worker and received 80 yuan. But the difference with Lin's 500 yuan is too great, and his amount is too exaggerated; no one would believe it if told. So…"
"So you want me to be a witness?" Wang Yu breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Lin Jianguo himself wasn't in trouble, everything else was negotiable.
"It's alright, I'll just go and provide proof. The money was given by me, and every penny from our Automobile Factory is clean. There won't be any problems," Wang Yu assured them, nodding.
"Xiao Wang, what are you doing?"
A familiar figure appeared before Wang Yu – Captain Miao Wanli, no less.
He looked like he had just returned from a patrol. They were all riding the fuel-assisted bicycles provided by Wang Yu, which felt much more convenient than the sidecar motorcycles.
"A worker from the factory has a minor issue. Captain Miao, could you help us by vouching for him?" Wang Yu said, while instructing the worker to look after Lin Jianguo's wife and child.
"What's going on?"
Stopping his bicycle, Miao Wanli walked with Wang Yu as they talked, entering the Public Security Bureau together.
As soon as they entered, they heard a shrill, arrogant female voice.
"That's right… Officer, I can testify! That old Lin is a good-for-nothing poor worker who owes me rent for months. It's all thanks to his wife working three shifts at the textile factory to earn some overtime pay. How could a person like that suddenly have so much money? Isn't that suspicious?"
From a distance, they saw a plump woman, round as a ball, shouting animatedly. "There have been quite a few petty thefts around here recently, and many items have been lost. I suspect he's the one who did it! Otherwise, where would he get so much money? You gentlemen have all heard it, he claims it's his salary, 500 yuan! Does he think he's Shen Wanshan's family, whose fortune was lost to laborers?"
The fat woman's words were filled with certainty, as if she had personally witnessed Lin Jianguo stealing. The Public Security Bureau comrade taking notes beside her also looked helpless, quietly wiping away the spit that had landed on him.
"Elder sister… um, I mean, auntie."
Wang Yu couldn't help but step forward and interrupt the fat woman.
"Who are you calling auntie? Who?" The fat woman became enraged and roared at Wang Yu.
"Oh, my apologies. I thought I encountered a shrew ranting in the marketplace," Wang Yu said, seemingly casually picking his ear.
"You…"
"Don't 'you you me me.' I'll correct a few points for you," Wang Yu said, too lazy to waste more words on the fat woman. "First, the 500 yuan Lin Jianguo received was the salary I paid him. I am the director of the Jiangyang Automobile Factory. Every penny I earn is from a clean source, and there's no 'petty theft' involved."
Wang Yu directly took out a stack of bills from his pocket and slapped it onto the table in front of them, rendering everyone speechless.
"Second, Lin Jianguo is a very capable and individualistic person, worthy of my high salary offer, not the poor worker with nothing to his name that you described." Before the fat woman could say more, Wang Yu spoke again, without any politeness,
"Third, to catch a thief, you need evidence; to catch an adulterer, you need proof. Your baseless speculation without any evidence is considered defamation in our country's law, which is punishable by imprisonment or even sentencing!"
Wang Yu's words immediately choked the fat woman, leaving her unable to utter another word.
Her entire plump face turned as red as a pig's liver, making one worry that she might collapse from holding her breath.
"It's indeed like that," Captain Miao Wanli also stepped forward to testify, saying to the team member handling the notes, "This is Director Wang Yu of the Automobile Factory who previously donated to us. Lin Jianguo and a group of other state-owned factory workers were transferred to the Automobile Factory under the coordination of the Party Secretary, and the salary was issued by Wang Yu. There's no problem."
"Chief, wouldn't this have been settled if you had said so earlier?" The team member also breathed a sigh of relief. Clearly, he had had enough of the fat woman. He sternly asked, "Is what you said true? You must bear legal responsibility. Defamation is punishable by imprisonment!"
"This… this… probably, I was just guessing…" The fat woman began to stammer.
"Heh heh, so you can falsely accuse others with just a guess?" Wang Yu chuckled. "Then I guess you ate my rice to get so fat?"
"You…"
"Alright, Xiao Wang, don't stoop to her level," Miao Wanli said with a smile to Wang Yu. "Go through the procedures and pick up your worker."
"Mmm, I was just saying," Wang Yu smiled back at Miao Wanli, then glanced back at the fat woman.
"Oh, and fourth. You mentioned Shen Wanshan, but that should be Shen Wansan, the richest man in the Ming Dynasty. You should pay attention to his accent when listening to Old Master Shan's radio dramas; don't get it wrong. Otherwise, you'll be mocked for being uncultured when you speak.
Oh, and fifth, titles like 'boss' and 'officer' from the old society are no longer popular. We all call each other 'comrade' now."
"You…"
The fat woman was so enraged that her veins were about to burst. Miao Wanli, on the side, chuckled helplessly, "Xiao Wang, you're too mischievous."
Chatting and laughing, they walked to the detention room and brought Lin Jianguo out.
Hearing that Wang Yu had personally come to bail him out, Lin Jianguo was so moved that he was about to kneel before Wang Yu.
However… in front of everyone, Wang Yu directly slapped him across the face!