"We don't have a better way to recover that batch of goods for now," another police officer stated with a helpless tone. "Even if they end up on the market, we wouldn't be able to tell which ones belonged to your store and which ones are genuinely for sale by others."
"Hundreds of pieces of clothing! We can't just let them go missing! These conscienceless, morally bankrupt beasts! What else could they possibly do but petty thievery? If I ever find out who stole from the store, I'll tear them limb from limb!"
Wang Aixiang's voice choked up as she spoke. She couldn't help but turn her head and quickly wipe her eyes. The loss of nearly twenty thousand yuan worth of goods. Chen Lishu had entrusted the store to her, and she hadn't guarded it well. The guilt threatened to drown her, making her wish she could slap herself twice.
"If I had known someone was going to steal, I would have slept in the store and fought them to the death!" Wang Aixiang said bitterly.
Chen Lishu patted her shoulder and said softly, "It was my oversight, it has nothing to do with you." For convenience, she had stored all the merchandise in the shop, never expecting such a thing to happen.
"Officer Yang, if we can prove that the cashmere sweaters that reappear on the market are from our store, can we then track down the thieves?"
"How is that possible? The clothes won't have your store's name written on them," another officer interjected.
Chen Lishu took a document from her bag and handed it to them. "This is the exclusive agency contract I signed with the wool textile factory. I bought all twelve hundred cashmere sweaters they produced. I can guarantee that any 'Peony' brand cashmere sweaters appearing in the Northeast will be from my store. Cashmere sweaters aren't cheap, and it won't be easy for them to dispose of all of them at once. They only have two options now: either sell them off cheaply to others for quick cash, or stockpile them and slowly deal with them after the heat dies down."
Chen Lishu paused before continuing, "I lean towards the first option. They stole the goods to get money; they won't wait to deal with them slowly. I think it won't be long before someone starts selling them, and because they bought them cheaply, the price will definitely be below market value."
The two officers were surprised that these cashmere sweaters were exclusively theirs. This made the matter much easier. As soon as they appeared on the market, it would prove that the seller was definitely connected to the theft.
"Comrade Chen Lishu, don't worry. I'll write up a formal document and send it to all police stations when I get back. They'll be more vigilant. If any private sales are discovered, you'll be notified immediately." Yang Shuang, being straightforward and having a very good impression of Chen Lishu from their previous encounters, was determined to help her within her capabilities.
After thanking them and seeing them off, Chen Lishu and Wang Aixiang looked at the empty store with heavy hearts. It was nearly twenty thousand yuan worth of goods. Chen Lishu's mood was understandably grim. Since her rebirth, drawing upon her past life's experiences, every step she took in business had been steady. Chen Lishu thought with a hint of self-mockery, perhaps her life had been too smooth, and even heaven couldn't stand it.
"This theft is actually a wake-up call. We need to learn from it and be more careful about fire and theft in the future." Chen Lishu said, feigning lightness as she looked at the perpetually worried Wang Aixiang.
Wang Aixiang looked up and said in a low voice, "What do we do now?"
"First, let's clean up. The store will be temporarily closed. You go and check with Sister Feng and the others; ask them to keep an eye out for other vendors selling cashmere sweaters." The police would likely only pay attention to visible businesses like stores, not necessarily small stalls and vendors.
"I'll go find Zhao Xingwang near the Overseas Chinese Store later. He knows many people who deal in illicit goods. Dare to steal from me? As long as these goods don't leave the provincial capital, I'll find them even if I have to dig three feet into the ground."
...
While Chen Lishu was mobilizing all her connections to find the goods, Jiang Weiguo was leisurely cracking melon seeds behind the counter of the Yimin Store. Now that 'Shuse' Apparel Store was closed, his was the only private clothing store on the entire street. He found the thought both beautiful and satisfying. He wasn't in a hurry to sell this batch of cashmere sweaters. It wouldn't do to start selling them right after the 'Shuse' store was robbed; that would attract too much suspicion. He had already planned to wait ten days to half a month for the situation to cool down before selling them. By then, no one would suspect him. He had only spent a thousand yuan for over six hundred cashmere sweaters. At such a low price, he would make a profit no matter how much he sold them for. He wasn't greedy; he'd just sell them for a little less than the department store, and they would definitely sell.
As he was basking in self-satisfaction, two foreigners suddenly entered the 'Meili' Clothing Workshop. Jiang Zhaodi had never served foreigners before, feeling both scared and excited. She hurriedly stood up from behind the counter, "Ple-please, what would you like to buy?"
The foreigners chattered in a language that occasionally included a few simple Chinese words. Jiang Zhaodi listened intently and finally understood that they wanted to buy cashmere sweaters. Remembering her uncle Jiang Weiguo's instructions, Jiang Zhaodi instinctively wanted to shake her head and say no, but she hesitated before speaking. Jiang Weiguo had told her not to release them and to ignore them, but now that someone was here to buy them, and foreigners at that, the 'Shuse' Apparel Store used to attract foreign customers. This was such a rare opportunity. If she could make a sale, perhaps they would introduce other customers. Jiang Weiguo had reprimanded her severely before for selling all the bell-bottom pants at once and had even considered having their English-speaking cousin replace her. Jiang Zhaodi felt that if she could also make this sale, Jiang Weiguo would surely look at her differently.
Through a combination of gestures and guesses, Jiang Zhaodi successfully sold two cashmere sweaters. After paying, the two foreigners were left with only a few yuan. After some thought, they went to the spot opposite the Overseas Chinese Store to find Zhao Xingwang to exchange their foreign exchange coupons for Chinese yuan. At that moment, Zhao Xingwang was standing in a sheltered corner, leaning against the wall with his hands in his sleeves, lazily watching the entrance of the Overseas Chinese Store opposite. With the 'Shuse' Apparel Store robbed, his profitable business had dwindled. He had already alerted his acquaintances. People in their line of business, involved in buying and selling, might not have many other skills, but they knew many people privately. Wandering the streets, gathering small bits of news was not beyond them. Sighing, he hoped they would find the stolen goods soon so he could earn more. As Zhao Xingwang was idly contemplating, he was about to take out a cigarette when he suddenly saw two tall foreigners walking towards him. Knowing business was afoot, Zhao Xingwang quickly put his cigarette back in his pocket and greeted them with a smile, "Hello!"