"That's great," Xu Zhisheng agreed readily, then added with some hesitation, "It's just that dormitory bed space at the factory is tight, I'm afraid..."
Er Lai: "No problem, I'll just stay at a nearby guesthouse for a night. It'll be convenient for me to come over early the next morning."
The matter was settled. Not long after Zhu Changgui left, Er Lai found a guesthouse near the factory.
As soon as Xu Zhisheng saw everyone was gone, his previously amiable expression quickly turned grim. He went to the gate and spoke a few words to the old gatekeeper, Liu, then turned back to the factory office building.
The next day, as soon as it was dawn, Er Lai got up. After a simple splash of cold water on his face, he went to the front desk to check out.
It was already October, and the weather was gradually getting colder. As soon as he stepped outside, he was met with a blast of cold wind. Er Lai couldn't help but shiver, instinctively tightening his coat and hunching his shoulders as he walked towards Baiqiang Steel Factory.
It was only four or five in the morning, and there wasn't a soul on the street. All he could hear was the rustling of leaves in the wind and the shuffling of his own footsteps.
As he passed a street corner, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him approaching him rapidly. He instinctively looked back, but only managed to catch a glimpse of a figure. He didn't even see if the person was male or female, or what they looked like, before he felt a sharp pain in his neck. The next moment, his vision went black, and he completely lost consciousness.
Zhu Changgui hadn't slept well all night. He got up early the next day and went to the factory to check the situation. Upon learning that the goods hadn't arrived yet, Zhu Changgui suddenly felt a sense of panic, a feeling he hadn't experienced in many years.
He picked up the phone and called the guesthouse where Er Lai had stayed the previous night. When he learned that Er Lai had already checked out, he felt slightly relieved, assuming Er Lai had gone to the factory to urge the shipment.
He had arranged with the Pengcheng boss to meet at noon today. Er Lai would definitely call him before setting off with the loaded truck.
However, as he waited and waited, Er Lai never called. Zhu Changgui gradually became restless.
He glanced at his watch; it was already past eight o'clock. It would take at least three hours to transport the goods from Baiqiang Steel Factory to the goods transportation station. What was Er Lai doing at this hour?
Just as he was about to call the steel factory to inquire about the situation, the phone suddenly rang. He quickly grabbed it.
"What's going on with you, kid? Why are you calling only now? Have the steel bars been shipped out?"
"Boss Zhu, it's me." A broken Mandarin voice on the other end of the line interrupted his stream of questions. "How is it? From the sound of it, the goods haven't arrived yet? Don't forget we have a contract. If you breach it, you'll have to pay me double the penalty."
Zhu Changgui was extremely anxious but had to force a smile to appease him. "Boss Li, don't worry, I definitely won't short you on the goods. There are still three hours left until the agreed time."
"It's best if you make it. Boss Zhu, I'm already waiting at the goods transportation station. We'll see each other then."
After hanging up the phone, Zhu Changgui immediately called Xu Zhisheng, but no one answered after several attempts.
Seeing that time was running out if he waited any longer, he turned to another subordinate and said, "I'll go out to meet them. You stay here. If Er Lai calls, tell him to go directly to the goods transportation station."
After giving the instructions, he grabbed his coat from the back of the chair and left the office. After starting the car, he drove directly towards the steel factory.
In his haste, he drove at maximum speed, but he didn't encounter any convoys of steel-carrying trucks along the way.
The journey that normally took at least three hours, he completed in two and a half.
However, just as he was about to enter the factory, he was stopped by the gatekeeper.
"You can't enter, you can't enter." A man of similar age to him emerged from the guardhouse and asked with a frown, "Comrade, who are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for your factory director, Xu Zhisheng. I was here yesterday. Don't you recognize me?"
"You're really strange. I should have seen you? Our factory director has gone to a meeting in the city. If you have business, you can leave a message, and I'll help you pass it on to him when he returns."
"Gone to a meeting? Then what about my goods?"
Gatekeeper Liu frowned. "I don't know about that, but our factory has a rule that outsiders who are not factory employees are not easily allowed in."
Zhu Changgui, having navigated society for ten to twenty years, would be a fool if he hadn't sensed something was amiss by now.
His square face darkened, as if it could drip water.
"Get out of the way!" He took a step forward, pushed aside the person blocking his path, and walked straight into the factory grounds.
"Director Xu? Xu Zhisheng, you get out here!"
"This is not a place you can just barge into! If you dare to force your way in, believe it or not, I'll call for help right now!"
Gatekeeper Liu chased after him to the door of the factory office. Looking up and seeing Xu Zhisheng emerge, he said apologetically, "Director, I tried to stop him, but I couldn't."
Xu Zhisheng nodded. "It's alright, Old Liu. You can go back now."
"Director Xu, what do you mean? You promised to supply me with goods early this morning. Where are the trucks?" Zhu Changgui questioned him directly, his voice rising with anger.
"What trucks?" Xu Zhisheng looked at him and said with a light laugh, "When did I ever agree to supply you with goods? Steel is so tight right now, we can't even supply our own downstream enterprises. How could we supply you?"
"You!" Seeing that Xu Zhisheng was reneging on his promise, Zhu Changgui thought of something and pulled the contract out of his bag. "We have a contract as proof. I've already paid the money. How can you, Director Xu, go back on your word? If your private sale of steel bars is exposed, not only will you lose your position as director, but your entire factory will likely be thoroughly investigated."
Seeing Xu Zhisheng remain silent, Zhu Changgui sneered, "I advise Director Xu not to make things too difficult for everyone."
Privately selling state resources for a high profit margin – these were all solid evidence. Once proven, Xu Zhisheng would be lucky to only lose his position; he might even be sentenced to prison.
This was precisely why Zhu Changgui was so confident that Xu Zhisheng would supply him with the goods.
The contract was signed, bearing the official seal of their factory and Xu Zhisheng's signature. With such a crucial piece of leverage in his hands, he believed Xu Zhisheng wouldn't dare to play any tricks.
"Director Xu, I, Zhu Changgui, always keep my word. If you supply me with the goods, I'll handle the matter, and we'll all benefit. Why create unnecessary trouble? Don't you agree?"
Xu Zhisheng took a couple of steps towards him, his gaze falling on the contract in his hand. "I advise you to examine the contract in your hand carefully before you speak."
Zhu Changgui was stunned. "You, what do you mean?"
"You're making baseless accusations and trying to slander me and our factory without even knowing who you signed the contract with. Don't blame me if I call the police directly."
Zhu Changgui finally came to his senses and opened the contract to examine it closely. The moment he started reading the beginning, he froze.