Sweat beaded on Zhao Shan's face. Things had escalated. The man who had been beaten was indeed someone important—an official in the Baiyuan Municipal Government's Enterprise Management Office, which was in charge of the machinery factory. His ID card was there; a simple check would reveal the couple's background. That's why they'd come knocking, and the police had been called in. He shouldn't have acted impulsively yesterday evening.
Guo Huiqin cried and grabbed the workshop director's arm, saying, "Director, my son is young and doesn't understand. We can't find him now. Once we find him, we will definitely take him to apologize to Director Yang of the Enterprise Management Office. Please help us say a few good words to Director Yang. Please, please help us."
The workshop director flung Guo Huiqin's arm away, saying angrily, "Get out of here."
Zhao Shan was completely at a loss and could only continue to plead with the workshop director. In the eyes of these workers, the workshop director was a high-ranking official with wide social connections. He might even get together with an official over a meal, and their relationship would deepen over drinks, making it easier to get favors. "Director," he pleaded, "my wife and I have worked hard in the workshop for so many years. Please have pity on us and put in a good word for us. We're willing to pay the medical expenses. Just don't let the police get involved. Otherwise, my son will be sentenced. He's still young, and if he's sentenced, his life will be ruined."
The workshop foreman remained unmoved by Zhao Shan and his wife's pleas, crossing his legs and saying, "It's too late. If only you had known then what you know now. Go back and pack your things. I'll have the workshop accountant give you a payslip later. Go to the factory's finance department and collect all your previous wages. Don't come back to the workshop anymore. I'm annoyed just looking at you two. You have no ambition at all. Can't you stay home and have some peace and quiet at your age?"
Zhao Shan and Guo Huiqin stood there dumbfounded, completely stunned by the news. Their minds were blank; they had no idea who they were or what had happened.
"Oh, right," the workshop foreman remembered something else, "your staff quarters weren't included in the housing reform, so go back and pack up. You've been dismissed, so the apartment will be taken back. You have three days. The factory security department will come to inspect it then. Let me give you some advice: Director Yang isn't an ordinary person. If you offend him, you'd better leave Baiyuan City obediently. Otherwise, you won't have a good time here. Do you think finding a tough guy to stand up for you will solve everything? How naive."
Taking back the house? This was like adding insult to injury. Zhao Shan was even more petrified and fell to the ground with his eyes tightly closed, foaming at the mouth, and his limbs twitching. It was unclear what illness had triggered this reaction. Guo Huiqin threw herself on top of him, "Mingming's dad, what's wrong with you? What happened to you? Don't scare me."
The workshop director picked up the landline phone and said, "I'll call an ambulance for you; that's more than enough."
Guo Huiqin hugged her husband and cried loudly, "Why? Why? We didn't make any mistakes at work, why are you firing us and taking back our house? This is taking our lives!"
The workshop foreman said coldly, "Why? Go ask the factory manager. He gave the order today. I was just the one carrying it out. Don't take your anger out on me. If you're so capable, go find the factory manager and make him retract the order."
Volume 2 [471] Childhood Friends
【471】Childhood Friends
Send Zhao Shan and Guo Huiqin to find the factory director? They wouldn't dare, and besides, the person has fainted; what factory director could they possibly go to?
Twenty minutes later, the ambulance arrived. Zhao Shan was lifted onto a stretcher, and Guo Huiqin climbed onto the ambulance crying. She was so flustered that she forgot to call her daughter. It wasn't until she was at the hospital and had to pay the deposit that she remembered she only had a few dozen yuan in her pocket. So she called Zhao Ling for help, because the hospital wouldn't treat people without money.
That morning, Zhao Qiang, Zhao Ling, and two others took a photocopy of Zhao Mingming's photo and started visiting internet cafes. The first one was "Feiyu" Internet Cafe. When they went in, Zhao Qiang found the manager and secretly slipped him 100 yuan. The young manager was puzzled at first and asked, "What do you mean?" because this was the first time he had encountered someone trying to bribe him.
Zhao Qiang showed Zhao Mingming's photo and asked, "Master, have you seen this young man? He's my brother. He ran away from home, and we're looking for him everywhere."
After receiving the bribe, the network administrator was very enthusiastic. He asked for the photo and looked at it carefully: "I've never seen this person before. I've been on duty these past two days. If he had been surfing the internet here, I should remember him. I'm sorry."
Zhao Qiang patted the young network administrator on the shoulder and said, "It's okay. There's a contact number on the back of the photo. If you see him, could you call us? We would be very grateful if you could just provide him with information."
The network administrator accepted the photo and said, "No problem, I'll definitely call you if I see him."
Following this method, Zhao Ling and Zhao Qiang's group, and Chen Xinxin and Chen Shuxian's group, each drove a car and drove around various internet cafes in Baiyuan City. Although the feedback they received was that they had not seen Zhao Mingming, Zhao Qiang believed that the internet cafe managers would definitely ask their friends to keep an eye out. Because of the initial incentive of 100 yuan, they would spare no effort to get the bigger reward later. Even if they could not find Zhao Mingming using this method, it was still better than wandering aimlessly on the streets.
After leaving another internet cafe, it was already very noisy. Zhao Ling said, "Zhao Qiang, let's call Xin Xin and Aunt Chen and find a place to eat. My legs are killing me. That bastard Zhao Mingming, if I find him, I'll definitely make him pay."
Zhao Qiang said, "Don't keep blaming your brother. It's still unclear who's right and who's wrong in this matter. Even if you find him, don't say anything out of line. I don't think your brother is necessarily wrong either. Just look at the parents of the injured person in the hospital. You can tell their son isn't a good person."
Zhao Ling said, "That's right, my brother was definitely bullied by them first..."
"Zhao Ling?" Someone interrupted Zhao Ling. The person was a girl in her twenties, dressed very sexily, with heavy makeup that made her face almost unrecognizable. She was also wearing a mink coat, but the fur color was far inferior to that of Zhao Ling's.
"Xiangxiang?" Zhao Ling recognized her too and warmly took her hand: "Why did you go back to Baiyuan? I saw you in Yihai in the fall. You didn't even tell me when you left. I thought you had vanished into thin air."
The girl, nicknamed Xiangxiang, said, "I just returned to Baiyuan not long ago. Who is this handsome guy?"
“My boyfriend is Zhao Qiang,” Zhao Ling said, holding Zhao Qiang’s hand. “Let me introduce you to her. This is Li Xiangxiang, a childhood friend from our neighborhood. We went to work in Yihai together, but we haven’t been in touch lately. I didn’t expect her to return to Baiyuan before me.”
Li Xiangxiang held Zhao Qiang's hand: "Handsome guy, where are you from?"
This is a complicated question, and Zhao Qiang needs to think about it. He is definitely not from Yihai, so where should he be considered?
Zhao Ling knew that Zhao Qiang couldn't remember the past, so she answered for him, "Yi Hairen, this time he's coming home with me for the New Year."
"Oh, where does handsome Zhao work?" Li Xiangxiang asked in a coquettish tone, her voice making Zhao Qiang very uncomfortable.
Zhao Ling laughed it off: "What high position? Just opening a small repair shop." This was the truth. The shop that Zhao Ling and Chen Xinxin rented was indeed not big, and the money-making business that Zhao Qiang brought in had nothing to do with the shop.
"A repairman?" Li Xiangxiang said with some disdain. Just by looking at her flashy outfit, you could tell that she had a flamboyant personality.
Zhao Qiang said, "Yes, I'm a repairman. If there's any business, I'll help you get some."
Li Xiangxiang said, "No problem, have you eaten yet?"
Zhao Ling waved the photocopy in her hand and said, "No, I'm looking for my brother everywhere."
Li Xiangxiang asked, "Have you gotten into trouble again?"
Zhao Ling said, "Yes, someone was beaten up and is now hospitalized. My brother has disappeared and the whole family is looking for him."
Li Xiangxiang said, "If I run into you, I will definitely let you know. But it's the middle of the day, so let's meet by chance instead of inviting each other. I'm on my way to the restaurant up ahead for lunch. Let's go together. It's been a long time since we old friends have gotten together. My boyfriend is coming too, so let's all get to know each other."
Zhao Ling said, "But we..."
Li Xiangxiang said, "What do you mean 'but'? If you don't go, you're disrespecting me."
Zhao Ling said helplessly, "Okay, I'll call my friends and tell them to eat whatever they want."
Li Xiangxiang pointed to a three-story restaurant in front of her and said, "It's over there. I'll go in first to see if my boyfriend has arrived. You guys go over right away, or I'll get angry."
They called Chen Xinxin to ask about her situation, but they hadn't found any trace of Zhao Mingming. The mother and daughter planned to eat something at a roadside restaurant and then continue distributing photocopies at internet cafes and other entertainment venues in the afternoon.
Zhao Ling pointed to the restaurant ahead and said, "Let's go, leave the car here, and walk there."
Li Xiangxiang happened to come out of the restaurant to greet them. Zhao Ling and Zhao Qiang followed her up to the second floor. Unlike the noisy hall on the first floor, the second floor had a series of quiet, semi-open private rooms with a very pleasant atmosphere. A man in a smart suit was already waiting. When he saw Li Xiangxiang come up with her friends, he immediately stood up and warmly extended his hand to greet them: "Hello, my name is Tang Ziliang, please sit down."
Li Xiangxiang proudly showed off to Zhao Ling: "How about it? My boyfriend is pretty good, right? He's a policeman."
Zhao Ling laughed and said, "Xiangxiang, you really have good taste. Your boyfriend is tall, handsome, and has a good job."
Li Xiangxiang said, "That's right, I wouldn't even look at an ordinary person. Ziliang, tell the waiter to bring the dishes."
Tang Ziliang is even taller than Zhao Qiang, but this kind of physique is not what the super biochip wants. Although he is tall, his proportions may not be reasonable.
Zhao Qiang and Zhao Ling went to the restroom to wash their hands; they had been running around all morning and were covered in dust. Tang Ziliang, fiddling with a spoon in a dish, asked, "Xiangxiang, is that the woman you mentioned who works as a prostitute at Yihai?"
Li Xiangxiang glared at Tang Ziliang: "Don't talk about our neighborhood in front of people. If she finds out that I leaked the secret in Yihai, she'll scold me."
Tang Ziliang said, "Since we've already done it, why are we afraid of being criticized?"
Li Xiangxiang said, "You absolutely cannot say this when her boyfriend is here. Otherwise, she finally found a boyfriend, and it will fall through because of her working as a prostitute. Wouldn't I be the one to blame?"
Tang Ziliang said, "But I must say, it's such a pity that her figure and looks are not good enough."
Li Xiangxiang said with dissatisfaction, "What? Is it better for her to be your girlfriend? I know she's more seductive than me."
Tang Ziliang feigned a silly grin: "How could that be? I have you, that's enough for me." After laughing, Tang Ziliang smacked his lips: "Do you think her breasts are real or fake? They're huge, she has a slim waist and a perky butt. I wonder if she's been played with by men until she looks like that."
Li Xiangxiang said, "We grew up together, so of course I know her breasts are real. And they're considered big. I know she has a friend in Yihai whose breasts are even bigger than hers."
Tang Ziliang said, "Big breasts mean no brains. That woman must be short-sighted and terribly fat."
Li Xiangxiang said, "No, that girl is cheerful, smart and lively. Except for her chest, she's not fat at all. She's super sexy and has a youthful face. Hehe, it's a pity you won't get to see her."
Zhao Qiang first went to the restroom to relieve himself, then washed his hands while looking at the wall. In fact, he had already turned on his X-ray glasses and was watching the conversation between Li Xiangxiang and the other person at the dining table. Although he missed some details because he looked down, he still understood the general conversation between the two.
As Zhao Ling came out of the restroom, she washed her hands and said, "Let's eat something simple. We still need to go see my brother this afternoon."
Zhao Qiang asked, "What's your relationship with that friend like?"
Zhao Ling said, "He's alright, he's a childhood playmate."
Zhao Qiang said, "It seems that she was the one who told you about what happened at Yihai."
Zhao Ling flicked water droplets off Zhao Qiang's face and laughed, scolding, "You're still a gigolo? Don't you know what kind of person I am?"
Seeing that no one else was around, Zhao Qiang put his arm around Zhao Ling's waist and even groped her breasts, saying, "Of course I know. You're pure and innocent, and I just dealt with you, but no one else knows. They all think you're really a slut."
Zhao Ling rolled her eyes: "If you mention that word again, I'll bite you. Let them say whatever they want. As long as you love me, that's all that matters. Li Xiangxiang does know that I have close relationships with many men in Yihai. Maybe she misunderstood. But even if it's a misunderstanding, she can't go back to Baiyuan and spread rumors. It seems we can't make friends with these people. Let's just deal with them casually and leave."
Back at the table, all the dishes were served. Tang Ziliang opened a bottle of beer for Zhao Qiang, but Zhao Qiang waved his hand and said, "I can't drink, I have things to do this afternoon."
Li Xiangxiang said, "By the way, Zhao Ling, take out the photos. Ziliang is a policeman, he can help with this."
Zhao Ling thought it made sense and immediately pulled a photocopy from her bag and gave it to Tang Ziliang: "My younger brother got into a fight and has run away from home. Brother-in-law, you have to help him." Li Xiangxiang was not as old as Zhao Ling.
Tang Ziliang reached out and took the photo: "No problem, since you're Xiangxiang's good friend... Wait, is he Zhao Mingming?"
Zhao Ling was a little puzzled: "Yes, why is my brother's name next to the photo?" Actually, the name was written next to it, but Tang Ziliang obviously didn't ask the question because he saw the name next to the photo.
Tang Ziliang said, "We have received verbal orders from above to keep an eye on this person's whereabouts and to detain him criminally if we find him."
Zhao Qiang asked, "You must know who that kid who fought with Zhao Mingming is, right?"
Tang Ziliang nodded: "Yang Peng is the son of Director Yang of the Municipal Government Enterprise Management Office. Director Yang and our bureau chief are good friends."
Zhao Ling was worried, scared, and angry: "What? Just because the person who was beaten is the son of your police chief's friend, your chief ordered people to be arrested arbitrarily?"
Tang Ziliang said, "Actually, it wasn't exactly random arrests. It seems the victim has been admitted to the hospital."
Volume 2 [472] Buying Cards
[472] Buy a card
Tang Ziliang's words were not without merit. Regardless of Zhao Mingming's reasons for hitting someone, it was an illegal act. Moreover, the other party was hospitalized, but he ran away. Theoretically speaking, he committed a crime.
Zhao Ling said anxiously, "My brother is young, and some things he might do are just impulsive. Please don't scare him."
Tang Ziliang said, "The key is that this matter is not under my jurisdiction, and it was an order from the Municipal Bureau. The branch bureaus below have no right to interfere."
Li Xiangxiang held Tang Ziliang's hand and said, "Ziliang, please help Zhao Ling. She's my best friend since childhood. You're doing this because of your job, so please help her as much as you can, okay?"
Zhao Ling was somewhat moved. Although Li Xiangxiang had spread rumors about her in Yihai, she could forgive her for asking Tang Ziliang for help.
Tang Ziliang said, "I think we should do this: I have a good relationship with our branch chief. After dinner, I'll take you to see him. Only he can talk to the municipal bureau about this matter. We can hear him explain the whole case and give us some suggestions so we can be more informed."
With everything in the dark, Zhao Ling couldn't come up with a better idea, and Zhao Qiang had no other choice either. This was Baiyuan, not Yihai City, which had just started to establish itself. They couldn't cause a scene in every place they went. Zhao Qiang wasn't sure if the Chen family would continue to tolerate him if they did. If things went wrong, they would lose even the foundation of Yihai.
Because of the mission, the meal was relatively simple. Afterwards, Tang Ziliang went to pay the bill. His bulging wallet was full of hundred-yuan bills, which looked very impressive. Tang Ziliang also looked very stylish when he took out the money. Li Xiangxiang stood to the side with a happy look on her face. Of course, there was a lot of showing off in front of Zhao Ling. But that's how people are. Zhao Ling also wanted to show off, but she didn't have the chance for the time being.
"Get in my car." After leaving the restaurant, Tang Ziliang pointed to a Volkswagen Lavida 1.4TSI parked at the entrance, which cost over 100,000 yuan.
Li Xiangxiang stood to the side, smiling smugly, clearly proud of her boyfriend's impressive lifestyle—rich and with a car—which was far more respectable than Zhao Ling's schemes to swindle money from men. Zhao Ling, however, had no time to consider such things. She opened the car door and climbed into the trunk, followed by Li Xiangxiang. Zhao Qiang got into the passenger seat, and Tang Ziliang drove.
Li Xiangxiang and Zhao Ling sat together, and then Li Xiangxiang began to comment on Zhao Ling's mink coat. "Zhao Ling, the color of your coat is a bit off. Is it a knock-off? How much did it cost?" Zhao Qiang didn't know much about jewelry, but he was certain that this mink coat was from a boutique, and they had given him a formal invoice guaranteeing its authenticity.
Zhao Ling naturally understood what Li Xiangxiang meant, and she chuckled and said, "Probably, it's not worth much. What about yours?"
Li Xiangxiang proudly shook her coat: "It cost over ten thousand." Just by looking at the price difference, you can tell it's probably not a good product.
"Oh," Zhao Ling responded but said nothing more. It was obvious that Li Xiangxiang was a fake.
After driving for about five minutes, Tang Ziliang asked, "Um, shouldn't we give our branch chief a token of appreciation? It wouldn't be right to go empty-handed, since we're going to ask him for a favor. If we were just chatting, it wouldn't matter."