Zhao Qiang asked, "Then what should we do?"
Luo Wei said, "Let them impound the car. We can bring it out later after paying the fine."
Zhao Qiang said, "Okay, you can have your phone back."
The policeman who took Luo Wei's phone didn't cause her any trouble. When Luo Wei reached out to ask for it back, he returned it, but still demanded that the two of them come with him. Zhao Qiang casually shoved one of the policemen, causing him to stumble. Another officer immediately pounced, still holding handcuffs, ready to arrest Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang, however, pulled a monstrous screwdriver from his waist and pressed the tip against the officer's abdomen.
The policeman also felt a sharp object in his abdomen. He immediately froze, and Zhao Qiang whispered in his ear, "Damn it, do you believe I'll make sure your intestines rupture right here?"
The police officers never expected anyone to dare attack them in broad daylight. They were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they couldn't say a word. The handcuffs in their hands clattered to the ground. Luo Wei hurriedly pulled Zhao Qiang back: "Alright, senior brother, don't bother with them."
Zhao Qiang put away the screwdriver. Although there were still a few policemen nearby, none of them were heroes like Huang Jiguang. Seeing that Zhao Qiang had a weapon in his hand, and since they were not carrying guns while on duty, no one dared to bravely step forward. They just let Zhao Qiang and Luo Wei drive away. However, they couldn't drive the car away, but they didn't leave the keys behind.
The traffic police officer who stopped the car said, "They're too arrogant. We can't let them drive away so easily."
Another traffic policeman said, "Could it be that someone has connections? Let's not act recklessly."
The traffic police officer who stopped the car cursed, "What kind of background does he have? We are on duty with evidence. So what if he has a background? What can he do to us? Besides, he assaulted a police officer. The surveillance cameras at the intersection just now recorded it. That's the evidence. Call for backup immediately and bring them back."
Dongyang City is currently cracking down on crime. If this matter is allowed to go unresolved at this point, the authorities will definitely hold those responsible accountable. Who knows if the man and woman are wanted fugitives or something? In short, this cannot be taken lightly.
Volume 2 [385] A Small Gathering
As Zhao Qiang walked, he angrily kicked at the trash on the ground. To be honest, Dongyang City was nowhere near as good as Donghai City. Putting aside the economic level and the service attitude of the police and traffic police, the sanitation was worlds apart.
Luo Wei chuckled: "Alright, senior brother, don't be angry. Why bother arguing with the police? They were just on duty. We were indeed driving without a license, but the impounding of our car was a bit of a serious matter. I'll call the branch office manager right away to pick us up, and he can handle the impounded car later."
Zhao Qiang knew that Dongyang City was not Hedian District, otherwise he could have solved everything with a single phone call to Zhang Zhiqiao. "Alright, since I promised to listen to you today."
Luo Wei giggled and said, "Good girl." At this moment, Luo Wei was completely different from her usual quiet and reserved self. Zhao Qiang also preferred her cheerful self now. However, Luo Wei only showed this cheerfulness to Zhao Qiang. In front of others, she was still the same.
Upon receiving the call, the branch manager, Han Qiming, personally drove to pick her up. Luo Wei first briefly explained the situation to him. Han Qiming said, "Chairman Luo, I'm sorry you've been wronged. Dongyang City is cracking down hard recently, so the checks are very strict. I'll contact a friend right away and get your car back immediately. You don't need to worry about this. Let's go back to the company and talk about it later."
Haifeng Group's branch in Dongyang City is not large in scale, but it has a specially built industrial park with a fairly large production and living area. The branch provides a large number of electronic components, mainly diodes, transistors, resistors, and fuses, to other branches of Haifeng Group. The branch has a high degree of modernization in its production, and the number of workers has remained above 2,000 for many years, exceeding 5,000 at its peak. However, in recent years, due to the increase in automation, the number of workers has decreased.
In the reception room, Han Qiming looked very reserved. Although he was facing two young men who were much older than him, he had attended a meeting at the head office a few months ago and knew that these two young men were not to be underestimated. He had never been this nervous, not even when facing the mayor of Dongyang City. After all, he was the leader of Dongyang City's leading enterprise, and the secretary and mayor had to give him some face.
"Chairman Luo, I really didn't expect you to handle this matter personally. This is the purchase and sale contract signed with Sun Gang, as well as the account invoices. Please take a look."
Luo Wei handed it to Zhao Qiang first. Zhao Qiang glanced at it and said, "I'll meet with my classmate at noon to talk. I'll report the results of the matter to Manager Han this afternoon. I think we'll find a satisfactory solution."
Han Qiming said, "That's good. I've already booked a welcome banquet for Chairman Luo at the hotel at noon..."
Luo Wei waved her hand: "No need, we'll go out to eat by ourselves. You stay here so you don't run into Sun Gang and start arguing again."
Han Qiming didn't want to be a third wheel, so he said, "Okay, I'll wait for Chairman Luo's next instructions."
After leaving the branch office, Zhao Qiang called Sun Gang. They had exchanged numbers during previous gatherings. Although Zhao Qiang had changed his phone, he was sure he had a good memory and wouldn't forget a number.
Sun Gang's voice was as cheerful as ever, "Hello, who is this?"
Zhao Qiang has changed his phone number, so his old friends definitely wouldn't know. "It's me, Zhao Qiang."
"Hey Qiang, you've been gone for a while now. Where have you been showing off lately?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Just messing around. Where are you now? Can I find you?"
Sun Gang said, "My business is mainly in Dongyang City lately, so I rarely go back to Hedian. What about you?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Perfect timing, I'm also in Dongyang City. Let's meet up for a meal, it's been a long time since we last saw each other."
Sun Gang said, "No problem, this meal is on me. Zhao Hai and Meng Yu have also come to work in Dongyang City. They said the wages in Hedian are too low, and they want to save money to get married. They've only been here for less than two months. Also, your classmate Chen Yang is here, but I don't know if I can get in touch with him. I'll try. You go to Shunfeng Seafood Restaurant and wait for me. I have some things to do. I'll definitely be there in half an hour."
After putting down his phone, Zhao Qiang said to Luo Wei, "It's done. Let's go to Shunfeng Seafood Restaurant."
The branch office wasn't close to Shunfeng Seafood Restaurant, and with Gao Chao rushing to get off work, it took Zhao Qiang and Luo Wei more than forty minutes to arrive at Shunfeng Seafood Restaurant by taxi. When they got out of the car, they happened to run into Sun Gang, who was also arriving with Zhao Hai, Meng Yu, and Chen Yang, saving them the trouble of calling him.
Sun Gang parked the car in the parking space. It was a Santana 3, which was probably a used car that Sun Gang had bought. However, it was in good condition. The previous owner hadn't driven it for many years, and there was no visible damage on the exterior.
Luo Wei took out some change from her bag to pay the taxi fare. Zhao Qiang greeted Sun Gang, and the two shook hands. Sun Gang said, "It's been more than half a year since we last met. You've gained so much weight!"
Zhao Hai and Chen Yang also got out of the car. Zhao Qiang shook hands with everyone and said, "There's nothing I can do about it now, I gain weight even from drinking cold water."
Sun Gang pursed his lips and said to Luo Wei behind Zhao Qiang, "Who is this beautiful lady? Aren't you going to introduce her to us?"
Zhao Qiang said, "My junior from university is coming back to my hometown with me."
Zhao Hai chuckled: "So you're calling us 'senior brother' and 'junior sister'? You're being so affectionate. Shouldn't you invite us to your wedding?"
Luo Wei blushed and lowered her head. She really thought so, but how could that be?
Zhao Qiang said, "Why are you two trying to matchmake? I think you two should be the ones inviting the wedding banquet."
Zhao Hai said, "The wedding date is set for New Year's Day. You must come and attend, and don't skimp on the red envelope."
Zhao Hai used to be taciturn, but he has become much more outgoing since he started working in Dongyang City. Is he really a person who thrives in big cities?
Chen Yang said, "Dahai, don't scare us. We're all living paycheck to paycheck. I think you're just trying to scare Sun Gang."
Zhao Hai said, "We have to fleece him. Wasn't he treating us to lunch today? Let's go eat seafood."
The hall was crowded and there were no empty seats in sight. I didn't expect Shunfeng Seafood to be so famous. Fortunately, Sun Gang had made a reservation by phone before we arrived, so everyone was able to sit down smoothly. Zhao Qiang sat in the main seat, and Luo Wei sat to his right.
Sun Gang tossed the menu to Zhao Qiang and said, "You order. You're a guest from afar today, so we'll go along with whatever you want."
Zhao Qiang quickly ordered four dishes and then handed the menu to Meng Yu. Besides being the host, he also had to consider the ladies first. Zhao Qiang ordered Luo Wei's dishes for her.
Zhao Qiang said to Sun Gang, "You've been doing pretty well lately, huh? You even have a car now. This car must cost tens of thousands."
Sun Gang tossed a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes onto the table. Zhao Qiang pulled out one and tossed it to Zhao Hai and Chen Yang. They politely lit their cigarettes, and Sun Gang took a puff and said, "Not bad my ass. I've lost a lot of money lately. This car is a used one I bought a while ago when I made some money. It wasn't even worth tens of thousands."
Chen Yang asked, "How could you lose money? I've never heard you mention it before."
Zhao Hai said on Sun Gang's behalf, "Don't mention it. Gangzi made a big deal, but he didn't get the money back. He's about to sue in court."
Luo Wei quietly scratched Zhao Qiang's thigh, reminding him that Zhao Hai was referring to the Haifeng Group branch company. Zhao Qiang grasped Luo Wei's hand and patted it lightly twice, indicating that he understood. Luo Wei blushed, tried to pull away a couple of times but couldn't, and then let Zhao Qiang hold her hand.
Not content with his newfound advantage, Zhao Qiang took Luo Wei's hand and placed it on her thigh. Luo Wei was wearing a skirt, her snow-white breasts exposed. Zhao Qiang's touch made her incredibly shy, yet also intensely happy, wishing he would caress her like this forever.
Chen Yang slammed his hand on the table and said, "Who dares not to pay? We brothers will go and collect the debt with knives, wouldn't you say that, Zhao Qiang?"
Zhao Qiang casually replied, "Ah, okay, but there should be a reason for not paying."
Sun Gang said, "It's really my bad luck. I don't know what's wrong with their factory, but everyone is having diarrhea and allergies. Now the general manager of that company is insisting that there's something wrong with my seafood. But I supplied the same batch to several companies, and no one else had any problems. It's just that one factory that had problems. What does that have to do with me? If I don't get this money back, I'll have worked for nothing for half a year. I still owe hundreds of thousands of yuan back in my hometown. I originally wanted to work hard to earn some money for my wife, but I didn't expect to lose my life savings."
After saying this, Sun Gang sighed several times. He didn't know Zhao Qiang and Luo Wei's behind-the-scenes identities, so he couldn't be faking it. Zhao Qiang glanced at Luo Wei. This matter didn't seem as simple as it appeared on the surface.
Luo Wei suddenly spoke up: "Mr. Sun, didn't the hospital issue a certificate?"
Sun Gang waved his hand and said, "Don't call me General Manager Sun, it sounds awkward. Either call me Gangzi or Brother Gang. I'm even angrier when we talk about the hospital. At first, they didn't say that the employee poisoning incident was related to eating seafood, but later, I don't know what benefits the factory gave the hospital, but they insisted that it was seafood poisoning. How can I believe that? So I've decided to sue. I want to use the law to protect my rights."
Zhao Qiang was also in a dilemma. It seemed that Sun Gang also had his own difficulties. If others did not have any problems eating the same batch of seafood, then the poisoning incident among the branch factory employees should not be related to the seafood. Otherwise, it would not be just the people here who were unlucky enough to get sick from eating seafood.
Zhao Qiang said, "Are there any seafood left? Let's take some out for testing. If the tests are normal, it means the employees' poisoning is unrelated to the seafood, and they will have to pay back the money they owe."
Sun Gang shook his head and said, "That's why I'm so unlucky. How was I supposed to know to set aside some for testing? I sold it all. Who would dare keep seafood this season? They'd be stuck with it."
Chen Yang said, "Which factory is it? The three of us are going there this afternoon to collect the debt. If they don't pay, we'll stay at their company and not leave."
Sun Gang said, "Haifeng Group Dongyang Branch Factory."
Chen Yang gasped: "Haifeng Group, huh? That's a big company. No wonder they dared not pay you."
Zhao Qiang said, "What big company? If Sun Gang is in the right, he has to pay."
Luo Wei said, "That's right, even big companies can't be unreasonable."
Sun Gang said, "I have already gathered the materials and plan to sue them in court in the next few days, but the materials I have gathered do not seem to be very convincing. My lawyer said that the chances of winning the case are slim."
Zhao Hai's girlfriend, Meng Yu, asked anxiously, "What should we do?"
Sun Gang said, "I have a headache too." Just then, the waiter brought out six cold dishes. Sun Gang picked up his chopsticks and said, "Come on, let's eat some dishes to fill our stomachs first. We'll drink and chat when the main dishes are served."
Volume 2 [386] How to Collect Debts
The main course arrived, and Sun Gang picked up his glass. Although it was all beer, Luo Wei still whispered to Zhao Qiang, "Are you sure you can handle it?" Everyone knew that Zhao Qiang had a low alcohol tolerance; even Luo Wei could drink more than him.
Zhao Qiang said, "Three bottles or less is fine, but I guarantee I'll get drunk by that number." This was the maximum alcohol tolerance Zhao Qiang had developed during this period, and it was also the maximum alcohol concentration that the biochip could withstand.
Luo Wei said, "Okay, I'll help you control your alcohol intake. I won't let you drink anymore once you've had three bottles."
Since Sun Gang was the host, he naturally had to drink first. He gulped it down, slammed the glass down on the table, and said, "I found a friend in the government who said he would help communicate with the Dongyang branch of Haifeng Group. He's eating at Shunfeng Seafood Restaurant right now, but he has guests to keep him company, so he can come over later to tell me about the situation."
Zhao Hai said, "It would be best if we could reach a settlement, otherwise this matter would be detrimental to us."
Chen Yang remained silent. Going against a giant in the domestic home appliance industry was unwise and there was absolutely no way to win.
Seeing the somewhat tense atmosphere, Sun Gang changed the subject: "Qiang, you graduated a long time ago, right? What kind of business are you doing now? You promised to help me find business at the last gathering. What's the demand for seafood in Donghai City? Do you think there's any potential for me to go there?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I graduated a long time ago. Now I just do some repair work. Donghai City is by the sea, and the demand for seafood is huge, but the supply is also huge. If you plan to sell seafood from Dongyang there, I'm sure you'll lose money. But if you sell seafood from Donghai to Dongyang, I think you might be able to make a profit."
Sun Gang laughed and said, "I used to mainly deal in dried goods, so I didn't need to go to the coast to buy goods every day. But later, someone told me that fresh goods are the most profitable, so I changed careers. I have to say, I have made some money in Dongyang City in the past six months. But if I can't get this money back from Haifeng Group, I will lose my principal as well."
Zhao Qiang said, "No, as long as the goods are fine, we will definitely get them back."
Chen Yang said, "By the way, Gangzi, how about we ask some people in the underworld?"
Sun Gang asked, "People from outside the community? Who?"
Chen Yang said smugly, "Brother Gou, he's been doing really well in Dongyang City lately. Everyone gives him face. If he steps in to help you collect your debt, I think it'll be a piece of cake."
Sun Gang knew some of Dog Brother's deeds, but there was still a problem: "Dog Brother is my older brother. If I ask him to help me collect a debt, will he really do it?"
Chen Yang said, "I have some connections with him. I'll help you make the connection. We're not letting him help for nothing. We'll just give him a percentage of the profits. Everyone's happy."
Sun Gang slammed his hand on the table: "That's a great idea!" But then he immediately felt a pang of regret: "A certain percentage? How much is that?"
Chen Yang said, "Under normal circumstances, it might be 30% or 50%, depending on the difficulty of debt collection."
Sun Gang's eyebrows twitched twice: "So many?"
Zhao Hai said, "If we can really get it back, it's better than losing everything."
Sun Gang said, "That makes sense, but I think we should wait for my government friends to get a feel for the situation before making a decision. After all, we're not familiar with Brother Gou."
When Zhao Qiang finished his third bottle of wine, the government friend Sun Gang had mentioned arrived. He was probably in his early thirties and, judging from his demeanor, seemed to be an official. Sun Gang treated him with great respect, perhaps because his business in Dongyang City had benefited from his help.
"Brother Wu, do you think there's still a chance for me? What exactly do they mean by that?" Sun Gang asked.
Wu Ge said, "Gangzi, we've known each other for several years. I really want to help you this time, but I've sounded out Han Qiming. It seems he's holding onto this matter tightly. Apparently, he even reported it to the head office, but they haven't given any instructions yet, so he can't make a decision on his own. However, given the head office's current assertive attitude, I doubt this matter will be left unresolved. Moreover, they're very likely to hold you accountable, and you might even have to compensate the employees for their emotional distress."