Hearing that Liu Jun knew martial arts, Shen Huadong was delighted and decided to go to a more secluded place to set up an ambush. The two parked their car halfway, set their phones to vibrate mode, and walked on foot from the main road onto a somewhat abandoned farm track outside the factory buildings. They passed through a culvert under the highway, and just as the company’s perimeter wall came into view, suddenly two beams of brilliant flashlight light shot toward them, so bright they couldn’t open their eyes. The two dodged left and right, and the light beams followed their movements, but while dodging, they saw what seemed like many heads moving in the darkness. Realizing something was wrong, they began to slowly retreat step by step.
Then they heard someone from the other side suddenly shout, “It’s A’Dong, it’s okay, it’s A’Dong. A’Dong, how come you’re here?”
“What the hell is going on?” Only then did Shen Huadong dare to lower the hand shielding his forehead and speak. Initially unclear whether they were friend or foe, he was afraid of being recognized by desperate criminals and getting killed like a pig in this godforsaken place where calling to heaven brought no response and calling to earth brought no reply. After the flashlight beams moved away, Shen Huadong’s eyes took a long time to adjust before he could see the person standing in front of him with a sinister smile – it was his childhood playmate from years ago, someone he didn’t hang out with much anymore, who also had a wealthy father. Seeing his old friend’s eyes constantly scanning Liu Jun with suspicion, Shen Huadong said, “This is my friend Liu Jun. We came to check around my company’s perimeter. You guys go about your business.”
That person looked at Liu Jun’s attire, stretched his neck and whispered in Shen Huadong’s ear: “Show hand poker, want to play a round? Playing big.”
Shen Huadong shook his head and pulled Liu Jun to return along the original path. While Liu Jun was idle, he seemed to see Yang Xun’s head among those swaying behind the grass. After the two retreated from the farm track and returned to their car, Liu Jun asked, “What was that group of people doing? So secretive, with dedicated lookouts, they looked like thugs.”
“Gambling, big gambling. The authorities have been cracking down recently, so hotels in the city center don’t dare accommodate them. Those who can’t resist their gambling addiction have no choice but to come to places like this to gamble.”
Liu Jun suddenly understood, “I think I saw Yang Xun.”
Shen Huadong’s face was full of disdain. “Looks like you’re one of the few wealthy white rabbits in the city who doesn’t gamble.”
“Las Vegas is far away, Macau is nearby – why sneak around here? It’s so undignified. Do you play too?”
Only then did Shen Huadong put away his disdain, “Those people have gambling addiction attacks. No matter how close Macau is, you still can’t make a round trip in one day. Well, it looks like my plan to team up with you can be abandoned – Yang Xun saw us.”
Hearing this, Liu Jun felt somewhat disappointed, but could only accept it.
The weather was getting colder, but Tengfei Company’s business was getting hotter. Liu Jun invested all profits back into reproduction, reluctant to spend on personal consumption. He was too short on capital. Therefore, he had to compete with purchasing staff for the pickup truck every day.
During Christmas, the district’s foreign investment enterprise association organized a symposium. The district’s main leaders and officials in charge all showed up to demonstrate their attention to foreign enterprises. Liu Jun originally thought such meetings were just about showing face and clapping hands – useless and a waste of time – and didn’t want to go. But Liu Shitang reminded his son that such occasions were valuable for networking. After Liu Jun entered and found a quiet spot to sit and listen for a while, he realized such meetings were useful. The leaders’ speeches were quite practical and very targeted in explaining policy changes and future developments to the foreign enterprise executives present. Several foreign businessmen also shared their experiences developing locally. Of course, most painted rosy pictures, but you could still hear plenty of useful information. Some foreign businessmen also voiced dissatisfaction with the government officials present.
Liu Jun was still a management novice, sitting on the side with only a listening role. The symposium ran until 4:30 PM. During the break while waiting for the dinner gathering afterward, Liu Jun finally came out to return calls that had come in during the meeting. The administrative manager told him anxiously over the phone that the wife of the employee who stole blueprints, upon learning that her husband would be sentenced and heavily at that, had picked up their precious son and disappeared. She abandoned two young daughters and her sick, bedridden mother-in-law. The mother-in-law, unable to bear it, crawled out the door to jump into the river. By the time people discovered her, it was too late. Now, by the riverside, people were saying all sorts of things – what should they do?
Another life lost! Liu Jun felt a breath stuck in his chest, unable to go up or down, and could only stare blankly at the large column beside him.
The administrative manager continued, “The village called demanding that our company come collect the body and take custody of the two little girls. I told them it has nothing to do with us.”
“Right.” Liu Jun felt a nameless anger rise and hung up the phone. What kind of mess was this? If he didn’t care, those people would make trouble for him. If he did care, those people’s families would be destroyed. The mother of that deceased worker was still ill, and now there were two more lonely little girls with no one to care for them. Liu Jun didn’t dare to think about it and went into the dining hall for the banquet. But sitting down, he felt this was simply the perfect illustration of “behind vermilion gates, wine and meat go bad while on the roads lie frozen bones.” Feeling irritated, he excused himself early.
Liu Jun went to the taekwondo gym again and came out beaten to a pulp. As soon as he got in a taxi, before he could give an address, the taxi started driving forward – the kind-hearted driver wanted to rush him to the hospital for treatment. Liu Jun was caught between tears and laughter. When he dragged his leg into the elevator at home, he discovered quite by coincidence that Yang Li was in the elevator, coming up from the garage. Seeing Liu Jun in this state, Yang Li thought he had gotten the worst end of a fight outside and quickly asked if he needed help getting to the hospital. Liu Jun, thinking Yang Li was a reasonable person, poured out his frustrations to her. Toward the end, Liu Jun’s heart really couldn’t let go of those two little girls abandoned by their mother, so Yang Li accompanied Liu Jun to check on the rental house.
Driving Yang Li’s car, Liu Jun couldn’t help asking, “Am I unlucky? My company has only been established for just over a year, and so many things have happened.”
“Very normal. It’s just that you’re soft-hearted, so you’ve magnified some things.”
“But people died.”
“They brought it on themselves – why should you bear the burden? I’m curious to see how you plan to adopt those two little girls. Don’t say I didn’t warn you – some things can’t be touched.”
“Thank you. I can have someone send the two little girls back to their hometown.”
“I need to remind you of something else. Your employee awaits sentencing. People generally rarely engage in self-reflection. Learning that his family is destroyed, don’t you think he might blame you and seek revenge after getting out of prison?”
“Are there precedents for this?”
“Can’t rule out anti-social behavior.”
Liu Jun was speechless. Just then, Yu Shanshan called, asking if Liu Jun had finished his business dinner. Liu Jun only then remembered that today they had agreed to take advantage of his rare trip into the city to meet. He had been confused by company matters. He quickly apologized, saying he was rushing to the company to handle the suicide of a former employee’s mother. At this moment, Yang Li interjected, “Careful, red light, don’t just focus on the phone call.”
“Eh, who’s in your car? Didn’t you say yours was a monk company? When did you hire a secretary?”
“Not a secretary, it’s Miss Yang Li from Shi Yiji. I’ll explain to you later, this matter has me very upset…”
“But what does your company’s business have to do with Yang Li? Why is she with you? Tell me the address, I want to come too.”
“Sorry, I’m already very upset, please don’t bother me.”
“If you’re upset, you can come to me. Why look for her? Aren’t you two mortal enemies? Why, why?”
Liu Jun didn’t want Yang Li to watch the drama, so he could only say “sorry” again and hang up. Yu Shanshan became even angrier and suspicious, constantly calling Liu Jun, so Liu Jun simply turned off his phone. Yang Li turned away in the darkness and smiled.
Finally groping their way to the rental house door along the pitch-black rural path, Liu Jun saw that the door was locked with an iron padlock and first breathed a sigh of relief. Then Yang Li, wearing a smile, asked the neighbors and learned that relatives had come to take the two little girls away. Only then did Liu Jun finally feel at ease.
Sitting back in the car, Yang Li could now show her smile openly. “It’s rare to see management that manages every detail so thoroughly.”
“No choice, the factory is small, the boss must do everything personally. Do you play mahjong?”
“I don’t usually play. Only occasionally during family gatherings, when the whole family gets together, do we play a few rounds. Why, do you still have the mood to play mahjong today?”
“Seems like you don’t love gambling. Having someone in the family who loves gambling is quite troublesome.”
“More than troublesome. In my family, only my big brother… uh…”
“Oh, Mr. Yang loves gambling?”
“No, he’s had a gambling nature since childhood, the type who wants to bet ten cents profit on one cent. When we play mahjong with him, he always wants to play bigger stakes – who wants to play with him? Do you like playing mahjong? Hehe, I don’t think you have time for the mahjong table.”
“I don’t like leisure activities that don’t involve much physical exercise. Unlike Hongming – mahjong, bridge, fighting the landlord – he loves them all.”
“Does Manager Qian love gambling? When we played bridge last time, I noticed he had quite a gambling nature too.”
“I haven’t heard that Hongming loves gambling. Does he have a strong gambling nature? He’s very modest, thinks everything through very thoroughly before and after doing things.”
“Comrade, gambling nature – that’s not what you mean, right?”
The two chatted all the way, with endless topics. They now had quite a few mutual friends and experiences, making conversation relatively relaxed. Liu Jun dropped Yang Li off at home, then turned around to find Yu Shanshan. After much calling and pleading, Yu Shanshan finally came downstairs with a dark expression. Liu Jun told Yu Shanshan about the day’s events in detail, but Yu Shanshan was skeptical about such incredible-sounding matters and insisted that Liu Jun had made it all up. Left with no choice, Liu Jun reluctantly extended his left hand to Yu Shanshan.
“With this finger like this, do you think I would fall in love with Yang Li?”
“But whenever you have problems, you seek her companionship. Subconsciously, you value her, love her, respect her opinions.”
“I just see Yang Li as a work partner, genderless, just normal social interaction.”
“If she truly had no gender, given that you hate her family, could you not include her in that hatred? Even ghosts wouldn’t believe that explanation.”
“Ghosts won’t believe it, but please believe me. Everything I said is true. I’m already extremely upset, Please don’t doubt me anymore. Let’s go, where should we sit? I’ll tell you everything from beginning to end. The handling of this matter involves Yang Li – she helped me greatly…”
“How is it her again? Do you contact her more frequently than you contact me? Is your so-called neutral socializing just making excuses for yourself, or are you simply deceiving me?”
Liu Jun was tired and annoyed, his patience exhausted. He wanted someone to comfort him. In front of Yu Shanshan, he spread out his left hand and used his right hand to bend each finger one by one – only the ring finger couldn’t bend. Then he silently turned and walked away. He very much hoped Yu Shanshan would chase after him, but Yu Shanshan was also stubborn and turned to go upstairs. Liu Jun sighed and went home listlessly.
On New Year’s Day, New Year’s Eve, Liu Jun asked Yu Shanshan out but was refused. He finally realized one thing – Yu Shanshan was a great beauty who had always been pampered by men, so of course, she wouldn’t compromise. Of course, Liu Jun had plenty of ways to handle this, but was too lazy to implement them. He’d rather hang out with classmates and friends. From New Year’s Day to the New Year, it was traditionally the season for visiting and thanking important people. Liu Jun followed local customs, flying here and there to have meal after meal with clients, legitimately having no time to look for Yu Shanshan. The two remained in a standoff.