Chapter 85: A World Without Thieves

Old Huang was in high spirits; the gloom from being caught in the act had vanished in an instant. After all, there was no shortage of big sisters in life—if not this one, there would be thousands more waiting around the corner. He circled around Chai Jin, peppering him with questions.

…

The nights of June in Deep City were unbearably hot. Even when a sudden heavy rain swept through, it did little to calm one’s restless heart.

Su Wenbin had already finished work. He was an orphan, raised by the kindness of his village, and the fare that brought him to Deep City was pooled together by its people. He swore that one day he would make a fortune and return to repay those who had helped him. That was why he worked harder than anyone else. For instance, today, one of the older employees in his department had asked him to organize an extra area of goods. He did so without complaint.

In his mind, one’s physical strength was worth the least—after a good night’s sleep, it would be restored by morning. As long as his job was secure and he had food to eat, he didn’t mind how much he had to give.

But tonight, something gnawed at him. In these first few days on the job, the same colleague always asked him to help with sorting. During this process, he noticed that items in the warehouse often disappeared mysteriously. Like today—three mobile phones were missing. And this wasn’t the first time; he’d found other discrepancies in the stock records. Over the year, at least thirty items had vanished from the warehouse. That was hundreds of thousands in goods.

So he confronted his colleague, only to be slapped hard across the face.

And then, “If you dare open your mouth about this, I’ll kill you!”

“Stupid country bumpkin, just do your work and stop meddling in things that aren’t your concern.”

Su Wenbin’s eyes reddened as the handprint burned on his cheek, but he knew this man was the nephew of a warehouse supervisor. If he fought back, he would surely be fired. He thought of the hopeful faces back in his village and forced himself to endure.

He also knew that reporting it would only make him an outcast, and he’d lose his job for sure.

As he walked on, head down, Miss Chen Ni emerged from the office building. This was her usual routine—leaving work well past eleven each night.

Su Wenbin looked up and saw her, sighing in disappointment before tucking the documents into his pocket and leaving, looking disheartened.

Chen Ni noticed him too, finding his demeanor odd.

Just as she hesitated on her way to the parking lot, a voice called out.

“Su Wenbin, why are you always the one working overtime in the warehouse?”

Su Wenbin was honest and simple, which meant he had a few good friends. The one calling him was a fellow dorm-mate.

Su Wenbin forced a laugh. “There’s just a lot to do.”

“Su Wenbin? Isn’t he the one the transformer was looking for?” The mention of his name caused Chen Ni, who was about to get in her car, to turn back in surprise. After a moment’s thought, she called out, “Su Wenbin, come here for a moment.”

Su Wenbin and his friend looked back, stunned—it was the young lady herself. Su Wenbin was especially puzzled: How does she know me?

Seeing them unmoved, Chen Ni called again, “Come over, I have something to ask you.”

Su Wenbin’s colleague, sensing the situation, quickly encouraged him, “Wenbin, you can’t just take that slap for nothing! That jerk acts all high and mighty in our department, he deserves to be put in his place. The young lady is calling you—seize the chance. I have to go pick up my wife, she’s just finished work. We’ll talk later.”

With that, his friend hurried off toward the factory gate.

Su Wenbin dared not delay and nervously approached, head bowed. “G-good evening, miss.”

Chen Ni noticed the five bright red finger marks on his face and asked, “Did you just get into a fight?”

“No, miss,” he stammered, clutching the slip of paper in his pocket, torn between wanting to report his colleague and holding his tongue.

Though young, Chen Ni could see right through him. She frowned. “Let me ask you, do you know the Transformer?”

The words tumbled out of her mouth, and she covered it in embarrassment, looking quite charming.

Su Wenbin was taken aback. “The Transformer? Yes, there are plenty in the factory.”

Chen Ni quickly corrected herself. “No, I mean Chai Jin, do you know him?”

“Who’s Chai Jin?” Su Wenbin scratched his head.

“No, I don’t. What’s the Transformer up to?” Chen Ni was at a loss, unable to figure out why Chai Jin would be looking for someone who didn’t know him.

Glancing at her watch, she smiled beautifully. “It’s nothing, just a question. You can get back to work.”

She turned to get in her car.

Su Wenbin thought back to the humiliation he’d just suffered in the factory. Since he now knew about their scheme, there was no chance of peace ahead. Reporting to the department head or manager might do no good—they could well be in on it.

But the young lady was different. These warehouse rats were stealing from her family. Surely she wouldn’t protect them.

That stubborn streak of the countryside rose within him. Gathering his courage, he took the documents from his pocket.

“Miss, I’ve discovered something going on in the warehouse.”

…

Another bright morning dawned. Every day in the factory was monotonous. After Chai Jin and his two companions left, he spent a long time in the restroom, busy with his mobile phone, handling all manner of affairs.

First, he asked Fang Yi to come by and take Old Huang out for negotiations, so they could set up a labor agency and start recruiting people. He also called Feng Haodong, who said he’d be back in Deep City in a few days and would come find him.

Next, he phoned Yu Pengfei in the Northeast. Over the phone, he learned that Niewanov had arrived in the capital and would come to Deep City to discuss the airplane business once he wrapped up his matters.

This was the key to his aircraft dealings.

After dealing with all this, he finally stepped out of the dormitory. It was still early, not yet time for work. On his way to the factory, Chai Jin noticed a crowd gathered around the factory’s bulletin board, deep in discussion.

Curious, he walked over.

A notice from the general manager’s office was posted: Effective immediately, there would be a strict investigation into employee theft and the selling of factory assets.

Chen Ni’s signature was at the bottom.

This notice exploded across the otherwise peaceful morning, with people discussing it everywhere.

Chai Jin didn’t think much of it at first, but when he returned to the factory and sat down, he overheard Liu Shan talking about it.

As they chatted, Chai Jin suddenly froze. “What did you say—who reported it to Chen Ni?”

Liu Shan replied offhandedly, “Some blockhead from the warehouse, name’s Su Wenbin.”

“That guy’s got guts. This is clearly an inside job, it’s impossible for one person to pull off that much theft.”

“And just this morning, I heard someone say he was cornered in his dorm and didn’t show up for work.”

“They say it’s an investigation, but I doubt it’s that simple.”