UGB Chapter 33 The Stormy Factory: Cai Chenggong's "Pledge of Allegiance"
Chapter 33 The Stormy Factory: Cai Chenggong's "Pledge of Allegiance"
Suburbs of Jingzhou.
Dafeng Garment Factory.
At the factory gate, a huge banner was hung with slogans painted in red, such as "We will defend Dafeng Factory to the death, and our equity will not be infringed!"
Hundreds of workers in blue overalls spontaneously organized themselves, armed with wooden sticks and shovels, and blocked the factory gate completely.
Their faces were filled with anger and determination.
In the crowd, a short, stout middle-aged man with a receding hairline and a distressed expression was holding a megaphone and shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Brothers and sisters! We cannot back down!"
"This factory was built brick by brick by us!"
"This is the culmination of everyone's hard work!"
"The Shanshui Group thinks they can take it all without spending a penny? No way!"
He is Cai Chenggong, the legal representative of Dafeng Factory.
A shrewd, yet somewhat weak, businessman.
Just as he was shouting until his throat was dry.
Several police cars, with their lights flashing, stopped not far away.
The factory workers immediately became alert, gripping their wooden sticks even tighter.
"The police are here! They're here to help the Shanshui Group seize the factory!"
"Let's fight them!"
The crowd's emotions were instantly ignited.
Just as a fierce conflict was about to erupt.
Chen Hai got out of the car.
He wasn't carrying a gun or wearing a police uniform; he was just a man, with his hands raised, slowly walking towards the crowd.
"Everyone, please calm down!"
"We're not here to arrest anyone!"
"I am Chen Hai from the Jingzhou Public Security Bureau!"
"Our Director Qi would like to invite Mr. Cai Chenggong to return and assist in the investigation."
His voice was full of sincerity.
The workers looked at him with suspicion.
Cai Chenggong squeezed out of the crowd and looked at Chen Hai with a wary expression.
"Assisting with the investigation?"
"Aren't you police officers all in cahoots with the Shanshui Group?"
"Last time we went to the city to petition, it was you who arrested us and brought us back!"
Chen Hai shook his head, a bitter smile on his face.
"Boss Cai, times have changed."
"You should have heard of our new Director Qi."
He asked me to pass on a message to you.
Chen Hai leaned close to Cai Chenggong's ear and lowered his voice.
He said he could help you get back what's rightfully yours.
Cai Chenggong's body jolted violently.
He looked at Chen Hai in disbelief.
The new Director Qi?
That war hero who became famous in one battle on the southwestern border, even alarming the Ye family in the capital?
He... he really will help me?
A fierce struggle was raging within Cai Chenggong's mind.
He knew this might be his last chance.
It could also be another, deeper trap.
Finally, he gritted his teeth.
"good!"
"I'll go with you!"
He waved to the workers behind him.
"Don't worry, everyone, I'll be right back!"
……
The Municipal Public Security Bureau, Qi Tongwei's office.
Cai Chenggong sat awkwardly on the expensive leather sofa, rubbing his hands together incessantly.
This was the first time he had ever stepped into the office of a leader of this rank.
Qi Tongwei didn't say anything, but personally poured him a cup of hot tea.
Then, he sat down opposite Cai Chenggong and pushed the file about the equity dispute of Dafeng Factory over to him.
"Boss Cai, take a look."
"This is where your 'criminal evidence' is recorded."
Cai Chenggong picked up the case file, and after flipping through only two pages, cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
The case file portrays him as the culprit who "maliciously seized state-owned assets" and "incited workers to riot."
All the evidence was extremely unfavorable to him.
"This...this is a false accusation! It was fabricated by the Shanshui Group and Gao Xiaoqin!"
Cai Chenggong stood up excitedly.
"Director Qi, you have to believe me! I'm the victim here!"
"Calm down, sit down and talk."
Qi Tongwei's voice has a reassuring power.
Cai Chenggong sat down again and recounted his experiences with Dafeng Factory, as well as how he was gradually framed by Shanshui Group and Gao Xiaoqin.
He spoke with tears streaming down his face, his voice filled with grievance and resentment.
Qi Tongwei listened quietly without interrupting him.
After he finished speaking, Qi Tongwei slowly opened his mouth.
I believe what you've said.
A glimmer of hope ignited in Cai Chenggong's eyes.
"But it's no use if I just believe it."
Qi Tongwei then changed the subject.
You need evidence.
"Ironclad evidence that can definitively prove their innocence and prevent them from ever recovering."
The hope on Cai Chenggong's face dimmed again.
"Evidence... I have no evidence..."
"Gao Xiaoqin is meticulous in her work; every contract she signs is a trap."
"What I have in my hands is completely untenable in court."
Qi Tongwei looked at him and shook his head.
No, you do.
His gaze sharpened.
"Your financial dealings with the Shanshui Group, and the 'benefits' you gave to relevant officials—you couldn't possibly have no records of these things at all."
Cai Chenggong's expression changed instantly.
He instinctively covered his pocket.
Qi Tongwei smiled.
"Boss Cai, you're a smart man."
"You should know that these things are your only protection right now."
"It was you who handed me the pledge of allegiance."
He stood up, walked over to Cai Chenggong, and patted him on the shoulder.
"Give it to me."
"I guarantee that within three days, the Shanshui Group will make you return everything you've taken, with interest."
"Furthermore, I will make those who bullied and framed you pay the price they deserve."
His voice was full of powerful confidence.
Cai Chenggong looked at the excessively young police chief in front of him, his heart filled with intense struggle.
He didn't know whether he should believe him or not.
Just then, Qi Tongwei's phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID, made no attempt to hide it from Cai Chenggong, and immediately pressed the speakerphone button.
On the other end of the phone came Hou Liangping's signature voice.
"Tongwei, it's me."
"I just arrived in Handong. I heard you took over the Dafeng Factory case?"
"Please, don't do anything reckless!"
"This case involves a wide range of issues, so the procedures must be rigorous!"
"As an official of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, I have a responsibility to remind you that any irregularities could put you in a passive position..."
On the other end of the phone, Hou Liangping spoke at length about his "procedural justice".
Qi Tongwei did not interrupt him.
He just listened quietly.
After he finished speaking, Qi Tongwei spoke calmly.
"Ryohei, thank you for reminding me."
"However, I think you should go see someone first."
"Who?"
"Chen Yanshi, former executive deputy chief prosecutor of the Handong Provincial Procuratorate."
"Old Chen has all the 'procedures' you need."
After saying that, he hung up the phone.
Cai Chenggong, standing to the side, listened in stunned silence.
A cadre from the Supreme People's Procuratorate?
Chen Yanshi?
He felt as if he were witnessing a battle of gods that he could not comprehend at all.
And the young Director Qi before us seems to be right at the center of this storm.
Looking into Qi Tongwei's unfathomable eyes, the scales in his heart finally tipped completely.
He gritted his teeth and pulled out a small notebook wrapped tightly in oil paper from the pocket of his inner garment.
And a voice recorder.
"Director Qi!"
"This is all I have, my very life!"
"I'll take the bet!"
"I'm entrusting it all to you!"
Qi Tongwei took the small notebook, which was still warm from his body, and the voice recorder.
A victorious smile appeared on his face.
The fish has taken the bait.