Chapter 83: A Battle of Wits and Words! The Show Begins

Originally, Li Junsheng had planned to spend the night at the provincial guesthouse before heading home, but after receiving a call from Qin Yong, he bought a train ticket that would get him home before midnight, determined to return before darkness fell. If he didn’t go back tonight, he’d miss out on the spectacle involving Chen Dazhu the next day.

Li Junsheng arrived home in the middle of the night, collapsed into bed for a few hours of sleep, and at dawn went out in search of Qin Yong.

Qin Yong was busy tidying up his truck when he saw Li Junsheng approaching and quickly greeted him, “Uncle Li, have you eaten?”

“I had something on the train,” Li Junsheng replied, then asked, “When did Chen Dazhu ask you to pick up the goods?”

Chen Dazhu wanted Qin Yong to come at eight o’clock. It was almost time, and just as Qin Yong was about to leave, Li Junsheng arrived.

Li Junsheng hitched a ride with Qin Yong, and together they arrived at the entrance of the machinery factory. From a distance, Li Junsheng could already see Chen Dazhu waiting at the gate. As they drew nearer, he could clearly see the joy written on Chen Dazhu’s face.

“Uncle Chen, we’re here,” Qin Yong called out, parking the truck and climbing down to greet Chen Dazhu.

Li Junsheng followed behind him. Seeing Li Junsheng, Chen Dazhu simply assumed he was now working odd jobs with Qin Yong. It made sense—he’d just gotten out of the detention center a few days ago, and the larger trucking company had probably let him go, unwilling to take the risk of keeping him on. Most likely, having run out of options, he’d turned to Qin Yong for help and now worked for him.

Chen Dazhu nodded at Qin Yong in greeting, then turned to Li Junsheng with feigned surprise. “Old Li, when did you get out of the detention center? Everyone’s been saying you were charged with attempted murder and left someone disabled. What’s that all about?”

Chen Dazhu’s concern was utterly insincere. In fact, he was speaking loudly, clearly wishing for everyone in the factory to hear and for word of Li Junsheng’s “crime” to spread even further. It was the worst kind of provocation, deliberately hitting a sore spot and utterly repugnant.

He even shot a quick glance at Qin Yong, curious to see if, now that he knew about Li Junsheng’s alleged crimes, Qin Yong would still be willing to employ him. But apart from some initial surprise, Qin Yong simply glanced at the calm Li Junsheng and said nothing. To him, Li Junsheng did not seem at all like the person Chen Dazhu described.

“Old Chen, where did you hear such rumors? I might have to sue someone for slander. The talk of attempted murder is baseless, and any altercation was nothing more than self-defense.”

Li Junsheng narrowed his eyes, issuing a veiled warning to Chen Dazhu not to spread such stories, or he would not let it go lightly.

Both men were seasoned, and Chen Dazhu could hardly fail to catch the underlying threat, but he merely looked down on Li Junsheng’s attempt to save face. He didn’t press the point and, in front of Qin Yong, patted Li Junsheng on the shoulder.

“Is it a rumor? I wouldn’t know. That’s just what I’ve been told.”

“By the way, I’ve finalized the deal for the recycling station to purchase the factory’s scrap these past few days. Since you’re here with Qin Yong to help, put in a bit more effort when you work, and as an old acquaintance, I’ll see that you get extra pay.”

“As for your stint in the detention center, let’s leave that in the past. Now that you’re out, try to live right going forward.”

When Chen Dazhu said this, his sense of superiority was palpable—he acted as if he was bestowing charity upon Li Junsheng. He seemed certain that, for the sake of making a living, Li Junsheng would treat him with due respect. In reality, Li Junsheng had no intention of flattering him in the least.

Instead, he shot back sarcastically, “We haven’t even entered the warehouse, haven’t seen the goods, and you’re already putting on airs like a big boss?”

Even assuming the business between Chen Dazhu and Section Chief Zhou went through, he’d still only be at the mercy of the recycling station’s owner. He wasn’t the boss, just another hired hand. At best, he might skim a small commission, but that hardly made him a power to reckon with.

“Anyone who didn’t know better would think you weren’t working for someone else, but were the boss yourself.”

Chen Dazhu’s face instantly darkened at Li Junsheng’s mockery.

“Even working for someone else, I’m better off than you, a mere porter!”

“If you’re going to work, then do it properly! Or I’ll dock your pay! The real boss isn’t here, so I’m the one in charge today, and your pay is in my hands!”

No sooner had Chen Dazhu finished his angry tirade than Ma Weidong came racing up on his old bicycle.

“What’s all the chatter?” he called.

He was excited to be here with Chen Dazhu to collect the scrap, eager to see something he’d been thinking about for so long finally come to fruition. But as soon as he reached the gate and saw Li Junsheng, his expression turned cold.

“Li Junsheng? You have the nerve to show your face here? Who let you in? Get lost, and stop interfering with our business!”

Ma Weidong wasted no time in venting his anger at Li Junsheng. After all, there was the matter of Ma Yulian nearly being strangled by Li Junsheng, and the failed arrangement between Li Xiaoyu and Liu Zhigang—especially the incident where Li Junsheng left a man crippled and unable to have children, which had caused Ma Weidong to fall out with his relatives. Coupled with his contempt for Li Junsheng’s current uselessness, Ma Weidong had nothing but scorn left for him. He seemed ready to sever all ties with Li Junsheng for good.

“Why shouldn’t I show my face? If anyone should be ashamed, it’s your sister. As a mother, she actually tried to destroy her own daughter’s reputation. She’s been hiding at your place lately—does she even dare show herself in public?”

“Careful, or people might start pelting your house with rotten eggs,” Li Junsheng retorted coldly.

Ma Weidong was immediately incensed.

“What did you just say?”

The attitudes of both Chen Dazhu and Ma Weidong toward Li Junsheng were so hostile that even Qin Yong, an outsider, found it hard to stomach. He quickly tried to change the subject in front of Ma Weidong.

“Hey, so when can we go in to load the goods?”

Chen Dazhu was still waiting for Section Chief Zhou to send over the authorization slip—without it, he couldn’t get into the warehouse.

Ignoring Qin Yong, Chen Dazhu walked over to Ma Weidong and said with a sly smile, “Old Li’s fallen on hard times—he’s working as a temp now. I told him to put in some extra effort today, and I’ll pay him a little more. Weidong, don’t you want to say something too?”

It was clear Chen Dazhu wanted Ma Weidong to join him in humiliating Li Junsheng.

Upon learning that Li Junsheng was there to help load the scrap, Ma Weidong was adamant—he wouldn’t even allow him a chance to work.

“What? Let him handle the loading? Absolutely not!”

“Anyone can help move this scrap, but not Li Junsheng!”

He looked straight at Li Junsheng and said bluntly, “I will never let you earn a living under my watch.”

“Earn a living under your watch?” Li Junsheng laughed. “Who do you think you are? Who was it that used to call me brother-in-law and beg me for favors?”

“If you’re so capable, why did it take you until now to close a deal for scrap?”

Li Junsheng’s retort left Ma Weidong speechless and red-faced. Even Chen Dazhu—never fully in Ma Weidong’s camp—simply stood aside to watch the show, not bothering to defend him. In Chen Dazhu’s eyes, Li Junsheng wasn’t wrong; throughout the entire business deal, Ma Weidong had done nothing but rely on Chen Dazhu to invest money and effort and negotiate with Section Chief Zhou. What right did he have to put on airs?

Who knew where his sense of superiority came from?

“What’s all this shouting about? I could hear you arguing from a mile away.”

At that moment, Section Chief Zhou strode over with a stern expression. Seeing him approach, Chen Dazhu immediately forgot about Li Junsheng and hurried forward with a fawning smile.

“Ah, Section Chief Zhou, at last! I’ve been waiting for you to give us the clearance so we can go in and load the goods.”