Chapter Thirty-Five: That's Right

It seemed as though Xu Fei’s life had, overnight, returned to its normal rhythms.

But Xu Fei himself knew all too well that this so-called normalcy was nothing more than a facade. The looming deadline for Ma San’s debt was only a month away, and Sun Xing’s unrelenting vigilance was enough to keep him sleepless each night.

If he wanted to remain at the sugar factory, the first thing he had to do was maintain his distance from Zhou Lina. But was Sun Xing truly the sort of man he’d imagined? Reflecting on recent events, Xu Fei couldn’t help but worry. If Zhou Lina were to end up with him, happiness might well be elusive. Sun Xing was shrewd, calculating; if he ever wanted to deceive Zhou Lina, it would be as easy as snapping his fingers. Yet Zhou Lina seemed thoroughly taken in by his honeyed words.

Xu Fei had considered warning her, but in the end, he dismissed the thought. Matters of the heart were not easily swayed; what if she genuinely liked him? Besides, just because Sun Xing treated him poorly didn’t mean he would do the same to Zhou Lina. Xu Fei forced himself to let it go.

“Xu Fei.”

He was lost in thought when Zhou Lina caught up to him on her bicycle, calling out from behind. It seemed the very thing he dreaded had come upon him.

Xu Fei turned and greeted her with a smile. “What a coincidence.”

“Yes,” she replied. “Sun Xing didn’t give you any trouble yesterday, did he?”

“No, nothing at all. He’s an old classmate—what could he possibly do to me?”

Zhou Lina nodded. “I thought so. Sun Xing does seem a bit cold, but that’s just his way—he’s principled. As a leader, he has to be strict sometimes, don’t you think?”

Xu Fei hesitated for a moment. “Yes, you’re right.”

His worries seemed all the more justified.

Suddenly, Xu Fei pretended to remember something. “By the way, Du Man was supposed to bring me a jar of pickles and I forgot to get them. I’ll head back to fetch it—you go on ahead.”

“Alright.” Without a second thought, Zhou Lina pedaled away toward the sugar factory.

Watching her graceful figure, Xu Fei knew that whatever he wanted to say would be kept forever to himself. Perhaps that was for the best. As long as Sun Xing was good to her, that would suffice.

In truth, there were no pickles to fetch; Xu Fei simply took a detour toward the sugar factory. Passing by the provisions store, he saw once again a long queue outside. On inquiry, he learned they were still lining up for millet. Checking the time, he deliberately headed to another nearby provisions store.

There, too, millet was being sold at the same price, and the queue was just as long. Clearly, there was a huge market for grains. There were a dozen or so provisions stores in the city; if he could supply even a few with millet, the profits would be considerable. It was time, perhaps, to have a conversation with Director Shen.

As he pondered his plans and walked toward the sugar factory, a sudden screech of brakes sounded, and a green jeep pulled up beside him.

“Hey, big brother? Third brother?”

Chen Da sat behind the wheel, with Zhang Mingyang beside him.

“Get in!” Zhang Mingyang waved him over.

Xu Fei climbed in with a grin.

“We were worried after we left the other day—you just disappeared. How did things turn out?” Zhang Mingyang asked, turning back to look at him.

Xu Fei recounted the events, omitting, of course, the part about Director Liu and the others taking money from him. Some things were better left unsaid.

“So Sun Xing really is a piece of work,” Zhang Mingyang said. “If you want out, I can talk to my father and get you a spot in the supply and marketing system.”

Xu Fei shook his head. “The factories pay better these days. What I need now is money.”

“Fair enough.”

But Zhang Mingyang’s suggestion gave Xu Fei an idea. The provisions stores were part of the supply and marketing system, weren’t they?

“By the way, third brother, I wanted to ask you about someone. He’s a director at one of the provisions stores—do you know him?”

“If he’s in the supply and marketing system, even if I don’t know him, he’ll know me,” Chen Da laughed.

“Who is it?”

“The director Shen at the provisions store on our street.”

“Oh, you mean Shen Shuming.”

“I only know his surname is Shen,” Xu Fei admitted.

“There’s only one Director Shen in the city’s provisions stores,” Zhang Mingyang replied.

Shen Shuming. Xu Fei repeated the name to himself.

“Why are you looking for him?”

“I won’t hide it from you—I have a business proposal I’d like to discuss with him.”

“Business?” Zhang Mingyang and Chen Da exchanged a glance.

“What kind of deal requires you to talk to a provisions store director?”

Xu Fei briefly explained his idea. Zhang Mingyang was supportive, though Chen Da was skeptical, suggesting that such small ventures weren’t very lucrative. He spoke of heading south, to Shenzhen, where business was booming and a classmate of his had made a fortune trading clothes.

Xu Fei knew that many people were going into business in those days, but he didn’t have the capital for large-scale trading. Millet, though unremarkable, offered sound profits and low risk—it was food, after all, and wouldn’t sit unsold. He could simply buy and sell as much as he acquired.

“Shen Shuming used to work for my father. You don’t need my father’s help—I can arrange a meeting myself. What do you want to do?”

“That’s perfect, third brother. I just want to invite him to dinner, explain my idea, and see if he’ll buy my millet. I have supply channels, but lack sales outlets. If Director Shen is willing, that would solve my problem.”

“That’s all?”

Xu Fei nodded.

“Alright, leave it to me.”

The jeep pulled up in front of the sugar factory. Seeing that his plan with Shen Shuming was taking shape, Xu Fei was delighted. He parted ways with Chen Da and Zhang Mingyang and headed straight for Workshop One.

But before he could enter, Zhang Dajun blocked his way.

“Xu Fei, where have you been these past few days?”

“Master Zhang, I’ve had some family matters to take care of…”

“Save it—I know all about your business. The whole factory’s talking.”

Xu Fei frowned. So the rumors about him stealing sugar had spread. No doubt the culprits were Sun Xing or that Zheng Yongjin from the sales department.

“The Security Department said there’s not enough evidence. Someone’s just trying to frame me.”

“Oh, really? If they’re framing you, why not me?” Zhang Dajun shot him a stern look. “Listen closely. Foreman Wang just called a meeting and told us to keep an eye on you. If anything goes missing in our workshop, you’ll be the first suspect. You’d better keep your nose clean and not get me into trouble, understand?”

Xu Fei nodded.

Only then did Zhang Dajun turn and walk away.