Chapter Thirty-Six: Seeking Justice

"Xu Fei, you haven't shown up for work these past few days. Your wages are being deducted as usual, and you'll have to make up for the work you've missed," said the supervisor.

Xu Fei was stunned.

What kind of calculation was that? How could someone be expected to make up the work they've missed and still have their pay deducted?

"Director Wang, so if I make up the work over these days, what about my wages?" Xu Fei asked.

Wang Guoqing gave a cold laugh. "You're still thinking about your wages? Are you looking to quit? You've barely started, and already you're skipping work. Let me tell you, if you hadn't been recommended by Director Sun, I'd have fired you long ago!"

Though Xu Fei felt resentful, he knew Wang Guoqing was targeting him. But what could he do?

"Fine, I'll make up the work I missed," he said, heading straight for his post.

With over four hundred sacks to move, even if he worked himself to the bone, it was unlikely he'd finish it all in one day. But if he didn't get it done, tomorrow he'd earn nothing at all.

There was no other way.

Wang Guoqing watched Xu Fei haul sack after sack to the designated spot, sneering to himself from behind the window.

"Go on, kid, work hard. The money is mine, and with someone like you, I could ruin you."

Just then, Old Liu walked in from outside.

"Wang, don't you feel a pang of conscience treating him like this?" Old Liu asked.

Wang Guoqing glared at him. "Liu, do your work. If you don't want to, just keep quiet. Are you going to meddle in my affairs too?"

Seeing Wang Guoqing put on his airs, Old Liu's face darkened. "Wang Guoqing, we're all employees of this sugar factory. So what if you're the boss? Does that give you the right to bully people? Let me tell you, Sun Xing might be in charge now, but when the old factory director returns, we'll see if there's any justice left here."

"Enough, enough! Aren't you getting annoying?" Wang Guoqing waved him off impatiently. "Liu, can't you mind your own business and just do your job?"

"No!" Old Liu pointed at him. "Listen carefully, Wang Guoqing. I, Liu Fengren, can't stand seeing a petty man get ahead."

"Hey! Are you looking to cause trouble, Liu Fengren? Get out of here!"

Despite being older, Old Liu was tough from years of labor. He strode right up and challenged Wang Guoqing, "If I don't leave, what will you do?"

"You, you, just wait…" Wang Guoqing shrank behind his desk in fear.

He raised his voice toward the door. "Zhang Dajun, Big Guy, where are you?"

"Right here!" came Zhang Dajun's voice from outside.

The door was kicked open, and the towering figure of Zhang Dajun appeared, filling the doorway.

"What's going on, boss?" he asked.

Wang Guoqing pointed at Old Liu.

"What do you mean?" Zhang Dajun asked.

"What do you mean, what do I mean? This Old Liu is challenging me, insisting I return the wages deducted from Xu Fei."

Zhang Dajun was immediately incensed and stepped up to Old Liu.

"What, Liu? Are you trying to break the rules?"

Both Zhang Dajun and Wang Guoqing had benefited from Xu Fei's labor, skimming a portion of his wages. Now, with Xu Fei absent for two days, they were eager to dock even more. Old Liu couldn't stand it, which was why he came to confront them.

"Zhang Dajun, what are you trying to do?"

"What do you think? Listen, Liu, for the sake of you and my dad being old colleagues, I won't stoop to your level. But if you keep undermining Wang's rules, you're crossing both of us. What do you say to that?"

Old Liu spat angrily. "You little brat, how dare you talk to me like that? Are you so full of yourself?"

With Wang Guoqing backing him and being the largest, toughest guy in the factory, Zhang Dajun was practically the local bully. No one could beat him in a fight, so he acted as the overlord of Donghai Sugar Factory.

Old Liu's words gave him no face.

"Damn you, old fool!"

Zhang Dajun didn't hold back and punched Old Liu in the eye.

Old Liu cried out, but undeterred, scrambled up and lunged at Zhang Dajun.

The two began fighting in the office, drawing a crowd of workers to watch the commotion.

Xu Fei was some distance away, but as he approached the office, he saw Old Liu pinned to the ground.

"Still pretending, old man?" Zhang Dajun jeered, sitting astride Old Liu like an elephant atop a monkey.

Old Liu could barely catch his breath, let alone speak.

"You brat, get off me, I…"

Seeing Old Liu being beaten, Xu Fei pushed through the crowd and shoved Zhang Dajun off Old Liu.

"Are you alright, Brother Liu?" he asked, helping Old Liu up.

"I'm fine. These two, they're bullies, that's all," Old Liu gasped.

Only then did Xu Fei realize Old Liu was standing up for him. He felt even more unsettled.

They were merely colleagues, but since Xu Fei had arrived at the factory, Old Liu had gone out of his way to help him, expecting nothing in return. Even when Xu Fei needed a vehicle, it was Old Liu who found the connection.

Thinking of all this, Xu Fei could barely contain his anger.

He glared at Zhang Dajun. "How old are you? Brother Liu is about your father's age. How can you treat him like this?"

"He cursed me, so I hit him. What's the problem?"

"You brat, just wait, I'll go talk to your father about you!" Old Liu threatened.

Zhang Dajun pointed at Old Liu and retorted, "Go ahead, I'm not afraid! Old man, if you're not afraid of getting hit again, just go."

Having just suffered a beating, Old Liu was intimidated. Zhang Dajun's words made him hesitate to mention Zhang Dajun's father again. Instead, he turned to Wang Guoqing.

"Director Wang, let me ask you one thing: Are you really going to dock Xu Fei's wages for two days and make him catch up on the work?"

Wang Guoqing crawled out from under the desk, straightened his clothes, and sat upright.

"Yes, that's the rule in our workshop. What, do you see anything wrong with that?"

Old Liu wanted to say more, but Xu Fei stopped him.

"Xu Fei?"

Xu Fei shook his head at him.

"Brother Liu, I know you mean well, but if Director Wang says it's the rule, let's just leave it at that."

"What? Leave it at that? What rule? This is just Wang Guoqing's own rule. Where in the factory regulations does it say that?"

Old Liu was so furious he nearly leapt off the ground.