Chapter 72 Spies?! Cai Xiaoli and Sister Wang...

Cai Xiaoli and Sister Wang slapped each other repeatedly, their fight so intense that no one in the crowd dared to intervene.

Old Wang looked at the scene before him, clutched his chest, and felt his heart condition about to flare up again.

"Old man, old man, are you alright? Is your heart bothering you again?"

Wang's mother, who was standing nearby, noticed Old Wang's condition and anxiously called out, "Eldest son, stop! Don't hit him anymore! Look how angry your father is! Do you want to make him die of anger?"

Upon hearing this, Sister Wang looked aggrieved and turned her head with a surprised expression.

"mom?!"

"Mom, are you saying it's all my fault? I shouldn't have caused trouble?"

Sister Wang was indignant. It was clearly Old Man Wang and Cai Xiaoli who were in the wrong. Old Man Wang neglected his own daughter, Cai Xiaoli, and unilaterally made a will leaving the house to her. Cai Xiaoli, an outsider with no relation to the Wang family, shamelessly accepted Old Man Wang's will.

Anyone with eyes can see that Old Man Wang and Cai Xiaoli are in the wrong, but her mother actually turned around and blamed her.

Sister Wang was truly feeling extremely wronged at this moment. She felt like a little cabbage in the field, unloved by her parents.

However, she never considered that the house belonged to Old Man Wang, and it was entirely up to him to decide who he wanted to leave it to.

They never imagined that Cai Xiaoli's dedication to caring for Old Man Wang and his mother like her own parents after marrying into the Wang family would be enough for Old Man Wang to leave the house to her.

Sister Wang was only concerned about the fact that Old Man Wang had kept the house a secret from her and left it to Cai Xiaoli. She glared angrily at Old Man Wang and his mother: "Fine, since you'd rather have a goddaughter than your own daughter, then don't blame me for disowning you two!"

Wang's father clutched his chest and staggered: "Eldest son, what do you mean?"

"If I don't get the house back, are you still not going to acknowledge me and your mother?!"

Mr. Wang raised his voice, his eyes wide with anger: "Do you recognize the house, or do you recognize me and your mother?"

Although that was what Sister Wang meant, she felt a little embarrassed after being pointed it out by her father.

She was furious: "Isn't that because you took on some goddaughter outside? You have your own daughter and son, but you leave the house to this outsider goddaughter. Is she your goddaughter or your mistress?!"

Sister Wang turned to face her mother, a smirk playing on her lips, and said maliciously, "Mom, you'd better watch out. Maybe Dad is having an affair with Cai Xiaoli behind your back."

Old Wang was trembling with anger. He pointed at Sister Wang and said, "What nonsense are you spouting? Cai Xiaoli is your sister-in-law. What could I possibly have to do with her!"

"My ex-sister-in-law, she and Deyi are already divorced!" Sister Wang shouted.

Old Wang clutched his chest. His coronary heart disease was already quite severe, and the sudden excitement had made his heart pound and his vision begin to blur.

He quickly pulled an emergency pill from his pocket with trembling hands, swallowed it, and his vision cleared. He took a deep breath and said, "Whether she and Deyi are divorced or not, I can leave my house to whomever I want. Don't threaten us with whether you acknowledge me and your mother. If you don't want to, then don't. Your mother and I don't need you as our daughter!"

"Fine, you said it yourself. If no one takes care of you in your old age, don't even think about coming to me!"

Sister Wang made a harsh statement and stormed off in a huff.

Old Wang took a deep breath.

Sister Wang has been married for so many years, and she only comes back during holidays. She never brings anything back; instead, she always takes a lot of things from her parents' home. Is he expecting Sister Wang to support him in his old age?

That's worse than dreaming!

Ignoring Sister Wang's departure, Old Man Wang turned to Wang Deyi and said, "What about you? Do you and your sister think the same way? If I don't get the house back, you'll disown me and your mother? If you want to do that too, then get out of here. Your mother and I don't need anyone to take care of us in our old age!"

Wang Deyi glanced at Sister Wang as she left, then at Old Man Wang.

He was also resentful that Old Man Wang left the house to Cai Xiaoli, but he didn't dare to be as ruthless as Sister Wang and declare that he no longer recognized Old Man Wang.

He rolled his eyes, grinned, and said ingratiatingly, "Dad, what are you saying? My sister is my sister, and I am me. I can't control what my eldest sister thinks. But I promise, I definitely didn't think that way. The house is yours, and you're still here. What right do we have to fight over the house? Of course, it's up to you to give it to whoever you want."

Wang Deyi thought to himself, since Old Man Wang is still alive and the house hasn't really been transferred to Cai Xiaoli, as long as he humbles himself and coaxes him a bit, he might be able to persuade Old Man Wang to change his mind and pass the house on to him.

Regardless of what Wang Deyi thought in his heart, the matter of the house was settled in this way, and the Wang family left in a seemingly harmonious manner.

Mingxi: "...They just left like that?"

Sister Wang glanced at her with amusement: "Otherwise what? You really want the Wang family to fight to the death?"

Mingxi: "That's not entirely true..."

She wasn't the type to enjoy watching a spectacle or stirring up trouble.

She just felt that this matter was a bit anticlimactic. Wang Deyi even called his own sister over, acting like he was determined not to give up, but now he's just backing down like this?

Sister Wang saw through Mingxi's thoughts and said, "After all, Old Man Wang is still alive. If Old Man Wang and his wife were gone, this matter would probably cause a huge uproar. But now that Old Man Wang is still alive, Wang Deyi thinks there's still a possibility of negotiation."

Mingxi nodded, "That's true."

Wang Deyi intended to humble himself and appease Old Man Wang, but he did not expect that Old Man Wang would be as ruthless as autumn leaves, and the first thing he did when he got home was to announce the division of the family property.

"Separate the family?" Wang Deyi: "No, Dad, are you kidding me?"

He only has one son, so what kind of family division is this?

Old Wang: "Yes, we're separating the family. I'm separating the family from you, and you'll live on your own from now on. Since you're my biological son, you can still live in this house, but you can't eat and live here for free like before. You have to pay me and your mother living expenses. I don't care how much you ask for, it's fifteen yuan a month."

Although Old Wang thought Cai Xiaoli was an honest person, he was still uneasy about entrusting his entire retirement to her. He feared that as he grew older and his health deteriorated, he wouldn't be able to control Cai Xiaoli anymore. Therefore, he decided to accumulate as much money as possible while he still had the upper hand at home. That way, even if Cai Xiaoli treated them badly when they were old and in poor health, he wouldn't be left with nothing.

When Wang Deyi heard this, he was immediately puzzled. Fifteen yuan a month, isn't that a lot?

His monthly salary is only a little over thirty yuan, okay?

Old Wang glared at him: "What? You don't want to? Fine, if you don't want to pay, then you can move out and live elsewhere."

Wang Deyi said with a bitter face, "No, Dad, you're kidding me, right? If I move out, where am I supposed to go? Where am I supposed to live?"

Old Wang: "Go wherever you want, I don't care. But if you want to live at home and eat at home, then you have to pay for your living expenses."

Wang Deyi did the math. Fifteen yuan was a lot of money, but at home, it included food and lodging. You couldn't find such a good deal anywhere else.

So he gritted his teeth and nodded: "Fine, I'll pay for my living expenses, okay?"

Old Wang: "Then don't forget to give me the money tomorrow morning, or you won't have any food tomorrow night."

Wang Deyi: "...Okay!"

Old Wang turned his head and said, "And you, Xiaoli, now that you've taken over the job and can earn your own salary, you also need to contribute to your family's living expenses. Given that your salary isn't much right now, you can contribute five yuan to your family every month."

Since he was relying on Cai Xiaoli for his old age, he was a little more lenient with her.

Five yuan wasn't much for Cai Xiaoli, and she nodded: "Okay, Dad, I'll give you the money in a bit."

Old Wang nodded in satisfaction, but Wang Deyi was unconvinced.

"Why should I?!"

He shouted indignantly, "Why does Cai Xiaoli only have to pay five yuan a month? I have to pay fifteen!"

He directly demanded three times Cai Xiaoli's living expenses, which is extremely unfair!

Old Wang: "Why should I? I set the living expenses. I say how much you have to pay, and you have to pay that much. If you don't want to, then get out!"

It has to be said that being diagnosed with coronary heart disease was quite a shock to Old Man Wang. Knowing that he might suddenly die from a moment of emotional distress, he became completely different from before. Before, he was thinking about the continuation of the Wang family, how to guide his only son, Wang Deyi, onto the right path, and what he would do when he got old... Now, he doesn't think about anyone, he doesn't indulge anyone, and he only wants to make his remaining days as comfortable as possible.

As the only son of the Wang family, Wang Deyi had never been treated like this before. He felt wronged, but there was nothing he could do. He still wanted to stay at home and coax Old Man Wang into transferring the house to him.

The matter of living expenses was settled under Old Wang's firm stance.

After discussing living expenses, Old Wang said, "Alright, Xiaoli, do you have anything else to do right now? If you don't, come with me to the factory to complete the handover procedures."

He had previously discussed the succession with Cai Xiaoli, but the formalities hadn't been completed yet.

Cai Xiaoli nodded hurriedly: "It's okay, Dad, let's go now."

"Ahem." Old Wang cleared his throat. "There's a pack of good cigarettes on the wardrobe in the main room. Go get it; it'll be useful later."

Cai Xiaoli nodded obediently, went to the main room to get cigarettes, and followed Old Man Wang to the steel mill.

"Old Wang, what brings you here?"

I haven't seen you for the past few days. I heard you were hospitalized. What happened? Are you alright?

"Old Wang, you really need to take care of yourself!"

Old Wang had worked at the steel rolling mill for over twenty years, and he knew people everywhere there. As soon as he and Cai Xiaoli entered the mill, some acquaintances came over to greet them.

Of course, besides those concerned about Old Wang's health, there were also those who, having heard that Old Wang was going to pass on his job to Cai Xiaoli, came to inquire about the news: "Old Wang, are you really going to pass on your job to your daughter-in-law... oh no, your goddaughter?"

The person asking the question had a gleam of anticipation in their eyes.

Old Wang's expression faltered for a moment, but before anyone could notice, he immediately pretended nothing was wrong and laughed heartily, saying, "Hey, it's just that I'm getting old and my health isn't what it used to be. I was diagnosed with coronary heart disease a few days ago. The doctor said that with this disease, I can't do heavy physical labor and have to take good care of myself. I don't want to be idle. I'm only just over fifty, and I'm already retiring like this. I'm really unwilling, but there's nothing I can do. My body won't allow it. So I can only pass the work on to Xiaoli."

He pretended not to realize that the key point others were trying to find out was that they wanted to pass the work to Cai Xiaoli, and simply said that he couldn't do it himself.

The group exchanged glances. Although they were not entirely satisfied with Old Wang's evasive behavior, they didn't press him further since he had already brought up his illness.

Everyone smiled and said polite things: "Well, there's nothing we can do about your health. You still need to take better care of yourself."

"Yes, yes, work is still work, but your body is your own, so you have to take care of yourself."

"Old Wang, you really need to take care of yourself..."

Old Wang responded in a good-natured manner.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Old Wang left with Cai Xiaoli. As soon as he left, everyone gathered together again and started chattering. They had never seen anyone treat their former daughter-in-law as a goddaughter and even pass on their work to her.

"What's going on here, Old Wang? I've only ever seen people who lost their sons adopt their daughters-in-law as their own daughters. But isn't Deyi still alive in their family?"

"That's exactly right. He's now taking his former daughter-in-law as his goddaughter. What if his goddaughter remarries in the future? Will he be able to send her off like a biological father?"

"You're overthinking it. I think Old Wang's decision to adopt his daughter-in-law as his goddaughter is just a way to keep an eye on her and prevent her from remarrying..."

No matter how much others talk about it, it has nothing to do with Cai Xiaoli.

She had already gone with Old Man Wang to the personnel department to handle the handover procedures. The people in the personnel department had all heard about Old Man Wang's family affairs, and when they saw Old Man Wang coming over, their expressions were extremely complicated.

Hey, is Old Wang really going to pass on his job to his ex-daughter-in-law?

Old Wang pretended not to see the looks in everyone's eyes, found the head of the personnel department, went up to explain his purpose, and handed over the pack of cigarettes he was holding, hoping that accepting the gift would make things easier.

The head of the personnel department didn't accept the gifts, but instead looked at Cai Xiaoli with a bright look in his eyes.

He pulled Old Wang out and said, "Old Wang, your goddaughter has a female colleague who suffers a lot as a fitter in the workshop. How about this, I have a quiet job in the canteen, would you like to switch with me?"

Old Wang was taken aback, then nodded: "Change!"

Seeing that Old Wang agreed so readily, the head of the security department smiled with satisfaction. He patted Old Wang on the shoulder and said, "Alright, come with me to complete the formalities now. I know all the people in the cafeteria. After we finish the formalities, I'll go with you and say hello to them, asking them to take good care of your goddaughter."

Old Wang thanked him repeatedly, and then went to the office with the head of the personnel department to complete the formalities.

After the formalities were completed, Cai Xiaoli felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, and the head of the personnel department also felt at ease.

The reason he wanted to switch jobs with Old Wang was for his nephew's sake.

After his nephew graduated from high school, he couldn't find a job, so his father arranged for him to work in the canteen of a steel rolling mill, thinking it would be an easy job with good pay and benefits. But to his dismay, his unfortunate nephew didn't appreciate the opportunity, complaining that the canteen job had no future, and that he was constantly exposed to cooking fumes while working alongside mostly uneducated middle-aged women…

He didn't want to get involved in this mess, but his older sister only had this one precious son, so he had to find a way to get his nephew a new job.

It was quite a coincidence that just as he was having a headache over this matter, Old Man Wang brought Cai Xiaoli over.

The head of the personnel department was in a great mood after resolving his unfortunate nephew's job problem. He took Cai Xiaoli to the cafeteria and made a point of speaking to the cafeteria manager about Cai Xiaoli being transferred to another position with his nephew.

That's how Cai Xiaoli's job was settled.

When Mingxi returned home that evening, she was taken aback when Zhao Sulan told her that Cai Xiaoli had started working in the cafeteria.

"The canteen? Isn't Old Wang a fitter? Shouldn't Cai Xiaoli go to the workshop when she takes over?"

Zhao Sulan: "They said they swapped it with someone else."

Mingxi nodded. The cafeteria was not bad. It would be more suitable for Cai Xiaoli, a woman, to work there.

Zhao Sulan: "I must say, this girl is quite efficient and hardworking. She started working as soon as she arrived at work in the afternoon and didn't rest for a moment. I had to go and tell her to sit down and rest before she finally did."

Mingxi: "She is capable."

"Xiao Ming! Xiao Ming!"

Mingxi and Zhao Sulan were talking when they suddenly heard someone calling their names outside. She pushed open the door and saw Guan Lixin with a black leather bag tucked under his arm. He squeezed in as soon as he saw the door open.

Mingxi: "Why did you come here?"

Guan Lixin patted the bag lightly: "I've come to give you money."

Mingxi was stunned for a moment, then saw Guan Lixin sit down on his own, take out six neat stacks of ten-yuan notes from his bag, and place them on the table. Mingxi's eyes widened instantly.

Even Zhao Sulan was stunned when she saw so much money.

Mingxi forcibly looked away from the colorful banknotes on the table and turned to Guan Lixin: "Did you rob a bank?"

Guan Lixin curled his lip: "Hey, can't you wish me well for once?"

Mingxi: "You didn't rob a bank, so where did all this money come from?"

Guan Lixin stared at Mingxi for a long time, and when he realized that Mingxi was not joking, he was completely speechless.

"No, you forgot?" Guan Lixin: "You bought a share for two thousand yuan for our sailor shirts on our anniversary. Now that the stock is sold out, this is your principal and dividends."

"Oh my god!" Mingxi slapped her forehead and remembered: "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have really forgotten."

"If I had known you forgot, I would have kept the money myself."

Guan Lixin made a joke, gesturing with his lips and saying, "You can count it. It's two thousand yuan in principal, plus four thousand yuan in profit sharing based on your previous share purchase, making a total of six thousand yuan."

Mingxi waved her hand: "With our relationship, why bother with anything else? I trust you."

Guan Lixin raised his hand: "Hey, don't. We may be good friends, but we can't do business like this. They say even close brothers should keep clear accounts. You should check things carefully so we can both feel at ease."

Guan Lixin is just like that; he treats everyone the same way. He's very clear about money, so that relationships won't be affected by money.

Unable to resist Guan Lixin's nagging, Mingxi had no choice but to pick up the money and count it one bill at a time.

"Ten, twenty, thirty... five thousand nine hundred and six thousand, exactly six thousand, no mistake."

Guan Lixin grinned: "Isn't that right? I'm relieved now."

He stood up and said, "Okay, if there's nothing else, I'll go back first. I need to go home and pack my things. My train is tomorrow morning, to Guangzhou."

Mingxi was taken aback: "You're going out of town again tomorrow?"

Guan Lixin and He Li's wedding is scheduled for the end of September. It's almost August now, and there are less than two months left until their wedding. Instead of staying in Beicheng to prepare for the wedding, Guan Lixin is going to Guangzhou.

Guan Lixin: "Sigh, there's nothing I can do. I don't want to go either. There's a ton of stuff going on at home, and we haven't even chosen a venue for the wedding yet. But it'll be late August or early September when autumn clothes will be on the market, and I need to go to the clothing factory there to pick out styles."

Guan Lixin's batch of sailor shirts had made a name for themselves in the northern part of the city. Many people were envious of how much money he made selling sailor shirts and followed suit. However, he had already driven down the price of the sailor shirts. People knew that he sold them for 12 yuan without a fare, while others sold them for 15 or 16 yuan without a fare, so they simply couldn't sell them.

Don't say his goods are defective; you wouldn't find any defects in this batch unless you looked closely with a magnifying glass.

In addition, since others couldn't find such cheap sources of goods as him, those who followed suit and sold sailor shirts later had to lower their prices, reduce profits, and lose money to gain publicity.

Of course, it's not that we're losing money, it's just that we're making less.

Guan Lixin estimated that other sellers of sailor shirts on the market could only make three to five yuan per shirt at most. After deducting shipping, warehousing, and labor costs, the net profit was really not much.

The market for sailor shirts has become like this, and selling those is definitely not going to work. Guan Lixin is eyeing the new autumn clothing. Anyway, he has plenty of capital now and plans to stock more varieties.

Once this batch is sold out, Guan Lixin plans to stop. He had heard He Li's analysis that the market was likely to open up and issue business licenses to individual businesses.

He plans to find out more about the situation and, if a business license can indeed be issued, he intends to open a clothing store.

No matter how much money you make from street vending, it's still tough. You have to get up early and work late every day, braving wind and rain, and you constantly have to dodge the authorities. Customers who come to buy clothes will think you're just a street vendor, someone they might find today but not tomorrow, and they won't trust you.

It's different from having a proper storefront.

After hearing Guan Lixin's idea, Mingxi rubbed her hands together and moved closer to him: "Brother Guan..."

Guan Lixin knew something was wrong as soon as he heard this.

He grew up with Mingxi. In all these years, when has Mingxi ever obediently called him "brother"? Isn't it always Guan Lixin who calls him "Guan Lixin"?

Such sudden attentiveness must mean something's up.

Guan Lixin took a step back and said warily, "If you have something to say, just say it directly. Don't be so strange, it scares me."

Mingxi rolled her eyes.

She just called him "brother," why is she acting so strange?

"Guan Lixin, you don't deserve to hear a single kind word from you."

Guan Lixin: "Ah, that's more like it."

Mingxi couldn't help but roll her eyes again: "Seriously, I actually wanted to ask you if you need any more investment this time? I'd like to take a stake."

Of course, she didn't mean to interfere. She said, "If you don't need the funds, then forget it. It mainly depends on whether it's convenient for you."

Guan Lixin: "Yes, we need more capital! Of course, the more capital you have, the better. If you're willing to take a stake, I'd be overjoyed."

Mingxi knew that Guan Lixin was just being polite. Investing with Guan Lixin was obviously a way to make money effortlessly, and it was Guan Lixin who was taking care of her.

Mingxi: "That's more like it. I'd be overjoyed if you were willing to help me make money."

Guan Lixin chuckled and scratched the back of his head: "Everyone's happy, everyone's happy, okay?"

"By the way, how much are you planning to invest this time?"

Mingxi glanced back at Zhao Sulan and said to Guan Lixin, "Wait a moment, let me discuss this with my mother."

Mingxi pulled Zhao Sulan aside and said, "Mom, how much do you think we should invest this time? I think it's not a bad idea to invest all six thousand yuan."

Zhao Sulan was still in shock and hadn't reacted yet.

It hasn't even been a month since I last gave Guan Lixin money, right? In such a short time, two thousand yuan has tripled to six thousand yuan?

This is terrifying.

Doing business is too profitable.

No, no, it's impossible for everyone to make money like this in business; there must be people who lose money.

Otherwise, who would be able to work with peace of mind? Wouldn't they all be setting up stalls and doing business?

Although Zhao Sulan understood this, she couldn't help but feel excited looking at the colorful large unison bills on the table. She didn't even want to go to work anymore and wanted to go out and set up a stall with Guan Lixin.

Zhao Sulan was burning with excitement. Now that Mingxi had pulled her out of this situation, she didn't even hesitate: "I'll invest! I'll invest all six thousand yuan!"

Mingxi glanced at Zhao Sulan with some surprise, not expecting that Ms. Zhao was bolder than she had thought.

However, since Zhao Sulan had already nodded in agreement, she had nothing more to say. She pulled Zhao Sulan back to the sofa, pushed the six stacks of ten-yuan bills on the table in front of Guan Lixin, and said, "My mother and I have discussed it, and this time we will invest six thousand yuan in shares."

This time, it was Guan Lixin's turn to be surprised. He stared wide-eyed at the large sum of money on the table, then at Mingxi and Zhao Sulan, and said, "Aunt Zhao, Mingxi, have you thought this through? Not every business deal can be as profitable as the last one. This time, the profit may not be as high as last time."

He said, "To be honest, you see, I've been doing business for two years now, and I only made a lot of money last time. I'm not sure I can make the same this time."

Guan Lixin felt immense pressure.

Mingxi and Zhao Sulan trusted him and were willing to give him money, but he didn't trust himself. He was afraid that he would lose money or earn too little, which would disappoint Zhao Sulan and Mingxi.

Mingxi waved her hand: "We know that. Doing business involves both gains and losses. We can't always be as lucky as last time. Don't worry, we can accept whether we make a profit or a loss this time."

Guan Lixin gritted his teeth: "Fine, since you put it that way, then it's settled!"

Guan Lixin put the money into his bag, got up and left.

Mingxi saw Guan Lixin out of the courtyard. Guan Lixin stepped out of the gate and waved to her, "Okay, you can go back now. It's just a few more steps, so don't bother seeing me off."

Mingxi waved to him as well.

As Guan Lixin's figure gradually disappeared into the distance, Mingxi turned around to go back to the courtyard when she suddenly felt a gaze fixed on her from behind. Sensing something was wrong, she turned around suspiciously.

The alley behind her was empty; there was no one else there.

Mingxi frowned. Was it just her imagination?

"Comrade Xiaoming!"

A shout broke Mingxi's reverie. Mingxi turned her head and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see Yang Weihong walking towards her.

Mingxi: "Hey! What brings you here!"

Yang Weihong held two large aluminum lunch boxes in her hands: "I went to the vegetable market in the suburbs today and met an old lady selling amaranth. The amaranth is freshest and tastiest right now, so I bought some to make steamed buns."

She touched her nose, her rosy cheeks flushed slightly, and said, "I forgot that I'm all alone right now. I made too many and can't finish them all, and there's no one else to share them with, so I thought I'd bring some over to you."

White steamed buns filled with amaranth might be considered a delicacy in the countryside, but city dwellers, especially those like Mingxi who have jobs at home, don't lack for such food. Yang Weihong was afraid that bringing such a small, inexpensive gift would annoy Mingxi.

In fact, Yang Weihong was completely overthinking it.

"Amaranth-filled buns? I've never had them before!"

As soon as food was mentioned, Mingxi perked up. She stepped forward and took Yang Weihong's arm: "We haven't had dinner yet, have you? Come on, come home with me, you can stay for dinner tonight."

She muttered to herself, "There are steamed buns. I'll ask my mom to make some soup, and I'll make a cold dish. Let me tell you, even though I can't cook, I'm really good at making cold dishes. My mom says I have a talent for it. I'll show you in a bit and let you experience it..."

Yang Weihong didn't even have a chance to speak before Mingxi dragged her into the courtyard.

The two people who entered the yard did not see a person emerge from behind the telephone pole.

Shen Mo, yes, the person hiding behind the telephone pole is Shen Mo.

The gaze that Mingxi felt just now also came from Shen Mo.

"Damn it, that little bitch Yang Weihong didn't leave. She's still staying in Beicheng. What's she planning to do here?"

Yang Weihong staying in Beicheng, is she probably still trying to pester him?

Then how come she's getting so close to that damn little clerk from the Women's Federation?

Shen Mo couldn't understand it, but just seeing Yang Weihong and Ming Xi getting so close made him furious.

He said that the Women's Federation people colluded with Yang Weihong to deliberately target him!

Enraged, Shen Mo raised his hand and slammed it against the nearby telephone pole. The next second, he cried out in pain, "Ouch!"

He crossed his arms and glared angrily at the telephone pole in front of him.

Damn it, what kind of stupid telephone pole is this? It's so incredibly hard!

Shen Mo stared at the telephone pole in front of him, finding the broken pole utterly unpleasant to look at. He raised his foot and kicked the telephone pole.

It was late at night, the time when everyone was home for dinner, and the alley was almost deserted. Shen Mo, a complete stranger, was inexplicably babbling incoherently by the telephone pole and touching it inappropriately. Sure enough, Aunt Ma, who had come out to use the restroom, noticed his strange behavior.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

Aunt Ma said sternly, "I don't think you live in this alley. What are you doing here? What are you doing around this utility pole? Are you trying to vandalize it?"

Aunt Ma had participated in the "Little Feet Detective Team" back in the day and had been involved in catching spies, so she had an extremely high sensitivity to comrades with unusual behavior.

As she asked the question, she glanced out of the corner of her eye to see if there was a weapon she could handle.

Shen Mo was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of someone in the courtyard, and he also didn't expect that the older woman who came out would spot him. His mind went blank, and he didn't know what to say.

Seeing his reaction, Aunt Ma tightened her jaw even more: "I'm asking you a question. What do you do? What's your name? Where are you from?"

Not knowing how to explain himself, Shen Mo, in a moment of desperation, decided to slip away.

He glanced around to make sure that only Aunt Ma was in the alley, and that there was no one else besides her, then suddenly turned around and ran towards the alley entrance behind him.

Aunt Ma reacted quickly; the moment she saw Shen Mo running out, she picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at him.

Grandma Ma had a high aim; the egg-sized stone went straight for Shen Mo's head and hit the back of his head.

Shen Mo winced in pain, his steps faltered, and he nearly fell flat on his face. However, he quickly regained his balance and ran away.

Aunt Ma couldn't catch up with him, and it was too late to call for help; she could only watch Shen Mo leave.

However, Aunt Ma was no ordinary person. Watching Shen Mo leave, she didn't even bother going to the restroom; she immediately turned and headed towards the neighborhood office. The neighborhood office was already closed for the day, with only an elderly man on duty remaining. Aunt Ma quickly explained the situation to him.

The old man on duty looked serious. He didn't take the matter lightly; instead, he immediately reported it to the police station.

The police station had already notified them, so how could the director of the subdistrict office not notify them? And so, Director Wang, who was eating at home in the middle of a meal, was called back.

Director Wang thought it was something serious and became very serious, as if facing a formidable enemy. But after asking carefully, he learned that it was just a matter of encountering a stranger in the alley.

Director Wang: "...Old Ma, do you think it's possible that you've misunderstood this, and that the person was just passing by?"

Aunt Ma waved her hand: "Impossible! If he was just passing by, why didn't he answer my questions? I asked him where he came from and what he did, and he didn't say a word. There's obviously something wrong with him!"

Director Wang: "Could he be a thief?"

Grandma Ma gave Director Wang a look that suggested he was mentally challenged and said, "Impossible! Thieves always steal at night when everyone is asleep. Even if they're scouting the place, they do it during the day when everyone's at work. Have you ever seen a thief come during mealtimes when everyone's at home eating?"

That would be like walking into a trap.

Upon hearing this, Director Wang realized that he had asked a silly question.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "Well, then..."

Aunt Ma: "I suspect the other party is trying to sabotage things, maybe they're a spy! Otherwise, why would they be targeting the telephone pole instead of other things? Maybe they want to damage the power lines and hinder production!"

The moment the word "spy" was uttered, everyone present became serious.

Although Beicheng hadn't had any spies for many years, and the last time they were caught was more than a decade ago, the people present were all quite old and had personally experienced how despicable spies were.

When the topic of spies came up, Director Wang no longer dared to dodge the question: "Ahem, Lao Ma, you're right. The other party's behavior is so suspicious; they might have some ulterior motives. We must take this matter seriously. So, tomorrow during the day, I'll arrange a meeting in the neighborhood committee to make sure everyone pays attention to strangers appearing in the alleys during this period and reports any strange behavior immediately."

The police officers from the local police station also said, "We have already reported this to our superiors and will increase patrol personnel. If there are any further incidents in your alley, please contact us immediately."

Grandma Ma nodded repeatedly in agreement.

The next morning, people from the neighborhood committee went door-to-door in the alley to inform everyone about the meeting. Zhao Sulan and Mingxi had to go to work and couldn't attend the meeting. They only found out about the meeting's content from Aunt He when they got back from get off work that evening.

Mingxi: "The neighborhood committee is holding a meeting to warn people to be wary of unfamiliar and suspicious faces? What's going on? Are there human traffickers in our area now?"

Aunt He: "What? They're not human traffickers, they're spies!"

Mingxi: "A spy?!"

“Yes! It was Old Ma who discovered it. You can ask Old Ma if you don’t believe me!” Aunt He pointed at Aunt Ma, who then stepped forward and recounted what had happened the previous night.

Mingxi scratched his head, feeling something was off.

Don't spies usually hide themselves? Would they really do strange things in public that would lead to them being discovered?

Besides, even if what Aunt Ma said is true, the spies wanted to damage the utility poles to hinder production.

Why damage the utility poles around the factory instead of the ones around the residential compound?

Mingxi felt increasingly uneasy; the other party shouldn't be a spy.

But he probably isn't a good person either.

Strengthening precautions is definitely the right thing to do!

Shen Mo, the culprit who caused all this, also heard about the spies causing trouble in the family compound. He covered his head, feeling a wave of fear.

He went to that residential compound area yesterday!

Luckily, he didn't run into any spies, or he would have been in real trouble!

"Oh, right, the old lady who spotted the spy even hit him on the back of the head with a rock! It's a pity she didn't kill that despicable spy!"

"Exactly! That kind of bastard should be smashed to death!"

Shen Mo: No, something seems off!

He pricked up his ears and listened carefully to the discussion around him.

"I also heard that the spy seemed to be mentally ill. He was hitting and kicking a telephone pole, and that's how the old lady realized something was wrong with him."

Shen Mo: ...

Damn it!

Hearing this, he understood everything. So the spy who had been the talk of the town all day was him!

Shen Mo was so angry he wanted to curse. How did he become a spy?!

What angered him even more was that, because of this, the number of police officers and security personnel patrolling the area around the steel mill had increased, and his previous idea of ​​secretly getting revenge on Mingxi was no longer possible.

Shen Mo was furious. Damn Mingxi, damn the Women's Federation, damn that old woman, damn Yang Weihong!