As their Cherokee stopped at the village entrance, a group of children followed them first, then the procession expanded to include a group of women, and finally a group of men wearing old cotton-padded coats.

Someone couldn't help but ask a question.

"They're not creditors; they've come to check on the factory's condition."

"What's going on? The boss ran away, owing us more than two months' wages." The man spat on the ground.

“They didn’t run away. Man Aihong fell seriously ill at the Guangzhou store and is now hospitalized.”

"What? You still have money to be hospitalized in Guangzhou, so why don't you have money to pay our salaries?"

"They owe us six months' wages, pay us!"

Are you one of them?

How do you have the key?

Enraged, A Lei had already set up a perimeter, scouted the escape routes, and decided who to take down first, and who to kill next...

He really is a qualified bodyguard.

"Quiet down and listen to me." This wasn't the first time Qin Xiaoyu had been surrounded and attacked; she was already experienced. At times like this, she needed to strike at their weak point: money. Talking about money always worked.

"What do you want to say? Give me the money!"

"Quiet down, everyone! Don't you want your money back?" The crowd fell silent instantly.

"I came here today because Zhu Ban proposed a collaboration, and I'm here to see if there's any possibility of cooperation. If, as you say, this factory has no hope, then I don't need to invest any more money." Qin Xiaoyu took a handful of money.

What is capital injection?

"This woman has money and wants to invest it in the factory."

"Look at what kind of car they're driving, right? They're rich."

"We can't let her leave."

"One at a time."

"Hey, don't go. Let's cooperate and talk things over." The leader's tone had softened. He stepped forward, pulled a dirty cigarette case from his pocket, took out a cigarette, and offered it to Qin Xiaoyu.

Qin Xiaoyu shook his head vigorously, unwilling to give up, and offered the cigarette to A Lei again.

"Who are you?"

"I am the workshop director, and my surname is Bao."

"Director Bao, I heard Boss Zhu say that you are his right-hand man..." Qin Xiaoyu made up a story, and A Lei had already mentally given her a thumbs up.

“You know, our factory used to be doing really well, supporting the people in our village. Now it’s suddenly gone bankrupt, and the boss has run away. Who can stand this?” Director Bao said, his small eyes dry and unable to produce any tears. He could only raise his hand and pick out a piece of eye boogers.

"Actually, business isn't as difficult as you think. In Guangzhou, fashion items are shipped all over the country, and many items are in high demand. It's just that your project hasn't been positioned well." Qin Xiaoyu was still confident.

It's clear that Zhu Xu invested money at the beginning. The machines on this assembly line are much better than those at Riyue Clothing. It's such a waste to just leave them lying around.

If you leave it unused for another year or six months, it will rust, and then you'll regret it.

"Take me to see the warehouse." Qin Xiaoyu wanted to get a complete feel for the factory's operations.

The warehouse was in the backyard, and iron bars were welded onto the doors and windows to prevent theft.

Man Aihong left in such a hurry that she had boarded up the doors and windows to prevent water from getting in when it rained. When she went in, it was pitch black.

"The power's out," Director Bao muttered, then called out to the onlookers, "Does anyone have a flashlight? Bring one over here."

"Batteries are ridiculously expensive, I won't lend them!" Someone actually responded, but simply refused to lend them.

"Go buy one for me." Qin Xiaoyu took out ten yuan and handed it to Director Bao.

He took the money and walked to the convenience store with an air of indifference.

Qin Xiaoyu carried a small bundle of fabric to the doorway.

In the 1980s, linen textile technology was not advanced enough, especially for cheap, coarsely processed linen. The fabric was rough, and you could clearly feel the knots and blemishes when you touched it.

Blended fabrics are rare; most are pure linen. While they are undeniably strong, their tendency to wrinkle and lose shape is a major problem. Fashion made from them is not only unattractive but also difficult to maintain, as the linen is essentially in its natural color. Even a speck of color on it makes it look like a rag – completely unrecognizable.

While in Guangzhou, Man Aihong told Qin Xiaoyu the truth: she suddenly went south because there was a problem with this batch of fabric, and the ordered goods could not be delivered, so she was in a hurry to find Zhu Xu to find a solution.

In retrospect, this batch of goods was substandard.

Director Bao is reliable; he quickly bought the store's prized possession—a large flashlight that holds five size D batteries, which is like a searchlight.

Qin Xiaoyu felt colder and colder the more she looked at the photos. Man Aihong was no weak woman either; what could make her break down to the point of running to her husband Zhu Xu was no small matter.

This batch of goods is too much. If all the payments are made, it will be stuck in their hands, and they won't be able to recover. It would be a fatal blow to their factory.

"Director Bao, has anyone come to collect the laundry?"

“They’ve taken us in. They come every few days, and when they can’t find us, they take it out on us…”

Director Bao turned to look at the door. This jinx was too accurate; whoever he said it would come to life.

"Ah, finally the door's open. I was thinking if no one was here, I'd smash the door down and take whatever I could get my hands on." A chubby, bald man walked in. He looked to be in his early twenties, not very old, but his face was greasy, clearly indicating he'd been out in the world for quite some time.

He paused for a moment when he saw Qin Xiaoyu.

"Are you creditors too? Here to collect your goods as payment for your debts?"

“We are not. I am Zhu Xu’s new business partner. My surname is Qin.”

"My God, hahaha!" The bald man actually laughed. He spun around before he could steady himself.

"Let me tell you, if you cooperate with someone like that, you'll be in deep trouble, you know that?" The bald man's eyes were glistening with tears as he spoke sincerely.

"Brother, you're already in bad luck. If I leave too, you'll be in even worse luck."

"That's not necessarily true. I'll take the stuff away. There's so much cloth; I don't believe that even if I sell it cheaply, no one will buy it!"

"Look at this before you speak." Qin Xiaoyu threw a bundle of cloth at the bald man.

"Tsk tsk, what is this? It's pungent... Ugh! It's covered in my hair!" The bald guy is also a germaphobe.

"Do you still want these things? Go sell them for a pittance."

"Well, sigh!" The bald man was speechless.

"Come on, brother, let's go outside and talk properly. It's freezing cold in here." Qin Xiaoyu stamped her feet, and A Lei quickly followed.

Director Bao was a shrewd man. He realized that whether he could make money again probably depended on this young woman, so he was exceptionally attentive.

He invited the three people directly into his home.

Qin Xiaoyu touched the kang (heated brick bed) and found it was warm. Without hesitation, she quickly took off her boots and climbed onto it. A Lei and the bald man were both picky people; after looking at it for a long time, they couldn't bear to sit on the kang.

"Please sit down. If you can't sit on the kang (heated brick bed), sit on the benches. It's like you're meeting the Empress Dowager. I can't bear it," Qin Xiaoyu joked. A Lei smiled helplessly, while the bald man laughed.