Zhou Qiqi was already considered to be late in returning home, but Shen Huaichuan returned even later, after 10 p.m.
Zhou Qiqi was so sleepy that her eyelids were drooping, but she still forced herself to stay awake and wait for him.
While he was taking a shower, she slipped into the kitchen and quickly cooked a steaming bowl of noodle soup, adding a golden poached egg.
Shen Huaichuan came out drying his hair and saw the steaming bowl of noodles on the table. Then he looked at his wife's obviously tired but smiling face under the lamp and felt a warmth in his heart.
The two sat at the table, and Zhou Qiqi watched him eat noodles with gusto while recounting in detail how the factory's raw materials had been intercepted, and how she had asked Zhang Guoqiang to stake out the factory and Hu Chunxiao to inquire about ways to get the necessary permits.
She hadn't forgotten how Commander Shen had acted sullenly when the factory had run into trouble and he hadn't told her about it last time.
This time, she chose to take the initiative to "confess".
Upon hearing this, Shen Huaichuan frowned deeply, forgetting all about eating his noodles.
“Something doesn’t sound right. Tomorrow I’ll go see Captain Li at the Public Security Bureau and ask him to help investigate that mysterious foreign trade company and the transfer permit, to see who’s behind this.”
Zhou Qiqi shook her head and took his hand:
"This matter involves the Provincial Light Industry Department and even higher levels. The waters are too deep, and we can't investigate it so simply and crudely. Don't rush into action. I know what I'm doing. If we really have no other choice, I'll ask you for help, okay?"
She didn't want Shen Huaichuan to get involved in unnecessary trouble because of things at the factory.
Looking at the weariness and determination in her eyes, Shen Huaichuan finally nodded:
"Okay, I'll listen to you. But don't push yourself too hard, and be sure to tell me if anything happens."
As night deepened, the couple said nothing more, quickly washed up, and then fell asleep in each other's arms.
Zhou Qiqi fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Zhou Qiqi quietly got up, quickly washed up, ate breakfast, and then rushed to the factory.
Yesterday morning, after receiving Zhou Qiqi's instructions, Zhang Guoqiang didn't dare to delay for a moment. He immediately called several trusted experienced workers and young people, and they squatted down next to several entrances and exits of the No. 1 Wool Textile Factory in the province.
A few people huddled in a corner and stayed up all night without closing their eyes.
In the middle of the night, they actually caught us lying in wait!
Several large trucks, loaded with Australian wool, drove out of the warehouse.
Zhang Guoqiang's heart was pounding, and he quickly rode his bicycle and quietly followed.
But the truck didn't go to any decent garment factory in the city, nor to any nearby county or city. Instead, it bumped along the way and ended up in a dilapidated factory yard on the outskirts of the city that had long been abandoned.
The weeds there grew taller than a person, the gate was rusty, and there was hardly a soul in sight.
Trucks drove in one after another to unload the goods, but the people inside never showed their faces.
Zhang Guoqiang was puzzled. Which factory that had received a large foreign trade order would pile up its precious imported materials in such a godforsaken place?
He kept Zhou Qiqi's words, "Don't alert the enemy," in mind, and suppressed his many questions, leading his men to keep watch from a distance.
Around 7 a.m. this morning, a few people finally came out of the factory to change shifts. They seemed to have been up all night and came out to get some fresh air and have a smoke.
In the morning light, Zhang Guoqiang squinted and strained to see!
At this point, he suddenly slapped his thigh, his eyes widening in surprise:
"Guess who I saw? The one in the lead, even though he's changed into old work clothes and wearing a tattered hat, I recognized him at a glance by his gait and his eyes! It's that bastard Qiu Fengxian's brother-in-law! His name is Wang Defa! He used to work in the warehouse of the Third Garment Factory, but he quit because he thought it was too tiring and has been idling around all day ever since! It's definitely him!"
Zhou Qiqi's eyes narrowed, and she snorted coldly, "It really was him!"
"Master Zhou, you've suspected him for a long time?"
Zhang Guoqiang was somewhat surprised.
"I hadn't originally thought of him,"
Zhou Qiqi narrowed her eyes and said in a deep voice,
"Yesterday at noon, I went to the state-run restaurant to buy food and happened to run into Qiu Fengxian hosting a dinner party. Good heavens, the table was full of fancy dishes, with chicken, duck, fish and meat all included! He was sitting in the head seat, his face was flushed, and he was talking about how he would 'add a few new trucks to the factory in a few days' and that he would 'buy the land at the east end of the factory area to expand the factory building'! If you didn't know better, you would think he had won the lottery!"
She paused, then looked at Zhang Guoqiang:
"I remember you mentioned before, just over a month ago, when our sweater dresses were all the rage, Factory Director Qiu got jealous and rushed to copy them. The result? A whole warehouse full of unsold stock! The Third Garment Factory lost a fortune and was almost starving. And now, just a few days later, his batch of junk is still moldy in the warehouse. Where did he get the money to buy new cars and expand the factory? This money must be ill-gotten..."
Zhang Guoqiang suddenly realized what was happening, and his face turned red with anger:
"Yes! Definitely! After our failed attempt to copy our sweater dress last time, Qiu Fengxian has been gossiping behind our backs, saying we're opportunistic, saying you... saying you used improper means to seduce Vice Mayor Zhai..."
He paused, too embarrassed to finish his harsh words, and quickly mumbled:
"I hate you! I hate our First Garment Factory too! But... I thought he'd just hurl insults and spread rumors, but I never expected him to be so despicable! He actually resorted to underhanded tactics, intercepting our raw materials!"
He got angrier and angrier as he talked.
"I reckon that the foreign businessman didn't specify the materials at all! He just saw that our new model was going to use this Australian wool and deliberately tried to copy our 'Guanghua' series! But he didn't realize that we have the 'Seven' mark, and consumers recognize our design and quality reputation. Even if he makes the exact same one, wouldn't he just be digging his own grave like last time?"
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