Zheng Yuan stayed in the police station for two days to cooperate with the investigation. During this time, people outside tried every means to get him out, but they failed. They only released him after he had endured the time.
"Factory Manager!"
His assistant was waiting outside the police station early in the morning. As soon as he came out, the assistant immediately ran over with something to ward off bad luck, acting like a sycophant.
"You've been through a lot these past few days. Everyone at the factory is waiting for you to come back, and they're all very worried about you."
He knew he was to blame for failing to stop those who broke in and caused trouble that day, so he wanted to curry favor with them to reduce his punishment.
Zheng Yuan patted his sleeves, frowned, and when he looked up, he was covered in dust, his face was oily, and he had grown stubble. He was completely different from before.
Still not used to the strong sunlight outside, I drew the curtains in the car after getting in and slowly closed my eyes.
"Has anything happened outside these past few days? Did Jiang Wanqing successfully set up the factory?"
He didn't dwell on other minor details and went straight to asking about what mattered to him.
The assistant was driving when he heard the question. Goosebumps rose on his skin. He glanced at him cautiously in the rearview mirror, hesitated to answer, and swallowed hard.
"Ahem... Factory Manager, how about I accompany you to have lunch first? You must not have been eating, drinking, or sleeping well these past two days. I'll take you home to rest later..."
"Answer my question!"
He opened his eyes, sat up slightly, and held onto the back of the driver's seat. Suddenly, the assistant felt a chill down his back.
There was an eerie silence inside the car for a few seconds, and the assistant's face showed tension and fear.
Under Zheng Yuan's persistent questioning, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and tell the truth.
"Factory manager, things haven't been going well these past few days... not very well. The news and newspapers have reported on your situation, and the land you decided not to relinquish anytime soon has been released by the relevant departments. Jiang Wanqing has also tentatively decided on the location for the factory..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zheng Yuan's mind was buzzing. Anger and resentment surged to the top of his head. He took off his glasses and crushed them to pieces.
"Cheng Ran, Jiang Wanqing! You forced me to do this!"
...
For Jiang Wanqing, these past two days have been the happiest time in recent times. Without Zheng Yuan's obstruction, she successfully secured the factory site. To celebrate, the five of them plan to have a meal to relax.
"Now that we can finally breathe a sigh of relief, I suggest we move on to the next steps as soon as possible, just in case. Come on, let me raise a glass and wish us all the best in the future!"
Yue Shuzhen was quite proactive and enthusiastic today, finishing all the wine in her glass.
"Hahaha... Shuzhen finally doesn't have to use words to stab us anymore, that's a good thing."
"Pshaw, that was a provocation, not a provocation, do you guys even understand?"
"Alright, alright, that's a trick, everyone, let's eat!"
Jiang Wanqing naturally knew that she always spoke her mind, and although her words could be harsh, she was not a bad person and had done a lot of work.
"Come on, cheers!"
"What a pity." At this moment, Molly shook her head, looking regretful.
The interest and curiosity of others were instantly piqued, and even Jiang Wanqing was a little puzzled.
"What's a pity?"
"Tsk tsk, it's a pity that Comrade Cheng couldn't come today, so we could have a good look."
Molly teased Jiang Wanqing's arm, and Shen Huan and the others realized what she meant and burst into laughter.
"Yes, we've wanted to meet Wanqing's husband formally for a long time."
"That's true. If it weren't for her husband, things wouldn't have been resolved so quickly." Yue Shuzhen rarely agreed with them so readily.
They were laughing heartily, but Jiang Wanqing blushed deeply and quickly lowered her head to drink water.
"He's busy. Let's do it next time, when everyone has time to have a meal together."
"Alright, then I'll look forward to next time."
"Hopefully, the next time will be the auspicious start for our factory!"
"Yay!"
The five girls chatted more and more happily, and in their excitement, they drank some beer. By the time they got home, each of them was more or less tipsy.
Fortunately, the restaurant they chose was very close to the school, and apart from Jiang Wanqing, the others all lived in the dormitory, so there was no danger.
Cheng Ran rushed over to pick her up as soon as he got off work, but unlike usual, he seemed a bit heavy-hearted today.
"Comrade Cheng is here, so Wanqing is in your care now. We... hiccup, oh, I'm going back to the dormitory."
Molly pushed the person into Cheng Ran's arms with peace of mind, and then walked back to the dormitory hand in hand with Shen Huan and the others.
He twitched the corner of his mouth, replied with an "okay," and didn't react much.
After walking a distance, Qin Meng, who was more sober, looked back and muttered to herself in confusion.
"Comrade Cheng seems a bit off today... something feels off..."
"Oh, don't overthink it. That's just how he is. He's aloof every now and then. We're not Wanqing, after all. Come on, come on, don't worry," Molly said with a silly grin.
On the other side, Jiang Wanqing was half-carried away from the restaurant by Cheng Ran. Even outsiders noticed that his mood was off. Although she was a little drunk, she was still capable of not noticing this change.
The evening breeze sobered her up a bit. She rubbed her temples and tried to steady herself.
"What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"
He stared straight ahead, not looking down to comfort her. Usually, if she asked him this, his first reaction would be to deny it and offer comfort. This unusual behavior further confirmed that something had happened.
Before she could ask any further questions, he put his arm around her shoulder and said, "We'll talk about it when we get back."
She wanted to hold on until she got home and hear his explanation, but the aftereffects of the alcohol kicked in, and with a bit of wind, she barely made it to the doorstep before collapsing and falling asleep on Cheng Ran's shoulder.
In the darkness, she vaguely heard him sigh, and then she felt her body lift into the air, and then... the night was unusually quiet, and he did not wake her.
The bedside lamp had been on all night, and it was still on when Jiang Wan woke up the next day. She rubbed her eyes and turned the lamp off without thinking.
A rich aroma of rice wafted from the kitchen. She blinked, put on her shoes, and went outside, where she saw Cheng Ran busy at work.
She leaned against the door and asked him, "Are you off today?"
"Mm." He picked up the pot of porridge: "I'll be resting during this time, so I can keep you company."
"Huh? Are you applying for leave or..."
"It's a normal day off, don't overthink it. Go inside and have breakfast, and I'll take you to school afterward."
Cheng Ran didn't say much, he just coaxed her to eat breakfast. She wanted to ask him several times, but all she could think of were fragments from last night.
He said he would come back and explain to her, and then... it seems she fell asleep.
Sigh, drinking really leads to trouble! Next time I celebrate something, I must control my appetite.
She bit her lip: "You must tell me if anything happens, otherwise I'll worry."
"Don't worry, it's alright. I'm upright and honest."
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