In Li Huaide's office at the steel rolling mill, Xu Damao was like a frightened bird, completely bewildered by what had happened. He stood trembling before Li Huaide.
He knew all too well that Li Huaide was extremely greedy and cunning, and that if he fell into his hands, he would not have a good life.
Li Huaide walked around Xu Damao a few times with his hands behind his back, then patted Xu Damao on the shoulder with a smile.
"Xu Damao, I'm not targeting you personally, but everyone saw what happened today. If we don't arrest you, it won't appease public anger. Don't you think so?"
Li Huaide emphasized the last word of his sentence. Xu Damao nodded blankly, then shook his head.
"Director Li, those things really aren't mine, nor are they from Lou Xiao'e's family! Director, you have to believe me!" Xu Damao cried out in anguish.
"Da Mao, come, sit down. There are no outsiders here, just you and me. There's no need for those words. I know your background!"
Xu Damao was flattered and surprised, wondering what Li Huaide was up to. He carefully sat down on half of the chair, leaning back and hunching over.
"Don't be so nervous, I want to hear the truth from you!"
Li Huaide sat opposite Xu Damao, staring at him as if trying to see through him.
"Director Li, I swear to God, those things really weren't mine..."
Xu Damao wanted to accept it, but Li Huaide interrupted him.
"Stop talking, then tell me whose things those are?"
Li Huaide's question left Xu Damao speechless. He wanted to answer but couldn't. The air suddenly became eerily quiet, and sweat poured down Xu Damao's forehead.
Xu Damao's mind raced. "Director, it must be Wang Qiang's doing. I just took you there to arrest him, and this happened! It must be him!"
As for whether it was Wang Qiang, Xu Damao couldn't be sure, but there was no other way to explain it.
"You mean, Wang Qiang left a box of gold and a box of silver dollars in your room to frame you?" Li Huaide said, squinting his eyes.
Xu Damao nodded repeatedly: "Director, you're right, that's exactly it, Wang Qiang must have framed me!"
"Xu Damao!"
Li Huaide slammed his hand on the table, startling Xu Damao, who immediately stood up.
"Do you think I'm a three-year-old? Huh? Wang Qiang has this much stuff? Even if he made some money outside, two whole boxes is still too much. Would he really be willing to use it to frame you?"
Li Huaide's barrage of questions left Xu Damao somewhat overwhelmed and made him doubt the truth of the matter.
"Director, it was Third Uncle Yan Bugui who told me that we can bring him here for a confrontation!"
Xu Damao had only this one option left, because he had no way to prove his innocence.
Seeing that Xu Damao still wouldn't confess, Li Huaide grew increasingly angry: "Xu Damao, I advise you to face reality. Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely. You know that, don't you? Do you want me to waste my time?"
Although Li Huaide's voice wasn't loud, his words were terrifying. Xu Damao burst into tears, sobbing, "Director, everything I said is true, there's absolutely not a single lie!"
"Okay, okay..."
Just then.
The door to Li Huaide's office was pushed open. Li Huaide was about to get angry when he looked up and saw his wife with a serious expression. He knew that something big had happened!
"Men, lock Xu Damao up first!"
Two workers came in and pulled Xu Damao away. Once everyone was gone, Li Huaide's wife looked around to make sure no one was watching, then lowered her voice.
"Old Li, hurry back and check, something's happened at home!"
"Oh, what happened?"
When Li Huaide got home, he learned what had happened. His wife told him about it on the way home.
The two boxes that had been brought over earlier contained gold and silver dollars. The couple were overjoyed, thinking they had struck it rich. But Li Huaide, not content with his wealth, went to the steel mill to interrogate Xu Damao, leaving his wife alone at home.
His wife, on the other hand, was very fond of the two chests. She would open them every now and then to take a look, as if she was afraid that the gold and silver coins inside would run away.
But when she opened the boxes again countless times, there were no gold or silver coins inside. One box contained tattered clothes, and the other contained tattered quilts.
She thought she was seeing things, wondering, "Am I seeing things wrong?" No, she couldn't be mistaken; she'd seen it dozens of times. She rubbed her eyes and looked again; the box definitely contained tattered clothes and a worn-out blanket.
Did I see a ghost in broad daylight? No, someone must have stolen the gold and silver coins when I wasn't looking. Doesn't she realize that such a large box of gold and silver coins is difficult for two people to carry, let alone two?
But when something like this happens, you can't call the police. You can't tell the police that a box of gold and a box of silver coins were stolen from your home. You'd have to explain where the items came from first.
Therefore, she rushed to the steel rolling mill, found Li Huaide, and on her way back, explained the whole story.
Li Huaide didn't believe it either. How could something so perfectly good be lost if it was left at home? Who would be so bold as to come here and steal things? But when he got to his hometown, he found both boxes open. One box contained old clothes, and the other contained two tattered quilts.
"What's going on?"
Li Huaide grabbed his wife's arm and asked.
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? I only glanced at it and that was it!"
The two sat there, staring blankly at the empty box, racking their brains but unable to figure out why.
"Did you attract something evil?"
"Don't talk nonsense! What era are we living in? All the demons and monsters have been overthrown. You can't just say whatever you want!"
Li Huaide quickly stopped his wife, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then began to criticize her.
"Then tell me, how could it just disappear for no reason?"
Li Huaide's wife asked.
"You're asking me? I'd like to ask you the same thing: how do you look after your home?"
"you……"
"Don't make a fuss about this. I'll have someone investigate secretly! Understand?"
Li Huaide comforted his wife, then circled the two boxes a few times. He knew that investigating through normal means was pointless, so he could only investigate secretly.
Li Huaide remembered that there was a security officer named Zhu Ziming in the factory, who was his confidant and had studied criminal investigation. With that in mind, he immediately called the factory and asked Zhu Ziming to come to his house right now.
Not long after, Zhu Ziming arrived. The young man was very handsome and tall and thin.
"Director Li, you wanted to see me!"
"Ziming, there's something I want to entrust to you! However, it involves a lot of issues..."
Seeing Li Huaide's hesitation, Zhu Ziming knew that he must have something private to do, so he immediately expressed his opinion.
"Director Li, you can rest assured that I can handle things well!"
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