"Mayor, something terrible has happened!" Just as Xu Jianguo was about to sign a document for someone who had delivered it, his secretary rushed into his office, speaking anxiously. Xu Jianguo paused, his hand still on the document, and after a moment's hesitation, gestured for the person to leave. He picked up his coat and said, "What happened? Tell me what's going on." Secretary Li whispered in his ear, "The demolition command just called. There's a fire at the Xingrui Garment Factory in the old city. Firefighters and police are already there, and ambulances are on the scene too." Xu Jianguo hurriedly ran out of the office, Secretary Li following behind, shouting, "Mayor, you haven't had dinner yet! I have a few steamed buns here; could you take them to tide you over?" Xu Jianguo took the buns. "Hurry, we'll eat them on the way."
Xu Jianguo, sitting in the car, was visibly nervous. The renovation of the old city was a matter of great concern throughout the province and even the capital. "It's getting late. I hope no one's at the garment factory. What if someone's died..." Thinking this, Xu Jianguo quickly told the driver, Xiao Li, "Xiao Li, hurry up, get there quickly." It was late at night when Wang Rong called to ask how long it would take for Xu Jianguo to get home. Xu Jianguo replied rapidly, "Wife, a garment factory in the old city caught fire. I probably won't be home tonight." Wang Rong understood the seriousness of the situation and hung up the phone, saying to Xu Chen in the kitchen, "Chenchen, don't bother heating up the food for your dad. He's not coming home tonight." Xu Nan put down the TV remote and asked Wang Rong, "Is Dad so busy at work tonight? This seems to be the first time he hasn't come home tonight. He always comes back no matter how late it is." Wang Rong said with concern, "A garment factory in the old city caught fire, and your dad rushed over to deal with it." Xu Nan was shocked. "Oh, what should we do?" Xu Chen, upon hearing this, hurriedly... He quickly untied his apron and said to Wang Rong, "Mom, I'm going to check on Dad." Without waiting for a reply, he hurried out the door. Downstairs, his divine sense swept across the entire city, discovering a factory engulfed in flames. He entered the dimly lit stairwell, vanished in a flash. Meanwhile, Xu Jianguo was anxiously watching the fire department deploy firefighting measures. He had just asked his captain to check the factory for anyone trapped inside if possible. Xu Chen instantly teleported into the factory, scanned the area with his divine sense… On the third floor, an old man was found shivering in a corner. The outside was completely engulfed in thick smoke, and the office was also on fire. Old Xu thought he was going to die. He regretted coming to the factory to get money that day. He had been looking for the factory manager for a long time and waited for him all day, only to be told, "See if there's anything valuable in the office. If there is, take it with you." Old Xu was helpless. His wife was waiting for this money to pay for her hospital bills. If she left the hospital, his wife would surely die. So even though it was late at night, he still came to try his luck.
Xu Chen quickly covered his entire body with spiritual energy to resist the scorching heat and reached the second floor. At that moment, the second-floor staircase was burned through. Xu Chen leaped up to the third floor and found the office. He kicked open the door and found Old Xu, who was almost in despair. Just as Old Xu was about to resign himself to his fate, the office door flew to the side, and a young man entered, surveying the surroundings. "Old man, come, let me carry you." Old Xu quickly grabbed Xu Chen's hand as if grasping at a straw, and was carried by Xu Chen to the window. "Young man, are you going to jump? This is the third floor. No, put me down, I can't hurt you." Old Xu looked at the window, then tried to get down. Xu Chen grabbed Old Xu and jumped from the third floor. Because Old Xu had just been threatened with death and then suddenly faced with a "jump," he was so tense that he fainted. Xu Chen laid him flat on the ground, circulated his spiritual energy, and with a wave of his hand, his breathing gradually stabilized. A short while later, firefighters moved to the location to extinguish the fire and found Old Xu. They touched the old man's face and found his temperature was normal, and checked his nose and found his breathing was steady. "Report immediately." "Yes, Xiao Wang, carry him to the ambulance." At the front of the factory, the group learned about the injured man and quickly arranged for Old Xu to get into the ambulance. Secretary Xiao Li clasped his hands together and kept muttering, "Don't let any more people get injured, please don't." Xu Jianguo glanced at him, then looked at the factory with a serious expression.
The next morning, Old Xu slowly woke up and saw several men in suits beside his bed. He asked in confusion, "What are you all doing here? Why am I in the hospital?" His secretary, Xiao Li, quickly replied, "Sir, we're from the city to visit you. You collapsed behind Xingrui Garment Factory yesterday, and an ambulance brought you to the hospital." Old Xu sat up. "Ah, did I go to the garment factory yesterday? I only remember going to the factory manager to ask for my wages." Xu Jianguo said softly, "Sir, did you get your wages?" Old Xu's face fell. "The factory manager has been avoiding me. How can I get my wages?" Xu Jianguo glanced at Xiao Li, who immediately jotted down notes in his notebook. "Don't worry, sir." "We'll help you get your wages." Old Xu looked at Xu Jianguo gratefully. "Then I'll trouble you all, leaders." Xu Jianguo and Xiao Li then left the ward. Xu Jianguo called Chief Li of the police station. "Chief Li, are you aware that the boss of Xingrui Garment Factory is withholding wages?" Chief Li quickly replied, "I know. A few days ago, he assured me confidently that the wages would be paid." "Has the man been caught?" "Mayor, don't worry, I will catch him as soon as possible." Xu Jianguo put down the phone and said heavily, "That boss has run away." Xiao Li quickly reassured him, "Don't worry, he probably knows his factory is in trouble and is hiding. We will definitely catch him."
"Boss Wan, where are you now? Hurry up and pay me back, I reckon I'll be called in for questioning soon." A portly man was hiding in an empty building in the old city. Boss Wan chuckled on the other end of the phone, "Boss Zhao, forget about the money. I told you before that investing is risky. I'm not a god, how can I guarantee you'll make money? You're on your own." Zhao Jinchang hung up the phone and slammed his fist against the wall. Before, when he couldn't pay his employees' wages, he could hide and it didn't matter. But now that the factory was in trouble and he was in jail, the employees' attention would shift from him to his family. He regretted trusting Boss Wan; now all his cash flow was in Boss Wan's hands, and he even lost the money he had to run away with his family abroad. "Damn it, damn it."
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