"Brother, you installed surveillance cameras in the warehouse?" Qin Xiaoyu asked in surprise.
"I was just testing the performance. It's not convenient to install surveillance cameras in this house, and there's only so much room in the yard, so I installed them at Hengchang. Who knew they'd still be useful?" my cousin explained.
The surveillance cameras were only installed three days ago, so Qin Xiaoyu was afraid that the person who stole the canned food didn't do it within those three days.
Watching the video was a bit tedious, but no one left; everyone kept their eyes glued to the screen, afraid of missing any important clues.
This warehouse is rarely used; for a long time, the doors were closed and it was pitch black.
"Let's speed things up. If we keep looking at this for three days, the opportunity will be lost," Qin Xiaoyu urged.
Tang Long fast-forwarded, and soon the warehouse manager appeared. A salesperson came to ship the goods, and moved a few boxes away from the place he specified. There was nothing unusual.
"Is the canned food inside?" Qin Xiaoyu remembered the approximate location.
“Yes, there are a few loose bottles in the boxes at the very back. Sigh, we can’t see them from this angle,” my cousin said with difficulty. His surveillance camera was mainly installed at the entrance, so he couldn’t see what was happening inside.
"Never mind that for now, let's see how many people come and go in the last three days. If it doesn't work, we'll investigate." Qin Xiaoyu could only take it one step at a time. Having a simple solution was better than having no solution at all.
“Look, this guy is a tricycle driver. He went into the warehouse by himself without a salesperson following him.” Tang Long had been at Hengchang for quite some time and was more attentive than his cousin. He recognized the man in black who came in at a glance.
"He's inside! Look!"
On the screen, the warehouse manager was tidying something up. The man in black went straight inside. By the time the warehouse manager looked up, the man had already come out, his hands in his pockets. The resolution was too low to see anything clearly.
After the surveillance footage was reviewed, no one else entered the warehouse.
"He's the most suspicious one. His pockets look bulging, but I can't see clearly." Qin Xiaoyu was getting a little anxious.
"Let's go, let's find out where this kid lives first, and see if he's home or not." Qi Si pulled Tang Long away.
If I'm not mistaken, Qi Si brought back news that the tricycle driver, Xiao Du, was hospitalized.
"I gave them a heads-up, the illness wasn't serious, just some diarrhea and vomiting, but they're all better now. I reckon Bai Weiwei was involved too, so now it's up to us to see how we handle it. We can settle things with money, but we'll still be fined, and our reputation will be ruined. It'll be harder to deal with the non-staple food business in the future," Qi Si said with a troubled expression.
"If it doesn't work out, close the shop and focus on building the house. Construction is about to start anyway, so Xiaoyu, don't overwork yourself," her cousin sighed.
"No way, I have to get to the bottom of this. We didn't sell this canned food; he stole it. And someone must have been behind it. How can we accept punishment when we don't even know if the diarrhea is related to this canned food?" Qin Xiaoyu directly rejected their claims.
"So what do we do now? Tell me." Qi Si was fully prepared and ready to cooperate with Qin Xiaoyu.
"Let's go head-to-head. I'll go to the city to find Lu Di tomorrow." Qin Xiaoyu had spoken to Lu Di on the phone during the Spring Festival and knew that he would be transferred back to the province soon after the holiday.
"Looking for him? I'll just find someone to write a note then." A Lei, who had been lazily lying on the sofa, suddenly sat up when he heard the name.
"What's so special about this person?" Tang Long asked curiously.
"Don't listen to his nonsense, let's go!" Qin Xiaoyu rolled her eyes at A Lei, grabbed the videotape, and went out the door.
Actually, Qin Xiaoyu wasn't confident about approaching Lu Di; that man was cold-hearted by nature and might refuse her outright. However, if this route worked out, Director Feng would at least be more restrained. She would have some reservations.
There was only one person in Lu Di's office. When he saw Qin Xiaoyu come in, followed by a strange young man, he knew that she had come to see him for something.
"You've come at just the right time. I'm handing over my work tomorrow," Lu Di said with a smile.
"I'm just trying to catch the last train. If you don't help me with this, I really can't do anything else." Qin Xiaoyu took out the videotape and put it on the table.
"What's this? I've been a bit busy lately, anything new?"
"Hengchang has been seized." Qin Xiaoyu recounted the events. Lu Di's face was expressionless, but his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.
“Director Lu, I know you’re leaving soon, and everything here will come to an end. So I understand why you’re not involved in this matter,” Qin Xiaoyu said frankly.
"But you still came."
"Yes, because I want to try again."
"Why?"
"From the first day I met Director Lu, I noticed that you were completely dedicated to your work. Other people's work is just work, but yours is a career. If I'm not mistaken, you're destined for a political career. The year or so you spent in the Policy Research Office was just a stepping stone." Qin Xiaoyu deliberately said the latter part to make the preceding flattery seem more genuine.
"Director Qin, why can you always read my mind?" Lu Di seemed somewhat intrigued.
"Director Lu, a career path isn't easy. It requires not only connections, but also ability, and even more importantly, real strength. Luck also plays a part. I believe that with Director Lu's abilities, going to work in the provincial government is just a formality. But have you considered what might be missing on your path to advancement?" Qin Xiaoyu began casting her net.
What do you think I'm lacking?
"What's missing is a unique achievement that belongs to you." Qin Xiaoyu took a step back on the videotape.
"Is this a pledge of allegiance?"
"Yes. This matter will restore justice to Hengchang and will also be a political achievement for Director Lu. Now is a great time for the country to reform and open up. Cadres who can take the lead will have better opportunities for promotion. Isn't that why Director Lu went down to the grassroots level? What could be more convincing than the examples of Hengchang and Riyue Apparel?"
“That’s true. You have the ability and the courage, but it seems you’ve made too many enemies.” Lu Di began to weigh the pros and cons.
"The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind. There's nothing you can do about it. Director Lu, haven't you encountered any obstacles in your work? Haven't you been targeted by people simply out of jealousy?"
"Of course."
"Can your value be negated because of just one thing?"
"You have a really sharp tongue." Lu Di's words were practically a surrender.
"To be honest, I really wouldn't cheat you. This is a win-win situation. You know my boyfriend, Lei." Qin Xiaoyu glanced at Tang Long after saying this before continuing, "It's about the post office restaurant last time..."
She demonstrated the action of splitting open a skull.
"That's your boyfriend?" Lu Di asked, somewhat surprised.
“Yes, he has a lot of influence. He helped me settle two cases last time. He also said he wanted to find someone to write a note for this matter, but I stopped him.” Qin Xiaoyu wasn’t entirely lying.
"So I should thank you for giving me the opportunity," Lu Di smiled.
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