The steel plant's staff quarters is a large area of ​​bungalows that is neatly planned. However, after decades of development, the population of each household has increased, and many buildings have been built in front and behind, making it appear messy.

People who are not familiar with this place may get lost and confused and unable to find a way out.

Naturally, few outsiders come here.

A group of young people led by Huo Zhenduo from the steel plant had gone to the countryside to work as sent down to the production team in accordance with the policy two years ago, but they did not abide by the rules and ran back secretly not long after.

After running back, he had no job and was idle all day long, often gathering at Huo Zhenduo's house to play cards.

Huo Zhenduo's family now consists of only him and his blind grandmother, living in a three-room, spacious house.

As long as Huo Zhenduo gives money on time every month, Grandma Huo won't bother him with anything.

Even the laughter and noise of a group of people almost blew the roof off the house.

"Fuck! My luck is so damn bad today that I lost all my underwear!" A young man with a pointed chin and monkey face lamented and gave away the last two peanuts.

Although there are peanuts on the table, they are just chips.

"Brother Huo is lucky, I'll treat you tonight!"

Huo Zhenduo lazily shuffled the cards, a cigarette between his lips, and spoke in a somewhat vague voice, "Okay, plenty of beer."

Everyone cheered.

"By the way, Brother Huo, I heard that you and Ajie were ambushed by Baldy Chen?"

Ah Jie, who was standing beside Huo Zhenduo, answered first: "It's okay, we have already regained our position. Baldy Chen has made a lot of money this time! But he was the first to commit the crime, so he deserves it!"

"That guy is a sneak attack! If you have the guts, why don't you fight him openly?"

"Isn't it all because of the thread in Brother Huo's hand? I'm drooling over it but I can't snatch it away, so I can only resort to some despicable means."

Huo Zhenduo held the cards in his hand and said calmly, "I'll deal with Baldy Chen's people every time I see them."

Everyone agreed obediently.

"Ajie," Huo Zhenduo took out a bicycle ticket from his pocket and handed it to the young man beside him, "Buy a new one for your sister."

Ajie took it with a smile on his face, "I was just worried about not having a ticket!"

Just when everyone was having a great time, a man standing at the door suddenly shouted, "Damn it, why are the police here?"

Before everyone had time to clean up the card table, the police rushed in.

"We received a real-name report that someone was conducting illegal transactions here."

Huo Zhenduo and his group looked at each other in shock and confusion.

They do engage in illegal transactions, but they would not choose to do it in their own homes.

Several police officers looked at the scene in front of them and were somewhat suspicious.

A group of young people gathered together to play cards. There is nothing wrong with gambling, but where is the illegal transaction?

But the report they received was made under real name, and the name and unit of the reporter were not false, so it didn't seem like a prank at all.

The police searched the scene but still found no evidence of illegal transactions.

"Someone must have framed us. I request a thorough investigation!"

"That's right, it must be Baldy Chen! That grandson knows all these dirty tricks!"

"How can we have any illegal transactions? We are just playing cards together because we are bored. We don't even have any money at stake! Look, there are peanuts on our table!"

Huo Zhenduo stepped forward and asked with a smile: "Comrade, we really didn't do anything illegal. Could we be mistaken?"

Several police officers looked at each other, and then one of them said, "Come with us first."

Since we are here, we can't come here for nothing. They look like bad people, so we will definitely find something out if we take them back and investigate.

This idea is actually correct.

Although the activities of Huo Zhenduo and his gang did not leave any evidence, their identities were illegal migrants.

When the police learned that these people were educated youth who had sneaked back from the countryside, they immediately contacted the local educated youth office and planned to send them back.

However, Huo Zhenduo and his gang didn't care at all and just watched the police busying themselves with a nonchalant look.

It’s not the first time anyway, I can just come back after a while.

Ah Jie looked at Huo Zhenduo and asked the police in a gentle voice, "Comrade, who reported us? Can you tell us?"

The other party said sternly: "No."

Ah Jie retracted his head and whispered in Huo Zhenduo's ear: "It must be Baldy Chen."

Huo Zhenduo crossed his legs, his eyes drooped, his emotions unclear, and after a while he said, "I will know who it is."

***

After Wang Tianfu returned from the capital, he did not go home. Instead, he went to find Cao Jing immediately to tell her that the goods were lost.

"Lost?" Cao Jing was shocked and cursed: "Are you a pig? You can't even do such a thing!"

Wang Tianfu was not angry at all, and smiled: "Xiao Jing, don't be afraid, I will take the responsibility, and I will pay whatever compensation is due!"

Cao Jing rolled her eyes, "You should have taken the responsibility!"

Even though he coveted Cao Jing's beauty, Wang Tianfu felt a little annoyed when he heard this.

This girl is so unreasonable!

She was the one who begged him for help, and now it was not his will that the goods were lost.

If he doesn't care, she'll see how she explains to her parents!

Wang Tianfu looked at Cao Jing's face greedily for a few times before forcing a smile. "Yes, yes, I'll take the responsibility. You ask the people above you how much you should pay."

Cao Jing said with a gloomy face: "I'll ask, you wait for the news."

However, Cao Jing did not find Huo Zhenduo. She heard from Grandma Huo that he was sent back to the countryside where he worked in the production team.

While Cao Jing was surprised, she was more thankful for her good luck and that God was helping her.

However, she did not tell Wang about this. Instead, she asked Wang Tianfu for two thousand yuan.

Wang Tianfu estimated the number to be only one thousand yuan, and when it doubled, he was not very willing to do it.

You can't possibly give up all your family fortune just to get Cao Jing, right?

Wang Tianfu hesitated for a moment, then stared at Cao Jing and said, "No problem, but how can I give it to you?"

Cao Jing frowned and said, "How do you give it to me? Just put it in an envelope and give it to me directly."

Wang Tianfu smiled innocently, "Xiao Jing, two thousand yuan is not a small amount. I'm just going to give it to you like this? You have to write me a note? Or, have your boss be present too, and I'll give it to him directly?"

Cao Jing asked Wang Tianfu for two thousand yuan, not because she really wanted to take the two thousand yuan, but because she was afraid that Huo Zhenduo would cause trouble for her when he came back, so she wanted to be prepared.

Wang Tianfu was the one who lost the goods, so he should be held responsible. But after a long time, who knows whether he will admit it.

"My boss won't see you." Cao Jing thought for a moment and said, "I'll give you a receipt."

Wang Tianfu nodded and said, "That's fine. By the way, are you going to fulfill the favor I asked you to do for me before?"

"About your daughter?" Cao Jing nodded. "Bring her to the troupe and I'll help you take a look."

Wang Tianfu thought for a moment and said, "How about this? Tomorrow, I will bring my daughter and money to see you. But this place cannot be in your workplace. We have to find a place where there is no one."

Cao Jing thought about it and it made sense. There were many people in the unit and it would be troublesome if someone heard what she said.

"Do you know there's a small park across the street from the dance troupe? It's next to the river. There's basically no one there after 6pm. Let's meet there."

Wang Tianfu smiled and nodded, "Okay."