Chapter 73: Chai Jin, Why Won’t Sister Xiao Li Admit It?

Wang Xiaoli’s voice was like a refreshing spring flowing through this stifling, noisy environment, soothing and cool. Sitting in the bus, Chai Jin immediately felt much better.

He smiled and said, “I’ve arrived. I’m on the bus right now.”

“Oh, oh,” Wang Xiaoli replied, sounding like a little girl full of daydreams, “Chai Jin, can I come to Shenzhen next month?”

“Why are you coming to Shenzhen?”

“Well, I have things to do, hehe. I’ll check on you for Sister Fangfang. They all miss you, especially Shanshan—she thought you’d come back once your business here was done.”

Chai Jin gave a helpless chuckle. “Is it really just them missing me?”

There was a sudden silence on the other end of the line. Even now, Wang Xiaoli had never admitted her feelings for Chai Jin.

After a long pause, her voice came back, flustered and stammering, “That—that’s not true! If you don’t believe me, talk to Shanshan yourself, she’s right here beside me.”

“Shanshan, it’s your brother on the phone.”

In the office of Daoxiang Distillery, Shanshan was playing marbles by herself, while Wang Xiaoli’s small face was bright red with embarrassment. Her eyes darted around nervously and her heart thumped wildly.

Shanshan looked up, puzzled, “Is it Chai Jin calling?”

“Yes, yes, come here,” Wang Xiaoli stomped her foot, the shyness of a young girl radiating from her, making her even more adorable and charming. The uncertainty flickering in her large almond-shaped eyes made one want to hug and kiss her right then and there.

Shai Xiaoshan squealed with excitement and ran over. She dragged a stool beside her, jumped on it, and took the phone.

“Chai Jin, when are you coming back? Shanshan misses you.”

“You said you’d come back after you finished your work, didn’t you?” Shai Xiaoshan couldn’t hold back, bombarding him with questions like a talkative little child.

Chai Jin couldn’t help but smile wryly. “Big brother can’t come back just yet. When there’s time, you can come find me, okay?”

Shai Xiaoshan pouted in disappointment. “You’re so annoying.”

“Brother, who’s stronger, Ultraman or Astro Boy?”

“Hmm?” Chai Jin was caught off guard by her sudden question. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I want to know who’s stronger. Sister doesn’t know, Sister Lili doesn’t know, and even Dad doesn’t know—he even got Ultraman’s gender wrong. It’s so frustrating.”

Chai Jin felt a headache coming on. He knew his little sister was quick-witted and often came up with all sorts of outlandish questions. But that was just the nature of children. So he braced himself and discussed the topic with her over the phone.

The passengers around him gave him exasperated looks. Here he was, with a brick-sized mobile phone worth over ten thousand yuan, spending over a yuan a minute on calls, and discussing whether Ultraman or Astro Boy was stronger. How could they not be speechless?

On the other end, Shai Xiaoshan glanced at Wang Xiaoli, who was standing by the window, sometimes stomping her foot in shyness. Her large eyes sparkled with mischief.

She cupped her hand over the phone, lowered her voice, and said, “Brother, I’ll tell you a secret, okay? But don’t say it was me.”

Chai Jin chuckled. “Alright, go ahead.”

Shai Xiaoshan quickly said, “Sister said Sister Lili likes you. A lot of people in the factory say so too. They say you two are a perfect pair.”

“But when I asked Sister Lili, why wouldn’t she admit it?”

“Uh... well...” Chai Jin was stumped for a moment, thinking, “Little kids shouldn’t worry about these things.”

“Have you started school yet? Did you take your entrance exam?”

“Oh, I’m not talking to you anymore, I’m busy!” At the mention of the exam, Shai Xiaoshan quickly hung up, jumped off the stool, and ran off.

“This little rascal, did she flunk the test?” Chai Jin shook his head. He had wanted to call back, but the bus had already reached the factory district.

He put his mobile phone in his bag and hopped off the bus.

This was near the Shekou Industrial Park in the Southern District. As the first industrial park to open to foreign investment after the reform and opening up, Shekou Industrial Park held epoch-making significance in the history of China’s economic reform. Ordinary people couldn’t just walk into the industrial park; appointments were required.

In the future, this would be a forest of skyscrapers, one of the country’s most famous financial centers. But for now, it was still very run-down.

Many foreign-invested factories had been built here in the eighties. At a time when the country could revert to a planned economy at any moment, entrepreneurs worried that a shift in policy could wipe out their investments. Staying close to this state-run industrial park was the safest choice, since market regulations here wouldn’t be overly strict.

Thus, this area became an industrial park.

In his previous life, Chai Jin had come to work in a factory here in 2001. Though 1992 and 2001 were nine years apart, other than having fewer factories back then, the place hadn’t changed much.

Weaving through crowds of migrant workers laden with bags, he arrived, after more than ten minutes, at the gate of a factory called Hongchang Electronics.

A long queue was forming at the entrance, and a staff member was doing registrations at the front. Chai Jin walked over and politely asked, “Excuse me, could you help me find someone?”

“Find someone?” The young man doing registration, who looked about twenty, frowned and looked up. “Who are you looking for?”

“Su Wenbin,” Chai Jin replied.

“Which department?”

Chai Jin was at a loss; he couldn’t remember which department Su Wenbin was in at this time. He shook his head with a wry smile. “I’m really not sure.”

“Then how am I supposed to help you? Do you know there are over two thousand people in this factory?” the young man said impatiently. “If you’re here for a job, just take your ID and get in line at the back. Don’t waste our time.”

It was a time when countless state-owned enterprises were undergoing restructuring nationwide, and millions were being laid off. Every day, throngs queued up to get jobs in factories like this, so the recruiters outside the gate had little patience for applicants. The attitude was: work if you want to, otherwise pack your things and leave.

A few others behind him were starting to complain as well.

Chai Jin frowned. The recruiter, seeing he wasn’t leaving, grew even more annoyed and snapped, “Don’t you understand what I’m saying? Move along, I don’t have time for this. Next—show me your ID.”

A woman behind him shoved Chai Jin aside and hurriedly stepped up to register.

Left with no choice, Chai Jin had to give up and turn away. He racked his brains, trying to recall any detail Su Wenbin had ever mentioned in his previous life. But back then, they had met at another factory and only chatted casually about their past jobs, never getting into specifics. He just couldn’t remember.

It seemed impossible to find Su Wenbin and take him away in one go.

Spotting a fast-food restaurant nearby, he went inside, ordered a meal, and began to plan his next steps as he ate.