Chapter 83: Too Many Hounds at Your Heels

Chen Ni's words made Chai Jin look at her in a new light.

He hadn't witnessed Chen Ni's decisive actions at yesterday's board meeting, so he had assumed she was just another sheltered rich girl. But now, reassessing her, he realized this beautiful girl was far more than just a pretty face.

However, he was leaving in a few days and didn't intend to form any connections, so he replied calmly, "You can think of me as another privileged kid here to experience life. I don't really need the money."

"Just like that young Master He," he added.

Chen Ni's expression darkened immediately. "Don't mention him in front of me. You only truly see someone's character when you work with them."

Chai Jin shook his head with a faint smile. "How can I not mention him? Just while we've been sitting here eating, several of his lackeys have been watching us."

Chen Ni instinctively glanced around. Sure enough, she spotted several people staring at them, but as soon as she looked their way, they all quickly lowered their heads. A few even pretended nothing had happened and left.

She recognized those men—they all worked in He Kai's office.

"Spying on me?" Chen Ni's face grew especially cold.

Chai Jin wiped his mouth and took a sip of soda. Suddenly, as if something occurred to him, he asked, "Is young Master He your boyfriend?"

"Nonsense. It’s just our parents—and He Kai himself—pushing for it. I’ve never accepted him."

"Everything he’s done these days has only made me dislike him more," Chen Ni said, unable to restrain her frustration.

Chai Jin responded indifferently, sipping noisily through his straw. After a moment, he said, "With the two of you, this is bound to spill over into work in the end."

"It’ll probably lead to you being on opposite sides."

Chen Ni fell silent, troubled. She was clever enough to have already thought of this. In the few days she’d been here, she’d realized He Kai was extremely narrow-minded. And there was no way she could accept someone like him.

A person like that, once denied what he wants, will always find ways to retaliate from the shadows.

Their fathers had always been close, which was why the factory shares were split evenly—neither side held more power than the other. But if their children became rivals in the factory, what would be the outcome?

Two factions would inevitably form, dragging everyone into internal strife. The only result would be mutual destruction.

That Chai Jin could so easily point out her predicament made the young woman all the more curious about him.

Would an ordinary worker possess this kind of foresight?

Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. "I don’t know why you’ve really come to this factory, but how about transferring to my office?"

Chai Jin shook his head with a smile. "You want me to be your strategist, helping you fight for power?"

"Forget it, Miss Chen. I have no interest in that. Like I said, I’ll be gone soon."

"I don’t like trouble. Don’t seek me out again, or I really will end up as a casualty between you two."

"I’m off. Thanks for the soda."

With that, Chai Jin stood, patted the dust from his trousers, and left, soda in hand.

Chen Ni didn’t call out to stop him.

She watched his retreating back, her large eyes growing more puzzled. "Is he really so indifferent to fame and profit?"

She didn’t dwell on it. Wiping her mouth, she strode over to a nearby factory worker who was pretending to be busy.

Her expression shed its obedient, demure look, turning icy and aloof.

"I don’t know which department you’re from, but if I catch you following me again, you’ll be fired on the spot. Go tell your Manager He as well."

"Everyone is free to live their own life. The more he behaves like this, the more I’ll resent him."

With that, she walked away.

The worker was left rooted to the spot, sweat beading on his forehead. He lost his appetite, quickly got up, and hurried to the office building to report.

…

There was still over half an hour left of break time.

Chai Jin couldn’t wait to head over to the warehouse. After searching for a long time inside, he finally found his sworn brother from his previous life, Su Wenbin.

At this time, Su Wenbin looked simple and honest, having just left the countryside to work in the city. It hadn’t been easy to secure this job, so after eating, he went straight back to his post.

Though called an administrator, his role was really just sorting and moving goods.

Sweating profusely as he carried boxes, he greeted Chai Jin when he approached, but Chai Jin didn’t display too much excitement—he didn’t want to startle him.

He was content just to have found him; this time, he would make sure to take him along.

Su Wenbin was busy, so they only exchanged a few words. Afterwards, Chai Jin returned to the production line.

That afternoon, Guo Minghao indeed didn’t dare to show his face again. He hid in the restroom all day, genuinely believing Old Huang’s warning and terrified of being caught by the boss’s daughter.

It wasn’t until after Chai Jin and the others had left at the end of the shift that Guo Minghao realized he’d been duped by Old Huang. Fuming, he nearly wanted to chew the old man out.

After returning to his dormitory, he hurried into his room with something wrapped inside his clothes.

Seeing him enter, Guo Minghao quickly got up and shut the door. "Are you crazy? How can you bring that thing into my dorm?"

The man's face was contorted with anxiety. "Brother Hao, I had no other choice. The warehouse inspections are too strict now!"

"Some fool over in Section Five is a total nutcase—checks the inventory four or five times a day with his notebook!"

"It wasn’t easy getting it out, Brother Hao."

With that, he revealed what was wrapped in his clothes.

It was a brand-new brick phone.

Guo Minghao’s monthly salary wasn’t high, just over three hundred yuan, even with an extra fifty thrown in by his cousin.

Was he content with that?

Hongda Electronics Factory had a side business assembling brick phones. Those things were worth more than gold.

So every month, Guo Minghao would collude with someone in the warehouse to sneak one out and sell it. Each one fetched over ten thousand yuan, and there were always buyers.

One phone a month was worth several years’ salary—who wouldn’t be tempted?

Guo Minghao frowned, silent for a moment, then fetched a backpack and stuffed the phone inside. "Go now. I’ll take care of it."

"You can come by later for the money."

His accomplice nodded eagerly. "Alright, Brother Guo. Thanks to you, I’m making a fortune."

Grinning, he left.

Guo Minghao didn’t dare keep the phone in the dorm, afraid it would be found. Once the coast was clear, he slung on the backpack and headed out to fence the stolen goods outside the factory.

As he passed the dormitory building, he happened to glance up—and was startled by what he saw through a second-floor window.

Inside wasn’t a man and woman bathing together, but rather Chai Jin, holding a brick phone making a call.

Perhaps Chai Jin had spotted him too, for he quickly closed the window.

Guo Minghao muttered suspiciously, "How did that bastard get his hands on a brick phone?"