Chapter 102: Pursuing the Matter and Picking Fights

Even if he were to disregard all consequences and pursue the matter of the job-selling scheme with full force, he might not necessarily be able to topple those involved in this network of interests. Based on the information he had gathered so far, the maintenance supervisor, Zhu Bing, Gou Biao, and Liu Xingyu were all participants.

He did not want to make things difficult for Liu Xingyu, and he wasn't foolish enough to confront Zhu Bing or Gou Biao directly. He decided to start with the sewing machine line supervisor, with whom he had no prior grievances.

With his decision made, he asked A-Miao, "How about this? I will still help your cousin, and I won't implicate you. What is the sewing machine supervisor's name, and has he been here this morning?"

A-Miao pointed toward a girl walking back and forth along the B-line of the sewing machines and whispered, "His name is Zhao Sixi. He is trying to pursue A-Lin, so he has been hanging around here these past two days. If you wait by the workshop entrance for a while, you should be able to see him. He is easy to recognize: he’s not very tall, around 165 centimeters, and quite stocky. His most distinct feature is a burn scar running from his left jaw down to his neck. His friends from back home call him 'Scarface Zhao'."

With thousands of sewing machines in the workshop emitting a deafening roar, A-Miao remained cautious, not daring to raise her voice. Seeing her worried expression, Jiang Fan did not linger. "Tell your cousin to pretend to be a friend of mine. Have him wait at the factory gate tomorrow noon; I will definitely help him resolve his employment issue."

While the workshop was bustling, the area outside was exceptionally quiet. Jiang Fan stood there for over an hour but did not see Zhao Sixi. At lunchtime, instead of heading to the canteen early as he usually did, he waited until the shift ended before strolling slowly toward the small canteen.

He scanned the room but did not see the man with the jaw scar. The canteen manager approached him solicitously, asking, "Deputy Manager Jiang, would you like me to plate your food?"

Jiang Fan rubbed his stomach and replied, "I ate too much this morning and I'm not really hungry yet. Save some for me; I’ll walk around for a bit and come back when I’m hungry." It was rare for the manager to hear Jiang Fan speak so calmly, so he replied enthusiastically, "Sure! Just let me know when you're hungry. If the food gets cold, I can heat it up for you."

Jiang Fan feigned a casual stroll toward the entrance and finally spotted a man with a scarred jaw carrying a plastic bucket. Judging by his height, he confirmed it was Zhao Sixi. Seeing that he was short, built like a water buffalo, and had a rather unsettling scar from his jaw to his neck, Jiang Fan curled his lip in disdain. To get information out of him, he needed a reason to stir up trouble. His eyes lingered on Zhao Sixi, noticing the bucket contained some laundry and two pairs of red boxer shorts.

Zhao Sixi arrived at the canteen entrance. Within two minutes, a girl of similar height, not particularly beautiful but quiet and cute, walked up to him. She took the bucket from him and asked softly, "The factory won't be operating during the New Year holiday. I heard we'll get our salaries in the next two days. I want to rent a room so we can cook there—do you think that's okay?"

Zhao Sixi replied impatiently, "If the canteen isn't running, we can eat outside. I've told you several times that renting a room is a waste of money. If you want to do 'that,' any place will do. Why must you always insist on renting a room? Would it kill you not to cling to me?"

The girl looked at him pitifully but didn't dare to speak. She took the bucket and walked into the canteen. Watching the aggrieved girl—who was not the A-Lin that A-Miao had pointed out earlier—Jiang Fan cursed silently, "You dog-bastard. You're just like that other piece of trash, Gou Biao—eating from the bowl while looking at the pot. You look like a damn bear, yet you still look down on others. I’m going to make you regret this in a moment."

Zhao Sixi walked into the small canteen and sat across from two girls. He teased one of them, "A-Jing, we're getting paid soon. Do you want to treat me to a late-night snack?" Jiang Fan recognized A-Jing; she was the supervisor of the line where A-Zhen worked.

Jiang Fan went to the food station, and the manager quickly served him. As he walked past Zhao Sixi, Jiang Fan deliberately bumped into his back, causing the tray in his hand to slam down onto Zhao Sixi’s head.

Zhao Sixi, not realizing it was Jiang Fan behind him, cursed, "What the hell? Who is that?" Before he could turn around, Jiang Fan punched him in the back and roared, "You dog-born bastard! You don't know how to sit properly, and now that you've bumped into me, you dare to curse? Who are you calling a mother-f*cker?"

Covered in food and with soup dripping from his hair, Zhao Sixi turned around and, seeing it was Jiang Fan, quickly apologized, "Deputy Manager Jiang, I’m sorry! I didn't know it was you!"

Jiang Fan pointed to his injured arm and said, "My old injury hasn't even healed yet, and with a hit like that, it's definitely aggravated. Plus, you cursed my mother. Do you think a simple apology is enough to settle this?"

Zhao Sixi looked miserable and anxious. "It was just a light bump, it couldn't be that serious, could it?"

Having found his excuse, Jiang Fan needed to get Zhao Sixi away from the sight of others in the factory to ensure he could get the full truth without interference. He put on a show of anger and said, "Not that serious? Come with me to the clinic right now, and we'll see if it's serious or not."

Zhao Sixi stood up, trembling with fear. "I'll go with you, but please don't hit me!"

Jiang Fan grabbed him by the back of the neck and barked, "Enough with the nonsense! Get moving!"

The girl sitting next to A-Jing watched as Jiang Fan dragged Zhao Sixi out of the canteen, pouted, and gloated, "He thinks he’s so great just because he has connections, bullying us every day. I asked him to arrange a repair for a sewing machine, and he even extorted a few bottles of soda from me. Now he’s finally met his match. Serves him right."

A-Jing sneered coldly and said cryptically, "Once that man has his eyes on you, it would be strange if you didn't run into bad luck." A-Jing had met Jiang Fan once before—back when A-Zhen was being promoted, Jiang Fan had asked her to look out for the girl. She had witnessed the whole incident and seen Jiang Fan deliberately bump into Zhao Sixi before slamming the tray on his head. She knew for certain that Jiang Fan was intentionally picking a fight.

Jiang Fan hauled Zhao Sixi out of the Dafeng factory as if he were a criminal. Since one of his hands was injured and inconvenient, he stopped by a dumpling shop to pick up Zhang Chungeng, intending to take Zhao Sixi to the patch of weeds where he had first met Zhang Chungeng and Zhang Xiaoye.

Passing by a fruit shop, he saw Wang Wenyu and Xiao Yuxin sitting outside. Jiang Fan nodded to them as a greeting. Xiao Yuxin teased Wang Wenyu, "Your man is causing trouble again. Aren't you going to manage him?"

Wang Wenyu feigned indifference. "It's probably about the job-selling fees inside Dafeng. He told me last night he wouldn't let these people have a peaceful New Year, and he’s starting now. If he isn't stirring up trouble for a day, he doesn't know what to do with himself. I can't control him."

Zhao Sixi, seeing that Jiang Fan was taking him to such a desolate place, said nervously, "Deputy Manager Jiang, I only bumped into you! I haven't really offended you, have I?"

Jiang Fan glanced at him with contempt. "You fired my friend for no reason, and you dare say you didn't offend me?"

Based on what A-Miao had said, two maintenance workers had been hired for her sewing line in the last month, and neither had lasted half a month. Jiang Fan used this as a pretext, claiming the fired workers were his friends, to force Zhao Sixi to confess why he was clearing out positions for kickbacks.