I can travel back and forth in 1986

Chapter 67 A Plan to Turn the Tide

After parting ways with Lao Zhou and Xiao Sun, Liu Jianguo acted like a thief, deliberately choosing to walk through quiet alleys, afraid of running into the factory workers.

After going around in circles, they finally sneaked into the Dongfeng Injection Molding Factory through a dog hole along a secluded wall behind the industrial zone.

The factory area was deserted and desolate, and the workshop doors were tightly closed.

Only a few rows of tall poplar trees rustled in the wind, adding to the desolation.

He dusted himself off and headed toward his office, only to be stopped by Old Zhao, the gatekeeper who was idly patrolling the premises.

"Director Liu?" Old Zhao asked, somewhat surprised. "When did you get back?"

Liu Jianguo smiled awkwardly and lowered his voice.

"Old Zhao, it's nothing. I... I'm just back to grab some things and leave, don't make a fuss."

Old Zhao glanced at the dust that hadn't been brushed off his clothes, thought about it carefully, and immediately realized where he had come from.

"I know, I know." He leaned closer and asked expectantly, "So, what did the city say about this trip? When will I get my salary?"

"Uh... Section Chief Chen from the Second Light Industry Bureau is already working on a solution and will definitely distribute them to everyone. I have some things to do and need to go out for a bit."

Liu Jianguo didn't want to talk any further and prepared to leave quickly.

Seeing his flustered appearance, Lao Zhao knew in his heart that these were just polite words, and he must have been embarrassed.

"Hey, factory manager, wait a minute."

Liu Jianguo didn't want to argue with him any further, fearing that if Lao Zhao kept pestering him, he wouldn't even have a place to hide tonight. He couldn't possibly sleep under a bridge, could he?

"Old Zhao, I really have something to do. Let's talk another day, another day..."

Old Zhao, the gatekeeper, didn't respond to his question. He just sighed, took out a half-pack of crumpled cigarettes from his pocket, and handed one over.

"Factory manager, have a cigarette first, take a break." He struck a famous match, lit one for Liu Jianguo first, and then lit one for himself. "Everyone knows the situation in the factory right now. Don't keep hiding, how long can you hide? The workers aren't unreasonable, it's just that their families are really starving."

Liu Jianguo smoked silently; how could he not know this principle?

"Old Zhao, I'm not hiding..." His voice was a little hoarse, "I'm just...ashamed to face everyone. I can't pay wages, the machines have stopped, and the factory is about to go bankrupt in my hands. I..."

"Factory manager, you can't say that," Old Zhao interrupted him, lowering his voice. "This morning, a rather energetic young man came to the factory to inquire about contracting."

"What?" Liu Jianguo looked up abruptly. "A contract? What kind of young man? What did he say?"

Old Zhao briefly recounted the situation Zhang Beichuan had inquired about that morning.

"That kid seemed quite composed in his speech and actions; he didn't seem like he was just asking casually."

Liu Jianguo's heart pounded, like a drowning man suddenly grabbing at a straw.

Although reason told him that the hope was slim.

He used to spend money to treat those influential people in the city and county to meals, and he talked until he had blisters on his lips. But when these people came to see him, they shook their heads and left.

But even a glimmer of hope in despair can be invigorating.

What's more, this time someone came to us on their own initiative.

"What else did he say? Did he leave his contact information?" Liu Jianguo asked anxiously.

"No, not at all," Old Zhao shook his head. "But he's quite serious; he said he'll come back in a few days. Factory manager, why don't you... wait for him at the factory these next few days? What if he really does come?"

"I'll let you know a little bit about the workers. Tell them you're trying to find a way to stabilize things for now."

Liu Jianguo pondered for a moment, then suddenly snapped out of his daze when the cigarette in his hand was almost burning his fingers. He threw it on the ground and stomped it out.

"Old Zhao, you can let the wind blow, but don't tell anyone I'm at the factory. If that young man comes again, bring him to see me. I'll sleep in the office for the next few days."

He was terrified of the workers in the factory and worried that someone was going to get back at him, but he didn't want to let this opportunity slip by.

Even if it's a last resort, I'm willing to give it a try.

"Alright, that works too." Old Zhao's face lit up with a hint of joy. "Don't worry, Factory Manager, if I see him, I'll definitely bring him to you."

Liu Jianguo nodded and turned to walk towards his office.

"Young man...you absolutely have to come!"

"Achoo!"

Just as Zhang Beichuan and the others reached the entrance of the rented warehouse, Zhang Beichuan, holding the handlebars of the tricycle, sneezed loudly and took out his keys to open the door.

"Third Brother, come on, let me lend you a hand."

Zhang Dequan nodded, and the two of them carried the buckets from the tricycle and bicycle inside one by one.

"Let's go, we still have to make two more trips to finish," Zhang Dequan urged.

Zhang Beichuan added some water to each bucket of eels, locked the gate, and then rode his tricycle to Shihe Village with him.

Shortly after Zhang Beichuan and his companion left the warehouse, a man wearing a straw hat and smoking a cigarette walked out of the alley across the street and headed towards the warehouse.

I looked around and made sure no one was there.

Just as he was about to smash the lock, Huang Zhenjiang thought about it carefully and stopped what he was doing.

That early morning, he thought he had no chance of escape and was preparing to fight desperately, but a sudden gunshot made all the police who had searched the area withdraw.

Later, he mustered up his courage and went to the place where the gunshot had rang out, only to find that it was the Beichuan Department Store he had been watching for two days.

He set his sights on Beichuan Department Store because he wanted to escape to the south to reunite with his estranged older brother, Huang Zhenhai. He had run out of money and couldn't afford to travel without it.

The thriving business of Beichuan Department Store naturally caught the eye of Huang Zhenjiang, who had fled there.

He wanted to make a quick buck and keep running, but he hadn't found a suitable opportunity to strike.

But what happened that night made him realize that he shouldn't miss the opportunity.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the robbers who came to rob them. Now was the perfect time to go in, grab the money, and leave while everyone else was at the county police station.

After all, who would have thought that someone would dare to break into a home and rob it again right after the police left, and rob the same home again?

Even if the money is lost, it can only be attributed to the gang of thugs who came to rob him, not to him.

But when Huang Zhenjiang entered Beichuan Department Store, he searched through several rooms but couldn't find a single penny.

He saw many watches and such, but he didn't have time to sell them, so he had to leave disappointed.

In the past few days, the Yingcheng County Public Security Bureau suddenly abandoned its door-to-door search operation.

Huang Zhenjiang believes that the county public security bureau must have thought that the gunshots that night would frighten him into fleeing the city and causing him to give up.

Therefore, he decided to play along and stay in the county town, hoping to make some money before leaving.

After several days of surveillance, Huang Zhenjiang discovered Zhang Beichuan's warehouse, which might be a place to hide money.

But thinking back to his previous fruitless attempt, he wondered what if this kid had multiple escape routes? He couldn't alert Zhang Beichuan beforehand.

Therefore, Huang Zhenjiang did not break the lock, but instead took out a wire from his pocket and opened it.

After glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he closed the door and went inside to search for valuables.