novelleonline Chapter 963 A Little Power
Chapter 963 A Little Power
The Huade factory was still brightly lit at night.
At this time, most workers would have already gone home, but now they are standing there being questioned one by one.
"How could we remember something that happened so long ago? We're workers, not artists, why would we go to an art studio?"
"Yes, I did go to the art studio. But that was to see the chairman... Most people in the factory have been there."
"How much longer are you going to ask? My wife called and told me to come home for dinner."
The workers were getting impatient.
Inside the studio upstairs.
"Mr. Chen, there are so many people coming in and out of the studio. We can't just focus on investigating the factory workers," the team leader said, puffing on his cigarette.
"Then what should we do? Do you want me to call all the teachers over?" Chen Yifeng asked, somewhat displeased.
If all those art teachers were called in and questioned one by one, how would he ever be able to work in the future?
Who would dare to have their picture drawn here? What would people say about him behind his back?
Seeing Chen Yifeng's predicament, the captain shook his head: "Do you have any suspects? Has this painting always been here? For example, the security company..."
“You guys are the real professionals when it comes to investigating cases. You have so many suspects. I’m starting to suspect the factory security guards are the problem. They patrol here every day. Even though there’s an alarm in the art studio… Speaking of which, you’ve already caught someone, so why aren’t you interrogating them? Didn’t you say your memory recovery technique was amazing?”
"Ahem, this is a society governed by law. The things you're talking about only happen in TV dramas. The troublemaker who was arrested is not only deadly, but the others also seem to have been paid off and are being stubborn. They intend to take the blame, but we've already got some leads, and they're being pressured in Shanghai." The captain was taken aback by this and awkwardly touched his face.
"Increase in intensity? It's just a different word! You just said the person you caught was named Wu..."
“Wu Zu”.
"Yes, don't you have a system? Why don't you just investigate the people around him?"
"We did investigate, and it showed that his hometown is in the Jianghuai region. However, when we asked his family, they said that this guy came to Shanghai to work a long time ago. His family members from his hometown are all busy with their own lives in other places."
"Hmm, you just asked me if I had any suspects. I just thought about it, and there are a few..." Chen Yifeng stroked his chin after hearing this.
Two hours later, inside the villa, Zhang Xuan was pacing anxiously.
"Mom, I feel dizzy."
"Mommy~"
Two children behind me shouted something.
She turned around and looked at the two clowns spinning around in front of her, and couldn't help but say angrily, "Why are you two following me? Go play somewhere else."
"Mom, play with me."
"I don't have time. Can't you see I'm annoyed?"
"Then call your dad and ask him to come home and play with me."
"Your dad doesn't have time, he's very busy."
"Then let Uncle Wu do it."
"Why did you call him here? I'm telling you both, you're not allowed to mention his name at home anymore, and you absolutely can't mention it in front of your father!" Zhang Xuan became even more agitated by these words.
"why?"
"Because...because your dad and he had a fight. If you mention Uncle Wu, your dad will get upset and hit you."
Zhang Xuan explained incoherently.
A few minutes later, the door opened and Chen Yifeng entered the room, looking somewhat tired.
Seeing the woman sitting on the sofa wearing a face mask and watching TV, he changed his shoes and went upstairs.
A few minutes later, Chen Yifeng hurriedly came downstairs: "Where did that nautilus shell go on the bookshelf?"
"The cleaning lady accidentally broke it while cleaning." Zhang Xuan didn't even turn her head. She appeared calm, but her heart was suddenly racing.
"Didn't I tell you not to clean the study? I remember there was a piece of porcelain that broke last time."
"It's worthless anyway, so it's fine if it breaks."
"I bought that many years ago! It has sentimental value."
"Did you buy it with your ex-wife, or with your son? You're divorced, why are you still thinking about the past? Can't you forget her?" Zhang Xuan sneered.
"That's not what I meant. I meant that clumsy people shouldn't clean the important areas."
"That's not what you meant? I think that's exactly what you meant." Zhang Xuan crossed her arms.
"I'm too lazy to argue with you about this. Shouldn't you say something to me?" Chen Yifeng waved his hand irritably.
"say what?"
"Did someone come to my house today?"
"Oh, yes, there are. A few in uniform..." Zhang Xuan stood up somewhat guiltily, walked up to him, and rattled off a whole bunch of things.
More than ten minutes later, after Zhang Xuan finished speaking, Chen Yifeng smiled and said, "I just asked if anyone came to see me. Why are you telling me so much?"
"I...I was just concerned about this!" Zhang Xuan's face immediately turned red.
"The items have been recovered, and there was no loss. The enforcement team came to my factory today and explained everything."
"How did this thing go missing? Was it done by someone from your auction house?"
"It's unclear yet; we're investigating."
"These people are really useless." Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this.
On the other side, Chen Xi and the others, who had finished their meal and drunk some alcohol, sat in the car with flushed faces.
"Boss, you're a live streamer, right?" The driver, a young man, looked at the three women in the back seat with envy through the rearview mirror, then asked Chen Xi in the passenger seat.
"Oh? How did you know?" Chen Xi asked, somewhat surprised.
"I've taken this order before and seen this car in the industrial park. Boss, you're so young and so...rich, that's amazing!" The driver wanted to add that he had good kidneys, but then thought better of it.
"It's nothing, just good luck."
"Boss, do you think live streaming has potential, especially for an ordinary person like me?"
"Live streaming needs viewership, do you have any good ideas?"
"I wouldn't call it a great idea; I just want to earn some money to make a living. The competition in the ride-hailing business is too fierce now, and I haven't had many orders since drinking and driving was discouraged. I just want to livestream my daily life, like when I'm delivering food or doing ride-hailing. Do you think anyone will watch?"
"I think it has potential, but it depends on how well your show performs," Chen Xi replied, drawing on his experience from his previous live streams.
"Really?" The young man was overjoyed upon hearing this.
Chen Caiyue went on a trip. When she got home, Jin Nana pouted and said, "This is quite a commotion. In a few days, I'm afraid all the live streamers in the country will be coming here to apply for jobs. We'll be busy. Even a designated driver wants to do live streaming."
"I don't think so. We rejected so many people today. It'll definitely spread like wildfire, saying our company has harsh hiring criteria. It's all that security guard's fault, he's such a blabbermouth. A gatekeeper, and he still leaked company information!" Zhao Lingshan said, swaying slightly.
Just now in the car, the designated driver said he obtained a lot of information using only a pack of cigarettes. What will happen after that?
"I think this kind of person should be fired!" Saori blurted out, slightly drunk.
The three women, who usually bickered, were now in complete agreement.
"There's no way around it. Some people just like to use their little bit of power, even if they're just a gatekeeper. There are normal procedures for many things, but now most people feel that you can't get anything done without connections. Because some people need you to use connections. If everything were done clearly according to the rules and regulations, then connections would be worthless, and some people who rely on connections for a living would have a very hard time."
For some people with greater power, losing the advantage of having connections significantly reduces their benefits and sense of importance. This is similar to some organizations that deliberately complicate procedures when they could be simple. If they don't complicate things, people won't ask them for favors, and they'll lose their sense of superiority.
"Look, he'll tell you some breaking news if he takes a pack of cigarettes from you today; next time he'll dare take a whole carton of cigarettes and tell you even more confidential information. If you give him two bottles of Maotai one day, this security guard might even personally clear the way for you to cut in line. Then it might turn into you having to pay your own way to get a job, haha. The problem now is that people think it's okay to do this; it's the rule, it's how relationships work. When people get used to following the rules, they become part of the rules, upholding them for their own benefit. If one day the rules change, and these constraints disappear, many people won't even know how to do things anymore. Because they've become accustomed to giving and receiving gifts, and using connections!" Chen Xi lit a cigarette and sat on the sofa with his legs crossed. "That's true, so you're planning to fire the security guard tomorrow?" Zhao Lingshan asked.
“That won’t do. We have to make good use of this kind of person. Doesn’t he like receiving gifts? Let him receive as many as he wants!” Chen Xi stroked his chin.
"Judging from your expression, you must be harboring a lot of bad ideas." Jin Nana rolled her eyes.
The four of them chatted about company matters for a while, and then felt dizzy.
"I'm so sleepy, I want to take a shower and go to bed!" Saori, still tipsy, started taking off her clothes in the living room.
She was taking off her clothes as she walked upstairs.
"Wait for me, I'm sleepy too. Let's shower together." Jin Nana stood up as well.
"Okay, let's go. We'll shower together too!" Zhao Lingshan whispered, leaning on Chen Xi's shoulder.
"No!" The two women standing on the stairs turned around and said in unison.
"Are you kidding me? I spoke so softly and you could all hear me!" Zhao Lingshan glared at them angrily.
At this moment, Chen Xi was also extremely dizzy. Ignoring the three women, he stood up and went upstairs on his own.
Five minutes later.
Thick steam rose from the room, and the scent of shower gel mingled with the warm breath of alcohol from the four people, filling the entire space.
Saori leaned against the edge of the bathtub, her cheeks flushed, her wet hair clinging to her collarbone, water droplets sliding down her hair and into the water, creating tiny ripples.
Jin Nana moved her body underwater, crossing her legs, her toes unconsciously brushing against Chen Xi's calves, bringing a pulling sensation from the warm water.
Zhao Lingshan half-exposed herself from the water, her arms lazily draped over the edge of the bathtub, her fingertips flicking water droplets that splashed onto Chen Xi's shoulder.
Three bodies, radiating warmth and the aroma of alcohol, lay side by side in the cramped space.
Chen Xi stared blankly at the ceiling.
I don't know how much time passed, inside the bedroom.
Zhao Lingshan's warm breath touched Chen Xi's neck.
The heat emanating from the skin continued to rise in the confined space.
Her fingers unconsciously traced the man's back, sending a warm shiver down her spine.
Her eyes were closed, her cheeks were flushed, and she murmured indistinctly, "Chen Xi, don't be so impatient."
Almost simultaneously, on the other side, her red lips parted slightly, and Saori uttered the same words: "Chen Xi, slow down."
Zhao Lingshan suddenly opened her eyes.
As my vision gradually focused, I saw Saori, who had just opened her eyes as well.
The two men's limbs were tightly intertwined.
"what!"
A piercing scream rang out simultaneously. The two quickly pushed each other away, pulling a thin blanket over their chests.
"You pervert! Where did you touch me!" Zhao Lingshan glared at him, her face flushed.
"You started it, you pervert!" Saori shouted back defiantly.
On the large bed, Chen Xi rubbed his eyes and checked the time; it was already morning.
Jin Nana, who was sleeping on the other side, rolled over and kicked Chen Xi in the tummy, muttering impatiently, "It's so noisy, can't a person get any sleep!"
Half an hour later, in the downstairs living room.
At the dining table, Saori and Zhao Lingshan sat on either side of each other.
The blush on their cheeks had not yet completely faded, and their eyes clashed fiercely in the air, without uttering a single word.
Chen Xi stood to the side holding a water glass.
He rubbed his throbbing temples, trying to piece together fragments of last night's memories.
All that's left in my mind is a jumble of images.
A bathtub filled with steam, and three crazy, drunk women.
I should have gone to an internet cafe last night!
The restaurant echoed with the sounds of metal cutlery clinking against porcelain plates.
Zhao Lingshan gripped the steel fork and frantically stabbed at the innocent fried egg on the plate, leaving it riddled with holes.
Saori on the other side was even more ruthless, directly using a knife and fork to stir the egg yolk into a yellow paste.
The two locked eyes, the fried eggs on their plates becoming nothing more than punching bags for venting their anger.
Jin Nana whispered curiously in Chen Xi's ear, "What's wrong with those two? They usually argue all the time, but last night they slept together in each other's arms, and now they're just staring at each other like this."
"I...I...don't know..." Chen Xi, equally bewildered, scratched his head.
When we woke up in the morning, all four of us were naked. Although nothing had happened, something just felt off.
Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Chen Xi decided to make a quick getaway after finishing breakfast.
Outside the gate of the live-streaming company in the industrial park.
Although the boss wasn't there, there was still a long queue at the entrance.
Just like the three girls said last night, the rumors of the hellish difficulty of the interview did deter a group of fragile-hearted people, but the remaining tough guys clung to the retractable iron gate and wouldn't let go.
Since we've already come all this way, having spent three days and two nights on that old green train, who's willing to let this sunk cost go to waste?
Inside the guardhouse.
The security captain slumped casually in his chair, a soft pack of Zhonghua cigarettes between two fingers.
The drinks piled up on the table in front of him formed an impenetrable supply defense line.
"If it weren't for your good looks and social skills, I wouldn't have shared this information!" He squinted and exhaled a smoke ring from his nostrils.
Outside the window, a smart young man in tight pants and loafers nodded repeatedly, holding a lighter in both hands, as if he wanted to crawl through the window crack to flick the other person's cigarette ash.
"That's right! When I become a top internet celebrity, the first person I'll pay my respects to is you!"
The security captain remained noncommittal, then pushed the half-full cup of bubble tea aside and deliberately raised his voice, saying, "Take less of this cloyingly sweet stuff next time. My blood sugar level on my medical report is dangerously high!"
This statement is less of a rejection and more of a precise gift-giving guide for those in the back of the line.
No sooner had she finished speaking than a fashionable girl in sky-high heels pushed through the crowd and swiftly shoved a beautifully packaged bottle of red wine into the windowsill.
"Brother, this is a dry red wine from my hometown winery. I'm having trouble choosing wines for my job interviews, and someone as knowledgeable and experienced as you as a senior executive can help me with the tasting and selection!"
The girl bent down and showered the girl with sweet words.
"Made in China? I'm afraid the vintage claim is questionable. But since you're so eager to learn, I'll reluctantly step in and check the quality for the company. I'm a connoisseur of wine too..." The security guard's words were tinged with disdain, but his actions betrayed his true feelings.
With the speed of someone who'd been single for thirty years, that thick arm reached out the window, snatched Hong Jiu, and smoothly dragged him inside his defensive perimeter. The movement was fluid and flawless. (End of Chapter)