Chapter 154 The Good Show Begins

Arriving at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, Liu Xing realized he had been slightly tricked by Lu Xiaoban.

As it turned out, the official seal on the front doors of the cooperative had already been removed by relevant personnel from the Administration for Industry and Commerce. Workers were currently busy moving the inventory out, and judging by the cargo piled high on the large trucks parked along the street, the loading process had likely been underway for nearly an hour.

Lu Xiaoban must have passed by earlier and witnessed this scene, which gave him the confidence to boast so grandly in front of Liu Xing.

While seemingly insignificant, this incident revealed to Liu Xing that Lu Xiaoban was a man who loved to brag.

People who boast generally dislike doing practical work. While one shouldn't generalize entirely, Liu Xing knew that Lu Xiaoban was precisely that sort of person. Otherwise, he certainly wouldn't have driven a secondhand—no, probably a multi-handed—sedan to the market on his very first day just to show off.

Seeing Lu Xiaoban walk into the cooperative without a single reservation, Liu Xing gave a helpless shake of his head and followed him inside.

The interior was dim, and turning on the overhead lights made little difference.

Noticing that the space had been mostly cleared out, Liu Xing smiled and asked Lu Xiaoban, who was looking around, "The cooperative covers such a large area. If we're going to move in and set up our offices, don't you think we need a proper renovation?"

"That goes without saying. Didn't you collect several thousand yuan in temporary stall fees recently? Using that money will be more than enough," Lu Xiaoban said, pointing toward the windowed area. "Let's put two desks right here, a dining table over there, and hire a couple of cooks later on. That ought to feel pretty comfortable."

"And what else?" Liu Xing asked, his smile unwaning.

Yet, inwardly, he was cursing up a storm. If the money he had managed to collect with such difficulty was squandered like this, what would happen to the infrastructure in the market that was so urgently in need of construction?

Were they just going to leave it unattended?

Lu Xiaoban had no inkling of Liu Xing's thoughts. Seeing that Liu Xing seemed pleased, he lit a cigarette and continued, "My home is a bit far from the market, and so is Chen Hong's. Therefore, we definitely need to partition off a few single dormitories in this cooperative for us to live in. Otherwise, it will be impossible to carry on our work effectively later on."

"Let's get one thing straight: I won't live in anything poorly renovated," Lu Xiaoban added after a brief pause.

Hearing this, even if Liu Xing didn't let his expression sour, Chen Hong felt a twinge of embarrassment. "Oh, Director Lu, we are here to work, not to enjoy a life of luxury. As for the single dorms, I think we can skip them."

"How can we do that? The daily foot traffic in the market reaches tens of thousands. Our work is extremely demanding; if the corresponding supporting facilities aren't up to standard, what happens if we exhaust ourselves and fall ill?" Lu Xiaoban turned to Liu Xing. "Don't you agree?"

"Mm, you make a valid point," Liu Xing said, nodding in agreement rather than starting a confrontation.

Assuming that Liu Xing possessed the naive mindset of a child and was entirely incapable of seeing the hidden agendas at play, Lu Xiaoban stopped beating around the bush. "Since you agree, let's discuss the division of labor. Chen Hong is an accounting major, so she should naturally be in charge of the market's savings passbook and account ledgers, right?"

"Splendid. Just looking at those ledgers gives me a headache," Liu Xing replied promptly.

"Well, you're off the hook from now on." Lu Xiaoban laughed heartily, while inwardly writing Liu Xing off as an absolute fool.

Because whoever held the market's ledgers effectively controlled the market's economic lifeline, and Liu Xing had actually claimed it gave him a headache—what kind of utter idiot would say something like that?

Chen Hong, however, sensed that there was more to Liu Xing's words than met the eye. Yet, finding it awkward to expose him on the spot, she simply watched quietly.

Once he finished laughing, Lu Xiaoban turned serious. "Since you've agreed to let Chen Hong handle the ledgers and passbooks, stop standing around. Go back and fetch them immediately. Once we've verified everything, we can talk about renovating the offices."

"Very well!" Liu Xing nodded. "Though I must ask you one thing: who will be in charge of the office renovations?"

"I am an expert in this field; leave that to me," Lu Xiaoban said with a wave of his hand, affording Liu Xing no room for discussion.

The moment Chen Hong heard this, she knew something was amiss. Regardless of the circumstances, Liu Xing was the chief director of the market. When they were dispatched here from the township office in Zhangmu, Mayor Xie had made it abundantly clear that she and Lu Xiaoban were there to assist Liu Xing in managing the market well, and they were strictly forbidden from overstepping their bounds.

Yet look at Lu Xiaoban—he had completely forgotten his position and was trying to undermine Liu Xing at every turn.

If this continued, disaster would surely strike.

With this thought, she gave a soft cough and intervened, "Director Lu, Mayor Xie explicitly instructed us to first return the cooperative building to Village Chief Zhao. Only if he is willing to lease it back to the market management should we discuss office renovations. You mustn't act rashly! If we spend the money and the office ends up not belonging to us, it will be a terrible waste."

These words revealed two crucial pieces of information to Liu Xing.

First, Mayor Xie had long known that Lu Xiaoban was no good; otherwise, she wouldn't have laid things out so clearly in advance.

Second, Mayor Xie was well aware of Village Chief Zhao's current hardships and wished to lend him a hand through the cooperative building.

Of course, it wasn't strictly charity. After all, the cooperative building had originally belonged to Laowu Village; they simply hadn't dared to make a move previously due to intimidation by Xiao Daode.

Now that Xiao Daode had been executed, the property naturally had to be returned to Laowu Village for Village Chief Zhao to handle as he saw fit.

One had to admit that Mayor Xie handled matters brilliantly—fair, reasoned, and thoroughly just.

As for Lu Xiaoban's attempt to conceal these behind-the-scenes details, his motive was likely to avoid dealing with Village Chief Zhao and simply seize the cooperative building first.

After all, no matter what, Village Chief Zhao was in no position to go head-to-head with the market management.

Realizing this, Liu Xing's face darkened. He put his hands on his hips and stared at Lu Xiaoban. "Director Lu, we can't operate in such an unprincipled manner, can we? Although I don't have a close personal relationship with Mayor Xie, you still need to be transparent with me about certain matters! If I hand the passbook over to you to manage the renovations and Village Chief Zhao ends up coming after me, what am I supposed to do?"

"He wouldn't dare! How about this—I'll go talk to him right now about leasing the cooperative building?" Lu Xiaoban grew anxious and quickly stated his position.

"Very well!" Liu Xing said, more than happy to oblige.

Casting a sideways glance at Chen Hong, Lu Xiaoban turned and strode out of the cooperative's main entrance.

Preoccupied with thoughts of Village Chief Zhao and the cooperative building, he nearly collided with Zhao Gou, who was just walking in.

"Can't you watch where you're going?" Lu Xiaoban snapped, taking two steps back with a dark expression. "Are you blind?"

"Who are you yelling at?" Zhao Gou was a hotheaded fellow who detested being cursed at by anyone. In a flash of anger, he reached out and grabbed Lu Xiaoban by the collar. "Say that again if you've got the guts!"

"I... I wasn't cursing at you!" Terrified by Zhao Gou's raw strength, Lu Xiaoban flailed his legs in the air until he felt himself being set back down on the ground, whereupon he let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief.

A cold sweat the size of soybeans beaded on his forehead, and his legs trembled so badly he could barely stand steady.

Watching this scene, Liu Xing couldn't help but chuckle. "Zhao Gou, mind your manners. This is Director Lu, sent from higher-ups."

Chen Hong also struggled to suppress a smile.

After all, the sight of Zhao Gou frightening Lu Xiaoban into such a state was rare indeed—such an intimidating aura was hard to come by.

"Hmph! What kind of Director Lu is that? In this market, I only take orders from you; everyone else can do as they please," Zhao Gou said swaggering over to Liu Xing's side, handing him a notebook. "Here is the ledger for today's temporary stall fee collections. Take a look. If there are no errors, I'll head back to rest."

The moment Lu Xiaoban heard the word "ledger," his eyes lit up. Disregarding whether Zhao Gou consented or not, he snatched the notebook right out of Liu Xing's hand.

However, upon opening it and inspecting the entries, he froze completely.

Stretching her neck to catch a glimpse, Chen Hong saw that the pages were filled with wild, scrawling symbols that she couldn't decipher. She covered her forehead, momentarily at a loss for words.

Right then and there, she realized that Liu Xing was no ordinary person.

At the very least, he could understand the ledger that Zhao Gou kept.

If someone lacked the humility to ask and behaved as arrogantly as Lu Xiaoban, they'd likely find themselves out of a job by tomorrow.

Lu Xiaoban also sensed that something was terribly wrong. Regaining his composure, he snapped the ledger shut and demanded of Zhao Gou, "Are you illiterate? Why does this ledger look like a bunch of ghost talismans?"

"Hey! Watch your tongue. Zhao Gou is a rare and invaluable talent for the market. Just because you can't read this ledger doesn't mean no one else can—at least I can read it," Liu Xing stepped in to defend Zhao Gou, snatching the ledger back from Lu Xiaoban and handing it to Zhao Gou. "Alright, you did a great job today. Go on back and rest!"

"You got it!" Grateful for Liu Xing's fierce defense of his own people, Zhao Gou beamed broadly, revealing a mouthful of bright white teeth.

Panic setting in, Lu Xiaoban protested, "Wait, Liu Xing, what do you mean by that? You can actually read this ledger?"

"Of course I can. I deliberately had Zhao Gou record it this way to prevent anyone from tampering with the accounts. Do you understand?" Liu Xing said with his hands on his hips, wearing an expression of absolute earnestness.

Hearing this, Zhao Gou felt a sudden urge to commit murder, but daring not throw a tantrum, he suppressed his anger. "I'm not talking to you anymore. I need to go find Village Chief Zhao to discuss renting the cooperative building. Just make sure you have the passbook ready for me!"

"What gives you the right?" Before Liu Xing could speak, Zhao Gou flew into a rage, glaring and grabbing Lu Xiaoban by the collar. "Let me tell you, that money was collected through my boss's hard work, meant specifically for building the market's infrastructure. Give it to you? Hmph! You'd better check if you're even qualified."

"You! You... can you let go first?" Having learned to fear Zhao Gou, Lu Xiaoban capitulated in sheer terror.

Snorting coldly, Zhao Gou tucked the ledger away, grabbed Liu Xing, and strode out of the cooperative's entrance.

Breathing a sigh of relief once Liu Xing and Zhao Gou were out of sight, Lu Xiaoban couldn't help but let loose a stream of boisterous curses. When Chen Hong could no longer stomach it, she interrupted, "Now what? Liu Xing refuses to give us any authority; how are we supposed to carry out our work in the future?"

"That's because you lacked self-awareness and brought this on yourself, isn't it?" Chen Hong shook her head at Lu Xiaoban. "Listen to me: I don't care what your motives were for coming to work at the market, but my own role is crystal clear—I am here to assist Liu Xing in managing the market properly. As for the passbook and the ledger, Liu Xing giving them to me shows his regard for me, and not giving them to me is entirely normal."

"After all, we just arrived and understand nothing. Moreover, Liu Xing is the market's true person in charge, holding the rank of chief director." Having delivered this blunt truth, Chen Hong didn't wait for Lu Xiaoban to respond; she turned and walked away with clean, decisive steps.

"Wait... wait for me!" Snapping out of his daze and finally realizing where he had erred, Lu Xiaoban hurried to catch up with Chen Hong.

...

Out on the street.

Liu Xing was briefing Zhao Gou on several matters.

Noticing Chen Hong and Lu Xiaoban emerging from the cooperative, he waved for Zhao Gou to leave.

As for himself, he stood waiting.

When Chen Hong and Lu Xiaoban drew closer, he spoke up, "No matter how much we joke or bicker among ourselves, since Mayor Xie promised the cooperative building to us for our offices, I think it's still necessary to discuss it with Village Chief Zhao at the earliest opportunity."

"How about Director Lu takes on this errand?" Liu Xing added after a brief pause.

"Very well! Leave it to me." Seeing that Liu Xing wasn't holding a grudge, Lu Xiaoban immediately patted his chest in assurance.

"Village Chief Zhao's house is right over there," Liu Xing said, pointing toward a dwelling on the east side of the street.

With a confident smile, Lu Xiaoban strode away in that direction.

Watching Lu Xiaoban's retreating figure disappear from view, Chen Hong couldn't help but remark, "Director Liu, it looks like you're setting Director Lu up for a fall. I can guarantee you that Director Lu will leave in high spirits and return in utter defeat."

"Why do you say that?" Liu Xing asked, genuinely curious.

"You've been in charge of this market for half a month now, haven't you? You should know Village Chief Zhao's temperament quite well. Discussing the rental of the cooperative building should logically be a positive development, yet you're the one assigning it to Director Lu—there has to be a catch," Chen Hong said unhesitatingly, voicing her inner thoughts.

"There aren't as many hidden plots as you think; I simply wanted to test Director Lu's capabilities," Liu Xing replied with an amused shake of his head.

The reason he spoke so lightly was that he didn't care much for the title of market director anyway. Even if Director Lu took over the entire market right now, he wouldn't harbor a single grievance.

After all, he was a traveler through rebirth; if this place wouldn't keep him, opportunities abounded elsewhere.

Making a name and a life for himself was a remarkably simple task.

Seeing Liu Xing's attitude, Chen Hong laughed as well. "Well then, I suppose I misjudged you. Still, you shouldn't underestimate this Director Lu. Setting aside his abilities, you at least need to show some regard for his backer."

"Oh? Who is his backer?" Liu Xing inquired.

"Lu Su, the director of the Zhongyi Winery, is his uncle. You likely haven't heard of him," Chen Hong said in a lowered voice.

"Him???" Liu Xing froze.

At last, he understood that Lu Xiaoban's arrival boded ill—he was likely sent by Lu Su specifically to make his life miserable.

No wonder Lu Xiaoban bore a physical resemblance to Lu Su; they were uncle and nephew.

Director Wu hadn't been entirely forthright this time either, omitting this inside information and nearly leading him into a trap. Upon reflection, however, he realized he might be blaming Director Wu unfairly; in the political arena, lines blurred constantly, and friends and foes were rarely separated by a simple black-and-white distinction.

"What, you know Lu Su?" Chen Hong asked, looking somewhat surprised.

"How could I not? Previously, he and Zhongyi Winery's manager, Liu Siwen, came to the market to withdraw money and ended up getting robbed. The Lu Su you're talking about must be the same one, right?" Liu Xing said with a teasing tone.

"That's him." Chen Hong covered her mouth, unable to hold back her laughter.

The incident where Lu Su and Liu Siwen were robbed of twenty thousand yuan at the market had become the greatest joke in the Zhongyi Winery, and she still couldn't help laughing whenever she recalled it.

Noticing the darkening sky, which threatened rain, Liu Xing extended an invitation: "Would you care to sit inside my shoe shop for a while?"

"I'm afraid not." Chen Hong pointed toward the opposite side of the street, where Lu Xiaoban was walking back.

"Eh? Why is he back so soon?" Liu Xing wondered aloud.

"He definitely failed to reach an agreement with Village Chief Zhao. Just look at that gloomy expression," Chen Hong noted.

"Haha... serves him right!" Liu Xing laughed.

Chen Hong wanted to laugh too, but seeing that Lu Xiaoban was already approaching, she forced her expression straight and turned her head away.

"If you want to laugh, go ahead. It's not like I'm the first person to make a fool of myself," Lu Xiaoban snapped, irritated by Chen Hong's demeanor.

"I'm not laughing; a speck of dust just blew into my eye." Chen Hong turned back to face Lu Xiaoban, but ultimately burst out in a fit of giggles, laughing so hard she bent over and tears welled up in her eyes.

Glaring at Chen Hong, Lu Xiaoban turned to Liu Xing and said, "Village Chief Zhao said that you are the only one he'll discuss the lease of the cooperative building with. As for anyone else, he refuses to see them."

"Very well!" Liu Xing nodded.

"I still have to attend the banquet hosted by Zhongyi Winery, so I'll be leaving first." With that, Lu Xiaoban turned and strode toward the white sedan parked by the shoe shop.

Hearing this, Liu Xing called after him, "Won't you stay for dinner before you go?"

"No time. How could the food at your place compare to what's at Zhongyi Winery? Besides, Hengshui Winery sent five top-tier repair technicians today, and I need to help my uncle toast them. Once those bottling machines are fixed, I won't even care about being the deputy director of this market!" Dropping these parting words, Lu Xiaoban quickened his pace.

Liu Xing was no fool; he caught the underlying message immediately.

If his guess was correct, Lu Xiaoban was deliberately trying to put him in his place.

In other words, Lu Xiaoban was fully aware of the backstory—how Lu Su and Liu Siwen had previously come begging for his help to repair the bottling machinery, only to go back on their word later.

Coming to work at the market was purely an exercise in harassing him.

Now that his ruse had been seen through, Lu Xiaoban had dropped the act entirely, prepared to use the five top-tier technicians invited from Zhaoqing Machinery to pressure him and reclaim his lost face.

If those five ace technicians truly succeeded in repairing Zhongyi Winery's bottling equipment, things could indeed become troublesome.

Yet Liu Xing felt not a shred of fear; instead, a confident smile spread across his face.

He knew that with Lu Xiaoban's departure, a truly good show was about to begin.

...

5:30 PM.

On the second-floor dining hall of the Zhongyi Winery, all six banquet tables were completely occupied.

Seated at the central table were five men in blue work uniforms. Most of their hair had turned gray, and judging by their appearances, they were all well over fifty years of age.

Today, however, they were treated as guests of honor at the Zhongyi Winery. Even core figures like Liu Siwen and Lu Su hadn't earned the privilege of sitting at the same table with them.

Instead, those seated alongside them were the winery's top executives.

Cups clinked as the hosts fawned over the five technicians, pouring forth endless streams of flattery.

Not a single person among the surrounding tables dared to expose the sycophancy; instead, everyone joined in the applause and cheering.

This made the dark-faced lead technician, Diao Tielong, immensely proud. Sensing they had eaten and drunk their fill, he took advantage of a slight alcoholic haze to speak up. "To be honest, the five of us really didn't want to make the trip to HY City. We're getting older and can't handle the strain, but seeing Director Lu's sincere persistence, we ultimately decided to come."

"However, we must make some harsh truths clear beforehand: before we repair the bottling equipment, your Zhongyi Winery must pay us the agreed-upon fee." With that, Diao Tielong glanced toward a round-faced executive seated opposite him.

The executive was flushed with alcohol. Hearing mention of money, he hastily beckoned to Lu Su. "What are you still sitting there for? Go get the agreed-upon sum for Master Diao! The repairs on our winery's bottling equipment cannot be delayed any longer."

"Yes, yes." Lu Su nodded repeatedly, though he remained seated. "However, Secretary Bi, when we invited Master Diao and his team to the winery, the agreed fee was sixty-six thousand yuan! That's a massive sum to carry around; wouldn't it be better to let them start on the repairs first, and once the work is done, our winery can transfer the funds directly to their account? What do you think?"

"What is the meaning of this?" Diao Tielong slammed his palm down onto the table in fury. "The five of us put our trust in your Zhongyi Winery, and now you're trying to play games with us? Let me tell you, not a single penny of this sixty-six thousand yuan can be shorted, and it must be paid before any work begins on the machinery."

"Indeed! Director Lu, do you take us for greenhorns? Do you think we're that easily fooled?" chimed in a flat-topped technician. "We're nearing sixty years of age; we've mastered both technical repairs and the ways of the world."

Faced with this outburst, Lu Su awkwardly looked toward Secretary Bi. "How should we handle this?"

"How else? Send Accountant Wang to finance to fetch the money for Master Diao. If there isn't enough on hand, we can go to the bank tomorrow morning. After all, they are ace technicians from Zhaoqing Machinery—they aren't going to run off with the money, nor are they incapable of fixing our equipment." Secretary Bi rubbed his round head and ultimately chose to compromise.

It wasn't that he was foolish; rather, the Zhongyi Winery simply couldn't afford any further delays.

Every single day the bottling equipment remained broken translated directly to a hemorrhage of cash.

Compared to a mere sixty-six thousand yuan in repair fees, it was merely a drop in the bucket.

Seeing that Secretary Bi had given his word, Lu Su had no choice but to stand up and lead Diao Tielong and the other four technicians toward the finance department.

Liu Siwen attempted to follow, but Secretary Bi pulled him back. "There's no need for you to go. We must trust Master Diao and the other masters' integrity. Don't forget, they are top-tier technicians from Zhaoqing Machinery—they were the very ones who assembled and produced our Zhongyi Winery's H-156 model bottling equipment in the first place!"

"True, very true!" Hearing this, Liu Siwen could only watch as Lu Su escorted Diao Tielong and the others away.

Raising his wine glass, Secretary Bi announced, "Come, everyone! Let's drink to the rebirth of our Zhongyi Winery from the ashes!"

This was no drunken boast; he possessed genuine confidence.

After all, they had managed to bring back five retired ace technicians from Zhaoqing Machinery; repairing the leaking, damaged bottling equipment should be child's play for them.

And once the machinery was operational once more, turning a profit was merely a matter of time.

Liu Siwen and Lu Xiaoban, who had arrived later to join the drinking, shared this optimistic view. Setting aside any further thoughts of the technicians, they abandoned themselves to unbridled drinking.

The patrons at the other tables were similarly lost in a haze of indulgence, completely detached from reality.

By the time the cafeteria manager, preparing to close up shop around 7:30 PM, came around and shook them awake, many realized they had drunk far past their limits.

Yet nobody cared—such scenes were commonplace at the Zhongyi Winery.

Noticing that night had fallen outside, Liu Siwen hurriedly supported the heavily intoxicated Secretary Bi as they headed toward the dormitories.

Lu Xiaoban and the others followed close behind.

As they walked, Secretary Bi suddenly jolted awake. "Wait... something's wrong! We've slept for so long, why hasn't Director Lu brought the five technicians back yet?"

To accommodate the repairmen, he had specially designated the finest single dormitories, and he still held the keys! Where could they have gone without them?

"Perhaps they saw that we were all drunk and went straight to their rooms to rest?" Liu Siwen guessed after a brief pause.

"Let's hurry to the dorms and check." Growing increasingly suspicious, Secretary Bi shoved Liu Siwen aside and sprinted toward the east dormitory building.

Liu Siwen and Lu Xiaoban hurried to keep pace.

However, before they even reached the dormitory entrance, they crossed paths with Old Wang, the gatekeeper, who was anxiously carrying the blood-soaked, unconscious form of Lu Su on his back. "Director Liu, Secretary Bi, we're in trouble! Major trouble!"

"What happened? Speak!" Liu Siwen rushed forward to steady Lu Su.

Stepping in to help support his uncle, Lu Xiaoban cried out, "Uncle, what happened to you?"

"Director Lu was knocked unconscious by those five technicians we hired!" Old Wang blurted out the shocking truth. "I saw them with my own eyes—they grabbed a woven bag full of money and bolted through the back gate. Xiao Wu and a dozen others chased after them, but they couldn't catch them!"

"What?!"

Hearing this, Liu Siwen felt the world go black before his eyes, and he collapsed onto the ground.

Secretary Bi fared no better. Trembling violently and refusing to believe his ears, he grabbed Old Wang by the lapels. "What did you just say?"

"I said those five ace technicians were scam artists! The moment they got the money, they knocked Director Lu out and ran!" Old Wang cowered as he repeated himself.

At last, Secretary Bi understood the full magnitude of the disaster, and his body finally gave out.

Releasing Old Wang, he tumbled backward onto the ground, losing consciousness entirely.