Chapter 83: The Sun Family’s Enterprise

Ye Tian grabbed hold of Aunt Liu.

“I’ll take you there myself. I want to see where this small-time manager gets such audacity!”

Hearing this, Director Zhang immediately stepped forward. “I’ll drive.”

A government-plated SUV sped down the road. Ye Tian sat in the back seat, chatting with Aunt Liu.

“Aunt Liu, I have money now. You don’t need to worry that I can’t provide for you all,” he said earnestly. “Trust me, quit your job and come with me!”

He couldn’t understand why, after persuading her the entire way, Aunt Liu still insisted on working.

“It’s not that I want to keep working,” she sighed after a long pause. “But the factory has been withholding our wages for half a year. If I don’t keep showing up, I fear we’ll never see that money.”

She wasn’t a fool. From the way Director Zhang and Ye Tian spoke, she could tell the young master’s status was extraordinary now. Instead of continuing to endure in silence, she decided to lay things bare.

“Half a year’s wages?”

Ye Tian exploded in anger at her words. In any factory across the Dragon Nation, there was no justification for withholding employees’ pay for six months!

“Tell me exactly what happened!” he demanded.

With Ye Tian backing her, Aunt Liu finally recounted the ordeal. At the start of the year, Xinxin Food Factory had been coming up with all sorts of excuses to delay paying veteran workers. The former Ye family staff had it the worst; they were exploited relentlessly.

Ye Tian pulled out his phone and sent a message to Zhu Yun’er:

“Send me a list of Xinxin Food Factory’s principal shareholders.”

“Understood.”

A short while later, he received a detailed roster.

His anger deepened as he read the list. The top shareholders: Sun Xian, Sun Zhemin, Sun Lin—all members of the Sun family.

He clenched his fists, barely suppressing his fury, and asked Director Zhang, who was driving, “What are the requirements if I want to shut down a factory?”

Director Zhang’s hands trembled at the question, and he couldn’t help but shudder. This Young Master Ye was truly formidable! He could guess Ye Tian’s intentions without being told, but he still answered truthfully, “For a food factory, we typically investigate food safety and environmental hygiene. Many food factories here in Zhongdu have serious product issues and their production environments are appalling. Higher-ups have sent people to inspect, but word always gets out before they arrive. No matter how hard they try, nothing comes of it.”

“Why is that?” Ye Tian frowned. He did not believe the authorities in Zhongdu couldn’t handle a few food factories; there had to be some underhanded dealings.

“Young Master Ye, since it’s just us here, I’ll speak plainly,” Director Zhang said after a moment’s hesitation, sighing. “The three great families of Zhongdu have deep ties with those in power, as you know. Though you’ve already taken down the Qian and Wu families, the Sun family remains. And Xinxin Food Factory is held by the younger generation of the Sun family. Unlike the others, the Suns control the largest intelligence network in Zhongdu—they’re tough to deal with!”

His meaning was clear. News of Ye Tian’s visit had likely already reached the Sun family. By the time they arrived for an inspection, the factory would have scrambled to clean up, leaving no loopholes to exploit.

Ye Tian would only find empty evidence.

“I know what to do. Don’t worry,” Ye Tian replied expressionlessly, waving his hand.

He’d already formed a plan as soon as he saw the shareholder list. Without delay, he sent messages to Zhu Yun’er and Gu Qing’er.

First, he instructed Zhu Yun’er to deploy the Vermilion Bird Squad’s intelligence resources to collect incriminating evidence. Once gathered, it would be packaged and distributed to the industrial, sanitation, and quality control departments throughout Zhongdu under Zhu Feng’s name.

Second, he told Gu Qing’er to bring a team and, in the name of the Gu family, go directly to the Sun family to propose acquiring Xinxin Food Factory.

“You said you were busy—just to buy out a rundown factory?” Gu Qing’er texted back, attaching a selfie of herself heading out.

“You’ll understand soon enough,” Ye Tian replied.

Almost immediately, she sent back a cute sticker with a huff.

Having made his arrangements, Ye Tian leaned back and closed his eyes to rest.

Half an hour later, the car stopped at the factory gates.

Ye Tian took the lead, shielding Aunt Liu behind him.

The guard booth was already crowded with people.

Wang Pangguo stood at the front, arrogant and overbearing, chin lifted high as if lording over everyone. Yet, because he was shorter than Ye Tian, the effect was more as though he were looking up in awe.

“Well, well, you dare show your face here again?” Wang Pangguo sneered. “Bet you paid a hefty fine, didn’t you? Let me tell you: if you act up again, a fine will be the least of your worries.”

“Get lost before you get yourself beaten!”

“Oh, I see. I dealt with Wang Jianguo but forgot about you,” Ye Tian said coldly, eyeing Wang Pangguo’s swagger.

An instant later, Wang Pangguo erupted in raucous laughter, as if he’d just heard the world’s best joke.

“You?”

“You’re saying you went to the precinct and took down my cousin?”

He must be out of his mind, Wang Pangguo thought. Who would believe someone could just take down the head of the enforcement squad?

“What’s wrong, did that fine fry your brain? Do you think you’re Tang Zhenguo now?” He burst into mocking laughter, joined by the other guards who stomped and clapped their legs in amusement.

“Silence!”

At that moment, Director Zhang stepped out of the car on the other side.

His enunciation was crisp and authoritative. “Who filed a false report and slandered others? Step forward and come with me to the station!”

As the precinct chief, Zhang’s words carried a natural gravitas that instantly quelled the crowd.

Wang Pangguo stiffened, eyes darting nervously to Director Zhang’s suited figure. Panic swept over him.

He was doomed. It was really Director Zhang!

Impossible…

He tried to retreat into the crowd, but Ye Tian grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back.

“Get over here!”

With a whip-like kick, Ye Tian sent him sprawling to his knees, drawing a pig’s squeal of pain.

Realizing he couldn’t escape, Wang Pangguo pleaded, “Director Zhang, I lost my head for a moment! For my cousin’s sake, please just let it go!”

Director Zhang only offered a cold smile.

“For your cousin’s sake?”

“Heh.”

“Your cousin Wang Jianguo has already been imprisoned in Zhongdu Detention Center for abuse of power and extrajudicial punishment. In about half a month, you can go visit him.”

Wang Pangguo froze in disbelief.

His cousin was in jail? How could that be? Wasn’t he the squad captain, always throwing his weight around without consequence? Why had things gone so wrong today?