Chapter 43: Zhou Yuanchong Seeks His Own Doom, The Return

This year, Zhou Mei was thirty-six, a member of the Zhou family from Huicheng. Perhaps it was her upbringing, but from an early age, she had always been different from her peers—ruthless and unscrupulous in pursuit of her desires. She ate, drank, and played with only the best; even her circle of friends was leagues above those of her relatives and acquaintances.

Given anything she wanted, Zhou Mei developed a twisted and obsessive personality. She dropped out after elementary school to work in the factory with her parents, using their positions as supervisors to do as she pleased. Not only was she unreliable at work, but she also bullied employees she disliked.

Eventually, she provoked such anger among the staff that they reported her to the old factory director. In front of her parents, the director publicly berated her and fired her from her job.

When her parents refused to defend her, Zhou Mei ran away from home in a fit of rage. To get back at the old factory director, she began a relationship with Zhou Yuanchong, the warehouse supervisor ten years her senior.

At the time, Zhou Yuanchong was already divorced, but Zhou Mei didn’t care. Once she was certain he would help her take revenge, she made their relationship official that very day.

Later, Zhou Yuanchong joined forces with Zhou Mei’s parents to drive the old director back to his hometown. They installed a puppet director and secretly took control of the plastic factory, siphoning off profits for themselves.

All the employees were now their people—anyone who didn’t fit in had long since been forced out, so there was no one left to report them.

Three years into their marriage, Zhou Yuanchong somehow met a businessman from Hong Kong and claimed that if they could strike a deal, they could sell the plastic factory.

When Zhou Mei heard the price, she was nearly stunned—ten million! That figure was a bombshell in any era.

Zhou Mei trusted Zhou Yuanchong implicitly. Following his guidance, she transferred her shares in the factory. Her parents objected, so she went behind their backs and completed the deal herself, infuriating them so much they were hospitalized.

Retribution came swiftly. Zhou Yuanchong, now in complete control of the factory, transferred the shares to the Hong Kong businessman, pocketed the money, and invested it in a toy factory. He became a local tyrant in Tangwan Town.

Zhou Mei confronted him many times, but each argument ended in a fight—she’d get beaten and sent back to Huicheng, even when she brought their daughter along.

Eventually, Zhou Mei gave up. She knew she’d never get that money back and fell into despair, her only hope that her daughter might someday soar like a phoenix and bring her a better life.

In the next room, listening to Zhou Mei’s tale, Zhang Tianfeng felt his worldview shattering. This Zhou Mei was nothing like he expected. At first, he’d felt a bit sorry for her when he heard she’d been abandoned.

Now? Sympathy was wasted on her—she had brought this fate upon herself.

“Boss, shouldn’t we make a call? We haven’t heard anything from Gu Zai,” Gao Ran whispered. “I think he doesn’t know how to handle this.”

Zhang Tianfeng replied quietly, “Go call him. Have him ask for the Hong Kong businessman’s name or contact information. Say he can help recover the money, and tell him to stall for time—set up another meeting.”

Gao Ran gave an OK gesture and hurried out.

Soon, Gu Zai’s voice came through: “Got it. I’ll be back soon.”

After hanging up, Gu Zai said, “Sorry I kept you waiting. My wife’s been calling—she’s feeling insecure, afraid I’ll leave her, so I don’t dare get involved with women who have too much money.”

“I completely understand,” Zhou Mei replied, taking a drag from her cigarette. “Any other questions? If not, give me your answer.”

Gu Zai asked, “Do you know the Hong Kong businessman’s name or have his contact info? If you do, maybe I can help you recover your losses.”

“Boss, does this mean you’re not picking me?”

“No, you’ve got a good figure and childbearing hips. After chatting today, I think you’re a good fit. But I’ll need a medical report proving you’re healthy.”

“I’m pretty much set on you,” Gu Zai said. “So now we’re on the same side—it’s only natural to help each other, right?”

“Yes, yes, you Hong Kong bosses are so generous, not like the stingy folks back home!” Zhou Mei mused for a moment. “I only know the Hong Kong businessman’s nickname: Vulture. That’s all.”

“Alright, I’ll note that.” Gu Zai stood. “Miss Zhou, you can get your checkup now. My driver will take you there and then drop you off at your lodging.”

“If the results are good, I’ll pay you 500,000 Hong Kong dollars in advance tomorrow.”

“Thank you, boss.” Zhou Mei beamed with delight.

She hadn’t realized she was being conned; in fact, she thought this young, wealthy boss was easy to persuade. Perhaps, with a bit of scheming, she could drive out the main wife and take her place, gaining both wealth and power.

Filled with pleasant dreams, Zhou Mei got into the car and left.

As soon as she was gone, Gu Zai let out a long breath. “Damn, that interview was intense.”

It had exceeded all his expectations—he couldn’t help but curse under his breath.

Zhang Tianfeng emerged, laughing. “How do you feel?”

“Sorry, boss. I slipped up a few times.”

“No worries. You did well—you’re a passable actor now.”

“There won’t be any more interviews like this, right?” Gu Zai asked nervously.

“Of course not. You’re our company’s first signed talent. We’ll invest all our resources in you. Study hard; don’t let us down.”

“Don’t worry, sir! Mission accepted.”

Zhang Tianfeng had always thought Zhou Yuanchong was just a corrupt official embezzling funds, but now he realized there was more—he’d colluded with a Hong Kong businessman to sell off a state-owned enterprise.

That was more than reckless—it was suicidal.

After some thought, he picked up his large cellphone and dialed Huo Zhigui.

“Mr. Huo, this is Zhang Tianfeng.”

“Yes, I have something to consult you about. Is Yuan Investment Capital a subsidiary of your company? I wish to report a certain business partnership.”

He relayed everything he knew, leaving the rest to the powerful Huo family to investigate.

By evening, after a busy day, Zhang Tianfeng had just returned to his hotel when Gao Ran rushed over with the phone.

“Boss, Mr. Huo wants to speak with you.”

“So soon?” he muttered, taking the call.

The Huo family’s investigative power was formidable. He’d made the report that afternoon, and already there were results.

With the clues provided by Zhang Tianfeng, they’d traced the problem to a suspicious employee. Upon investigation, they confirmed he was Vulture, and further discovered he was actually a business spy trained by foreign capital.

This infuriated the Huo family. Had it not been for Zhang Tianfeng’s report, they wouldn’t have realized an enemy had infiltrated right under their noses.

“Mr. Zhang, thank you for your information. Without you, we wouldn’t have discovered the enemy had already broken in.”

“It was just luck. I know the Huo family would never be involved in such things,” Zhang Tianfeng replied. “Mr. Huo, could you help me handle Zhou Yuanchong, who collaborated with Vulture?”

“Absolutely. Selling off state assets—he won’t escape justice. Our family will also begin self-investigation; everyone will be held to the same standard. I hope you’ll supervise us.”

Supervise? What could I supervise? I’m just a small-time boss trying to get by.

“You flatter me—I’m just an ordinary, patriotic citizen.”

“I know. By the way, I heard you were interested in entering industry. Do you want to take over the toy factory opened by Zhou Yuanchong and Vulture?”

“With my current resources, I can’t afford that factory.”

Though the toy factory in Tangwan Town wasn’t very large—just over eighty workers—the high-end equipment, staff costs, and sales channels all required significant funds. Even with his assets and the three million borrowed from Longxin Investments, he couldn’t manage it.

“You don’t have to pay. You helped us capture an important business spy. Our family can give you the factory.”

“That… doesn’t seem right.”

“Internationally, catching such a spy would cost a company at least eight figures. Really, I’m the one getting the better end of the deal.”

“No, no, I’m the one taking advantage,” Zhang Tianfeng replied with a laugh. “In that case, I’ll accept.”

“Good. You’ll have it in three days. The factory was built with illicit funds, so we need a few days for asset audits and share transfers. Once that’s done, it will truly be yours.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Huo.”

Hanging up, Zhang Tianfeng hummed a cheerful tune.

He’d set out to help the country catch a parasite, and unexpectedly received a reward beyond his wildest dreams.

Gao Ran, puzzled, asked, “Boss, can you tell me why you’re so happy?”

“I just got a whole business, with land, workers, and contracts, for nothing—how could I not be happy?”

“Amazing!” Gao Ran said, giving a thumbs-up.

In 1993, the wave of layoffs had begun, and reform in state-owned enterprises continued. Some proposed turning state firms into township enterprises, others suggested partnerships with private companies. The intentions were good—everyone wanted to save the SOEs, make them profitable, and ensure workers were paid.

Some private firms were very strong, rapidly turning things around and making SOEs profitable. But when the time came to privatize, they found endless entanglements—just one unresolved issue could stall the whole process. And even if you solved them, you’d pay a steep price.

Other problems persisted—nepotism, chaotic management, power struggles. Even star domestic brands like Sunrise Iced Tea faltered due to poor management.

Now, without spending a cent, Zhang Tianfeng had acquired a factory—land, workers, and all contracts included. This was an incredible windfall.

“Let’s go,” he said. “We need to get back to Zhucheng, or we’ll miss the show.”

“What about Zhou Mei? Gu Zai is still waiting for our signal.”

“She’s probably already been arrested by now.”

Having ousted the old director, installed a puppet, and embezzled state assets, Zhou Mei—the instigator—would not escape either.

The two climbed into the car and hurried back.