Chapter 25: Have We Forgotten Something?

3:00 PM.

Five semi-trailer trucks arriving from Quanpu reached Liao City.

At this very moment, the area outside the main gate of the glass factory was still packed with people. These were laid-off workers who had rushed over after hearing rumors that the glass factory was increasing capital and expanding production. Of course, they were not currently employed by the glass factory; they were part of the wave of layoffs that had swept the country in 1998.

"Director! I know how to fire the kilns!"
"Look here, I'm strong!"
"Three hundred! I only need 300 a month, and I can handle hardship!"

*Honk! Honk!*

Suddenly, the air horn of a Steyr truck drowned out the entire crowd. People turned, and upon seeing the five massive semi-trailers, they became even more frantic. They held up wooden boards with red characters on white backgrounds, signaling their skills, while screaming hysterically in hopes of catching the attention of the recruitment manager.

Yu Yang, having just finished his meal, saw the semi-trailers but did not step forward to greet them. Instead, he contacted the owner of the trucks from Quanpu, instructing him to tell the drivers to drive directly into the plastic factory next door.

After finishing the call and walking past the intersection, his second brother jumped out from the side, giving the eldest brother a fright.

"Boss, we've arrived."

Yu Yang scanned the area. Among the crowd of applicants, there were many sturdy men, and on the periphery, he spotted several familiar faces: the mechanic from the agricultural machinery station, the owner of the local auto repair shop, and the "Big Coal-Man" who drove the tractor-loader at the briquette factory.

Yu Yang signaled to his eldest brother, "Go help the glass factory recruit people, and make sure our own men get into the factory."

"Understood... but with so many people gathered at the entrance, there might be scouts from the Liao City Investment Bureau lurking about. How are we going to get out after we load the trucks?"

"Tear down the wall between the glass factory and the plastic factory and drive out through the plastic factory's gate. Why else do you think I bought the plastic factory and parked the trucks there?"

"Got it, they'll just look like the plastic factory's trucks."

The eldest brother nodded and hurried off to work. Yu Yang took his second brother through the side door and into the glass factory.

The township head had been waiting for a long time, looking particularly anxious. After all, the stakes were incredibly high. He had poached an entire glass factory and taken out a 500,000-yuan loan from the local bank. Then, using that 500,000 plus a bit more, he had acquired a plastic factory. If Liao City found out, they would surely be furious enough to tear him apart.

The township head asked urgently, "How is it?"

Yu Yang gave an "OK" gesture. "Everything is going smoothly. And the 500,000-yuan loan, plus my own 230,000, hasn't even been touched yet."

"What do you mean?"

"The owner of the plastic factory wants to go into the bean sprout business. He's taking the plastic factory as a down payment; the transaction will only be considered complete once the payments total 650,000."

The township head understood immediately, his hand trembling as he lit a cigarette. "So you're saying we not only got a plastic factory, but we can also take the 500,000-yuan loan back with us?"

"Yes."

"A plastic factory, a glass factory, plus 500,000..."

Yu Yang nodded. "Exactly."

The township head took a drag, his voice slightly shaking. "Can we really make it back?"

"Definitely. Don't worry."

"I mean, will we be intercepted on the way?"

"No. We mapped out the route when the trucks were coming in. We’ll head east straight toward Dongshan Prefecture, then take the highway south, stop at the 385 marker, and unload the cargo directly from the highway."

"That’s a longer route, but it’s certainly faster."

The township head felt as if he had taken a sedative, yet his hands shook even more—purely from excitement.

...

Across from the glass factory, on the side of the road, three staff members from the Liao City Investment Bureau were squatting on the curb, smoking and pretending to be unemployed, while occasionally glancing at the glass factory. Even though the factory had secured a large order and was recruiting to expand production, it was precisely because of this that they had to keep a close watch. If an outside investment team snatched them away, it would be a massive loss. Therefore, they were monitoring not only the front gate but also the perimeter wall near the road.

"They're filthy rich. A 7.0-liter V12 engine—if you pop the hood of that Mercedes, the engine block probably looks like a rack of ribs."

"Possibly. I saw an Audi V6 engine before, and that was already impressive."

"Sigh, I wonder when we'll ever be rich."

"Don't think too much. Let's just focus on getting our official positions secured first."

At that moment, "Captain, look across the street. Five semi-trailers just arrived."

"Let's go check it out."

However, before they could stand up, the five trucks pulled into the plastic factory next door. The investment scouts looked at each other and went back to squatting, smoking, and chatting. The plastic factory's business was tied entirely to Liao City and Dongshan Prefecture. If an investment team from a backward region came knocking, the company wouldn't leave. First, without local support, sourcing raw plastic materials would be extremely difficult. Second, the consumer market in impoverished areas was limited; they wouldn't be able to sell many instant noodle bowls or fast-food containers. And the investment teams from developed cities wouldn't bother with a small plastic factory; they only had eyes for the big enterprises. Thus, the plastic factory was safe.

...

That night, in the early hours of the morning, the brick wall between the glass factory and the plastic factory was completely torn down. Yu Yang led a semi-trailer into the plastic factory. The sturdy men rushed into the workshop, lifting seven or eight machines into the trailer in one go, followed by the plastic raw materials, catalysts, and lubricating oil.

When they finished, the workers living in the factory remained undisturbed. Yu Yang knocked on the dormitory door. The workshop supervisor, who had eaten with him at noon, looked confused.

"Yu... Big Boss, is something wrong?"

"I have good news for you."

"What?"

"A raise!"

"This..."

"And I have some bad news."

"Hmm?"

"The factory is moving."

"Ah?"

"Hurry and get on the truck. Once we reach the new site, we're going to expand even more, and you'll get another promotion and raise."

"Alright!"

Just then, the semi-trailers loaded with glass factory equipment rumbled through the hole in the wall into the plastic factory. They all had their lights off, pushed along by many of the sturdy men. Following behind the convoy were the numerous workers from the glass factory, including the ones newly recruited that day.

The plastic factory supervisor, having gathered his workers and their belongings, saw this scene. "You bought the glass factory, too?"

"Yes. We're going to grow, get stronger, and achieve greatness... Shh, don't wake the neighbors."

"Understood!"

Half an hour later, the convoy was assembled, and the five semi-trailers pulled out of the plastic factory one by one. The Liao City investment scouts, who were watching the glass factory, merely glanced at them once.

Another half hour later, the AMG Mercedes that had been pledged to the glass factory pulled out grandiosely. The township head was nervous, but his hands and feet remained steady. Yu Yang wanted to comfort his leader, but he realized he was quite nervous himself.

"Little Yu, why didn't we drive out from the plastic factory?"

"The car came in from the glass factory. If we drove it out from the other side, we’d give the game away."

"Sigh, my palms are covered in sweat."

"Wipe them on your pants. Don't let your grip slip."

Yu Yang felt helpless. The five trailers were fully loaded and couldn't fit the car. Leaving the AMG behind would mean losing the entire gamble. They had to take the risk. Fortunately, when the Liao City scouts saw the AMG, they didn't block it; instead, they hid.

Seeing this, the township head couldn't help but step on the gas. The next instant, the 7.0-liter engine emitted a blast of heat from the dual exhaust pipes and let out a thunderous roar. *Vroom!* It sounded just like an F1 car hitting the streets.

The scouts, hiding behind the greenery, poked their heads out and watched the disappearing AMG. "Pah... rich bastards!"

Through the glass, the township head didn't think the sound was all that loud, only feeling the immense force pushing him back into his seat.

"This car is too powerful, isn't it?"

"Take it easy. Let's be steady."

"By the way, Little Yu, did we forget anything?"

Yu Yang thought carefully. "The loan is in my pocket, everything that could be moved has been moved. The only things left are the fixed assets. I don't think we forgot anything."

"Maybe I'm just overthinking it."

...

The next morning, an aging Beijing 212 off-road jeep was fleeing frantically, chased by three Santana sedans. Carried by the whistling northern wind, one could faintly hear the panicked shouting of the Shiliying Investment Office director: "Holy crap, they've chased us all the way past the Yellow River! What kind of grudge is this?!"