"The factory manager can't be reached, their phones are all off. Could it be that both our phones are malfunctioning? We have no signal at home. How is that possible?"
Xiang Wan tried to comfort herself.
"Get me the car keys, let's drive to the factory to see."
The two were too anxious to even change clothes, rushing downstairs in their loungewear and slippers.
Along the way, Xiang Wan asked other staff to call the factory personnel. The only responses they got were "unreachable" and "phone off."
Everyone understood what was happening and asked her with concern.
"Sister Wan, could they have absconded with the funds? Should we report it to the police?"
Xiang Wan arrived at the factory entrance, the gate was locked.
She knocked hard a few times, trying to call out to the security guard to open the door.
But the security guard, who was usually so kind and greeted them with great enthusiasm, was nowhere to be found.
"Report it."
At this point, what else could they do but report it to the police?
The group was taken in for questioning, from their initial contact to all business dealings and fund flows.
After three hours of questioning, the police informed Xiang Wan.
Although she had sufficient evidence, the other party was clearly better prepared.
The account she transferred money to was an overseas account, untraceable within the country.
Even if it could be traced, due to regional and other issues, they had no jurisdiction to investigate further.
The factory was rented, and the legal representative's name was not the one Xiang Wan knew.
All the names Xiang Wan provided were fake, and their information couldn't be found online.
Therefore, this was a long-planned, organized, planned, and premeditated large-scale fraud.
In recent years, the rapid development of online live streaming meant that many industry regulations had not yet been established, creating opportunities for some criminals.
Utilizing fast order processing, tight delivery deadlines, and the lack of real-name verification, many businesses had encountered similar situations.
"We will cross-reference it with other cases to see if it's the same group. But it might take some time."
Xiang Wan felt dizzy.
"How long will that take? We have a large quantity of goods, and the delivery deadline is tight. I don't have any more money to invest."
"If we can't find the raw materials soon, and then find other manufacturers for processing, our live stream will be finished."
The staff could only offer sympathy.
"It's your fault for not being professional enough back then, not checking their qualifications and registration with the Administration for Industry and Commerce when looking for a manufacturer."
"Learn from your mistakes, getting anxious won't help."
Learn from mistakes again.
Lu Mingzhe had already sunk millions into helping her with the fire incident.
Now, to learn from mistakes again, Xiang Wan felt like she was going crazy!
However, this was not a place where she could go mad.
She walked out dejectedly, everyone looking at her, waiting for her instructions on what to do next.
Should they continue the live stream? Should they still accept orders?
Xiang Wan was also lost.
She truly didn't have any spare cash to throw in again.
The goods needed to be pre-ordered. The pre-order time, the shipping time, plus the feedback time upon receipt, could take up to three months in total.
She would have to wait three months to receive the funds back gradually.
If she didn't continue, suspending the live stream for three months would be tantamount to suicide.
But if she continued, she would have to invest money...
Feeling a suffocating tightness in her chest, her first thought was of Lu Mingzhe.
At least she had a shoulder to lean on.
She took out her phone to check. It had been so long, and Lu Mingzhe still hadn't come home, nor had he called her.
This was not the time to be strong. Professional matters should be handled by professionals.
Didn't he know Zhan Bei Jue?
Didn't Zhan Corporation have a powerful legal team?
Xiang Wan needed his help.
She called Lu Mingzhe.
But at this critical moment, Lu Mingzhe's phone was also unreachable.
The first call went unanswered, the second went unanswered.
She suspected her phone was really having issues.
She borrowed someone else's phone to call, and it was also unreachable.
A colleague comforted her.
"Maybe there's no signal? Look at the prompt, it says 'not in service area'."
"It's not off, and she hasn't blocked you, just no signal."
"Could they be in a garage or an elevator? Why don't you go home and check."
Xiang Wan said she would rest today and give them an answer tomorrow.
She rushed home with Xiang Yang.
From the basement garage, through the elevator, all the way home, Lu Mingzhe was not there.
If she couldn't figure out the problem today and come up with a solution, she wouldn't be able to sleep.
Her efforts over the past decade, all her hard work, couldn't just go to waste.
She asked Xiang Yang for the car keys.
"I'll go to his house to find him."
"Sister, your state is not good. Let me accompany you."
Xiang Wan had met Madam Lu, and the unpleasant incident was known only to the two of them.
She didn't want Lu Mingzhe to be put in a difficult position before, and today she didn't want Xiang Yang to endure the awkwardness with her.
So she ordered Xiang Yang.
"Wait for the staff's call at home, and also sort out the chain of evidence again. If both of us spend our time on the same thing, isn't that a waste of resources?"
Lu Mingzhe hadn't hidden his home address from her.
Xiang Wan mentally repeated the location many times.
Sometimes, when passing by, she would deliberately glance at it.
But she had never dared to go in.
Today, she had mustered up her courage, but inferiority still got the better of her.
Her heart pounded, and her hands trembled on the steering wheel.
One thing after another seemed to tell her that Madam Lu was right.
She couldn't help Lu Mingzhe in any way except to hold him back.
She was drawn to Lu Mingzhe for his wealth and status.
It was one thing not to accept help from someone, but once accepted, no matter how innocent, it would be hard to explain.
Today, she was bound to be lectured by her again.
This was not an ordinary place; a glance at the guards was enough to tell.
Xiang Wan drove to the entrance of the residential area and was immediately stopped and asked for a pass.
"Pass? I'm just here to find someone, or you can help me make a call. I don't have a pass."
"No passes are allowed to approach."
The other party was very serious and had a weapon in his hand.
"I'm sorry, please come over with a pass. Hurry up and drive away, parking is not allowed here."
It was only then that she realized the immense gap between her and Lu Mingzhe.
The place where he grew up, where he could come and go freely, she didn't even have the right to approach.
The gatekeeper wouldn't let her in, and Lu Mingzhe's phone was still unreachable.
Xiang Wan could only pin her last hope on waiting.
She parked her car in a place that wouldn't cause obstruction and stood across the road, gazing at the entrance, beginning to wait.
People came out from time to time. Every time headlights lit up, she would look over eagerly.
But each time, her hopes were dashed.
Just as her back and legs started to ache from waiting, and her emotions were on the verge of collapse,
Zhou Jinbei's eyes caught sight of her across the road.
"Jiaojiao, look over there."