Feng Shoucai panicked, loudly proclaiming his innocence. "I didn't do these things! You're spouting nonsense. I've always been upright, worked honestly, and never engaged in corruption or bribery."
"You should go to the bureau and explain this to the higher-ups! We're just here to take you away."
The police officer said with a stern face, then had Feng Shoucai escorted away. As they passed Zhang Liunian, Feng Shoucai uttered, "You wait for me," before leaving.
Zhang Liunian curled his lips. "I'll be waiting." Someone who might not even get out, expecting him to wait? Impossible.
Turning to the group Feng Shoucai had brought with him, Zhang Liunian sneered, "Well? Do you want to continue?"
These people were Feng Shoucai's men. With their leader taken away, what else could they do?
Might as well disperse.
"Let's go," a man said, leading the way. The others followed suit.
They had expected a big scene, but it concluded in such a manner. The employees of the department store were filled with admiration for Zhang Liunian.
He had quietly resolved a crisis of store closure, proving the new boss was truly remarkable.
"You're really something, Boss. You knew they were coming and had me prepare to call the police early. I didn't expect them to arrive so promptly; they caught them just in time."
Group Leader Gu gave Zhang Liunian a thumbs-up, his admiration for him boundless. A full-blown drama of debt collection and store closure had been unraveled by his boss midway, and the debt collectors were sent away. It was now uncertain if they would ever get out.
Thinking this, Group Leader Gu secretly shed a tear of sympathy for Feng Shoucai. Who better to provoke than their new boss? Serves him right for thinking their young boss would be easy to bully. He miscalculated and hit a brick wall.
Zhang Liunian noticed the fluctuating expressions of pity and dislike on Group Leader Gu Xin's face, wondering what he was imagining. However, what he himself was thinking was that it wasn't just a coincidence; it was because Tang Guo had fallen into the net, and they found evidence of Feng Shoucai and her colluding to set him up. As for the corruption, Zhang Liunian trusted the police would not lie; they must have found evidence of it.
"Never mind that, Group Leader, you go find out..." Zhang Liunian’s words were cut short as a security guard rushed forward, shouting, "Boss, it's not good! Boss Zhu is leading the suppliers to come here, demanding you return last month's payment for goods!"
Boss Zhu? The name made Zhang Liunian think of Zhu Laosan. Could it be that he had recovered? In just one day, his life was truly tenacious.
"Group Leader Gu, come with me to take a look." Zhang Liunian stood up, waved his hand, and led Gu Xin and others downstairs.
At the entrance of the department store, Zhu Laosan sat on a chair carried by his subordinates, smoking a cigar. He instructed those around him to unfurl a banner and shout loudly, "Return the money!"
"Return the money!"
"Return the money!"
"..."
The slogans they shouted resonated loudly, immediately attracting a crowd of curious onlookers.
As Zhang Liunian and his men descended, they were met with this exact scene. He smiled, walked directly to the main entrance of the department store, and met Zhu Laosan's gaze. An invisible spark flashed between their eyes.
"Long time no see, Zhu Laosan. I didn't expect your life to be so tenacious. Indeed, a wicked person lives a thousand years." Before Zhu Laosan could greet him, Zhang Liunian spoke first, his voice resonant, clearly audible to everyone outside.
Zhu Laosan's expression darkened. He stopped smoking and glared at Zhang Liunian with sinister eyes. "Thanks to you, I didn't die. Who dies next, however, is uncertain."
Was he intending to kill him? Come on, who was afraid of whom? Zhang Liunian smirked coldly, completely unfazed.
"Of course, it's whoever's life is tougher that survives, don't you think?" Zhang Liunian chatted with him amicably, making one think they were on excellent terms, rather than being in a debt collection situation.
"With your frail physique, you don't seem like someone with a tough life. You should be careful from now on, lest your life be lost by accident." Zhu Laosan took two puffs of his cigar, exhaling smoke.
"No need for your concern, Zhu Laosan. You'd best worry about yourself. After all, good fortune doesn't strike every time."
"You're right, so let's talk about the three million yuan in goods you owe me! We're here today to demand this money. Do you want to pay it now, or shall we come and get it?" As Zhu Laosan spoke, he signaled for someone to hand a promissory note to Zhang Liunian.
Zhang Liunian took it, looked at it, and laughed, "Zhu Laosan, are you sure your eyes are correct? This clearly states the debtor is Tang Guo, not Zhang Liunian. Tang Guo, as you surely know, is the supervisor who absconded with the funds. She has nothing to do with me."
Zhu Laosan knew Zhang Liunian wouldn't easily admit to the debt and was not disappointed. He was still in the mood for a verbal spar.
"It is indeed Tang Guo's signature, not yours. But don't forget, she was your person. This department store has been yours for a week. If you didn't deal with her, who can you blame when such a major problem has arisen now? You can only blame yourself for not dealing with her sooner. Now that she owes us money under the department store's name, you naturally have to pay. After all, she stocked goods and made money for you. You can't just cross the river and burn the bridge, refusing to honor the debt. There's no such good thing in this world, where you receive the money but refuse to pay."
Zhu Laosan's words indeed made the onlookers think they had a point. Although Tang Guo had fled, she was considered Zhang Liunian's person and had helped him make money. Now that the payment for goods was outstanding, Zhang Liunian should naturally pay.
"There's some truth to that."
"It's only right, he took the money, he should pay for this."
"..."
Zhang Liunian listened to the murmurs of the crowd and sneered inwardly. While that might be true, it presupposed that Tang Guo was genuinely making money for him, which was not the case. Her actions last month were intended to ensnare her, and to abscond with the department store's money, with no intention of giving him a single cent. If he hadn't managed to retrieve over thirty million yuan through his own means yesterday, she would have left him with nothing.
"Well said, very well said! I only took over this department store a week ago, and I only came to take charge yesterday. Not only did I not see a single cent in the department store, but I also received several IOUs from Tang Guo, totaling nearly twenty million yuan. You say Tang Guo is my person? I don't acknowledge that. Anyone who had such a supervisor would likely be so furious they'd spit blood."
Zhang Liunian's statement immediately overturned Zhu Laosan's argument. What about his own people, or her making money for Zhang Liunian? None of that was true. If Zhang Liunian had actually received money, it would be understandable, but not only did Zhang Liunian receive not a penny, he also received a debt of nearly twenty million yuan. This was clearly bullying. The onlookers were all sympathetic to the weaker party. At this moment, Zhang Liunian was the weaker party, so he naturally became the object of their sympathy.