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Chapter 21: Sneaking into the Factory
No one spoke throughout the night, and Li Yi woke up early the next morning.
Today's task was heavy—he had to find a way to get Liu Tongfu's key!
With the deadline given by Liu Tongfu approaching, Li Yi was beginning to feel the pressure. No matter what, he couldn't delay this matter any longer.
After thinking carefully last night, he concluded that Liu Tongfu's stash of hidden money was most likely in one of the houses provided to him by Zhou Lao and others. However, he wasn't sure which one it was. Instead of checking them one by one, it would be much more efficient to get the key and find out directly.
But how could he obtain the key? This was troubling him.
Fortunately, inspiration struck when he saw the plasticine his daughter, Li Youwei, had been playing with.
That's it!
He could use plasticine. As long as he got hold of the key, he wouldn't even need to take it away—just pressing it into the plasticine would create a mold. With that, he could craft an identical key himself!
Once he had the duplicate, he could do whatever he wanted with Liu Tongfu.
The Plan Begins
"Weiwei! Get up quickly. Dad will take you to kindergarten after breakfast!"
"Okay, Dad!"
His daughter was very well-behaved, not throwing a tantrum about waking up early.
After tidying up and getting her ready, the two sat down for breakfast—a simple meal of batter and steamed buns. Then, they headed out.
"Remember to listen to the teacher!"
"Got it, Mom!"
Hearing Xu Qingnan's voice, Li Yi smiled.
Soon, he arrived at the kindergarten, watching his daughter walk into the classroom. Slowly, the smile on his face faded.
His tenderness was reserved for his wife and daughter. Now, it was time for the cold and calculating businessman to emerge.
Liu Tongfu, Liu Dayong—are you ready?
Li Yi went to a stationery store and bought a piece of plasticine, placing it inside a prepared iron box. Then, he made his way toward the meat processing factory.
Since the factory had yet to announce its final decision regarding his case, he was still allowed inside. However, he wasn't permitted near the office building.
Moreover, he knew that Liu Tongfu and Liu Dayong's lackeys were lying in wait, ready to make trouble for him at any moment. If they saw him, it would be problematic.
So, instead of using the main entrance, he decided to sneak in.
Arriving at a damaged section of the factory's fence, Li Yi easily climbed over. After dusting off his clothes, he began making his way toward the factory buildings.
The security guards didn't concern him—they were all under Wei Sanpao's control.
An Unexpected Encounter
As he neared a workshop, he suddenly ran into Wei Sanpao leading a patrol.
Li Yi's attire was somewhat odd—he was wearing a worker's uniform but also a hat, which immediately aroused suspicion.
"Who's that? That outfit looks sketchy. Boys, shall we take care of him?"
"Brother San, I think it's probably a thief. These bastards are getting bolder!"
"If it's a thief, even better. We'll score some points with management."
Rolling up his sleeves, Wei Sanpao walked toward Li Yi menacingly.
Li Yi sighed in frustration. He was already familiar with Wei Sanpao's personality, and with his current physical condition, he knew he couldn't outrun the man. Resigned, he took off his hat.
"Sanpao, are you really about to rough me up? I never thought you'd go this far."
Wei Sanpao paused, stunned for a moment before breaking into a grin.
"Ah, it's Brother Yi! What are you doing dressed like that?"
Li Yi motioned for him to keep quiet. "Enough nonsense. I came to the factory to handle something, but I didn't want Liu Dayong and his lackeys causing trouble for me, so I avoided the main gate."
Wei Sanpao immediately nodded. "Brother Yi, don't worry. If that bastard dares to mess with you, we'll beat him up again until he learns his lesson!"
"I can handle it myself. You guys stay out of it—just pretend you never saw me today."
Wei Sanpao turned to his men. "Got it? None of you saw Brother Yi here today!"
His subordinates, all loyal to him, quickly agreed.
Li Yi exhaled in relief, then turned back to Wei Sanpao. "Hey, I need some information."
"Brother Yi, just say the word! If I know it, I'll tell you."
"Where does that old dog Liu Tongfu usually go when he's in the factory?"
Wei Sanpao frowned in thought. "I'm not entirely sure, but I do know that Liu Tongfu takes a lunch break in his office every day at noon. Sometimes, he even has his lunch delivered there."
After a moment, Wei Sanpao shot him a curious look. "Brother Yi, you're not planning to knock that old bastard out, are you?"
Li Yi smirked. "If I were, would you stop me?"
"Nope! In fact, I'd join you! To be honest, I've been wanting to do that for a long time!"
Li Yi patted him on the shoulder. "Good brother! But there's no need to get our hands dirty—we'll handle this legally."
"Legal or illegal, I don't care! As long as I get to beat that old dog, I'd even spend a few days in jail for it!"
"Alright, there's nothing for you to do here. Go about your business."
"Brother Yi, are you sure you don't need help? Don't be polite."
"What's the point of being polite? I'll come to you if I need anything."
"Alright then. I'll get back to patrolling. Let's have a drink tonight!"
"We'll see. My wife has been keeping a close watch on me lately."
"Ha! Brother Yi, when have you ever been afraid of your wife?"
Li Yi laughed. "That's not fear—it's respect! You're still a kid, you wouldn't understand. Now, get going!"
"Fine, fine, I'm leaving!"
Watching Wei Sanpao and his men walk away, Li Yi shook his head, a faint smile lingering on his lips.
The Plan Moves Forward
Now that he had Wei Sanpao's intel, he had a clear course of action.
Liu Tongfu stayed in his office at noon.
Perfect.
That meant there was no need to search blindly—he had a target.
All he had to do was stick to the plan, and getting the key would be no problem.
Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, Li Yi started making his way toward the office building.
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