"Alright, alright! Let's stop talking about the kids," Old Doug raised his glass again and flashed a wry grin. "Tell me about your factory, brother-in-law. I've been seeing all kinds of bad press on the news lately. What's going on over there?"
Trying to steer the conversation away from the awkward family drama, he refilled Shen Hongxin's glass with practiced ease.
"Ah…" Shen Hongxin sighed before he even spoke. He swirled the liquor in his glass, took a small sip, and shook his head. "It's a mess. I've been running around all day dealing with it. The Sanyi Electronics branch in Yangjian is still barely afloat—we scraped together enough leftover funds to pay the workers part of their wages."
He paused, looking deeply troubled.
"But the situation at the provincial headquarters is a complete disaster. Word is, the general manager, Yu Dehua, took the company's remaining funds and fled abroad. Vanished without a trace. Left behind nothing but chaos."
Old Doug's face darkened. This wasn't just gossip—it was big. And now, it had clearly become Shen Hongxin's personal nightmare.
Shen wasn't some high-level executive, just the workshop supervisor at the Yangjian branch. But in a factory setting, that position made him the bridge between the floor workers and upper management. If anything went wrong, the workers came to him first.
So when the headlines broke—**"SANYI EXECUTIVE FLEES WITH COMPANY FUNDS"—**it wasn't the CEO who had to face the panicked workers. It was Shen.
"They say Yu Dehua's been siphoning off company cash for years," Doug said, frowning. "Sanyi used to be a big name across Min Province. Chip production, new mobile tech development—I thought they were doing well."
Shen gave a hollow laugh. "That was the front. In reality, they've been running on fumes for a while now. Massive debts, cash shortfalls, false reports to keep investors happy. Eventually, Yu saw the writing on the wall. So he grabbed the last shipment payment—over a million yuan—and vanished."
Doug exhaled sharply. "Damn."
"What's worse," Shen added, rubbing his forehead, "is that all the local factory directors were either related to Yu Dehua or part of his inner circle. When the news broke, they scattered like cockroaches. Here in Yangjian, it's just me, one sales manager, and the accountant left holding the fort."
"That's… rough," Doug said, his voice quieter now. "But you've gotta think about your future, brother. I heard the provincial government is getting involved. If Sanyi goes into bankruptcy, you don't want to be caught in the fallout. Start looking for a way out."
"I know," Shen muttered. "But let's not talk about that now. Come on, Doug. Let's drink."
The next morning, Doug Feng woke up feeling refreshed. His father, Old Doug, not so much.
"Ugh, my head," he groaned, clutching his temples as they packed up to leave.
"Why the rush?" Aunt Zhao tried to persuade them to stay. "It's the weekend—have lunch with us first!"
But Doug was eager to get back to the logistics company to report in, and the seven-hour drive from Yangjian to Zhicheng didn't leave them much time.
As they pulled onto the highway, Doug Feng leaned back in the passenger seat and said, "Dad, you know… that logistics company you work for? It sucks. You're overworked, underpaid, and surrounded by snakes like Liu Hanming and Li Zuming. Why not just quit? You can find something better."
Old Doug chuckled, steering the wheel with practiced ease. "Easy to say. Jobs like this aren't easy to come by these days. And besides, what else am I good at besides driving?"
"You're selling yourself short. Seriously. You've been carrying that company."
"Don't worry about me, kid. Worry about your grades. After what Lingling said yesterday, doesn't it bother you a bit?" He glanced sideways at his son, smirking. "You're a man, aren't you? Gonna let your little cousin call you a loser?"
Doug Feng rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll show you on Monday when the test results come out."
Around 3:30 PM, they pulled into the familiar lot at Shunfa Logistics. Since they weren't hauling a load this time, they made good time. But something felt… off.
"Dad, look," Doug said, narrowing his eyes. "Why are there police cars outside?"
Sure enough, two patrol cars were parked just outside the office building.
"Think it's about what happened yesterday? Maybe they're here to arrest Li Zuming?"
"Let's find out," Old Doug said, parking the truck and heading toward the entrance.
They climbed the stairs to the second-floor office, only to find one of the drivers—Old Wang—pacing nervously by the corridor.
"Doug! You're back!" Wang rushed over, looking pale. "The police are here—they want to question you!"
"What? Me?" Old Doug stopped in his tracks. "Why?"
Wang glanced around, then whispered, "It's bad. Real bad. Come on, they're waiting in the office."
As they stepped inside, the atmosphere turned icy. Liu Shunfa, the boss, was sitting behind his desk with a face like stone. Two uniformed officers sat across from him, one holding a recorder, the other jotting down notes.
The moment Old Doug stepped in, one of the officers turned and nodded.
"You must be Mr. Dou Changsheng. We'd like to ask you a few questions about a case currently under investigation."
Doug Feng stood just behind his father, suddenly hyper-aware of how silent the room had become.
His stomach twisted. Something terrible had happened.
And it had only just begun.
（To be continued.）