Chapter Eighty-Seven: The Debt Collector

Having been through that embarrassing incident last time, Zhang Ye did not dare drink too much this time. He only sipped a little now and then, joining in the merriment.

When the table had been cleared and night had fallen again, Zhang Ye, a little drunk, wandered unsteadily along the main street.

Wang Mengzi had not yet returned from her trip, but everything at the Liangjian Cybercafe had already settled into the proper order. With more than fifty computers, it brought in three to four thousand yuan a day, and the shop was packed every day, with almost never an idle machine. The clothing store at home was also selling as well as Zhang Ye had expected. It could already be said to be leading the fashion in all of Lihua County. Countless young men and women took pride in wearing clothes from the Pinyi Clothing Store.

At the same time, after so many things, Zhang Ye’s mother, Liu Meiju, had come to understand the clothing business much better. She had always been a shrewd and capable woman; before, she simply had no stage on which to shine. Now that she had her own shop, she naturally threw her energy into it. Every three or five days, she would make a trip to the provincial capital to observe the latest trends around her and strive to purchase the newest fashions at the very first opportunity.

Now, the only thing worth worrying about was Zheng Fan and the others.

Zhang Ye had been paying close attention to his uncle Liu Boqing’s plan to start a factory, but because Zhang Haiguan had a rather indifferent temperament, he had not learned much. It was inconvenient for him to show too much concern, so he could only go along to his uncle’s place and listen and watch. On the surface it was to broaden his horizons, but in truth he was keeping an eye on how things were changing.

At present, the site for his uncle’s factory had already been chosen. It was in the eastern industrial district of Lihua County, where an abandoned plastic factory stood empty. The plant itself was not large, but it had the advantage of being right beside the road, and most importantly, it was cheap. The contract had not yet been signed, but from Liu Boqing’s attitude, the matter was already basically settled.

“Yesterday, Zheng Fan brought up that he knew a boss in Zhouhang, saying there was used potato chip production equipment available for five hundred thousand,” Zhang Ye muttered under his breath, though inwardly he sneered.

The price of used equipment might not have been too far off, but the timing of his words was simply too convenient.

Liu Boqing had originally taken a liking to a French-made potato chip production line in Hong Kong. But the quoted price was too high. A full set would cost three hundred thousand US dollars; even second-hand equipment would still need one hundred thousand. At the exchange rate of the time, that came to eight hundred thousand yuan.

If he scraped together everything he had, he might have been able to come up with eight hundred thousand, but beyond the equipment there were still many other expenses: renting the factory building, buying potatoes, purchasing seasonings, paying wages, and even the later packaging and sales... every one of these required money. Considering the whole picture, he had no choice but to give up.

So Zheng Fan’s suggestion immediately caught his interest. Given that the price was cheap, there was even room to bargain it down further. If the quality was acceptable, then they should try to negotiate it to the best possible price. Thus, Liu Boqing had begun to waver.

But Zhang Ye knew this was the precursor to Zheng Fan and the others making their move. Afterward, they would certainly propose that he himself come forward to help purchase the equipment. Once the money was in their hands, they would immediately flee far away. This was already part of the plan Zhang Ye had overheard in Zheng Fan and Shen Kaixing’s conversation.

“It seems tomorrow will be the day the truth is laid bare,” Zhang Ye thought, and for no reason at all, he grew a little tense. This concerned several hundred thousand yuan of Liu Boqing’s family assets, and at a time like this, such a sum was nothing short of astonishing.

“Whatever happens, I have to stop it!” Zhang Ye had only drunk to the point of mild intoxication; his mind was still clear, and he silently made up his mind.

As he walked along the main street, a voice tinged with panic suddenly reached his ears.

“A robbery? Or...” Zhang Ye gave a start, quickly slowed his pace, and listened closely. Once he had identified the source, he moved slowly toward it.

“Brother, I really have no money right now. Can you give me a few more days? Just ten days—no, even three days will do—and I’ll be able to pay you back!”

The speaker was a man’s voice, fearful and pleading.

Zhang Ye frowned deeply. That voice seemed to be...

It came from a narrow side alley. It was a dead end, filled with piles of timber, bricks, and tiles left behind after others had finished building houses. Because the place was so remote, very few people ever passed by.

“Shen Kaixing, you’ve been a street thug for years. You should know the rules. If you don’t have money, then we can only collect the interest from your hands and feet. Since you’ve usually been decent enough to treat us to a few good cigarettes, we won’t take your whole hand. One or two fingers is the least of it!”

The voice was harsh, hoarse, and low, and when Shen Kaixing heard it, it sounded to him like the summons of the King of Hell.

“Don’t, Brother Stone, please don’t! I’ll get the money right away. Give me one day—just one day and I’ll pay you back! Please, don’t! Truly, just give me one day, and I’ll be able to repay you...” Shen Kaixing cried out anxiously. In his terror, his words came out in a jumble. He clung to the leg of the man at the front, his face deathly pale.

Hearing this, Zhang Ye, who had originally been ready to step in, immediately stopped.

No matter what kind of man this was, he was still his uncle by marriage. Zhang Ye certainly would not stand by and watch him have his fingers cut off. But from the situation, it seemed there was still room for change, so he was not in a hurry to act.

Through the gaps between the boards, Zhang Ye could see what was going on inside. There were three people in all, each tall and broad-shouldered, all of them looking rather fierce. The leader had a scar on his face, still tinged with a dark red as though it had not fully healed. On the back of his hand was a purple tattoo of a small knife.

Beside him stood two burly men. One was tall and thin, wearing long sleeves despite the sweltering weather, his shocking, burn-like scars faintly hidden beneath them. In his hand he held a machete, its blade hanging slightly downward, yet ready at any moment to flash with cold light and cut down to kill. The other was a somewhat corpulent middle-aged man with a small mustache. Zhang Ye actually recognized him—he had once been one of Shen Kaixing’s men, and now, instead, he had become the debt collector.

As for Shen Kaixing, he was kneeling on the ground, looking utterly miserable and terrified. He carefully watched the three of them, gauging their expressions.

By now, Zhang Ye understood. These people were the real underworld, not the ordinary street punks who merely fought a little and bullied a few honest folk. From the fierce aura around them, they were not to be compared with such rabble.

“I’ll have money very soon. I’ve already made arrangements. Someone is going to help me buy equipment for my brother-in-law’s factory. It’ll probably be three or four hundred thousand. In one or two days, the money will be in hand, and then I’ll have the cash to pay you back!”

Noticing the slight softening in their expressions, Shen Kaixing hurriedly continued.

“You’re even cheating your brother-in-law out of money? Shen Kaixing, you really have sunk lower and lower,” the middle-aged man who had once followed him said with open disdain, though the stick in his hand was slowly lowered.

“As long as the money comes in, who cares where it comes from?” The young man holding the knife gave a cold smile, beginning to believe him.

“Fine. I’ll give you two days. If we still haven’t seen the money by then, don’t blame us for being impolite.”

The burly leader, Brother Stone, said this, nodded to the others, and strode out first.

Zhang Ye remained hidden in the shadows behind the pile of timber and was not discovered.