In the Eel Farm's break room, Xiao Cai was drinking water. He had just picked up his phone, ready to play a round of Dou Dizhu.
Then he saw Zhang Xincheng walk in with several police officers.
His face immediately changed slightly, and his body began trembling involuntarily. He silently prayed, Don't panic. They're not here for me. They're not here for me.
"Cai Yingyu, you are suspected of serious economic crimes. You need to come with us now." Ma Qiang spoke sternly as he took out his identification.
"Have you made a mistake? I didn't do anything. Don't falsely accuse me!" Xiao Cai argued, his voice trembling.
"Hmph! Still refusing to give up? Take a look at this." Ma Qiang snorted and pulled out a video of Xiao Cai sneaking into the ingredient room.
The instant Xiao Cai saw the footage, he collapsed completely. He then pleaded with Zhang Xincheng, "Manager, I was wrong. I'm willing to compensate the company. I don't want to go to prison..."
"Too late." Zhang Xincheng's gaze was cold.
"Take him away!"
Two officers cuffed Xiao Cai from either side, grabbed his arms, and dragged him out.
Woo-woo...
The piercing sirens made the other Eel Farm employees hurriedly put down their work.
"What's going on?" Lao Zhao, the electrician, looked utterly confused.
Zhang Xiaodong, who had been in the break room with Xiao Cai just moments earlier, ran out in lingering fright and told several coworkers what had happened.
After hearing it, everyone started cursing.
"Backstabbing traitor..."
"Bastard!"
"No wonder he was acting so sneaky the last few times I saw him. He'd been planning this all along."
"I just hope the company's losses aren't too severe."
"Yeah! Good companies like this are hard to find these days! That damned traitor!"
Clearly, everyone held Jiang Miao and the company in high regard and felt quite loyal to them.
After learning that Xiao Cai had stolen secrets, they all instinctively worried about the company's losses.
If the company suffered severe losses, it would most likely have to save itself by cutting wages, which certainly would not be good news for the employees.
Zhang Xincheng did not waste this opportunity. He struck while the iron was hot and gathered all the farm employees together.
In the open space, all the employees were whispering among themselves.
Only when Zhang Xincheng came out did the discussion stop.
"I'm sure everyone has heard about it."
After a brief pause, Zhang Xincheng continued, "This incident was due to my own negligence, and Cai Yingyu acted with ill intent. It has nothing to do with any of you. Although the company's Secret Recipe was stolen, there has not been any major impact for now. However, the good days of making money from Eel Fry will not last much longer. Everyone, work harder while other companies have yet to obtain that Secret Recipe, so we can produce more Eel Fry."
"No problem!"
"It's all that troublemaker Cai Yingyu's fault!"
"Don't worry, Manager. I, Lao Zhao, will make sure the power supply is secure."
Zhang Xincheng was very satisfied with their reaction. Although the company had not actually suffered any losses, that did not stop him from using the incident to establish the company as the victim.
As for Xiao Cai, after being taken to the Economic Investigation Team,
he confessed everything in less than half an hour.
After all, there was no point in refusing to confess. His QQ, WeChat, phone records, and other communications had already been investigated, and all their contents had been compiled.
Fang Hongbin looked at the preliminary investigation report in his hand. "He received 1.5 million from the other party, and that person is even from Ryukyu? This is troublesome."
"Captain, we should report this immediately. Based on the identity information we obtained from the Paris Peninsula Hotel, that person is currently staying at a business hotel in Peng City. I'm worried that if we are even one step too late, they'll fly back to Ryukyu. It'll be difficult to arrest them then," Ma Qiang suggested.
Fang Hongbin nodded. "I'll report the situation immediately and do everything we can to minimize Hai Lu Feng Company's losses."
The Economic Investigation Team's seriousness was only natural, mainly because the amount involved was simply too large.
Meanwhile, Jiang Miao met Zhang Xincheng, who had rushed over in a hurry, at the headquarters office.
After listening to Zhang Xincheng's account, he was not surprised. Still, he instructed, "Brother-in-law, have someone quietly spread the news. Make sure everyone in Ma Gong Town and the surrounding areas knows about this."
"Why?" Zhang Xincheng did not understand at first.
"Cai Yingyu's family!"
The moment he heard those words, Zhang Xincheng immediately understood Jiang Miao's concern.
In this internet age, rumors spread especially easily. Jiang Miao therefore chose to strike first and firmly establish himself as the victim. Then, no matter how Cai Yingyu's family caused trouble, he and Hai Lu Feng Company would remain in an unbeatable position.
Otherwise, if Cai Yingyu's family spread rumors first, many people would form preconceived opinions. Even if the truth was clarified later, it would still be easy to end up pleasing no one.
If the family did not come to make trouble, Jiang Miao naturally would not expand the spread of the matter.
But precautions had to be prepared just in case.
He had already instructed Jiang Haibo's Legal Department to prepare a lawsuit against that Ryukyu company, while also getting ready to sue anyone who spread rumors.
At the same time, he had Zhang Xinyi from the Online Store Department post sponsored articles and videos playing up their plight on several major social media sites, secretly preparing to buy traffic and conduct crisis public relations.
Sure enough.
At around four that afternoon,
more than a dozen of Cai Yingyu's relatives arrived with their families and began causing trouble at the entrance to company headquarters.
Jiang Miao naturally would not go out to meet them. If they were willing to risk their lives, he would be putting himself in danger.
Ke Yong, another strong young security guard, and five or six strong young male employees shouted from behind the barricade, "We've already called the police. If you refuse to leave, the company has lawyers ready. Just wait for your court summons!"
"My son! What a miserable fate you have! How can you falsely accuse a good man..." Cai Yingyu's mother wailed and rolled around on the ground outside the entrance.
Another middle-aged member of the Cai family wore the expression of a peacemaker. "My nephew has never stolen or robbed anything in his life. What your company is doing is simply outrageous. How about this? We each take a step back. You issue a letter of forgiveness, and we can put this matter to rest. What do you say?"
"Do you know what Cai Yingyu did? This is a criminal case." Ke Yong laughed angrily. "Do you know how much the technology he stole was worth? At least two hundred million! If you dare to pay two hundred million for a private settlement, our boss will issue you a letter of forgiveness immediately!"
"Two hundred million? Why don't you just rob us? And how do you know my nephew stole it? There's no evidence at all. I think you're just trying to bully ordinary people like us." The middle-aged man's face showed both shock and fear. He had not expected the amount involved to be so enormous.
"You don't believe it? Then wait for the news broadcast in a few days!" Ke Yong had barely finished speaking
when police cars arrived on the road nearby.
After the veteran officer from Ma Gong Police Station saw the Cai family, he quickly pulled the middle-aged Cai family member aside.
The veteran officer hurriedly advised him in a low voice, "Lao Cai Tou, stop making trouble, or you'll be in over your head."
"But my nephew..."
"Do you know how serious what he did was? The whole city is talking about it now."
"Was that technology really worth two hundred million?"
The veteran officer only spoke up because they had had some dealings back in their hometown. "It's worth no less than that. Your nephew took 1.5 million from a Ryukyu person and helped them steal Hai Lu Feng Company's technical documents. The cash is in an apartment at Jinding Bay. If you keep making trouble, Hai Lu Feng Company will fight your family to the bitter end."
"Gulp..." Lao Cai Tou's face had already gone pale from fright. After all, Hai Lu Feng Company had had technology worth two hundred million stolen from them. The fact that they had not come after the Cai family was already a sign of great magnanimity.
"Scared now? Then hurry up and take your sister-in-law and brother home. Stop making a scene here."
"Got it, got it. I'll take them back right away."
Lao Cai Tou quickly called over his son and pulled his elder brother aside.
Before long, the Cai family fled with pale faces.
Seeing them leave, Ke Yong let out a slight sigh of relief. Although he was a veteran, he could not use deadly force. If a fight broke out, that would be the real trouble.
"Thanks, Lao Zhou."
The veteran officer smiled and shook his head. "Just doing my duty. So, is this matter settled for today?"
Ke Yong nodded. "Yes. As long as the Cai family doesn't come here to make trouble unreasonably, our boss can't be bothered with them. After all, Cai Yingyu is the one who committed the crime. It has nothing to do with his family."
"I'll make sure to persuade Old Cai and the others. Cai Yingyu was in the wrong to begin with. If they dare come and make trouble again, call me directly." The veteran officer shook hands with Ke Yong.
"Sorry to trouble you all." Ke Yong watched the police cars leave.
Only then did he run upstairs to report what had happened to Jiang Miao.
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