Chapter 760: Jiaojiao 40

The men who had taken a beating last time all shook their heads. They never wanted to experience that kind of pain again as long as they lived. Besides, now they could support their families with clean money. Why would they go back to getting their hands dirty?

So, when they reached the gates of the rival factory, Li Shun and the big guy kicked the four petty thieves out of the car. They had been very restrained—no beatings, no yelling. A simple scare was all it took for the men to spill everything.

Blackie glared. “Go tell your boss that if he dares to cause trouble again, we won’t be this reasonable next time.”

The four henchmen clutched their legs at the front gate, groaning in pain. How could they dare talk back to Blackie? They had no idea that taking a simple job for cash would mean running into such an immovable wall.

That was Chen Jiao—someone even the Three Dragons Gang was helpless against. As for these low-level thugs… they were just lucky Chen Jiao hadn’t dealt with them personally.

At this thought, the leader, a lanky man they called Beanpole, said with a dark expression, “Find that bastard Wang! He dared to set us up. We’re gonna smash his factory!”

“Yeah, he needs to pay for our damages!”

“We can’t touch her, but you think we can’t handle this Wang guy?”

Chen Jiao, however, had no idea that these men had already turned on the clothing factory boss who hired them. She was fast asleep in Li Shun’s office, and only stirred, frowning, when Li Shun and the others returned and made a commotion.

Zong Qi glanced at Li Shun. “Let’s talk outside.”

Li Shun immediately stood straight. He glanced back into the office where Chen Jiao was sleeping with her face toward the door, her cheeks flushed. For a fleeting moment, Li Shun was captivated, but a low grunt from Zong Qi made him instantly collect himself. “Yes, Brother Qi.”

As he turned, the others followed him into the adjacent conference room.

Li Shun recounted what had happened, and Zong Qi simply tapped his fingers on the table. “Good work. You all know President Chen’s original reason for starting this factory, don’t you? It’s starting to turn a profit, which means it’s time to get the charity initiatives underway.”

Little Liu hesitated. “But our funds are a little tight right now.”

Zong Qi replied, “There are ways to do things with a large budget, and ways to do things with a small one. Think it over. For example, couldn’t you start by looking after the isolated elderly and the orphans in the nearby villages?”

Little Liu understood. “We’ll discuss it and gather some data. Those people really have it tough. The children, especially, have such hard lives.”

Zong Qi nodded. “Write up a proposal afterward. I’ll show it to President Chen.”

“Keep production going at the factory. And if any of you are ambitious, you can try going out to drum up sales. The factory will compensate you well, but on one condition: the books must be kept clean.”

“If anyone gets caught taking kickbacks or skimming off the top, President Chen won’t have to lift a finger. I’ll be the first one to deal with you myself.”

Li Shun chuckled. “Brother Qi, we get it. Don’t you worry. Who would dare touch anything that belongs to President Chen?”

Even though Chen Jiao had made it clear she wouldn’t interfere with the factory’s management, at the end of the day, she was the one who funded it. The factory was hers. Who would be foolish enough to secretly pocket her things?

“It’s just… if we expand production, the workshop will get crowded, and we’ll need to hire more people…”

“Then we’ll find a subcontractor,” Chen Jiao said, standing by the door while holding Zong Qi’s overcoat. “But the labor costs around here are too high. I was thinking of opening a factory in Peng City, but things aren’t exactly peaceful there, and you don’t know anyone. You’d be easily bullied.”

The outspoken Blackie blurted out, “President Chen, you faced the Three Dragons Gang alone today and walked away unscathed. How many fools would dare to cause trouble for you now?”

Chen Jiao froze, her head snapping toward Zong Qi. “‘Faced them alone?’ Has the news already spread that fast?”

Zong Qi gave a slight nod. “I imagine everyone who’s supposed to know, knows by now. But how this all plays out will depend on Brother Hu.”

Chen Jiao made a decision. “Then let’s put that aside for now. Regarding what Brother Qi said about charity, I think he’s absolutely right. We aren’t earning much yet, but you do what you can with what you have. Let’s start small.”

“Like Brother Qi said, let’s start by doing our best to look after the vulnerable elderly and children. But if any local thugs or hooligans dare to show up…”

“Don’t worry, President Chen. No one will dare cause trouble here,” Little Liu said with a smile. “We’re not familiar with the area, so we’ll have to ask our elders back home to get accurate information about the local situation.”

Chen Jiao handed the overcoat back to Zong Qi. “Compile the information and send me a copy of the data. I’ll decide what to do with it. Brother Qi, we’ve been here long enough. It’s time to head back.”

Zong Qi draped the overcoat over Chen Jiao’s shoulders. “You wear it. The night air is chilly. I’m not cold.”

Chen Jiao didn’t object. She slipped on Zong Qi’s overcoat, and a small smile appeared on her face. “Let’s go. I’ll send over the upcoming production schedule and design sketches the day after tomorrow. As for sales…”

She glanced at Zong Qi as she spoke. “Like Brother Qi said, if you want to handle sales, that’s fine. Either way, it’s money for the factory.”

“But let me make one thing clear: no corruption, and no betraying the factory for your own gain.”

Li Shun and the others snapped to attention. “Understood!”

Their shout nearly deafened her. Chen Jiao rubbed her ears. “That’s all for now. We’re leaving. I told you to keep a low profile, but that doesn’t mean you should be afraid of trouble. You’ll have to find the right balance yourselves.”

As soon as Chen Jiao and Zong Qi left, Li Shun and his men packed up and headed home. They all shared the same thought: by tomorrow, Chen Jiao’s name would be known by every gang in the city.

Inside the Three Dragons Gang, the three brothers—Dragon, Tiger, and Leopard—were gathered with all their Hall Masters and Incense Masters. Every eye in the room was fixed on Old Cai, and under their intense scrutiny, a faint sweat broke out on his back.

‘These days of being hauled out of bed to treat a patient… The last time… the last time it was for Ye Rong. This time it’s Brother Long. So, does this mean every time Chen Jiao makes a move, I’m the first one they call?’

Old Cai withdrew his hand with a bitter smile. “My skills are limited. I truly can’t identify what medicine she gave you. But one thing is certain: Brother Hu’s constitution… he’s running extremely hot, and his body is nearing its breaking point.”

“If this isn’t treated soon, in the future, it could lead to…”

Old Cai was being intentionally vague, but all the men in the room understood the implication. In an instant, every gaze in the room drifted down to a certain… unmentionable part of Brother Hu’s anatomy.

Brother Hu clamped his legs together. “What are you all looking at? Doctor Cai, is there a cure for this?”

Old Cai was very cautious. “I can prescribe something, but since I don’t know what you’ve already taken, I’m worried that giving you more medicine rashly could cause harm. Why don’t we observe for a few days first?”

“Once we have a better understanding of the medicine’s effects, I can prescribe a treatment tailored to your condition.”

Brother Hu grumbled under his breath, “I’d like to see what kind of game she’s playing. Doctor Cai, I don’t think what I took was the same as what Ye Rong and the others had. At least I’m not aching all over, and it’s already two in the morning.”