mtl008 Chapter 644 Maybe they really will consider it.
Chapter 644 Maybe they really will consider it.
Li Xiangyang nodded, having a clear understanding of the entire sequence of events.
“Xiaowei, you have two choices now,” Li Xiangyang said calmly but firmly, “either cooperate with me and help me find these people, or…”
Zhang Xiaowei nodded hurriedly, "Boss, I'm willing to cooperate. I'm willing to do anything to protect my daughter's safety."
“Okay, then you can continue contacting them as planned. But from now on, you need to tell me everything they tell you.” Li Xiangyang took out a pen and paper. “Write down that phone number.”
Zhang Xiaowei wrote down a string of numbers with trembling hands. Li Xiangyang glanced at it; it was a local number, but he didn't recognize it.
When will they contact you next?
"It's usually every Wednesday at 8 PM," Zhang Xiaowei thought for a moment. "Tomorrow is Wednesday."
"Very good. Tomorrow night, you will contact them as usual, but you must report according to what I told you." Li Xiangyang closed his notebook. "Remember, not a single detail can be wrong."
After Zhang Xiaowei left, Li Xiangyang immediately called Wang Ergou.
"Ergou, how's the investigation going in the county?"
"Found it. There is indeed a Huaxin Trading Company, but it's only been established for a short time, only three months." Wang Ergou's voice was filled with excitement. "What's even more interesting is that the company's registered address is an empty house; it hasn't actually been operating at all."
Li Xiangyang sneered: "A typical shell company. Who's the registered owner?"
"His name is Zhao Jianjun, and his ID card shows he's from out of town. I had someone check it, and they found there's something wrong with the ID number; it's very likely fake."
Just as he suspected. Li Xiangyang's suspicions were confirmed; this was definitely not a simple business competition.
In the afternoon, Li Xiangyang called Lao Ma and Xiao Li to his office for separate talks. Their reactions were identical to Zhang Xiaowei's; they were forced to cooperate after being threatened. Furthermore, the information they provided was largely the same: there were three or four people on the other side, all with accents from other regions, who specialized in collecting various information about the factory.
"It seems their target is very clear." That evening, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou analyzed the situation. "They want more than just production information; they also want our financial situation, staffing, and even information about our partners."
"This looks like they're doing due diligence before an acquisition," Wang Ergou frowned. "Could it be that someone is trying to forcibly acquire our factory?"
Li Xiangyang nodded: "Very likely. However, the fact that they're using such covert methods suggests that either they don't want us to know, or they're planning to use illegitimate means."
At 8 p.m. the following day, under Li Xiangyang's guidance, Zhang Xiaowei dialed the mysterious phone number.
Li Xiangyang sat beside him, listening intently to the conversation. The voice on the other end of the phone was that of a middle-aged man, who spoke cautiously and never mentioned his identity.
"Any new developments at the factory lately?" the man asked.
“A major client came for an inspection yesterday, and it seems like he’s going to sign a very large order,” Zhang Xiaowei replied, following Li Xiangyang’s instructions.
"What kind of customer? How big is the order?"
"I don't know the specifics, but I heard it's a large trading company in the south, and the order amount may exceed five million."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then the voice said, "Find a way to get the client's specific information, as well as the contract details."
"I'll give it a try, but this kind of important information is very difficult for me to access."
"Let's find a way. By the way, how's the factory's cash flow lately?"
Zhang Xiaowei glanced at Li Xiangyang and replied with his prepared statement: "I heard from the finance department that we're experiencing some cash flow problems lately, apparently due to excessive investment in expanding production."
"How nervous are you?" The man's tone became noticeably more urgent.
"I don't know the exact figures, but I heard that Mr. Li is considering taking out a loan recently."
After the call ended, Li Xiangyang seemed thoughtful. The other party's unusual concern about the factory's financial situation further confirmed his suspicions.
“Let’s set up a plan tomorrow,” Li Xiangyang said to Wang Ergou. “Since they’re so concerned about our finances, let’s give them some ‘good news.’”
On the morning of the third day, Li Xiangyang deliberately made loud phone calls in the factory, so loud that nearby employees could hear him.
"What? The bank wants us to wait another week? That won't do! Our cash flow is about to dry up!" Li Xiangyang said, feigning anxiety. "Think of another way. If all else fails, we'll try other banks."
After hanging up the phone, he called over Xiao Chen from the finance department and said in front of several employees, "Xiao Chen, calculate it again. If we can't get the loan by the end of this month, how long can we hold out?"
Xiao Chen cooperated well, replying with a worried expression, "Boss, we can only hold on until the middle of next month at the latest. If there's no further funding, we might have to stop production."
These conversations quickly spread throughout the factory. Li Xiangyang noticed that both Lao Ma and Xiao Li seemed unusually excited after hearing the news.
Sure enough, that very evening, the mysterious man contacted Zhang Xiaowei again.
"I heard your factory is having financial problems?" The man's tone was filled with barely concealed excitement.
"Yes, it seems quite serious. Mr. Li has been calling banks all day trying to get a loan," Zhang Xiaowei replied.
"Any other news?"
"I heard from the finance department that if we can't raise the money by the end of the month, the factory might have to shut down."
Whispering could be heard on the other end of the phone, as if several people were discussing something. After a while, the man spoke again:
Has your boss mentioned selling the factory?
"He didn't say it directly, but I've noticed he's been under a lot of pressure lately, so he might actually consider it."
After the call ended, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou exchanged a glance, both seeing the same conclusion in each other's eyes: the fish had taken the bait.
"The key now is to protect the families who are being threatened," Li Xiangyang thought to himself.
He picked up the phone and dialed the number of Zhu, the law enforcement officer in the county.
"Brother Zhu, this is Li Xiangyang. I need your help with something."
"What is it? Tell me," Officer Zhu said crisply.
"Here's the thing, I suspect someone is trying to sabotage my factory. I have some leads, but it involves the safety of several employees' families. Do you think you could arrange for some people to protect them discreetly?"
Enforcement Officer Zhu paused for a moment: "This is a serious matter. What evidence do you have?"
"Evidence is still being collected, but the situation is urgent," Li Xiangyang explained briefly. "It mainly involves three families: Zhang Xiaowei's daughter, Lao Ma's elderly mother, and Xiao Li's wife."
"Okay, I understand. Don't worry, we will absolutely not let criminals harm innocent people."
"Thank you, Brother Zhu."