Chapter 15: Chen Xiao's Fury

After all, Su Desheng couldn't control Chen Qiang's thoughts of revenge; he couldn't be a mind reader. It was clear that this tactic had worked well.

If someone in the factory genuinely sought revenge, it couldn't be solely Su Desheng's responsibility.

Zhang Biao was seething with anger. The factory had incurred over 10 million in losses due to one worker's act of retaliation.

Su Desheng quickly added, "I had intended to report Chen Qiang to the police that day, but considering his family's difficulties and his son studying in high school, I didn't immediately inform the higher-ups. I thought education should be the priority, and I hoped to repair the equipment."

Su Desheng portrayed himself as sympathetic, moral, noble, and highly responsible. He made it seem like he was only concerned about Chen Qiang's well-being.

Effectively, Su Desheng had shifted most of the blame onto Chen Qiang.

Zhang Biao looked at Chen Qiang, unable to fathom that this seemingly honest-faced individual could harbor such dark thoughts.

Gao Hongze interjected hurriedly, "Chen Qiang and I are on the same team. I can attest that Chen Qiang has been complaining for days, saying that the factory underappreciated him despite his promotion to team leader. He always spoke of seeking revenge, but I assumed he was joking. I never expected him to actually go through with it."

Chen Qiang couldn't contain his anger and shouted, "Gao Hongze, are you trying to discredit me? I covered for you during my shift, and now you're slandering me!"

Gao Hongze cowardly hid behind others and warned, "Everyone, be cautious. Chen Qiang has a violent streak, and he even mentioned wanting to harm someone!"

Gao Hongze turned to Zhang Biao, saying, "Mr. Zhang, you're not from our branch, so you don't know how sinister this person can be. Many people in the factory can testify today!"

Reporters from "Jiangcheng Daily" and Jiangcheng TV diligently recorded the unfolding events, meticulously taking notes. They had even begun drafting their news stories in their minds, such as "Jiangcheng Machinery Factory Employees Seek Retribution Following Promotion Denial, Resulting in the Destruction of Over 10 Million Worth of Imported German Equipment."

The reporters also captured Chen Qiang's enraged and distorted expression on camera, creating a visual portrayal that aligned perfectly with the image of a psychologically dark individual seeking revenge.

Chen Qiang desperately pleaded, "Old Wu (squad leader), you were on duty that night. You know I was helping with the steel plates. It was Gao Hongze who asked me to cover for him. He didn't sleep outside. You can vouch for me!"

Wu Wei, torn between Chen Qiang, Gao Hongze, and Su Desheng, hesitated as he glanced between them. He finally said, "Chen Qiang did complain to me multiple times about the factory treating him unfairly, but did he deliberately seek revenge against me? I genuinely don't know."

With Wu Wei's words, Chen Qiang was pushed further into the pit.

Chen Qiang looked to his fellow worker, Xiao Wang, as if seeking a lifeline and said, "Xiao Wang, we carried the steel plates together that night. After we finished, you went back to sleep. You saw Gao Hongze with your own eyes, asking me to cover for him. President Zhang, please confirm!"

Xiao Wang, a few years younger than Chen Qiang, had always been treated kindly by him. Chen Qiang had even taught Xiao Wang all of his skills, which built trust between them.

Xiao Wang dared not meet Chen Qiang's gaze. Instead, he looked at Su Desheng with fear in his eyes. During these difficult times with layoffs in the factory, job security was a luxury. Whether in the company or elsewhere, people had families to support. Losing one's job would make life incredibly challenging.

In a low voice, Xiao Wang reluctantly said, "I... I often heard Brother Qiang complaining about how the factory mistreated him."

The plan had worked!

Chen Qiang's face turned ashen. He couldn't believe that his boss and colleagues had betrayed him.

Most disheartening for Chen Qiang was the revelation that Su Desheng, the director of the branch factory, who always presented himself as a paragon of benevolence, righteousness, morality, and selfless dedication, was actually a hypocrite who lied shamelessly.

Chen Qiang's worldview crumbled before his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Biao exclaimed, "Su Desheng, oh Su Desheng! When such a major incident occurs, how can you shoulder all the blame alone? This should have been reported to the higher-ups immediately. You could have handled it accordingly! I understand you were concerned for the employees, but routines like these often lead to disastrous consequences for the factory. Can you handle the aftermath?"

From Zhang Biao's tone, it seemed that Su Desheng had successfully absolved himself of responsibility.

Su Desheng let out a long sigh of relief and responded, "Thank you for your guidance, President Zhang!"

Zhang Biao turned to the security department and commanded, "Chen Qiang deliberately destroyed factory equipment out of dissatisfaction with the company. The evidence is conclusive, both in terms of personal testimonies and physical evidence. This incident has had a significant impact on the factory. Your security department cannot handle it alone. Call the police immediately and hand over all evidence to them."

Reporter Yang from Jiangcheng TV was shocked upon hearing Zhang Biao's statement and quickly turned to reporter Li from Jiangzhou Daily, asking, "Mr. Li, considering the gravity of the situation, shouldn't we call the police?"

Reporter Li, a seasoned journalist from "Jiangzhou Daily" who had covered various locations and factories, understood the value of imported CNC machine tools. Each device was worth millions of dollars.

Reporter Li sighed and replied, "When it comes to intentionally seeking revenge and causing losses in the tens of millions, it won't be easy to escape punishment for over a decade."

Zhang Biao concurred, "Captain Zhou, call the police immediately."

Chen Qiang's head was spinning. One phrase reverberated in his mind—intentional revenge with conclusive evidence.

Meanwhile, Chen Xiao stood outside the factory, awaiting Li Delong's delivery van.

This time, Wang Xiang personally brought the goods. "Brother Chen, I apologize for keeping you waiting."

"Brother Xiang, it's a cold day for you to make this trip."

Wang Xiang waved his hand dismissively and said, "What are you saying? You've helped me immensely. It's only right for me to come. But why the urgency with these motherboards?"

Chen Xiao no longer concealed the truth and recounted the events that had unfolded in the factory.

Wang Xiang, a graduate from a prestigious school and considered a talented individual, abhorred injustice and wrongdoing.

Upon hearing Chen Xiao's account, he brimmed with righteous indignation, "Isn't this a scheme to set up honest people? Luckily, you have the skill to design circuit boards. If it were someone else, they would be in deep trouble! Let's go inside and see what caused the machinery to burn."

Witnessing the workers surrounding Chen Qiang, engaging in gossip and sticking posters with accusations, Chen Xiao's nose tingled with anger. He shouted, "Move aside!"

Everyone turned their heads at the sound of Chen Xiao's voice.

Chen Xiao dropped the box containing the motherboards to the ground and declared, "Is there no justice left in this world?"