Chapter 206: The Store Was Vandalized
Li Dong and his family didn't stay long in Qingyang. After visiting Li Chenghui in the morning, they returned to Dongping in the afternoon. Originally, Li Dong had planned to stay through the Mid-Autumn Festival with his parents before leaving.
However, upon arriving in Dongping, Li Dong received several phone calls.
After the calls, Li Dong was momentarily stunned before informing his parents that he needed to go back to Pingchuan.
Cao Fang and Li Chengyuan, understanding that he had urgent matters, did not insist on his stay and merely advised him to handle his business in Pingchuan.
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Li Dong rushed back to Pingchuan without stopping.
When he entered Pingchuan, it was nearly nine o'clock. By the time he reached the Global Building, it was already ten.
Typically, at this hour, the headquarters would have been closed. However, today, the conference rooms were still lit.
Upon entering, Li Dong found Sun Tao, Liu Qi, and others discussing matters.
Seeing Li Dong, Liu Qi immediately stood up, "President Li..."
Li Dong waved his hand dismissively, skipped pleasantries, and asked, "What's the current situation?"
Sun Tao replied in a somber tone, "Out of five convenience stores, three have been vandalized, and the glass doors of the other two were smashed. The employees are fine, and those two stores can resume operations tomorrow. However, the shelves in the other three stores were destroyed, and some employees sustained minor injuries. Those stores will likely need to close for a while."
"Are the people okay?" Li Dong asked urgently.
"They're not seriously hurt. A few days of rest should suffice."
Li Dong sighed in relief that there were no major injuries but was soon infuriated. "Broad daylight, and five stores are vandalized. Are the police useless?"
It was particularly shocking because these convenience stores were in the city center, a bustling area. To have them vandalized and the culprits escape without police intervention was infuriating. Li Dong had previously donated ten vehicles to the city bureau, with an agreement that patrols would increase around the stores. Now, with the stores vandalized and no police action, Li Dong was understandably upset.
Sun Tao said helplessly, "The vandals acted swiftly. They were in and out in less than five minutes. Their goal wasn't to injure anyone; they just vandalized and then split up."
"Do we know who did this?" Li Dong asked, shifting focus from blaming the police to identifying the culprits.
"The most likely suspects are the supermarkets. Although our convenience stores are small, they have taken a significant share of their business in recent days."
"Do they have the nerve?" Li Dong frowned, skeptical.
While it seemed plausible that the supermarkets might be behind it due to their loss of business, Li Dong found it hard to believe they would resort to such extreme measures. Normally, businesses engage in price wars, networking, or official complaints, not vandalism. The idea of established supermarkets orchestrating such an act seemed far-fetched. Moreover, the simultaneous attacks on five separate stores, scattered across three supermarket areas, suggested possible collusion or a different motive altogether.
Li Dong considered whether he had recently offended anyone but couldn't recall any significant issues that would warrant such retaliation.
"Are there any leads from the police?" Li Dong asked, hoping for some progress.
Sun Tao shook his head. "We sent over the store surveillance footage, but no suspects have been apprehended. The police currently have no further information."
Li Dong frowned and said, "Get the three stores up and running as soon as possible. If the supermarkets are behind this, they might strike again. We need to send some security from Longhua to monitor the area. I'll call the city bureau to increase patrols there."
Everyone nodded. Their immediate task was to prevent further incidents.
After discussing the store situation, Li Dong told Sun Tao, "I'll visit the injured employees tomorrow. Mr. Sun, please accompany me."
Sun Tao agreed, acknowledging the importance of reassuring and supporting the employees despite their minor injuries.
Since it was late, Li Dong didn't linger on the store repair discussion and dismissed everyone.
After the others left, Li Dong remained in the office. Zhou Haidong and Zheng Long soon walked in.
Li Dong greeted them and instructed Zhou Haidong, "Have Wang Cheng and the others keep an eye on the two stores still operating. I suspect they might come back."
The three stores that had not been vandalized were still at risk. Although security from Far Horizon had been dispatched, they were ordinary guards and might not be sufficient. Wang Cheng and his team were elite and better suited for surveillance.
Zhou Haidong agreed and asked, "If they return, should Wang Cheng and his team take action?"
"No, just observe. If they flee, focus on locating their base and inform the police."
Li Dong preferred not to expose Wang Cheng's team unnecessarily for such minor disturbances.
Zhou Haidong acknowledged the instruction without further comment.
Li Dong then asked Zheng Long about Wang Jia, who had left.
Zheng Long looked apologetic and said, "I couldn't stop her. Miss Wang insisted on leaving for the capital due to work. I tried to call you, but she stopped me. After sending her to the station, I called you."
Li Dong frowned, understanding Wang Jia's reasons. She likely left to escape further troubles from Hu Wanlin and to seek better financial opportunities in the capital. Her mother's surgery went well, but the subsequent expenses were significant. Wang Jia had to leave Pingchuan to earn more money, something she couldn't achieve there.
Li Dong had initially planned to arrange a job for Wang Jia at Far Horizon but hadn't had the chance to mention it due to her being at the hospital. Wang Jia's departure clarified her desire to avoid indebting herself further to him. While Li Dong was willing to help, he respected her decision.
People have their own paths, and Li Dong couldn't force Wang Jia to accept his assistance.