Chapter 53 Death by Drowning

Chapter 53 Death by Drowning

Thirty or forty police officers were working diligently in the warehouse.

Lin Yufan had the contractor take measurements, planning to replace the doors of the two old warehouses and make some renovations, as both warehouses could still be used.

Captain Zhuang noticed that the warehouse was covered in dust, which indeed didn’t appear to have been used recently to hide anything.

But he remained suspicious of foul play.

Watching Lin Yufan and the interior decorator measuring the door, he couldn’t help but step forward and ask, "Mrs. Zhao, how long have you had this paper mill?"

Lin Yufan answered truthfully, "We negotiated for a month or two. The price was too high before, so I didn’t buy it. Later, the seller lowered the price, and I finalized the purchase."

Captain Zhuang asked again, "Have you not overseen it since the purchase?"

"During the transaction, my brother conducted the inspection, but not as thoroughly as the inventory check today. We appreciate your help; otherwise, we wouldn’t know how long it would take us to verify it ourselves." After saying this, Lin Yufan smiled and nodded in gratitude.

The kind-hearted Captain Zhuang: "..."

The contractor came over and asked Lin Yufan, "Mrs. Zhao, what type of doors are you considering for the warehouses?"

"What kind of door is more durable?"

"Fire-rated copper doors are the most durable. They’re just a bit expensive."

Lin Yufan really didn’t want to overspend on the paper factory, "We don’t need such good doors; standard door panels will suffice. The warehouse stores paper and pulp. Even if someone breaks in, stealing would be difficult."

The contractor didn’t expect the wealthy Mrs. Zhao to be so stingy. He tentatively asked, "Would used door panels be acceptable? They’re iron and also very durable."

"How much less would they cost?"

"Half the price."

That much cheaper?

Lin Yufan didn’t hesitate, "Then let’s use second-hand ones."

Indeed stingy!

The contractor agreed promptly.

Zhao Zhiao, regarded as the wealthiest in Hong Kong, his wife purchased a run-down factory without verifying the inventory at the time of purchase, and now she’s skimping on used doors. Such contradictions made Captain Zhuang, standing by, feel more and more that if Lin Yufan wasn’t deliberately putting on a show in front of him, it just didn’t add up logically.

Captain Zhuang asked again, "Mrs. Zhao, why would you want to buy a paper factory in such a remote location?"

Lin Yufan explained, "Because I bought a publishing house and need paper."

"Are you planning to build a factory building later?" Captain Zhuang pointed to the area behind the factory.

"My factory building is sufficient; I’m building a warehouse."

Building a warehouse?

Too suspicious!

Lin Yufan stared at him, probably guessing what he was thinking, and deliberately said, "You come and search carefully; you’ll feel at ease, and so will we."

Captain Zhuang quietly mulled over the words.

Lin Yufan checked her watch—it was already 4:30. She still needed to get her hair styled, so she said goodbye to Director Gao and got ready to head out.

Before leaving, Lin Yufan pulled Fifth Brother Lin aside and gave him the rundown.

Captain Zhuang lurked behind a pillar, watching everything.

After Lin Yufan left, the police tore the two warehouses of Gangxing Paper Mill apart.

But, of course, they came up empty-handed.

No gold, not even a scrap of extra metal.

Sergeant Li and the cops were bummed out.

Lin Yuwu, who’d been keeping watch, made them put the paper pulp and paper back where they found them.

"The boss’s wife said to put everything back where it belongs," he said.

Sergeant Li just stared, speechless.

If it were anyone else’s factory, the cops would’ve just bailed.

But Zhao Zhiao wasn’t your average guy. Not only was he wealthy, but he was also a friend of the Governor of Hong Kong. The chief had made it clear: if they found nothing, they had to stay polite and not step on any toes.

Sergeant Li had to make his guys put everything back.

The cops were wiped out, and when they turned around, they saw the Nationalist crew casually chewing gum and enjoying the show.

Sergeant Li could only vent his frustration on Captain Zhuang, "We’ve been busting our butts for you, and your guys are just bossing us around! We’re the Royal Police, not your Nationalist lackeys!"

Captain Zhuang, dusty and coughing, was at a loss with Director Gao’s task force. He quickly comforted him, "Sergeant Li, everyone has worked hard. I’ve already put in for a bonus for everyone."

Sergeant Li was full of complaints, "What good’s an empty promise? How about something real?"

Captain Zhuang immediately took out money and handed it to Cui Yuan, instructing him to reserve a spot at a nearby restaurant and order food for a late-night bite.

They finally wrapped up around 11.

Captain Zhuang went to the paper mill’s office to find Lin Yuwu. Before entering, he overheard Lin Yuwu instructing Tie Long, "Make those cops check every inch of the factory so they don’t come back."

Tie Long replied, "Let them come. We have nothing to hide."

"You don’t understand. This is what my sister specifically instructed. Starting tomorrow, have the construction team build the wall higher."

Tie Long acknowledged.

On the way back, Captain Zhuang went over the day’s events in his mind carefully.

Mrs. Zhao was so calm because she knew there was no stolen goods in the paper mill.

She had them meticulously check every corner, not missing a single spot. Why?

For what Lin Yuwu had said earlier—to have the police mark Gangxing Paper Mill as a safe zone and not return.

She’d been putting on an act, pretending not to care about the mill, but she was raising walls and building warehouses in the middle of nowhere at a sketchy time...

Captain Zhuang grew more and more excited. If he wasn’t mistaken, after the police left and marked Gangxing Paper Mill as a safe zone, Zhao Zhiao would likely move the stolen goods into the paper mill for storage.

After all, the police are unlikely to search the hard-to-access paper mill warehouse again, and they probably wouldn’t want to either.

He needs to share his thoughts with Linghu right away so the higher-ups can coordinate the next ambush.

As for Director Gao and his team, not only are they useless, but they might also have spies. He decided to keep them in the dark for now.

*

Lin Yuwu went back to the Zhao family garden and updated Lin Yufan first.

Lin Yufan told Fifth Brother to head back to his room and get some rest. When she got back, Zhao Zhiao had already freshened up and was pouring himself a drink at the living room bar.

He asked, "Are the police gone?"

"They just left, complaining the whole time."

She sat at the bar and said, "I’ll have one too."

Zhao Zhiao glanced at his wife and poured her some low-alcohol red wine, "I can’t help but notice you seem pretty pleased, even though your paper mill got searched."

Lin Yufan watched him pour the wine, "They’re watching us so closely; they must suspect you."

Zhao Zhiao remained silent.

Lin Yufan leaned on the bar, gazing up at him. She didn’t push him to admit whether he was the one behind it.

She remembered that on Wang Junyao’s birthday, Zhao Zhiao and Zhang Aiming vanished for at least two hours, saying they were on the phone. It was just too convenient to be a coincidence.

Zhao Zhiao: "You staring at me like that might give me the wrong idea…"

It wouldn’t be out of the question to do it right here on the bar.

Lin Yufan was worried he might try something right there, so she quickly changed the subject: "I laid a trap for them today; let’s see if they bite."

"What trap?"

Lin Yufan explained her thoughts and actions, then said, "They probably think I’m putting on an act, trying to get the police to mark the Hongxing Paper Mill’s warehouse as a safe zone for some hidden agenda."

She’d mentioned helping them before, and now she was doing it in a low-risk way, redirecting their attention.

"For a while, they’ll probably keep a close watch on Hongxing Paper Mill and might even search it again."

Zhao Zhiao hadn’t realized his wife was so sharp.

Lately, the police have been searching everywhere aggressively, and it’s been overwhelming.

If Lin Yufan could shift the security department’s focus, they could use the chance to move the gold and artifacts.

And the beauty of this plan is—

It’s all just one big misunderstanding.

Lin Yufan draws attention without risking a thing.

It’s all a mind game!

Zhao Zhiao raised his glass and gently clinked it with hers, then sighed, "If you were to write a party application, I suspect Zhang Aiming would immediately accept it and become your sponsor."

Lin Yufan was thoroughly amused: "Really? I just thought of it on the fly, working with what I had."

"It shows you’re sharp-minded, exactly the kind of talent the Party urgently needs."

Lin Yufan tentatively asked with a smile, "So, can I join the Communist Party?"

Zhao Zhiao decisively refused, "Absolutely not, I can’t allow it. The Military Statistics Bureau’s spies in Hong Kong are multiplying. If you join the Party, they’ll have every reason to kill you. Staying a socialite and wealthy lady is the safest bet. As you are now, without joining the Party, you can still contribute to the Party and the country."

Stick to safe, risk-free tasks.

Lin Yufan was just curious; she didn’t have any grand ambitions or must-achieve goals.

But she was curious, "That man with gold-rimmed glasses, Captain Zhuang—I noticed he seems to clash with Director Gao. Is he from the secret service?"

Zhao Zhiao nodded, "His name’s Zhuang Ziguang, a team leader in the secret service. We’re trying to uncover his superior, but we’re still in the dark. Zhuang Ziguang is dangerous—don’t provoke him."

Lin Yufan sipped her wine and nodded, "Got it. I’ll steer clear."

Over the next week, as Hongxing Paper Factory’s walls were quietly raised, construction workers arrived to build new warehouses.

Oddly, construction materials were transported only at night, and someone kept watch daily from the factory’s second floor with a telescope.

What’s more, Zhao Zhiao and his wife visited the site together, staying a full two hours before leaving.

These signs pointed to a secret—or an impending one—inside Hongxing Paper Factory.

Captain Zhuang and the police elite kept a constant watch around Hongxing, waiting for a trigger, unsure when the lost treasures would arrive.

"If we act too soon, they might not be here yet—we can’t rush."

Once the new warehouse is up and construction workers thin out, it’ll be time.

At their current pace, the warehouse will be done in 20 days max.

It’s close.

*

Qunqing Press became Seeking Light Press.

Lin Yufan stepped into the role of President, Director Chen stayed in his position, the Chief Editor spot remained open, and Hui Yan was promoted to Editor-in-Chief.

Wang Muxun moved to the editorial department, while others juggled multiple roles.

They became a small but elite publishing house.

In the freshly decorated third-floor office, everyone gathered for a meeting.

"Before, workloads were light—tasks like applying for book numbers were handled by Sister Hong. Naturally, as workloads grow, wages will be adjusted accordingly. Director Chen, you’re in charge of adjusting the wages."

Director Chen agreed, "Okay, I’ll make a plan first."

Everyone was happy with this arrangement.

People in this era have heavy family burdens, and everyone is willing to do more work for higher wages.

Lin Yufan sat at the head and said, "In the past month, while the office was being decorated, we didn’t come to work, but we weren’t idle. Everyone did a basic survey of the book and magazine market in Hong Kong. Hui Yan, you tell everyone about the research results."

Hui Yan, leading for the first time but with the demeanor of a leader, opened her notebook, "Our editorial department, A Jin, Brother Zeng, and I did two research reports, which have already been submitted to the President. I’ll briefly report the results here."

"Hong Kong now has a population of over 1.8 million, and recently there has been a large increase in population migrating from the mainland. This migrating population has a high literacy rate and are enthusiasts of newspapers, magazines, and books, so the space in the reading market is quite large."

"Currently, most magazines are monthly or bimonthly, with content mainly focused on serious literature and current affairs commentary, lacking entertaining magazines."

The book market is similar; while there are popular novels, they still pose a relatively high reading barrier, lacking novels that cater to ordinary folks.

"..."

Once Hui Yan had finished, Lin Yufan asked for everyone's input.

Currently, the press has a novel by Ji Shutong slated for publication, along with two popular novels in the printing queue.

There were other plans initially, but Lin Yufan scrapped them all.

Director Chen was the first to speak: "Our press isn't turning a profit right now. If the editorial department's research is on point, our next move should be to publish novels with a lower barrier to entry, ones that appeal to the average person."

Brother Zeng, still carrying the air of a scholar, said: "The threshold for popular novels is already quite low. Lowering it further might degrade our press's reputation, tarnishing our image and deterring big-name authors from collaborating with us in the future..."

A Jin shared this concern: "Exactly. If we lower our standards, those renowned authors might not want to work with us."

This is indeed a problem.

Lin Yufan suggested: "Here's an idea: instead of renaming the press, let's keep it as Qunqing Press and focus on publishing various street novels."

Street novels have immense potential. In the past, about three or four years later, a type of novel called the 50-cent novel became hugely popular among the masses.

The 50-cent novel sold for just 50 cents each—cheap, short, and easy to understand, with each book containing only 30,000 to 40,000 words. Both men and women loved them.

Given the current price level, they could consider launching a 30-cent novel, selling each for just 30 cents, gradually.

Hui Yan grasped the idea, "So, we stick with the Qunqing name to launch the 30-cent novel you just mentioned, President?"

Lin Yufan nodded: "Exactly. Meanwhile, other novels will be published under the Seeking Light Press banner. We'll operate separately, much like factory production lines."

This is doable!

Director Chen expressed concern: "The 30-cent novel is so cheap; after costs, there won't be much profit, right?"

Lin Yufan had crunched the numbers at home: "Small profits, quick turnover. Publishing street novels is entirely different from literary novels. We can publish ten or twenty street novels simultaneously. Assuming a 10-cent profit per novel after costs, ten thousand copies would net us 1000 yuan. Producing 50,000 copies a month could bring in 5000 yuan. Other novels couldn't possibly print, publish, and sell 50,000 copies, but with ten or twenty street novels collectively hitting that number, it's entirely feasible."

That's 5000 yuan a month, 60,000 yuan a year!

We'd turn losses into profits in no time!

As soon as this plan was laid out, everyone seemed to be savoring the success.

A Tang was excited: "I think it's doable. Many people with limited education, who lack the time or money for movies, can easily read street novels at home. At 30 cents, everyone can afford it."

Lin Yufan: "Exactly. The goal is affordability and accessibility. They can also share and pass them around."

Wang Muxun pondered, "A book with 30,000 to 40,000 words—wouldn't that be quite slim?"

Lin Yufan had thought about this: "Print it smaller, slightly larger than a palm, making it thicker and easier to carry."

Sister Dao smiled: "Then it can easily fit in a pocket, taken anywhere, read anywhere."

Hui Yan: "It's somewhat like a comic book, but without pictures—just text. The reading content is more substantial, and the audience is certainly broader than that of comic books."

Wang Muxun, more knowledgeable about printing, suggested: "We could use color for the cover. The cost wouldn't increase much, but it would enhance the book's appeal and make the 30 cents seem more worthwhile."

Lin Yufan found the suggestion feasible.

A Jin: "We can recruit more writers for long-term collaboration on these street novels. Writing 30,000 to 40,000 words is quick. For some writers in prolonged hardship, writing street novels could help them make ends meet."

Brother Zeng was worried about how things would pan out and suggested, "We should probably give them some samples to go off of, otherwise, I’m afraid they might miss the mark."

Hui Yan thought for a moment and said, "We don’t really need samples. We can outline the general direction of the 30cent novels and how to make them more engaging and sellable. We’ll detail all the requirements and then find suitable writers to discuss individually. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem."

The more they talked, the more fired up they got, all seeing potential and profit in this direction.

Their publishing house could only survive if it turned a profit.

After hashing out the publishing direction and setting the tone, everyone prepared to divide the work.

Lin Yufan raised her hand slightly, "Hold off on dividing the work for now, we still haven’t talked about the magazine."

Wang Muxun couldn’t help but ask, "I’ve been meaning to ask, why are we looking into magazines?"

Lin Yufan said, "Because I want to start a magazine."

Everyone exchanged glances; they were a publishing house with no magazine experience.

But Lin Yufan and Wang Muxun did.

Wang Muxun was a bit surprised, "Are we going to make a fiction magazine?"

Lin Yufan shook her head, "Fiction alone might not have that much impact."

She didn’t have grand ambitions in other areas, but in this, she had big plans.

"I want to create a magazine mainly focused on interesting stories, encompassing everything as long as it’s interesting and legal. I’ve also thought of a name, 'Panorama'."

Now that’s interesting.

Hui Yan perked up, "We’ll get writers to contribute?"

Lin Yufan: "We can write some ourselves, but mostly we’ll get writers to contribute. We’ve got plenty of writer connections, right? Some writers can churn out 30cent novels, some writers don’t want to lower themselves and won’t write, then we can get them to pitch to 'Panorama'. As long as the first issue is successfully published, the rest will be easy. Publish 'Panorama' under the name of Seeking Light Press, and use 'Panorama' as a base to attract various excellent writers, making these excellent writers believe in and choose Seeking Light to publish their future works..."

Thus slowly developing and expanding Seeking Light.

Director Chen nodded, "This magazine has potential. But it might cost a lot of money."

Lin Yufan revealed her plan, "Use the 30cent novels to make money, and gradually nurture 'Panorama'."

It’s great to follow a boss with goals, ideals, and money.

Everyone said it was feasible!

A Jin asked, "Is 'Panorama' a biweekly or a monthly?"

Lin Yufan: "The initial plan is biweekly. Two issues a month. To make it happen, we definitely don’t have enough manpower. Who is willing to be responsible for the preparation of 'Panorama'?"

Obviously, being responsible for 30cent novels might be a bit far from the ideal, but the salary should be higher.

The editorial department yearned for 'Panorama', but real life pressed them to choose 30cent novels.

Seeing everyone silent, Wang Muxun volunteered, "I can write for 'Panorama', and I can also be responsible for other matters of the magazine."

It was rare for Wang Muxun to take responsibility, Lin Yufan smiled, "Good. Then 'Panorama' is tentatively led by Wang Muxun, and 30cent novels led by Hui Yan. Next, list out how many people you need to hire."

Director Chen, who was more frugal than Lin Yufan, knew the publishing house didn’t have much money, "For now, use the four editors we have, and hire one more for each side. Any more would be too much pressure."

A Tang joked, "The boss hasn’t said the pressure is big, Director, your pressure doesn’t have to be that big either."

The others joined in the laughter.

Even though the publishing house wasn’t turning a profit at the moment, no one was overly concerned. After all, Mrs. Zhao was certainly not strapped for cash.

Lin Yufan currently had over two hundred thousand dollars at her disposal, so she wasn’t really feeling the pressure. For now, she could easily support them, but for long-term planning, Director Chen had a point.

She said, “Listen to Director Chen.”

He Xiaoqing, seated beside Lin Yufan, swiftly took down the meeting notes. She noticed her cousin was a completely different person at the publishing house than at home.

At the publishing house, her cousin shone, radiating the aura of a true leader.

The more she observed, the more she admired.

After the meeting, they quickly divided up the tasks, and Sister Dao headed out to get afternoon tea for everyone.

The boss picked up the tab, and everyone was thrilled.

*

At the early morning harbor, the mist slowly lifted.

Ji Shutong, carrying his luggage, followed the crowd off the ship. His wife stayed behind in Haicheng.

He first had to find Director Gao at the Hong Kong office.

Ji Shutong had initially planned to report the situation to the right people in Haicheng, but the political landscape had shifted dramatically. In just a few months, Haicheng’s officials had been replaced once more, and he couldn’t tell friend from foe.

Moreover, the Nationalists and Communists were locked in fierce combat in Xuzhou, and the Nanjing government was gearing up to move south. Haicheng was also gripped by panic.

Besides, distant water won’t put out a nearby fire. He had no choice but to come to Hong Kong and relay the truth he’d learned from Zhao Yanhui to Director Gao. Letting Director Gao handle it was the best course of action.

He wanted those who harmed his father and brother to pay with their lives!

If Director Gao couldn’t help him get revenge, then he would have to hire assassins himself.

As long as he could afford it, there were plenty of desperate killers in Hong Kong.

After avenging his father and brother and handling matters here, he planned to take his sister back to Haicheng to reunite with his wife, and then go abroad together.

No matter how the domestic situation changed in the future, it would no longer concern him.

After getting off the ship, Ji Shutong looked around for his driver, but he didn’t see him anywhere.

He had to walk out, hoping to find him outside.

As he walked, he noticed someone waving at him from a distance.

“Second Young Master Ji!” the person called out.

Ji Shutong looked closely and recognized the person; it was a colleague of his elder brother.

A team leader under Director Gao.

He couldn’t recall the name at the moment.

The person squeezed through the crowd and introduced himself, “Second Young Master Ji, I am Cui Yuan. Director Gao sent me to pick you up.”

Hearing that Director Gao had sent someone to pick him up, Ji Shutong was both surprised and pleased. He greeted with a smile, “Team Leader Cui, long time no see. How did Director Gao know I was arriving in Hong Kong today?”

Cui Yuan took the luggage from Ji Shutong’s hand, “He probably heard it from your sister? The director has urgent matters to discuss with you, so he specifically sent me to pick you up. This way, the car is parked outside.”

Ji Shutong walked out of the pier with Cui Yuan, removing his overcoat as he went.

The sun came out, casting warm and gentle rays.

Even in late December, the port city remained warm.

This place was perfect for spending the winter.

Two days later, Ji Shutong's body was washed ashore by the sea, with no visible injuries, having drowned.