The Mystery of the Inner Demon

Chapter 250 Unspeakable

Xu Tong shook his bald head: "Ever since I started working for General Manager Qi, I've never known who this No. 0002 is. He never says, and I never ask. At first, I thought this person was out of town, but in the decades since, this person has never shown up."

"You never asked?" Zhong Kui asked with interest.

"This is Mr. Qi's own business. It's common for partners to separate and reunite when starting a business; it's perfectly normal," Xu Tong replied.

"People die for wealth, birds die for food. Dongjun Industry has reached this scale today, yet that veteran No. 0002 hasn't come back to get a share?" Zhong Kui clearly disagreed. "In all these years, has Qi Dongjun never mentioned this person to you?"

Xu Tong shook his head again: "No."

“That’s even stranger. Someone who can hold back for decades is so important that they occupy the number two workstation in the company. It’s obviously not because they’ve forgotten, but because it’s something that can’t be talked about. One doesn’t mention it, and the other doesn’t come.” Zhong Kui played with the pen in her hand and wrote “0002” on a blank piece of paper. “It seems that we have to find this number two.”

Qi Fei's voice came through: "Mr. Xu, do you still remember the first business deal that President Qi asked you to do? Who was the recipient?"

Xu Tong shook his head again: "I don't know about that. Like I said, over the years, my tacit understanding with President Qi is such that if he doesn't say something, I won't ask. That's my basic trust in him."

“But your eyes were darting away,” Zhong Kui said bluntly.

Xu Tong laughed, a laugh that unexpectedly carried a hint of cunning, quite different from his seemingly honest appearance.

Indeed, a company that has weathered decades of ups and downs and has managed to maintain employee number 0003 until now cannot be a blank piece of paper.

“Young lady, you’re overthinking it.” He addressed Zhong Kui as “young lady,” a seemingly affectionate term that was more like a declaration of his seniority and authority.

However, he was not dealing with an ordinary "young girl". Zhong Kui picked up the list prepared by Lu Man and asked slowly, "You should be about the same age as Qi Dongjun, just over sixty years old. As an entrepreneur, that's not a very old age. But I see that you retired from the company's management position a long time ago. Why?"

"What does this question have to do with President Qi's entrepreneurial story?" A hint of doubt flashed in Xu Tong's eyes.

“You are his business partner, and your decision reflects his character. I want to dig into the story behind it,” Zhong Kui replied fluently.

Xu Tong looked at Lu Man, who was sitting quietly to the side: "Was this interview really requested by President Qi?"

"Yes," Lu Man replied succinctly and forcefully. Xu Tong observed the people in front of him, hesitating, until his gaze met Zhong Kui's.

The "little girl" he spoke of stared straight at him, her clear eyes captivating. He just stared, unable to look away for some reason, feeling as if something had touched his heart, stirring up buried emotions that left him with a lump in his throat.

"You know, when someone hates another person, they have a special look in their eyes, we call it the 'eye of guilt.' You just fully expressed your trust and admiration for Qi Dongjun, and I believe you genuinely felt that way. After all, if someone lies to themselves for too long, they'll start to believe the lie is the truth. But your body language is very honest. I mean, the way you were avoiding eye contact just now wasn't random. This peculiar, contradictory look of avoidance and then looking back only appears when you feel ashamed. It seems you don't completely trust Qi Dongjun as you claim, especially with this first shipment. It's the beginning of this entrepreneurial dream, but it seems like a nightmare is chasing you from behind the scenes."

Zhong Kui's voice was ethereal yet so clear, each word drilling into Xu Tong's ears. His nostrils flared slightly, as if he were going through a difficult struggle, before he smiled bitterly and said, "You're not reporters, are you? I guess President Qi is in trouble. After all these years, what I've been worried about has finally happened."

"Since you've already guessed it, then tell us what you know. It's very important for us to save President Qi," Qi Fei said frankly.

Seeing that Xu Tong still hadn't spoken, Zhong Kui immediately said something drastic: "A person who is about to die shouldn't be hesitating like you. Besides, speaking up could save your old buddy."

Her words not only surprised Xu Tong, but also everyone present, who all looked at her with astonishment.

Qi Fei whispered in her ear, "We can't make personal attacks when we're investigating."

“He knows how much longer he has to live,” Zhong Kui said, looking at Xu Tong.

"Who exactly are you?" Xu Tong asked excitedly, his voice suddenly becoming hoarse. He coughed violently and unexpectedly coughed up blood, startling everyone present.

“Fortune teller, your time will not exceed one year,” Zhong Kui continued.

Xu Tong was shocked to hear this: "The doctor said so too! You actually knew that?"

“I also know that the shipment that Qi Dongjun asked you to handle was of dubious origin, and you’ve always known that.” Zhong Kui knew that Xu Tong’s psychological defenses had been breached.

Xu Tong lowered his head: "Yes, don't forget I'm a tailor, and I'm most familiar with fabrics. The batch of fabric that Boss Qi asked me to handle back then was something I'd never seen before. Then I saw some English markings on some corners of the fabric, and the salt crystals seeping out made me think that the water soaking the fabric wasn't ordinary water; it was very likely seawater. While I was puzzled, I made clothes according to the patterns Boss Qi gave me. These batches were very large, clearly made for foreigners. This gradually led me to a conclusion—these fabrics were smuggled. If the fabrics were smuggled, then could the clothes sold to foreigners also be smuggled?"

When Mr. Qi came to me with the payment for the goods, the profit was too high, which further confirmed my suspicions. However, I have never told anyone about this. Nowadays, the thousands of employees of Dongjun Industrial are proud to be a member of the group, and I cannot let them know that Mr. Qi's first pot of gold was obtained through smuggling.

"But I've always been worried that this illegal income will cause us trouble. As time went by, things got better and better, and our business grew bigger and bigger. Now we're involved in various industries and it's no longer the same clothing factory we used to be. This made me a little complacent, thinking that this matter would just pass. I don't understand why these people, who should be as old as us, suddenly came to see President Qi." Xu Tong said, looking at the young people sitting opposite him with a questioning look, as if they knew the answer.