Chapter 585 - 584: Daydream

Both Fengcheng County and Su Li had changed immensely.

Over the past two years, the factory had been a driving force in Fengcheng County’s development, both directly and indirectly.

Compared to before, the roads were newer, the streets were more crowded, and new houses had sprung up everywhere, exuding a vibrant energy.

Su Li had also changed a great deal.

When she left Fengcheng County a few years ago, her edge hadn’t been so sharp. Her aura and appearance were merely outstanding.

But now, upon her return, her looks and attire were a world away from what they once were, and her aura was razor-sharp.

You could say she was a completely different person, and people would believe you.

Su Li’s return was neither high-profile nor low-key. The moment she arrived, anyone who mattered and was paying attention knew about it.

Su Li paid them no mind, unconcerned with how they might react to the news.

After getting in the car, she took the newspaper from the factory manager and began to read.

The article had been published a few days prior, and the author was none other than Zhao Wenming.

At the sight of the name "Zhao Wenming," a murderous glint flashed in Su Li’s eyes.

’Zhao Wenming... oh, Zhao Wenming... After all these years, he just had to show up in front of me again.’

’My run-in with Bai Xinyue happened sooner than expected, and now, after all this time, someone I’d nearly forgotten has crawled out of the woodwork.’

’How interesting!’

Su Li scanned the article, her eyes cold as she took in its contents. The corner of her mouth twitched into a frosty smirk.

Su Li remained silent, and the atmosphere in the car grew heavy. No one dared to speak a word as they drove to the factory in silence.

Meanwhile, not far from the factory, in the home of the former county head, Zhao Wenming squinted, his gaze fixed on the factory in the distance.

"This time... even if I can’t kill you, I’ll make sure you lose a layer of skin."

Zhao Wenming muttered, his eyes filled with a dark, sinister look.

Compared to a few years ago, Zhao Wenming now appeared more polished and refined, but the darkness in his eyes had only deepened.

He hated Su Li. He hated her with a passion.

Back then, Su Li had just up and left without a care in the world, going off to a university he couldn’t even dream of attending, her future boundless.

Meanwhile, he was left to live in her shadow, his life a string of misfortunes.

His teaching career, already overshadowed by her, the "iron rice bowl" he prized above all else, was nearly lost.

Zhao Wenming, this country bumpkin from a poor family, had to put in a hundred times more effort than in his past life. He endured countless hardships and was tormented for two long years before he finally, at long last, managed to marry a coal boss’s daughter.

In the midst of it all, Zhao Wenming wanted to give up countless times. The agonizing torment pushed him to his limit until, in a final, desperate gamble, he managed to pull through.

After moving heaven and earth and using every trick in the book to win over the coal boss’s daughter, he finally married her.

Once married, Zhao Wenming finally pulled himself out of his slump. Life improved. He found a way to get transferred to an elementary school in the county, got his wife pregnant, and his life finally started looking up.

Just as in his previous life, his mother-in-law despised the Zhao family. Consequently, after Zhao Wenming started teaching at the county elementary school, he rarely returned to Xinghua Village and didn’t allow his mother, Fang Yulan, to visit, living a semi-matrilocal life just as before.

Since he didn’t have to go home for the New Year, Zhao Wenming finally made a trip back in advance, only to run into Tang Yuanxiao and Mrs. Tang, who were also returning.

Zhao Wenming had always seen Tang Yuanxiao as a rival. Seeing that Tang Yuanxiao’s son was gone, his money-making wife Su Li was gone, and he was left with only a paralyzed mother, Zhao Wenming felt that he had won, and the feeling was immensely satisfying.

Then, he heard that Su Li was back, driving her own car, which made him feel resentful all over again. And when he heard his mother, Fang Yulan, mention something about a reporter, an idea began to form.

He was known for his fine writing. After getting married, he resumed his old life as a "man of letters," submitting pieces to the newspaper office.

The newspaper had already published two of his poems, so they had a decent working relationship. Considering them acquaintances, he decided to write a news report.

It was a report about Su Li, the behind-the-scenes owner of the Fengcheng County children’s clothing factory, who was raking in cash but refused to support her elderly mother, leaving the old woman destitute and alone.

Why did Zhao Wenming want to slander Su Li? Because he was convinced that every hardship he had ever endured was her fault!

He was unwilling to remain just a teacher, especially an unpopular one. Even though Su Li had been gone for three years, the parents and children in Xinghua Village still remembered her. Whenever he returned, all he heard were praises for Su Li and comments that his teaching couldn’t compare to hers. He felt he could never escape her shadow.

Zhao Wenming wanted to ruin Su Li, to drag her name through the mud. He also hoped that, if possible, this could be his ticket to a job as a reporter at the newspaper.

’A literary talent like him being a mere teacher was a complete waste!’

’If the report gained enough traction, maybe his dream could come true. It was a chance to kill three birds with one stone—why wouldn’t he take it?’

Zhao Wenming spent several days preparing. He even made a special trip to the Su family home to "interview" Miao Fenghua, then submitted his "investigative report" to the city newspaper.

Zhao Wenming had a talent for sensationalist writing. He turned Miao Fenghua, who merely had a cold and a runny nose, into a pitiful, gravely ill woman. In his article, she was so poor she couldn’t afford to go to the hospital and was simply at home, wasting away and waiting to die.

Meanwhile, her daughter, Su Li—the owner of the most famous factory in the county—had supposedly abandoned her. The report claimed she hadn’t been home in three years, never visited, and hadn’t given Miao Fenghua a single penny, completely shirking her filial duties.

In short: she was making a fortune but wouldn’t give her own mother a dime. She was worse than an animal!

The staff at the newspaper were well aware of the famous factory in Fengcheng County. Having worked with Zhao Wenming before, and with his assurance that the story was true, they ultimately decided to publish it.

As journalists, they felt it was their duty to report on such matters.

After the article was published, it drew considerable public attention, catching the eye of television and radio reporters as well.

Eager to cover the story themselves, they flocked to the factory to investigate the situation and also sought out Miao Fenghua.

Miao Fenghua was a sharp one. Seeing the crowd of reporters, she immediately knew what to do. She put on a tearful performance, lamenting how unfilial Su Li was and even threatening to sue her for neglect.

When the county leadership learned of the incident, their first move was to try and block the news reports while having the factory manager contact Su Li.

If this story got out, the fallout would be significant. It would hurt the factory’s bottom line and reflect poorly on the entire county. The matter had to be handled with extreme care.

And that was why Su Li had returned to Fengcheng County to deal with this mess.

Having read the newspaper and listened to the branch factory manager, Su Li now understood the full scope of the situation.

"You didn’t call me all the way back here just to talk about it," she said. "There must be a proposed solution. Or should I say, what are their demands?"

Su Li strode into the factory, sat down in the conference room, and cut straight to the chase.

"Er..." The factory manager, taken aback by her directness, hesitated before speaking. "They’re likely demanding a large sum for support payments... or perhaps shares in the factory."

Su Li let out an icy laugh.

"Of course."

’They have quite the appetite.’

’Unsurprisingly, Miao Fenghua is being coached by a ’mastermind.’’

’And it’s obvious who that mastermind is.’

A mocking sneer touched Su Li’s lips. ’They’re daydreaming!’

"President Su, what’s our next move?" the branch factory manager asked tentatively, noticing the icy set of her lips.

"Our next move? We do nothing and let them stew," Su Li said with a faint smile, then added, "I’m kidding."

Her expression turned serious.

"Tomorrow morning at eight o’clock, invite every reporter who wants an interview to come here. Also, invite my mother, my brother, and the journalist who wrote the original story. We’ll all sit down and have a nice, long talk about this."