Chapter 56: Gou Biao’s Mistress

Before the end of the workday, Jiang Fan arrived at the cafeteria. The manager, eager to please, asked, “Deputy Manager Jiang, would you like me to serve your meal now?”

Jiang Fan waved him off. “No need. Has that damned captain come to eat yet?”

“Not yet. It’s not time for the meal; the cafeteria won’t serve food early. You’re the exception. Deputy General Tang came by earlier and told us you were injured. He asked the kitchen to make you carp soup every day, and he’s already given the money for the groceries to our supervisor.”

Why was Deputy General Tang being so good to him? Jiang Fan felt he was different from the other Taiwanese, and no longer called him a dog.

Determined to catch the captain, Jiang Fan didn’t sit inside but took the manager’s solitary stool and placed it between the two cafeteria doors.

As the factory let out, many employees passing by nodded to him in a friendly way. Most were women, and most greetings came from them.

Jiang Fan, not understanding, touched his cheap watch with his uninjured right hand and muttered, “I don’t even know them. Why are they greeting me? Could it be because I’m handsome?”

Ah Zhen, just off work and leading a colleague, was headed to the small cafeteria to find Jiang Fan. Seeing him outside, talking to himself, she asked curiously, “Brother, thank you. Why are you sitting here alone, and who are you talking to?”

Jiang Fan patted his own face. “Do you think your brother is handsome?”

“Handsome.”

“So that’s why so many girls greet me—turns out it really is because I’m good-looking!”

Ah Zhen laughed. “Brother, don’t be so vain. I said you’re handsome to comfort you. The greetings aren’t about your looks. It’s because you helped us this afternoon and everyone feels good about you, so they greet you politely.”

Jiang Fan knew he wasn’t exactly a handsome man—he’d only been comforting himself, indulging in a little vanity. He didn’t care much about his appearance anymore, nor did he dwell on it.

Noting that Ah Zhen was less shy than before and more familiar, he joked, “If you’re going to comfort me, don’t ruin it by telling the truth. That spoils the fun. But I haven’t asked you—wasn’t your sister working at the dumpling shop? Why are you here for food?”

Ah Zhen pointed to her colleague. “Xiao Ya just joined the factory a few days ago. She’s afraid to break any rules. She has two younger sisters still jobless and no money, so I wanted to help her.”

No sooner had Ah Zhen explained than Xiao Ya tried to bow in thanks to Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan quickly stopped her, joking, “Don’t do that! I want to be a living Lei Feng. If you bow, it means I’ve been repaid, and how can I keep being Lei Feng then?”

Xiao Ya was amused. Like Ah Zhen, she politely said, “Thank you, brother.”

Jiang Fan looked at the two, both as thin and pale as bean sprouts, Xiao Ya just a couple centimeters taller than Ah Zhen. Sympathetically he said, “Both of you look frail, working such long hours. Eat more, put on some weight. As long as I’m here, get your food and wait for me—I’ll fetch you some dishes from the small cafeteria. You work hard for the factory, you deserve to eat well. Now hurry and get your rice, I’ll wait here.”

Ah Zhen asked, “Aren’t you eating?”

“I’m waiting for that damned bastard. I’ll eat later. Go get your food, I’ll wait.”

She asked, “Who’s the damned one?” Ah Zhen, well-mannered, didn’t repeat the word “bastard.”

“The security captain. Who else?”

Ah Zhen replied, “Don’t wait. At the end of the shift, I saw him leave with Manager Liu. You won’t see him today.”

Jiang Fan was disgruntled. “I don’t believe he won’t come back to the factory tonight.”

“They rent a place outside. They don’t stay at the factory. Didn’t you know?”

From appearances, the captain seemed at least ten years older than Manager Liu. Jiang Fan was puzzled. “Are they a couple? I’ve never heard of that.”

“No, not a couple. They both have families. They’re just...”

Ah Zhen stopped herself, realizing it wasn’t right to gossip about their affair.

After Jiang Fan pressed for answers, he learned:

Captain Gou’s real name was Gou Biao. Because he flattered and knew some martial arts, he joined Dafeng when the factory was founded. Manager Liu was introduced by him and was his niece-in-law.

Manager Liu was a high school graduate who started as an HR clerk. She was capable, and Gou Biao used Chen Anlong’s trust to help her get promoted to supervisor. During her promotion celebration, Gou Biao got her drunk and ended up in bed with her.

When she awoke, realizing what had happened, and seeing Gou Biao’s influence in the factory, she chose to live openly with him.

Last year, Manager Liu’s husband came to Dongguan looking for her, found out about the affair, and fought with Gou Biao and Manager Liu at the factory gate. Gou Biao even injured his own nephew. Later, they pooled some money to send Manager Liu’s husband home, and he never returned.

The scandal caused a storm in the factory at the time, so their relationship was no secret at Dafeng.

After hearing Ah Zhen’s account, Jiang Fan asked, “With something like this happening, didn’t the factory intervene?”

Ah Zhen pursed her lips. “He’s the boss’s favorite; no one dares interfere. Some security guards got involved, Manager Liu was right there, and even as they beat her husband, she didn’t try to stop them.”

“That damned bastard called Manager Liu ‘Sister Liu’ this afternoon—I felt something was off. So they’re two of a kind. He’d better not come back. If I see him, I’ll settle scores, old and new.”

Unable to find Gou Biao, Jiang Fan went to the factory gate, worried others might get caught for fetching food, and then he’d feel embarrassed about helping.

The tall security guard saw him approach and quickly grabbed him. “Deputy Manager Jiang, thanks to you, so many people were spared. Without the captain supervising, we won’t have trouble.”

Noticing the guard’s cautious expression, Jiang Fan asked, “Is there something else?”

The guard scratched his head. “We talked about the captain this afternoon. Could you keep it secret for us?”

Jiang Fan saw another guard on the opposite side, nervously glancing at him. He patted the tall guard’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. But I hope you won’t do such silly things anymore.”

Wang Wenyu was arriving early the next day. After dinner, Jiang Fan returned to his dorm to rest.

Lying in bed, thinking about sharing a bed with Wang Wenyu, he was so excited he couldn’t sleep.

To wear himself out, he got up in the middle of the night and walked around the factory twice. Even then, he lay in bed tossing and turning until dawn light crept through the window, and only then did he finally drift into sleep.