Chapter 30: A Vulnerable Opponent

Director Hu turned the matter over in his mind, then braced himself to call Liu Jianshe. "Director, Comrade Qian Xiaoying hasn't been feeling well lately. She's unable to work on the parts."

Liu Jianshe snapped, "Nonsense! Is this a sanatorium? How long is she planning to be 'unwell'? If you can't resolve this within three days, you can consider yourself laid off as well."

Director Hu broke into a cold sweat. "Understood. I will be sure to urge her."

***

Cheng Shi and Zhang Ziqiang were on their way to the Administration for Industry and Commerce. National ID cards did not exist yet, and since Cheng Shi no longer had a workplace, he had to carry his household registration book to prove his identity.

Zhang Ziqiang had a good laugh at Cheng Shi’s expense.

Cheng Shi shot him a sideways glance. "What good does having a fancy status do you? I haven't seen you accomplish anything of note. Status is proven by strength, not by empty talk."

Zhang Ziqiang scoffed, "Pfft. Why go through all the trouble of registering?"

Cheng Shi replied, "Well, right now I’m barely more than a craftsman, but as production expands, it’s better to have a legitimate enterprise to make business easier."

Playing guerrilla like this wouldn't last forever. Besides, once a private enterprise was established, all assets could be legally registered. Others wouldn't be able to just walk in and haul things away like they did today.

Because Cheng Shi’s documentation was thorough, and he had recently become something of a notable figure, the clerk didn't dare to be negligent. The paperwork was processed quickly, though the official certificate would take a few days to be issued.

Cheng Shi looked up at the cloudless sky and said, "Comrade Zhang Ziqiang, are you really this idle today? You’ve been tagging along with me the whole time. Don't you have someone to go see?"

Zhang Ziqiang’s face flushed red. "Who... who said I was going to see anyone?"

Cheng Shi chuckled. "Oh, so it is a woman, then?"

Zhang Ziqiang blinked. "How did you know it was a woman?"

Cheng Shi nearly died laughing. "I didn't know before, but I do now." This kid’s thought process was so simple; he was too easy to trick.

Zhang Ziqiang pursed his lips. "You are truly devious. You are so annoying!"

Cheng Shi said, "I’ll teach you a trick to make girls less repulsed by you."

Zhang Ziqiang prompted, "Tell me."

Cheng Shi said, "First, cut your hair short. If you can’t find a good barber, I can do it for you, for only twenty yuan."

Zhang Ziqiang’s face twisted in disgust. "I see you've gotten used to price-gouging. A haircut outside costs two mao, and you have the nerve to charge me twenty? You might as well just rob me instead of wasting time cutting my hair."

Cheng Shi replied, "You can go to a barber outside if you want, but I guarantee they won't cut it as well as I do." When he had worked in Shenzhen, he and his coworkers often cut each other’s hair to save time and money.

Zhang Ziqiang waved him off. "Fine, fine, stop bragging. Just tell me why I need to cut my hair."

Cheng Shi said, "Because your bangs are hiding your beautiful eyes, and the hair on the sides is covering your spirited ears." He could barely suppress a gag after saying that. Spouting lies against his conscience was truly painful.

Zhang Ziqiang said, "You being like this makes me very uncomfortable. Just tell the truth and bash me instead."

Cheng Shi continued, "Your eyes aren't large to begin with, and you make people struggle to find them beneath your bangs. The eyes are the windows to the soul. When people meet face-to-face, their first reaction is to look at the other person’s eyes, because they can intuitively assess that person’s mental state and whether they pose a threat."

Zhang Ziqiang wore a dazed expression, muttering to himself, "No wonder those girls run away whenever I get close. So, they’re afraid of me."

Cheng Shi added, "Short hair is easier to manage and looks clean and refreshing."

Zhang Ziqiang asked, "Give me the second point."

Cheng Shi said, "Buy a solid-colored short-sleeved shirt or T-shirt, and switch those jeans for something lighter in color."

Zhang Ziqiang pointed at his outfit. "This is the most popular fashion in Hong Kong and England."

Cheng Shi remarked, "That kind of clothing doesn't suit a masculine man like you." He felt his stomach churn again. He hadn't lied through his teeth like this in a long time; he almost couldn't finish because he was so disgusted with himself.

Zhang Ziqiang asked suspiciously, "Why are you being so kind today, teaching me how to dress? What are you up to?"

Cheng Shi replied, "Judging by your stance, you’ll probably be showing up in front of me often in the future. I need to make you look a bit more pleasing to the eye." At the very least, he needed to fix that greasy, tangled long hair, or he would be grossed out every single day.

"Even you despise me?!" Zhang Ziqiang flew into a rage and stormed off.

What kind of strange pride was that? He had been sarcastic and insulting to him earlier, and he hadn't cared. Now, just asking him to look a bit cleaner made him angry?

Cheng Shi was left between laughter and tears. He shouted after him, "Hey, if Director Zhang tells you to come pick up parts, don't agree so readily! I don't have the time to make that many."

Zhang Ziqiang waved his hand without looking back.

***

Over at the factory, Zhang Guohua was pushing his workers to put in overtime to meet the month's quota. He had originally thought that his stockpile of dozens of bearings would be enough. But today, he realized he had forgotten one thing.

Because they were producing four-cylinder engines, each cylinder required a connecting rod journal to link the piston to the crankshaft. Therefore, one crankshaft required four connecting rod journals. The ten pieces Cheng Shi had delivered the other day weren't even enough to assemble three engines.

Things couldn't continue like this. For just these two parts, this kid was bleeding over two thousand in costs per engine. It was terrifying.

Should he report him for extortion? But that kid had a signed purchase order. It was a case of one party willing to sell and the other willing to buy. Even if he reported it, the police wouldn't care. Besides, the recent incident at the machinery factory proved that this kid wasn't easily intimidated. If he really pushed him over the edge and the kid hiked the prices again, the losses would far outweigh the gains.

After much deliberation, Zhang Guohua called Liu Jianshe again. "Director Liu, how are the parts coming along?"

Liu Jianshe replied vaguely, "Almost there, almost there. We’ve discovered that our current CNC machine isn't as precise as Cheng Shi’s. The standard lathes are too slow and the quality isn't as stable. Don't worry, Cheng Shi’s CNC machine will be back in my hands soon."

Zhang Guohua was a seasoned veteran; he knew all about such stall tactics. Liu Jianshe’s tone today was completely different from yesterday. In other words, even with a CNC machine, the factory lacked anyone capable of achieving Cheng Shi’s level of precision.

He let out a dry laugh and hung up, cursing, "You’ve been humiliated by that kid, yet you still have the nerve to make empty promises to me. If I believed you, our factory would be finished."

"No, I still have to send someone to go get those parts."

Just as he finished speaking, Zhang Ziqiang walked in.

Zhang Guohua said, "Go with the driver to Cheng Shi’s place and pick up the shipment."

Zhang Ziqiang stood there, stunned. "Huh? Didn't we say yesterday that we wouldn't order from him anymore?"

He had just made a bet with Cheng Shi, and now his own father’s surrender was even faster than Cheng Shi had predicted. In Cheng Shi’s eyes, they must be the most pathetic, fragile opponents imaginable!