Chapter 42: Entering the Kingdom of Women

Cheng Shi held his head high, his tone laced with disdain. "Not only can I pin you down, I only need one hand to do it."

He had no choice; without a provocation, Yu Dadong likely wouldn't have taken the bait.

Yu Dadong acted as if he had heard a joke, or perhaps he was simply infuriated, for he actually laughed. "No need for you to hold back. You could press your whole body against me, and I still wouldn't be afraid."

He sat down, leaned back, and beckoned to Cheng Shi. "Come on, use whatever tricks you have. If I don't stand up in five seconds, I'll concede."

Cheng Shi walked over, planted his feet shoulder-width apart, and extended one hand to press against Yu Dadong’s forehead. "Ready."

"That's it? You really look down on people, kid." Yu Dadong smiled contemptuously and tried to stand up, only to find he couldn't move an inch.

His face turned beet red as he exerted every ounce of strength he possessed, all to no avail.

The skinny man clenched his fists and crouched down, pushing upward as if to assist Yu Dadong. "Come on, Brother Dong!"

A minute passed. Yu Dadong’s veins were bulging, yet he remained pinned to the back of the chair. Dejected, he went limp. "I lose. I can't get up."

The skinny man and the fat man exchanged a look of horror and scurried behind Yu Dadong.

Cheng Shi withdrew his hand.

Though clearly unconvinced, Yu Dadong could only ask, "What do you want me to do?"

Cheng Shi replied, "You must guarantee that the thieves and thugs in this area will never harass me or my family again starting from today."

Yu Dadong nodded. "Fine. That I can do."

Cheng Shi continued, "What do you want me to do for you? Tell me. If I’m in a good mood, I might just solve it for you while I'm at it."

Yu Dadong looked up abruptly. "Really? I lost, and you’re still willing to help me?"

Cheng Shi nodded. "Really. Speak quickly, before I change my mind."

Yu Dadong asked, "Why?"

He couldn't believe someone would help for no reason. After all, Cheng Shi was currently the most sought-after technician in Xiangdong City, with countless factories begging for his services.

"Because you did me a favor," Cheng Shi said.

"Huh?"

"Someone reported Liu Jie to the authorities. That helped me out..." Cheng Shi had been so busy lately he hadn't had a moment to spare, intending to deal with that scoundrel once things calmed down.

He hadn't expected someone to strike first. At first, he wondered who it could be, but the moment he saw those two clowns following Yu Dadong, he understood. Yu Dadong’s brothers had been swindled by Liu Jie and certainly couldn't swallow that bitterness.

Others might look at Yu Dadong’s appearance and think him brave but brainless, but only Cheng Shi knew that this guy was not only sharp but also sneakily malicious. For instance, Yu Dadong would blame Liu Jie for the beating his henchmen received rather than taking it out on Cheng Shi. When faced with someone he disliked, Yu Dadong was known for underhanded tricks, like urinating in beer bottles or spitting in rice porridge.

Yu Dadong let out two dry chuckles and scratched his head. "I’m an employee at the textile factory. Our spinning machines are all broken; we’ve been shut down for over ten days. I asked all over Xiangdong City, including the machinery plant, and no one could fix them. We asked the original manufacturer, but they were indifferent, claiming they wouldn't have time for six months. Besides, they only repaired them two years ago. We suspect they intentionally installed faulty parts."

Cheng Shi looked puzzled. "Aren't you a carpenter? How are you an employee at a textile factory?"

When Yu Dadong had first gone south, his first job was making wooden frames and doors on construction sites; later, he earned enough from contracting to open his own furniture factory.

Yu Dadong glared at Cheng Shi. "When did I ever say I was a carpenter? How did you know that?"

Realizing he had slipped up, Cheng Shi brushed it off with a laugh. "You have scars on your fingers from a plane, so I guessed."

So, Yu Dadong must have been laid off from the textile factory before heading south. When I asked him what he did back in Xiangdong City, he had claimed to be a carpenter.

Yu Dadong looked at the wide, strip-like scars on the back of his hand. They were indeed different from other scars—the abrasions weren't as deep, and the cuts weren't as wide. Dispelling his doubts, he said to Cheng Shi, "There are hundreds of us at the textile factory waiting for our next meal. I heard you have the skill, so I wanted to ask for your help. But we can't afford much money..."

He had heard that when Cheng Shi charged for parts at the automobile factory, it was in the tens of thousands. The textile factory was poorer than the automobile plant, so he had resorted to a fight to force Cheng Shi to come.

"I’ll have to take a look to see what the problem is," Cheng Shi said. "I can't guarantee it can be fixed."

Overjoyed, Yu Dadong rushed to say, "I have a tricycle; I'll take you. I guarantee it'll be more comfortable than riding in a Crown sedan."

Cheng Shi couldn't help but laugh. "That’s really not necessary; my bicycle is faster."

The textile factory was four stops away from the machinery plant, and Cheng Shi arrived before Yu Dadong. Because Yu Dadong had promised the factory director he would bring Cheng Shi back that afternoon, the director and her staff were waiting anxiously at the gate.

The ruddy-faced, short-haired middle-aged woman was the only female factory director among the state-owned enterprises in Xiangdong City. Her surname was Hu.

"He's here!" Seeing Cheng Shi, she clapped her hands and turned back to say, "Comrades, we are saved."

Director Hu was only five feet tall, but her voice was more resonant than someone six feet tall. Cheng Shi could hear her from dozens of meters away. As soon as he stopped, he was surrounded by a group of aunties. They chattered incessantly, some pushing his bike, others grabbing his bags.

"Wow, so young and so handsome! If I hadn't seen him in the newspaper, I would never have guessed he was a technical expert."

"Indeed! This toolbox is so heavy."

Cheng Shi felt as if his ears were filled with the buzzing of bees. He knew there were more female workers at the textile factory than at other plants, but he hadn't expected this many.

Just then, Yu Dadong arrived, panting on his tricycle.

Director Hu stood on her tiptoes and patted Yu Dadong’s shoulder hard. "Dadong, you’ve done well. You managed to invite such a hard-to-get expert."

A hint of shyness appeared on Yu Dadong’s stubbly face. "It’s mostly because Comrade Cheng Shi is a good person and willing to help."

Cheng Shi was practically carried to the spinning machines. The aunties handed him towels, sodas, and fanned him with such enthusiasm that even someone as seasoned as Cheng Shi felt a bit embarrassed.

Director Hu said, "It’s this spinning machine imported from Germany twenty years ago. Recently, the yarn it produces alternates between thick and thin. Thick yarn is fine, but we can't spin thin yarn with it. We only have two machines capable of spinning thin yarn, and all our high-end products require it."

Cheng Shi nodded slightly, took his tools from his bag, and began to dismantle the machine. The noisy women suddenly fell silent, staring at Cheng Shi with bated breath. Seeing his proficiency, Director Hu knew she had found the right person. After all, not to mention laypeople, even they had no idea how to take it apart.