Chapter 265: Trouble is Brewing at the Rolling Mill

He Yuzhu drove through the night toward Si Jiu Cheng, not stopping for a single moment.

At the hour of dawn, when he arrived outside Yongdingmen, the city gates had not yet opened.

He stored the truck into his space and nimbly climbed over the city wall.

It was nearly six o'clock when he returned home, and the sky was already turning a pale, fish-belly white.

Shen Guizhi was starting a fire in the kitchen; seeing him push the door open and enter, she immediately scolded: "You little bastard, where the hell have you been all these days?"

"Didn't Ershuan tell you I was going to be away for a while?"

"He said a few days, but you've been gone for nearly a month. With things in such chaos, do you know how worried I was?" Shen Guizhi said, bursting into tears as she spoke.

He Yuzhu hurriedly took out some jewelry and handed it to Shen Guizhi, saying: "Mother, it's my fault, I should have told you clearly. These are things I had made for you in Shanghai. Do you like them?"

While wiping away her tears, Shen Guizhi looked at the exquisitely crafted gold necklaces and bracelets, and immediately became happy.

"Your brat still has a bit of conscience. Tell me the truth, what on earth have you been doing?"

"I, I just went to Shanghai to pick up a shipment. It's all stuff for the Bicycle Factory!" He Yuzhu said.

"You brat are lying to me again. I heard from Yi Zhonghai and the others that Shen Shichang, the Chief Advisor of the North China Bandit Suppression Headquarters, has gone missing. Do you dare say this has nothing to do with you?"

"Mother, why are you asking about these things?" He Yuzhu still did not want to say.

"Tell me the truth!"

"Liu Rusi got her father sent to the United States, and I just went to help with that," He Yuzhu said.

"Is Shen Shichang doing alright?" Shen Guizhi asked.

"Shen Shichang is not a good person!" He Yuzhu shook his head.

Shen Guizhi asked: "What happened to him?"

"Liu Rusi's own mother was killed by his own hands! You tell me how heartless and unrighteous this man is. My sister was good enough to him, yet he still used underhanded tricks to snatch a steamship from her hands..." He Yuzhu recounted, listing the bad deeds Shen Shichang had committed over the years one by one.

Shen Guizhi shook her head repeatedly and said: "Back in our hometown, he was quite amiable. How did he become like this after leaving?"

"Who doesn't change after gaining power? When my father returns, he will likely be an official too; you'll have to keep a close eye on him then. He might change too," He Yuzhu said.

"You little rabbit, you're starting to badmouth your father again," Shen Guizhi sighed, "When do you think this war will end?"

"Soon, at most another year!" He Yuzhu said.

He Yuzhu chatted with his mother for a while, but then became exhausted, went back to his room to sleep, and didn't wake up until near noon. After washing up, he went to Liu Rusi's home in Shichahai.

As soon as they met, Liu Rusi raised an eyebrow and asked: "Zhuzi, I heard you spent a lot of money on Zhao Ying?"

"That woman? She's just a gold digger! She kept forcing me to spend money on her."

"What gold digger?" Liu Rusi looked full of confusion.

"It means someone who only cares about money," He Yuzhu explained, "She's so extravagant now; a single meal costs three hundred and fifty Big Ocean, and making a few sets of clothes requires me to shell out over six hundred Big Ocean. You tell me, where would I get that much money?"

"Don't play poor with me," Liu Rusi sneered, "Zhao Ying told me everything. You exchanged fifty thousand Big Ocean for US dollars with Zhao Ying. Did you think I wouldn't know? And you even used my name."

"Sister, this time the Big Ocean was something my father's side entrusted me to handle. I originally wanted to resolve it myself in Shanghai, but the underground banks there didn't have that many US dollars, so I had to find Sister Zhao. My father's side needs to use this money to buy medical supplies."

"You brat have learned to lie to me, haven't you?" Liu Rusi stared at He Yuzhu with wide eyes.

"I really didn't!" He Yuzhu said, and he hurriedly took out the jewelry he had gotten from Miss Jenny and handed it to Liu Rusi, "Sister, these are things I bought especially for you."

Liu Rusi looked at the uniquely styled jewelry and was quite pleased.

This also verified from the side that Zhao Ying was not the type to tell Liu Rusi everything.

Looking at the jewelry, Liu Rusi nodded and said: "You went out and still knew to think of me. Not bad, I'll believe you this once."

He Yuzhu took more than forty property deeds out of his bag and said: "Sister, Jin Hai wants to sell these houses, and the price is quite cheap. I suggest we use the Bicycle Factory's cash to buy them."

Liu Rusi carefully flipped through the deeds: "These storefronts of Jin Hai's are truly in good locations. How could a Prison Warden have so much money?"

"I've inquired about it on the side; his ancestors were quite prominent, it seems he is a descendant of a prince."

"So it was a Manchu who changed his name," Liu Rusi suddenly realized.

"Jin Hai doesn't like to mention his ancestors, but I suspect it's from the Aisin Gioro line," He Yuzhu said.

"But the company account doesn't have that much money," Liu Rusi said.

"You should chip in a bit too. If you keep the Big Ocean in your hands, you won't be able to spend it by next year," He Yuzhu reminded her.

Liu Rusi suddenly thought of something and nodded: "But what does the Bicycle Factory need so many houses for?"

"Our Bicycle Factory will produce various household products in the future. We can convert the storefronts into shops to sell bicycles and household appliances, and distribute the courtyards to employees and leaders who perform well," He Yuzhu said.

"The Bicycle Factory hasn't even earned sixty thousand Big Ocean yet, and you're being so generous, wanting to distribute houses too."

"If you want to motivate the employees, you have to give them some tangible benefits. We'll just distribute the houses for them to live in; the property rights will still belong to the factory."

"That's more like it!" Liu Rusi said.

"Sister, I'm warning you, don't keep too much cash in the factory. If you have money, you must buy materials. I estimate that once the new government is established, the current money will all be invalidated."

"Makes sense! You really are far-sighted," Liu Rusi nodded repeatedly.

He Yuzhu left Liu Rusi's house and went straight to Lao Zhou's place.

Upon meeting, Lao Zhou could not hide his excitement; his whole person radiated enthusiasm: "Zhuzi, I never dreamed that we would win so many battles! Looking at it now, the area north of the Yangtze River will be liberated soon."

He Yuzhu smiled: "At this rate, by the end of next year, this entire Mainland will be ours."

Lao Zhou waved his hand, his expression becoming serious: "You brat are just talking nonsense. I estimate that to completely drive out the Baldy, it will take at least three to five years."

He Yuzhu said with a firm tone: "By June next year we will be able to take Nanjing, and by the end of the year, the Baldy will be driven to the island."

Lao Zhou shook his head and said: "I'm not as optimistic as you, but I have to tell you one thing. The higher-ups have already issued a notice for us underground workers in Si Jiu Cheng to do a good job in security work, to prevent the Military Statistics Bureau agents from acting like a cornered dog and causing destruction."

"There are so many key large factories in Beiping, how should we protect them?" He Yuzhu asked.

"You don't need to worry about that much, just take care of the Lou Steel Rolling Mill. The higher-ups know that Liu Rusi's Bicycle Factory and the Rolling Mill cooperated to build a blast furnace; it's very advanced and is a key target for surveillance this time. There is news that the people in Nanjing are jealous of this Steel Smelting Furnace and want to send people to blow it up!" Lao Zhou said.

Hearing this, He Yuzhu could not sit still; that was his hard work. If this place were blown up, the Bicycle Factory would be finished too.

After leaving Lao Zhou's place, He Yuzhu ran back to Liu Rusi's home.

Seeing He Yuzhu return so soon, Liu Rusi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and smile: "What, nowhere to eat? I'm not providing meals here."

He Yuzhu's expression turned stern, and he said solemnly: "I just received reliable information that the Bald Party is planning to make a move against the Steel Smelting Furnace that we and Boss Lou are collaborating on."