Chapter 139: A Succession of Incidents

Just as Zhao Fan was planning to deal with the situation later, another incident erupted.

A female manager from the Chengxin factory accused Zhao’s father of inappropriate conduct, even alleging forced behavior. Once this news broke, the reputation of Feiteng Supermarket stank like a cesspit; any dirty rumor could be dumped onto the company.

During this period, Liang Yong’s cousin, Wang Chengchuan, was especially active, working with reporters to drag Zhao Fan’s businesses through the mud. This led to an increasing number of resignations at Feiteng. Fortunately, because Zhao Fan had issued a prior warning, even those who resigned did not dare to leave immediately. Nevertheless, the employees were listless at work, and their efficiency was appallingly low.

Zhao’s mother was pacing in circles, anxious about the elder Zhao’s situation. Zhao Fan had to set aside company matters to address his father’s legal predicament. At home, his father was sighing deeply, filled with regret. He never imagined that the female manager from Chengxin would accuse him like that.

"Xiao Fan, do you think I shouldn't have taken over the supermarket?"

"Don't overthink it. It's just a setup; encountering such things in business is normal."

His father looked dejected. "But I’m probably the only one who’s been set up like this, right?"

"The only one? Dad, you’re mistaken. There are no limits to the methods people use to scheme; there’s nothing they won't do. Don't worry, it’s not an issue."

"Really?"

"Of course."

After comforting his father, Zhao Fan picked up his mobile phone. After a glance, he indicated he had to leave for a while. "I have some things to handle. You and Mom stay home; don't go out until this is resolved."

"Alright." His father’s face was etched with sorrow.

Half an hour later, Zhao Fan sat face-to-face with the boss and manager of Chengxin in a restaurant private room.

"Mr. Zhao, we know what you want to say. Let's be blunt: this matter has nothing to do with us."

"How so?"

"Mr. Zhao shouldn't be asking that."

"Then how should I ask?"

"Mr. Zhao shouldn't be asking anything at all. Instead, you should think about who you have offended."

Who had he offended? Zhao Fan squinted slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I understand."

The crux of the matter wasn't whether the accusations were true, but the actions of the person behind the scenes. As long as Zhao Fan couldn't deal with the puppet master, this situation would never end.

The boss of Chengxin sighed. "To be honest, given Feiteng's scale, we would love to cooperate with you, but in some respects, we are forced to back down." As he spoke, he raised his glass. "Let's not say more. This drink is my apology to you. Once this passes, all will be forgotten."

Zhao Fan smiled faintly and clinked his glass against the Chengxin boss's. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The Chengxin boss insisted on settling the bill. "Mr. Zhao, I hope we can still cooperate in the future."

"Certainly."

After seeing the Chengxin boss off, Zhao Fan’s expression darkened. This whole affair had been a back-and-forth, and in the end, only he was suffering losses. Cooperation? Ha! After this incident, he had seen everyone's true colors clearly. They were warm when things were fine, but ran faster than anyone when trouble hit, all while wrapping themselves in the excuse of having "no other choice." How ridiculous!

Putting his thoughts aside, Zhao Fan returned home as if nothing had happened. His mother was sitting in the living room; seeing him return, she hesitated to speak.

"Mom, don't worry. I have this under control."

"Really?"

"Mom."

His mother lowered her head. "Xiao Fan, it’s not that I want to doubt you, but this matter involves more than just your father. If it’s not handled well, I fear Feiteng Supermarket will be finished, won't it? The loss is too great, and in the end..."

Zhao Fan placed his hands on her shoulders. "Who says there will be a loss? The end hasn't arrived yet, so no one can predict the outcome. Mom, I will find a way to solve this. Please stay at home and watch over Dad for me, okay?"

His mother opened her mouth, but eventually nodded. "Alright."

Fearing she might change her mind, Zhao Fan urged again, "You must keep an eye on him and don't let him leave."

"I understand."

Just then, his phone vibrated. He checked it; it was a call from Han Chen.

"Mom, I'm heading to the company. I might not be back tonight."

"Okay."

Pushing his mother back inside, Zhao Fan closed the door before answering the call. "What is it?"

"Someone came to smash up the company. Chen Jianyu and his men have them cornered."

Smashing up the company? Zhao Fan’s face turned black. One thing after another—would this ever end? Boiling with rage, Zhao Fan arrived at the company.

"Have you called the police?"

Han Chen was squatting at the entrance of the conference room, grinning. "No, I'm waiting for you to arrive first."

"Good, don't report it yet." Zhao Fan rolled up his sleeves. The events of late had infuriated him, and today was the perfect time to vent.

Chen Jianyu and a few others were squatting by the conference table. Seeing Zhao Fan enter, they stood up. "Boss," "Mr. Zhao..."

Amidst the chorus of greetings, Zhao Fan nodded. "Among this group, who is the leader..."

Before he could finish, he suddenly spotted one of them—it was none other than the meddlesome Wang Chengchuan. Wang Chengchuan saw Zhao Fan, and his first instinct was to shrink away. "N-now, listen, you can't, you shouldn't..."

Zhao Fan rolled his sleeves higher, a gentle expression on his face. "What did you say?"

He stepped toward Wang Chengchuan, his tall frame casting a shadow over him. Under that shadow, Wang Chengchuan swallowed hard, paralyzed by fear. "Y-you, what are you doing, ahhh..."

Cries of agony erupted from the conference room. Those outside trembled—good heavens, what was the boss doing inside? He wasn't going to kill someone, was he? The screams continued intermittently for half an hour before finally falling silent.

Under everyone's gaze, the conference room door opened. Zhao Fan walked out, looking completely composed; not a hair on him seemed out of place.

Chen Jianyu followed him out. "Mr. Zhao, should we call the police now?"

"Call them. Let the officers investigate the food poisoning matter thoroughly."

They wanted to smear Feiteng Supermarket with accusations of food poisoning? Fine. He would dismantle their plot piece by piece. Calling the police to investigate the poisoning was just the first step. The second step was...

Zhao Fan looked at his computer. His company had several software programs being distributed across various internet cafes. It was time to put them to use.

"Chen, call a meeting."

"Yes."

An hour later, the entire Feiteng company was in motion. That same evening, users of Feiteng Search noticed that the homepage had changed; a new recommendation section had been added, containing articles. The first article was titled: "A Discussion on the Food Quality of Feiteng Supermarket."

It listed the supermarket’s supply channels and posted the official inspection standards. After using examples to debunk the rumors, it provided a summary of the food poisoning incident that had been splashed across the newspapers.