Xia Lei gathered all the workers in the largest meeting room the day after Mu Jianfeng and Ye Kun exited Thunder Horse Military Factory. He put a big pile of drawings and the planning book Annina had spent a month on in front of him.
Annina sat next to Xia Lei, and Qin Xiang too. Qin Xiang managed the staff when Xia Lei was away, and Annina managed the production and technology. These two played important roles in the company.
Xia Lei gestured for everyone to be quiet when they had all gathered. The hundreds of people in the meeting room quieted down in the blink of an eye, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
“I called everyone here today to make a very important announcement. There will be a national weapons exhibition soon and it includes light weapons. We don’t need to bother about heavy weapons – our focus is on light weapons. Our aim now is to defeat Hanwu Weapons and get large-volume orders from the military!” said Xia Lei.
The meeting room broke out in a buzz of conversation after Xia Lei spoke.
What he had announced was very important to them because this had to do with Thunder Horse Military Factory’s growth, and their income.
Xia Lei’s gaze swept quickly over each face in the meeting room, taking note of their reactions. There were many people in Thunder Horse Military Factory and there was no way he could guarantee that every one of them would be loyal. He had gotten rid of several of the moles Hanwu Weapons and China Industrial Group had planted the last time but it was hard to say that they wouldn’t try to bribe his people again.
For a single person to observe small changes in hundreds of people and their reactions was something pretty much impossible to do, but Xia Lei was The One. His left eyes swept over every face and he remembered everything he saw. His brain worked with his left eye and quickly brought up face after face, comparing, analysing and looking for possible suspects.
Xia Lei found two suspicious people with this method in under five minutes. A man was sneakily making an audio recording, and a woman was more excited than the people around her, but she acted calm. Her eyes were glued on the drawings and planning-book in front of Xia Lei.
Xia Lei saw it all but did not let it show. He said, “There are still about 20 days to go to the weapons exhibition. We need to move 60% of our production output to the manufacturing of our new weapon during this time, and win the military’s purchase orders with the weapons we make for the exhibition.”
“What new weapon, Director Xia?” asked an old engineer. “We know nothing of this.”
“I’ll tell you later.” He quietly observed the two he had ‘picked out’ as he spoke.
As expected, the two people had an obvious change in expression. The man moved his phone forward, thinking to record what Xia Lei would say next. The woman adjusted her clothing around her chest. This looked like a normal movement but there was a pinhole camera in the button on her chest. She could not hold herself back anymore and started recording the meeting.
The man and woman were waiting for Xia Lei to announce what the new weapon would be, and Thunder Horse Military Factory’s plans, but Xia Lei stopped talking.
He picked up a glass of water on the meeting table and used it to cover his mouth as he spoke quietly to Qin Xiang, “Qin Xiang, third row, fifth person, male. Fifth row, second person, female. These are industry spies sent by Hanwu Weapons and China Industrial Group. Call Lu Sheng to come in with some people and take these two away.”
“Huh?” Qin Xiang looked surprised. “How do you know that?”
“Never you mind. Just do as I say.” Xia Lei put the glass of water down.
Qin Xiang got up and left the meeting room.
The people in the meeting room were getting more curious about the new weapon and were asking more and more questions, but Xia Lei kept his silence. The room grew rowdy, but he did not stop them.
A few minutes later, Lu Sheng came in with two other security men. Lu Sheng looked at Xia Lei, and Xia Lei nodded. Lu Sheng then went straight to the spies, caught them and pushed them out the meeting room.
“What are you doing?” The man panicked and shouted, “What’s the meaning of this, Director Xia? I do my job. I’m working here honestly – why are you treating me like this?”
The woman also cried, “Director Xia! Y, You’re mistreating a good person! I didn’t do anything that would harm the company!”
Xia Lei smiled flatly. “You two know what you’ve done.”
“I quit! Let me go! I want to quit!” shouted the man.
“Yeah! I quit too! I’ll just not work here anymore!” shouted the woman.
Discussions broke out in the meeting room again. No one had expected anything like this to happen and most had no idea why Xia Lei was doing this. Some people who were close to the two people felt bad for them and made biased remarks.
Xia Lei slapped his palm on the meeting table and pointed at the two spies. He spoke angrily, “I treated you well and you repay me by selling my company secrets? I'll have you know that you’re selling national secrets! Prison awaits you!” After a pause, he added, “Lu Sheng, take his phone and take the woman’s second button. They’re evidence.”
Lu Sheng did as told. The man’s phone and the woman’s button were placed before Xia Lei.
The meeting room had quieted down again. People would be disgruntled if Xia Lei did this for no good reason but it was another matter when there was evidence. Industry spies like these would have no sympathy.
Xia Lei played the recording in the man’s phone, and showed them the pinhole camera in the woman’s button. He wanted his employees to see what fate awaited industry spies!
This convinced all the employees. Who could doubt this?
“All right, I’ll deal with these two spies. No need to bother about them anymore. We’ll continue with our meeting.” Xia Lei moved the topic on to the meeting.
The meeting stretched on for an hour, scattered by discussions.
Xia Lei announced another thing after the meeting was over. “From now on, it’ll be best if everyone lives in the factory. We have to work overtime to produce the Gust assault rifle for the weapons exhibition.”
The meeting room buzzed with conversation again.
Xia Lei raised his hand to quiet the room and said, “It will be tough for over 20 days but your hard work will not be in vain. I’ve decided that you will get a bonus of 10,000 on top of overtime pay. This bonus will be paid out when the need to have overtime is over.”
The employees had wanted to object at first but Xia Lei’s announcement blew their negativity away. They let out a cheer. They would get overtime pay for over 20 days and a bonus of 10,000 – who was going to object to that?
The meeting ended and Xia Lei went to the security department.
The two spies looked down, afraid to meet Xia Lei’s eyes.
“Director Xia, the man’s name is Wu Bin and the woman’s named Hu Hui. I’ve tried questioning them but they won’t say anything. How should we handle this?” said Lu Sheng.
“I’ll handle this.” Xia Lei looked at Wu Bin and Hu Hui and said, “Don’t think Hanwu Weapons and China Industrial Group will protect you. I have evidence against you. They will be more than willing to cast you off. Don’t you get it? They won’t bother about you now, no matter what I do to you.”
Wu Bin and Hu Hui exchanged looks but still did not speak.
“How about this – I’m willing to give you two one more chance. Work with me and you will not just get the money Hanwu Weapons and China Industrial promised but some little benefit from me too.”
“Director Xia, I…” Wu Bin hesitated, then said, “I’ll work with you.”
Hu Hui was afraid of losing out, and she also said, “Director Xia, I’ll work with you too. I, I was forced into this. My child is sick and needs money for the operation. Th, That’s why I had to betray you and the company.”
Xia Lei sighed. “I understand you two. Who doesn’t have tough times in life? Come, tell me. Which one of you got bought by Hanwu Weapons and which one by China Industrial Group?”
“I… The person who contacted me is from Hanwu Weapons,” said Wu Bin. “He gave me 100,000 and said he would give me 100,000 more if I got him valuable information.”
Hu Hui held her head. “The person who contacted me is from China Industrial Group. He gave me 90,000 and said he would give me more if I manage to gather information for them.”
After they spoke, Lu Sheng said angrily, “You pieces of trash! Director Xia pays you more than that annually! You also have insurance on top of your salary! Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?”
Hu Hui and Wu Bin hung their heads in shame. They’d thought that they wouldn’t be discovered, and this was just money waiting to be made. They had not expected to be caught like this by Xia Lei.
Xia Lei thought for a bit. “How about this – I give you some information and you hand it to Hanwu Weapons and China Industrial so you can get the money. When it’s done, you two quit of your own accord. I won’t go chasing after you to take responsibility. What do you think?”
Wu Bin and Hu Hui stared blankly. They had not expected this sort of punishment from Xia Lei.
Lu Sheng shouted, “Director Xia is talking to you!”
Wu Bin trembled, then said, “I’ll do it. What sort of information do you want me to hand to Hanwu Weapons, Director Xia?”
“Don’t you worry about that. Just give what I hand you to them,” said Xia Lei.
“I, I’ll do it too.” Hu Hui agreed.
Xia Lei spoke to Lu Sheng, “Brother Sheng, find two rooms for them to stay in. Also arrange to have them guarded. I want our people to be present when they contact the Hanwu Weapons and China Industrial people.”
Lu Sheng nodded. “Don’t worry, I know what to do.”
“Remember – you have this one chance. Screw up and you go to prison,” said Xia Lei.
Hu Hui knelt on the floor and cried as she said, “I’ll never do something so foolish again, Director Xia. I’ll do whatever you say.”
Wu Bin said nothing but he threw himself on his knees before Xia Lei.
Xia Lei sneered to himself. ‘Mu Jianfeng, Ye Kun, you want my secrets? Fine. I’ll give you secrets.”
