The man in the fur coat nodded excitedly. The shorter man, emboldened, strode to the large gate and kicked it hard. The clang of the iron door echoed, startling nearby dogs into a frenzy of barking.
Minutes later, the heavy iron gate creaked open from within. Ouyang Chen’s guess was indeed correct; the white smoke drifting from the factory building was proof enough.
Huang Shunyi opened the door just a crack, a large, army-green padded coat draped over him. Patches adorned his cotton trousers in several places. He eyed the two strangers outside with caution.
The shorter man raised his voice, asking loudly if he was Huang Shunyi. The man inside nodded dully.
The shorter man said, "This is my elder brother. Your nephew, Huang Xiaotian, introduced us."
Huang Shunyi asked, "What do you need?"
The shorter man replied, "Your nephew owes us money. He said he’d use his father’s factory to settle the debt. You just need to sign here."
The shorter man shoved a contract at Huang Shunyi. Huang Shunyi took it and meticulously counted the zeros.
The shorter man interjected, "No need to count. He borrowed ten million. With interest, it's now fifteen million six hundred thousand. Our elder brother said, we'll use the factory for the debt and round it off for your nephew, fifteen million flat."
Huang Shunyi said, "Wait for me."
With a bang, Huang Shunyi shut the gate. The two men waited outside for a long while before Huang Shunyi opened it again.
This time, however, he held a tool, swinging a large iron shovel towards the shorter man and the man in the fur coat. Startled, the shorter man stumbled multiple times at the entrance, while the man in the fur coat, shielding his head, fled in panic.
"Liars! You won't scam my brother's money! Get lost! Otherwise, I'll beat you to death!"
Seeing the Santana drive away, Huang Shunyi lowered the shovel. He pulled out the contract from his coat, tore it to shreds, and tossed the pieces at the entrance.
From inside his car, Ouyang Chen watched Huang Shunyi return to the factory. He then got out to collect the shredded paper from the ground, piecing together the debt settlement contract.
Fortunately, all the necessary information was there. It turned out that Huang Shuncai’s son, Huang Xiaotian, had borrowed money from loan sharks and was now unable to repay it, intending to use his uncle Huang Shunyi's factory to settle the debt.
The amount Huang Xiaotian owed wasn't initially large, but with compounding interest, it had ballooned to fifteen million. Truly a predatory loan.
Ouyang Chen's eyes gleamed with a new idea. It seemed he needed to meet Huang Shuncai’s son, Huang Xiaotian!
But how could he find Huang Xiaotian?
To avoid the loan sharks, he wouldn't be wandering the streets freely. Ouyang Chen pondered for a moment and decided to knock on the large iron gate again.
"You dare come back again!!! I’ll beat you…"
Huang Shunyi raised his shovel. The man before him was dressed in a suit, entirely different from the loan sharks.
"Who… who are you looking for?"
Ouyang Chen offered a humble smile. "Hello. I was Huang Xiaotian's elementary school classmate. I just returned from abroad and wanted to reconnect with old friends. But I couldn't find Xiaotian's contact information. I remember visiting Uncle Huang’s factory often when I was a child, so I came here."
Huang Shunyi lowered his shovel and sized up Ouyang Chen. He seemed to believe the man's words, as it was true that his nephew often brought classmates to play at the factory when he was young.
"Come… come in."
Following Huang Shunyi into the factory grounds, Ouyang Chen saw scrap metal piled everywhere. However, rows upon rows of large dye vats for chemicals were stacked along the wall. The factory yard seemed endless but was in a state of disrepair.
Huang Shunyi led Ouyang Chen into the office building. Ouyang Chen immediately noticed the boiler outside the office, emitting steam with a steady hiss.
Huang Shunyi poured a cup of hot water for Ouyang Chen. "Sit."
Ouyang Chen looked around Huang Shunyi's room. It appeared to be a converted guardhouse. A heated brick bed faced the boiler outside, and a small television stood by the door.
"Uncle Huang, what happened here?"
"Bankrupt! Bankrupt!"
Huang Shunyi took off his padded coat and placed it near the heater to dry. Ouyang Chen continued to inquire about the bankruptcy, receiving the same answer as the women at the small supermarket: an investment failure years ago.
"Uncle Huang, why didn't you leave?"
"My brother left his factory to me, fearing… fearing I'd have nowhere to live. I… I have to guard it for him. As long as… as long as the factory is mine, those bad people can't take it!"
Huang Shunyi chuckled foolishly. His occasional stutter made Ouyang Chen feel that this man, in his fifties, wasn't quite normal. But he wasn't completely foolish; he knew right from wrong.
In his eyes, the people who caused his brother's bankruptcy years ago were bad people, and those trying to seize his brother's factory were also bad people.
"Drink… drink your water. It’ll get cold."
Ouyang Chen lowered his head, obediently drinking the scalding hot water.
"Uncle Huang, where is Xiaotian? Where did he go?"
"He… remarried with his mother and moved to the city."
"Do you still have contact? How can I find him?" Ouyang Chen asked.
Huang Shunyi stood up and rummaged through a mooncake tin for a while, finally handing Ouyang Chen a yellowed business card.
Ouyang Chen looked at it: 'Wanxin Leather Factory, Main Business: Bags, Leather Goods, etc.' This must be the local entrepreneur Huang Xiaotian’s mother remarried. But why would he become the new son of an entrepreneur and then borrow money from loan sharks? Even if he did, why wouldn't he have the money to repay it?
Ouyang Chen curiously asked, "Don't you have Xiaotian's phone number?"
Huang Shunyi looked somewhat helpless. "No… no…"
A deep regret flickered in Huang Shunyi's eyes. Ouyang Chen accepted the business card. As he was leaving, Huang Shunyi insisted on escorting him to his car.
"Uncle Huang, I'll visit again if I have the chance. It's getting cold; you should go back inside."
Huang Shunyi grasped Ouyang Chen's hand, his voice trembling slightly with nervousness. "Please, please, if you find Xiaotian, tell him… tell him his uncle misses him very much."
Ouyang Chen patted Huang Shunyi's shoulder and nodded.