Ou Yunchen's car was driving towards the neighboring city of Toutiao. According to the information provided by Mrs. Su, the registered address of 'Longke Dye Holdings Co., Ltd.' was located there.
The limited information only provided a general overview of the company. To understand how it acquired its shares back then and what led to the cash flow breakdown, a personal visit was necessary.
After more than ten hours on the road, Ou Yunchen finally spotted the industrial village a few kilometers after exiting the highway. Unfamiliar with the local roads, he decided to stop at a small supermarket nearby to inquire about Longke.
"A pack of cigarettes."
The elderly woman at the counter took a good look at the handsome man who had suddenly appeared in their village, then peered out at the large Jeep. She had lived there for decades and seen all sorts of people, but this was the first time she had encountered such a refined man.
"Excuse me, ma'am, I wanted to ask if there used to be a company called Longke here. Is it still around?"
"It went bust long ago. Only a dilapidated factory building remains."
"Do you know why it went bankrupt?"
"Heard it was due to investment failures or something like that."
"Do you know what happened to Longke's chairman afterward?"
"You mean Old Huang? Old Huang is long dead. He went bankrupt and owed a mountain of debt. Soon after the news broke, he jumped to his death."
The chairman committed suicide?
This was a rather tricky piece of information for Ou Yunchen. According to company law, upon a company's bankruptcy, its shares in other companies would naturally revert to the shareholders. The most likely shareholder to hold the Su family's shares back then would have been Longke's chairman, Huang Shuncai. If Huang Shuncai was dead, who would inherit the shares would be difficult to ascertain.
"What about Huang Shuncai's family?" Ou Yunchen listened intently.
"His wife remarried a well-known entrepreneur in town, who sells suitcases. Oh, and his younger brother, Huang Shunyi, whom I see occasionally. But you won't get anywhere with him; there's something wrong with him!"
The elderly woman pointed to her head, indicating that Huang Shuncai's brother had some intellectual disability.
"Did he have any children?" Ou Yunchen pressed.
The convenience store owner thought for a moment. "Yes, he had a son. I don't know if the son went with his mother after she remarried. I used to see him often when he was young, bringing classmates to play in his father's factory. Now that he's grown up, he's probably gone back to the city."
As it stood, Longke's shares were most likely with the son!
"Ma'am, I'd like to see the factory building. Could you point me in the right direction?"
"Just head straight ahead. You'll see a large compound with broken bottle shards all along the top of the wall."
Ou Yunchen drove around the factory premises for a full circle. The sheer size of the factory grounds indicated the former glory of Longke during its peak. However, both the front and back gates were locked. Ou Yunchen shook the main gate; it was locked from the inside. He tried to jump up but the three-meter-high wall completely obscured the view of the interior.
Ou Yunchen returned to his car. He figured that since he couldn't get more information about Longke from the villagers, he might as well investigate Longke's former shareholders. Perhaps they could shed light on how Longke had acquired its shares back then.
But as his car had only moved a few meters, he saw a plume of white smoke rising from within the factory in his rearview mirror. On such a cold day, smoke only appeared when a boiler or firewood was being burned. Why would it be burning in an abandoned factory?
Ou Yunchen slammed on the brakes. A thought flashed through his mind. Just as he was about to get out to investigate, a black Santana drove past his car and stopped precisely in front of the Longke factory's main entrance.
A man in a fur coat, carrying a small black bag with a box of Huazi cigarettes peeking out, got out first. He was followed by a thin, short man with dyed yellow hair. The man in the fur coat lit a cigarette, and the shorter man behind him produced a lighter to provide the flame.
Man in Fur Coat: "This dilapidated factory?"
Short Man: "Yes, boss. This is it. That kid said the land is still worth something. If we sell it later, it'll be enough for him to pay off his loans!"
Man in Fur Coat: "Old Huang and I used to be acquainted back then. I never imagined that after his death, he left nothing to his son. Now, this prodigal son can't even afford his loan repayments. If it weren't for his father's sake, I would have taken over this factory long ago!"
Short Man: "You're so kind-hearted, boss! If you hadn't lent him money, he would have starved to death in the snow!"
Man in Fur Coat: "Alright, alright. Stop flattering me. Is this factory in his possession?"
Short Man: "That's where it gets a bit tricky. The factory is in his uncle's hands. But that kid promised that we can just scare him a bit, and as long as his uncle gives it to us in the end, it's fine!"
Man in Fur Coat: "His uncle? Old Huang's brother?"
Short Man: "Yeah, that idiot! The one who's not quite right in the head, Huang Shunyi!"
Man in Fur Coat: "I say, Old Huang, Old Huang, you were shrewd your whole life, yet you transferred such an important asset to your simple-minded brother! Is Huang Shunyi difficult to deal with? Just find someone to scare him a bit, and he'll surely hand it over obediently."
Short Man: "Boss, Huang Shunyi lives in this factory. He's the only one here guarding it. I've even brought the contract. We can get him to sign today."