Chapter 92: Besieged at the Factory Gate

Over at the next factory building—where a celebration banquet was underway—a gang of debt collectors was still smashing the gate and hurling curses.

On the wall beside the gate someone had painted “Debtors, pay up” in red paint.

The iron gate was firmly locked. A few burly men swung bricks and wooden clubs, pounding the metal and shouting insults inside.

“Xu Zhihai, come out! Don’t be such a coward!”

“It’s only right to repay debts! Don’t force us to use other methods!”

…

Third Uncle Xu Zhihai wasn’t in the factory building.

But in a room in the backyard of the factory, four people sat with worried expressions.

Aunt Xu Zhiyan, Uncle-in-law, Eldest Uncle Xu Zhishan, and his son Xu Xin.

They had only heard rumblings about the Mechanical Factory a couple of days ago. They never expected trouble would hit so quickly.

Third Uncle Xu Zhihai’s debt crisis exploded almost overnight.

Before taking the factory’s latest orders, Xu Zhihai’s business was already highly leveraged.

He had hoped the new orders would be a huge breakthrough. Who could have guessed that this decades-old state-run Mechanical Factory would teeter on the brink of collapse so suddenly?

When Xu Zhihai borrowed money, he used the factory’s winning bid as collateral. Now the factory was in trouble, and several creditors feared they wouldn’t get their money back—and so they came to collect.

And at this moment, Xu Zhihai had vanished somewhere to dodge his debts…

Today, Aunt Xu Zhiyan and Eldest Uncle Xu Zhishan’s family came to the factory grounds to clear things out, only to run right into the gate blockade.

Luckily, they’d locked the front gate behind them, keeping the collectors out.

When the creditors started smashing the gate, they hung two more heavy locks on it.

But with the gate blocked, they dared not venture out. They could only hunker down inside the factory building.

Eldest Uncle Xu Zhishan sat on a small stool, tobacco pipe clenched between his teeth. He said nothing.

His son Xu Xin stood behind him. Though almost thirty, he looked panicked and helpless.

Aunt Xu Zhiyan sat beside her husband.

The sound of the gate being smashed and curses drifted in. Xu Zhiyan kept glancing toward the door, fear etched on her face.

Xu Zhiyan looked at her older brother, Xu Zhishan, and said:

“Brother, what are we going to do? They’ve been cursing for so long—why won’t they leave?!”

Xu Zhishan: “We’ll wait them out. There’s no other way.”

Xu Zhiyan thought for a moment.

“Should we call Second Brother? I heard the neighboring factory was setting off firecrackers. He must be somewhere on the factory grounds.”

Xu Xin spoke up anxiously: “Yes, let’s call Second Uncle! He surely has a way to get us out!”

Xu Zhishan took a drag of his pipe and said in a low voice:

“How could we have the face to call Second Brother?!

Back when he wanted to close the factory and start his seedling business, we all took his money and walked away.

Now when we’re in trouble, we expect him to come help…

Even though I’m his biological brother, I just can’t bring myself to ask!”

Xu Zhiyan let out a long sigh.

“If only we’d gone into the seedling business with him back then…

I heard he’s won several bids for major highway projects.

Besides the plots on Beishan, he also secured land here in our town.

His Seedling Company not only took off but is doing even better than the old foundry parts factory…”

Her husband added:

“We were shortsighted. Second Brother saw the bigger picture.

When he ignored everyone’s objections and insisted on closing the foundry and parts factory, it turned out to be the right move.

Otherwise he’d be in hot water too now!”

Xu Zhishan finished his pipe, coughed softly, and said:

“When he lost the Mechanical Factory orders back then, I thought he’d made a mistake.

He said he wanted to grow seedlings. As the older brother, I told him it had no future…”

He tapped the pipe on his shoe and sighed:

“Among us brothers, Second Brother has always been the most capable.

As the eldest, I should’ve recognized that long ago and listened to him…”

At these words, a hint of melancholy flickered in Xu Zhishan’s eyes.

Xu Zhiyan comforted him:

“Brother, don’t say that. Our parents died early. You were the one who raised us all.”

Xu Zhishan waved his hand.

“I’m really useless…

I only know farming. When I was young I could still work hard. Now I don’t have the strength.

Second Brother is the one with vision and drive…

When I worked at his foundry parts factory, I felt uneasy.

I took his money but sneered behind his back.

I was the first to block him from the seedling business and even persuaded Fourth Brother to pull out too…

I didn’t realize my mistakes until Xu Chen said a few words that day.”

He looked shamefaced. “As the eldest, I should feel ashamed…”

Xu Zhiyan’s eyes reddened. She wiped away tears:

“Brother, I feel guilty too.

We all used to slave away in the fields. It was Second Brother who pulled us out.

Later, when the foundry parts business made money, he never held back his share from us.

Without him, how could we have built the two-story house?

Yet when he lost those Mechanical Factory orders, our two families didn’t stick by him. We took his money and walked away.

Imagine how hurt he must’ve been…

When Second and Fourth Brothers went to Beishan to grow seedlings, I said so many cold remarks behind his back, never really hoping he’d succeed…

Thinking back, I feel so sorry for him!”

Xu Zhishan looked out the window and said:

“Second Brother is truly capable. His son Xu Chen is gifted too.

In the future, our Xu family will rely on this father and son to achieve real success.”

At these words, he couldn’t help glancing at his son Xu Xin.

Xu Xin, tall and bulky, stood there looking ashamed.

Suddenly Xu Zhiyan smiled again:

“I heard from Fourth Brother’s wife that the idea for this variety of seedlings came from Xu Chen.

The last time Fourth Brother got beaten up, Xu Chen actually went to Beishan and handled it—that was unexpected.”

“I’m more and more in awe of this nephew!”

Xu Zhishan: “Maybe Xu Chen will surpass his father one day!”

…

Xu Xin frowned and said:

“Dad, Third Uncle’s factory will surely survive. Should we ask Second Uncle to take us on? Then we can work with him in the future?”

Xu Zhishan smashed the pipe on his son’s leg with a loud crack.

Xu Xin yelped in pain, took a step back, his face full of grievance.

“You useless fool!

How dare we ask Second Brother for help…

You’re almost thirty, yet you only think of relying on others!

Look at Xu Chen. He’s so young but so capable!

And he’s about to get into a good university—the first student in our Xu family.

We’re all the same Xu blood. Why is the gap so huge?”

Xu Xin shrank back and didn’t dare speak.

Xu Zhiyan looked into the courtyard and suddenly said:

“It’s quiet outside. Have they gone?”