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The worker was from Zhou Xiao-Hong’s team in Workshop One, and was named Xiang Hong-Bin. He was one of the students they had recruited from the vocational schools.

It looked like it was Xiang Hong-Bin’s first time in an upscale coffee shop like this and he was uncomfortable. He kept looking out the window once in a while, as if waiting for someone to appear.

“Lei, whose car are you driving?” asked Qin Xiang. He had good eyes as a thief and he still saw the car though Xia Lei had parked it further off.

“I bought it today,” said Xia Lei.

Qin Xiang chuckled. “Now this actually suits you. How could a person like yourself drive a Great Wall H6? Drive this one and the girls will come flocking - It’s a babe magnet! Want to bring me for a spin when we’re done here?”

“You’re no girl,” said Xia Lei.

Qin Xiang pointed at Xia Lei and hissed, “Damned looks.”

Xia Lei laughed. “Just kidding. You can borrow the keys from me whenever you want.”

Qin Xiang pouted. “You know I don’t like four-wheeled vehicles. I like motorcycles.”

“Go to a high-end motorcycle dealer and choose one you like. I’ll pay for it. I made a lot of money from China Industrial Group; we shall share in the profits,” said Xia Lei.

“Really?” Qin Xiang looked excited, “Then can I pick a Harley?”

“Of course. I recommend the Harley Davidson Breakout. That one’s not bad - I’ve ridden one.” He was reminded of Annina. Was she doing well?

“Oh? Who’d have known that you’ll know something about motorcycles. I know of the Breakout motorcycles and I’ve always wanted one but it costs over 300,000. I can’t afford that.” Qin Xiang stared steadily at Xia Lei. “Are you really going to buy such a motorcycle for me?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?,” said Xia Lei, “If you think it’s too expensive I can change the offer to a model motorcycle; how about a Harley Davidson Breakout model motorcycle?”

“Fuck you, of course I want the real one!” Qin Xiang looked a little anxious. “I’ll go choose the motorcycle tomorrow and you come pay for it.”

Xia Lei nodded. He moved his gaze to Xiang Hong-Bin in the coffee shop.

“After you left in the afternoon, this punk paced about in the doorway of your workshop. He entered it later and used his phone to take pictures of the drawings you’ve left behind and of the machine in there. He’s not stupid - he just took pictures and didn’t take the papers you left.”

“This little traitor. I treat him well but he still stabs me in the back.” Xia Lei was bitter.

“Oh, right, the drawings you left in there were not real, were they?” Qin Xiang suddenly thought of it and looked a little worried.

Xia Lei smiled. “There’s real ones and fake ones. If someone wanted to bribe one of my people then he or she wouldn’t pick a complete novice. I have to put some real ones in there or it’ll be suspicious.”

“So how are you going to take care of this?”

“Let’s first see who contacts him,” said Xia Lei.

A few minutes later, a red Ferrari arrived and parked in the parking lots at the door of the Night in Paris coffee shop. The car was new and the woman who alighted was a familiar person. It was, as suspected, Chi Jing-Qiu.

Chi Jing-Qiu was in a red dress which hugged her body tightly; she was big where she should be and perky where she should be. She looked like someone of standing.

“It’s her!” snarled Qin Xiang, “That bitch! Why is she always going up against you?”

The corners of Xia Lei’s mouth quirked in a wry smile. “Who can fathom the inner workings of a woman’s mind?”

If he’d had sex with her when she’d stripped naked to seduce him, and things had worked out, she definitely would’ve divorced her husband to be with him and wouldn’t be his enemy now. However, he had not responded to her seduction and this was, undoubtedly, a great humiliation to a woman like her. Add the dispute over the commissions and the enmity between Chi Jing-Qiu and himself could only deepen.

Chi Jing-Qiu entered Night in Paris and sat opposite Xiang Hong-Bin.

Xia Lei’s left eye twitched and locked onto them. He was prepared to lip-read; just waiting for them to start talking.

A waiter went up to Chi Jing-Qiu and politely asked if she needed anything.

“Just a latte,” said Chi Jing-Qiu disinterestedly.

The waiter left to prepare her order.

Chi Jing-Qiu looked at Xiang Hong-Bin with a smile on her face. “You have it?”

Xiang Hong-Bin nodded and took out the memory card for his phone. “He had drawings in his workshop but I didn’t take them lest it gets discovered. I took pictures. My phone camera resolution is high so the pictures are clear.”

Chi Jing-Qiu reached for the memory card.

Xiang Hong-Bin withdrew his hand. “My money?”

“Afraid that I won’t pay? Humph.” Chi Jing-Qiu rolled her eyes at him, then took out a bulging envelope from her Hermes bag and handed it to him.

Xiang Hong-Bin opened the envelope, glanced at the contents and promptly put it away on his person.

Though the money in the envelope hadn’t been counted, Xia Lei could see the bands used by banks to hold money together; it was 10,000. He felt the heat of anger in his heart as he thought to himself, ‘Damn, I was betrayed for 10,000?’

In the coffee shop, Chi Jing-Qiu inserted the memory card into her own phone and swiped the screen with her fingers. She seemed to have ascertained the value of what was on the memory card and a look of joy appeared between her brows. “Well done. Continue to do well and I will be sure to reward you.”

“What if I get discovered?” asked Xiang Hong-Bin.

Chi Jing-Qiu giggled. “Don’t worry. Even if you’re found out, the most Xia Lei can do to you is fire you. If that happens I can arrange for you to get a job at Far East Heavy Industries. It’s a government-backed corporation - much better than Thunder Horse Manufacturing.”

Xiang Hong-Bin smiled. “That puts my mind at ease, then. I’ll report to you if anything happens at Thunder Horse Manufacturing.”

“Most important is the lathe he’s building. Keep a close watch on him and report to me when you gain any valuable information. You have to be careful, though. Xia Lei is very sly. Don’t let him find out.”

“Yes, I will.”

“Go back,” said Chi Jing-Qiu.

Xiang Hong-Bin stood and left.

The waiter served the latte Chi Jing-Qiu had ordered to the table and she stirred the coffee with her spoon while looking at her phone on the table. She was still looking at the pictures on the memory card but she couldn’t make sense of what she saw.

“I thought you’d charge in there and catch Chi Jing-Qiu and that traiter red-handed.” Qin Xiang spoke in dissatisfaction as he watched Xiang Hong-Bin leave.

Xia Lei smiled. “What’s the use in catching that punk and Chi Jing-Qiu? Think about it - what would a woman like her do with the drawings?”

Qin Xiang paused. “You mean... She’s not the mastermind?”

Xia Lei thought for a bit, then said, “There has to be a buyer for this. If it’s not Elder Mu, then it’s Ning Yuan-Shan. I feel it’s more likely to be Ning Yuan-Shan.”

“So you’re not taking action now because you’re hoping to catch the big fish?”

Xia Lei nodded.

“Okay, what do you want to do?”

“Find a way to get the surveillance video from the coffee shop. We just need the part where Chi Jing-Qiu and that punk did their transaction,” said Xia Lei.

Qin Xiang frowned. “Looks like I’ll have to work overtime tonight. I’ll get wrinkles.”

In the coffee shop, Chi Jing-Qiu picked up her phone and dialled a number. When the call connected, she said, “Chairman Ning, I have Xia Lei’s drawings... What? Send them to you? It’s already so late... Okay, I’ll bring it to you right now. Mm-hm, your home? Sure.”

Call ended, she got up and walked towards the cashier.

Xia Lei stopped using his eye and said, “I’ll follow her. Help me handle the matter of the surveillance footage.”

Qin Xiang smiled. “No worries, easy as pie.”

Chi Jing-Qiu walked out of the coffee shop and got into her Ferrari. She started driving in a certain direction.

A black BMW M6 followed. It kept a distance of about 50 metres between itself and the red Ferrari.

Xia Lei dialled a number in his car. When the call connected, he said, “Big Brother Zhou? Sorry for disturbing you at this hour.”

Zhou Wei’s voice came from the phone, “Why the formalities, Chairman Xia? What is it?”

“I have a problem on my side,” said Xia Lei.

“What problem?” Zhou Wei’s voice became anxious in an instant.

“Chairman Ning and his secretary from Far East Heavy Industries have bribed one of my workers. The worker stole my drawings and sneaked pictures of the lathe I’m building.”

“What? How dare he do such a thing!” Zhou Wei’s voice was full of anger. “Where are you now?”

“I’m following Chi Jing-Qiu to Ning Yuan-Shan’s home. She’s about to give the drawings and pictures to him. Big Brother Zhou, I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to keep it a secret. I’m afraid Ning Yuan-Shan may ruin our agreement with his meddling.”

“How dare he!” said Zhou Wei furiously, “Don’t do anything yet; wait for me to come over!”

“Sure. I’ll wait for you,” said Xia Lei.

Xia Lei couldn’t help his smile after he hung up. Far East Heavy Industries was also a government-backed company but it was just a lowly dog compared to the great tiger that was China Industrial Group. Ning Yuan-Shan was considered someone of import in Hai-Zhu but to Mu Jian-Feng, he was less than a section chief or a department head of China Industrial Group like Zhou Wei.

China Industrial Group regarded Josef’s intelligent lathe as something which could revolutionise the manufacturing industry and it also involved the promotion of many a career. In other words, Ning Yuan-Shan was not just going up against one person but a group of tigers! Would China Industrial Group, with Mu Jian-Feng at their head, simply let him off?

Matters had not progressed to that point but Xia Lei could already see Ning Yuan-Shan’s fate.

There was no good ending for a dog fighting tigers for food.