Chapter 38: Lines in the Sand
A Risky Handshake
Rui met Gao in a quiet teahouse on the outskirts of Mingzhou.
The man wore a plain jacket, his eyes darting toward the window every few minutes.
"You supply me fifty units a month," Gao said softly, "and I'll pay up front in cash. Haotian's been bleeding us dry with terms and quotas. I want out — slowly."
Rui weighed the risks. Gao could be bait, or worse, a spy. But Mingzhou was a rich market, and quiet deals had started empires before.
He extended his hand. "Fifty a month. No paper trail."
Gao gripped it like a drowning man.
The Bank's Cold Room
Two days later, Rui and Li Wei sat across from Manager Zhou of the Kaiyuan Commercial Bank.
Zhou tapped the blueprint for the new factory with his pen. "On paper, your numbers are… better than I expected. But Haotian's market share is still five times yours. You want a loan in the middle of a price war?"
"We want a loan to win it," Rui replied evenly. "With double capacity, we can undercut them without drowning ourselves."
Zhou didn't smile, but he didn't say no. "Leave the documents. We'll discuss."
The Sabotage
While Rui was still digesting the meeting, a frantic call came from Xu Lian at the plant.
"Half the Wenzhou shipment's gone bad — fuel tanks are leaking. And they were fine when we tested them."
Li Wei's face darkened. "Someone tampered with them after they left the factory."
Rui knew who. Only Haotian would risk such a blatant move.
"Quarantine the shipment," Rui ordered. "Inspect every unit. And find out who had access to that truck between Kaiyuan and Wenzhou."
Holding the Line
By nightfall, Rui was back on the floor, sleeves rolled up, helping mechanics replace every damaged tank. The rush delivery would cost them two extra days, but he refused to send even one unsafe bike to a dealer.
As he tightened the last bolt, he thought of Gao, the loan, and the land.
Enemies on all sides, but the line was still holding.
And if the bank said yes, that line would soon be a wall.