In the fiery red era of the heavens, refrigerators are refreshed daily.

Chapter 151, Section 150: Warehouse Fire, Accountability Crisis, Investigation into the Cause
At around 7 a.m. in Shanghai, the sky was just beginning to lighten, like the first hint of dawn.

The early winter wind, carrying a chill, swirled up the withered yellow sycamore leaves on the ground, sending them flying across the empty road.

Yang Guangming pedaled his brand-new "Forever" 28-inch bicycle at breakneck speed toward the Red Star State-Owned Cotton Mill. The canvas bag hanging from the handlebars swayed gently with his movements.

As the familiar outline of the factory came into view in the distance, Yang Guangming's heart sank.

In his line of sight, a few wisps of thin yet unusually glaring gray-black smoke were rising from the depths of the factory area, weakly merging into the bluish-gray morning sky. It wasn't the usual white smoke from the boiler room; its shape was scattered, carrying an ominous, lingering aura.

Fire!
The thought pierced my mind like a cold steel needle!

He instinctively slammed on the pedals, the chain making a rapid clicking sound, and the bicycle shot towards the factory gate like an arrow.

His heart pounded in his chest, and the face of Deputy Factory Director Zhao Guodong flashed before his eyes—he was in charge of equipment modification and safe production, and if the losses were heavy, the consequences of his leadership responsibility would be unimaginable!
Zhou Bingsheng's somber, marginalized figure seemed like a chilling omen; he didn't want to suffer the same fate.

Inside the guardhouse, the lights were on, and a familiar figure was standing with his back to the door, seemingly tidying up something.

Yang Guangming practically jumped off the car, leaned it against the wall, and rushed into the guardhouse without even locking it.

"Brother Dayong!" He was slightly out of breath, his voice filled with unmistakable urgency.

Zhou Dayong, the neighbor across the hall who was organizing the duty logbook, turned around when he heard the sound. When he saw Yang Guangming, his square face immediately lit up with the warmth of acquaintances.
"Guangming? So early... You saw the smoke too?" He clearly knew why Yang Guangming had come, and his tone became heavy.

His face was covered in soot, and his dark blue security uniform had several obvious black stains, with a small burnt patch on the cuff. He had clearly not slept all night; his eyes were bloodshot.

"Yes! What happened? Where did it burn? How much damage is there? Are the people alright?" Yang Guangming fired off a barrage of questions, his gaze fixed on Zhou Dayong.

Zhou Dayong put down his notebook, sighed, and gestured for Yang Guangming to sit down. He then lowered his voice as usual, speaking with the methodical manner typical of a demobilized soldier: "It's Warehouse No. 6. The most crucial place, where valuable finished fine cloths are stored."

Yang Guangming's heart sank again. He knew that Warehouse No. 6 was the factory's key warehouse, filled with high-end fabrics ready to be shipped out.

"Thank goodness," Zhou Dayong wiped his face, seemingly still shaken. "It burned, but the damage was less than expected. Why? Because just last night, a large shipment left warehouse number six! The process of getting the goods out of the warehouse continued until late into the night. The amount of fabric left in the warehouse is less than half of what it was when it was full! Otherwise..."

He shook his head and didn't say anything more, but Yang Guangming understood what he meant. Fortunately, most of the inventory was cleared out.

"When did the fire start? Was it put out quickly?" Yang Guangming pressed for the key question, his fingers unconsciously tapping on his knees.

"Around five in the morning. It was Old Qian, who was on patrol late at night, who discovered it. That old guy has pretty good eyesight."

Zhou Dayong spoke faster, "We discovered it in time! As soon as the alarm went off, everyone on the night shift, the security guards, and any workers who could spare a moment rushed over!"

The fire hoses were connected, and the factory's own fire-fighting sand was used. How fast did that fabric catch fire? Like it had been doused with oil! But with so many people working quickly, the fire was brought under control in no more than half an hour, preventing it from spreading.

Yang Guangming breathed a slight sigh of relief: "Where's the warehouse duty officer? Is he alright?"

“He’s alright!” Zhou Dayong said confidently. “The duty room in warehouse number six is ​​on the outermost side, right next to the door. The fire started in the inner warehouse area and didn’t reach the duty room. Old Kuang was sound asleep when he was woken up by the banging on the door. By then, the fire was almost out, and he wasn’t hurt at all.”

“Old Kuang? Kuang Juncai?” Yang Guangming immediately recognized the name. The administrator of Warehouse No. 6.

“Yes, it’s him.” Zhou Dayong nodded.

"What caused the fire? Has the factory given any preliminary explanation?" Yang Guangming's heart tightened again. This was the most crucial question, directly related to Zhao Guodong's fate.

Zhou Dayong's expression turned serious, and his voice lowered to almost a whisper: "The leaders arrived immediately and spent quite a while at the scene. They've held a meeting, and the preliminary... preliminary assessment is that the sparks from the short circuit caused by aging electrical wires ignited the piled-up fabric."

"The wires are old and short-circuited..."

Yang Guangming repeated these five words, his brows furrowed tightly into a deep frown.

A heavy sense of powerlessness made his breathing heavy.

If this conclusion is ultimately finalized, then Zhao Guodong, who is in charge of equipment modification and safety and bears direct leadership responsibility, will likely be transferred to another position at best, and may even be held accountable.

As for Yang Guangming, as the secretary promoted by Deputy Factory Director Zhao, his fate was self-evident—Zhou Bingsheng was a living example, going from a promising secretary to a marginal "penman" with just one storm.

His initial foothold in the factory, which he had just established with four articles published in the Workers' Daily, and the bright future that seemed to be on his mind, were bound to vanish!
Zhou Bingsheng's lonely figure appeared so clear and oppressive at this moment.

Seeing Yang Guangming's suddenly serious expression, Zhou Dayong guessed his worries and comforted him, "The loss is smaller than expected, which is a blessing in disguise. The leaders are still having a meeting in the small conference room, the door is closed. Maybe...maybe there will be more to come." He pointed in the direction of the office building.

Yang Guangming didn't reply; he just remained silent.

The loss was small, but the nature of the liability determination remains unchanged.

A short circuit caused by aging wiring constitutes a production safety accident, and the blame will inevitably fall on the responsible leaders. Once Zhao Guodong falls from power or is transferred, Yang Guangming's political career at the Hongxing Factory will likely come to an end.

No!

Yang Guangming shook his head violently, as if trying to shake off the gloomy omen.

We can't just accept this!
Zhao Guodong had shown him great kindness and mentorship, and his own future depended on Zhao Guodong.

The situation must be broken!

What is the key to breaking this deadlock?

His mind raced. If the final cause of the fire remained unchanged—a short circuit due to aging wiring—then Zhao Guodong would be held accountable regardless of the extent of the damage.

This is irrefutable evidence of poor production safety management!
The only way to break this deadlock is to fundamentally overturn the conclusion that the problem is caused by "aging wires and short circuits"!

The cause of the fire must be something else entirely, something that is not closely related to production safety management, or something that points to other responsible parties!
This thought, like a bolt of lightning in the dark night, instantly cleaved through the gloom in his heart.

But what follows is a deeper sense of unease—overturning the factory leaders' initial conclusion is no easy task. It requires solid evidence and irrefutable reasons.

He needed details, more about the fire itself, about warehouse number six, and especially about the manager, Kuang Juncai! His intuition told him that Kuang Juncai might be a key figure.

“Brother Dayong.” Yang Guangming raised his head, his eyes becoming sharp and focused, and his voice lowered, “What kind of person is this Kuang Juncai in the factory? How long has he been in charge of Warehouse No. 6?”

Seeing that Yang Guangming was asking seriously, Zhou Dayong also put away his casual expression and thought carefully for a moment:
"Kuang Juncai... in his early forties, right? He's been in charge of Warehouse No. 6 for quite some time, at least seven or eight years."

This person seems quite meticulous usually; I've heard he keeps very clear records of the warehouse's inflows and outflows, and hasn't made any major mistakes. However…”

He paused, a hint of hesitation and the air of mystery that comes with passing on rumors on his face.

"But what?" Yang Guangming immediately pressed.

Zhou Dayong leaned closer and said, almost in a whisper, "The older employees all say that his position... is incredibly lucrative!"

He held up three fingers and made a twisting motion. "Everyone says that the No. 6 warehouse is a lucrative job that ordinary people can't get."

"Profitable?" Yang Guangming's heart skipped a beat. "How exactly? What kind of profit is involved?"

"Well..."

Zhou Dayong scratched his head. "How exactly it works? How could someone from the security department possibly know? It's all just rumors."

However, one thing is true: Kuang Juncai is quite generous. He always smokes cheap cigarettes, and he's often seen bringing home good wine and food.

His wife is well-dressed, all her clothes are made of new fabric. With his meager salary and bonuses? Tsk tsk, anyway, many people don't believe it.

He shrugged. "There's no smoke without fire, don't you think?"

"Does he have connections?"

Yang Guangming astutely grasped another key point. A warehouse manager who could maintain such a lucrative position couldn't possibly have a simple background.

Zhou Dayong gave him a knowing look, lowering his voice even further, with a hint of revealing a secret: "Guangming, I'll just tell you this, but don't tell anyone else. Who is Kuang Juncai's brother-in-law? Factory Director Dou! Factory Director Dou Honglang! His own brother-in-law!"

Yang Guangming's pupils contracted slightly.

Dou Honglang! The chief production manager of the Hongxing State-Owned Cotton Mill!
No wonder Kuang Juncai has been able to hold his position as the manager of warehouse number six for so many years, and there are still rumors of him being "lazy and lenient." The factory manager's brother-in-law... that background is crucial!
Kuang Juncai is the brother-in-law of Factory Director Dou. He holds a lucrative position and is highly suspected of embezzlement.

This news, like a heavy puzzle piece, clicked into Yang Guangming's chaotic thoughts.

A bold guess began to take shape in his mind: What if the fire wasn't an accident? What if it was related to Kuang Juncai's possible "profits"? For example, to cover up some shady accounts or deficits?

The idea surprised even himself, but it was followed by a subtle excitement about the possibility of breaking the deadlock.

The short circuit caused by aging wiring is a production responsibility issue, pointing to Zhao Guodong; however, if it was arson, even if it was an accident but the purpose was to cover it up, or if it involved other major management issues, then it would be a completely different criminal case or serious disciplinary violation, and the attribution of responsibility would be fundamentally different!
Of course, all of this is still just based on rumors and speculation.

He needed evidence, even the slightest clue, to support this bold idea before he could raise questions in front of his superiors, thus securing a chance for Zhao Guodong and himself.

“Brother Dayong.” Yang Guangming’s voice was unusually calm, with an undeniable determination. “You just said that warehouse number six was shipping goods out during the first half of last night? Until what time exactly? Approximately how much was shipped out? Does the warehouse keeper, Kuang Juncai, have a detailed ledger of these goods’ inflows and outflows?”

Zhou Dayong was a little confused by his series of professional and incisive questions, and scratched his head:

"Well... I remember the shipping time clearly. Our security department needs to register all vehicles entering and leaving the premises."

Yesterday's convoy to pick up the goods was quite large, with three large Jiefang trucks in total, causing quite a commotion. When the last truck drove out of the factory gate, I checked the clock in the duty room; it was five minutes to twelve!

As for how much stock was shipped... only the warehouse ledger knows.

Old Kuang manages the warehouse; all inbound and outbound documents and records have to go through him, and the ledgers are definitely with him.

Five minutes to twelve!

The fire started at 5 a.m.!

A glint of light flashed in the sunlight.

Time! This time difference is too subtle.

The warehouse had just been "emptied" when it caught fire, and what burned was precisely the "little" remaining fabric, perfectly erasing the warehouse's previous state.

Is this just a coincidence?

"Where is Kuang Juncai?" Yang Guangming pressed.

"He should still be at the factory, right? With such a huge mess, the factory leaders will definitely want to question him," Zhou Dayong guessed. "He's probably waiting to be summoned outside the meeting room, or he's gone back to the duty room to clean up."

Yang Guangming suddenly stood up, grabbed the large enamel mug that Zhou Dayong had chipped off a lot from on the table, and drank the remaining cold water in one gulp.

The cool liquid slid down my throat, slightly calming the burning sensation in my heart.

"Brother Dayong, do me a favor. Keep an eye on what's going on in the conference room, especially with Kuang Juncai. I'm going out for a bit."

"Where are you going?" Zhou Dayong asked instinctively, looking at his serious expression.

"Go check out warehouse number six," Yang Guangming said, and strode out of the security room.

The morning chill hit me, carrying a strong, pungent smell of burning and a damp, humid atmosphere.

Yang Guangming didn't go to the core area of ​​the now-ruined warehouse—there must have been factory leaders and technicians there.

He turned and headed straight for the low-ceilinged guard room next to warehouse number six.

The flames seemed to have truly graced this place; apart from being blackened by the thick smoke, the exterior walls of the duty room were mostly intact. The door was ajar.

Yang Guangming pushed open the door and went inside. The space was small and dimly lit, filled with the smell of smoke and sweat.

A simple single bed, the bedding haphazardly thrown back, clearly indicating that the occupant had gotten up in a hurry.

An old wooden table, its paint peeling, and a chair placed askew.

On the table were scattered an enamel mug, an aluminum lunchbox, several tattered copies of the "Cotton Spinning Technology" manual, and a thick register with a hard cover carefully wrapped in kraft paper—the warehouse's inbound and outbound ledger!
His heart skipped a beat. It seemed that Kuang Juncai had fled in such a panic at dawn that he had forgotten to take this important item, or simply hadn't had the time or inclination to. Of course, it was also possible that there was nothing wrong with the ledger, and he had no qualms about it.

Without the slightest hesitation, Yang Guangming strode to the table and grabbed the heavy ledger. His fingers brushed against the kraft paper cover, which was covered with a thin layer of dust. He took a deep breath of the air, which smelled of burnt earth, and with anticipation, turned to the first page.

On the yellowed paper was Kuang Juncai's fairly neat handwriting, densely recording the daily inflow and outflow of goods in warehouse number six. Yang Guangming turned directly to yesterday—November 25th.

His gaze swept quickly across the records like a searchlight. There were a few inbound and outbound records during the day, but the amounts were small and not Yang Guangming's main concern.

The key is at night.

The records clearly show:
At 10:30 PM, the warehouse dispatch record was as follows: Finished fine cloth (first-class product), item number A103, quantity: 200 bolts. The picking unit was the Third Storage and Transportation Team of the Municipal Textile Company (official seal affixed). The transport vehicle license plate was: Shanghai A-XXXXX. The person in charge was Kuang Juncai (signature), and the person picking up the goods was… (signature).

At 11:10 PM, the warehouse exit registration was as follows: Finished fine cloth (first-class product), item number A103, quantity: 300 bolts. The picking unit was the Third Storage and Transportation Team of the Municipal Textile Company (official seal affixed). The transport vehicle license plate was: Shanghai A-YYYYY. The person in charge was: Kuang Juncai (signature), and the person picking up the goods was: Zhang Jianguo (signature).

At 11:50 PM, the warehouse exit registration was as follows: Finished fine cloth (first-class product), item number A103, quantity: 150 bolts. The picking unit was the Third Storage and Transportation Team of the Municipal Textile Company (official seal affixed). The transport vehicle license plate was: Shanghai A-ZZZZZ. The person in charge was: Kuang Juncai (signature), and the person picking up the goods was: Wang Qiang (signature).

Yang Guangming's brows furrowed more and more tightly.

The records seem clear: a total of 650 horses were shipped out in three batches that evening.

He continued to check the inventory on the 24th: Grade A103 fine cloth, quantity: 850 pieces.

Next, check the remaining quantity of A103 on the 25th: 200 horses.

The total quantity of all other types of fabric is 53 bolts.

Having 253 bolts of cloth in stock is no small number. To burn so much cloth in one go, how big of a fire must it have been?
Sunlight-drenched fingers unconsciously rubbed the dust on the kraft paper cover, but the cold touch couldn't suppress the turbulent waves surging in his heart.

253 horses!
This number was like a red-hot branding iron, searing his retina and etching itself into his chain of reasoning.

Zhou Dayong's relief at "losing more than half" sharply contradicts the written record of "253 horses remaining".

As someone working in the factory, Yang Guangming knew all too well how big the warehouse was and how densely packed the fabric was.

253 bolts of finished fine cloth, stacked up, would form a veritable "mountain of cloth." Cotton cloth is flammable, and the fire can spread so quickly that it could engulf the entire warehouse area in an instant.

Last night's fire was extinguished in just half an hour from discovery? And it "didn't spread"? That's simply unbelievable! Unless...

Unless the cloth was burned, there wasn't nearly that much! The actual amount of cloth remaining in the warehouse was far less than the 253 bolts recorded in the books!
This thought struck Yang Guangming like a thunderbolt, instantly illuminating all doubts and sketching a chilling picture.

Kuang Juncai, the brother-in-law of Factory Director Dou, has secured his position as the most lucrative manager of Warehouse No. 6 for many years thanks to this relationship.

The so-called "profits" are by no means unfounded.

He took advantage of his position to collude with the transportation team or outsiders to smuggle and smuggle high-grade fine cloth from the factory out for resale, in addition to the actual goods leaving the warehouse.

This kind of "rat moving house" theft may not involve a large amount at a time, but over the years, it accumulates and eventually leads to a huge, unfillable gap between the actual inventory in the warehouse and the accounting records!
How big was this hole? Yang Guangming couldn't estimate it precisely, but it was enough to make Kuang Juncai restless and unable to eat or sleep.

A routine year-end inventory, a surprise inspection, or even a thorough check can expose this secret.

Once exposed, he will face not only dismissal and disgrace, but also imprisonment, and his brother-in-law, Dou Honglang, the factory director, with unimaginable consequences.

Thus, a risky plan was born.

Last night's "timely" large-scale shipment was likely a key part of the plan.

It created the public impression that "the warehouse had just been emptied of most of its contents," which foreshadowed the later "burning of a small amount of remaining cloth."

However, shipping alone cannot solve the core problem of discrepancy between the books and the goods – there are still 253 horses “left” in the books!

These 253 bolts of cloth "exist," and their "disappearance" must be reasonable.

A fire became the "perfect" solution to cover up the deficit and destroy evidence.

All Kuang Juncai needed to do was create an "accident" when it was late at night and he was the only one in the duty room.

A short circuit due to aging wiring is an excellent excuse, and it's a well-known fact that the factory's equipment is outdated. He might have deliberately damaged a section of already aging wiring, or more directly created a small, easily overlooked source of fire near the fabric pile, such as an unextinguished cigarette butt or intentionally caused a short circuit.

He then quickly left the scene and hid back in the duty room to "sleep," betting that the fire would burn enough cloth before it was discovered.

To his surprise, Lao Qian's patrol discovered the fire in time, and with everyone's efforts to put it out, the fire was contained within the reservoir area and was not completely burned to the ground.

Therefore, the contradiction between the short time for firefighting and the large amount of cloth was exposed.

What he didn't expect was that this official ledger, which recorded "253 horses in stock," was forgotten by him in his hasty escape, and fell into the hands of Yang Guangming, his astute secretary who was eager to break the deadlock!
Or perhaps he simply didn't realize how important this ledger was!

After all, in his mind, this ledger was not falsified and the accounts were genuine, so he was not afraid of being investigated.

After all, there is no perfect crime in this world. No matter how meticulous the planning and design are, loopholes are inevitable.

As Yang Guangming closed the ledger, his heart pounded violently in his chest, not out of fear, but because he had found the key to breaking the deadlock—a key that was both incredibly sharp and extremely dangerous.

The conclusion that the fire was caused by "aging wires and short circuits" has been overturned, and the blame is now being placed on warehouse manager Kuang Juncai for embezzlement and arson!
This will not only pull Zhao Guodong out of the quagmire of production safety liability accidents and change the nature of the fire from a liability accident to a criminal case, but will also detonate a bombshell involving the factory director Dou Honglang's brother-in-law!

This is no longer a simple division of responsibilities, but a storm that could shake up the entire power structure of the Red Star Factory!
The risk is small, but the potential reward is huge.

Zhao Guodong will not only be able to clear his name, but may even be recognized for his meritorious service in "exposing a major case of corruption and dereliction of duty." As for Yang Guangming, the person who discovered crucial evidence and turned the tide, his future will be bright.

Yang Guangming took a deep breath and hugged the heavy, ashes-covered ledger tightly to his chest, as if he were holding a burning hope.

He glanced one last time at the messy duty room, his gaze sharp as a knife.

The next step is to find Zhao Guodong before Kuang Juncai destroys other evidence or colludes with others, and before Director Dou uses his influence to suppress everything!
This ledger was the key to breaking the deadlock!
The outline of the truth has become clear, and a war without gunpowder has just begun.

Yang Guangming turned around, strode out of the warehouse duty room, and headed towards the closed conference room, rushing towards it against the chilly morning wind of early winter.

(End of this chapter)