Reborn in 2012, building a new energy empire

"That's easy." Chang Hao picked up his porridge and took a sip. "Once we get the evidence, we'll work overtime to perfect the chain of evidence. I'll go to your factory tomorrow. Your dad should believe the police, right? Also, before we come, tell your dad not to agree to any of Jiang Tao's requests or make any payments. Just say that the equipment purchase needs to go through procedures, and drag it out until we find out the facts."

Jiang Haoran felt a weight lifted from his heart and quickly nodded in agreement: "I'll tell my mom right away that we'll do as you said and drag it out until tomorrow. We absolutely won't let him sign anything or pay a single penny!"

That night, Jiang Haoran stayed at Chang Yu's house. He was worried about the factory and couldn't sleep soundly. As soon as it was light, he and Chang Yu rushed to the Criminal Investigation Detachment. As soon as they entered, they saw everyone in the team checking the evidence list that they had compiled overnight.

Just then, Chang Hao's phone suddenly rang, the sharp ringtone breaking the morning's tranquility. The number flashing on the screen made the two exchange a glance; their intuition told them that this call might be related to the investigation results.

Chang Hao answered the phone, his face growing increasingly grim. The person on the other end said, "After official verification by the Shanghai Futures Exchange, that 100 million copper futures collateral slip has no record of registration and is a forgery; we've inspected the corresponding warehouse on-site, and it's completely empty, without even basic storage equipment… The equipment supplier is an affiliated company of theirs, which they would deregister after receiving payment in Jiangbei… Jiang Tao is a core member of the gang; they have many aliases, all fake, and they've already scammed three companies in Zhenjiang…"

"Okay, apply for a case now, and immediately notify the officers to lay in ambush so we can capture them in one fell swoop."

Chang Yu, who was listening nearby, was astonished: "That bastard is too ruthless, he even cheats his own relatives! Haoran, luckily you reacted quickly, otherwise your factory would be finished."

As Jiang Haoran gazed at the gradually brightening sky outside the window, the weight that had been hanging over his heart all night finally lifted, the cold sweat on his back gradually dissipated, and his eyes grew even more determined.

In his past life, his father was blinded by Jiang Tao's sweet talk. He not only believed the fake mortgage certificate, but also mortgaged the land certificate of the factory along with the factory building to take out a loan to purchase raw materials.

The final order fell through, the loan could not be repaid, the factory and land were auctioned off by the bank in accordance with the law, and the family went from living a stable life to being homeless. The image of his father's hair turning white overnight is still etched in his mind.

In this life, with irrefutable evidence from the police investigation and a pre-planned arrest strategy, he will never allow his father and the factory to fall into the same abyss again.

"Uncle Chang, thank you." Jiang Haoran stood up. "Then I'll go home first. I'm afraid my dad might contact Jiang Tao beforehand and get tricked into signing some documents."

Chang Hao picked up his police uniform jacket: "Okay, I'll send two colleagues over first to set up a stakeout near your factory. If Jiang Tao dares to come ahead of time, we'll arrest him on the spot."

As soon as the three of them stepped out of the residential compound, Jiang Haoran's phone rang. It was a WeChat message from his father: "Taozi said he had something come up this morning and will arrive at the factory at 10 a.m. early. He's already on his way."

Jiang Haoran's eyes darkened. Jiang Tao's early arrival was definitely an attempt to catch his father off guard and make him sign the contract before he could think things through.

He immediately informed Chang Hao, who made a decisive decision: "I'll contact the nearby police station right away and have them send someone to keep watch at the factory gate. We'll follow closely in our car and make sure we stop him before he signs the contract."

Police lights illuminated the streets in the early morning. Jiang Haoran sat in the passenger seat, watching the scenery rushing past the window, his heart filled with an unprecedented determination.

He turned to Chang Hao and said, "Uncle Chang, Jiang Tao and his gang have cheated so many factories. This time, they must pay the price."

Chang Hao gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes sharp: "Don't worry, in a society governed by the rule of law, we will never let them get away with it."

At that moment, a black Volkswagen Passat slowly pulled up in front of the factory. Jiang Tao, dressed in a sharp suit, carrying a briefcase, wore a confident smile. Little did he know that what awaited him was not an easy prize, but a trap that had already been laid.

Jiang Jianguo immediately got up to greet them, with Jiang Haoran following behind, mentally prepared.

At the factory gate, a black Volkswagen Passat was parked there. Jiang Tao got out of the car with a man and a woman. He was wearing a black suit, his hair was slicked back, and he had a warm smile on his face.

He was younger than Jiang Haoran remembered, in his early thirties, a time of great vigor and ambition, showing no signs of being about to plunge his factory into a fire.

"Uncle, Aunt, Xiao Ran!" Jiang Tao strode forward. "This trip to Suzhou was truly eye-opening."

"Hengtong is bigger than all the factories in our town combined!" he shouted to the back of the car, "Unload everything!"

Several boxes of exquisitely packaged pastries and two bottles of Moutai were unloaded, but Jiang Jianguo quickly declined, saying, "You came all this way, why bring so much stuff? It's too much of a waste!"

"This is a small token of my nephew's appreciation." Jiang Tao smiled and led him into the factory, then stepped aside to let the woman beside him pass. His tone became more serious. "By the way, Uncle, let me introduce you—this is Director Zhen Yueting from Suzhou Hengtong, who is in charge of supply chain coordination. She came with me specifically to finalize the contract."

Jiang Haoran's gaze fell on Zhen Yueting, and his heart clenched.

The woman in front of him was wearing a beige business suit, with exquisite makeup. When she reached out, she wore a delicate diamond ring on her finger. Her smile was gentle and proper. But in Jiang Haoran's eyes, this face overlapped with the photo of the "suspect who absconded with the money" in the news from his previous life.

This is the woman who later absconded to the United States with a large sum of money. Before leaving, she posted a statement on Weibo saying, "Hengtong is not down, I will return to China next week."

After deceiving countless creditors who waited for half a year, the fraud disappeared without a trace, becoming the biggest fraud case in the province that year.

"Director Jiang, hello, I've heard so much about you." Zhen Yueting's voice was gentle, and her handshake was firm but not too tight, giving her the air of a professional elite. "General Manager Jiang Tao often mentions you to us, saying that Jianguo Machinery Factory has solid craftsmanship and is a trustworthy partner."

Jiang Tao's gaze fell on Jiang Haoran, and an "affectionate" smile appeared on his face: "Xiao Ran, you've grown so tall. Is university on vacation so early? I'll take you out for some fun tomorrow."

"Brother Jiang Tao." Jiang Haoran's tone was flat, without the slightest enthusiasm.

Jiang Tao seemed oblivious to his coldness and patted him on the shoulder: "Come on, let's go inside and talk. I've brought great news to our family this time."

After sitting down inside, Jiang Tao took a sip of tea and began to talk incessantly: "Uncle, I've made quite a few connections in Suzhou over the past few years."

"Hengtong Company, which we are cooperating with this time, is a well-known large enterprise in Suzhou that specializes in exporting agricultural machinery. They have so many orders that they can't keep up with the demand."

"If we fulfill this order, as long as we produce on time, we can supply you for a long time to come."

As he spoke, he took a contract out of his briefcase and handed it to Jiang Jianguo: "Uncle, this is a letter of intent for cooperation. Take a look."

"They agreed to pay a 10% deposit first, and then pay the remaining 90% after the first batch of goods is delivered."

Jiang Jianguo took the contract, his fingers trembling slightly, and eagerly flipped through it.