The richest man started taking advantage of loopholes after joining Alibaba.

Chapter 17 The Hunter's Noose!

10 month 25 day.

There are 17 days left until Singles' Day.

Inside the Weiguang Logistics office.

A calendar hangs on the whiteboard. Due to excessive force, the coated paper has a hole in the number "11," and the edges are curled up, like an unhealed bullet hole.

In front of Fatty Wang was a box of overcooked braised beef noodles, the soup covered with a layer of white grease and long since cooled down.

Unconsciously, fingernails scratched at the veneer on the corner of the table, making a "sizzling" sound. Large chunks of veneer were peeled off, revealing the yellowed composite board underneath.

"Brother Che, here's today's financial statement."

Fatty Wang pushed his phone over.

The screen was lit, and the light was glaring.

4,200.00.

The four digits before the decimal point appear particularly thin on the screen.

"We're completely out of money."

Wang Pangzi's voice was hoarse, as if he had grit in his mouth, "Electricity bills, water bills, daily wages for temporary workers... If we don't shut down half of the machines, we won't even make it to the day after tomorrow."

Outside the window, the automated sorting machine is running at full power.

There wasn't a single package on the empty conveyor belt.

The black belt spun idly, and the friction rollers emitted a monotonous hum.

In this warehouse that has no goods, it sounds like bones are being ground.

Every second it idles, it burns through real money.

Lin Che didn't look at his phone. He was holding a seal in his hand, stamping a document across its seam.

The seal fell, leaving clear traces of red clay.

"The machine cannot be stopped."

The voice was calm and emotionless: "Not only do we not stop, but we also need to connect the backup power and turn on all the lights."

"Why?" Fatty Wang suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "We're burning through money! If we run out, we're really finished!"

Lin Che closed the folder and neatly arranged the contents.

"Because we're doing a roadshow."

I got up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked down at the empty but brightly lit control room below.

"The current idle trading isn't for the clients to see, it's for future investors. It's also for the competitors."

He turned around and pointed to the phone screen, which showed only four digits.

"Shutting down now to save money is just telling everyone that we're out of stock and can't hold on any longer. That's the real collapse."

"I'm burning money, but I'm burning money to achieve certainty."

Fatty Wang opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

He lowered his head, picked up the cooled noodles, and shoveled them into his mouth.

On this chilly late autumn afternoon, this is the only warmth we can hold onto.

3 PM.

The roller shutter door was slammed shut with a loud, metallic clanging sound.

Against the light, several figures crashed in.

The leader was wearing a dark blue jacket, which was open, revealing a Goldlion belt buckle underneath.

Zhao Sihai.

He had a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers, and two henchmen wearing hard hats followed behind him.

Zhao Sihai didn't go upstairs; he first took a walk around the control room.

They walked very slowly, as if they were surveying their territory.

A pair of leather shoes covered in black mud walked unabashedly on the bright yellow warning line that Lin Che had just had cleaned.

The bright yellow line instantly left a trail of dirty, messy footprints.

Lin Che stood by the second-floor railing, watching quietly.

Zhao Sihai looked up, saw Lin Che, and put on the greasy smile typical of businessmen.

"Hey, Mr. Lin, still busy?"

He exhaled a smoke ring, the smoke standing out starkly in the clean factory. "I heard the machines had been running for a whole day and night. I thought we'd landed a big order, but when I got closer, it was all just air!"

The henchman chuckled in agreement.

Lin Che walked down the stairs, his face displaying just the right amount of exhaustion and a forced composure.

"General Manager Zhao is well-informed."

They stopped three steps away and said, "We're doing equipment setup to prepare for Singles' Day."

"Prepare? I think it's a death throes."

Zhao Sihai threw away the cigarette butt.

It wasn't extinguished; under the red sign that read "No Smoking," it flashed a blinding red light.

The soles of the shoes rolled over the floor, leaving a long trail of black ash on the epoxy floor paint.

"Brother Lin, I'm a straightforward person, I don't beat around the bush." Zhao Sihai took out his business card and flicked it over casually. "Don't hold back, while the equipment is still new, let's sell it at a discount. I'll take it all for 200,000 yuan, consider it charity, and leave you some travel expenses to go back to Hangzhou."

Two hundred thousand.

The purchase price of the fully automated sorting system is 1.2 million.

This is outright robbery.

Fatty Wang, standing at the top of the stairs, clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, and was about to rush down.

Lin Che made a "stop" gesture with his hands behind his back.

He bent down to pick up the business card, blew off the dust, and held the edges in his hands as if it were a precious check.

"Mr. Zhao, this price... is indeed a bit low. Could we discuss it further?"

His voice lowered, revealing a sense of helplessness despite his heroic demeanor, "The system is the latest version, and its processing efficiency is three times that of a normal production line."

"Efficiency? What good is it!"

Zhao Sihai was greatly pleased and burst into laughter, pointing to the open space around him.

"College students, have you become bookworms? Logistics is about stacking goods! Warehouses are for storing goods, not for drawing lines!"

He walked up to the pillar and patted it hard.

"Come check out my warehouse, that's what business is all about! Goods are piled up to the ceiling! The aisles are full of packages, you have to squeeze through to walk! That's what you call market saturation, that's what making money is all about!"

Lin Che took out a black notebook and pulled out the ballpoint pen that was inserted on the side.

"Mr. Zhao is right. I lack experience and am too rigid."

He spoke while quickly taking notes.

Zhao Sihai thought he was taking notes of "teachings" and became even more pleased with himself.

"Let me tell you, don't bother with those fancy fire exits and safety distances. That's just for the inspection team. Normally, once the doors are closed, we just pile things up wherever there's space! Every inch of space is money!"

"Been taught a lesson."

Lin Che nodded, the pen tip gliding across the paper.

The notebook contained only lines of neat handwriting:

Hazard 1: Overstaffing of goods obstructs the automatic sprinkler system.

Hidden danger 2: Evacuation routes are completely blocked.

Self-reported evidence: Closed-loop operation, ignoring fire safety regulations.

Zhao Sihai took a walk around and criticized every standardized setting.

Before leaving, he patted Lin Che on the shoulder, the smell of smoke and grease wafting towards him.

"I made up my mind and called. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Two hundred thousand is a lot."

They drove off with their men.

The extinguished cigarette butt still lies beneath the warning sign.

Lin Che closed his notebook.

Watching Zhao Sihai's departing figure, she took out a tissue and carefully wiped her shoulder where she had been patted.

Throw it in the trash can.

"Mop the floor clean."

He said to Fatty Wang, who was walking over, "Especially that shoe print, it's disgusting."

late at night.

11 o'clock.

A bread truck silently stopped at the back door.

Razer, wearing a black hoodie with the brim pulled low, strode into the house, carrying a thick file folder in his arms.

"Brother Che, they're all here."

He placed the file folder on the table, his voice tinged with excitement, "That bastard is too arrogant, he's completely unprepared, the doorman was shooed away with two packs of cigarettes."

Lin Che opened the bag and poured out the photos.

In the dim light, the image is blurry, but the core details are clear.

First picture: Inside Zhao Sihai's warehouse. Cardboard boxes are piled up like a mountain, reaching the ceiling and completely obscuring the red fire sprinkler heads.

Second picture: Emergency exit. The green indicator light is completely blocked by broken tires and debris, and the iron gate is covered with a rusty padlock.

The third image shows haphazardly strung electrical wires. Exposed like a spider web, they are tangled on flammable packaging boxes, and the socket panel is charred black.

This is the "saturation" that Zhao Sihai is so proud of.

This is also the "nuclear bomb" that Lin Che has been waiting for.

Open your computer and create a new document.

Avoid using emotional language, only list the provisions of the Fire Protection Law, and match the photos one by one according to time, location, and nature of violation.

Violation of Article 28 of the Fire Protection Law: It is prohibited to bury, enclose, or obstruct fire hydrants, or to occupy, block, or close evacuation routes and safety exits.

Attached evidence: Figures 1 to 5.

The printer started beeping.

The A4 paper was ejected, the ink warm.

Lin Che picked up the glue stick. His movements were extremely slow and meticulous.

The whistleblower's materials were neatly folded and stuffed into a yellow kraft paper envelope.

The envelope was thick, sealed with glue, and emitted a faint sour smell.

In the recipient field, the following was neatly written in black pen:

Open to the Chief of the Municipal Fire Brigade.

This is not for the clerks to see.

The clerk may have been bribed, or the whistleblower may have been suppressed due to personal relationships.

But at the level of a detachment commander, the nature of the situation changes.

Lin Che was well aware of the logic of the bureaucratic system.

The art of whistleblowing lies not in listing as many crimes as possible, but in "binding responsibility."

At the end of the letter, a sentence was added:

"According to internal sources, the warehouse will stockpile flammable goods exceeding its approved capacity by three times during the Double Eleven period. If a fire breaks out, the consequences will be unimaginable. This information has also been copied to the Provincial Safety Supervision Bureau."

It was a feint; no copy was sent to the provincial bureau.

But that's enough to send chills down the spine of anyone reading the letter.

If Zhao Sihai is not investigated and punished, they will be the ones who lose their jobs if a fire actually occurs on Singles' Day.

This is an open conspiracy.

Forced to protect their positions, law enforcement officers are compelled to resort to violence.

There were three envelopes in total.

One copy for the fire brigade.

One copy for the Safety Supervision Bureau.

A document for the mayor's hotline office.

Fold it neatly, open the drawer, and put it inside. Lock it.

The key turned twice, producing a crisp metallic click.

Lin Che got up and walked to the window.