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

May 11th, 11 AM.

Hangzhou West, Sutong Express Distribution Center.

The air was filled with a burnt smell, the distinctive odor of cheap packaging tape rubbed together, mixed with diesel exhaust and the stench of hundreds of men's sweat fermenting all night.

"Stop what?! Keep spinning!"

Zhao Sihai slammed the walkie-talkie onto the sorting table, cracking a hole in the casing.

The conveyor belt emitted a tooth-grinding metallic scraping sound, like a dying old ox being forcibly dragged along.

The motor roller at the other end was emitting blue smoke.

In order to speed things up, Zhao Sihai personally had someone pry open the overheat protection.

"Mr. Zhao, we really can't fit it in anymore."

The site manager wiped the soot off his face and pointed to the unloading area behind him.

Seven or eight semi-trailer trucks were firmly blocking the unloading platform, as if they were trying to swallow the warehouse whole. Goods were being continuously spit out.

The traffic flow had long since failed, and the entire warehouse had become a pressure cooker on the verge of exploding.

"If it won't fit, go up to a higher size!"

Zhao Sihai stubbed out his cigarette, his eyes bloodshot. "Do I really have to teach you this? Aren't there still two meters of empty space in the ceiling?"

"But that's the electrical distribution box..."

"Can you eat electrical boxes? Tonight, one order is a five-dollar profit! You think you can block my path to wealth?"

The supervisor shrank back and turned to call the loaders.

The wall with the yellow warning sign that read "High Voltage Danger, Do Not Obstruct" disappeared completely behind countless brown corrugated cardboard boxes.

The white seal on the distribution box was caught on the corner of the box, and it tore off with a "ripping" sound, falling onto the dusty cement ground.

Nobody gave it a second glance.

Zhao Sihai stood by the iron railing on the second floor, looking down at this steel behemoth that was frantically swallowing and spitting out banknotes.

As long as today passes.

As long as these tens of thousands of tons of goods are shipped out.

Even if all the machines break down tomorrow, it's worth it.

He pulled out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, and just as he was about to light it, his hand trembled, and the lighter fell into the gaps between the piles of packages on the first floor.

That used to be the main fire lane.

The two-meter-wide passageway was reduced to less than thirty centimeters, too narrow even for a cat to squeeze through.

The wall of cardboard boxes, reaching all the way to the ceiling, was unstable and swayed slightly with the vibration of the machine, like a cliff that could collapse at any moment.

In the shadows.

The temporary worker wearing a mask pulled his hat brim down.

Instead of frantically moving goods like the others, he used the act of wiping away sweat to point his phone camera at the obstructed electrical box and the blocked safety exit.

The red recording dot pulsed silently in the dim light.

March 11, 6:30 a.m.

The city is still hungover, and the orange vests of the sanitation workers are the only bright spot on the streets.

Wensan Road, 24-hour print shop.

The boss yawned and looked at the young man in front of him, who was wearing a neat windbreaker.

"How many portions do you want?"

Five copies. Printed in color on the best paper.

Lin Che inserted the black USB drive into the host computer, which was covered in virus pop-up windows.

The red lights at the rear were flashing rapidly, as if transmitting some kind of deadly virus.

A Word document pops up on the screen.

The boss glanced at the title, and half of his drowsiness vanished.

Emergency Inspection Recommendation Regarding Major Fire Hazards and Safety Violations at the Chengxi Logistics Park During the Double Eleven Period

The bold, size 2 font looks like a black brick hitting your retina.

There were no emotional accusations, and no victim's lament.

There's only a cold, hard table of times, locations, and violation clauses.

Attached is a CAD site plan, with all blocked escape routes and overloaded circuit nodes marked in red.

It doesn't look like a whistleblower letter.

Like a professional autopsy report.

"Brother, handing this thing over could kill someone," the boss said, adjusting the printer settings as he couldn't help but chime in.

Lin Che did not respond.

He stood at the doorway, looking across the street at the breakfast stalls.

The proprietress lifted the lid of the steamer, and billowing white steam rose up, blurring the crisp morning air.

"We still need to burn five discs; the videos are all in the folder."

Lin Che took out a hundred-yuan bill and placed it on the glass counter. "Please hurry, I'm in a rush to clock in at the Safety Supervision Bureau."

Of course, I'm not going to work.

He was there to "go to work" for those bureau chiefs and team leaders.

At this critical juncture when the whole country is focused on the situation, no one dares to gamble their career on the odds.

Zhao Sihai was betting on "what if nothing happens".

The logic within the system is "in case something happens".

This letter isn't a bomb; it's a pair of scissors handed to the regulatory authorities.

A pair of scissors used to cut the fuse and, incidentally, slit Zhao Sihai's throat.

If no action is taken, this registered letter will serve as irrefutable evidence of dereliction of duty should a fire break out.

This is an open conspiracy.

Ten minutes later.

Lin Che sat on a small stool, with a bowl of tofu pudding drizzled with chili oil in front of him.

He ate very slowly.

Chew each bite carefully.

The post office not far away opened its doors, and three thick kraft paper envelopes were stuffed into the green mailbox.

thump.

The letter fell to the bottom very softly.

But to Lin Che, it was the first crisp sound of the guillotine blade being released.

November 11, 9:50 a.m.

Sunlight pierced through the smog, giving the West City Logistics Park a golden glow.

The office on the second floor of Weiguang Logistics.

It was eerily quiet.

Compared to the bustling crowd on Zhao Sihai's side, this place seemed like a forgotten corner of the world.

In front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

Lin Che sat by the tea table, where a glass kettle on the induction cooker was heating up.

Bubbles rise from the bottom of the pot, initially sporadic, then gather into rolling white waves.

Gumbling.

The bubbles hit the sides of the kettle with a dull sound.

Fatty Wang stood by the window, his palms sweating profusely, glancing at his watch every now and then.

"Brother Che, it's already 9 o'clock. It seems like Zhao Sihai's shipments are getting bigger and bigger. Three more 6-meter trucks just went in."

Fatty Wang's voice tightened, "What if the higher-ups don't do anything? Or what if Zhao Sihai gets someone to suppress it..."

"The water is boiling."

Lin Che turned off the switch.

The sharp, boiling sound stopped abruptly.

He picked up the kettle and poured boiling water into the purple clay teapot, causing the tea leaves to tumble and unfurl violently.

"No one in this world can control their temper."

Lin Che poured tea and pushed it in front of Fatty Wang, saying, "Especially those who sit on a powder keg are more afraid of dying than you."

Urgent police sirens could be heard coming from the main road in the distance.

Not a single horn sound.

Multiple tones intertwine to create a breathtaking ensemble.

Fatty Wang suddenly leaned against the glass.

As you look out, one law enforcement vehicle after another turns past the intersection.

A red fire command vehicle led the way, followed by a white and blue safety supervision enforcement vehicle, and finally the industry and commerce bureau and the police station.

Against the backdrop of the drab logistics park, the blue, white, and red paint job is extremely jarring, like a scalpel cutting open a gray lesion.

The entrance to the warehouse across the street.

Zhao Sihai stood on a high place and directed the forklift to forcibly overload.

His bloodshot eyes were fixed on the container that was about to be filled.

Until the piercing alarm drowned out the roar of the machines.

The first law enforcement vehicle screeched to a halt in front of him.

The car door opened.

Several pairs of black uniform leather shoes slammed heavily onto the dusty cement ground.

The middle-aged man leading the group blocked Zhao Sihai's gesturing.

Lin Che picked up his teacup and blew away the floating tea leaves.

The heat blurred his expression.

"Looks like we don't have to wait until tonight."