The Foursome's Downfall

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was November.

Last month, explosive news came from the capital: the Gang of Four had been arrested!

This news instantly ignited people's long-suppressed emotions.

Everyone was celebrating, exchanging their joy, and in these festive days, Zhao Dongchuan also happily had a few extra drinks.

"Little Zhao, the poem you submitted has been published!" Teacher Jia was still the same, carrying a black bag, holding a periodical, and walking in with a smile.

Zhao Dongchuan took it and saw that it was the latest issue of "People's Literature."

It contained a newly published poem by him: "Facing the Sea, With Spring Blossoms!"

He had taken this well-known poem by Haizi, used it to complete his task, and submitted it to "People's Literature."

In this world, Zhao Dongchuan was unsure if a person named Haizi still existed, but even if he did, it should be considered his luck, due to Zhao Dongchuan's actions. It might even change his early demise.

"It's written so well, truly romantic! Full of bright sunshine, it makes people immerse themselves in happiness!" Jia Bing praised generously, his eyes crinkling in a smile.

Zhao Dongchuan was relatively numb; he had grown accustomed to the praises brought by being a "plagiarist." He wasn't arrogant because of it; it was just a work he needed to produce at the moment to fulfill a requirement.

"Teacher Jia, how's your little one doing? Can he crawl yet?" Zhao Dongchuan asked, changing the subject.

"Uh... not quite yet. He just learned to sit; crawling will probably take a while longer!" Jia Bing stroked his beard, a happy expression on his face.

"How fast time flies, your little one will be one year old soon!" Zhao Dongchuan exclaimed.

"Indeed, you should also hurry up. Shufen has introduced you to several excellent young ladies, why haven't you gone to see them... Do you have someone in your heart?" Jia Bing teased.

"Sigh!"

Several figures flashed through Zhao Dongchuan's mind; he was quite conflicted now... unsure how to choose.

During this time, Li Yuer from Pengcheng had also been corresponding with him through letters; he could feel her warmth.

But he didn't want to give up on another female lead, Tian Runye... Well, was he really going to make the mistake that all men make?

After the downfall of the Gang of Four, the social atmosphere was gradually changing, and some policies were slowly loosening, though not very obviously.

But he could openly go there under the guise of visiting relatives and friends, provided his work unit issued a letter of introduction.

Individual ID cards hadn't been issued yet, so one still relied on letters of introduction to prove one's identity; a work permit also worked, but it wasn't as reliable.

Given his current status at his work unit, getting a letter of introduction wasn't much trouble; he just needed to inform the unit.

He stopped dwelling on these matters; it might just be wishful thinking on his part!

Zhao Dongchuan shook his head, no longer thinking about such trivialities.

After work, he declined several dinner invitations and went straight home.

The small courtyard at his home was quite different from before; Zhao Dongchuan had transplanted many flowers and plants and even built a grape trellis in the yard.

He had bought good quality seeds from the supply and marketing cooperative, said to produce delicious grapes. Although he only intended to decorate the yard, it would be nice if he could actually have grapes to eat.

He also placed a small table and a few chairs in the courtyard.

When there was nothing to do, he would sit there, bask in the sun, and read a book; life was quite leisurely.

However, he didn't have that leisure today; he had to go see Huang Laosan.

Upon returning home, Zhao Dongchuan locked the door and put on his system glasses.

With a thought, his figure instantly disappeared... secret base, backyard, master bedroom.

Zhao Dongchuan's figure appeared silently... Huang Laosan was already waiting in the front yard.

Although he still didn't know how Zhao Dongchuan entered the backyard directly without passing through the front gate, he understood that it wasn't his place to ask.

Mr. Han's mysteriousness wasn't a recent development; from the very beginning, when others couldn't get electronic watches, but Mr. Han could quietly obtain them, he knew that Mr. Han had a powerful force behind him.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to transport so many goods from outside without a sound, avoiding so many inspections.

Especially in the past six months, Mr. Han had acquired many different types of products, including electronic watches, radios, and flashlights.

Not only were there many types, but also large quantities. He now had over fifty subordinates, and if Mr. Han hadn't told him to keep a low profile, he could have doubled his manpower in a very short time.

This didn't even count the dealers who purchased goods from them.

Those dealers would buy goods from him and then use various methods to sell them elsewhere.

Of course, there were also some "ruthless individuals" who tried to rob them of money and goods. Most of them they could handle, but a few tough ones, who clearly had blood on their hands, were dealt with by Mr. Han.

Mr. Han only asked him to keep an eye on them and tell him their exact location.

The next day, that person would mysteriously have an "accident"!

Not only him, but his subordinates now also held Mr. Han in immense reverence.

Of course, mystery and power were one aspect; another was the good treatment.

Now, the people under him received their salaries on time every month, with monthly wages ranging from twenty to sixty yuan, calculated based on their years of service, and bonuses at the end of the year.

In reality, they were already considered a work unit; the company also had internal purchase priority.

There were also employee dormitories, and someone was specifically arranged to cook for everyone at noon. Although each person's meal was rationed according to regulations, it was already quite good.

Fortunately, the dormitory's location was relatively remote, with no neighbors around. Everyone was arranged to come in batches, and when they met people, they would all say they were relatives from the countryside looking for work, helping others.

However, this wasn't a long-term solution; so many people would eventually attract attention.

Just as Huang Laosan's mind was filled with these thoughts, the backyard door opened.

He quickly bowed in greeting.

"Mr. Han!"

"You've been waiting long, haven't you!" Zhao Dongchuan said with a slight smile.

"I just arrived a moment ago!"

Zhao Dongchuan didn't dwell on the issue either.

"Mr. Han, here are the recent accounts. Please take a look..."

Saying this, Huang Laosan took out a brand new ledger and handed it to Zhao Dongchuan.

The old ledger, having too many transactions, was already filled and had been put into Zhao Dongchuan's spatial storage.

The new ledger only recorded the accounts for the past two months.

"Come in..."

Zhao Dongchuan didn't take it but led Huang Laosan to the backyard living room, brewed a pot of Longjing tea, and poured a cup for each of them.

"Have some tea!"

"Thank you, Mr. Han!" Huang Laosan was clearly not drinking tea with Zhao Dongchuan for the first time, but he still thanked him respectfully.

Zhao Dongchuan drank his tea while picking up the ledger and began to read it...