371: Detailed discussion with Professor Cui Zhenzhong

Liu Xiaolin followed Cui Zhenzhong in a hurry to a three-story building next to the Fourth Workshop, which was the location of Haizhe Technology's R&D Department.

Back then, Hai Zhezhe built a dedicated R&D building here for research convenience, simply because he didn't want to deal with other company matters and only wanted to focus on R&D.

Cui Zhenzhong's office was on the third floor. The two walked past the large laboratory on the first floor, through the two rows of small laboratories on the second floor, before reaching the office on the third floor.

"Manager Liu, please come in." Cui Zhenzhong opened the door and let Liu Xiaolin in.

"Deputy Minister Cui, I visited Dr. Hai yesterday." Liu Xiaolin said directly after sitting down.

"Ah?" Cui Zhenzhong was incredulous. "In what capacity did you go? How did he agree to see you? I've been several times, and he refused to see me."

"Sister Shi took me there, that's why Dr. Hai met me," Liu Xiaolin said.

"Sister-in-law? I got the cold shoulder even when I went to see Sister-in-law," Cui Zhenzhong said dejectedly. "I tried calling, waiting for her at the entrance of General Manager Hai's residential complex, but she refused to answer or see me. I know they both hate me very much."

"Hate you? Why would they hate you?" Liu Xiaolin asked, puzzled.

"After General Manager Hai was arrested, witnesses were needed. Sister-in-law came to me, but we were all threatened by gangsters. They even took a photo with my daughter outside her school and sent it to me, telling me that if I dared to testify in court, my daughter would disappear," Cui Zhenzhong said with a look of despair. "Most people in our R&D Department were threatened, so no one dared to testify in court, which led to General Manager Hai being wrongly imprisoned."

"Gangsters actually threatened you? Then do you know who sent the gangsters?" Liu Xiaolin naturally knew who assigned them, but he wanted to confirm if Cui Zhenzhong knew.

"I don't know. None of us understand why this happened. And why did General Manager Cai, General Manager Han, and General Manager Xiang report General Manager Hai for tax evasion? I don't understand that either," Cui Zhenzhong said.

"Then do you have any evidence to prove that General Manager Hai is innocent?" Liu Xiaolin asked.

"We don't have direct evidence. We can only prove that General Manager Hai was solely responsible for the R&D Department, and other company matters were not under his purview at all, nor did he ever participate in them," Cui Zhenzhong said.

"This kind of proof has some effect, but it's not very significant." Liu Xiaolin was a little disappointed. It seemed Hai Zhezhe had overestimated the value of Cui Zhenzhong's testimony.

"Then what should we do? How can we help him?" Cui Zhenzhong asked anxiously.

"You still want to help him? You're not afraid of the gangsters anymore?" Liu Xiaolin asked, looking into Cui Zhenzhong's eyes.

"I'm not afraid anymore! I sent my daughter and wife back to our hometown to settle down. I'm here alone now, and I'm not afraid of anything. As long as I can save General Manager Hai, I'm willing to do anything," Cui Zhenzhong said excitedly.

Liu Xiaolin hadn't expected that Cui Zhenzhong would actually go to such extremes for General Manager Hai, ready to fight with his back against the wall.

"Since you have such great determination, I won't hide it from you anymore. I'm not the purchasing manager of Langfang Fine Carving. I'm the Boss of Jiantuan Electronics. After cooperating with Langfang Fine Carving, the Ministry of Science and Technology inspected us and signed a new technology R&D project. We needed an expert like Dr. Hai, which is how I learned about his situation," Liu Xiaolin said. "After I finished talking to Sister Shi on the phone, I decided to come to Yuhai City to help him find evidence and clear his name."

"General Manager Liu, I didn't expect a stranger like you could step in to help him. I feel even more ashamed in front of you," Cui Zhenzhong said, his face full of shame.

"You don't need to feel ashamed. The reason I came to find you is because General Manager Hai told me to," Liu Xiaolin said. "He didn't see you because he was afraid the gangsters would find out and target you again. Sister Shi ignoring you is also for this reason. They both want to protect you."

"General Manager Hai is still thinking of me even in prison. Compared to him, I'm simply worthless," Cui Zhenzhong said, feeling even more heartbroken.

"Don't feel ashamed. Our top priority is to help him find evidence to prove his innocence. Other things aren't important," Liu Xiaolin said solemnly.

"What do you need me to do?" Cui Zhenzhong asked.

"I need to get in touch with the company's financial staff. Can you find a way to arrange it?" Liu Xiaolin said straightforwardly.

"Financial staff? Why do you need to contact them?" Cui Zhenzhong asked, puzzled.

"Tax evasion issues are naturally related to financial data," Liu Xiaolin said. "So I need to have an in-depth discussion with them to see if I can gain anything."

"Got it. How about this, let's exchange phone numbers so we can contact each other anytime," Cui Zhenzhong said.

At this moment, a sudden knock on the door startled Liu Xiaolin. He quickly took out his embossed business card and offered it with both hands. "Minister Cui, this is my business card. Please give me your guidance."

Han Ruoyu, who walked in directly after knocking, just happened to see this scene. "Manager Liu is having a lively chat with our Minister Cui. You've even exchanged business cards."

"We didn't exchange business cards. I requested Minister Cui to accept mine," Liu Xiaolin said humbly.

Cui Zhenzhong took the business card with both hands and said, "Oh dear, I don't even have a business card. Minister Han, you know this. What's the use of business cards for R&D Department staff? So there's no situation of exchanging business cards."

"I was just teasing you," Han Ruoyu said with a smile.

"Didn't you say you had other things to attend to? How did you finish so quickly?" Liu Xiaolin asked with a smile.

"I'm not finished, but my Uncle and Uncle Xiang are back at the company. I mentioned you to them, and they both want to meet you," Han Ruoyu said with a smile.

"Ah? General Manager Han and General Manager Xiang want to see a small purchasing manager like me? I'm truly flattered," Liu Xiaolin said, pretending to be a little surprised.

"I repeated what you just said to my Uncles, and they immediately asked to see you," Han Ruoyu said.

"Since General Manager Han and the others are looking for you, you should go quickly. I still have things to attend to here, so I won't continue showing you around," Cui Zhenzhong said with a smile. "Besides, you wouldn't understand the work in the laboratory anyway, haha."

"Alright, alright, I really don't understand. I feel a bit guilty for wasting so much of Minister Cui's time out of momentary curiosity," Liu Xiaolin said, going along with the flow. "When you're free sometime, I'll treat you to a big meal, okay?"

"Speaking of a big meal, I'm actually a bit hungry. There's no time like the present, why don't you treat me tonight?" Cui Zhenzhong said with a smile. "I was just wondering where to eat tonight. My wife and kids have gone back to our hometown, and it's extremely boring by myself."

"Okay, give me a call after work. I'm just new to Yuhai City and alone, so it would be good to have company for dinner," Liu Xiaolin also said with a smile.

"No way!" Han Ruoyu said, eyes wide, from the side.