Chapter 58: Ma Weidong’s Shock! Testing Li Junsheng?

As soon as these words were spoken, Ma Weidong felt a jolt inside, staring in astonishment at Li Junsheng before turning his gaze to his own sister.

What was his elder sister up to now?

She hadn’t even told Li Junsheng about the favor he’d asked her!

“Sis, he doesn’t know about the machinery factory business?”

“What do you mean, knows or not? I can’t be bothered to talk to him!”

“You have no idea how unbearable Li Junsheng has been these past couple of days. Our third sister just gave birth to another girl and her in-laws are making a fuss about it. Li Junsheng, of all people, rushed over and insisted on bringing her back to our parents’ home for her confinement. I disagreed, and he argued with me! Tell me, where in the world does such a thing happen? Now that he has a bit of money, he’s lost his sense, and even rented a room from the old lady across the street for Li Chunya to move into.”

Ma Yulian just wanted to change the subject and pull Ma Weidong aside for a private conversation. Chen Dazhu had warned her: the scrap in the machinery factory was highly profitable, and such a golden opportunity must not be known to Li Junsheng.

If he regretted it and tried to meddle with Zhiyuan, what then?

“This is all beside the point,” Ma Weidong cared little for his sister’s household squabbles; he was only concerned about whether the matter he’d entrusted to her was settled.

He sensed something was off and confronted Li Junsheng directly, “Brother-in-law, I have a friend who runs a scrap recycling station. He’s interested in the machinery factory’s scrap and wants to buy it. I heard you work there, so I hoped you could help connect us.”

“I asked my sister days ago to talk to you and see if this could be arranged. Don’t tell me you don’t know about it?”

Li Junsheng kept a calm exterior, but inwardly he was deeply unsettled.

He had finally managed to legally acquire and sell the factory’s scrap—such a lucrative deal—and already someone else had their eyes on it?

That recycling station owner had a sharp eye!

It seemed he needed to act quickly and keep making money.

“What? I had no idea. Your sister never mentioned it to me.”

Even if she had, Li Junsheng wouldn’t have helped.

But now he had to put on an act.

He was quite pleased to see Ma Yulian frustrated, knowing she must have handed the matter over to Chen Dazhu.

“I never said anything to him!” Ma Yulian, realizing she couldn’t hide it, explained with a sullen face to Ma Weidong, “But I have been thinking about it for you. You don’t know—Li Junsheng’s job at the machinery factory is gone. There’s no point in asking him!”

“He transferred the job to your Brother Chen, Chen Dazhu. So I’ve already asked him to handle it. There’s been no news yet, and look at you, so anxious to come knocking.”

Ma Yulian didn’t appreciate Ma Weidong showing up unannounced.

“What?”

“The job at the machinery factory was transferred?”

The revelation hit Ma Weidong hard; disbelief was written all over his face.

He’d long suspected the little schemes between Ma Yulian and Chen Dazhu, though they used to keep it discreet. Now it was out in the open?

Was this family life even tenable anymore?

Most importantly—could the machinery factory deal still go through?

“Why are you so anxious? Didn’t I tell you I’ve already asked Old Chen to take care of it?”

With Ma Weidong staring at her so intently, Ma Yulian felt a bit guilty and unconsciously raised her voice.

“Sis, you’re really out of your mind!” Ma Weidong turned to Li Junsheng, exasperated, “Are you stupid? You gave such a good job to Chen Dazhu? You might as well have given it to me—after all, we’re family!”

He immediately realized that Li Junsheng had been manipulated by Ma Yulian.

But if he was going to be manipulated, why not let him, Ma Weidong, benefit from it?

Li Junsheng hadn’t expected even Ma Weidong to covet his post at the machinery factory.

“Heh… Give it to you? Are you my son?”

“Besides, even my son didn’t get it. Why should you?” Li Junsheng had never thought highly of his brother-in-law and was blunt.

“How can you talk to my brother like that?” Ma Yulian snapped at Li Junsheng, then turned to the still-stunned Ma Weidong, “Dongzi, even if you wanted the job, you wouldn’t take it! Because he asked Old Chen for twelve hundred yuan for it!”

“He sold it for that much?!” Ma Weidong was taken aback.

No matter how good the machinery factory job was, it wasn’t worth that much—normally, it was just a few hundred.

But Li Junsheng had demanded twelve hundred—how could he dare?

“There’s demand but no supply,” Li Junsheng said coolly.

Ma Weidong thought it over; it was true. Everyone knew it was a secure job, and people would fight to get in.

Though people talked about buying jobs, sellers were rare.

“Heh, demand but no supply!” Ma Yulian sneered.

“He’s blinded by money. The money from selling the job, he keeps it all for himself—not a penny for me!”

“I didn’t tell him about your request, so you should be grateful. Otherwise, with his attitude, who knows how much he’d ask for to get this done.”

Ma Yulian hinted that the three hundred yuan she’d asked for Ma Weidong was already a reduced price.

Ma Weidong rubbed his chin, ignoring the noisy Ma Yulian.

Though he suspected Li Junsheng had been tricked into selling his job, he doubted Li Junsheng would give up his retirement security just for twelve hundred yuan.

Nothing major had happened at home; they’d survived even tougher times.

Retirement was just around the corner—why sell the job now?

Unless there was another reason…

Ma Weidong pondered deeply, suddenly recalling something.

Coincidentally, just last night at the restaurant, he’d overheard some gossip about the machinery factory.

But that was surely just a rumor, right?

Could Li Junsheng really have sold his job because of such a rumor?

That would be absurd!

Then again, if it were true, Li Junsheng might have made a profit.

“Brother-in-law, you must know something, don’t you?”

Li Junsheng met Ma Weidong’s gaze and laughed, feigning ignorance, “Know what? I just found out about your request.”

“I’m not at the machinery factory anymore, so I can’t help you.”

Ma Yulian, not noticing the subtlety in their exchange, told Ma Weidong directly, “Dongzi, can’t you stop being so impatient? Old Chen is already working on it! Maybe there’ll be good news today.”

Li Junsheng’s heart stirred.

Today?

He was planning to go to the factory tonight to haul scrap.

Would he run into Chen Dazhu?