Chapter 823: Source of the Explosion
Lin Tian sensed something was off as soon as he entered Xianglong Tea House.
Wearing a mask, no one could recognize him. With his keen senses, he managed to catch snippets of gossip.
All the discussions were about the explosion a few hours ago, and everyone had different opinions. Some believed Qiansimei wouldn’t survive this ordeal, while others felt that with Bai Shishi’s abilities, she could handle even the biggest issues!
Though Bai Shishi’s past was behind her, her ’glorious history’ was still deeply entrenched in people’s minds. To many, she was still the boss who could handle anything!
When Lin Tian reached Bai Shishi’s office, she was sitting in her chair, holding a phone in one hand while browsing something with her mouse in the other.
"Okay, I understand. Let’s do it this way for now."
Bai Shishi hung up the phone and looked up at Lin Tian, smiling, "You’re here."
"Yes." Lin Tian observed her delicate features, noting the deep, dark circles around her eyes—a result of her frequent late nights.
Lin Tian couldn’t help but feel concerned. "Didn’t rest well last night, did you?"
"I only slept a little. I’ll nap once I finish up my work."
Just as she spoke, her phone rang again. Bai Shishi gestured to Lin Tian for silence and answered the call.
This time, the caller was clearly a foreigner, as Bai Shishi conversed entirely in English.
After hanging up, Bai Shishi looked even more troubled. She rubbed her forehead, appearing fatigued, and said, "The news about the explosion has spread abroad, impacting the international market, which is very bad for our company’s growth."
"The bigger the mess this incident creates, the more people talk about it once it’s resolved—it’s free publicity. Stay positive," Lin Tian remarked with a smile.
Bai Shishi could only muster a faint smile; even the most optimistic outlook could be shattered by reality.
Soon, her phone rang once more, with less than a minute between calls. Lin Tian imagined she’d been busy with calls all morning.
While Bai Shishi was on the phone, Lin Tian walked around her desk and stood behind her, gently massaging her shoulders.
Bai Shishi’s tense body began to relax, feeling two warm currents easing in from her shoulders on either side—comfortably applied, even her fatigue seemed to ebb away.
After the call ended, Bai Shishi reclined in her chair, closing her eyes to savor the relief. She was, indeed, exhausted.
Lin Tian lightened the pressure on her shoulders, massaging for a bit, then moved to gently rub her temples, quickly lulling her into a light doze.
During this time, her phone rang again, but Lin Tian swiftly set it to silent.
No matter what Bai Shishi was dealing with, Lin Tian believed nothing was more important than getting enough rest.
Even if Qiansimei fell, Lin Tian wouldn’t be overly concerned. After all, it was just money. For him, making money was relatively easy.
Lin Tian carried Bai Shishi to the lounge behind the office, covered her with a blanket, and then returned to open the office door when it was knocked on.
Knock knock...
The sound wasn’t loud enough to rouse a sleeping person, especially one lulled to sleep by Lin Tian’s spiritual Qi.
Ignoring the door-knocker, Lin Tian escorted Bai Shishi to the lounge, tucked her in, then returned to the office to open the door.
Mrs Li stood outside, holding a file, and seemed startled to see Lin Tian.
"Mr. Lin..."
"What’s the matter?" Lin Tian asked blandly.
"Oh, Mr. Song from the major crimes squad wants to brief Mr. Bai on some matters, and there’s a meeting in half an hour," Mrs Li replied truthfully.
After hearing this, Lin Tian frowned immediately and waved his hand, saying, "Cancel them."
"Cancel them?" Mrs Li’s mouth gaped in surprise—was that even appropriate?
"Nothing wrong with it. Shishi just fell asleep; don’t bother her with these trivial issues for now."
"Trivial issues..." Mrs Li was taken aback—how could these be trivial? They were urgent matters!
"Anything else?" Lin Tian asked blandly.
"Uh... no. I’ll head out now."
Mrs Li really couldn’t understand Lin Tian’s thinking. Was sleep more important than the company’s survival?
With her head bowed, unable to understand, Mrs Li suddenly heard Lin Tian call from behind, "Wait a moment, prepare a detailed report of the factory explosion’s personnel data for me later."
"Understood," Mrs Li responded.
...
Looking at the pile of files Mrs Li delivered—perhaps over a hundred.
"This many?" Lin Tian took one, flipping through it. Mrs Li was efficient, having compiled detailed records including work histories.
Mrs Li stood respectfully before Lin Tian and replied, "Here are 120 files in total. I’ve marked the eight deceased and sixteen seriously injured employees."
"Got it. How long have these employees been working at our factory?" Lin Tian set down the files—it was too much to review at once.
"Roughly around the same time I started, maybe two or three months. After all, Qiansimei has only taken off these last few months. But these employees are from a designated group."
"What do you mean by a designated group?"
"Employees specifically assigned to that factory. Processing White Lotus Muscle Powder involves trade secrets, so we selected experienced employees from other workshops. Sixty per shift, with day and night shifts. They’ve signed confidentiality agreements, and their actions are restricted, but they receive additional wage compensation."
"What do the employees say about the explosion? Did anyone see how it happened?"
"We’ve asked, but the employees gave vague answers. According to them, the explosion originated from raw materials."
Upon hearing this, Lin Tian couldn’t help but exclaim quietly in anger, "That’s utter nonsense!"
Mrs Li trembled; it was her first time seeing Lin Tian so angry. Even from afar, she could feel the intense aura emanating from him.
Lin Tian pondered for a few seconds and then asked, "Who said that?"
"All the employees claimed this. But to prevent the incident from affecting external perceptions of us, we’ve stated the explosion source is unknown."
"Hmm, handled well. You can leave now; I’ll review these files."
"Okay, if you need anything, dial the desk phone line; my shortcut key is 0."
"I know."