Among those involved in this case, there was a well-known private boss in the scrap recycling industry of Changzhou City. This private boss was arrested by the public security authorities on charges of selling stolen goods because he had purchased large quantities of copper, ferromolybdenum, and other alloy materials stolen by factory personnel.

After the case was solved, due to the huge amount of money involved, this private boss, in order to atone for his crimes, confessed that years ago, under someone’s instigation, he reported that the then deputy factory director of Plant 715, James Jennings, had solicited and accepted bribes, which led to James Jennings’s arrest.

However, after this man’s confession was relayed to the provincial discipline inspection commission and the procuratorate, it disappeared without a trace. Later, William Carter gradually learned the reason why the provincial discipline inspection commission and the procuratorate remained silent on this matter.

At that time, the evidence for this issue was not very sufficient, but since the case was assigned from above, it had to be thoroughly investigated. Later, although it was found that the evidence was insufficient, by that point, it would have been hard to explain without a clear conclusion.

Although there was insufficient evidence of James Jennings’s bribery, he did have some issues with his personal conduct, which is why, after a considerable delay, the matter was handled in that way.

Thinking of this, William Carter suddenly stood up and walked out, startling Charles Brooks.

“Sanzi, where are you going? It’s almost noon.”

“Mom, I’m going out for a bit.” William Carter pushed out his father’s Phoenix 28 heavy-duty bicycle, jumped on, and rode straight toward the Jia-2 residential area.

Chapter Three: A Step Too Late

Plant 195, also known as Liming Machinery Factory, or simply Liming Factory, was more commonly referred to as Plant 195—a name with a strong air of mystery. Especially among factory workers, they preferred to use this name with a hint of pride.

Plant 195 had twelve residential areas, divided into three main sections: Jia, Yi, and Bing. Each main section had four residential areas. The Jia section was in the east of the factory, while William Carter lived in Bing Area 3, in the south of the factory.

The factory leaders all lived in the Jia-2 residential area. Unlike the Soviet-style apartment buildings where other employees lived, they all lived in uniform courtyard houses.

When William Carter pedaled his bicycle to Nancy Jennings’s house, he saw Edward Jennings getting into a Santana under the watchful escort of two unfamiliar men, while the sound of sobbing came from the courtyard. Two figures at the gate were speaking to people inside.

Too late!

William Carter’s heart tightened. He hadn’t expected that, despite hurrying, he was still a step too late—the discipline inspection people had already acted.

Taking advantage of the moment when Frank Brooks was getting into the car, William Carter casually leaned to the side and discreetly made a subtle gesture to a man in his thirties who glanced back.

The man was also very alert and shrewd. After a brief moment of surprise, he quickly scanned the surroundings. Seeing no one else, he immediately realized that William Carter was signaling to him.

After a brief pause, he bent down to greet Frank Brooks, who was already in the car, pretending he was going to the nearby intersection to buy cigarettes. He signaled the Bluebird driver to drive ahead to the main road and wait, not to linger at the courtyard gate, then walked straight to the cigarette stand at the side intersection.

William Carter was secretly pleased—this guy was sharp, truly a skilled investigator, instantly understanding his concerns.

William Carter rode his bicycle around the row of locust trees by the roadside, avoiding the sight of Frank Brooks and the other man in the Bluebird, and approached the middle-aged man heading to the cigarette stand.

“Who are you?” The middle-aged man kept his eyes on the other side, as if he and William Carter had just happened to meet at the cigarette stand. His tone was calm, and the stand owner was absent, giving them a chance to talk.

“Don’t worry about who I am. It’s enough that I know who you are. I have something to report to you. Give me a number where I can reach you.” William Carter lowered his voice, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

The other man was taken aback, but quickly gave a phone number and extension.

William Carter repeated it, memorized it, then quickly rode away. The other man, pretending not to find any cigarettes he liked, also walked off.

When William Carter returned to the gate of James Jennings’s house, the gate was ajar. William Carter gently pushed it open and walked in.

Through the screen door, he couldn’t see clearly. With the light behind him, William Carter could only make out some figures inside the house.

“Mom, what exactly happened to Dad? Why did he leave with those people?”

“Xiaojie, Mom doesn’t know either. It’s so worrying. Your dad said it’s nothing, that he’s innocent. Your dad would never do anything wrong. We have to believe in him.” The slightly choked voice was still elegant and pleasant.

“Mom, we all believe in Dad, but will those people believe him? Are we just supposed to sit here and wait?” This clear and rich voice wasn’t Nancy Jennings’s—Nancy Jennings’s voice was even crisper and more melodious. This was Nancy Jennings’s older sister, Emily Jennings.

Nancy Jennings’s sister Emily Jennings was two years older than Nancy Jennings, and two grades ahead of William Carter. She should now be a graduate student at Changjiang University.

“But what can we do now? Didn’t those people just say it’s still in the investigation and verification stage? What can we do?”