Chapter 289 - A Plague from Thousands of Miles Away!
“If there's no feasible way to handle the wastewater, then it's best not to open the factory at all,” Zhang Xiaolong cautioned. “You might think you've made money, generated tax revenue, and provided jobs for many, but you're not seeing the immense difficulties you've caused with pollution, the destruction of natural resources—many of which money can't restore. This pollution will affect generations to come. The people living nearby would rather be a bit poorer than have no options at all.”
“I get your point. My original plan was to address the wastewater treatment once the factory started turning a profit. I hadn't anticipated...” Huang Zhigang let out a sigh.
“Hehe, and when your profits are up, are you certain you can handle the river's pollution?” Zhang Xiaolong asked with a skeptical smile. “Right now, you can't manage a bit of wastewater, yet later you'll have to deal with an entire polluted river. Will you then think you need even better profits before you can tackle the river's condition?”
“I...” Huang Zhigang found himself at a loss for words. This issue wasn't something that could be resolved with mere talk.
Zhang Xiaolong didn't expect an explanation. With him there, he wouldn't allow anyone to compromise the river everyone depended on for water. “Tell me, what do you want this time? Don't say you want me to look the other way and let you keep polluting with your factory. If that's it, we have nothing to discuss.”
Huang Zhigang steadied himself, “No, I was hoping Mr. Zhang could invest in the factory. With that investment, we could restart and manage the wastewater effectively. Wouldn't that be good?”
Zhang Xiaolong and Chen Yaru exchanged a knowing look and both smiled.
“But why should we put money into your factory?” Chen Yaru asked first. “You could try to secure a loan or raise the funds yourself. Until you have the money, the factory can simply pause operations. That shouldn't be too much of an issue, right?”
Huang Zhigang grew anxious, “But I've already taken a lot of orders. I was very cautious in accepting them, but with the factory shut down, I can't even think about restarting—just paying the breach of contract penalties could bankrupt me...”
Standing up with a sense of defeat, he decided to leave.
Just then, Zhang Xiaolong's phone rang, casting a shadow over his expression.
“What did you say? Where is Su Mei?” he asked urgently.
“She's in Zhenhe County, over a thousand miles away in Qingyang,” the secretary on the other end replied with equal urgency. “I can't reach Director Su at the moment, but I've just read online that she's in Eternal Light Village, where a plague has broken out. I'm worried...”
“Why would she go to a remote village so far away?” Zhang Xiaolong wondered aloud.
“Director Su was seeking a legendary healer rumored to possess many effective remedies that have yet to be mass-produced. She hoped to acquire these remedies to propel Eyebrow Dragon Company to greater heights. But who could have predicted the plague would strike now?” the secretary said, her voice tinged with panic.
“Don't panic. If this healer is as good as they say, the plague might not be as dire as we fear. Book me the next flight to the nearest airport,” Zhang Xiaolong instructed before ending the call, his face etched with concern.
Plagues were dreadful; their spread could have catastrophic consequences. Even with a healer of renown, without the right medicine or if it couldn't be found in time, the death toll could be staggering.
“What do we do?” Chen Yaru's complexion turned grave. “I'll come with you. We can't afford to let anything happen to Su Mei.”
The Su family was affiliated with Soaring Dragon, but that was a secondary concern. Over time, Su Mei had shown a softer side, and Chen Yaru had come to see that the young woman was not as formidable as she once seemed, but merely headstrong.