After listening, Fang Xiu'e spoke up from the side with some anxiety
"That factory director, does he not care about the impact at all? How does he dare to say such things publicly?"
Fang Xiuying blinked, and once she processed it, she also asked with a face full of question marks
"Exactly, how does he dare? Isn't he afraid of being purged?"
Actually, Fang Xiu'e was right, because at this time, whether it was a brick factory or a food factory, they were all state-owned enterprises!
And people like Director Hao Dayou or the director of this food factory were individuals at the section chief or deputy section chief level.
The reason for adding "or" was that rank and position were calculated separately; strictly speaking, they were two different things and might not always match.
The key issue was that they held actual power as section chiefs or deputy section chiefs. This was completely different from those who held the title in name only or those who simply enjoyed the benefits of that rank!
In other words, people of their standing held quite a high position in DJ County!
Many people might have no concept of how these ranks worked.
One thing to understand is that the top leader of the entire county was only at the division chief level.
As for a deputy county head, if they weren't in the county committee, they were also just at the section chief level.
One could imagine that the influence of a food factory director was genuinely not small.
As a director, even if he dared to do such a thing, he should have been afraid to speak of it.
Because this wasn't exactly a good thing; speaking it out loud was essentially just painting a target on his own back.
The reason Wang An remained completely calm was that Fang Xiuying had mentioned looking for the "Big Lunatic," not looking for "Wang An."
Although Wang An knew that both names referred to him, that food factory director had no idea what the three words "Big Lunatic" actually signified on the streets of the entire county.
As the old saying goes, "Money can make the ghost push the mill," and another says, "Under a heavy reward, there will always be a brave man."
However, if the person one had to face was Wang An, there would be many prerequisites before saying those phrases.
Namely
"How much is the money?"
"How difficult is the task?"
"What happens if I die first?"
"Can I withstand the retaliation?"
"Are my family members taken care of?"
And so on and so on.
That was the reality. Did people really think the name "Big Lunatic" was earned just by talking?
Of course, this was how others felt facing Wang An, and in the same situation, Wang An felt the same about others.
In other words, as long as they were thugs within DJ County, none of them would actively go after a famous local thug over something like this.
Even though Wang An was still just idling his life away, he wouldn't dare do it either!
If you truly pushed someone to become a "desperado," things would get out of hand.
One must realize that the term "desperado" wasn't just a deterrent to ordinary people; it was the same for those in the underworld.
This was also why, in Wang An's previous life, he had beaten Zheng Fei so many times, yet Deputy County Head Zheng remained helpless.
Many might not understand—with Zheng Fei's father holding such a high position, how could he be helpless against a mere thug?
This was due to the era.
One must remember that the "Great Cleanup" two years later was pushed forward by a massive group of people. And before that cleanup?
From now until the start of the Great Cleanup, there were countless high-ranking people affected, but who did what to whom?
Furthermore, up until now—including in Wang An's previous life—Wang An had truly never encountered a single person who was genuinely unafraid of death.
Even those who sought a way out were one hundred percent regretful at the moment of death.
After Fang Xiuying finished speaking, Fang Xiu'e asked Wang An quite nervously
"Xiao An, why don't you go find that friend of yours? Let him talk things over with that director. Then we can apologize to the director's son and pay some compensation, and the matter will pass. What do you think?"
What Fang Xiu'e suggested wasn't actually wrong. Although it sounded a bit cowardly, it was truly an attitude of seeking peace, and of course, it was for Wang An's own good.
But how could Wang An possibly apologize? As for paying money, that was even more impossible. Pay for what? He'd rather pay that brat a beating.
A half-grown kid, not even fully grown, yet daring to learn how to rob people. Since he dared to do the deed, he should be prepared to be beaten half to death.
He was just a factory director; he'd be useless on the streets, and even if he used his official connections, it would still be pointless.
Moreover, in the eyes of second-generation heirs like Wu Dong, someone like him could probably be taken down in minutes.
Therefore, Wang An smiled
"No need. Just eat your meal. This little thing isn't even an issue."
Seeing Wang An so calm, Fang Xiu'e immediately felt much more at ease, though she still said
"In the future, if we encounter this kind of thing again, if you can endure it, try your best to endure. As the saying goes, 'Endure for a moment and the wind and waves will calm; take a step back and the sea will be wide and the sky clear.' It's not worth getting beaten like this."
Fang Xiu'e's words reminded Wang An of something someone had said alone in the fence-enclosure in his previous life.
Thus, Wang An smiled
"I feel that enduring for a moment only makes you more fucking angry the more you think about it, and taking a step back makes you feel like you're losing out no matter how you think about it. Don't you agree?"
Wang An's words left the two sisters stunned; they had probably never heard this perspective before.
However, Fang Xiuying soon said excitedly
"Right, right, right! Exactly! I feel the same way. Every time I argue with someone, after I think about it later, I feel like I didn't perform well at the time and really suffered a huge loss."
Hearing this, Wang An agreed wholeheartedly
"Exactly. Ever since I started getting angrier the more I thought about it, I stopped indulging anyone. Rather than feeling pathetic afterward, it's better to risk your life right then and there."
After Wang An finished, Fang Xiuying looked as if she had found a kindred spirit and laughed loudly
"Exactly! My skill at bickering has grown quite fast lately. That time in the cafeteria, I almost made the auntie serving the food cry. Can you believe she scooped a full ladle of vegetables for me without a single piece of meat, specifically avoiding the meat while serving me!"
Hearing this, Fang Xiu'e said to Fang Xiuying
"You're just too picky. There were only a few pieces of meat in that dish; if she gave them to you, what would the others get?"
Fang Xiuying said with great disdain
"Others? Let the others eat vegetables. Anyway, since then, every time the cafeteria improves the meals, I manage to get two pieces of meat. Kindness is taken for weakness, don't you know?"
Fang Xiu'e looked at Fang Xiuying helplessly, then gave Wang An a complaining look.
She said to both of them: "Both of you talking nonsense, not a single one of you gives me peace of mind."
Wang An and Fang Xiuying exchanged a smile, but neither contradicted Fang Xiu'e.
After a while, Fang Xiuying asked Wang An
"Xiao An, the IV tubes and syringes you bought are all on that box. By the way, you said they'd be of great use—what are they for?"
Wang An then explained the matter of needing to draw blood from the few deer at home.
(End of Chapter)