flstandardbreds Chapter 1344 Three Small Workshops
Chapter 1344 Three Small Workshops
While Xiao Zhou and Xiao Wang were heading to the Xipo Coal Mine, Xiao Wang stood at the entrance of the first small workshop at the east end of Liulin Village—"Hongxing Garment Factory"—holding a fiber testing report issued by the technical department. The workshop's iron gate was ajar, and the sounds of sewing machines clattering and fabric rubbing could be heard from inside. "We're from the Xicheng Criminal Investigation Detachment, looking into something," Xiao Wang said, pushing open the iron gate. He had barely finished showing his identification when he was enveloped by a strong smell of fabric and machine oil.
The workshop owner, Liu Hongxing, was in his forties, wearing a blue overall with loose threads, and holding a pair of scissors. Hearing that Xiao Wang was there to inspect the work clothes, he quickly led him to the office. On the table were several stacks of semi-finished work clothes, all uniformly dark blue. "Officer, we only make two kinds of work clothes here: one is the dark blue work cloth for construction sites, and the other is navy blue polyester-cotton blend for factories. We've never made gray, let alone any off-white lining," Liu Hongxing said, lifting the pile of fabric under the table to reveal neat rolls of cloth. "Look, these are all from legitimate manufacturers; we have purchase invoices."
Xiao Wang asked his teammate Xiao Li to check the purchase order, while he followed Liu Hongxing into the production workshop. Eight sewing machines were set up inside, and four workers were engrossed in their work, with scraps of fabric scattered on the floor. Xiao Wang picked up a gray scrap, and Liu Hongxing immediately explained, "This is leftover from making sleeves for a nearby furniture factory a few days ago. It's pure cotton, not the polyester fiber you're talking about." Xiao Wang took out a UV pen and shone it on the scrap; sure enough, there was no fluorescent reaction. He then carefully examined the fabric next to each sewing machine and felt the lining of the semi-finished work clothes; they were all made of pure cotton, completely different from the fibers of the deceased's clothing.
"In the last six months, has anyone ordered a gray coarse cloth top? With a beige polyester lining, a cheap one made in a small workshop." Xiao Wang squatted down next to the worker, watching her sew workwear cuffs. "Or has any stranger bought similar clothes?" The worker shook her head: "We only take bulk orders, we don't do odd jobs. People in the nearby villages all know that we only make dark blue and navy blue ones, nobody buys gray ones."
As they left "Hongxing Garment Factory," Xiao Li handed the verified purchase order to Xiao Wang: "Liu Hongxing's purchase orders are all genuine. He hasn't purchased any off-white polyester fiber in the past six months, nor has he sold any gray workwear. We've taken samples of the scraps and semi-finished products from the workshop, and they don't match the deceased's fibers." Xiao Wang nodded, took out a map, and drew an X next to "Hongxing Garment Factory": "Go to the next one, 'Limin Labor Protection,' at the intersection of Wangpo Village."
"Limin Labor Protection" was smaller than "Hongxing Garment," consisting of only three single-story buildings, with several boxes of work shoes piled up at the entrance awaiting shipment. The workshop owner, Zhao Limin, was a cripple. Upon hearing Xiao Wang's purpose, a troubled expression appeared on his face: "Officer, I sell labor protection supplies here. The work clothes are all sourced from the wholesale market; we don't produce them ourselves. As for the gray coarse cloth shirts you mentioned, I did receive a batch, but they sold out six months ago."
"Where did you get the goods? Who did you sell them to? Are there any sales records?" Xiao Wang immediately asked, a glimmer of hope rising in his heart. Zhao Limin limped into the inner room and pulled out a worn ledger: "They came from the Xicheng wholesale market, fifty pieces in total. They were sold to surrounding construction sites and brick kilns, all in bulk. I didn't record the specific buyers." He pointed to the records in the ledger, "Look, the last batch on March 15th was sold to the outsourcing team of Xipo Coal Mine, twenty pieces, dark blue, not gray."
Xiao Wang asked Xiao Li to contact the Xicheng wholesale market to verify Zhao Limin's supply channels, while he carefully reviewed the ledgers. The records in the ledgers were messy, only noting the quantity and amount of goods purchased, without specific information about the buyers. He then checked the work clothes on the shelves; they were all dark blue and navy blue, with linings of pure cotton or polyester-cotton blends, but no polyester fiber. "Do the outsourced team members often come to buy work clothes? What color do they wear?" Xiao Wang asked. "They come occasionally, usually buying dark blue ones, similar to what they get from the coal mine," Zhao Limin thought for a moment, "but the mine closed last winter, and they haven't come back since."
After leaving "Limin Labor Protection," Xiao Li received feedback from the wholesale market: "Zhao Limin did indeed bring in a batch of gray coarse cloth shirts six months ago, but they were pure cotton, with pure cotton linings, not polyester fiber, and the color was much darker than the deceased's, so they weren't from the same batch." Xiao Wang's hopes were dashed again. He looked at his watch; it was already past 1 p.m.: "Let's grab something to eat first, then we'll go to the last shop this afternoon, 'Honest Small Workshop,' at the very back of Lijiazhuang."
The "Honest Workshop" is hidden in an alley in Lijiazhuang. It has no signboard, only a mottled wooden door. After knocking for a while, an old woman finally came out and said that the workshop owner was her son, Sun Chengxin, who had gone out to deliver goods. "You're here to check the work clothes, right?" the old woman suddenly said. "A few days ago, the police also came and asked about gray clothes. My son has never made them."
Xiao Wang and his team sat in the yard waiting for Sun Chengxin. The old lady brought over several bowls of water: "My son has been doing this for five years, mostly taking small orders from nearby villages. He makes jackets for children, and occasionally a few jackets for adults, but he's never made any work clothes. I've never even heard of the off-white polyester fiber you're talking about." Xiao Wang looked around the yard and saw some half-finished children's jackets piled up in the corner. They were all bright red and yellow, with no gray ones.
At 2 PM, Sun Chengxin returned. Seeing Xiao Wang, a look of surprise crossed his face: "Officer, what brings you here? Officer Zhang just came by a few days ago, also asking about the gray work clothes. I really haven't made any. All the fabric here is pure cotton and cotton-polyester blends, look." He opened the fabric cabinet in the room; inside were indeed fabrics for children's clothing, no work clothes fabric. Xiao Wang took out a photo of the deceased's clothes, and Sun Chengxin examined it carefully: "This kind of gray coarse cloth, we call it 'old coarse cloth' here. Very few people use it now; only some elderly people use it for bed sheets and duvet covers. It's not durable for making clothes, nobody buys it."
"Is it possible that someone you know made these work clothes elsewhere and asked you to help sell them? Or have you seen anyone wearing these clothes?" Xiao Wang pressed. Sun Chengxin shook his head: "Everyone in my village wears the jackets I make, and so do people in the nearby villages. I've never seen anyone wearing these gray work clothes. Officer Zhang took samples of my fabric and semi-finished products last time he came, so the results should be different from what you're looking for, right?"