"Even the cheap ones cost three thousand?"
"I've got all the materials." The boss had no idea why Chen Ge was suddenly asking about this. "Just give me a few extra days, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied with this batch."
"New scene opens the day after tomorrow. That's non-negotiable."
"The haunted house business hasn't exactly been booming lately. Didn't you see the 'for sale' sign hanging outside? Before, I only had to handle the design work and leave everything else to the workers. But with no big orders for weeks, I had to let them all go to cut costs." The boss wasn't willing to lose Chen Ge's order either. "How about this—I'll call the workers tonight, and we'll pull overtime to get it done within a week?"
"A week is still too long. I need it the day after tomorrow."
"Even if I throw everything into it, I can only produce three or four pieces by the day after tomorrow." The boss looked helpless.
"You have plenty of materials but not enough hands." Chen Ge set down his backpack. "Tell you what—lend me this workshop for twenty-four hours. Just have the materials ready for me."
"Huh?"
As the conversation went on, things took a strange turn. The workshop owner was slow to react. "Then what would I do?"
"Stand to the side and watch." Chen Ge flexed his fingers and looked around the room. "You don't exactly have a crowd here. Once the shop is sold, you'll have to liquidate all that inventory at a discount or just throw it out. Why not rent it to me for a day? Don't worry, I'll pay market price for whatever materials I use."
The logic checked out, but something felt off!
The slightly chubby workshop owner thought about it for a long time. He really didn't seem to be losing anything. He looked at Chen Ge, who was practically itching to get started, and reluctantly nodded. "Fine. But you'll need to put down a ten-thousand-yuan deposit first. I'll deduct whatever materials you use and return the rest."
"Deal."
Chen Ge handed over the money and followed the chubby man into the work area inside. It was a spacious room with all kinds of tools scattered across the floor.
"You're really going to do this yourself?" The boss still had his doubts. "If you need help, I can pitch in. I'm just sitting around anyway."
"Then thanks in advance." During his college internship, Chen Ge had seen similar operations at a toy factory and was quite familiar with the uses of various tools. He took a walk around, sized up the situation, then took out his phone and dialed Captain Li.
"Uncle Li, I have a favor to ask—it's about Muyang Middle School."
"The city precinct has already closed the case. Why are you still hung up on Muyang Middle School?" Every time Captain Li answered a call from Chen Ge, his heart skipped a beat, terrified of hearing some piece of bad news.
"It's not about the body-hiding case. I was thinking…"
"Stop getting involved with that school." Captain Li's voice grew increasingly serious. "According to the city precinct's investigation, before the school was built, there may have been other hidden cases inside."
"Other cases?" Chen Ge didn't press the matter. "Captain Li, you've got it wrong—I'm not trying to meddle in your business. Last time, didn't you tell me something happened to one class at Muyang Middle School? I just wanted to ask whether your files contain any photos of those twenty-four children before the incident?"
"Have you lost your mind? What do you want those for?"