Chapter 106: I and Wang Kaifeng, One of Us Must Die (A 10,000-Word Chapter, Please Subscribe)

Just as Wang Guoqiang received the phone call, Li Weibing also received the news.

However, he did not receive a phone call; rather, Li Peihang came over directly to tell him.

Li Weibing's expression was somewhat complex; he pursed his lips and paced back and forth in front of his desk, sighing after a long while: "Sigh! This time, it was a bit rash."

Li Peihang remained silent; he knew Li Weibing was referring to the matter of abandoning Ning Weidong to make a deal with Wang Guoqiang.

In fact, he had held an opposing attitude toward this matter from the very beginning.

It wasn't that Li Peihang had such long-term vision, but rather that he himself did not have a very good relationship with Chu Chengfu of Workshop One.

By comparison, Ning Weidong was Ning Weiguo's younger brother and had been brought into the Manager through his connections; who was closer and who was more distant was clear at a glance.

It was just that there was no help for it; Li Weibing had made the decision, and it was useless for anyone to say anything.

Only until this moment, seeing the stir Ning Weidong had caused in the Fourth Workshop in just two or three days, did Li Weibing realize that Ning Weidong was not a soft persimmon.

Li Peihang also felt a sense of sudden realization in his heart; no wonder when he had suggested to Ning Weidong back then that he go to the Fourth Workshop, Ning Weidong had dared to go.

Especially later, using that dropped note to imply that the person who snuck into the Fourth Workshop might be from Japan.

In his view, it was simply a stroke of genius!

It invisibly restricted the opponent and increased the righteousness of his own position.

It even laid the groundwork for the future; as long as they seized upon the loopholes on Vice Factory Director Wang's side regarding this matter, they could directly accuse the other party of colluding with foreigners.

Once this heavy hat was placed upon him, even Wang Guoqiang would not be able to withstand it.

It was precisely because he thought of these things that Li Weibing let out such a lament.

If he hadn't used Ning Weidong as a bargaining chip earlier, such a young man with a background and means would have become a capable general under his command.

Unfortunately, it was too late to say anything now.

Li Weibing pondered for a long while; things had reached this point, and thinking about those things was useless. It would be better to stand on the present and take the opportunity to dampen Wang Guoqiang's arrogance.

Li Weibing said: "Peihang, you must mobilize elite troops and capable generals for Ning Weidong, and let him try his best to hold the Fourth Workshop. As long as he can hold it, the pressure will shift to Wang Guoqiang. Once the pressure is great, people will make mistakes..."

Li Peihang nodded, though he was skeptical in his heart.

As for the Fourth Workshop, it had long been like a leaky sieve; he feared that no matter how many people were temporarily sent over as a last-minute measure, it wouldn't be of any use.

What's more, this wasn't a war where the enemy attacks from the outside and we defend from the inside.

The current situation was that the people deployed by Vice Factory Director Wang's side were likely already prepared; as soon as the project was in place, they could strike at any time.

Thinking of this, Li Peihang was even more curious about what Ning Weidong was actually thinking.

Without a doubt, this time Ning Weidong had arrived at the Fourth Workshop and opened up the situation at the fastest speed, won the support of the Military Representative, and seized the initiative at the very start, seemingly causing Vice Factory Director Wang's side to suffer a muffled loss.

But these were all tactical; in the overall situation, Ning Weidong was still very passive.

How could this deadlock be broken? Li Peihang racked his brains but couldn't find a clue; it seemed to be a dead end.

Defending was definitely impossible; one slip in a hundred, a single loophole, and the whole game would be lost.

At this very moment, Ning Weidong was actually also considering this problem.

Now, his first step of the plan had been completed.

He had tried his best to win the support he could, set up a scheme to thicken the defensive forces at his disposal, and conveniently splashed a bucket of dirty water on his opponent.

But this was far from enough; these were all defensive, at most delaying the enemy and making the enemy feel uncomfortable, but they could not change the overall situation.

To turn defeat into victory, one must find an opportunity to counterattack while the defense is stable, seize the enemy's weakness, and kill them with one blow.

Ning Weidong pondered, specifically regarding the current situation, who was the enemy's weakness, and how to kill them with one blow?

The most critical person was still Wang Kaifeng.

Wang Kaifeng was Vice Factory Director Wang's lackey and the embodiment of his authority in the Manager.

In fact, in the process of the struggle between Wang and Li, the most indicative sign was the battle for the Security Division.

The position of Division Chief was vacant; Wang Kaifeng, who represented Wang Guoqiang, was the Deputy Division Chief and held most of the power, while Li Peihang, who represented Li Weibing, was only a Section Chief, which explained the problem well.

People are accustomed to seeing which way the wind blows.

Furthermore, the plan targeting Ning Weidong this time was also specifically implemented by Wang Kaifeng.

What Ning Weidong was keeping his eyes on was precisely this point.

To shoot a man, first shoot his horse; to capture the bandits, first capture their king.

Wang Kaifeng was the horse carrying Wang Guoqiang.

As long as Ning Weidong could be the first to open a breach in Wang Kaifeng, it would be equivalent to cutting off Vice Factory Director Wang's sharpest claw.

By then, Ning Weidong wouldn't even need to make another move; Li Peihang would rush up and bite Wang Kaifeng to death.

And Li Weibing would also seize the opportunity to give Wang Guoqiang a heavy blow, letting him know who was the real boss.

The problem now was how to be the first to topple Wang Kaifeng.

He had to find Wang Kaifeng's weakness.

Where was his weakness? This involved intelligence, which was Ning Weidong's shortcoming.

Intelligence is science, accumulation, and investment; it is never about being able to divine the future.

The "military advisors" in ancient times who were rumored to be god-like mostly possessed a relatively reliable intelligence network; the most typical example was Liu Bowen under Zhu Yuanzhang.

When he defected to Zhu Yuanzhang, he already had a huge intelligence network in the Jiangnan region.

It was just that most of these intelligence sources could not be brought to light, so they were attributed to metaphysics, claiming so-and-so could divine the future, and that covered it all up.

If Ning Weidong wanted to obtain important intelligence about Wang Kaifeng, he also had to find such a person.

Not just in the Red Star Factory, almost every unit had one person who knew everything, both public and secret, and knew it like the back of their hand.

Li Peihang definitely knew this person, but Ning Weidong did not intend to go to Li Peihang.

Instead, he was going to find someone else, his future brother-in-law—Zhao Lichun.

As for why it was Zhao Lichun, it wasn't something he decided on a whim, but something he had weighed from all sides.

With a family background like the Zhao Family, placing Zhao Ruyi at the Red Star Factory was by no means a casual decision.

Since Zhao Ruyi is here, it indicates that the Zhao Family has made arrangements at the Red Star Factory.

Conversely, the Wang Family's focus is not here, and they have almost no influence at the Red Star Factory, relying entirely on the indirect influence of Li Weibing and Li Peihang.

Moreover, this time Ning Weidong was targeted, which in itself is not Ning Weidong's own affair, much less the Wang Family's.

By what right should the Zhao Family stand outside the circle and keep themselves out of trouble?

Previously, Ning Weidong did not seek out the Zhao Family because he wanted to display his strength first, letting the Zhao side know that he is no soft persimmon.

Even without the Zhao Family, he could still contend with his enemies, so as to avoid being looked down upon.

Now, after a series of operations over these past two days, this goal has already been achieved.

It is time to see the Zhao Family's attitude.

Having made up his mind, Ning Weidong grabbed the phone and dialed the extension to the Factory Office: "Hello, greetings, I am looking for Comrade Zhao Ruyi."

Because it was the main Office phone, Ning Weidong spoke very politely.

Who would have thought that on the other end of the phone, with a "pfft" sound, it was actually Zhao Ruyi who answered, deliberately using a strange tone: "I am Comrade Zhao Ruyi, may I ask what this comrade needs?"

Ning Weidong rolled his eyes; this creature Zhao Ruyi is sometimes really a bit like a husky.

Ning Weidong, having just won a round and in a good mood, simply played along with Zhao Ruyi's banter, only getting to the point after a long while: "Right, you get in touch; I want to meet with Big Brother tonight."

Zhao Ruyi was stunned and put away her joking manner.

Knowing that Ning Weidong would not seek out Zhao Lichun without reason, she immediately said seriously: "I understand, I will call and ask right away, you wait for my reply."

After saying this, she hung up the phone.

A plump middle-aged woman nearby teased with a smile: "Oh my, look at our little Zhao just now, smiling like a flower; she has truly found a desirable son-in-law."

Several other familiar older women in the Office also joined in the teasing.

Zhao Ruyi's face turned red, somewhat regretting having been carried away by her own success just now.

However, the few men in the Office, especially the two young ones, were watching from the side, feeling quite sour.

Zhao Ruyi is beautiful and usually forthright in her interactions; if one didn't know her background, it would be easy to be deceived by her appearance.

Added to her extraordinary family background, if one could really marry her, they would save decades of struggle.

It is a pity that none of them could catch Zhao Ruyi's eye.

Before, when everyone failed, they didn't feel much, but now that someone has succeeded, it is a different feeling.

Zhao Ruyi did not know, nor did she care about these people's thoughts, but she did not forget what Ning Weidong had said, and hurriedly dialed the phone for Zhao Lichun's Office again: "Hello, Big Brother, it's Ruyi."

On the other end of the phone came Zhao Lichun's gentle and magnetic voice: "What is it?"

Zhao Ruyi said: "Ning Weidong just called me, saying he wants to meet with you after work tonight, to see if you have time?"

Zhao Lichun was slightly surprised, not expecting Ning Weidong to find his way to him so quickly.

He replied: "That's fine, you make the arrangements."

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Lichun frowned slightly.

At this moment, he did not know the situation that had occurred at the Red Star Factory last night.

But for Ning Weidong to suddenly seek him out, there must certainly be some change.

"Could it be that he couldn't hold on so quickly?" Zhao Lichun thought to himself, but then felt it impossible; if that were really the case, the Wang Family would never allow Ning Weidong to act recklessly.

Thinking it over, Zhao Lichun simply stopped guessing blindly, picked up the phone, and dialed a number: "Hello, Sister Shen, it's me, Lichun! Is our Ruyi's performance at the factory okay recently... Yes, it was arranged by the family, the two young people met, and the feeling is not bad... Yes, his name is Ning Weidong..."

After the phone call was finished, Zhao Lichun had already put down the receiver, but the look of disbelief on his face had not faded.

Just last night, Ning Weidong had actually pulled off such a big trick.

Not only did he bind himself to the Military Representative stationed at the factory, but he also took the opportunity to significantly expand the power in his hands, and even used a sticky note to create a big hat, holding it high in his hand, ready to slap it down at any time.

Such methods, such a mind—it is truly hard to imagine it coming from a twenty-one-year-old young man.

If he didn't know the other party's roots so well, Zhao Lichun would have suspected whether there was some expert guiding Ning Weidong behind the scenes.

After his initial victory, Ning Weidong suddenly sought him out; it certainly wasn't to ask for help, so what was it for? Zhao Lichun couldn't help but feel a bit of interest.

That evening, Ning Weidong went directly to find Zhao Ruyi after work.

Yesterday he had been tossing and turning for most of the night, and it was nearly four in the morning before he managed to doze off in the duty room.

This afternoon, Ning Weidong caught up on some sleep and had just woken up before getting off work, looking a bit bleary-eyed.

He waited downstairs at the Factory Office building.

Before long, he saw Zhao Ruyi emerge, standing out from the crowd.

Both of them were quite conspicuous, and they spotted each other at a glance.

Zhao Ruyi accelerated, trotted a few steps, and reached Ning Weidong, saying: "I'm not riding my bike, you take me."

Ning Weidong naturally had no objections, but he deliberately patted the bicycle saddle and teased: "It seems I need to hurry up and save money to buy a new bike, otherwise I'm afraid this one won't last much longer."

Zhao Ruyi glared: "Who are you insulting! If the bike is broken, it's because you crushed it; be careful, or I'll stab you in the kidneys when I'm sitting in the back later."

Ning Weidong curled his lip and said: "If you stab me and break it, you'll be the one crying when you're left a widow."

Zhao Ruyi's face turned red; no matter how forthright she was, she was still a maiden, so she turned her head away and cursed him as a "scoundrel."

The two walked shoulder to shoulder out of the factory's South Gate.

Although it had spread a few days ago that Zhao Ruyi and Ning Weidong were a couple, the two still drew quite a few sidelong glances.

This pair of golden boy and jade girl walking together always tended to attract attention.

Outside the factory gate, Ning Weidong gave Zhao Ruyi a ride.

The 26-inch bicycle was really a bit too small for the two of them.

Zhao Ruyi wasn't sitting still, and her long legs would sway from time to time, causing the handlebars Ning Weidong was holding to sway along with them.

She just giggled mischievously from behind.

After doing it a few times and never tiring of it, Ning Weidong simply made a "creak" sound, squeezed the brake, and stopped.

Zhao Ruyi was taken aback: "Why aren't you going anymore?"

Ning Weidong said irritably: "Let's switch, you carry me."

Zhao Ruyi widened her eyes, seeing that Ning Weidong had actually stepped off the bicycle, and it wasn't a joke.

She muttered: "What a character, if I'm to carry you, then I'll carry you."

As she spoke, she took the handlebars and looked back at Ning Weidong, who was already straddling the rear rack: "A girl is carrying you, aren't you, a grown man, ashamed?"

Ning Weidong said nonchalantly: "Not afraid, my skin is thick. Less nonsense, hurry up~" As he spoke, he raised his hand and patted Zhao Ruyi on the buttocks.

Although separated by wool trousers and a coat, he could still feel plenty of elasticity.

Zhao Ruyi's cheeks turned red, she glared at him and said: "We're outside!"

When finished, however, her eyes rolled, she held the bicycle handlebars with one hand, and with the other, she pulled up the hem of her coat and placed it on the bicycle saddle.

Immediately, just like riding a bike normally, she held the handlebars with both hands, crossed her legs, stepped on the pedal with one foot, and tapped the ground a few times with the other.

The bicycle slid forward, and with Ning Weidong, this big guy weighing over 180 jin, sitting on the back, it actually didn't have much effect!

Then, Zhao Ruyi swung the leg that had been tapping the ground toward the back.

Normally, men love to get on a bike this way, while women riding a slanted-frame bike prefer to get on from the front.

But that is only if there is no one on the back; if there is someone on the back, swinging the leg up would kick the person off.

Zhao Ruyi lifted her leg extremely high, like a dance move, stepped directly over Ning Weidong's head, sat steadily on the bike, and with a burst of strength from her long legs, the bicycle suddenly accelerated and rushed out.

In the wind, a burst of Zhao Ruyi's "giggle" laughter came, along with a sentence: "Step over a bit, don't grow taller."

Ning Weidong was speechless, but he didn't stand on ceremony and hugged Zhao Ruyi's waist directly from behind.

Zhao Ruyi stiffened, her laughter stopped abruptly, and she warned: "I'm riding the bike! Don't mess around."

What she got in return was one of Ning Weidong's hands slipping in through the button gap of her woolen coat, then moving inward along the hem of her inner garment, touching her belly with only a layer of undershirt in between.

It was warm and soft.

When Zhao Ruyi pedaled the bicycle, she could feel the muscles moving beneath the subcutaneous fat.

Although that layer of fat couldn't be called very thick, it was definitely there.

Ning Weidong pinched it and chuckled: "You're quite safety-conscious, bringing your own swimming ring when you go out."

Zhao Ruyi was so angry she ground her teeth, but she was helpless and could only ride the bike angrily, yet she didn't guard against Ning Weidong still moving around inside, actually wanting to touch higher up.

Her body stiffened, she immediately stopped, turned her head, and warned: "You stop right there!"

Ning Weidong said righteously: "It's only natural for me to touch my wife."

Zhao Ruyi gritted her teeth and said: "Who is your wife, we aren't even married yet!"

Ning Weidong said: "Then you're still my fiancée."

Zhao Ruyi said: "That won't do either!"

Ning Weidong curled his lips, a dead pig not fearing boiling water: "Then shout for help and say I'm acting like a hooligan~"

"You~" Zhao Ruyi was completely speechless; shouting for help was impossible, so she said indignantly: "Let's switch back!"

Ning Weidong glared: "You say switch, we switch, you say switch back, we switch back? From now on, does our home listen to you or me! Less nonsense, ride faster."

When finished, his other hand slapped her buttocks again.

Zhao Ruyi was puffed up with anger, but she was helpless; the two of them stood in a stalemate for a while, and finally, she continued to ride the bicycle.

She carried Ning Weidong all the way to the Coal Mine B Guest House.

This was the place agreed upon to meet Zhao Lichun.

Currently, Zhao Lichun worked at Coal Mine B, and if nothing went wrong, he would be promoted to deputy section chief next year, after which he would be sent to a post elsewhere.

Zhao Ruyi stopped in front of the bike shed below the guest house and said irritably: "Get off already!"

Ning Weidong only then reluctantly withdrew his hand and smelled it under his nose.

There was no such thing as body fragrance; after working all day and carrying over 180 jin for several kilometers on a bicycle, there was only the smell of sweat.

Seeing him like this, Zhao Ruyi's heart pounded, she cursed "hooligan" again, and hurriedly quickened her pace toward the inside of the guest house.

Ning Weidong locked the bicycle before following.

Entering the main gate, the interior decor was considered quite good for this era; the marble pillars and crystal chandeliers in the lobby were even somewhat luxurious.

Zhao Ruyi communicated with the staff for a few sentences, turned back to glare at Ning Weidong, said "follow me," and went straight up to the second floor along the stairs.

On the second floor, directly facing the stairs was the restaurant lobby, and on the left was a corridor covered with a red carpet, past which were private rooms. Zhao Ruyi led Ning Weidong across the thick carpet, arrived in front of a room door, and without knocking, pushed the door open and entered.

Ning Weidong followed behind and saw that inside the room, Zhao Lichun had already arrived, dressed in a gray Zhongshan Suit, with a fountain pen in his chest pocket, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, his hair groomed meticulously; he looked a bit sharper than when they met at the Wang Family last time.

Zhao Ruyi was clearly suppressed by his aura, walked in, and called out "Brother."

Ning Weidong followed in, closed the door behind him, and also called out "Brother Zhao."

Zhao Lichun stood up and came over, shook hands with Ning Weidong, but didn't rush to ask what Ning Weidong wanted from him, saying first: "Neither of you has eaten, right~ Let's have a bite first, and talk about other things when we're done."

Ning Weidong naturally had no objections and sat down accordingly.

Zhao Ruyi, on the other hand, was more curious about what exactly Ning Weidong wanted from her older brother today. Helplessly, both men were able to keep their cool, so no matter how anxious she was, there was nothing she could do.

Zhao Lichun said: "Ruyi, go press the bell, I've already ordered the dishes." After finishing, he looked at Ning Weidong: "I remember Weidong saying last time that he didn't have any dietary restrictions, so I took the liberty of deciding."

Ning Weidong smiled and said: "Brother Zhao, I'm not that particular."

Zhao Ruyi went to the side of the door, where there was a black switch, pressed it with her hand, and a red light flashed on the side, but there was no movement.

But after the three of them sat down, not even a minute later, there was a knock on the door, and then three waiters entered, each carrying a tray; the first two had two dishes each, and the last one had a basin of soup, which together made exactly four dishes and one soup.

Ning Weidong glanced at them; the dishes were nothing fancy, just ordinary home-cooked meals, but the ingredients were relatively scarce, and in Beijing in winter, ordinary people couldn't eat vegetables like cucumbers.

No one bothered with drinking, and all three served themselves rice.

Ning Weidong didn't stand on ceremony and started eating with gusto.

He originally had a big appetite, and he ate more than two people combined.

Zhao Ruyi was truly a match for him, as they say, "those who don't share the same door don't enter the same house"; she finished two bowls of rice in one go, while Zhao Lichun ate the least.

Ning Weidong ate four bowls of rice and was finally full; he finished with a bowl of soup to fill the gaps.

Zhao Lichun smiled and said, "You two will need to prepare a big pot for your life together in the future."

Zhao Ruyi's face turned red; she glared at her brother and snapped, "What are you saying!"

Ning Weidong smiled. Now that the meal was over, it was time to talk business: "Brother Zhao, you should know about the situation at Red Star Factory last night, right?"

Ning Weidong was certain the Zhao Family had arrangements at Red Star Factory; a day had passed since the events at the factory, so Zhao Lichun surely knew.

Sure enough, Zhao Lichun nodded and praised, "I didn't expect that, in the face of such a complex situation, you would open up the field so quickly. Rare, truly rare."

Ning Weidong shook his head and said, "It's still far from enough. Right now, I've at best reinforced the defensive fence a little, but a fence is a fence after all—leaky everywhere and riddled with holes; relying on this won't stop the enemy."

Zhao Lichun nodded and asked in return, "Then what are your plans for the next step?"

Ning Weidong said bluntly, "No matter how well you play defense, it only raises the opponent's cost of victory, but it can't win the game. To win, one must think about attacking."

Zhao Lichun remained silent and continued to listen.

Ning Weidong said, "But to launch an attack, one must have intelligence support."

Zhao Lichun immediately understood Ning Weidong's meaning; he wanted the Zhao Family to bring out some solid goods.

If it were yesterday, had Ning Weidong made this request, he would have been more inclined to refuse.

Intelligence is a very important resource; no one shares it for free. Not to mention that Ning Weidong and Zhao Ruyi weren't married yet; even if they were, and he were the Zhao Family's son-in-law, such matters would not be taken lightly.

But last night, Ning Weidong had suddenly proven his worth.

This was also the reason why he was qualified to eat this meal here tonight.

Otherwise, Zhao Lichun wouldn't even have met him.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Lichun said, "I need to know your follow-up plan."

Ning Weidong didn't even think about it and refused, "I can't. If the ruler is not discreet, he loses his ministers; if the minister is not discreet, he loses his life; if affairs are not kept discreet, disaster follows."

Zhao Lichun frowned, his gaze piercing from beneath his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "What if it were your older brother Ning Weiguo asking? Still no?"

Ning Weidong said firmly, "No!"

Zhao Ruyi, standing to the side, held her breath. It was the first time she had seen someone of her own generation—and Ning Weidong was even two years younger than her—actually dare to stand up directly to her older brother.

Zhao Ruyi had grown up in the compound since she was a child.

The children of the compound had their own rules, usually based on the position and background of the elders in the family, but this was limited to those who spent their days fooling around and being idle.

Every day it was "my dad is so-and-so," "his dad is so-and-so."

Although these people were numerous, they were not the mainstream.

The true mainstream were people like Zhao Lichun, who had already obtained a position and controlled resources.

Even if such a person were only a small Section Chief in their unit, they had created an insurmountable gap between themselves and those idlers.

No matter how strong their background, how arrogant they were usually, or how big they talked, when they saw someone like Zhao Lichun, they wouldn't dare to act up and had to smile and call him "Brother Zhao."

Because their families would never offend an heir who was being heavily invested in and cultivated by another family just for a piece of "scrap" they had already given up on.

Precisely because of this, Ning Weidong's toughness surprised Zhao Ruyi even more.

She didn't know what had happened last night, and even though she had heard some rumors at the factory during the day, she hadn't realized the significance behind them.

Seeing Ning Weidong's tough attitude now, she had only one thought: what gave him the right!

However, what surprised her even more was the reaction of her older brother, Zhao Lichun.

After staring at Ning Weidong for a moment, Zhao Lichun actually compromised!

It was impossible to tell what he was feeling; he just said flatly, "You can go find Section Chief Shen of the Logistics Department at your factory. Let Ruyi take you; she knows her home."

Ning Weidong felt relieved and immediately smiled, "I'll thank you first, Brother!"

Zhao Lichun looked at his watch and said, "Have a cup of tea before you go; don't catch them while they're eating."

Ning Weidong agreed, and Zhao Ruyi called for someone to bring a pot of tea.

Afterward, Zhao Lichun and Ning Weidong did not mention business again, instead engaging in idle chatter.

It wasn't until after seven o'clock that they left the guesthouse.

Zhao Lichun saw them out and told them to go ahead, saying he would call Section Chief Shen's home from there.

Ning Weidong waved goodbye, got on his bike with Zhao Ruyi, and headed west along the main road.

Shen Weizhen's home was not in the Red Star Factory residential area; it was an apartment allocated by her husband's unit.

Zhao Ruyi had been there a few times and was quite familiar with the way, finding the place in just over ten minutes.

On the way, Zhao Ruyi introduced Shen Weizhen's situation.

Shen Weizhen's husband worked at the court, and the house they lived in now was the residential compound for that unit.

Come to think of it, with Shen Weizhen's rank, she could have easily been allocated a better main apartment at Red Star Factory, but their family insisted on staying where they were.

For no other reason than that they could be closer to the unit's leaders; in terms of career development, their family still prioritized Shen Weizhen's husband.

After all, as a woman, Shen Weizhen had reached the position of Logistics Department Section Chief at a large factory, which was essentially the end of the line.

Ning Weidong parked his bicycle and looked up at the building.

Zhao Ruyi pointed to a lit window on the third floor: "That's the room."

Ning Weidong said "Mm" and walked into the building entrance first.

Zhao Ruyi followed closely behind, using the light from in front of the building entrance to find a switch.

She reached out and pulled it, making a "click" sound, and the hallway light on the first floor immediately turned on.

In this era, although there were no voice-activated lights in apartment buildings, these types of public hallway lights still existed.

It was just that people didn't cherish them; most buildings had them installed, but they would break quickly, and with no one to repair them, they would gradually be abandoned.

Clearly, the place where Shen Weizhen lived was not one of those cases.

Although it wasn't a particularly new residential building, the facilities inside the Office Building were very well preserved.

As they went up floor by floor, the lights turned off, and they arrived at the third floor.

Zhao Ruyi reached out to knock on the door.

It was also a wooden door covered in galvanized iron sheeting, and the sound made by knocking with her knuckles was exceptionally loud.

From inside the room, someone asked, "Who is it?", and then footsteps could be heard approaching.

Zhao Ruyi immediately said, "Sister Shen, it's Ruyi~"

Before the words had finished, the door opened inward, revealing a middle-aged woman with a perm.

"Ruyi!" Shen Weizhen was of medium build and average appearance, yet she possessed a certain affinity; she wasn't surprised to see Ning Weidong standing behind Zhao Ruyi, and she said with a smile, "You must be Comrade Ning Weidong!"

Ning Weidong nodded hurriedly: "Division Chief Shen, just call me Little Ning."

Shen Weizhen ushered the two into the room: "What Division Chief Shen~ just call me Sister Shen like Ruyi does."

Ning Weidong said "Sister Shen" and closed the door behind him.

The Shen family's home was very clean, with terrazzo floors, and Ning Weidong also noticed a Mitsubishi vacuum cleaner in the corner.

This was a quite rare foreign gadget at the time.

Zhao Ruyi was about to walk in carelessly when Ning Weidong pulled her back and asked, "Sister Shen, should we change into slippers? We've tracked dirt all over your place."

Just then, a middle-aged man came out from inside; he was of medium build with a square face and a broad forehead, giving off an imposing air: "Don't be so formal, Little Ning, come on in~"

Shen Weizhen said, "This is my husband, Li Wanduo."

Ning Weidong called out "Brother-in-law," then entered the room with Zhao Ruyi and sat down on the sofa in the living room.

The Shen Weizhen family's home was not large, about sixty square meters, with a somewhat strange layout: the kitchen and bathroom were to the north, two bedrooms to the south, and a somewhat cramped little living room in the middle.

But in this era, these housing conditions were already quite good.

Central heating, with one's own private kitchen and bathroom—living in a Dazayuan, one wouldn't even dare to dream of such things.

After sitting down, Shen Weizhen took the initiative: "Lichun called me just now." As she spoke, she looked at Ning Weidong: "Weidong, I've heard about the matter between you and Ruyi, so you're not an outsider; if you have any questions, just tell your sister."

Ning Weidong first expressed his thanks, then stated the real purpose of his visit today.

From arranging to meet Zhao Lichun to running over here, he had gone through a lot of trouble, all waiting for this very moment.

"Sister Shen, you are at the Manager, so you must understand the current situation, I won't say much more." Ning Weidong said calmly: "The key point now has focused on me and Wang Kaifeng..."

Shen Weizhen nodded; Ning Weidong's words hit the nail on the head.

In fact, last night, she had received a call from the Manager at home, and Ning Weidong's methods and boldness had taken her by surprise.

Originally, in her view, the situation Ning Weidong faced was quite dire, and the best choice would have been not to go to the Fourth Workshop; once he jumped into the pit, it would be extremely difficult to climb back out.

Who would have thought that Ning Weidong would jump in and immediately stir up trouble, launching a counterattack.

Now, he had even found her through the Zhao Family and made it clear that he wanted to engage in close-quarters combat with Wang Kaifeng.

This made a thought involuntarily pop into Shen Weizhen's mind: could this young man in front of her really reverse his disadvantage and topple Wang Kaifeng? Thinking of this possibility, Shen Weizhen couldn't help but press her lips together firmly, looked at Zhao Ruyi, and said in a deep voice: "Little Ning, I will certainly tell you everything I know, but before I speak, I want to ask you one thing."

Ning Weidong nodded, indicating she should ask.

Shen Weizhen said: "How far do you intend to go this time?"

Ning Weidong immediately understood what Shen Weizhen meant.

If it was just to stop at a certain point, then Shen Weizhen had a way to stop at a certain point.

If it was a fight to the death, then there was also a way for a fight to the death.

After all, Shen Weizhen still had to stay at the Red Star Factory, and if some information leaked from her, and Ning Weidong failed to finish off Wang Kaifeng, Wang Kaifeng might trace it back to her later, which would be unfavorable for her.

Even if Shen Weizhen had a good relationship with the Zhao Family, the prerequisite for doing anything was to protect herself first.

Ning Weidong narrowed his eyes slightly and said with conviction: "Sister Shen, don't worry, once the arrow is loosed, there is no turning back. They didn't hesitate to use a Deputy Factory Director to trade for me, so they didn't intend to let me live through the year. Since I have accepted the challenge and gone to the Fourth Workshop, this matter will not end easily. As two chess pieces already in the game, either I or Wang Kaifeng must die."

When Ning Weidong spoke, he didn't shout or yell, but his eyes and tone revealed a ruthlessness and determination that made even old hands like Shen Weizhen and her husband feel a tremor in their hearts.

Especially Shen Weizhen, who glanced again at Zhao Ruyi sitting next to Ning Weidong.

She thought to herself that perhaps only such a man could tame a "hot pepper" like Zhao Ruyi.

The thought flashed by, and Shen Weizhen pulled her thoughts back, nodded, and said: "Since that's the case, then your sister believes you. Wang Kaifeng is a very cautious person, and he does things quite thoroughly; to be honest, it's not easy to find his flaws."

Ning Weidong listened without feeling anxious; he knew that after laying the groundwork, Shen Weizhen would definitely have a "but."

Sure enough, Shen Weizhen continued: "But no one is perfect. Wang Kaifeng can control himself, but he can't control everyone around him. He has a brother-in-law named Zhang Dashun..."

More than half an hour later, Ning Weidong and Zhao Ruyi left Shen Weizhen's home.

Ning Weidong knew this trip had been the right move.

Shen Weizhen had provided him with a very important piece of information: Wang Kaifeng's brother-in-law, Zhang Dashun, was the Squad Leader of the Railway Maintenance Squad at the Red Star Factory, specifically responsible for railway maintenance and the scheduling of railcars.

And since the year before last, the factory's railway had had accidents more than once.

The most serious one even resulted in a direct derailment, causing the deaths of two train attendants and the loss of cargo from fourteen railcars.

Although most of these accidents happened outside the factory, it seemed to have nothing to do with Zhang Dashun, the Railway Maintenance Squad Squad Leader in the factory.

And in the end, no results were ever investigated.

But for accidents to happen so frequently, the matter itself was abnormal, and the losses these accidents caused to the factory were real.

Whether Zhang Dashun had a direct connection to these accidents, Shen Weizhen did not know; she only provided the clues, and the specifics still required Ning Weidong to investigate.

However, since Shen Weizhen had said so, she must have been quite certain, but she couldn't say it definitively or give Ning Weidong a guarantee.

After retrieving his bicycle, Ning Weidong gave Zhao Ruyi a ride to take her back first.

When they returned to the government compound where the Zhao Family lived, it was already past eight o'clock.

Arriving outside the compound gate, one still had to register to enter; Ning Weidong didn't intend to go in and dropped Zhao Ruyi off at the entrance.

The Security Guard at the gate probably recognized Zhao Ruyi and couldn't help but glance over here.

Ning Weidong sat on his bicycle, in a good mood.

Zhao Ruyi got off the back seat and was about to go back after saying goodbye.

Ning Weidong reached out and pulled her back, saying: "Wait, I have something to say."

Zhao Ruyi was startled, and just as she turned around, she was caught off guard when Ning Weidong planted a "smack" kiss on her lips.

Zhao Ruyi suddenly reacted and became quite agitated; after all, they were at the entrance of her family's courtyard, and although it was late at night and there was no one around, if someone were to see her, the dignified big sister Zhao Ruyi, kissing someone at the front gate, where would she hide her face?

Yet, she had no way to deal with Ning Weidong, so she could only stomp her foot in a huff and run off.

The Security Guard over there was left dumbfounded; was this really that girl from the Zhao Family?

……

At the same time, at Shen Weizhen's house.

After Ning Weidong and Zhao Ruyi left, Shen Weizhen immediately returned a call to Zhao Lichun: "Hello, yes, they just left... According to your wishes, I gave the information about the Railway Maintenance Squad to Ning Weidong... Alright, I understand... Don't worry..."

After finishing this call, Shen Weizhen let out a sigh of relief and complained to her husband: "Old Li, you tell me, this Zhao Lichun, it's all their own family business, yet he insists on having it pass through me."

Li Wanduo sat down beside her and said meaningfully: "If it were really their own family, would they need to do it this way?"

Shen Weizhen asked in surprise: "Do you think there could still be complications regarding the marriage between the Zhao Family and the Wang Family?"

Li Wanduo said: "Complications aren't likely, but whether it is specifically this Ning Weidong... it's really hard to say."

Shen Weizhen nodded: "That's true, if this hurdle can't be cleared, there's no need to talk about the future."

Li Wanduo said: "But this Ning Weidong is truly a character; otherwise, he must have an expert guiding him from behind the scenes."

……

Ning Weidong returned to the Dazayuan.

Having obtained intelligence from Shen Weizhen's side, he had to give an account to Ning Weiguo.

If they wanted to follow this lead to investigate further, they would have to utilize the influence of the Wang Family.

By the time he returned to the Dazayuan, it was already nearly nine o'clock.

The courtyard was quiet.

Ning Weidong pushed his bicycle back to the side courtyard.

The light was still on in the earthquake shelter; presumably, that rascal Ning Lei was still reading comic books.

The Bai Family's place opposite was also lit up; Bai Fengqin had been studying until midnight every day recently.

Ning Weiguo and Wang Yuzhen hadn't rested yet either.

Ning Weidong parked his bicycle and went straight into the Upper Room, pushed the door open, and called out: "Brother, Sister-in-law~"

Ning Weiguo and Wang Yuzhen were taken aback; they had said they would be staying at the Red Star Factory for the next few days and wouldn't be coming back, so why had Ning Weidong suddenly broken his word? Ning Weiguo felt a tightening in his chest, subconsciously thinking something had gone wrong, but seeing Ning Weidong's relaxed demeanor and smiling face, it didn't look like an accident.

Wang Yuzhen thought the same and hurriedly asked "what happened"? Ning Weidong didn't waste words; he took off his overcoat while explaining today's situation.

Especially when he mentioned the information obtained from Shen Weizhen regarding Wang Kaifeng's brother-in-law, Ning Weiguo and Wang Yuzhen both frowned.

Ning Weiguo's expression turned serious, and he exchanged a look with Wang Yuzhen.

Originally, Zhao Lichun could have said this directly; there was no need to go through Shen Weizhen—was there something fishy inside? Furthermore, the several related accidents had all occurred outside the factory; if they followed this news, the impact of this matter would inevitably spread and exceed the scope of the Red Star Factory.

(End of chapter)