Chapter 108: Don't Always Use Your Brain (Eight Thousand, Seeking Subscriptions

Ning Weidong was unaware that the moment they touched those files, they had attracted the attention of certain people.

However, even if he had known, he would not have been too surprised, because these things were inherently very sensitive.

To a certain extent, one could even read some of the prevailing trends from them.

Ning Weidong had come here early in the morning to review the files on these accidents, and he had no intention of doing it secretly.

Just like when Vice Factory Director Wang had transferred him to the Fourth Workshop, it was a trap laid out to bury someone; it was plain to see, no need to hide or cover it up.

Most of the time, everyone is playing with their cards face up; the only things that can be hidden are one or two real trump cards.

It took all morning for Ning Weidong and Chu Zhongxin to emerge from the Railway Public Security Division.

Sitting on that sidecar motorcycle, Chu Zhongxin did not immediately start the engine to leave, but instead straddled the bike, pulled out a cigarette, gave one to Ning Weidong, and asked, "You've been looking at them all morning, what are your thoughts?"

Ning Weidong pursed his lips with a serious expression, making a "tsk-tsk" sound in his mouth.

He took out a lighter, clicked it to ignite the cigarette, and said, "I thought it would be simple, but this matter... it's not easy to handle!"

Chu Zhongxin raised an eyebrow, not expecting this attitude from Ning Weidong.

He had originally thought that at Ning Weidong's age, he would surely be pointing out the faults of the world, acting with vigor, and charging ahead the moment he found an opportunity.

The loopholes that could be found in those seven file folders just now were truly too numerous.

Although the other side had covered the lid, to be honest, they hadn't done it very cleverly; in Chu Zhongxin's view, the work was even a bit crude.

If Ning Weidong were to make an issue of these, as long as he could implicate Wang Kaifeng, it would definitely be enough to make him suffer.

But Ning Weidong was considering more.

Although Wang Yuzhen had said in person last night that Wang Fu had told him to go ahead and act freely.

But one must listen to the subtext, especially in matters like this; you cannot just believe whatever someone says.

Such fools often end up dying a miserable death.

Wang Fu saying that was, for one, because he could not show weakness in front of his daughter.

It is like a man who gets into a fight outside; even if he gets beaten black and blue, he still has to brag to his wife and children at home about how badly he beat the other guy.

Secondly, there was also an unspoken meaning: I am letting you go ahead and act, but you, little comrade, must also have a sense of proportion, understand the situation, and not act recklessly.

Ning Weidong was not sure if that was what the person in the Wang Family was thinking, but it is better to believe it exists than to believe it does not.

Moreover, from Ning Weidong's perspective, he did not want his struggle with Wang Kaifeng to become too entangled.

Because once the matter became too big, it would completely exceed his control, and at that point, it would very likely fall into the power struggle between two larger factions.

By then, a small fry like Ning Weidong would very likely drown in it inadvertently.

Just like Xu Jinshan before, that was exactly the situation.

Therefore, after reading those files, despite the many obvious loopholes, Ning Weidong did not intend to find a breakthrough there.

Instead, he focused on just one of them, took a drag of his cigarette, paused, and added, "Fourth Brother, what do you think about that case from before the solar New Year last year?"

Chu Zhongxin immediately thought of which case Ning Weidong was referring to.

That was the only accident among the seven file folders that had resulted in casualties.

It happened just after passing the First Pass, about twenty-some kilometers away, where two Red Star Factory cargo attendants died in a work-related accident.

This matter did not cause much of a stir in the Manager at the time.

Mainly because it didn't happen inside the factory, so it didn't have as big an impact as when Liu Xinwen died.

But an accident with two human lives was still handled too sloppily.

Chu Zhongxin said, "You want to start with this case?"

Ning Weidong said, "Yes, two human lives; I don't believe they could have handled it flawlessly. I estimate that the person who specifically carried this out must have been Wang Kaifeng. Other matters are on the outside and would at most implicate him, but this matter happened in the factory; as long as we find a trace, it will definitely be able to directly involve Wang Kaifeng himself."

Looking at Ning Weidong's determined expression, Chu Zhongxin nodded secretly.

What Ning Weidong said just now were all the reasons on the surface; there was one other, biggest reason that could not be spoken aloud.

That is, among the matters in these seven file folders, only these two human lives were things that could be brought out onto the table to talk about.

The others looked serious, but they were not things Ning Weidong could leverage; perhaps in the future, the contents of those file folders would become bargaining chips for some matter, but that was definitely not now.

Clearly, Ning Weidong had thought of this.

This gave Chu Zhongxin a feeling that Ning Weidong was not at all like a twenty-one-year-old, but rather like an old hand who had been immersed in officialdom for many years, feeling even more thorough than his brother Ning Weiguo.

"Could it be that the Ning Family had some great official in their ancestry, and they are naturally born with these instincts?" This thought suddenly popped into Chu Zhongxin's mind, but he shook his head secretly.

When Ning Weiguo was dating Wang Yuzhen, the Wang Family had long since checked the Ning Family's background; although they weren't eight generations of poor peasants, there really hadn't been anyone who studied or became an official.

Dismissing these messy thoughts, Chu Zhongxin said, "Since you already have a direction, I won't say more. Later, I'll give Dajun a heads-up. If you have any needs, you can go directly to him. He is one of our own, so you can use him with confidence."

Ning Weidong nodded and said, "Thank you, Fourth Brother, I understand."

This time, Chu Zhongxin was clearly willing to share some resources with Ning Weidong.

Last time, when he told Ning Weidong to go find Zhang Dajun, it was purely a matter of discussing the case; Chu Zhongxin had no intention of sharing resources.

Later, Ning Weidong found an excuse to treat Zhang Dajun to a meal at Donglaishun, which could only be considered getting familiar with each other.

Things like asking for a favor to find a job for Bai Fengyu were no problem, but when it involved exercising power and resources, Ning Weidong finding Zhang Dajun would definitely not be effective.

But today, with these words from Chu Zhongxin, the situation was completely different.

From now on, Ning Weidong could command the full version of Zhang Dajun; it was commanding, not begging.

Speaking of this, the two had finished their cigarettes. Chu Zhongxin kicked the motorcycle to start it, and with a "put-put-put-put" and a burst of black smoke, he headed straight back to the Municipal Bureau.

By the time he arrived there, it was already noon. Ning Weidong ate lunch at the Municipal Bureau cafeteria along the way before riding his bicycle away.

It was a bit cloudy today, as if it were holding back snow; the gray, gloomy sky gave one a feeling of oppression.

Ning Weidong rode his bicycle, but he did not return to the Manager; instead, he went straight to Zhang Dajun's Police Station.

Among the two cargo attendants who died in the accident earlier, one of them lived in Zhang Dajun's jurisdiction, which was also an important factor in Chu Zhongxin asking Zhang Dajun to cooperate with Ning Weidong again.

After one o'clock in the afternoon, Ning Weidong arrived at the Suifu Police Station.

"Brother Zhang~" He arrived at Zhang Dajun's Office, familiar with the route, and called out as soon as he entered.

Having finished his meal, Zhang Dajun had just received a call from Chu Zhongxin and knew what was going on, so he immediately came out to greet him: "Brother Ning~" He was even more intimate than when Ning Weidong had treated him to mutton hotpot last time.

Chu Zhongxin's phone call just now had already clarified Ning Weidong's standing, telling him to do his utmost.

To Zhang Dajun, Ning Weidong had undergone a fundamental change at this moment compared to before.

The two came to Zhang Dajun's Office and sat down; Ning Weidong didn't waste words and asked directly: "Did my Fourth Brother tell you everything just now?"

Zhang Dajun nodded and stated his position: "Brother, just tell me what we should do, and I will follow your orders."

"You can't put it that way," Ning Weidong said hurriedly: "Brother Zhang, you are the expert; at the critical moment, I still need your help."

After simple pleasantries, Ning Weidong got to the point and took a slip of paper out of his pocket.

"Brother Zhang, these two people—one is named Lu Yong, the other Zhan Shengli. Please find out the detailed situation of their families after their deaths as soon as possible." Ning Weidong spread out the slip of paper, on which were the names of the two deceased transport attendants he had copied from the file bag: "Lu Yong's household registration is right in this area, and Zhan Shengli lived at Nanluoguxiang No. 95..."

Although it was outside Zhang Dajun's jurisdiction, Ning Weidong didn't ask if he could find out; that was not something Ning Weidong needed to worry about.

Zhang Dajun had worked at the Police Station for over ten years; if he couldn't even handle this little matter, he would have lived in vain.

Taking the slip of paper, Zhang Dajun scanned it quickly and nodded: "No problem, tomorrow..."

Ning Weidong interrupted him directly: "We can't wait until tomorrow, before getting off work this evening!"

Zhang Dajun was startled, not expecting Ning Weidong to be in such a rush, but he gritted his teeth and nodded: "Fine!"

Ning Weidong said "I'm counting on you" and didn't stay long at Zhang Dajun's place, immediately returning to the Manager.

From last night until this afternoon, he hadn't been at the Manager.

Although it stood to reason that the other side wouldn't make a move before the confidential project from above was finalized, one shouldn't be too careless, just in case.

If Wang Kaifeng intentionally fed him a mouthful of shit in advance, even if it had no lethal power, it could still be disgusting.

Ning Weidong pedaled his bicycle and zipped back to the Manager.

He went to the Factory Office first to find Li Peihang.

On the third floor, in the original Office, neither Chen nor Feng Wen were there; only Wen Aiying was alone reading a newspaper.

Ning Weidong hurried over and arrived at Li Peihang's room: "Brother Li, did any trouble happen today?"

Li Peihang stood up to greet him and said: "Weidong, you really have composure! To be unable to find you all morning at a time like this."

Ning Weidong felt relieved; if Li Peihang still had the mood to complain, it meant nothing had gone wrong.

He laughed and said: "Brother Li, hurry and get me some water to drink; I haven't had a moment's rest since getting off work last night."

Li Peihang was stunned, then reacted immediately, hurrying to pour a cup of water and placing it in front of Ning Weidong: "What exactly is the situation? Tell me quickly."

Ning Weidong picked up the teacup, drank a mouthful of lukewarm water, and said boldly: "Brother Li, set your heart at ease; we are sure to win this round!"

Ning Weidong certainly couldn't tell the truth to Li Peihang's side.

In a struggle, the only golden rule to win support is to make people feel that you can win.

Only by winning can one obtain dividends.

Therefore, Li Peihang represented Li Weibing.

If Ning Weidong wanted to obtain support from Li Weibing's faction later, he had to display strong confidence.

Didn't they think before that Ning Weidong was doomed once he jumped into the big pit of the Fourth Workshop? Now, Ning Weidong wanted them to think he was playing a counter-strategy, that the Wang Family and Zhao Family behind him were playing a big game, and that his jumping into the pit voluntarily was using himself as bait.

Sure enough, Li Peihang gasped and hurriedly pressed for details.

Ning Weidong smiled: "Brother Li, do you know who I met last night?"

Li Peihang blinked; in fact, it wasn't a secret that Ning Weidong had called to make an appointment with Ruyi last night.

Later, Ruyi had called to find Zhao Lichun, also using the phone in their large Factory Office.

Li Peihang had known last night that Ning Weidong went to see Ruyi's brother.

But the weight of just one Zhao Lichun was not enough.

Yet Ning Weidong was so confident, so it definitely wasn't just Zhao Lichun.

Ning Weidong didn't speak in riddles and said directly: "Brother Li, last night I went with my brother and sister-in-law to see my sister-in-law's father..."

Li Peihang's expression changed instantly, and he suddenly realized the truth in his heart.

Ning Weidong continued: "The old gentleman told me personally to rest assured and go ahead and do it!"

"No wonder, no wonder~" Li Peihang muttered; so Ning Weidong had obtained this imperial sword.

Given the position of that person in the Wang Family, if they really went all out, it would indeed carry enough weight; neither Li Weibing's faction nor Wang Guoqiang's side could withstand it.

It was just that the Wang Family's focus hadn't been on the Red Star Factory before; could it be that they were taking this opportunity to change their course? Li Peihang instinctively didn't doubt the truth of what Ning Weidong said.

Because in his view, this was reasonable.

If it weren't for this, why would Ning Weidong dare to jump into the pit dug by the Vice Factory Director's side in the Fourth Workshop knowing full well what it was?

So that was it! Thinking of this, Li Peihang was startled again.

If that were the case, then his uncle, who had made a deal with the other side to promote Chu Chengfu to Deputy Factory Director and had abandoned Ning Weidong, had made a huge mistake! Thinking of this, Li Peihang couldn't help but feel very annoyed.

Ning Weidong watched from the side, and seeing his expression shift, he knew the timing was about right, so he didn't add fuel to the fire, instead asking: "By the way, Brother Li, is there any movement from Wang Kaifeng's side?"

Li Peihang was distracted and didn't have time to ponder the massive information Ning Weidong had just revealed; he went "uh" and came back to his senses: "Wang Kaifeng~ no movement for now, but I heard the progress at the General Assembly is faster than expected. It was originally planned to be implemented in our factory in three days, but now it might be a day early. At the earliest, the personnel will come tomorrow afternoon, and the production work meeting will be held the day after."

Ning Weidong remained calm on the surface, but in his heart, he guessed that Factory Director Wang must have exerted some effort; otherwise, it would be good if such things weren't delayed, let alone advanced.

The other side's reaction was very keen; they had already realized that Ning Weidong was racing against time.

Now both sides had tacitly defined the mode of this round: whether Ning Weidong could break the situation before Factory Director Wang's side was fully prepared.

Time was the most critical factor.

Ning Weidong was glad he hadn't let Zhang Dajun drag it out until tomorrow.

At the same time, diagonally across the corridor, in Wang Kaifeng's Office.

"Ning Weidong just came back~" Wang Kaifeng listened to the phone, his face expressionless, and just said "Mm" before hanging up.

As the de facto head of the Security Division, Wang Kaifeng's control over the Manager was quite strong; the moment Ning Weidong returned, he received the report.

Putting down the phone, Wang Kaifeng gritted his teeth, one hand subconsciously reaching into the Go box on the table, clattering the pieces inside.

He knew that Ning Weidong certainly hadn't been idle this morning.

If it were before, he wouldn't be worried at all; in his view, once Ning Weidong stepped into the pit that was the Fourth Workshop, he would be dead for sure.

But the flashy maneuver Ning Weidong pulled the day before yesterday made him realize that the other party was not a soft persimmon, and was even somewhat thorny.

At this moment, Wang Kaifeng hoped to speed up the progress even more, wishing the personnel from the higher-level unit would arrive immediately.

Unfortunately, these were not things he, a Deputy Division Chief of the Security Division, could control.

Even Wang Guoqiang above him could only urge them, and it was only with great difficulty that he got the other party to move the schedule up by half a day.

The only good news now was that there wasn't much time left for Ning Weidong, at most a day and a half. However, just at this moment, the phone on the table suddenly rang with a piercing sound again.

Wang Kaifeng frowned; he had mild neurasthenia and hated this kind of telephone ringing.

"Hello~" He reached out to pick it up, and Wang Guoqiang's voice immediately came from the other side: "Come to my Office for a moment."

Then, with a "clatter," he hung up.

Wang Kaifeng felt a chill in his heart, a bad premonition; Wang Guoqiang rarely used this tone.

He dared not delay and immediately got up to go upstairs.

Arriving at Wang Guoqiang's Office, as soon as he entered, he saw Wang Guoqiang standing by the window smoking, his expression serious, his eyes sinister.

Hearing the door, Wang Guoqiang turned back, stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, and said in a deep voice: "Something might have happened over at the railway!"

Wang Kaifeng was startled, hurriedly closed the door, took two quick steps forward, and asked: "What happened?"

Wang Guoqiang said: "Just now, Wang Haibo from the Road Administration Section called to say that the Municipal Bureau sent people over this morning, specifically to review the files of the seven accidents that occurred from the end of the year before last until now..."

A flash of horror crossed Wang Kaifeng's eyes, but fortunately, his ability to keep his composure was good, and he immediately calmed down.

After listening to Wang Guoqiang finish explaining the situation, he hurriedly asked: "Did they say under what pretext?"

Wang Guoqiang shook his head and said: "Qian Haibo doesn't know either; he only heard that a Section Chief from the Municipal Bureau led the people there, and he told us to be careful."

Wang Kaifeng's brows knitted into a knot, and he probed: "Uncle, could it be Ning Weidong?"

Wang Guoqiang pondered: "This... that shouldn't be possible, right? Does he have such great energy? Can he mobilize people from the Municipal Bureau?"

Wang Kaifeng also felt it couldn't be, he had only thought of Ning Weidong by intuition, so he also shook his head: "If it's not him, then is someone planning to do something big?"

Both of them knew clearly how much was implicated behind these few accidents.

If someone started from this, it was definitely no small matter; Wang Guoqiang was putting on a brave front, but in his heart, he was actually somewhat panicked.

Because once a problem arose here, it was not something he could control or handle, so he said in a deep voice: "Kaifeng, I remember you have a classmate at the Municipal Bureau; can you find a way to ask?"

Wang Kaifeng frowned and said: "This... I'm afraid it's tough; his rank isn't high, and if it's really this kind of matter, ordinary people wouldn't be able to get in touch with it!"

Wang Guoqiang nodded, understanding in his heart, but he was just clutching at straws.

However, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "No matter what, there cannot be a problem on our end. You go back and think carefully about what other loopholes there are, and resolve them as soon as possible."

Wang Kaifeng responded, his mind a bit chaotic.

At the same time, Ning Weidong did not know that his trip to the Railway Public Security Division with Chu Zhongxin in the morning had unexpectedly added a lot of pressure to Vice Factory Director.

Coming out of Li Peihang's room, he went straight back to the Fourth Workshop duty room.

After the situation the night before last, the Manager held a meeting overnight; the efficiency was truly high.

The additional personnel from the Security Division had already arrived, and the original duty room was definitely not enough, so they borrowed two more rooms from the Railway Maintenance Squad.

At the same time, Tian Zhengfu's actions were not slow either.

It was clear that Tian Zhengfu also had some energy, and since this project was relatively important, he ran around personally for a day yesterday, and today a squad of soldiers arrived.

Seeing this scene, Ning Weidong did not breathe a sigh of relief.

These people just looked intimidating, but in reality, they couldn't play much of a role.

Throughout history, fortresses were always breached from within; these people were more of a smokescreen.

The reason Ning Weidong made such a big show, besides taking the initiative to win the first round and boost morale, was to have another purpose: to confuse Wang Kaifeng's side, making them think he wanted to guard the Fourth Workshop strictly.

In fact, the real winning move was already outside the Fourth Workshop.

The most critical thing now was still racing against time.

Ning Weidong's thoughts flashed, and he walked straight into the duty room.

Ning Wei and Liu Dong were inside, and they stood up immediately upon seeing Ning Weidong.

"Where is Xia?" Ning Weidong took off his overcoat and asked.

Ning Wei said: "A lot of new people have come, and Xia is over there. Wang Weiran was on the night shift yesterday and is currently catching up on sleep."

Ning Weidong nodded; although many new people had arrived, logically Ning Wei should take the opportunity to gather some manpower.

But Ning Wei was young and a newcomer who had just arrived; even with Ning Weidong's appointment, one couldn't expect those people to be convinced by him.

Rather than that, and making things awkward, it was better to let Xia Dongqiang go.

After all, he was an old hand in the Security Division and easier to talk to.

Ning Weidong said: "Any new developments with He Yongbiao?"

Previously, Ning Weidong had arranged for Ning Wei and Liu Dong to investigate He Yongbiao and pay attention to subsequent developments.

He Yongbiao was intelligence that came from Li Peihang, but Ning Weidong intuitively felt that this person should just be a decoy.

At the critical moment, the real trump card would be someone else.

But one couldn't be arbitrary; since there was this clue, one had to take a look.

Ning Wei said: "Third Brother, this He Yongbiao really did have movements last night..."

Regarding Ning Weidong's orders, Ning Wei never gave anything less than his best.

For these two days, he had been having Wang Xuewen and Zhao Chunming keep an eye on him.

Last time I told them to keep an eye on Deputy Factory Director Liu, but it ended in less than two days.

However, Ning Weidong did not skimp on the money; as agreed upon initially, he paid the full amount for a month.

This left the two of them pleasantly surprised, yet feeling a bit guilty.

This time, as soon as they heard there was something to do, they both came immediately.

Last night, after He Yongbiao got off work, he rarely didn't go play cards; he went to a restaurant alone to eat with someone.

Once inside the restaurant, the other person entered a private room, so Wang Xuewen and his companion couldn't follow, and they didn't know exactly who he met or what was said.

After hearing the situation, Ning Weidong felt a bit uneasy in his heart.

This He Yongbiao was suspicious; although Ning Weidong initially leaned toward the idea that he was a smokescreen released by someone, leaving him alone was truly an eyesore.

Seeing Ning Weidong silent, Ning Wei clicked his tongue and said in a low voice, "Third Brother, how about we send him to the hospital to lie down for a few days?"

Liu Dong, who was to the side, had his expression change slightly, and he clenched his fists; before Ning Weidong could speak, he interjected, "Leader, leave this matter to me; I guarantee it will be done cleanly and neatly."

Ning Weidong glanced at him; this Liu Dong was still too young and couldn't keep his cool.

He was trying to seize every opportunity to show himself off and gain Ning Weidong's favor.

Yet he didn't know that this had already committed a taboo.

Since Ning Weidong had placed him by Ning Wei's side, he was Ning Wei's man, yet now he was bypassing Ning Wei to show off his presence directly in front of Ning Weidong.

If he encountered someone petty, this alone would be enough to get a mark against him.

Ning Wei, however, didn't have that mindset; for one, Ning Wei was ultimately too young, and no matter how smart he was, he lacked experience in some matters.

Furthermore, Ning Wei almost regarded Ning Weidong as his own brother, so relatively speaking, he didn't feel much competitive pressure.

He wasn't worried at all that Liu Dong performing too well would replace him, because he had an innate advantage: he called Ning Weidong "Third Brother."

But even without considering these things, Ning Weidong wouldn't let Liu Dong do this kind of thing.

Because as of now, he had only initially accepted Liu Dong and did not yet truly trust this person.

Even if Liu Dong had rushed to offer a pledge of allegiance, cultivating trust takes time; one or two things certainly wouldn't suffice.

How could he entrust this kind of shady business to him?

Ning Weidong waved his hand and glared at Ning Wei: "Xiao Wei, your mindset must change! You are now a worker at the Manager, not a street thug; don't think of such methods at every turn."

Ning Wei lowered his head and hurriedly agreed.

Ning Weidong continued: "There are many ways to achieve a goal; you must learn to use the resources in our hands instead of blindly acting recklessly, you know?"

While speaking, Ning Weidong also swept a glance at Liu Dong; this kid had ambition, was sharp, and could seize opportunities; he would be someone useful in the future.

Ning Weidong raised his hand and pointed at him: "And you too, use your brain properly. Doesn't He Yongbiao like playing cards? Find someone to call him to go play today..."

As he spoke, Ning Weidong looked at Liu Dong: "Having stayed in the Fourth Workshop for so long, this shouldn't be difficult, right?"

Liu Dong nodded hurriedly: "Leader, there's someone who always plays cards with He Yongbiao who has a good relationship with me."

Ning Weidong nodded and said: "Didn't they assign us people from above? They are all from the Security Division, so don't let them sit idle; catch them gambling tonight, and once caught, send them directly to the Police Station..."

Liu Dong felt a chill in his heart; compared to what he and Ning Wei had thought of earlier—hitting someone in the dark or knocking them out—this move by Ning Weidong was much more ruthless.

A knock on the head at most meant lying in the hospital for a few days, but if they followed Ning Weidong's plan and he really ended up in the Police Station, the problem would be serious.

And yet, he wouldn't even have to dirty his own hands.

Ning Wei said: "Third Brother, I understand."

Ning Weidong nodded; for a person like He Yongbiao, there was no need to waste time and energy pondering whether he was human or a ghost.

Since he was suspicious, he would simply exclude him as an uncertain factor.

Although there might be collateral damage, this was the principle of struggle.

If one held onto womanly benevolence and wasted time and resources on such trivial details, one would only end up losing everything.

After dealing with He Yongbiao, Ning Weidong raised his hand to check the time; it was already past two o'clock.

He didn't know what the situation was with Zhang Dajun; the key now was still those two people, Lu Yong and Zhan Shengli.

Yet at this moment, the phone rang.

Ning Wei went over to answer it, then looked at Ning Weidong: "Third Brother, it's Lu Zhou; he's looking for you."

Ning Weidong raised an eyebrow, walked over, and took the receiver: "Hello, this is Ning Weidong."

Lu Zhou's voice came from the other side: "I saw you just now; come out and meet, I have something to say."

Ning Weidong said in a deep voice: "Where?"

After Xu Jinshan died last time, Lu Zhou was forced into a corner and wanted to defect to Ning Weidong, but since that time, there hadn't been any deeper contact before Ning Weidong was forced to jump into the big pit that was the Fourth Workshop.

He hadn't expected that Lu Zhou would choose to reach out at this time.

The voice on the phone said: "The restroom on the second floor of the Factory Office." Then he hung up.

Ning Weidong was stunned for a moment; this guy Lu Zhou really knew how to pick a place.

The second floor housed the Factory Office and the Women's Federation, where there were many women; the men's restroom was on the east side and the women's on the west, so usually, there was basically no one in the men's restroom.

Ning Weidong was a bit curious about what Lu Zhou could want with him at this time.

Lu Zhou had ability, but his personality had some flaws, and coupled with his facial paralysis from his injury, he didn't give people the feeling that he was easy to communicate with.

Ten minutes later, Ning Weidong returned to the Factory Office and arrived at the east side of the second floor.

The restroom door was open, hanging with a white half-curtain.

Inside, on the right was a urinal, and on the left were half-height concrete partitions.

At this time, even the restrooms in the Office Building didn't have independent ceramic squat toilets, but rather a long row of concrete pits with a slope, with a large water tank at one end that would periodically release water to flush.

Because it was in the building, the cleaning staff swept it quite diligently, and since not many people came, it was actually clean inside, but the smell was still intense, a stench mixed with the smell of cigarettes.

"Over here~" Hearing a cough, Lu Zhou flashed out from the wall inside the door, his signature paralyzed face, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Ning Weidong walked in, and he took out a cigarette to offer.

Ning Weidong glanced at it and fished a Zhonghua out of his pocket: "Smoke mine."

Lu Zhou took one look and gave a somewhat stiff chuckle; although he had a deadpan face, he could still smile, it was just a bit unnatural.

Ning Weidong lit a cigarette and got straight to the point: "What's the situation?"

Lu Zhou took a drag of his cigarette and said: "Ning Weidong, I truly underestimated you before; this move of yours in the Fourth Workshop was played beautifully."

Ning Weidong curled his lips, indifferent to Lu Zhou's flattery, and waited for what he had to say next.

Lu Zhou continued: "But this is not enough; Wang Kaifeng still has many backup plans in the Fourth Workshop..."

Ning Weidong narrowed his eyes slightly; hearing Lu Zhou stop abruptly at the crucial point, he knew he wanted to hold out for a better price.

Ning Weidong said: "Old Lu, you are a smart man; do you still remember the words you said when you came to find me last time?"

Lu Zhou pursed his lips and remained silent.

Ning Weidong continued: "If you want to advance, you must understand your own position; don't always try to be clever."

Lu Zhou frowned.

Ning Weidong said: "You transferred from the military, you already possess Cadre Status, and your own abilities are not weak; have you ever considered why you haven't been promoted all these years despite working conscientiously?"

Lu Zhou's mouth twitched, his expression shifting uncertainly, and after two seconds of silence, he said: "Go on."

Ning Weidong said: "It is precisely because you always like to use your brain in everything you do. Having a brain is a good thing, but it depends on how you use it. Do leaders need you to have a brain? If you have a brain, what are you supposed to let the leaders do?"

Lu Zhou was speechless.

Ning Weidong continued: "Compare a unit to a person; there can only be one brain, and that is the leader. Everyone else is a tool—they are the hands, the feet, the eyes, the nose, do you understand? They just cannot be the brain."

(End of chapter)