Chapter 116: The Second Wave of Pressure

Wang Zipeng chattered away, spilling everything that had happened at the factory over the past few days like beans pouring from a bamboo tube.

It left Qian Fangqi stunned.

She never imagined that Ning Weidong, who usually kept to himself in the courtyard, had suddenly become a figure who could maneuver freely within the factory.

Even more, she never expected that at only twenty-one, he had become a Deputy Section Chief holding real power.

Thinking back on the attitude Wang Zipeng had just shown toward Ning Weidong, she suddenly felt it was completely justified.

Meanwhile, Ning Weidong pushed his bicycle back into the cross-courtyard.

Just as he entered the Moon Gate, he saw Bai Fengyu head-on.

Bai Fengyu's eyes lit up, and she called out, "Weidong, off work already~"

Ning Weidong gave a hum and winked at her.

However, there were many people coming and going in the courtyard at this time, so he didn't go up to tease her, saying with a smile, "Sister Fengyu, are you cooking~"

Bai Fengyu responded, and just as she was about to say something else, the curtain of the Upper Room was lifted, and Wang Yuzhen poked her head out and called out, "Weidong."

Bai Fengyu shut her mouth, turned to look at the Upper Room, and called out with a smile, "Sister-in-law Yuzhen."

Wang Yuzhen nodded with a forced smile and exchanged pleasantries: "Fengyu, cooking~"

Ning Weidong didn't dare to exchange any more glances with Bai Fengyu and immediately entered the Upper Room.

Leaving Bai Fengyu to pout and head to the Cellar instead.

When Ning Weidong arrived inside, Ning Weiguo was already home from work, and Ning Lei, looking miserable, was doing his homework at the table.

The winter break was over, his good days had come to an end, and there was no more of that free-spirited, carefree life.

Seeing Ning Weidong, Ning Weiguo immediately told him to sit down and asked about the situation during the day.

Ning Weidong didn't hide anything, nor did he feel any dissatisfaction because of the withdrawal of the Wang Family and the Zhao Family.

Because he didn't have the qualifications for that yet.

What the Wang Family and the Zhao Family did couldn't even be considered burning bridges after crossing them.

Because from beginning to end, Ning Weidong's position was that of a usable chess piece; from the moment he stepped onto the chessboard, he was meant to be used.

Being used was his job, and being discarded after being used was his fate.

How could he feel aggrieved~ If he didn't have that realization, he shouldn't have sat at the table in the first place.

For anyone, before reaching a certain height, having too many emotions is of no benefit.

Being a heartless chess piece, calmly or even coldly using others and being used, is the only way to go further.

Therefore, when he realized during the day that the Wang Family and the Zhao Family had both withdrawn from the field after completing their transactions, Ning Weidong was able to remain so calm.

Because before he transmigrated, he had long experienced similar stages and tasted the feeling of being stabbed in the back by someone he trusted.

At this moment, any emotional venting was meaningless.

If he had that energy, it would be better to save it to figure out how to realize his own interests.

For Ning Weidong, that meant finding a way to push Li Peihang up, then successfully becoming the Deputy Section Chief to take over Li Peihang's power.

Facing Ning Weiguo and his wife Wang Yuzhen, Ning Weidong did not hide his thoughts and intentions.

After chattering through it all, he concluded: "Big Brother, Sister-in-law, I understand that the family has its own big picture to consider, but I still hope to fight for it; what if it actually works out~"

Ning Weiguo frowned and asked, "How much certainty do you have in blocking Wang Kaifeng?"

Ning Weidong thought for a moment and said, "That's hard to say. If Li Weibing is willing to put in the effort, it's at least over fifty percent."

Wang Yuzhen didn't say anything; she felt that her father hadn't been very kind this time.

Ning Weidong had put in the most effort and played a very critical role in the whole affair, yet when it came time to sit down and divide the spoils, they threw Ning Weidong aside and ignored him.

As his sister-in-law, she really felt bad about it.

And this was also why, after her father returned to work, he only promoted Ning Weiguo and left her at the school; in her father's words, although Wang Yuzhen was a woman, she had a chivalrous spirit and couldn't tolerate any sand in her eyes, so she wasn't cut out for the life of an official.

Ning Weiguo thought for a while and said, "Since you want to strive for it, it's not impossible. There will always be a final result, and regardless... this time you have already given an astonishing performance."

Ning Weidong nodded, understanding that Ning Weiguo was trying to comfort him, and smiled: "Big Brother, you don't need to worry about me. I understand these principles, but Wang Guoqiang thinks that just because the Wang Family and the Zhao Family have retreated, he can take whatever he wants in the factory—he's wrong this time."

……

Until they finished dinner, neither Ning Weiguo nor Wang Yuzhen asked Ning Weidong what exactly he planned to do.

They were waiting for Ning Weidong to say it.

Since Ning Weidong didn't say it, it meant he didn't want to.

After finishing the meal, Ning Weidong wiped his mouth, stood up, and said, "Big Brother, Sister-in-law, I'm going out for a bit, I might be back late."

Ning Weiguo said, "Go ahead, stay safe."

Ning Weidong gave a "Yeah," and said to Wang Yuzhen, "Sister-in-law, I'm off."

Wang Yuzhen didn't know what to say; watching Ning Weidong leave, she couldn't help but let out a long sigh, worrying, "Weiguo, do you think this time... will Weidong have any thoughts about it?"

Ning Weiguo took her hand and squeezed it: "Don't let your imagination run wild; no matter what, Weidong is our brother."

Wang Yuzhen gave a "Hmm," her mind in some turmoil.

The Wang Family was run by her father; her and Ning Weiguo's influence was truly limited, and when Wang Fu made decisions, he wouldn't consider Ning Weidong.

Even though as a chess piece, Ning Weidong's performance was quite outstanding, whether it was the marriage alliance with the Zhao Family or his work at the Red Star Factory.

But that was all it was; no matter how outstanding a chess piece is, it is still a chess piece, and it can only exert its unique effect at a certain step or in a certain position.

Once this step is completed, or it leaves this position, its importance will plummet.

Ning Weidong was in this situation.

When the Wang Family and the Zhao Family joined forces and completed their transaction with the faction behind Wang Guoqiang, the step where Ning Weidong was located was finished.

From here on, he could only rely on himself.

Using the conditions and chips he currently held, he had to try his best to maximize his own interests.

……

Emerging from the Upper Room, Ning Weidong took his keys to unlock the bike, habitually patted the saddle, turned it around, and pushed it out.

The interior of Bai Fengyu's home next door was dim, and the shadows of the two sisters, Bai Fengyu and Bai Fengqin, could be seen.

After passing through the Moon Gate, Ning Weidong glanced toward Wang Kai's house.

The room was pitch black without a single light, clearly indicating that no one had returned.

Wang Kai had gone out carrying a kitchen knife tonight and caused such a huge commotion; even though he didn't end up hacking anyone, it would likely be difficult to handle the aftermath.

There were quite a few onlookers at the time, and Ning Weidong estimated that some busybody must have reported it to the Police Station.

If it really alerted the authorities, it would be hard to deal with.

Ning Weidong withdrew his gaze, pushed his bicycle out of the Dazayuan, touched his toes to the ground, mounted the bike, and sped off toward Ning Wei's home in a flash.

It was past seven o'clock now, and the alley was pitch black; originally, there were lights in front of every Dazayuan.

But in recent years, with the decline of the Courtyard Elder system, many Dazayuan were left unmanaged, with everyone living their own lives.

One could tell from these lights that eight or nine out of ten were no longer lit.

Relying on his sharp eyes and familiarity with the roads, Ning Weidong rode extremely fast.

In less than five minutes, he arrived at Ning Wei's home.

Before even reaching the entrance, he saw from afar a person standing there holding a bicycle.

Upon getting close, he saw it was indeed Ning Wei.

"Third Brother!" Seeing it was Ning Weidong, Ning Wei stepped forward to greet him.

Ning Weidong slowed down slightly but did not stop.

Once Ning Wei mounted his bike, the two increased their speed, and Ning Wei said against the wind: "I've handled the matter you entrusted to me this afternoon; shall we head over there directly now?"

Ning Weidong nodded: "There is no time to lose, let's go directly."

Ning Wei responded, pedaled hard a few times, and took the lead in front of Ning Weidong.

Following the alley eastward, they soon reached Zhao Dengyu Road, entered Xisi North Fourth Alley to continue east, arrived at Xisi Street, turned south... and finally stopped at Xiaotangfang Alley.

The two gripped their bike brakes, supported themselves with one foot on the ground, and looked into the alley.

Ning Wei said: "Third Brother, their house is right inside."

Ning Weidong glanced inside, pursed his lips, and said: "Go call him out."

Ning Wei responded, got off his bike, and went into the alley alone.

Before long, two figures emerged from the alley.

Ning Wei returned to his bicycle without a word, while the other person looked at Ning Weidong with some wariness, not getting too close, and asked from a few steps away: "Are you looking for me?"

Ning Weidong smiled, tilted his chin, and said: "Why stand so far away? If you stand there, I can't reach you?"

The man's mouth twitched, and he very tactfully took two steps forward: "I heard from Ning Wei that you've become a leader at the Red Star Factory now, so please don't hold a grudge against small fry like us. Besides, you were the one who hit me last time, and I didn't even touch a hair on you."

Ning Weidong said: "What are you afraid of~ You already said you were the one who got hit, would I bother looking for trouble with you?"

The man was even more puzzled; it was Zhou Wu, who had been knocked down by Ning Weidong with one punch last time and experienced an infant-like sleep. At this moment, Zhou Wu couldn't help but look at the expressionless Ning Wei beside him.

He knew Ning Wei, but they weren't very close, so he turned back to look at Ning Weidong: "Then you are..."

That one encounter last time had given him a deep lesson in Ning Weidong's prowess.

Ning Weidong said: "You know this area well, find a place where we can talk."

Zhou Wu didn't expect Ning Weidong to ask him to find a place, and for a moment, he didn't react.

Ning Wei, standing to the side, kicked him in the backside.

Zhou Wu let out a "Damn it," stumbled, and nearly fell face-first.

Ning Wei said irritably: "Why are you acting so womanly? Just be quick when Third Brother tells you to find a place."

Zhou Wu rubbed his lower back; if it were someone else, or in the past, he would have turned hostile long ago if a punk like Ning Wei dared to do that.

But now, he dared not act out in front of Ning Weidong. He wondered what Ning Weidong could want with him, but he dared not delay and immediately left the alley.

Not far away was a small restaurant with lights on.

It wasn't very late yet, and there were quite a few customers drinking in the small restaurant.

After the three entered, the people inside all recognized Zhou Wu and greeted him with a smile.

Zhou Wu nodded in response and went inside to a middle-aged man in his forties: "Uncle Six, I'm taking some friends to the back room to sit for a while."

The middle-aged man glanced at Ning Weidong and Ning Wei and responded: "Go ahead, go ahead~"

Zhou Wu said "Okay" and added: "You keep busy then." He then gestured for Ning Weidong to go ahead.

The three entered the back of the small restaurant.

The front was the storefront, and the back was the owner's quarters.

It was a small bedroom, not very large, with a heated brick bed (kang) inside; thanks to the stove fire from the restaurant outside, the kang was already warm, and the room was toasty.

Zhou Wu said to Ning Weidong: "Please sit, I'll go pour you a cup of water."

Ning Weidong sat on the edge of the kang and said: "No need, let's talk business; it won't take many words."

Zhou Wu licked his lips, gave a dry laugh, sat down, and asked: "Um, I don't know what instructions you have for me?"

Ning Weidong, however, answered with a question: "Xiao Wu, is it okay if I call you that?"

Zhou Wu hurriedly said: "No problem, absolutely no problem, please do."

Ning Weidong smiled: "Xiao Wu, I heard you have a girlfriend, named..." As he spoke, he looked at Ning Wei.

Ning Wei hurriedly added: "Named Hao Xiuying, she's from the Zipper Factory." He had investigated all of this.

Ning Weidong said: "Right, Hao Xiuying, look at my memory." He turned back to look at Zhou Wu.

Zhou Wu's expression was a bit ugly, and he managed a forced laugh.

Ning Weidong continued: "Xiao Wu, don't overthink it, I don't have any other intentions; I just heard that when you went to propose marriage, you were kicked out by the old Hao family, and your two brothers-in-law almost beat you up, is that true?"

Zhou Wu's mouth twitched; as the saying goes, don't bring up a person's shortcomings to their face.

But the person before him was the opposite, specifically poking at people's sore spots, yet he didn't dare to turn hostile.

The martial skills he was so proud of were nothing in front of Ning Weidong, and the so-called street-smart reputation he used to intimidate others had no deterrent effect on Ning Weidong either.

In reality, no matter how tough Zhou Wu appeared on the surface, he was quite insecure inside.

In the current evaluation system, people like him were the lowest class.

This was also why he was chased out when he visited, and as soon as the girl mentioned him, a single sentence—that he wasn't a decent person—was enough to pass a death sentence on him.

No family would be willing to marry their daughter off to someone like him.

And Ning Weidong's words were like tearing off his face and trampling it into the dirt.

Zhou Wu didn't understand why Ning Weidong would do this.

Theoretically, there was no deep hatred between the two; even if there had been a conflict last time, it was Zhou Wu who had suffered the loss.

Moreover, it was settled afterward; Zhou Wu didn't seek revenge, and Ning Weidong didn't bring it up.

Why, after so much time had passed, did Ning Weidong come looking for him again?

Although Zhou Wu was a brute, he wasn't stupid; in fact, he was quite shrewd.

At this moment, although he was angry inside, he didn't vent it, but instead gave a dry laugh and said, "Brother Ning, you're joking..."

Ning Weidong didn't wait for him to continue, his lips curling slightly as he chuckled: "Do you think we guys came to find you today just to mess around? Our section doesn't have that kind of spare time. That girl from the Hao family, what's the deal? Have you given up? Do you still want to marry her?"

Zhou Wu was stunned, even more confused about what Ning Weidong meant.

Ning Weidong continued: "I heard you actually snuck into her bed; if she really ends up pregnant... tsk tsk, the spit of those old women in the alley might just drown you."

Zhou Wu suddenly realized, his eyes lighting up: "Brother Ning! You are my own brother, please show your brother the right path."

Zhou Wu's reaction wasn't slow; by this point, he had already caught on to the drift.

Ning Weidong didn't come to find him to do something to him, but to use him.

The reward would be helping him solve the problem with the Hao family, allowing him to marry the eldest Hao girl smoothly.

If it were some other matter, he would still have to consider it, but since it concerned taking a wife, Zhou Wu couldn't be bothered with so much else.

Ning Weidong smiled: "Tomorrow morning, go find Xiao Wei..."

Zhou Wu looked at Ning Wei.

Ning Weidong continued: "Go to the Manager with Xiao Wei; I'll give you a spot in the Factory Protection Team. From now on, you'll follow Xiao Wei."

Zhou Wu couldn't believe it and didn't react for a moment.

He knew about the Red Star Factory's Factory Protection Team; although it was a Big Collective, the pay wasn't low—nearly twenty yuan a month.

That wasn't even the important part; the important part was that it sounded respectable!

When asked where one worked, one could say: Red Star Factory, Security Division.

Why did the Hao family oppose him seeing Hao Xiuying? Wasn't it because they looked down on his status? Although working under Zhang Jinfa didn't treat him poorly, and the money he took home each month added up to quite a bit.

But in name, he was just a street loafer, a candidate for the detention center.

Compared to a worker at a State-owned large factory, it was like heaven and earth.

Zhou Wu could already imagine that as soon as he became a worker at the Red Star Factory, the Hao family's attitude would definitely do a 180-degree turn.

But after the excitement, he also calmed down.

Ning Weidong wasn't a saint, and he wasn't Ning Weidong's own son; it was impossible for him to give such a big favor for no reason.

Zhou Wu suppressed his excitement, swallowed, and said: "Brother Ning, what do you want me to do?"

Ning Weidong patted his shoulder: "Don't worry, it's not a difficult task for you..."

As he spoke, he lowered his voice slightly and whispered into Zhou Wu's ear.

As Zhou Wu listened, his expression changed.

When Ning Weidong finished, he gritted his teeth and nodded: "Brother Ning, don't worry, I guarantee I'll handle this matter perfectly for you. However, the person doing the job..."

Ning Weidong said: "Don't worry, I will arrange it. At most half a year, I guarantee he'll be out." After finishing, he gave Ning Wei a look and continued: "Time is of the essence. Tonight, you and Xiao Wei confirm the person, and give them a five-hundred-yuan deposit first."

Ning Wei remained expressionless and pulled a stack of Big Unity notes directly from the inner pocket of his coat and handed them to Zhou Wu.

This money wasn't for Zhou Wu, but for him to handle the task.

Ning Weidong continued: "Tomorrow morning, you two go to the Manager together to handle the paperwork."

Although there were still variables regarding Wang Kaifeng, the job adjustments for Li Peihang and Ning Weidong had already been passed at the factory meeting.

Ning Weidong had taken over Li Peihang's former authority, so stuffing someone into the factory in the name of the Factory Protection Team was no difficulty at all.

The next day, Ning Weidong arrived at his unit on time.

Yesterday, Li Peihang's Office had already been cleared out and was now Ning Weidong's.

The furniture and layout of the Office remained the same; only Li Peihang's personal items had been cleared out.

Ning Weidong entered the room and sat behind the desk. The chair under his seat was a bit hard, and the desk in front of him was bare, with only a black telephone.

Just then, the phone suddenly rang.

Ning Weidong thought it was Ning Wei calling to report on last night's situation.

Unexpectedly, when he picked it up, it was Chen: "Leader, Comrade Chu Zhongxin from the Municipal Bureau just called looking for you; he called my line..."

Last time Chu Zhongxin looked for Ning Weidong, he had called the phone in that room.

Ning Weidong frowned, guessing that Chu Zhongxin must have received the second wave of pressure from Wang Guoqiang.

Last time, Chu Zhongxin was able to withstand the pressure from Division Chief Xu, but this time, since the Wang Family and Zhao Family had already called off their troops, it wasn't realistic to count on Chu Zhongxin again.

Ning Weidong picked up the phone and dialed out.

A moment later, the call connected: "Hello, Fourth Brother, are you looking for me?"

On the other end of the line, Chu Zhongxin didn't speak immediately. After two seconds of silence, he sighed: "Weidong, Yuzhen just called me, saying you still want to push for it?"

(End of chapter)