Chapter 405

Deputy Factory Director Li gave Liu Haizhong a casual glance.

He somewhat understood why Liu Haizhong had come.

He wants an official post!

In Deputy Factory Director Li's view, Liu Haizhong is nothing but a brainless fool who acts without restraint; otherwise he wouldn't have, within sixty days of taking office, turned the steel mill into a utter mess.

Xu Daming said.

Liu Haizhong even targeted every resident of their Siheyuan.

His methods were utterly ruthless.

As the saying goes, a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow.

Liu Haizhong, however, did the opposite.

On the contrary, he deliberately did the opposite, specifically targeting the Siheyuan's neighbors, causing trouble for several households that Liu Haizhong has already driven away.

To be honest.

Liu Haizhong is truly a fine blade.

He dares to take action.

For profit, he spares no means.

This is also why Deputy Factory Director Li deliberately indulged Liu Haizhong over these sixty days: he wanted to use Liu Haizhong to eliminate all his rivals.

Liu Haizhong also accomplished that.

Using Liu Haizhong as this bloodless knife, Deputy Factory Director Li toppled his open rivals and dragged out his hidden enemies.

What awaits Liu Haizhong can only be the fate of 'when the birds are gone, the bow is stored; when the rabbit dies, the hound is cooked.'

Shazhu was right about one thing.

The reason Liu Haizhong can appear before Deputy Factory Director Li is that he still possesses a little bit of value for Li to use to win people's hearts.

Restore his official post, then let Liu Haizhong wreak havoc on the steel mill again.

The workers may not say it to his face, but they surely curse Deputy Factory Director Li's ancestors.

This further affects Deputy Factory Director Li.

The best way to deal with Liu Haizhong is to have him accept the support of tens of thousands of steel mill workers.

How can we make Liu Haizhong willingly accept our control?

Indeed, it requires some scheming.

Deputy Factory Director Li pointed to the sofa beside him and said gently, 'Let's talk while seated.'

Liu Haizhong didn't even dare think about sitting cross-legged.

Will he be given an official post or not?

It has never been made clear.

If, by sitting on the sofa, he offended the other party and even the official post that was originally promised was withdrawn, Liu Haizhong figured he'd have nowhere to cry.

Measuring a gentleman's belly with a petty heart.

He tried as much as possible to put on an act.

He smiled.

"Deputy Factory Director Li, I'd rather stand while speaking! I have no other thoughts; I just want to do something for you, Deputy Factory Director Li, like left and right hands—Xu Daming's vanguard assault team is like your left hand, and my Liu Haizhong's elderly vanguard assault team is like your right hand. What do you think?"

Deputy Factory Director Li lifted the tea cup before him.

He took a sip of tea.

He slowly looked at Liu Haizhong.

"Old Liu, I also know you as a person; these words don't sound like something you'd say. Tell me, who taught you?"

"Deputy Factory Director Li, you've noticed, haven't you?" Liu Haizhong's expression showed a mix of sincerity and fear, "To be honest, it was my wife who told me to say this."

"Your wife?"

"Deputy Factory Director Li, you don't know, but because I messed up the Shazhu affair, the neighbors in our Siheyuan have started causing trouble for me. I figured, I'm still your person, Deputy Factory Director Li, so them causing trouble for me is basically slapping your face."

"Cough cough cough!"

Deputy Factory Director Li, who was drinking water, was choked by Liu Haizhong's few sentences; he wiped his cheeks with a handkerchief while gesturing for Liu Haizhong to continue.

"My wife told me that although I have no merit, I have put in effort; even if I can't be the captain, being a vice-captain is fine. She asked me to apologize to you and to Shazhu; the Shazhu matter was my fault—I didn't consider things thoroughly."

"Old Liu, do you know what my relationship with Shazhu is?"

Deputy Factory Director Li suddenly changed his expression.

He thought Liu Haizhong needed to be disciplined.

A servant is just a servant.

A master is just a master.

We need to make Liu Haizhong recognize his place.

A sudden change of face.

It made Liu Haizhong, lost in his beautiful daydream, shudder instantly; his fawning smile turned to panic, and his speech began to stutter.

"Deputy Factory Director Li… please hear me out… things aren't… as you imagine… it's my fault… I have no other… thoughts… I just want to… do things for you… other things… I haven't thought much… Deputy Factory Director Li…"

"Slap!"

Deputy Factory Director Li slammed his hand hard onto the table before him.

A tremendous force.

It gave Liu Haizhong immense pressure.

His knees suddenly went weak, and his whole body slumped limp to the ground.

He murmured in his heart, 'The script is wrong!'

Why does Deputy Factory Director Li look so furious?

Insiders know their own affairs.

Not being able to secure even a minor post from Deputy Factory Director Li, he knows what fate awaits him; Liu Haizhong clearly understands this, and this is also the crux of his predicament while he lies on the ground.

There are no good days to be had in the Siheyuan.

In the Yagangchang, one also has to endure all sorts of difficulties.

He's still Liu Haizhong.

"Deputy Factory Director Li!"

"You keep calling me Deputy Factory Director Li, but do you even regard this Deputy Factory Director Li in your eyes? During this time, you, Team Captain Liu Haizhong, have been comfortable, causing turmoil in the Yagangchang with tens of thousands of people, knowing only your name, Liu Haizhong, but not knowing my name, Li Huaide—are you treating me as if I were dead?"

"Deputy Factory Director Li, I didn't, I really didn't." Liu Haizhong burst into tears, snot and tears streaming, saying, "Even if you lent me two courages, I would not dare not to keep you in my sight."

"The other day, Zhang Tianlong of the Nine Vehicle Workshop—what offense did he commit? Simply because he ran into you and didn't stop to greet you, you, Liu Haizhong, without a word, took people and summoned him away. Who gave you the nerve to arbitrarily seize people? Who dares give you the nerve to casually lock someone up for a night? Those who know understand that you are my subordinate, Li Huaide; those who don't still think the Yagangchang is your Liu Haizhong's sole domain."

"Deputy Factory Director Li, I'm innocent; it's truly not me, Liu Haizhong, seeking trouble with Zhang Tianlong."

"Zhang Tianlong—I might have wronged you, but what about Shazhu? Did I wrong him? Shazhu has been transferred by me to the bird‑shit‑free Sihuocangku as a custodian; what harm does he cause you? I don't even think he's a nuisance, yet you, Liu Haizhong, insist on seeking trouble with Shazhu. Everyone in the Yagangchang knows that I, Li Huaide, once received a favor from Shazhu—what you're doing, how will outsiders see it? They'll all think I, Li Huaide, am an ungrateful bastard, a beast. Is this what you call 'considering me' in your mouth, Liu Haizhong?"

"Deputy Factory Director Li, I was wrong, I really was wrong."

"You were wrong? The mistake is mine—I failed to see your true nature, Liu Haizhong, still thinking you were a good person, letting you serve as captain of the old‑year team so you could better serve the Yagangchang. You're really something, treating that old‑year team as your private fief, a one‑man rule, doing whatever you please. Do you still have any regard for me, your Deputy Factory Director, in your eyes?"