Chapter 423

Seeing Shazhu ignore him.

A flicker of loss and reluctance flashed in Liu Haizhong's eyes.

Last night, the quarrel between Qin Huairu and Shazhu was misunderstood by Liu Haizhong; the official-obsessed Liu Haizhong mistakenly thought Shazhu was speaking up for him. Thinking that Shazhu had Deputy Factory Director Li and Xu Daming backing him—two big shots Liu Haizhong couldn't afford to provoke—he instantly felt strong regret, regretting that he had stubbornly insisted on causing trouble for Shazhu, which led to his current downfall.

Not mentioning the head of the steel mill, Deputy Factory Director Li, but speaking of Xu Daming—who is someone Qin Huairu dares not provoke and who is also Shazhu's good friend.

A friend's friend is also one's own friend.

Liu Haizhong's mind ran wild with the idea of cozying up to Shazhu, indirectly latching onto Xu Daming or Deputy Factory Director Li's thigh, so he wouldn't suffer this hardship any longer, at the very least not be disciplined by Qin Huairu.

Yesterday's laundry incident almost cost Liu Haizhong his life, more precious than him sweeping the toilets all day at the steel mill.

This morning he got up especially early and waited at the courtyard gate.

He wanted to have a chat with Shazhu.

Seeing Shazhu ignore him, Liu Haizhong felt a twinge of helplessness, eventually extinguishing those thoughts, and he walked toward the steel mill with his head down, dejected.

……

Shazhu looked at Factory Director Yang before him, unable to put his current feelings into words; not long ago, this person was also high and mighty.

Fortune turns like a wheel.

He had fallen so low as to be in charge of the steel mill compound's sanitation.

An even more serious matter.

It seems everyone coming and going at the steel mill treats this former factory director like a flood beast; seeing Factory Director Yang here responsible for cleaning, they lower their heads and hurry past him—these are considered decent people. Some opportunists, likely trying to curry favor with Deputy Factory Director Li, deliberately dirty the street that Factory Director Yang just cleaned when they pass by, forcing him to clean it again.

People's hearts.

That's human nature.

Shazhu couldn't bring himself to ignore Factory Director Yang, nor could he kick him while he's down.

Strictly speaking.

Shazhu is rather an emotional person.

He has feelings.

He is human.

He knows gratitude.

If it hadn't been for Factory Director Yang assigning him to cook for that newspaper comrade, Shazhu wouldn't have formed this so-called ageless friendship with the newspaper comrade; when Yushui was taking her exams, Shazhu had also asked the newspaper comrade for help, and out of respect for Shazhu, they gave Yushui a lenient review.

When drinking water, remember those who dug the well.

Without Factory Director Yang's recommendation.

Shazhu would never have met the newspaper comrade.

He counts as a benefactor to Shazhu.

Not seeing Factory Director Yang doesn't matter; but if he does see him, he can't pretend not to.

So Shazhu didn't act like others, either ignoring Factory Director Yang or trampling him; instead, he openly walked up to him and greeted him.

"Lao Yang, hello."

This title, which Shazhu settled on after careful thought, was the one that best suited Old Yang's current position while also preventing Shazhu from getting into trouble.

As someone who has fallen from power, the title Factory Director Yang is inappropriate; even if Shazhu called him that, Factory Director Yang would not agree, and would not dare to.

Calling him comrade is even less appropriate; everyone knows Factory Director Yang is someone who made a mistake, and addressing a person who erred as comrade would give others leverage.

So Shazhu openly called him Old Yang.

Factory Director Yang was quite surprised.

It wasn't because of Shazhu's way of addressing him, but because of Shazhu's attitude toward him. In a situation where everyone regarded Factory Director Yang as a jinx and avoided him as much as possible, Shazhu not only didn't despise him, but also greeted him. That greeting moved Factory Director Yang's heart slightly, like giving him a bottle of strong liquor in the depths of winter, truly making him unable to contain his excitement.

Factory Director Yang knew his own status, worried that he would bring Shazhu trouble, and quickly nodded in agreement.

"Shazhu, I'm fine. You go on ahead. If you run into me and can say hello, that already shows you're someone worth associating with; don't let me implicate you."

"What implication? Even if implicated, where could they drag me to?" Shazhu said calmly: "I'm already the keeper of Sihuocangku at Yagangchang; isn't there a worse place than Sihuocangku in the mill? I actually hope I get even more unlucky."

Factory Director Yang was taken aback.

He pondered for a moment.

He found Shazhu's words reasonable.

The Sihuocangku where even birds don't defecate is mocked by countless Yagangchang workers as being even worse than the Cleaning Section, from a lofty cafeteria chief reduced to the keeper of the spoiled‑goods warehouse.

Such a feeling.

Factory Director Yang could relate.

Just like him, although he was in charge of the Jiēdào sanitation of the factory area, he could at least still look at the surrounding scenery.

Besides spoiled goods, Sihuocangku had nothing left but trash.

Rumor had it that someone who served as keeper of Sihuocangku ended up driving himself mad, thereby establishing the formidable reputation of Sihuocangku.

Shazhu is the third person in charge after that mad keeper.

……

Liu Haizhong arrived at Yagangchang.

He then went to the restroom to report.

He didn't want to give Qin Huairu any leverage that would bring him undeserved disaster.

It's better to be proactive.

After walking just a few steps, Liu Haizhong's eyes widened instantly, as if he had discovered a new continent; he swooshed over to a nearby big tree, and upon reaching it, he hid his figure as much as possible while also sneaking a peek of his head from behind the tree.

He drew in a sharp breath of cold air.

His face also showed an excited expression.

If it weren't for worrying about startling certain people, Liu Haizhong would really want to shout to the heavens.

Heaven won't let a blind sparrow starve.

Thinking about earning merit.

This merit came to Liu Haizhong's doorstep, and he actually discovered Shazhu, in front of the fellow workers, chatting with the former factory director Old Yang, who had been reduced to a Jiēdào cleaner, about something.

Factory Director Yang was nevertheless the nemesis of Deputy Factory Director Li.

Back then, one wanted to drive Deputy Factory Director Li out of Yagangchang, the other wanted to topple Factory Director Yang; their struggle was a fight to the death.

Shazhu, as a confidant of Deputy Factory Director Li, after being relegated for a mistake, actually chatted openly with the nemesis of Deputy Factory Director Li, the former factory director Old Yang, in public.

As for Liu Haizhong.

This is a heaven-sent opportunity; it is Heaven giving him a chance.

As long as he tells Deputy Factory Director Li about Shazhu's secret meeting with the former factory director, Deputy Factory Director Li will surely remember his favor; then he will again become Team Captain, and Qin Huairu, Shazhu, and the neighbors of the Siheyuan will easily be dealt with by him.

Being patient.

Started eavesdropping.

However, because the distance was rather far, with a loudspeaker nearby playing a rallying song, Liu Haizhong could only prick up his ears as best he could to listen to their conversation.