Chapter 341

Xu Damao's tearing off the notice hadn't yet faded in the cafeteria, and that oily, smoky gunpowder scent had already slipped through the Steel Rolling Mill's ventilation ducts into deeper corners.

Li Huaide's office was bright and tidy, a world apart from the cafeteria's smoky atmosphere. On the wall hung not a slogan but a far‑reaching landscape painting. He was not seated at his desk at the moment, but standing by the window with his hands behind his back, watching the workers below move like ants. His secretary had just reported the cafeteria clash in full detail, even including Sha Zhu's shouting about "technical breakthroughs" and "cold‑steel customers."

"Technical breakthrough…" Li Huaide repeated the four words softly, his fingers idly twirling the window frame. His face showed no expression, like a deep pool of water where even a tossed stone would produce no ripple.

Xu Damao's move was both smelly and hasty. Li Huaide's mind was as clear as a mirror. Hitting Sha Zhu, hitting Yang Weiguo's logistics tentacles— that direction was correct. But Xu Damao was too stupid and too impatient. To strike a snake you must hit the seven‑inch spot; to pick a quarrel you must find the soft spot. Yet he chose a reception task backed by solid justification, and Sha Zhu exposed his underwear in public, causing him to fall to a lower tier and become a chaotic nuisance.

"Idiot." Li Huaide muttered the two words silently. He felt little anger, more calculation. Xu Damao's stupidity could sometimes serve as a tool. A dog that is overly excitable and barks at anyone is indeed prone to trouble, but it also stirs the water better and probes the opponent's reactions and limits.

Today Sha Zhu's reaction illustrated the issue. He was firm but not blindly reckless, knowing how to use real production tasks as a shield. This shows that Yang Weiguo's side has solid control over Logistics and the cafeteria, and the subordinates know the situation and dare to resist.

"Interesting." Li Huaide's mouth finally twitched, pulling out a faint, almost nonexistent curve. He left the window, returned to the wide rattan chair, and lightly tapped the smooth armrest with his fingers. He needed to clean up Xu Damao's mess, but not overtly. The posture must be maintained, but the reasoning cannot be lost. More importantly, after this uproar, where should the next move be placed?

Xu Damao sat at his own desk in the Publicity Section as if perched on a bed of needles.

The Supervision Team notice he regarded as his "imperial sword" now seemed like a red‑hot branding iron, scorching his heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys into spasms. The other colleagues in the office appeared to be busy with their own work, but the occasional glances that drifted his way always made Xu Damao feel they concealed mockery. The Projector stood silently in the corner, covered with a cloth, like a mute one‑eyed creature, staring at him coldly.

"It's over… completely over…" Xu Damao felt a chill in his heart. He seemed to see his once‑bright future he had just stepped onto, and with a "Ka‑cha!" a bottomless crack split open. How would Li, the Factory Director, view him? Incompetent? Failing more than succeeding? He imagined Li's voice, calm yet bone‑chilling, saying, "Xiao Xu, it seems supervision work is still too burdensome for you."

No! Absolutely cannot sit and wait for death!

Xu Damao sprang up abruptly; his exaggerated movement knocked over the Enamel Jar on the table, and with a clang the half‑filled cold tea splashed across the desk, drawing even more eyes. He fumbled for a rag and wiped haphazardly, his mind racing. He had to remedy! Must remedy! Go find Li to admit fault? Cry and pledge loyalty? Or… point the spear elsewhere?

Yes! It's all Sha Zhu's fault! Sha Zhu openly defied the inspection, Sha Zhu sabotaged the reception task, Sha Zhu relied on Yang Changzhang's backing to act lawlessly! I was merely upholding principles, a victim of brutal treatment!

That thought acted like a tonic, steadied Xu Damao's near‑collapse a bit. He needed to draft a report, "truthfully" reporting the incident, emphasizing Sha Zhu's arrogance and his own "grievances." He sat down again, spread the stationery, and as soon as he wrote "Respected Supervision Team and Li," his pen halted.

How to write it? Say Sha Zhu tore the notice? That notice bore his own forced seal, and the other Supervision Team members might not accept that. Say Sha Zhu used "technical breakthrough" as an excuse? That reason is too rigid, impossible to bypass. Say Sha Zhu's attitude was poor? That's at most a style issue, neither painful nor itchy.

Xu Damao scratched his ear and cheek, feeling for the first time that the pen was heavier than the Projector. He felt as if he had fallen into a viscous mud pit; the more he struggled, the deeper he sank.

At that moment, the door was pushed open, and Li Huaide's secretary Xiao Zhao stuck her head in, her gaze landing precisely on Xu Damao: "Comrade Xu Damao, Li wants you to come over right now."

The voice was low and flat, revealing no emotion.

But those words hit Xu Damao's ears like a thunderclap. He sprang to his feet, his calves cramping, and forced a grin uglier than crying onto his face: "Alright, alright, I'm going right away!"

The others in the office this time didn't even bother to conceal their reactions; their gazes swarmed onto him, watching him like a duck forced onto a perch, stumbling as he followed Xiao Zhao out the door.

The corridor seemed interminably long. Xu Damao felt his back soaked with cold sweat, sticky against his shirt. He tried to recall his prepared excuse, but his mind was blank, filled only with a buzzing and a rapidly accelerating heartbeat.

Meanwhile, the cafeteria's back‑kitchen "war state" had been lifted, yet the air still retained a trace of unusual tension.

The preparation for the reception meal proceeded methodically. The dry goods that needed soaking were pre‑soaked, and the ingredients for pre‑processing were neatly arranged one by one. Sha Zhu's command was steady, as if the morning's incident had never occurred. Yet he occasionally paused his speech, gazing at the greasy curtain of the back‑kitchen door, his eyes holding something others could not read.

Ma Hua chopped the meat filling vigorously while covertly observing his master. He sensed his master was different today, though he couldn't pinpoint how. It seemed… more silent, but that silence was not despondent; it was like a low rumble building before a storm.

"Master," Ma Hua finally couldn't hold back, whispering during a hand‑off, "Will that Xu Damao scion complain again? Over at Li's side…?"

Sha Zhu took the minced meat, brought it to his nose to sniff, then pinched the fat‑to‑lean ratio with his finger, and said lightly, "Complain? He'll definitely go. If he doesn't, he isn't Xu Damao."

"Then we…?" Ma Hua grew more anxious.

"We do what we have to do." Sha Zhu poured the minced meat into a bowl and began adding seasoning, "The meal the day after tomorrow is our biggest principle. When the dishes are ready and the guests satisfied, the machine issue has hope of being solved—that's solid results. Then anyone who tries to pick a fight on this will be clashing with the entire plant's production tasks."

He paused, cracked an egg into the bowl, his tone tinged with a hint of sarcasm: "Some people spend all day pondering 'the joy of fighting others,' yet forget what our plant is for. In front of the stove, it ultimately comes down to the food speaking. Those airy, head‑in‑the‑cloud ideas can't satisfy hunger nor fix machines."

His voice was low, yet it rang clearly through the back‑kitchen. The workers' motions seemed quicker, their backs instinctively straightened. Indeed, they are cooks; their battlefield is here—one spoon, one shovel, one steam, one stir—this is their principle.

However, Sha Zhu was not entirely without concern. He knew that principle belongs to principle, power to power. Sometimes, principle must bow before power. Might Yang Changzhang, under pressure, concede a little? Might the Logistics Department, to keep the peace, persuade a menu change?

He shook his head, shelving those thoughts for the moment. The fire was already lit; thinking now was useless. All he could do was perfect the meal to the point where no one could comment. That's his duty, and his most potent weapon right now.

The water in the pot boiled, steam rattling the lid with a puff‑puff, white vapor rising and blurring Sha Zhu's sharply defined face. He lifted the lid, and a richer heat burst onto his face, carrying the ingredients' natural aroma. He squinted and steadily placed the prepared ingredients inside.

The back‑kitchen was once again filled with familiar cooking fumes, clanging and sizzling, heat rising, like a tiny kingdom isolated from the outside storm. Yet everyone in that kingdom knew that wind and rain would eventually blow in.

Li Huaide's office door shut in front of Xu Damao, cutting off the outside world.

The office lighting was dim, the curtains half‑drawn; Li Huaide sat backlit, his face hidden in shadow, expression unreadable. Xu Damao stood at the desk, unsure where to place his hands and feet, his throat dry, the rehearsed line "Li, I report to you…" stuck in his throat, not a single word escaping.

"Sit." Li Huaide gestured to the opposite chair, his voice even, almost gentle.

Xu Damao perched half‑on the chair's edge, his back straight as a prisoner awaiting judgment.

"I've heard about the cafeteria incident," Li Huaide said bluntly, his tone still revealing no emotion, "Comrade He Yuzhu, his temper is a bit big."

Xu Damao's heart leapt to his throat. What did that mean? A criticism of Sha Zhu, or… He quickly continued, his voice sharp from nerves: "Li, He Yuzhu is downright lawless! He openly tore up the supervision notice, defied the inspection, and even spoke rudely! This isn't merely an attitude issue; it's a serious challenge to the plant's regulations! I was acting entirely in line with the Supervision Team's directives, with a conscientious attitude…"

"The Supervision Team's requirements must also align with practical work," Li Huaide interrupted, his voice still steady, yet like a needle lightly pricking Xu Damao's inflated balloon, "I heard the reception meal the day after tomorrow involves a Tianjin master craftsman coming to fix equipment issues?"

Xu Damao choked, cold sweat streaming down his temples: "Yes… that's the case, but Li, I think ideological awareness and reception standards aren't contradictory. We can't relax the principle of thriftiness just because the task is important; that would lead subordinates to the wrong perception that important work justifies special treatment, and that atmosphere must not develop!" He strained to steer the conversation toward "principles" and "atmosphere," which he considered the safest ground.

Li Huaide stared at him quietly, his gaze seeming able to pierce flesh and see straight to the bone. Xu Damao shivered under that stare, his voice dwindling until he fell silent.

The office fell into a brief silence, only the wall clock's second hand ticking "clack, clack," each sound striking Xu Damao's taut nerves.

After a long while, Li Huaide finally spoke slowly, saying something Xu Damao could not grasp: "Work must consider methods. One must uphold principles while also weighing practical results. Blindly forcing a hard stance solves nothing; it may blow a small issue out of proportion, harm unity, and delay production."

Xu Damao blinked, his mind racing. Was this a critique of his method? Or… a hint at his next move? He asked cautiously, "Li, what you mean is…"

"What I mean is," Li Huaide leaned slightly forward, the light finally illuminating half his face, still expressionless, yet his gaze was so deep it made hearts race, "Supervision work must be thorough, meticulous, and adept at uncovering widespread, deep‑seated issues, rather than fixating on a single meal or dish.

For example, is the cafeteria's daily procurement process fully standardized? Are material consumption standards reasonably set? These fundamental management issues are far more worth attention.

As for the specific reception task, since there is a real need, the Logistics Department and the cafeteria have their own considerations; the Supervision Team can 'monitor' but need not 'intervene.' Understand?

Xu Damao stared blankly for a few seconds, then a flash of insight pierced his muddled mind; he seemed to understand a bit!

Li was handing him a ladder to step down! At the same time, he pointed out a new "struggle" path! No longer tangled in the specific menu, but directing the spear toward the cafeteria's routine management "generic issues"!

Procurement, consumption, processes… these areas are deeper water, easier to exploit, with a broader impact, and can more effectively undermine Yang Weiguo's foundation in the Logistics system!

"Understood! Li, I understand!" Xu Damao was so excited he nearly rose from his chair, his face brightening again, "My previous work wasn't deep enough; my methods were too simple and crude! I'll return and reflect deeply, immediately adjust supervision focus, delve into every facet of the cafeteria's daily management, uncover any loopholes or irregularities! Ensure every cent of our plant is used on the cutting edge!"

Li Huaide gave a slight nod, leaned back in his chair, and slipped back into the shadows: "Hmm. Go. Remember, in everything, think more."

"Yes! Yes! Thank you, Li, for the guidance! I'll definitely think more!" Xu Damao nodded, bowed, left the office, and gently closed the door.

When the door shut, he leaned against the cold wall and let out a long sigh, feeling as if he'd been pulled from water, drenched, yet the heavy stone in his heart finally set down. Moreover, he seemed to have acquired a new, more powerful weapon.

He straightened his chest, adjusted his collar, and a mixed look of pride and calculation returned to his face as he walked toward the Publicity Section. His stride was noticeably lighter than when he arrived.

The office remained empty, Li Huaide sitting alone, his fingers still lightly tapping the armrest.

Xu Damao is a knife, not sharp enough, even a bit dull, but at least he is obedient and has "proactiveness". Let him go stir things, make the water even murkier. In murky water, it's easier to fish.

A menu‑related provocation seemed to have temporarily subsided, but a deeper, more hidden trench has already begun to be quietly dug. The bustling atmosphere in the cafeteria also appears to have taken on a faint whiff of unusual gunpowder smoke.