Chapter 2270

"Yang Yumei!"

Tian Hongwei murmured the name softly and noted it down; he would talk to her first thing tomorrow at work. Then, he leaned back against the chair, closed his eyes, and his thoughts involuntarily began to wander again.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he heard the fat woman's voice outside: "Are you looking for someone? Are you looking for Boss Tian?"

Immediately after, another familiar voice replied, "Boss Tian? Ah—yes, his surname is indeed Tian."

Tian Hongwei recognized it immediately; it was Dai Weimin's voice. He stood up quickly and reached out to lift the door curtain, seeing the fat woman leading Dai Weimin toward him.

"Old Dai!"

Tian Hongwei did not use the official title "Factory Director Dai." Firstly, the occasion was inappropriate, and secondly, calling him "Old Dai" in private was more intimate. Moreover, in the future, both of them would belong to the Zhou faction and would be fighting side by side; if they didn't build a rapport now, when would they?

As for whether Dai Weimin would agree to meet with Zhou Andong, there was no need to doubt it. After sitting on the bench for so many years and having already started to "retire," now that there was an opportunity to regain power and avenge the bullying he had suffered from certain people for so many years, no one who wasn't mentally ill could refuse.

As for Dai Weimin, hearing Tian Hongwei call him "Old Dai," he was only stunned for a moment before returning to normal. Tian Hongwei was acting sneaky, finding such a place to meet him; he figured it must be something unspeakable, but this only made him more curious.

"How did you find this place?" Dai Weimin entered the private room with a smile. "I prefer beef and mutton, but I really didn't know there was a Muslim restaurant like this here."

Tian Hongwei first instructed the fat woman to serve the dishes as soon as possible, then turned to respond to Dai Weimin: "I heard from others that there is a Muslim restaurant here with very good food."

Dai Weimin picked up a napkin and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead: "The weather is a bit abnormal; it's already evening, and it's still so hot."

"I'll turn on the fan."

Tian Hongwei reached out to grab the string of the wall-mounted fan on the side. He first grabbed one and pulled hard, but the fan didn't react. Then he grabbed the other string and pulled it twice with a "click-clack" sound; this time, the fan finally started to turn slowly.

However, the fan was clearly quite old, and whether it was due to a lack of lubricant in the bearings or some other reason, as soon as it started turning, it emitted a creaking sound, as if it would fall apart at any moment.

Not only that, the expansion bolts securing the fan seemed to have loosened, causing the fan to shake violently while turning. If a timid person saw this, they would probably turn the fan off immediately, lest it suddenly fall or the blades fly off and hurt someone.

While the two were chatting, the fat woman brought the liquor over: "Boss, the Yugong liquor you wanted!"

"Thank you!" Tian Hongwei smiled and nodded at the fat woman to express his gratitude, took the liquor, and then looked at Dai Weimin: "Old Dai, today we'll drink Jiangzhou Yugong."

"We don't have the connections to get the special-supply type, and we can't afford the ones that flow into the market. I can only treat you to the standard type, which also tastes quite good. It's not cheap, but if you harden your heart and grit your teeth to buy a bottle to satisfy your craving, it's not a big problem."

As he spoke, Tian Hongwei skillfully unscrewed the cap, and a rich aroma of liquor instantly filled the air. He leaned forward slightly, filled the glass in front of Dai Weimin, and then poured for himself.

Dai Weimin, who had been sitting quietly watching Tian Hongwei pour the liquor, suddenly spoke up: "Actually, there is another liquor under the Yugong Liquor Industry brand that tastes excellent, not at all inferior to the special-supply type."

As soon as the words fell, Tian Hongwei blurted out without thinking: "Blue and White Porcelain!"

"That's right!" Dai Weimin nodded, a smile appearing on his face: "This Spring Festival, my son-in-law sent me a bottle of Blue and White Porcelain. The taste is much better than the standard Yugong, almost comparable to the special-supply type."

"If you insist on saying there is a difference between them, it's probably that the special-supply type is relatively more mellow and has a hint of sweetness upon entering the mouth, while the Blue and White Porcelain carries a bit of crispness."

Tian Hongwei said with great envy: "Listening to you say that, it turns out you've also had the special-supply type, Old Dai. I've been thinking about it for a long time, always wanting to get a bottle of the special-supply type to drink."

"It's just that the special-supply Yugong liquor can't be bought at the original price; I can't find the source at all. As for those channels selling at a premium, the price is ridiculously high; I can't afford it at all, so I can only sigh at the liquor."

Dai Weimin said with a smile: "I also drank it thanks to my son-in-law; otherwise, with my salary, how could I possibly afford it."

"Old Dai, you are blessed to have a good son-in-law." Tian Hongwei sighed sincerely, then continued excitedly: "Zhou Andong is about to take office. After he takes office, if you want to taste this special-supply Yugong, just go to him and ask for two bottles."

As he spoke, Tian Hongwei cast his gaze toward Dai Weimin and jokingly continued: "Do you think Factory Director Zhou will be stingy and ask us for money?"

Dai Weimin's heart couldn't help but stir slightly. Tian Hongwei invited him to drink Yugong liquor and now mentioned Zhou Andong's upcoming inauguration; it was truly thought-provoking.

However, Dai Weimin still did not think in a direction favorable to himself, because his inherent thinking caused him to reject assumptions that were beneficial to him.

In Dai Weimin's view, given his current situation, no leader was willing to use him; more accurately, they dared not use him.

He had also heard about Hu Dajun's recent activities, running around and connecting with all the cadres in an attempt to hollow out Zhou Andong.

Therefore, this time when Tian Hongwei took the initiative to find him, invite him to drink Yugong liquor, and talk about Zhou Andong, Dai Weimin believed this was a subtle way of telling him not to have contact with Zhou Andong.

After all, no matter what, he was still a deputy factory director. Even if he had no real power in his hands, some things could not escape his eyes and ears. Just a few days ago, he had received warnings one after another from certain people, telling him not to have any association with Zhou Andong.

However, as a deputy factory director who had sat on the bench for several years and had no power left, he had nothing left to lose, so he gave those people a cold sneer in response to their warnings.

Perhaps because they saw that being tough had no effect on him, these people changed their strategy and decided to try the soft approach, specifically arranging for Tian Hongwei to come and talk to him.

"Zhou Andong is not a stingy person. He has donated tens of billions; he certainly won't ask you for money for two bottles of liquor, but..."

Dai Weimin paused: "Zhou Andong is not stingy, but free Yugong liquor is not something just anyone can drink."

"That is very correct." Tian Hongwei nodded: "I think I will definitely be able to drink this free Yugong liquor. Whether you can drink it, Old Dai, depends on whether you can seize the opportunity."

"Hmm?" Dai Weimin's eyes narrowed. He felt an unusual flavor in Tian Hongwei's words: "Division Chief Tian, your words make me a bit confused."

At this moment, the fat woman brought the dishes in: "Two bosses, this is the braised oxtail and shredded tripe with chili sauce. You two drink first; the deep-fried meatballs and stewed beef tripe will be ready soon."

"We're drinking; no rush!" Tian Hongwei said with a smile. Watching the fat woman leave, he raised his glass: "Old Dai, I toast you."

Dai Weimin raised his glass. Since Tian Hongwei wasn't in a hurry, he, who had been summoned, naturally wouldn't be either.

"Clink!"

The two glasses touched, and they both took a shallow sip at the same time.

"Zhou Andong came to the factory at noon today." Tian Hongwei picked up a piece of braised oxtail, took a bite, and then continued: "We talked for more than two hours in my office."

Dai Weimin picked up a chopstick of tripe. Just as he brought it to his mouth, his body stiffened upon hearing Tian Hongwei's words, and his arm holding the food paused. But it was only for an instant before he returned to normal, brought the tripe to his mouth, and chewed slowly.

At the same time, Tian Hongwei had already devoured the oxtail clean like a whirlwind. With a "pat" sound, he casually threw the finished bone onto the table, wiped his hands and mouth with a napkin, and then looked up, his gaze fixed directly on Dai Weimin.

"Factory Director Zhou wants to establish a new department called the Supervision and Inspection Office, an agency specifically responsible for supervising and inspecting all departments and their staff in the factory."

"Its main responsibility is to supervise and inspect whether the administrative actions of various departments and staff are standardized, to strictly grasp and punish work style issues, and so on. In short, it is to ensure that all work in our factory can be open, transparent, fair, just, and must be legal and compliant."

"If any staff member is found to have violated discipline or broken the law, they must be strictly investigated and dealt with; there will be no leniency for those who should be held accountable. In addition, this department must also evaluate the administrative efficiency of various departments; if any deficiencies are found, suggestions for improvement must be proposed in a timely manner."

"Finally, there is one very, very critical point: it must also accept reports from our factory workers and seriously investigate and properly handle the problems reported by everyone."

Hearing this, Dai Weimin, who was eating, stopped chewing. He slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed directly on Tian Hongwei sitting opposite him, his face full of disbelief.

"Zhou Andong handed this department to you?"

"That's right!" Tian Hongwei nodded: "After the Supervision and Inspection Office is established, it will be directly under the Factory Discipline Inspection Division."

Dai Weimin swallowed the food in his mouth that he hadn't finished chewing with difficulty, and at the same time, his brain began to spin rapidly.

If what Tian Hongwei said was true, it meant that he had already turned his back on Hu Dajun and defected to Zhou Andong's camp.

This situation was truly beyond Dai Weimin's expectations, making him feel incomparably shocked while his heart suddenly pounded violently.

If Tian Hongwei wasn't sent by Hu Dajun to warn him, then taking the initiative to find him this time was very likely under Zhou Andong's instruction.

And now he mentioned this Supervision and Inspection Office, and clearly stated that it would be placed under the jurisdiction of the Factory Discipline Inspection Division...

Thinking of this, Dai Weimin's face suddenly flushed red, like a cooked shrimp. His eyes also widened, revealing a look of disbelief, staring straight at Tian Hongwei; he could even clearly see the hand holding the chopsticks trembling slightly.

"It should be just as you guessed in your heart." A smile slowly bloomed on Tian Hongwei's originally serious face: "Factory Director Zhou invites you to meet tomorrow night at six o'clock at the first bar in Houhai; he wants to talk to you personally."

Dai Weimin felt a numbness in his body and sat there motionless. After a long while, he reacted, taking several deep breaths in succession, as if only in this way could he calm down his heart, which was about to jump out of his throat due to extreme shock.

Although Tian Hongwei had personally confirmed his previous guess, Dai Weimin still felt that all of this was too sudden and incredible, to the point that he even had a sense of unreality, as if he were in a dream.

"Why?"

Dai Weimin's throat felt a bit dry, his Adam's apple rolled, and he swallowed with difficulty. His originally clear voice suddenly became abnormally hoarse.

Tian Hongwei was clearly stunned, then reacted, picked up his glass, and took a sip very leisurely: "Ask Factory Director Zhou about that yourself tomorrow night; how would I know why."

"However, since he can hand such a crucial department as the Supervision and Inspection Office to me, deciding to re-employ you is not a difficult thing to understand."

"Besides, Factory Director Zhou's assertiveness is well-known; I won't even mention the things that happened in the past. If those things had happened to us, I'm afraid the two of us would be drinking this meal on the Naihe Bridge."

"Just look at the recent news about Yin Mo being caught for prostitution in Jiangzhou; you should have seen the news. Do you think this was Yin Mo having bad luck, purely a coincidence that he happened to run into the police, or did someone dig a hole for him behind his back, deliberately letting him fall into it?"

Dai Weimin remained silent, only slowly reaching out to grasp the glass in front of him, then lifting it to his lips and taking a light sip.

At this moment, no matter what Tian Hongwei said, the waves in Dai Weimin's heart could not subside, and he could not calm down.

Tian Hongwei didn't care what Dai Weimin was thinking and continued to speak to himself: "You should have guessed it; Yin Mo was indeed set up by Factory Director Zhou."

"Think about it, he even dared to set up Yin Mo, not putting Yin Mingsheng in his eyes at all, and he wasn't afraid of the entire Yin family; would he care about that little matter of yours?"

"Moreover, you were only implicated in that matter; your positions inside and outside the Party were not revoked; it was just that your assigned work was taken away by certain people taking advantage of the situation."

"Conversely, if you really had a problem, you wouldn't have the opportunity to 'retire' in the factory. I reckon you should be squatting in prison right now; would you be able to sit here and drink with me?"