Chapter 2299: Capricious

Liu Bo, Ma Qingmin, and Yuan Liying left. They had come with uneasy hearts and left full of smiles. That Zhou Andong had resolved their issues so quickly was beyond their expectations.

Moreover, the assertiveness Zhou Andong displayed while handling matters left an indelible impression on them. That powerful aura made one involuntarily feel awe.

Inside the office, following the departure of Liu Bo, Ma Qingmin, and Yuan Liying, the atmosphere once again fell into an eerie silence. It was as if time had frozen at this moment; the ticking of the clock hanging on the wall seemed exceptionally clear in the quiet space.

Zhou Andong sat quietly before the desk, his gaze somewhat profound. He slowly reached out, pulled another cigarette from the pack, then picked up his lighter. With a 'click', a flame shot out.

He then lowered his head slightly to light the cigarette, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled a smoke ring. The smoke ring dissipated slowly in the air, as if it were an extension of his current thoughts.

"Director Nian!" Zhou Andong looked calmly at Nian Shihua. His tone was light and gentle, his voice neither high nor low, sounding very calm and composed: "The wages for the staff at our factory's school have been suspended. Many families have run out of food, and some have even gone to the vegetable market to pick up rotten leaves to eat. Did you know this?"

Nian Shihua sat there, and upon hearing Zhou Andong's words, the corner of his eye twitched violently. His previously composed expression instantly became somewhat flustered, and his gaze began to drift.

Although Zhou Andong's tone was very peaceful, without the slightest anger or accusation, this old fellow inexplicably felt waves of panic, his hands unconsciously rubbing against his knees.

"The suspension of wages was decided by the old Party Secretary and the old Factory Director. Furthermore, it was put to a vote at the Party Committee meeting and only implemented after it was passed by the entire committee. As a mere small Union Director, I was powerless to do anything."

Nian Shihua's voice was somewhat hurried, his speech fast—completely inconsistent with his usual steady character. He was likely frightened by Zhou Andong's methods; Guan Mingli had been taken down just like that, without any warning. No matter how deep one's schemes were, facing a leader who didn't play by the rules would make anyone panic.

Therefore, this old fellow spoke quickly, wanting to use rapid speech to cover up his inner unease. At the same time, his eyes revealed a trace of helplessness and grievance, attempting to make Zhou Andong believe that he had no decision-making power in this matter.

Zhou Andong leaned steadily against the back of his chair, his expression still very peaceful. He narrowed his eyes slightly, stared straight at Nian Shihua opposite him, and said word by word.

"What I am asking you about is not the matter of wage suspension, but that some staff families have run out of food and have been reduced to picking up rotten leaves at the vegetable market to eat. Did you know or not!"

Nian Shihua's throat rolled involuntarily, his eyes began to flicker, and he flusteredly avoided Zhou Andong's sharp gaze.

"This... I am not very clear about this!"

"Bang!"

Zhou Andong suddenly slammed a palm heavily onto the desk. This sudden, loud noise exploded in the office like a thunderclap. The previously quiet office was instantly filled with this sound, and the documents on the desk were shaken, rustling.

Nian Shihua was so frightened by the sound that his body shook violently, the muscles on his face twitched along with it, and he stood there as if struck by a freezing spell, his entire body stiff.

Zhang Hesheng, sitting on the sofa, leaned his body slightly forward, looking like he was listening intently to the conversation, having lost all the arrogance he had when he first entered the office. Then, at this slap, he stood up with a 'whoosh' as if his bottom had suddenly caught fire, his face full of astonishment.

Chen Gong sat in his chair; previously composed, he now trembled noticeably, his eyes revealing a trace of unease, his hands placed on his knees, his body sitting straight.

Tang Yun had been sitting quietly to the side, her eyes fixed on the tabletop. Hearing this sound, she was startled, her body involuntarily shrinking back, before immediately returning to normal.

Even Gu Bing, off to the side, was no better off. He had been frowning, wondering what he was thinking about, but this sudden slap also made his body shake. He then glared at Zhou Andong with great dissatisfaction, muttering something under his breath.

Zhou Andong's gaze became even sharper. He stood up, placed his hands on the desk, and leaned forward slightly to look at Nian Shihua: "I just said that the Union is the staff's maternal home, and you, as the Director, are the mother-in-law to our factory's forty thousand staff members.

Tell me, is this how you act as a mother-in-law? The staff have reached the point of eating rotten leaves, yet you know nothing about it. You are truly a competent mother-in-law!"

Zhou Andong's voice echoed in the office, every word like a heavy hammer, slamming fiercely into Nian Shihua's heart.

"Bang!"

Zhou Andong once again slammed a palm heavily onto the desk in front of him, the dull sound exploding in the air. Nian Shihua's already taut nerves were stretched to the limit by this sound, and he subconsciously shrank back.

His eyes fixed tightly on Zhou Andong, his heart prepared to welcome a storm. However, after Zhou Andong slammed this palm, the anger previously on his face vanished rapidly, as if blown away by an invisible wind.

His angry gaze also gradually calmed down, his breathing became steady, and he was as if the anger from just a moment ago had never existed, as if the previous rage were merely an illusory dream.

"Do the teachers in the factory-run school count as our factory's staff?"

Zhou Andong looked at Nian Shihua, his tone devoid of any fire, very calm and composed, and his face even carried a gentle smile.

Nian Shihua looked at Zhou Andong, feeling a sense of trepidation. One moment he was angry, the next he was calm. Such a sudden change in emotion was like the weather in June—changing as soon as it was spoken of.

This huge contrast, this capriciousness, made Nian Shihua feel even more terrified than having a gleaming knife held to his throat. While a knife was dangerous, at least it could be seen, whereas Zhou Andong's capriciousness was like a ticking time bomb, one that could explode at any moment, making it impossible to guard against.

At this moment, Nian Shihua only felt his heart beating violently in his chest, each beat like a heavy hammer striking his heart. His palms were already covered in cold sweat, and his back was soaked, sticking to his clothes, sticky and uncomfortable.

At the same time, his heart wavered, and he began to repeatedly reflect on his current situation. Zhou Andong was ruthless, possessed superior intelligence, and was capricious; could one really win against such a person?

More importantly, Zhou Andong not only had money, but also had backing. And they, although supported by the Yin family, the Yin family was not omnipotent. The reform of the woolen mill was an irresistible trend, like the wheels of history rolling forward, which no one could stop.

Zhou Andong was following the trend, while they were attempting to go against it, like a small boat rowing against the current, liable to be submerged by the surging waves at any time. The more Nian Shihua thought, the more uneasy he felt, and his inner wavering grew stronger; he did not know where he should go from here.

Nian Shihua took a deep breath, the air lingering in his chest, as if gathering his final courage.

"Since it is a factory-run school, the teachers are naturally factory staff."

The smile on Zhou Andong's face was like the false sunlight during the cold spring, becoming increasingly obvious, yet the smile did not reach his eyes, revealing a chilling implication. His tone also became increasingly gentle—gentle like cotton wrapped around a sharp blade, seemingly harmless but extremely sharp, making one feel terrified.

"Old Nian, you sit in a spacious office, with heating in winter and air conditioning in summer, but do you know that the staff dormitory leaks wind in winter and rain in summer, and many are already dilapidated buildings?

Old Nian, you are picked up by a car when you go to work and dropped off by a car when you leave, receiving every cent of your monthly salary and bonuses, eating big fish and meat every day, while the school staff have been reduced to eating rotten leaves, yet you know nothing..."

Speaking to this point, Zhou Andong paused. He tilted his head slightly and let out a long sigh. This sigh echoed in the quiet office like a muffled thunder, striking everyone's heart.

Then, Zhou Andong walked toward Nian Shihua with unhurried steps, one step at a time. Each step felt like it was treading on Nian Shihua's heart, making his heart involuntarily tighten.

Zhou Andong arrived beside Nian Shihua and reached out to pat his shoulder lightly. This seemingly intimate pat felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. The old man Nian Shihua's body trembled slightly, as if struck by electricity.

He only felt his heart beating faster and faster, as if it were about to burst through his chest. A chill rushed straight up his spine to the top of his head, making his scalp tingle, feeling as if every hair on his head were standing on end.

At this moment, Nian Shihua felt Zhou Andong was increasingly terrifying. This guy didn't look like a young man of only twenty-eight or twenty-nine at all, but rather like an old monster who had been struggling in the officialdom for decades—decisive, capricious, and unfathomable. This was too damn scary.

"Old Nian, the organization arranged for you to be in the position of Union Director; that is how much trust they have in you, and how high the expectations of the higher-ups are for you. But you..."

As he spoke, Zhou Andong paused once more, then let out a long, drawn-out sigh: "Yet you have failed the organization's trust in you, the expectations of your superiors, and the reliance of the staff upon you!"

Nian Shihua felt as if he were a heinous criminal, and every word Zhou Andong uttered was like a cold bullet, firing into his heart one by one, leaving him with nowhere to escape.

Zhou Andong patted Nian Shihua's shoulder lightly once again, then leaned down slightly, lowered his voice, and spoke in a tone filled with earnest advice.

"Union cadres must have a mother's heart, a grandmother's nagging mouth, and two legs that never rest. Every day is filled with trivialities, drumming up support, beating the gongs, serving others; the pressure is high, and the matters are complex."

"Director Nian, you are already fifty-three this year. Time spares no one, and you aren't young anymore; your body and energy surely can't keep up with how they used to be. Therefore, some work is better left to the young to handle."

"Look, isn't the higher-up always advocating for the rejuvenation of cadres? Young people have vitality and new ideas; perhaps they can do the job even more brilliantly."

Hearing Zhou Andong's words, Nian Shihua jerked his head up. He looked straight at Zhou Andong, his eyes instantly turning gloomy, his face filled with unwillingness, and at the same time, a hint of anger. His lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he kept them tightly pressed together.

Zhou Andong seemed completely oblivious to Nian Shihua's complex and angry expression at that moment. He walked with an unhurried pace, slowly moved behind the large office desk, and pulled the executive chair slightly, causing a faint friction sound. He sat down, then reached out and slowly opened the desk drawer, taking out a thick stack of envelopes and placing them on the desk; these envelopes looked brand new.

Zhou Andong leaned back slightly, resting his hands casually on the armrests, and looked at Nian Shihua with calm eyes: "I didn't even expect that I would receive so many whistleblowing letters just after taking office."

"I was thinking, the leading cadres of our Woolen Mill are all diligent and dedicated to the public interest. How could it be as outrageous as written in these letters, that everyone is corrupt and breaking the law? From the bottom of my heart, I don't believe it."

"However, having said that, with so many whistleblowing letters placed here, and forty thousand pairs of eyes in the whole factory watching, I cannot remain indifferent, pretending I know nothing, and just lock these letters in the drawer, right?"

"After all, with so many letters, there will surely be more sent to me later. That is trust in me, feeling that I can investigate the matter clearly and give everyone a fair and just explanation."

"So, I've been thinking, I must pick the two who have been reported the most to investigate. This is also something that cannot be helped; I must give the entire factory staff an explanation, letting everyone know that our factory is serious about such matters and will never tolerate them."

"Of course, everyone don't worry, I will absolutely not wrong any good comrade. In the process of the investigation, we will strictly act according to laws and regulations, and every link must be fair, just, and open."

"If the investigation results prove that this comrade is innocent, we will clear his name at the factory-wide meeting and restore his reputation. If it is truly discovered that there are corrupt and law-breaking behaviors, no matter who is involved, no matter how high their status in the factory or how great their contributions, we will absolutely not tolerate it and will certainly handle it seriously according to the law and regulations..."

Nian Shihua's spine seemed to be heavily pressed by an invisible force in an instant, and his body swayed slightly. The anger that had been burning like a spark in his eyes was as if extinguished by a basin of cold water poured over his head, disappearing completely, as if it had never appeared in his eyes at all.

Immediately after, the muscles in his face began to twitch unnaturally. It took a great effort to squeeze a smile onto his face, and then he cleared his throat and said in a somewhat hoarse voice.

"Recently, my body has felt like it's falling apart; it hasn't been good, and I've been suffering from insomnia. My energy is getting worse by the day. When I'm at work, sitting in the office, my eyes are fixed on the documents, but my brain just can't concentrate."

As he spoke, Nian Shihua sighed lightly: "My wife has told me many times to hurry to the hospital for a check-up. But work is truly too busy, and I simply can't find the time to go to the hospital."

"Now, the young comrades in our factory have all grown up, especially Comrade Tang Yun. Not only is she capable, but she is also very caring. Whenever a staff member's family has difficulties, she is always the first to stand up and help."

"Therefore, she is quite popular in our factory, and everyone likes and trusts her very much. I am completely at ease handing over the union work to her. This way, I can also go to the hospital for a check-up with peace of mind, properly recuperate, and rest for a period of time."