Chapter 2305: Jiao Liwei's calculation

Jiao Liwei slowly placed the cigarette in his hand into the ashtray, then picked up the teacup unhurriedly and took a light sip. His gaze remained on Tong Gang, seemingly observing the other party's reaction.

"Director Tong," Jiao Liwei put down the teacup and opened his mouth to say: "Are you thinking of learning from Nian Shihua and applying for sick leave, or even sick retirement, to give up the position on the Party Committee, so that you can retire safely?"

Tong Gang's heart shook violently, but his face didn't reveal too many expressions, just revealing a trace of a bitter smile.

"Actually, I did think about giving up the position on the Party Committee to exchange for Zhou Andong's concession. Because I truly don't want to get involved in the struggle between the two sides. After all, for someone like me who is neither up nor down, being caught in the middle, the result will likely be broken bones and flesh."

Speaking to this point, Tong Gang paused, took a drag of his cigarette, and then continued: "However, Director Shi and Factory Director Hu probably won't easily let me get my wish. Saying they are wary of me is a bit much, but they will definitely be suspicious, so even if I retire due to illness, it's not certain that I will be at peace."

Tong Gang's words were half-true and half-false. He did indeed want to use the position on the Party Committee to exchange for Zhou Andong's concession, but his saying he was afraid of Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun causing him trouble was false. One must know that for those who could enter the woolen mill's Party Committee, who didn't have some connections behind them?

What's more, he had already retired due to illness and given up the power in his hands, merely to exchange for Zhou Andong's concession, and hadn't betrayed Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun. If they didn't know what was good for them and felt that he, Tong Gang, was easy to bully, then they could try.

His own matters, even if he went to prison, would at most be a few years. But Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun were hard to say; once their matters were investigated, they would probably have to sit in prison until the bottom wore out, even if they weren't shot.

Jiao Liwei smiled slightly. Although he could sit in the position of Executive Deputy Factory Director entirely because he had a good father-in-law, this didn't mean he had no ability or no brain.

If he only relied on connections without ability or brain, he couldn't have stood firm in the woolen mill, and might even have been eaten by Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun without even a bone left. Therefore, how could he not see whether there was water in Tong Gang's words?

"Zhou Andong is not a person who is easy to talk to. He let Nian Shihua take sick leave, which already achieved the purpose of establishing prestige and buying people's hearts. If you apply for sick retirement, he will also agree without hesitation, but it will absolutely not be for the sake of your position on the Party Committee."

Tong Gang lowered his head slightly, his brows furrowed. Jiao Liwei's words made him feel a trace of anxiety in his heart. If Zhou Andong let him leave not for the sake of the position on the Party Committee, then what was it for?

Looking at Tong Gang, who was lowering his head in thought, the smile on Jiao Liwei's face never disappeared: "Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun are not broad-minded people, and they are also very suspicious."

"You apply for sick retirement, and Zhou Andong agrees readily—they will definitely be suspicious; this doesn't even need to be doubted. After all, Zhou Andong has already achieved his purpose with Nian Shihua's sick leave, so why would he still let you leave? Therefore, the space for speculation here is quite large."

Jiao Liwei leaned against the sofa back, one hand on the armrest, his fingers tapping rhythmically, and one hand holding a half-burned cigarette. As the smoke curled, Jiao Liwei continued.

"You must be thinking that after you retire, if Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun don't let you be at peace, you'll just fight to the death and let everyone suffer, right?"

This sentence was like a heavy hammer, striking Tong Gang's heart fiercely, and his face changed instantly. Then he raised his head slowly, looking at Jiao Liwei with eyes like torches. He indeed thought exactly that in his heart.

Seeing Tong Gang's reaction, Jiao Liwei immediately understood that his guess was correct: "Then have you ever thought that Zhou Andong letting you leave is actually wanting to watch you and Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun consume each other, fighting to the death, so he can sit back and reap the benefits!"

Tong Gang's heart was shocked again. He widened his eyes, looking at Jiao Liwei in disbelief. He had never thought of this idea before, but at this moment, it swirled in his mind like a sudden enlightenment.

The more he pondered, the more he felt Jiao Liwei's words were very credible, which made him break out in a cold sweat. If he rashly went to find Zhou Andong, he might very well be dug into a pit by Zhou Andong and buried. But if this were the case, he truly had no retreat and could only follow Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun to the end, eventually having nowhere to go.

Jiao Liwei slowly exhaled a wisp of smoke from his mouth. The smoke drifted away like thin gauze, shrouding his face in a hazy manner. And his gaze, through this layer of smoke, stared tightly at Tong Gang, not letting go of any subtle change on the other party's face.

When he saw the instant change in Tong Gang's face, the smile that had been hanging on his face became a few points more intense. He knew that his words had successfully hit Tong Gang's vital point, making the other party fall into extreme unease.

"For Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun, your applying for sick retirement is desertion, and this is no different from betrayal!"

Jiao Liwei paused, giving Tong Gang some time to digest his words, and then continued.

"Moreover, if Zhou Andong intentionally or unintentionally reveals some things about you, plus they are already suspicious of you, what kind of consequences do you think there will be?"

Tong Gang only felt his throat as if tightly gripped by an invisible hand, dry to the point of almost being unable to make a sound. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva with difficulty and said in a voice that seemed to have been polished by sandpaper: "Is there... no retreat at all?"

The 'yes' spat out by Jiao Liwei was like a heavy bomb, exploding in Tong Gang's ears. His body shook violently, and his previously somewhat gloomy eyes instantly became bright, as if he had suddenly seen a glimmer of light in the darkness.

Jiao Liwei said softly: "Actually, even if Zhou Andong doesn't calculate against you, and Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun magnanimously don't look for trouble with you, sick retirement is absolutely not your best choice."

Tong Gang's spirit was lifted. He hurriedly leaned forward and said with a face full of earnestness: "Factory Director, please show me a clear path. As long as you can let me get rid of the current predicament, I will definitely have a generous reward!"

"What generous reward or not." Jiao Liwei waved his hand casually, seemingly uninterested in Tong Gang's so-called generous reward: "I ask you a question, who do you think will win this struggle?"

"Zhou Andong!"

Shi Guoqiang didn't hesitate at all, as if this answer had long existed in his heart: "Otherwise, I wouldn't have thought about applying for sick retirement. After all, it wasn't easy for me to reach my current position, so how could I be willing to just let it go?"

Jiao Liwei revealed a faint smile and said slowly: "Have you ever thought that Zhou Andong's arrival is not just a crisis, but actually an opportunity?"

Tong Gang couldn't help but be stunned and asked: "Factory Director, what do you mean?"

Jiao Liwei slowly picked up the teacup, took a light sip, then put it down, and said thoughtfully: "When I learned the news that Zhou Andong was about to be transferred to the woolen mill to serve as Factory Director, my plan was to remain neutral, because Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun had the Yin family behind them."

"In addition, Zhou Andong is famous, and the woolen mill's reform has reached the point where it must be carried out. Not only does the city attach great importance to this, but even the central government has high hopes for it."

"Therefore, looking at it from all aspects, Zhou Andong's chance of winning is at least fifty percent. In such a situation, I naturally cannot blindly bet, explicitly supporting Shi Guoqiang, Hu Dajun, or Zhou Andong—the best choice is undoubtedly to remain neutral."

Speaking to this point, Jiao Liwei sighed lightly: "However, after seeing the series of methods Zhou Andong adopted, I have a new understanding of the situation of this competition. Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun's chance of winning is actually not great. Even with the Yin family supporting them from behind, I'm afraid it's difficult to change this situation. Therefore, after careful consideration, I decided to change my previous plan and turn to cooperate with Zhou Andong."

Speaking to this point, Tong Gang thoroughly understood Jiao Liwei's purpose in looking for him. The Executive Deputy Factory Director of the woolen mill, whether in the factory or outside, had a pivotal position. Speaking of which, that was quite awesome. Even Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun didn't dare to underestimate Jiao Liwei.

However, in front of Zhou Andong, Jiao Liwei, this Executive Deputy Factory Director, might not be enough to look at. On the first day of taking office, Zhou Andong showed his style of doing things without any concealment.

Assertive, not playing by the rules, ruthless and decisive, completely not caring about others' views and attitudes. Such people often don't need neutrals or cooperators, because in their world, there is only a distinction between the strong and the weak; there is no neutrality or cooperation.

In addition, the gap in status is also a factor that cannot be ignored. This gap is not only reflected in the positions of Factory Director and Deputy Factory Director, but more in the differences in personal achievements and abilities.

In less than three years, Zhou Andong built a small local winery into a commercial aircraft carrier. During the Japanese economic crisis, he also acquired Sony's shares and became Sony's fourth-largest shareholder. Such a commercial giant who calls the wind and rain in the shopping mall, sweeping everything before him, how could he look at Jiao Liwei?

Of course, if one says Jiao Liwei wants to defect to Zhou Andong, this is absolutely no problem, but if he wants to cooperate with him on an equal footing, it's simply impossible. I reckon Jiao Liwei also has a clear understanding of this point, so this guy appeared in his office, and his purpose was obviously to recruit him.

Once he accepted Jiao Liwei's recruitment, then Jiao Liwei's weight would increase by one point. If he could also win over others, then the weight would be even heavier, and then Zhou Andong would have to attach importance to it.

After figuring it out, for Jiao Liwei's recruitment, Tong Gang was indeed very tempted in his heart. Jiao Liwei is not a fool and must have realized that Zhou Andong is such an assertive person who will absolutely not tolerate neutrals, so he thought about cooperating with Zhou Andong.

However, this guy also knows very well that his weight in front of Zhou Andong is still far from enough, so he turned to recruit him, in order to increase his weight in Zhou Andong's heart.

Therefore, Jiao Liwei is not only a smart person but also a very sensible person. Such people often have a significant advantage, which is being able to pick up and put down.

If Zhou Andong still strongly refuses to cooperate with Jiao Liwei, then Jiao Liwei has a high probability of bowing his head and submitting. After all, for a smart person, and a sensible person, he naturally knows when to make compromises and concessions.

Moreover, the reason Tong Gang analyzed it this way is also because he firmly believes that the woolen mill, under Zhou Andong's control, will definitely be able to reproduce the glory of the past. He has no doubt about this point. It is really because Zhou Andong's past record is too dazzling, making one have to be convinced.

Therefore, even if he finally submits to Zhou Andong, it is not a bad thing. Because as long as the woolen mill's reform is successful, there will definitely be a share of the future results cake for them. And this point, Jiao Liwei must have also seen through.

"Factory Director, let me consider it."

Tong Gang didn't agree immediately. After all, this matter was truly too big and related to his own life and death, so he couldn't afford to be careless. No matter how great the temptation was, he had to think carefully, weigh the pros and cons comprehensively, and absolutely couldn't agree with a hot head.

"No problem!" Jiao Liwei seemed to have expected Tong Gang's reaction, nodded with a smile, then picked up the teacup, stood up, and walked slowly toward the door. In his view, this was an extremely beneficial matter for both sides, and he truly couldn't think of any reason for Tong Gang not to agree.

"Phew!"

Following Jiao Liwei's departure, the room suddenly became quiet. Tong Gang let out a long breath as if relieved of a heavy burden, then steadied his mind slightly and looked at the time on his watch.

Then, he lit a cigarette, sat on the sofa, and smoked it one puff at a time, his mind repeatedly pondering Jiao Liwei's recruitment. After about five or six minutes, the cigarette in his hand was finished, he looked at the time again, and only then stood up slowly and walked toward the door. Regardless of how he would eventually choose, he couldn't be absent from Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun's dinner party tonight.

At the same time, the woolen mill's only female deputy factory director, Liu Lijuan, was standing quietly by the window, her hands crossed and held to her chest, her gaze fixed on the bustling crowd rushing toward the factory gate outside.

Undoubtedly, Liu Lijuan also received the phone call from Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun. If Zhou Andong hadn't performed so assertively today, and hadn't been so decisive, sharp, and ruthless, she would definitely have gone, but now she hesitated. It was truly Zhou Andong's methods that made Liu Lijuan feel wary, and she began to re-examine the current situation.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

The office door was suddenly knocked. Liu Lijuan turned around slowly, looked at the door suspiciously, and shouted 'come in'.

The door was pushed open with a creak, and Jiao Liwei walked in with a smile on his face: "Factory Director Liu, I saw that Xiao Zheng was still in the office, so I knew you hadn't left work yet." ===== CHAPTER 2306 =====

The door was pushed open with a creak, and Jiao Liwei walked in with a smile on his face: "Factory Director Liu, I saw that Xiao Zheng was still in the office, so I knew you hadn't gotten off work yet."