Chapter 2414: Defection

Gu Bing personally saw Tan Sheng out of the office. The two did not talk for long, only about ten minutes or so. However, when Tan Sheng walked out of the office, the fatigue that had been on his face suddenly vanished without a trace, replaced by a radiant glow; even his gait had become much lighter.

After watching Tan Sheng leave, Gu Bing slowly turned around and gently closed the office door. Suddenly, he let out a laugh without any warning, which sounded somewhat abrupt in the quiet office. The expression on his face also became rather strange, making it look as if his mental state had gone a bit awry.

"Interesting, truly quite interesting..."

Gu Bing muttered to himself, slowly pacing over to the desk. He leaned on the desk with one hand, leaped upward, and sat down on the desk with a thud. Then, he picked up the phone on the desk, placed it on his thigh, grabbed the receiver, and dialed Zhou Andong's office.

"Old Zhou, Tan Sheng just came to my office. He invited me to dinner, and Shao Yan and Dong Dashan will be attending too."

At this moment, Zhou Andong was sitting in a large executive chair, reading a document while holding the receiver against his shoulder, tilting his head to clamp it in place.

"Shao Yan and Dong Dashan are attending too?" Zhou Andong put down the document, lifted his hand to take the receiver from his shoulder, and held it in his hand. "It seems they are truly desperate, actually wanting to enter the game themselves. I reckon they are certain you won't be able to turn things around."

Gu Bing let out a 'heh' laugh. "Guess what else Tan Sheng told me?"

Zhou Andong's eyes flashed. "That guy defected?"

"Talking to you is really boring!" Gu Bing complained, then continued, "Tan Sheng told me that after dinner tonight, we'll go to a dance hall, then they'll drug my drink and throw me onto a woman's bed."

Zhou Andong picked up the phone, leaned back, and said with a smile, "This kind of framing trick is very old-fashioned, but it is indeed very effective."

Gu Bing asked, "What should I do?"

"Let it be!" Zhou Andong snorted. "They want to use you to deal with me, so naturally, they won't make a big scene or pull a stunt like catching you in the act on the spot. I reckon they'll use a camera to take pictures so they can blackmail you.

So, just act like you don't know anything, and go about your business as usual. Leave everything else to me. However, you must tell me in advance where you are eating, which dance hall you are going to, and which private room you'll be in."

"Alright!" Gu Bing agreed. "Also, the Security Department Chief, Huang Yongjun, will hide 200,000 in my office tonight, and when Sun Baocun comes to the factory for an inspection, he will report me for corruption and bribery."

Zhou Andong burst into laughter. "They really are trying to finish you off!"

Gu Bing cursed in frustration, "Damn it, why hide 200,000 in my office instead of yours!"

Zhou Andong laughed even more happily. "Don't talk about hiding 200,000; even if it were 2 million or 20 million, do you think anyone would believe I'm corrupt?"

Gu Bing said unconvinced, "Then I'll take out 200 million. Even if you, Zhou Andong, have money, you wouldn't be unmoved, right?"

Zhou Andong asked suddenly, "Is the air conditioning on in your office?"

"It is!" Gu Bing said, confused. "Even though it's cloudy today, it's stuffy inside."

Zhou Andong sighed and said, "I'm wondering why your IQ has dropped so fast. It had already dropped to four liang this morning, and now it's down another liang. I've finally found the reason; I reckon that one liang was blown away by the air conditioning."

"Zhou Andong!" Gu Bing roared. "You just wait for me; we are irreconcilable."

"It seems you're still not convinced!" Zhou Andong said with a tone of disappointment. "Why don't you use your limited IQ to think carefully? Even if someone believed I, Zhou Andong, would take a risk for 200 million, they would have to be able to come up with that much money first."

As he spoke, Zhou Andong chuckled. "Tell me, if they all added together, including Shi Guoqiang and Hu Dajun, and emptied out all the family wealth they've scraped together over these years, could they even scrape together 200 million?"

There was no sound from the receiver, and the smile on Zhou Andong's face became even brighter. "Alright, my little cutie, hurry up and give Tan Sheng instructions, let him arrange it as soon as possible, and then tell me the result."

Zhou Andong slowly put down the phone, reached out to pick up the cigarette case on the desk, skillfully pulled out a cigarette, and lit it with a lighter. As the smoke permeated the air, his body slowly leaned back, and then he closed his eyes.

Time ticked away, and very suddenly, Zhou Andong let out a 'ha' laugh, which sounded particularly abrupt in the silent room. Shao Yan and his group had a very loud abacus, wanting to kill two birds with one stone and take out both him and Gu Bing.

"Since you want to play, then I'll play along with you properly."

Zhou Andong sat up straight, grabbed the phone on the desk, and quickly dialed a string of numbers. Soon, Zhang Zuo's lazy voice came through the receiver.

"Which bastard is calling so early? If you don't give me a reasonable excuse, I'll break your third leg, damn it."

Zhou Andong looked up at the quartz clock hanging on the wall; it was damn near eleven o'clock. He reckoned this guy had stayed up late again, so he lowered his voice and cursed, "You little brat, is your skin itching again?"

"Grandpa—" Zhang Zuo called out as a conditioned reflex, then immediately realized who it was, and cursed, "Fuck, Zhou Dongzi, you still want to trick me?"

Zhou Andong grinned and laughed silently, then said unhurriedly, "There's a very exciting, very fun thing, are you in?"

Zhang Zuo didn't even think about it and directly refused, "Not in!"

"Fine, if you're not in, I'll find Da Lin." Zhou Andong didn't waste any words, hung up the phone after saying that, and then tapped his fingers on the desk one by one: "1, 2, 3!"

"Ding-a-ling..."

Just as Zhou Andong counted to "3", the phone rang. Immediately after, a bright smile appeared on Zhou Andong's face, and he reached out to pick up the phone: "I am Zhou Andong, who is this?"

"Zhou Dongzi, don't mess with me!" Zhang Zuo's arrogant voice came from the other end of the line. "Tell me, what is this exciting and fun thing? It just so happens that I'm idle, so I can get some activity."

"Brother Dazuo, if you're not willing, I won't force you." Zhou Andong picked up the lighter at his side and clicked it: "After all, Da Lin's work is also quite clean."

"Didn't I just say?" Zhang Zuo's tone was a bit urgent. "I'm idle right now, so I can get some activity."

"Better not!" Zhou Andong said with a smile. "Brother Dazuo is busy with ten thousand things, how could you be idle? So, please don't delay your big affairs for my little matter."

"Fuck!" Zhang Zuo was getting a bit anxious; the more he was refused, the more curious he became. "Zhou Dongzi, can you stop dawdling? I said I can do it, so I can do it!"

"Are you really not forcing yourself?" Zhou Andong's upturned mouth couldn't be suppressed. "To be honest, Da Lin would definitely be very willing to do this."

"I'm not forcing myself!" Zhang Zuo emphasized his tone. "How many times do you want me to say it?"

"Then..." Zhou Andong paused, then said with great reluctance, "Fine, since Brother Dazuo is so insistent and insists on me handing the matter to you, I won't look for Da Lin."

Zhang Zuo smacked his lips; no matter how he thought about it, he felt there was something wrong with Zhou Dongzi's words, but this was indeed what he insisted on, so why did he feel so uncomfortable in his heart?

Zhou Andong continued, "Bring Kan Feng to the Woolen Mill to find me. Remember, bring five or six handheld video cameras, and ensure the batteries and tapes can record for 120 minutes."

Zhang Zuo asked suspiciously, "What do you need so many cameras for?"

"Of course, they have their uses!" Zhou Andong replied with some impatience. "Hurry over, you'll know when you get here."

"For the sake of Qiuqiu, I won't hold it against you, brother." Zhang Zuo yawned. "Just wait, I'll be there in an hour."

Zhou Andong slowly put the phone receiver back in its place, then stood up and walked to the window, gently pushing it open with both hands. Although it was cloudy, the air was filled with a stuffy heat.

"Hoo!" Zhou Andong took the cigarette he was holding into his hand, exhaled a puff of smoke, then looked down slightly at the cigarette in his hand and muttered to himself.

"I hope I can resolve them all in these few days. I still have to go to Guangdong Province and Shanghai at the end of the month. After the wedding is over, the Woolen Mill can completely pull back the curtain on reform."

At the same time, in Shao Yan's office, Tan Sheng was sitting leisurely on the sofa, his body leaning slightly backward, resting comfortably against the back of the sofa. The whole person looked very relaxed, his expression was at ease, and there was even a trace of a smile on the corner of his mouth.

"Gu Bing agreed. The place for dinner is set at the Liuquanju Restaurant. As for the dance hall, Hong Tao has already arranged it; it's at Casablanca. The manager there is an old friend of Hong Tao's, so it will be very convenient for us to act."

After hearing this, a satisfied smile appeared on Shao Yan's face, and he nodded repeatedly. "Good, good!"

After saying this, this guy suddenly burst into loud laughter. The laughter revealed a kind of confidence and pride; he was full of confidence in the upcoming plan.

"As long as we hold Gu Bing's handle, he can only be at our mercy. We want him to do whatever, and he has to do it. If we want to roll him into a ball, he can only become a ball; if we want to knead him flat, then he is flat. When the time comes, we'll make him hand over the 'evidence of discipline violation' against Zhou Andong, and he will definitely hand it over honestly."

Shao Yan became more excited as he spoke, his eyes flashing with light, as if he had already seen the moment of the plan's success. "When Secretary Sun comes down for an inspection, we will hand over the evidence of Zhou Andong's discipline violation to him.

At that time, as long as we cut the Gordian knot, we will immediately suspend Zhou Andong's duties and take him away for investigation. At the same time, we will arrange for our own people to act as factory director. In this way, we will completely regain control of the Woolen Mill."

Speaking of this, Shao Yan laughed again. "Things have reached this point; even if the city and the central authorities react quickly and immediately set up an investigation team to investigate, even if they eventually prove that Zhou Andong is innocent, he won't be able to return to the Woolen Mill."

Tan Sheng snorted coldly, obviously dissatisfied with this result, and said indignantly, "Can't we find a way to make the charges stick and let Zhou Andong rot in prison?"

"That's impossible!" Shao Yan shook his head slowly, a look of helplessness appearing on his face. "Even if Zhou Andong really has committed discipline violations, we can't take him down.

After all, his contribution to the country is truly too great. As long as he hasn't committed a serious crime like murder or arson, no one can touch him. Therefore, our ultimate goal is just to get him out of the Woolen Mill."

Tan Sheng sighed with regret. "Zhou Andong is our biggest stumbling block. If we can't take him down completely, I always feel a bit uneasy."

"Just put your heart back in your stomach." Shao Yan revealed a sneer of disdain. "This time it's a harsh lesson for Zhou Andong. He will definitely understand that the water of politics is not something he can touch. It's better to honestly do business and stop dreaming about wearing an official hat."

"As for Gu Bing!" Shao Yan laughed mockingly. "After Zhou Andong is taken away, we will immediately report him for accepting bribes. At that time, as long as we find the 200,000 in illicit money hidden in his office, he won't be able to get away as easily as Zhou Andong; he'll have to be sentenced to a few years at the very least."

Tan Sheng heard Shao Yan's words, and the worry on his face was gradually replaced by a smile. He said excitedly, "This is truly killing two birds with one stone. Factory Director, your plan is too perfect; it's simply flawless!"

Shao Yan was also very satisfied with his plan. "You must keep an eye on it yourself; don't make any mistakes. Even a slight slip could cause us to lose everything. At that time, none of us on this boat will be able to run away; we'll all fall into the water and drown."

"I understand!" Tan Sheng stood up. "Factory Director, if there's nothing else, I'm going back."

"Go back!" Shao Yan waved his hand. Watching Tan Sheng leave the office, he let out a long breath. Gu Bing had accepted their invitation to dinner, and the heart that had been hanging finally dropped. Because only if Gu Bing accepted their invitation could the plan proceed smoothly.

Tan Sheng returned to his office, didn't delay for a moment, grabbed the phone, and dialed Gu Bing's office.

"Secretary, it's all arranged. The place for dinner is Liuquanju Restaurant, and I've booked private room number six. The dance hall is arranged at Casablanca. After getting you drunk, you will be sent to room number eleven on the second floor of the dance hall."

"I know!" Gu Bing's low voice came through the receiver. "Do you know where they plan to hide the 200,000 in my office?"

Tan Sheng said, "There is a mezzanine in the drawers on the left and right sides of the desk. That was originally where Shi Guoqiang hid things."

"The drawers have a mezzanine?" Gu Bing said, and immediately after, the sound of a drawer being pulled could be heard. "Where is the mezzanine? Why don't I see it?"

Tan Sheng said without reservation, "You can see it if you take the drawer out."

As soon as his voice fell, a 'clatter' sound was heard, followed by Gu Bing's cursing: "Damn it, I used too much force, and after pulling it out, the drawer fell to the floor."

Tan Sheng's mouth twitched. "Did you see the mezzanine? It's quite deep inside."

"I see it!" Gu Bing laughed. "Factory Director Shao is quite kind-hearted, actually thinking of sending me 200,000. Then I'll gladly accept it."

Just at this moment, Liu Lijuan brought a man in his fifties with graying hair to the door of Dong Wenjuan's office.

"Secretary Dong, does the Factory Director have time?"

Dong Wenjuan hurriedly said, "The Factory Director gave instructions that you can go straight in when you come."

"Alright!" Liu Lijuan turned and came to the door of Zhou Andong's office, raised her hand, and knocked gently.

"Come in!" Zhou Andong's voice came from inside.

Liu Lijuan looked back at the middle-aged man, nodded, and said, "Follow me in."

The middle-aged man followed Liu Lijuan into the door somewhat nervously. Zhou Andong was looking down at a document. Hearing the door, he looked up, and after seeing the person who entered, a smile appeared on his face. Then he stood up, walked over, and at the same time reached out his hand toward the middle-aged man.

"You must be Comrade Li Wancheng."

Li Wancheng bent his waist slightly and shook hands with Zhou Andong humbly. "Factory Director, I am Li Wancheng."

"Sit, sit, sit!" Zhou Andong made a gesture of invitation, then took out a cigarette and handed one to Li Wancheng, then took out a lighter, wanting to light the cigarette for Li Wancheng himself.

Li Wancheng, who was already very nervous, became even more nervous. He hurriedly pushed it away and said, "Factory Director, no need, I have a light, I'll light it myself."

"Comrade Li Wancheng, you don't need to be nervous, I just want to understand some things from you." Zhou Andong's tone revealed a bit of helplessness, and then he also lit a cigarette.

Li Wancheng straightened his back. "Factory Director, please ask."

Zhou Andong hesitated for a moment. "Three years ago, was your daughter insulted by Hu Dajun's son, Hu Gang?"

Li Wancheng's face changed immediately, and he hurriedly waved his hands and said, "No... nothing of the sort."

Zhou Andong sighed, patted Li Wancheng on the shoulder, and comforted him. "I understand your feelings, but have you ever thought that the bastard who hurt your daughter is still at large? Is this fair to your daughter?"

Li Wancheng opened his mouth, his throat rolling, but he couldn't make a sound.

Zhou Andong took a puff of his cigarette and said, "If you don't want to avenge your child, I won't force you. You can just act as if you never came here. Moreover, you can be completely assured that I will keep the secret for the child."

"I..." Li Wancheng was big and burly, but now his eye sockets were red, and the corners of his eyes were becoming moist.

Liu Lijuan took over the conversation, her tone sincere. "I am also a mother, so I can completely understand your feelings. Moreover, as a woman, I understand even more deeply how far-reaching an impact such harm can have on a young girl's growth. However, precisely because of this, we have an even greater responsibility to seek justice for the child."

As she spoke, Liu Lijuan slowly stood up, picked up a teacup from the coffee table, poured a cup of water for Li Wancheng, then placed the water cup in front of Li Wancheng, then sat back on the sofa and continued to speak.

"In the past, Hu Dajun could be said to have covered the sky with one hand in the Woolen Mill. Not to mention you, even I, a Deputy Factory Director, had to lower my head to do things. In such an environment, wanting to seek justice for your child was simply harder than ascending to heaven."

Liu Lijuan paused slightly, then said, "But the situation is different now. You should have heard something about Factory Director Zhou's character in the news, right?"

"He is a person who does practical things and can get things done. Since he took the initiative to find you and ask about what happened back then, it means he will definitely stand up for you and help the child seek justice." ===== CHAPTER 2415 =====