Chapter 44

The three arrived at the office door, and Gu Bing froze: “I remember locking the door last night.” He pushed it open and saw Jian Qiu sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, sipping tea and flipping through a magazine.

“How did you get in?” Gu Bing frowned.

Jian Qiu didn’t look up: “I have a key to your office.”

“No!” Gu Bing snapped, “How could you possibly have a key to my office?”

“I had it made a long time ago. You got a problem with that?” Jian Qiu looked up at Gu Bing. “Huh? It’s just a key to your office. Why the long face? I’ll give it back if you want.”

Zhou Andong smiled: “He’s not mad because you had a key made for his office.”

Jian Qiu instantly perked up: “Then why?”

“Sister Qiu, let me tell you.” Jiang Yuyue sat beside Jian Qiu and explained the situation.

After yesterday’s interaction, Jiang Yuyue realized Jian Qiu wasn’t as cold and aloof as she seemed—she was actually easy to get along with, especially with that girl’s natural friendliness. In just one day, the two women had become close.

Jian Qiu burst out laughing: “You should actually be happy. Don’t look so grim. Come on, smile.”

Gu Bing grumbled: “I got shoved to the ground and stomped on—and I’m supposed to be happy?”

Jian Qiu said: “Before, you were just a nobody. No one even took you seriously. But from now on, who dares not treat you as Secretary?”

Zhou Andong nodded: “Exactly. Who dares treat a steamed bun as if it’s not food?”

“What kind of analogy is that?” Gu Bing kicked out.

Zhou Andong laughed and dodged: “Come on, let’s keep playing—I’ll win a few hundred more from you before the New Year.”

“Play a damn pile!” Gu Bing said. “You told me to go talk to Yan Guohai about life—I’m going now.”

“Why rush? Wait for the incident at the factory gate to spread. By the time it reaches Yan Guohai’s ears, the impact will be stronger.” Jian Qiu called out, “Come on, where are the cards? I lost dozens yesterday—I need to win it back today.”

Meanwhile, Qu Hongqi was reporting the incident at the factory gate in Zhang Deyou’s office: “This incident has too much impact. Many workers saw it. If we don’t handle it, Gu Bing will definitely exploit it.”

Zhang Deyou’s face turned ashen. “You’re hopeless. You knew his temperament—why let him stand guard alone at the gate? Are you trying to cause trouble?”

Qu Hongqi said: “I didn’t expect him to publicly defy Gu Bing—and even threaten to hit him.”

Zhang Deyou sighed: “Let him go home for a few days. It won’t be long before Gu Bing is transferred. Once Gu Bing leaves, bring him back.”

“Huh?” Qu Hongqi stared blankly: “Gu Bing’s being transferred?”

Zhang Deyou sneered: “If he keeps acting like this, the factory will be completely ruined.”

Qu Hongqi left, thrilled—but he still had to write a self-criticism. As long as Gu Bing remained Secretary of the distillery, he was a mountain crushing down on him, impossible to escape.

Around ten, the gatekeeper, Old Li, brought the day’s newspaper.

The four stopped playing, found the newspaper, and eagerly flipped through it—but found no information they needed.

“Thump!” Gu Bing slammed the newspaper on the desk. “No news today? Then it’ll be tomorrow.”

They played cards all afternoon. At three, Qu Hongqi knocked and entered. When he saw Zhou Andong, Jian Qiu, and Jiang Yuyue, his face darkened. He wanted to turn and leave—but reason told him if he walked out now, he’d regret it for life.

“Secretary Gu, here’s my self-criticism.” Qu Hongqi forced a cold face and placed several pages of densely written letter paper before Gu Bing.

Gu Bing glanced down, snatched them up, and threw them on the floor: “What is this garbage? Go rewrite it.”

Qu Hongqi’s face flushed crimson. He clenched his fists, took a deep breath, bent down to pick up the papers, and turned to leave.

Gu Bing snorted: “Bring it to me tomorrow morning at nine.”

Qu Hongqi paused, then stepped out of the office and slammed the door shut with a bang, venting his fury.

Zhou Andong stared in astonishment and gave Gu Bing a thumbs-up: “You finally got smart.”

Gu Bing chuckled: “Qu Hongqi isn’t Yan Guohai—we can’t win him over. If we don’t crush him hard now, I won’t be able to sleep at night.” He stood up. “Time’s about right—I’m going to talk to Yan Guotao.”

The supply department’s phone rang nonstop in the morning, but by afternoon, the calls dropped sharply. By two, they stopped entirely.

Yan Guohai stood by the window, sipping tea from an enamel mug, looking restless.

“Secretary Gu, good morning!”

“Secretary, you’ve come!”

“The Section Chief is in his office.”

The commotion outside jolted Yan Guohai. Before he could react, the office door opened, and Gu Bing walked in, hands behind his back, smiling.

“Secretary, what brings you here?” Yan Guohai hurriedly pulled out the chair behind his desk and placed it behind Gu Bing.

Gu Bing waved him off: “No need to sit. I’ve been sitting for over a year—I’d rather move around.”

Yan Guohai’s heart pounded. A terrible thought surfaced, but he forced a smile: “Secretary, if you need anything, just send someone—I’ll come to your office.”

“Nothing important. Just felt like walking. Otherwise, my bones will rust.”

Gu Bing paced around Yan Guohai’s office, glancing left and right. Yan Guohai grew increasingly uneasy, feeling as if disaster loomed.

As time passed, the atmosphere grew heavier. Yan Guohai’s forehead glistened with sweat. After a while, feeling the moment was right, Gu Bing spoke calmly.

“Yesterday, over twenty individual merchants came to buy wine. They first went to the Supply Department. What did you tell them?”

Yan Guohai’s mind went blank. When he heard about the incident at the gate, he knew Gu Bing wasn’t going to stay quiet—he’d already crushed the once-powerful Qu Hongqi.

That’s why he’d been so uneasy, fearing Gu Bing would come after him over the Yugong wine sales. Now, the very thing he feared had come to pass.

“Hmm?” Gu Bing stared at Yan Guohai. “Why aren’t you speaking?”

Yan Guohai’s heart ached. It was the former factory director and Zhang Deyou who told him not to sell Yugong wine—but could he say that? He’d already offended Gu Bing. If he named the others, he’d offend them too—and he’d never survive in this distillery.

Watching Yan Guohai, grim-faced and silent, Gu Bing’s lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile: “If Zhou Andong hadn’t encountered those individual merchants and brought them back, who would bear the cost of this massive loss? If we publicly announce your actions, you know the consequences.”