Chapter 43: with translation of chapter title

Capital, a certain residential compound.

"Mom, I'm back! Wow, the full flavor of spicy chilies—eating in Ha Cheng without chilies is really unpleasant..."

"Hmm, these dishes are all your favorites; riding the train all the way must have been exhausting, right? If I'd known you'd be transferred to the capital, you should have applied to Capital University—I thought your sister would look after you..."

"Not tired; I came back with my classmates on the way."

"Male or female?"

"Male, Qin Miao—he's amazing! Before going to Ha Gong Da, I always thought I'd be first in the class, even first in the department, but after seeing him, I realized there was no hope."

"Ah? There's such a person? He must pay close attention in class, right?"

"No, he doesn't attend class."

"Then he self-studies?"

"Well, I've never seen him self-study either."

"Then what does he usually do?"

"Usually he teaches other departments in the morning, and in the afternoon and evening he's in the lab tinkering with inventions—he's impressive; even big shots from the military region have visited!"

Chu Miaomiao spoke while reaching out to grab the twice-cooked pork; normally doing that would earn a smack from her mother, but this time… she froze?

Chu Miaomiao's mother, Chu Guilan, looked at her daughter's expression, eyes full of suspicion: 'Miaomiao, you never used to praise a male classmate before.'

"Those former classmates can't compare to Qin Miao! Luckily I went to Ha Gong Da, otherwise I wouldn't have met such an interesting person."

"So… do you like him?"

"Pah! Impossible! I'm in university to study, not to chase boys. By the way, where's Dad?"

"Dad should be coming back, right? Wait, I'll make a call."

"I'll go!"

Chu Miaomiao picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, is Comrade Zhang Wanhe there? Me? I'm his daughter—when is he coming home for dinner? What, he's not eating? Going out? Where to? I need to know! Menkou District, Qingshan Machinery Factory? Got it… hold on, has he left? I want to go with him!"

After hanging up, Chu Miaomiao took off running; by the time Chu Guilan brought out the mapo tofu from the kitchen, her daughter's silhouette was gone.

This kid, really!

At the compound gate, a sedan began to move.

Black body, round headlights, a grille like a waterfall above the hood, plus a red plastic emblem on the bonnet.

The car window rolled down, and a cadre with four-pocket uniform poked his head out: 'Miaomiao, go back first—I'll return tonight.'

Chu Miaomiao had already opened the car door.

"Dad, National Day only gives two days off; even if I take another two days, that's only four, and the round trip will eat into it—our time together would be too short. Don't worry, I'll just keep you company on the road and chat; I definitely won't interfere with your work."

A daughter is like a little padded jacket—no normal father can refuse her; Zhang Wanhe could only let her come aboard.

The car continued forward, and Chu Miaomiao curiously looked at her father: 'Dad, what's the background of Qingshan Machinery Factory that makes it worth your personal visit?'

"This factory isn't easy—it was originally a military plant, but with the nation's economic restructuring, under these circumstances they didn't wait or rely on handouts; they sought business opportunities themselves, and their Qingshan-brand pressure cookers have become a hot commodity in our capital! Now many factories face the same situation, and our city wants to hold this up as a model and typical example, spreading its experience to other poorly run enterprises."

Zhang Wanhe spoke at length: 'I was transferred to the capital to be in charge of industrial development; this Qingshan Factory may be small, but it's quite typical—just reading reports isn't enough, I need to see it myself.'

Oh.

Seeing her father's positive evaluation of the factory, Chu Miaomiao relaxed—this wasn't her deliberate choice; she came just to keep her father company. It would also be interesting to see what kind of place Qin Miao grew up in.

Qingshan Machinery Factory.

After just a few bites, Leader Huang left—he had to rush back to prevent Zhao Guoqing's uncle from doing something foolish; without the leader, the meal's atmosphere instantly became lively.

San Shui, you did a great job! That Zhao Guoqing, even when he was just a clerk in the Personnel Section, was already arrogant and overbearing; after Old Niu left, he somehow became section chief and even brought in his own relatives! Our factory workers' children are still waiting eagerly.

Yeah, the big guys dare to be angry but not speak out—after all, Zhao Guoqing's uncle is in charge of electricity; if the power went out…

Click!

The place where the big guys ate was a private room in the canteen; because the lighting was poor, there was a hanging bulb, and now it suddenly went out.

Damn, the power really went out—Zhao Guoqing is going too far!

Qin Jianhua's face also darkened.

He's an upright person, so upon seeing Zhao Guoqing's actions, he flew into a rage on the spot and felt compelled to support his son's decision!

But now… they actually dare to cut the power!

If it were still a military factory, they'd definitely take guns to the power department, point the muzzle at Zhao Guoqing's uncle's head to see if he'd still dare to play tricks—but… it's been converted to civilian use and placed under local jurisdiction!

Qin Jianhua stood up: 'I'm going to the power department right now!'

'Dad, don't rush,' Qin Miao said. 'If they really dare to cut our power, that's a dead-end move for them.'

'San Shui, tell us what you think!' Security Section Chief Liu Nanshan, face full of excitement, looked at Qin Miao.

In the meeting room, Qin Miao vehemently opposed Zhao Guoqing; on the surface it seemed due to youthful recklessness, but Liu Nanshan always felt Qin Miao was doing it on purpose—he wanted to squeeze Zhao Guoqing, to make his uncle cut power to the factory!

'Nothing much, just a matter of telling the vehicles outside waiting to load, and the purchasers from the capital: we punished the misbehaving Personnel Section chief Zhao Guoqing, which upset his uncle, a certain leader in the district power department, so they pulled the switch on us—tell them not to wait, just go back and wash up and sleep!'

Liu Nanshan's eyes gleamed with sharp light.

Their factory falls under Menkou District's administration, so the district leaders have become Qingshan Factory's superiors and indeed have authority. But… misbehaving is absolutely not that easy!

Because the factory's products are selling well, many stores in the capital are waiting for them! If production suddenly halted due to a power cut, those store leaders would curse and have to report the situation to relevant capital departments!

Don't think Menkou District is all bluster; in the city, they amount to nothing!

When all the leaders in the capital express dissatisfaction, the one who pulled the switch can only get lost!

At the same time, this also counts as establishing authority!

Don't think our factory being in Menkou District means you leaders can just reap the benefits—we pay plenty in taxes, create many job opportunities, and even give you political achievements; if you dare to stick your hand in… don't blame us for turning against you and denying you!

Qin Jianhua had just become a factory leader, and many people were dissatisfied, thinking they could come and step on him; Zhao Guoqing even imagined himself as the factory director, trying to sideline Qin Jianhua!

Qin Miao's return gives his father prestige; from now on, when district leaders come, they'll have to be careful!

Qin Jianhua merely lacks relevant experience; that doesn't mean he doesn't understand these principles. At this moment, hearing his son say that, Qin Jianhua nodded: 'Good, I'll go say it now!'