Chapter 159: This Grudge Must Be Repaid

A few minutes later, the middle-aged man came out of the office with the certificate and said to Li Long with a smile:

"Comrade Xiao Li, this is a misunderstanding. I just spoke on the phone with Section Chief Li Xiangqian, and he verified your identity. You are indeed carrying out a purchasing task. This matter, well, fortunately, there was no loss, and everyone is just getting to know each other through a fight."

Li Long untied the bag containing the radios, checked them carefully, and said to the middle-aged man:

"Yes, there is indeed no damage. If this were damaged, I couldn't afford to pay for it."

When he said this, the middle-aged man was a bit embarrassed. After handing the certificate back to Li Long, he turned his head and said to the young man:

"Xiao Deng, what are you still stunned for? Hurry up and apologize to Xiao Li! You can't be so reckless in doing things in the future; you must ask clearly first!"

The young man's face flushed red. Just a moment ago, he was thinking about how to properly discipline Li Long, but now he didn't expect it to turn around, and he had to apologize to Li Long!

Since he joined the Anti-Speculation Office, he had never apologized to anyone; it was always others begging him!

But looking at the leader's gaze that was almost eating people, Xiao Deng knew he couldn't help but bow his head, so he looked at Li Long reluctantly and said "I'm sorry" in a low voice.

Li Long nodded and said:

"Alright, you are also doing it for work."

He could see that this was already the young man's limit. There was no need to push people into a corner, and besides, the culprit wasn't him.

"Xiao Li, you have high awareness; no wonder Section Chief Li has been praising you. By the way, this comrade is from your village, right? He also reported you out of a sense of protection for our socialist public economic property, so this is also a misunderstanding. You all know each other, so let's just let this matter go, how about that?"

"Fine." Li Long said with a smile, "I can understand. Ermao, let's just let this matter pass."

Li Long spoke to him with such a smile, but Gu Ermao became terrified, but what could he say at this moment?

The middle-aged man said seriously to Gu Ermao:

"Comrade Ermao, Xiao Li is magnanimous, hurry up and say something?"

He didn't want to chill Gu Ermao's heart, otherwise, if this matter spread, who else would report to him?

As for whether Li Long would really trouble Gu Ermao afterward, that was not his business. As long as the matter was handled beautifully in this courtyard, that was it.

Gu Ermao didn't dare to look into Li Long's eyes and said in a low voice:

"Thank you... Brother Long."

He unconsciously brought along Tao Daqiang's address for Li Long.

He didn't dare not to. Being able to make the leader of the Anti-Speculation Office speak in a friendly manner showed that Li Long was truly very powerful.

Why was he so pig-headed to report him?

Now it was good, he would have to live in fear in the future.

No, he had to find his master in the afternoon to ask if there was any way to solve this.

"Alright, Comrade Xiao Long, Section Chief Li Xiangqian said that after you finish your business here, go to the supply and marketing cooperative; he has something to tell you before you go into the mountains."

Li Long said:

"Then, leader, I'll be going."

"Alright, go get busy. It's all for the revolutionary work; I admire your character of not complaining."

With Xiao Hu's help, Li Long tied up the radios, said goodbye to the middle-aged man, walked out of the courtyard, rode his bicycle, and went to the supply and marketing cooperative.

"Alright, everyone disperse. Ask more questions when checking the situation in the future, and don't cause unnecessary trouble. Although it's all for revolutionary work, it's not good to cause too much trouble."

He said to Gu Ermao again:

"Comrade Ermao, don't have any thoughts. What you did was right; it's just that Li Long is an exception. In the future, when you encounter such things, I hope you will report them actively. This time, it was Xiao Deng who didn't handle things well, not your fault."

Gu Ermao didn't feel touched when hearing this, but had dozens of "mmp" he wanted to say in his heart. Damn it, when I reported it, I clearly said I didn't need to show my face, just point it out secretly. You didn't handle the matter well, and as a result, you exposed me. If Li Long troubles me in the future, can I still find you to solve it?

But facing the leader, he had nothing to say, so he walked out of the flat courtyard in silence to find a way.

Li Long came to the supply and marketing cooperative and said something to the guard. The guard knew him, so he let him in.

Li Long stood the bicycle at the door of the supply and marketing cooperative's bungalow, locked the door, and walked in.

Li Xiangqian was sitting at his desk, looking at him entering with a smile, and said:

"Come, Xiao Li, sit. Tell me, what's the situation?"

Li Long helplessly explained the situation. Actually, he was also a bit confused. He was just minding his own business, so who did he offend? Was this Gu Ermao unable to see others living well?

"I see..." What he heard from Li Long was similar to what he heard from the leader of the "Anti-Speculation Office." Li Xiangqian had seen countless people and quickly understood what was going on.

He asked Li Long:

"Then what do you plan to do?"

"Handle the business in the mountains first, then find a way to settle the score." Li Long answered very naturally. "This kind of thing cannot be tolerated; if you tolerate him, he will inevitably push his luck." There was one thing he didn't say: breaking his leg was no problem. Even if this matter was taken to the sky in the village, he was the one in the right.

"Right." Li Xiangqian supported Li Long's idea. "Then how do you think you can make him hurt the most?"

"Naturally, make him unable to be a driver apprentice." Li Long blurted out. "What he is most proud of now is his status as a driver apprentice. I will find a way to expose his actions this time at the transport company. I don't think many people will like someone who reports others."

Li Long didn't hide anything from Li Xiangqian, which made Li Xiangqian very satisfied. He didn't persuade Li Long to be magnanimous or anything; being magnanimous to such people was no different from being kind to a wolf. After hearing Li Long's idea, Li Xiangqian said with a smile:

"Why so complicated?"

He picked up the phone on the table, shook it a few times, and said to the operator:

"Connect me to the transport company."

After the call was connected, Li Xiangqian said in a loud voice:

"Is that Old Hong? It's me, Li Xiangqian!"

Li Long could hear a voice on the other side that was equally loud but carried some impatience:

"Who can't tell it's you, Old Li? Tell me, what's the matter?"

"Why, can't I call you if there's nothing?" "Say what you have to say, spit it out if you have to! I don't have time to chat with you; the transport task is heavy this spring!" The person on the other side must have a fiery temper.

"Alright, let me tell you a small thing. There is an apprentice in your transport company named Gu Ermao..."

"How the hell would I know that? I have dozens of drivers under me, and so many apprentices... Gu Ermao? Are you talking about the one from Red Flag Commune?"

"Yes, that's the one." Li Xiangqian knew Li Long was from Red Flag Commune, so he nodded and said, "This guy is no good, you should fire him."

"Why? I can't just drive someone away because of your nonsense, right? No matter what, there has to be a reason, right?"

"Damn it, he went to the Anti-Speculation Office today to report one of my purchasing agents for speculation and profiteering—the problem is that this person is also his fellow villager, from the same village, and they used to have a pretty good relationship. You tell me, can such a person be kept?"

"I see, then he is indeed a bastard. I really don't dare to keep such a bad guy. In case he reports the affairs of my drivers here one day, then there will be trouble even if there is none—fine, fine, is there anything else?"

"Nothing else."

"Calling for such a trivial matter, fine, hanging up, let's drink when we have time!"

After speaking, the other party hung up first.

Li Xiangqian put down the phone and said to Li Long with a smile:

!.

"Alright, that's it for this matter. You don't need to worry about this guy anymore. Go to the mountains with peace of mind to handle your business, and then go supervise those carrying poles for me. That is the key point!"

"Then Section Chief, rest assured. After I go into the mountains, I will definitely watch those carrying poles well. I will definitely not accept any that don't meet the quality standards!"

"Good."

Li Long came out of Li Xiangqian's place, still feeling emotional.

A matter that he needed to spend effort and energy to plan and implement was easily solved by a phone call from Li Xiangqian. The other party didn't ask for anything, just asked him to complete the task of the carrying poles well.

It's really good to have power.

However, Li Long just thought about it. He didn't have that ability, and he knew he couldn't play in that circle, so he'd better live his own little life obediently.

Riding his bicycle toward the mountains, Li Long decided that after the winter camp matter was settled, he would run to the place where the carrying poles were woven every day to keep an eye on the quality.

People helped him a lot, so he couldn't act as if nothing had happened, right?

Of course, Gu Ermao's matter couldn't be solved so easily. Being unable to be an apprentice just made him lose his future, but he would still be jumping around in the team, and who knows when he would make trouble again!

When he returned to the team... humph!

Gu Ermao returned to the transport company in the afternoon. His master didn't go out for a drive. Gu Ermao had already learned some rules, so he carried a bucket to wash the car, thinking about Li Long's possible revenge while washing.

He was thinking, at worst, he wouldn't return to the team. If he didn't return to the team, what could Li Long do? After a period of time, this matter might subside.

As for his reputation in the team, after Tao Daqiang beat him, Gu Ermao had no thoughts about his reputation and let himself go completely.

He actually knew that as long as he survived the apprentice stage and became a formal driver, all reputations would improve. Everyone would only see that he had become a person who ate commodity grain and received a salary, and they would definitely envy him.

Although Wu Shufen stopped paying attention to him because of that "get lost." He thought that when he became a formal driver, there would be plenty of girls who would want to marry him!

Although Gu Ermao was slippery and mixed, he had a deep understanding of this society. After all, he had been with his master for a while and had seen and heard a lot.

Just as he was washing the car hard, his master walked over and asked with a dark face:

"Ermao, I heard you reported someone from your village?"

"Master, how did you know?" Gu Ermao was a bit surprised. Did this matter spread so fast? Was his master's intelligence so well-informed?

"Just tell me if it's true?"

"Yes. I saw him buying and transporting things in big bags and small bags, and I knew he wasn't doing anything good." Gu Ermao said with some indignation, "He bought so much flour, radios, and shoes; isn't that just reselling for profit... Isn't this speculation and profiteering, digging the socialist wall!"

Gu Ermao naturally had some complaints about the inaction of those people in the Anti-Speculation Office, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. Those people were cadres, and if they couldn't handle Li Long, who had a backer, it was still very easy to handle him.

"Then get lost!" His master said angrily after hearing him admit it, "I heard you reported someone from your own village? You're really something! Even a rabbit doesn't eat the grass around its nest, but you, you reported your own fellow villager. Who will dare to work with you in the future?"

"Get lost? Where should I go?" Gu Ermao hadn't figured it out yet and was a bit confused. "Master, do you want me to hide for a while?"

Looking at Gu Ermao, who was usually quite shrewd but stupid at this moment, his master was so angry he wanted to laugh:

"You still want to hide? The leader said, you don't need to be an apprentice anymore, you're fired! Get lost, it means you leave here; you are no longer a person of the transport company! As for where to go, go wherever you want!"

After speaking, he waved his hand and turned away.

Although he felt a bit sorry, after all, Gu Ermao had been quite timely with his tributes during this period, and he was quite capable in his work. However, he didn't dare to keep such a person by his side. In case he targeted his own dirt one day and sold him out, wouldn't that be a big trouble?

Besides, driver apprentices were too easy to find now; there were plenty of people carrying gifts wanting to squeeze in to be this apprentice.

He remembered that the second son of the neighbor didn't have a job, and he mentioned it last time. Should he hint at it?

Gu Ermao stood there blankly, not even feeling the towel fall to the ground—he was just fired?

Wasn't it just reporting someone who engaged in speculation and profiteering? How could it be so serious?

Soon, Gu Ermao realized the seriousness of the problem!

He couldn't be a city person, couldn't eat commodity grain, and it was even more impossible to become a driver!

In the end, all that awaited him was returning to the team.

Wouldn't people laugh him to death then?

If people in the team knew he was fired because he reported Li Long, what would happen?

"No! I can't leave! I can't be fired!" Gu Ermao didn't accept such a result. He immediately went to find his master, but his master ignored him at all. He went to find the leaders of the transport company, but the leader threw away the things he brought directly, and the words he threw at him made him ashamed:

"Who knows if you sent me things here, and will go to the county to report me for bribery there? I don't dare to accept your things!"

By the time Gu Ermao returned to his relative's house in a daze, it was already dark.

"Ermao is back?" Gu Ermao's aunt asked him, "Did you go out for a drive today? Did it go smoothly?"

Gu Ermao grinned and said with a crying voice:

"Aunt, I was fired..."

"What?" Gu Ermao's aunt was startled, "Don't talk nonsense, how could you be fired? What did you do? Don't joke, this apprenticeship cost a lot of money to get..."

Gu Ermao now understood the feeling of Li Long being fired at the beginning.

But who could he blame?

The next day, Gu Ermao returned to the team, and the news of his firing by the transport company spread. Everyone was guessing the reason for his firing, and it wasn't certain until someone called the team in the evening, and Xu Chengjun's wife, Ma Hongmei, spread the news.

It turned out that Gu Ermao had reported Li Long, but he didn't expect Li Long to have a strong backer. Li Long was fine, but Gu Ermao's leader felt his character was not good, so he fired him.

That evening, after Li Jianguo finished measuring the feed land allocated to the team and returned, he heard Lu's eldest sister-in-law talk about this matter, and he was so angry that he carried a stick and went to the Gu family!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 160 =====