Chapter 208: Shazhu's Trick

On the other side.

Shazhu stood outside the canteen, holding a net bag with a lunch box.

When Liu Lan appeared on her bicycle, he immediately stepped out and stopped her.

"Shazhu, what's up?"

Shazhu nodded and said, "Tonight, please try a few of my newly researched dishes with Director Li."

Liu Lan frowned and asked, "What did you say? I hope I didn't mishear."

Shazhu: "Look, Director Li told me to return to the canteen, and after thinking it over, coming back was right."

"We should be grateful, right?"

"So I'd like to invite you and Director Li alone."

Liu Lan laughed, "If you don't go back to the canteen and don't bring things home, you won't be able to marry Qin Huairu."

Shazhu grinned foolishly, "You're sharp—one hint and you get it."

"Like it or not, figure it out yourself."

"So no one can say I'm sucking up to the leadership."

Having said that, he turned and walked toward the canteen.

Liu Lan glanced at him, then pushed her bicycle to the side and parked it.

Unexpectedly, Shazhu was waiting for her at the canteen entrance.

She followed Shazhu into the canteen while asking:

"I say you're not hiding any good intentions, are you?"

"I'd like to invite you and Director Li to a meal alone."

"Are you trying to stir up rumors and cause trouble in the factory again?"

Shazhu: "Am I that kind of person?"

Liu Lan laughed, "I know you wouldn't dare."

"Alright, I'll make a call later."

"But it'll have to be later."

Shazhu thought for a moment and said, "After eight o'clock."

Liu Lan nodded and said, "Okay, that's settled."

Shazhu: "Got it."

Evening.

Shazhu prepared several dishes and invited Director Li and Liu Lan to eat.

He had originally wanted to invite Lin Shengli as well, but Lin Shengli was unavailable.

"Shazhu, not bad."

"I just like eating your dishes."

Director Li, while eating, said:

"I'm telling you, Shazhu, you really are Shazhu."

"Do you know why I wanted you to come back?"

Shazhu shook his head.

Director Li laughed, "Of course it's because I like eating your dishes."

"But you also have one merit: you don't concern yourself with politics."

"You don't gossip behind people's backs."

Shazhu slapped his thigh and said, "You're absolutely right!"

"I'm just someone who likes cooking."

"I don't care about anything else."

"Alright, I thank Director Li and I thank Liu Lan."

"I also thank Lin Shengli, the factory director; I originally wanted to invite him to a meal, but he's too busy."

Having said that, Shazhu raised his wine cup and then said:

"Come, let me toast you both with a drink."

After a drink, Director Li asked:

"Shazhu, I hear you're always competing with Lin Shengli and Xu Damao, right?"

Shazhu: "No, no, not anymore."

"Now I've also fully understood the situation."

"I'm not competing with Lin Shengli anymore."

"Really, I not only don't compete with him, I even want to thank him."

"This person should know how to be grateful, right?"

Director Li nodded satisfactorily and said:

"That's right; the wise who know the times are outstanding."

"Don't keep competing with Lin Shengli."

"Let me tell you, even I can't afford to provoke Lin Shengli."

"Really, if you still want to make trouble for yourself, then go ahead and compete with him."

Shazhu waved his hand and said:

"I dare not, I dare not."

If we can't afford to provoke them, we just hide, right?

As for Xu Damao.

Director Li, let me tell you this: my rivalry with Xu Damao actually has nothing to do with our factory.

He's alright, you're a favored person in front of him.

I compete with him, but he's always untying my shoelaces.

Can I put up with this?

But I'll leave it at that.

I'll just add one more sentence.

Director Li, as for Xu Damao, you still need to be on your guard a bit.

Director Li, upon hearing that, looked at Shazhu and raised his eyebrows.

Shazhu then said: 'Why would I say that?'

As for me, Liu Lan also knows.

Sometimes I go out to cook a meal for the leaders who are being bribed.

So I have the chance to come into contact with......

Saying this, Shazhu glanced at Director Li, saw his brows tightly furrowed, and quickly said:

Eh, can't drink, just can't drink.

Drinking too much makes it easy to say things you shouldn't.

This, I actually shouldn't say this.

People have warned me, don't say it, don't say it—I'll punish myself with a drink, ah.

Come on, Director Li, I toast you and Liu Lan.

Director Li raised his cup, thought for a moment, looked at Liu Lan and asked:

Liu Lan, the Great Leader that Shazhu spoke of......

Liu Lan: 'Hey, you also know Shazhu's cooking skills, right?'

He indeed sometimes goes out to cook for some leaders.

I've seen it with my own eyes.

Director Li: 'Well then, Shazhu, tell me, have you ever cooked for the leaders who are being bribed?'

Shazhu: 'This, this can't be said.'

Liu Lan: 'Maybe it's not really a Great Leader; Shazhu is just like that—what Great Leader would let him cook?'

Great Leaders have their own dedicated chefs; he can only cook for some minor leaders.

I think that's probably the case.

Shazhu pretended to be very unhappy and said: 'Eh, Liu Lan, don't look down on me.'

I really have cooked for a Great Leader before.

I won't say anything else.

Just the red-headed document—have you heard of it or seen it?

Among us three, only the Director has seen it.

Director Li nodded.

Liu Lan furrowed his brows, looked at Shazhu and asked:

Seen it?

Shazhu: 'Of course I've seen it.'

Red-headed document, presentation and approval slip.

Presentation and approval slip, have you heard of it?

Let me explain it to you.

The presentation and approval slip—on it are three characters that read 'presentation and approval slip'.

Below, it's divided into two halves: one half has characters, the other half has none.

The half with characters is the document's content.

What's the half without characters for? Do you know?

It's for leaders to use for giving instructions.

Leaders' instructions aren't written characters—do you know what they're for?

Liu Lan shook his head.

Shazhu: 'Drawing circles, you don't know, right?'

The circle is for people of lower rank than him.

For example, 'present so-and-so for reading'.

Read, do you understand?

You don't know, right?

Read just means to look.

But they don't call it 'look', they call it 'read'.

You don't get it, huh? Hahaha...

Liu Lan furrowed his brows, looked at Director Li and asked:

Is it really like he said?

Director Li looked at Shazhu and said:

Shazhu, you're impressive.

You actually managed to get in touch with ministry leadership cadres.

Shazhu: "Ah? I, I... what Great Leader...?"

I don't know either; I'm just a cook.

It's just that I lend a hand when they need help.

How should we put this, how should we put it?

But I really do have a chance to get in touch with these things.

We're not spouting nonsense, huh.

Actually, why am I...?

I just wanted to see the red-headed documents and approval papers, so I could go back and brag to Qin Huairu, that's all.