Chapter 513: He Yuzhu Rules the Factory with an Iron Fist

"How about this: we few factory leaders form a leading group to thoroughly investigate the accounts of the procurement department!" He Yuzhu said with a provocative tone, his gaze fixed directly on Deputy Factory Director Wei.

Factory Director Li Zhen slammed the table, his expression darkening: "Stop arguing! We must pay attention to stability and unity! I suggest separating the canteen and placing it under the management of Deputy Factory Director He, while the other sections remain under Deputy Factory Director Wei. Does everyone agree?"

He Yuzhu shook his head immediately, sneering inwardly. This Li Zhen probably wouldn't last long in the position of Factory Director; to still be shielding Deputy Factory Director Wei at a time like this was purely courting his own destruction.

Factory Director Lu Zhaoheng, standing to the side, spoke up immediately: "I am also dissatisfied with the current progress, especially regarding the canteen. The workers have to do manual labor every day; how can they manage without meat? I approve of separating the canteen and putting it under Deputy Factory Director He's management!"

"I agree as well!" He Daqing raised his hand.

He Daqing hadn't initially understood why He Yuzhu was challenging the Factory Director and Deputy Factory Director, but now he finally saw the method to it. The construction progress of the Tractor Factory had been dragging significantly lately, and there had been several minor accidents in succession. The higher-ups must have had opinions about it for a long time, and He Yuzhu was clearly sent down by them to issue a warning. As a relative, there was no need for him to get involved in this mess.

In fact, in the few months He Daqing had been at the factory, he had been harboring a belly full of anger himself.

The several main procurement heads under him were all locals, and without exception, they were cronies of Deputy Factory Director Wei. He had long discovered that not only was the canteen's procurement being marked up layer by layer, but even the earth, wood, bricks, and stones used for the construction site were being driven up in price by local unscrupulous merchants colluding together. If the factory continued like this, it would sooner or later face a major problem.

This struggle session ultimately failed to denounce He Yuzhu; instead, it resulted in him gaining a portion of power.

Factory Director Li was no pushover either. To protect Deputy Factory Director Wei, he deliberately spread rumors, pushing all the blame for the canteen's poor performance onto Li Huaide.

When Li Huaide heard these words, his face turned pale with anger. He immediately ran to the telephone office, and after waiting in line for several hours, he finally managed to get through to his father-in-law's home.

"Dad, I really can't work here anymore!" Li Huaide said into the phone, his voice tinged with a sob. "The people under me are taking kickbacks and lining their own pockets one by one, and the people above are pinning all the blame for the poor canteen food on me. I can't go on like this for even one more day..."

After listening, Deputy Minister Chen on the other end of the line spoke in a flat tone: "Huaide, the aid-construction project has a formal contract signed. If you really want to come back, then resign and start over from the beginning."

"Dad! Can't you just transfer me back? I can't stay here for even a second longer!" Li Huaide grew anxious, his crying and shouting intensifying.

"Who do you think you are? I don't have that ability!" Deputy Minister Chen retorted bluntly, his tone full of impatience.

Li Huaide instantly wilted and said dejectedly, "Dad, I understand."

"Huaide, it's not that I won't help you, but look at who your immediate superior is before you speak!" Deputy Minister Chen's tone softened slightly. "If you have difficulties in your daily life, I have an old subordinate serving in the military region; you can go find him for some help..."

He Yuzhu gathered everyone at the Food Factory canteen to announce: "From today on, we are responsible for the meals of all the workers at the Tractor Factory. Everyone will have to work harder from now on."

The canteen director, Liu Sanman, was only seventeen years old, with a fiery and capable personality. Upon hearing this, she immediately said, "Factory Director He, we only have a dozen or so people; how can we handle meals for over a thousand?"

He Yuzhu looked at her and said, "Sanman, don't doubt yourself. Currently, although our factory has many cadres who look very imposing, they are actually useless. Their only function is to complicate simple things so that they can appear important. Don't be intimidated by their aura. Over fifty people will be coming over from the other canteen, and they will all be under your command. Do you have confidence?"

Liu Sanman's eyes lit up, and she said directly, "Factory Director He, I can definitely manage it well!"

The Food Factory canteen was run well not only because He Yuzhu provided sufficient supplies, but also because Man Yatou's entire family worked there.

Ever since He Yuzhu made the four women of the Liu family full-time employees, they treated the canteen like their own home, arriving earliest and leaving latest every day, and working with extra care.

Liu Sanman was even more desperate when it came to procurement, preferring to travel dozens of miles further to pick out the freshest and cheapest vegetables to bring back.

Where there is joy, there is sorrow.

After the original canteen director and deputy director of the Tractor Factory were dismissed from their posts, they were unconvinced and began spreading rumors in the factory, claiming that He Yuzhu's relationship with the Liu mother and daughters was improper.

He Yuzhu did not show any mercy and immediately ordered a thorough investigation.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that the former canteen director and his three subordinates in procurement had colluded to embezzle funds, with the amount exceeding ten million.

He Yuzhu fired them all on the spot.

From then on, the workers gave him a nickname behind his back—He the Blade.

September arrived in the blink of an eye, and Tian Dan and Li Xiangxiu came to find He Yuzhu to say goodbye.

He Yuzhu treated them to a meal at the canteen.

The two walked into this modern-style canteen built of fair-faced concrete and were once again captivated.

Tian Dan couldn't help but praise: "Zhuzi, you designed this canteen, right? It feels very industrial!"

"I call it minimalist style!" He Yuzhu said with a smile.

Li Xiangxiu also chimed in: "Things made by Zhuzi are just different from others."

"Actually, I was just trying to save money." He Yuzhu waved his hand.

"But your design is truly beautiful!" Tian Dan said earnestly.

He Yuzhu smiled and didn't respond to that, instead asking: "Why are you two sisters leaving so suddenly?"

Tian Dan sighed softly: "A few cases have occurred in Si Jiu Cheng recently. Several homes of military leaders and ministry leaders have been burglarized; not only were valuables lost, but some classified documents have also gone missing. I have to go back—it seems that group on the island is starting to stir again."

He Yuzhu pondered for a moment and said: "If it was done by ordinary thieves, you might as well go to the prison and ask Wang Baosheng, Zheng De, and the others. They are old thieves and surely understand some of the tricks."

Tian Dan nodded: "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. When you go back, help me look after He Yushui and the others; I really do miss those girls a bit." He Yuzhu said.

Li Xiangxiu laughed: "If you miss them, just have them come over during winter break!"

He Yuzhu's eyes lit up: "That's a good idea."

In Si Jiu Cheng, inside a two-courtyard Siheyuan in Xinjiekou, Yan Jiefang was sitting at an eight-immortal table, vividly recounting the thrilling experience of last night's theft.

Liu Guangtian was sitting to the side, burying his head in eating Daoxiangcun pastries, his mouth stuffed full.

"Auntie, I really didn't expect them to have a dog at home! Luckily, I had a few meat buns with me..." Yan Jiefang said, gesturing wildly.

Zhou Li leaned back in a master's chair, peeling grapes in a leisurely manner.

After Yan Jiefang finished speaking, she pulled open a drawer, took out two Small Yellow Fish, and placed them on the table: "Be more careful when scouting locations in the future; you should have known about the dog beforehand. You should have been rewarded with two each, but this time, it's one each."

A flash of disappointment crossed Yan Jiefang's face, and he hurriedly explained: "Auntie, that dog usually isn't kept at their house. I suspect it was someone else's dog, temporarily boarded at their place. Auntie, you really can't blame me for this!"

Zhou Li glanced at him with a half-smile, took two more Small Yellow Fish from the drawer, and pushed them over: "I believe what you said!"