Chapter 642: Li Huaide Turns Traitor

He Yuzhu asked, "Yushui, you should have graduated last September. Which unit did you join? Why didn't you write a letter to tell me?"

He Yushui giggled, "I was actually counting on you, but I didn't expect that when I graduated, our eldest uncle would be restored to his former position. He helped us recommend the Broadcasting Art Troupe. Xiaomi, Dahua, Xiaoqi, and I went to audition, and we all got accepted."

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu was immediately delighted, "That's great! Your brother will give each of you a Tape Recorder as a congratulatory gift."

He Yushui ran off laughing, "Great, great! I'm going to find Xiaomi and Dahua right now!"

After He Yushui left, Chen Xueru said from the side, "You don't know, Yushui almost fell out with me over this matter at the time. She felt I wasn't attentive to her affairs."

He Yuzhu asked, "How did it involve you?"

Chen Xueru sighed, "It's all because of our father. He hoped Yushui could join the Propaganda Department of our Rolling Mill and didn't want her to go to that kind of literary troupe. He always feels those people aren't serious. I was caught in the middle, and I couldn't please either side."

He Yuzhu finally understood and asked, "How did our father agree in the end?"

"Not long after you left, our eldest uncle was rehabilitated. Yushui pestered him to work on our father, and I didn't expect our father would actually come around in the end," said Chen Xueru.

He Yuzhu laughed, "Our father isn't cultured, so he just likes listening to cultured people."

Chen Xueru rolled her eyes at him, "Another day I'll go tell our father to beat you up."

In March, the daughter He Yuzhu had been longing for was finally born.

When she was a month old, He Yuzhu treated the whole courtyard to a meal.

Jia Zhangshi complained to Yang Ruihua while eating, "The He Family really has too much money to burn. They gave birth to a money-losing item, and they're still treating the whole courtyard to a meal for the full-month celebration. If you didn't know better, you'd think they gave birth to a princess!"

Yang Ruihua smiled and said, "You don't know yet, do you? He Yuzhu gave Xiaomi, Dahua, and Xiaoqi—those three girls—a Tape Recorder each. But your grandson is his Apprentice, and I don't see him giving him one!"

Jia Zhangshi said, "There's such a thing? Then I'll have Bang Geng go ask for one."

Yang Ruihua said, "Behave yourself, don't let people get you driven back to the countryside."

"No way, I must have Bang Geng go ask for it!" Before she finished her meal, Jia Zhangshi ran toward the children's table.

When Bang Geng heard Jia Zhangshi's words, he shook his head and said, "My Siqiang gave me a small one to use for learning foreign languages." After saying this, he pulled a palm-sized plastic Tape Recorder out of his pocket.

Only then did Jia Zhangshi happily run back to the table from before and show off, "Yang Ruihua, you're just sowing discord. My Bang Geng got one that's even more valuable."

Yang Ruihua said, "Your family is really something!"

In April, the Big Mushroom exploded.

He Yuzhu called the Secretary, and the two chatted happily for over half an hour.

The next day, he went to find Liu Xiaohua.

Liu Xiaohua treated He Yuzhu to a meal at the Military Factory canteen, and after eating, the two strolled around the courtyard.

Liu Xiaohua asked, "You came to find me, there must be something else, right?"

"You should incorporate my Computer Laboratory," He Yuzhu said, "If this Laboratory stays in my hands, it's going to hinder its development."

Liu Xiaohua was stunned, "Are you sick? You've always treated this Laboratory like a treasure. I couldn't even get a person from you when I asked, why have you suddenly had a change of heart?"

He Yuzhu sighed, "The movement is coming, and your Military Factory is the most stable. If it were up to me, I'd want to affiliate the entire Rolling Mill with you."

Liu Xiaohua looked at him in disbelief, "Is it really that serious? How about I take over your Tractor Factory too? I'm researching Heavy Trucks and know you have a talent for vehicle manufacturing."

He Yuzhu shook his head, "You can take the Computer Laboratory, but the Tractor Factory is a stretch. However, I do support letting the Tractor Factory do the contract manufacturing for your Heavy Trucks."

Liu Xiaohua said solemnly, "We've known each other for nearly twenty years, and the things you've predicted have basically all come true. I'm going to draft the application report right now."

He Yuzhu went to the Computer Laboratory. By now, they had successfully developed a Transistor Computer, and the overall level was a big step ahead of M Country.

He gathered everyone together, "Everyone, I've made a decision: the Military Factory may incorporate our Laboratory. When that time comes, I will no longer have a direct relationship with this place. Liu Siman is your new person in charge, and I hope everyone will cooperate with her."

When everyone heard this, they were all a bit bewildered.

Man Yatou was stunned, and tears immediately fell, "Teacher, you can't leave! Without you, I can't do it..."

The Laboratory now had over six hundred people, divided into six research groups.

The core members were basically all He Yuzhu's students, and hearing he was leaving, they felt a bit insecure; after all, Man Yatou was too young.

He Yuzhu also knew what they were worried about and said, "It's not that I'm not looking after you anymore; I'll still manage things as I should. It's just that from now on, your superior will be the Military Factory. Liu Xiaohua is a scientist by background and won't treat you poorly. Of course, for those who don't want to go, I can also help introduce you to other units."

The people in the Laboratory discussed it for a long time, and in the end, not one person quit.

After dealing with the Laboratory, He Yuzhu wanted to split the Tractor Factory into two: one part would continue to produce Water Pumps, Diesel Engines, Tractors, and Seeders; the other part would cooperate with the Military Factory to produce Heavy Trucks.

But this matter was different from the Laboratory—the Computer Laboratory only hung a name at the Tractor Factory and never truly belonged to the Rolling Mill.

If the Tractor Factory were to change, it would have to be discussed at the factory affairs meeting.

During the time He Yuzhu was away, Secretary Wang had been in charge of the factory, holding both the positions of Secretary and Factory Director.

The Executive Deputy Factory Director was Deputy Factory Director Sun, who was close to Secretary Wang.

Ever since Li Huaide was promoted to Deputy Factory Director, he had started to become restless.

He didn't dare covet the position of Factory Director, but he had been eyeing the position of Executive Deputy Factory Director for a long time and had been secretly using his family's connections to campaign for it.

When He Yuzhu brought out the plan to split the Tractor Factory into two, half the people opposed it on the spot.

What he didn't expect was that Li Huaide was the first to stand up and openly sing a different tune.

Secretary Wang didn't approve either.

After the vote, it was three to three: He Yuzhu, He Daqing, and Deputy Factory Director Zhao were in favor; Secretary Wang, Li Huaide, and Deputy Factory Director Sun were against.

Seeing this situation, He Yuzhu said, "Since the factory can't decide, let's report it to the Ministry. If the Ministry agrees, we'll do it; if they don't, I'll withdraw it."

After the meeting, Li Huaide trotted to catch up with him, "Junior Brother, you having the Tractor Factory cooperate with the Military Factory to produce Heavy Trucks is equivalent to handing over half of our production capacity for others to manage? I don't think this is appropriate..."

Seeing Li Huaide arguing with him with reasons and evidence, He Yuzhu couldn't explain the layer of meaning that "latching onto the Military Factory will have benefits in the future"—he didn't have foresight, so he couldn't speak too clearly, and could only say, "Just producing agricultural vehicles yields thin profits, and the technology won't improve; sooner or later, we'll be phased out. Cooperating with the Military Factory can improve our technical level. Actually, the factory is still ours; it's just contract manufacturing for them. If there's any movement in the future, we won't be affected."

Li Huaide still didn't agree and sighed, saying, "You don't know yet, do you? You've already made Secretary Wang very dissatisfied by giving away the Computer Laboratory. If you give away half the sovereignty of the Tractor Factory again, what will others think? Many mid-level Cadres in the factory are already cursing you for selling out the factory. Junior Brother, you need to be careful."