Chapter 406: What Is Your Duty?

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"Brother Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng, I really didn't think that way! You mustn't talk nonsense. How could I do something so heartless as to rebel?"

Hao Jian was truly anxious and truly panicked. If Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng were to conclude that he wanted to rebel, then never mind whether he could keep his seat as the director of the Seventh Factory; he couldn't afford the reputation of being an ungrateful wretch.

"Old Hao, what are you panicking about?"

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng rubbed his scalp and said indifferently, "Of course I know you didn't think that way; otherwise, I would have already beaten you until your face was blooming like a peach orchard by now. But the people around you need to be changed."

"What? Who are you talking about?"

Having been a factory director for several years, Hao Jian had been tempered quite well and had already attained the skill of not showing his emotions on his face. But today, chatting with Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng, he suddenly felt he couldn't keep up with the pace.

The Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng of the past could be considered a shrewd person, but in this regard, he seemed even less capable than himself! How did he feel so formidable now?

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng exhaled lightly and said in a deep voice, "I don't know who it is, but for the past few years in the capital, I've been following Li Ye, and people are always saying this or that to me, saying that I am the true great contributor to the Pengcheng Seventh Factory."

"Then, with you, Hao Jian, being far away from the emperor in Pengcheng, there must be even more such people whispering in your ear, right? Otherwise, you couldn't have forgotten who brought you up after only three years of good life, and you couldn't have forgotten what kind of bird you were before you met Xiao Ye."

Hao Jian froze for a moment, then suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

Had he really been bewitched by others these past two years? Had his ears really become soft?

No, I haven't.

Hao Jian shook his head vigorously, forcing himself to calm down.

But Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng seemed to see through Hao Jian's thoughts and said with a smile, "Old Hao, perhaps you don't have the intention to rebel, but the people around you certainly do."

"Zhao Kuang, who had the yellow robe thrust upon him, might not have been willing to be emperor himself at the time, but if he didn't become emperor, how could his subordinates become marquises? You haven't forgotten how Sanshui instigated me back then, have you?"

"You are only taking money from the factory to fish for gold in Hong Kong now. In the future, will you swallow the shares of your brothers and then distribute them to new brothers?"

"His godfather, you can't wrong me like this. I have a conscience."

Hao Jian cried. A grown man in his thirties was reduced to tears by Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng's words.

Seeing Hao Jian's state, Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng also felt a pang of sympathy.

He took a towel to wipe Hao Jian's tears and then said softly, "Old Hao! I'm not wronging you. It's just that the few of us have experienced too little, and these past few years have gone too smoothly—smoothly to an unbelievable degree."

"In the three years I've been in the capital, I've seen plenty of capable people. Those who climb to this department head, that director, or some manager—which one of them isn't a human spirit? Compared to them, I am truly convinced."

"But they don't have the good opportunities our brothers have. They are pinned to a chair for eight or ten years without moving. But us? In three years, we've almost reached the heavens!"

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng sighed and said, "I've talked to Li Ye about this. Li Ye said it very clearly: we are people catching the tide of the great trend, rising with the wind, but in the end, we lack some accumulation."

"When Li Ye built the Pengcheng Seventh Factory back then, didn't he let us use the factory to practice and accumulate experience? If we had taken shortcuts back then and only done quick-money business like reselling, could we have come into contact with so many people and things now?"

Hao Jian shook his head and said affirmatively, "No, definitely not. Reselling would sooner or later lead to being cleaned up by others. What we have now... what did Xiao Ye call it? A different perspective."

"So, if you have any matters in the future, ask Xiao Ye first. Don't trust those messy outsiders, because Xiao Ye will give you opportunities, while those people want to get opportunities from you."

Hao Jian couldn't help but admire him and said sincerely to Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng, "Brother Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng, you really make me look at you with new eyes. You've progressed much more than me these past few years."

"That's for sure. You don't see what kind of people I deal with every day."

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng reached out and rubbed his scalp, feeling quite proud.

In Pengcheng, Hao Jian was more about "business," but in the capital, Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng was more about "human nature."

When Hao Jian left Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng's house, he was already five or six parts drunk.

He walked to the main street and found Xiao Na, whom he had just called over.

"It's so late, didn't Manager Jin know to send a car to take you back? I just took a bath..."

The words Xiao Na spoke carried three parts of coquettish blame and a few parts of special meaning.

But Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng, who was already five or six parts drunk, said coldly, "Return to Pengcheng tomorrow morning and find Wu Kezhang Zhou to handle a matter."

"Find Wu Kezhang Zhou to handle a matter?"

Xiao Na was stunned, then immediately said happily, "Is there a lead on going to Hong Kong to speculate in stocks? I said long ago that those Hong Kong economic analysts have high standards; they can explain the principles in a few words."

"Leaving such a good opportunity without grasping it, yet wasting time guarding a clothing factory that earns a few cents per piece of clothing..."

"Don't worry, Factory Director Hao. That classmate of mine is now a high-level executive at a British company. The treatment she gives us is the highest level, called VIP."

Sitting in the back seat of the sedan, Hao Jian looked at Xiao Na, who was beaming with joy in front, and suddenly felt a wave of disgust—a wave of disgust toward himself.

"Why did I believe her back then? Was it her status as a university graduate? Or... her young face?"

Hao Jian asked Xiao Na to go back and find Finance Wu Kezhang Zhou Liyuan, not to handle any good business, but to process her resignation and let this university student who spent all day touting that "foreign monks know how to chant scriptures" get out.

After returning to his residence, Hao Jian tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Finally, he suddenly got up to call his home in Pengcheng.

"Hello, Cuicui, you haven't slept yet? Call your mother to answer the phone."

A moment later, Hao Jian's wife, An Xiaolian, picked up the phone and asked with some worry, "Is there something wrong with you calling so late?"

"Nothing major, I just wanted to..."

Hao Jian paused and said, "Xiulian! Now that Cuicui's health is better, shall we have another boy?"

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An Xiaolian on the other end was stunned, spat lightly, and said, "You old rascal, how can we have more children with the current birth policy?"

"Have them in Hong Kong! I've thought about it long ago. Let's have a few more. Only with more children will the house be lively, and only then will our hearts be at ease..."

The next afternoon, Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng drove to pick up Li Dayong and Wang Jianqiang first, then picked up Hao Jian, and only then did they go together to Zaojunmiao to find Li Ye.

However, after arriving at Zaojunmiao, Li Ye took them to a neighborhood basketball court first.

When they arrived, there were already six or seven young people playing basketball on the court, but the numbers were insufficient, so they were divided into two teams playing a three-on-three half-court offense and defense.

Seeing Li Ye get out of the car and walk over, Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng couldn't help but follow and ask, "Xiao Ye, you brought us here, surely not to play basketball, right?"

Li Ye nodded and said, "You guessed right. I brought you here to play basketball."

Hao Jian, Li Dayong, and Wang Jianqiang, who were following behind, were all a bit bewildered. They had agreed on a shareholders' meeting; how did it become a sports meet?

The problem was that Hao Jian didn't know how to play basketball!

Moreover, Wang Jianqiang didn't know how to play either. Li Dayong and Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng, who had touched a basketball, only knew how to dribble and shoot.

But by now, Li Ye was already smiling and talking to those young people.

"Brothers, shall we play a five-on-five?"

As a result, they looked at Li Ye and the others and said with some disdain, "Do you know how to play? You don't even have a pair of sneakers. We are preparing to represent the neighborhood in the competition..."

Li Ye smiled and said, "How about playing for twenty minutes? Whoever loses treats the other to a case of Pengcheng Pengcheng Hongniu, how about that?"

"Whoa, so you're a wealthy brother? Then let's practice!"

The young people immediately stopped minding the leather shoes on Hao Jian and Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng's feet. A case of Pengcheng Pengcheng Hongniu cost several dozen yuan! When they took it out during the competition, it would at least make the opposing team envious.

And after the game started, the situation was just as those young people expected. Li Ye's side basically had no ability to resist. They were dunked on repeatedly, and the score was 18 to 4.

This was really helpless. Hao Jian was basically sleepwalking on the court. Wang Jianqiang followed behind Li Ye to implement protection; whenever he saw someone rushing toward Li Ye, he would go over to block them.

As for Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng and Li Dayong, they could only helplessly "accompany the boss in his studies."

The big brother wants to play basketball; even if you, the little brother, are losing face, you still have to accompany him, right?

But later on, the situation changed.

Because although Li Ye didn't know how to play well, he knew how to learn from Sakuragi Hanamichi!

He wasn't accurate at shooting, but he could dunk!

After Li Ye performed eight consecutive dunks, the surrounding onlookers began to cheer, and the young people on the other side gradually lost their rhythm and began to "compete with anger" against Li Ye.

When Li Ye had the ball, they all blocked him; when Li Ye didn't have the ball, two people followed him.

Anyway, because Li Ye alone was "being focused on," they never played that comfortable and smooth coordination again.

Twenty minutes later, Li Ye's side lost 41 to 26, but Li Ye's performance won everyone's applause.

And when Li Ye admitted defeat and bought them a case of Pengcheng Pengcheng Hongniu, it once again drew cheers and admiration from the group of young people.

"Brother, you're really straightforward. Come often when you have time, definitely come often. We'll treat you to soda..."

Li Ye waved his hand, took Hao Jian and the others away, and returned to the courtyard in Zaojunmiao.

After entering the courtyard and closing the door, Li Ye asked his question: "Just now on the court, why do you think they played so chaotically later on?"

Everyone looked at each other. Xiao Ye, are you asking us to flatter you? But aren't you the one who hates flattery the most?

Finally, Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng said, "Needless to say? It's because you, Xiao Ye, are formidable. We were the ones dragging you down."

"No, it's because they forgot what they were doing themselves."

Li Ye said calmly, "A team has five people. The point guard, power forward, and small forward all have their fixed duties. Those who should control the ball control the ball, and those who should grab rebounds grab rebounds."

"But in the end, everyone wanted to show off, everyone wanted to dunk... How could it not be chaotic?"

Li Ye scanned the circle coldly and then asked, "The five of us are like a team. So, what duty do you think each of you should have?"

Hao Jian broke out in a cold sweat again. He suddenly understood some things.

Li Ye handed the mess of the Pengcheng Seventh Factory to him. No matter how much you messed around with production at the Seventh Factory all these years, Li Ye didn't say anything to you. But this time, he actually saw Pei Wencong making big money and got greedy, wanting to go to Hong Kong to fish for gold...

Fishing for gold in Hong Kong is Li Ye's job...

Li Ye can dunk; can you, Hao Jian, dunk? Do you have that height? Do you have that jumping ability?

Hao Jian sighed, lowered his head, and said, "Brother Xiao Ye, this time it was my fault. It was my consideration that wasn't comprehensive enough, and I didn't realize the risks in Hong Kong..."

"Old Hao, that's not what you were wrong about. You didn't realize how important your duty is!"

Li Ye interrupted Hao Jian's self-criticism and said very calmly, "Old Hao, your duty is to obtain the qualification to go to the Great Hall of the People for a meeting one day in the future."

(End of chapter)

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