Chapter 676: Grandma, you might as well just say my IQ is low!

At five in the afternoon, Li Ye drove to pick up Watching Wen Leyu from work.

Watching Wen Leyu was probably tired from work; as soon as she got in the car, she started to doze off, even letting out faint little snores.

Li Ye helped his wife adjust the seat and fastened her seatbelt before slowly driving home.

While driving, Li Ye couldn't help but ponder why Guan Liang wanted to disgust him time and time again.

If it were just once, Li Ye would think the other party might have done it unintentionally, but now it didn't look like that; Guan Liang was doing it on purpose.

【Why is this? I didn't even want to steal your position as the top pen-pusher.】

Li Ye pondered for a long time, and even when he got home, he was still feeling baffled.

If one were to talk about Zheng Jiemin's "hostility" toward Li Ye, Li Ye could understand it. After all, in his previous life, Li Ye, who worked diligently and suffered, was "Zheng Jiemin," and those damn paratroopers were "Li Ye."

At that time, Li Ye didn't know how many times he had cursed the paratrooper's ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart, but it was useless. From the moment that paratrooper landed on Li Ye's head, it was destined that for many years, he would be firmly pressed down by the paratrooper.

Younger than you + higher education than you + stronger connections than you, always squatting on top of you. Once they squat, they squat for many years. It's useless even if you work yourself to death like an old ox.

So now that Zheng Jiemin was giving Li Ye a cold shoulder to his face, Li Ye wasn't surprised at all. If he put himself in his shoes, he would understand everything.

The only difference from his previous life was that the Light Automobile Company was a state-owned enterprise, and Li Ye, this small deputy section chief, couldn't cover the sky with one hand. Zheng Jiemin was a state cadre holding an iron rice bowl. Even if he cursed Li Ye to his face, Li Ye couldn't "force him to resign," that's all.

But why did Guan Liang want to go against Li Ye?

He was the general manager's trusted subordinate, with a bright future ahead. The two weren't even on the same line; was it worth fighting to the death?

Li Ye turned his head to look at Watching Wen Leyu, feeling that his little wife might see things more clearly than he did. He would ask her for her opinion later.

When they arrived at the door, Li Ye patted the dozing Watching Wen Leyu awake.

"We're home."

"I slept the whole way... I've really been so sleepy lately! It's like I just eat and sleep, sleep and eat; I'm almost becoming a little pig."

"It's right to be sleepy. Rest as soon as you eat," Li Ye said patiently as he helped Watching Wen Leyu out of the car: "You're responsible for the nutrition of three people now. Sleep is an instinctive recovery reaction; there's nothing shameful about it."

"Mm-hmm, let's see what delicious food Grandma made today!"

Watching Wen Leyu was comforted by Li Ye and rushed home a few steps ahead, startling the two guard dogs that were welcoming the young couple, making them hurriedly dodge to the side.

These two guard dogs—one was Old Yellow's son, and the other was an authentic rural dog Watching Wen Leyu had bought back from Longtan Lake—had always been very affectionate toward Watching Wen Leyu, the mistress.

It was just that ever since Watching Wen Leyu got pregnant, Li Ye wouldn't allow them to get close to her. As long as they got within three steps, they would definitely receive a kick from Li Ye.

A kick from Li Ye could really kick a dog to death!

So now, they both wagged their tails while keeping their distance from Watching Wen Leyu, but if Watching Wen Leyu got close to them, they would reflexively dodge.

"Grandma, what are we eating today? Big pork knuckle?"

"Oh, there's a lot of delicious food today. Pork knuckle, tomatoes, cuttlefish..."

Because Mother Fu Guiru was very busy and could only come over every few days, Grandma Wu Juying had been in the capital taking care of Watching Wen Leyu during this period.

According to Grandma, the first few months after a new daughter-in-law gets pregnant are very important. After the Spring Festival, when the fetus is stable, she still had to go back to her hometown to serve Grandpa!

But Watching Wen Leyu had gradually gotten used to Grandma's taste recently and was instead hoping she would stay here permanently and not leave.

At the dinner table, Watching Wen Leyu ate very comfortably, as if she had developed a bit of a "couple's look" with Li Ye, the big eater, revealing her hidden nature as a foodie.

After the three of them had basically finished eating, Li Ye finally voiced the doubts in his heart.

"I've had something I couldn't figure out recently. That pen-pusher secretary in our unit seems to be competing with me, but we haven't had any conflict..."

Hearing Li Ye talk about work, Grandma Wu Juying and his wife Watching Wen Leyu both put down their chopsticks and listened carefully to Li Ye's narration.

After Li Ye finished speaking, Watching Wen Leyu pursed her lips and smiled. Looking at her expression, it was clearly, "Oh my, so my man also has times when he's silly!"

And Grandma Wu Juying said directly: "Can't you see this? He thinks you're blocking his path."

Li Ye asked doubtfully: "I'm blocking his path? He's a pen-pusher, I'm a production cadre. We're not on the same path, are we?"

Grandma said firmly: "You're about the same age, so you are on the same path, belonging to the same training echelon of the unit. Now it seems you're in the supply section and he's by the factory director's side, but what about ten years from now? Will you walk to the same position?"

Li Ye chuckled: "Ten years from now? Does he see that far? Besides, why does he think I can have smooth sailing and be promoted several levels in a few years?"

Wu Juying sighed and said: "Little Ye! In the past, your grandfather and I didn't see your capability, so we didn't tell you about some things.

Actually, there are only so many tricks in the unit. You seem to see everyone seeking progress, but only a few can truly progress. From the moment you were promoted to deputy section chief, you were already in people's eyes. Do you know why?"

Li Ye focused slightly and said in a low voice: "Is it because I was promoted exceptionally on the proposal of Deputy Manager Ma?"

The Light Automobile Company had three major shareholders. The Hong Kong capital had the most money but the shallowest influence in the mainland. The other two sides weren't easy to deal with either. Guan Liang was the big factory director's man. If Li Ye was identified as Ma Zhaoxian's man, then the two sides wouldn't be a simple "competition of young talents," but a struggle between factions.

Grandma Wu Juying said: "Your promotion might not have been directly proposed by Deputy Manager Ma, but no matter who proposed it, you've been noticed by someone.

The identity of a Peking University graduate is very prestigious. It's not hard to be promoted to deputy section chief after a year or half a year, but if no one speaks for you at the meeting, you have no backing. It will be hard when you reach the level of section chief.

Because at that time, you must have the recommendation of the main leaders of the unit, and then it must be discussed and passed at the meeting. Without backing, you won't even get a recommendation..."

"In an enterprise, how many important sections like the supply section are there? At that time, the one competing with you won't be the deputy section chief of your section, but all the deputy section chiefs of the entire unit..."

Grandma Wu Juying said a lot of things in one breath, leaving Li Ye dumbfounded.

It wasn't that Grandma's words were shocking—Li Ye had vaguely heard many of these things in his previous life—it was just that these words... they didn't fit Grandma's identity as an old-generation guerrilla fighter.

Look at what Grandma said. Is there any fairness left? Is there any law left?

The Li family in Qingshui County could barely be considered an "official family," but Li Ye hadn't heard much about these tricks since he was a child. Now, listening to Grandma, it was because the family "didn't see Li Ye's capability" before?

【You might as well just say I'm a blockhead with low IQ and not cut out for the system!】

Li Ye was more honest than clever before, so the family didn't cultivate him in that direction.

After all, people said that if you have low IQ, no background, and don't know how to handle things, but can endure hardship and be mediocre in the unit, you can live a peaceful life for a lifetime.

But if you have low IQ, low EQ, don't know how to handle things, and don't endure hardship, then even if you have a background, you will be squeezed out and live a life of frustration and resentment.

Li Ye's straightforward temper, where he would kick a dog to death at the drop of a hat, was just asking for death if he mixed in the system.

It was just that later, Li Ye made a comeback, flying around to make money during school and holidays, so the family didn't have a chance to teach him even if they wanted to.

Actually, in his previous life, Li Ye had heard an older brother say that the various tricks within the system couldn't be learned from books. If a child from a poor family had no one to guide them, it would take many years just to understand all these tricks.

And now, these words from Wu Juying were telling Li Ye that the true decision-making power for wanting to be promoted to section chief or deputy department head didn't lie in the level above, but in the level two levels above, or even three levels above.

If you can't connect to the "antenna" two or even three levels above, then even if you serve your immediate superior well—better than serving your own father—you will likely have no chance in the end. Your immediate superior might even helplessly tell you to "take the big picture into account."

Can you blame him for only taking benefits and not doing things?

No, it's that he's powerless. Even if he recommended you, you wouldn't be able to go up. It's better to sell a favor to a more "excellent" talent.

So why are many people only deputy section chiefs for a lifetime?

It's because once you reach the level of section chief, it involves the highest-level game of a unit. If you're not a die-hard subordinate of those main leaders, you might not even have the chance to get on the stage.

Guan Liang has the chance to get on the stage, so now, as far as his eyes can see, are all the potential opponents in the unit.

Those who are older, have no "antenna," have insufficient education, or are deputy section chiefs in sanitation, logistics, or kindergarten sections are not his potential opponents.

You've already been sent to a marginal department. Just retire; do you still want to flip over like a salted fish?

Those are all low-probability events.

But what about Li Ye?

When he first started working, Guan Liang might not have cared at all. He cared about people like Yue Lingshan and Zheng Jiemin. But after he was suddenly promoted to deputy section chief, everything changed.

Originally, the position of supply section chief should have fallen to Wu Qingyi, but it suddenly fell to Old Ding. Li Ye was immediately locked onto by Guan Liang.

Being promoted to deputy section chief after two months of work must mean he was favored by some main leader. Maybe the one who proposed his promotion was a small fry, but there must be a "big boss" behind him cultivating him.

And Li Ye was in an important department like the supply section. His immediate superior, Old Ding, was fifty-eight this year, obviously just a transition. What if Li Ye picked up the bargain later?

This is a real position of section chief in an important department of the unit, a necessary threshold for moving toward deputy department head. If Li Ye goes smoothly, he might not need ten years to fight Guan Liang for the peak of the unit and snatch a few of the only available positions.

Isn't this a potential opponent?

After listening to Grandma's narration, Li Ye still asked: "Grandma, I still don't understand one thing. According to what you said, even if he thinks I'm an opponent, he shouldn't be so obvious, right? Starting to fight with me now, wouldn't that let others reap the benefits?"

"Heh heh~"

Grandma Wu Juying chuckled and suddenly turned to Watching Wen Leyu: "Granddaughter-in-law, tell Little Ye what's going on with that Guan Liang."

Watching Wen Leyu smiled and said: "Grandma, I might not be saying it quite right, but I think that guy wants to beat him first and then pull him in, recruiting Li Ye under his command to use as a little brother. Later, when he saw that recruitment failed, he had crooked thoughts and wanted to put a few big hats on Li Ye."

Li Ye: "..."

【God damn beat him first and then pull him in, and he wants to recruit me as a little brother? How old is Leung Jing-ru this year?】