aircannonsinc Chapter 1195 Gu Nan is coming back from studying
Chapter 1195 Gu Nan is coming back from studying
He Yuzhu tiptoed out, and the moment the wooden door clicked shut, the carefully maintained composure on his face crumbled. His lips parted in a wide grin that stretched to his ears, and his eyes shone like fire. He almost couldn't help but hum the tune of "The East Is Red." He imagined watching Zhong Yi slip up, using Director Zhu's influence to bring down Gu Nan, and finally, smoothly taking the position of canteen manager… This string of thoughts swirled in his mind, sweet as honey-dipped sesame candy, a sweetness that spread from his tongue to his heart.
He walked with such light steps, as if treading on cotton, that even the uneven cement floor in the corridor didn't hurt his feet, as he floated towards the kitchen. Sunlight slanted in through the wooden lattice window at the end of the corridor, weaving dappled patterns of light on him, warm and cozy. Even the air seemed to carry the aroma of braised pork simmering in the large iron pot in the kitchen—glossy, amber-colored from being coated in rock sugar, the smell of a prosperous and fulfilling life.
He Yuzhu was overjoyed, thinking that this meant Director Zhu valued him from the bottom of his heart and considered him a capable person. Little did he know that in Zhu Tao's room with the "Office" sign, he was nothing more than a convenient pawn, made of wood, heartless and carefree, to be discarded at any time without a second thought, without even a hint of regret.
In the office, Zhu Tao watched He Yuzhu's light and somewhat comical back as a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. His fingertips tapped lightly on the smooth desk, "tap, tap, tap," as if setting the beat for a grand performance about to begin. Now, all the necessary traps were set; the seasoned veterans in the workshop, the gossipy ones in logistics, even the old men and women in the courtyard who loved to chatter had all been connected, just waiting for that old geezer Gu Nan to return from out of town.
This time, Gu Nan went out to "learn" under the guise of an arrangement by the factory, but in reality, it was a trap that Zhu Tao had painstakingly dug over three months. Ostensibly, he was sent to a sister company to learn from their experience, but secretly, the people there had already prepared a "surprise": a forged list of "privately received benefits" and several bribed "witnesses," all in preparation for Gu Nan's capture.
The moment Gu Nan steps through the gates of the steel rolling mill, his pent-up plans will be unleashed: the older workers in the workshop who received favors from him will stand up with red eyes to "testify," saying that Gu Nan abused his power during his previous management, giving all the good jobs to relatives and friends; Yi Zhonghai and his gang of old guys from the compound will also come to the factory under the pretext of "visiting relatives" to "report the situation," exaggerating Gu Nan's conduct and saying he's close to female employees. This is a tightly linked scheme, designed to leave Gu Nan with no way to defend himself, no matter how eloquent he is, he won't be able to clear his name.
To deal with Gu Nan, Zhu Tao had used a lot of connections, from the workshop team leader to the logistics manager, and even planted a spy in the courtyard house where Gu Nan lived—that old lady Zhang who always loved to sunbathe at the door. Every time Gu Nan's family had guests, she would be the first to report it. He had calculated clearly that even if the plan went wrong in the end, the scapegoats would be Yi Zhonghai and his gang of sycophantic old fogies, or those few money-grubbing old hands in the workshop. It would have nothing to do with him, Zhu Tao. At most, he would be given a light reprimand for "misjudging people," write a self-criticism, and then be able to clear himself of all responsibility.
In a guesthouse a thousand miles away, Gu Nan had just hung up the phone with Zhong Yi when his brows furrowed into a knot, like a lump of dough that hadn't been kneaded. On the phone, Zhong Yi had told him everything that was going on at the factory—Zhu Tao had been going to the workshop every few days, hanging out with several old workers who usually didn't get along with Gu Nan, and had even secretly met with Yi Zhonghai. Anyone with eyes could see that he was up to no good.
"Trying to mess with me?" Gu Nan sneered, tapping his fingertips on the chipped tabletop with a dull thud. He wasn't some pushover; how could he have risen from apprentice to head of the technical department in the steel rolling mill without connections and backup plans? Initially, he genuinely thought it was just a routine training session, until yesterday when he received a message from his old comrade revealing that this entire assignment was Zhu Tao's scheme. Since the other party had already put a knife to his throat, he saw no need to be polite anymore.
What surprised him even more was that during this trip, he asked someone to investigate Zhu Tao's background and discovered something that shocked him—Zhu Tao and Li Jianjun, with whom he had a grudge on the construction site years ago, were actually sworn brothers! No wonder Zhu Tao had been at odds with him at every turn ever since he was transferred to the factory, picking on him during meetings and giving him only difficult tasks. So that's the root of the problem—he was here to take revenge for Li Jianjun!
Gu Nan gazed at the unfamiliar street scene outside the window. Below, traffic flowed busily, and the cries of vendors seeped in through the cracks in the window, carrying a lively, bustling atmosphere. The anger that had risen within him from being schemed against gradually settled into an icy calm. A stack of study materials lay on the guesthouse table, the cover bearing the title "Compilation of Advanced Experiences." But after flipping through them for days, he found nothing but the same old rhetoric of "strengthening management" and "improving efficiency"—nothing of substance whatsoever. He knew in his heart that this study was merely a pretext; the real battlefield was still within the square courtyard of the steel rolling mill.
He pulled a crumpled leather notebook from his canvas bag, opened it, and found several names and phone numbers inside—his network of contacts accumulated over the years: a former union leader, a member of the disciplinary committee, and two former colleagues who were reporters at the newspaper. Since Zhu Tao wanted to play dirty, he'd play along. Who would get what was coming to whom was still uncertain.
The sun outside the window gradually set in the west, casting a long shadow of Gu Nan onto the stack of documents, like a silent vow.
A month passed in the blink of an eye, like sand slipping through his fingers. Gu Nan's exchange program at the school in another city was over. He packed his simple luggage—a canvas bag containing several books on kitchen management and two packets of local spices, specially brought for the factory canteen. After buying his return train ticket, watching the rapidly receding shadows of the trees outside the window, he was thinking: when I get back, I should first change the canteen's menu. The dishes he learned, like "Amber Ribs" and "Jade Tofu," are both inexpensive and delicious, perfect for giving the workers a change of pace.
Inside the steel rolling mill's office building, Zhu Tao sat behind a large mahogany desk, his fingertips tapping the surface intermittently, producing a dull "tap-tap" sound. He looked at Zhong Yi standing opposite him, his eyes like icy knives, scrutinizing him: "Director Zhong, you've been keeping a close eye on the kitchen this past month, haven't you?"