aircannonsinc Chapter 1033: Divorce plan
Chapter 1033: Divorce plan
Deputy Factory Director Li's heart sank, as if gripped by an invisible, icy hand, chilling him to the bone—those old accounts were the tricks he'd pulled in equipment procurement and workshop renovation projects when he'd climbed the ladder by stepping on others. The accounts were meticulously concealed, with invoices and acceptance forms all in order, but only he knew the extent of the shady dealings; it was his very Achilles' heel. If uncovered, he'd at best lose his job, and at worst, face imprisonment and legal trouble.
He suppressed the surging anger in his heart, his knuckles clenched until they turned white, but he forced a smile and deliberately softened his tone, trying to make his voice sound sincere and believable: "Old Liu, don't worry, I said I'd bring you back, and I mean it. Right now, it's a very sensitive time, and there are a lot of people watching us at the factory. Why don't you go home and rest for a few days to avoid the storm? Once this is over, I'll arrange for you to come back immediately, to your original position, with the same salary."
Liu Wen, however, wasn't buying it. He glared at him fiercely, his eyes like a quenched knife, full of resentment and bitterness, clearly saying, "Don't give me that." He didn't say anything more, turned around, and slammed the door shut with a loud bang. The force was so great that the office windows rattled, and dust accumulated on the glass fell down, tracing messy arcs in the sunlight.
Deputy Factory Director Li stared at the closed door, his chest heaving violently. His pent-up anger could no longer be contained, and he slammed his fist on the desk. With a dull thud, the enamel mug on the desk jumped half a foot high, spilling its tea with a "splash," running down the surface and soaking the spread-out production reports. The ink smeared and blurred, like distorted faces, silently mocking him.
He gritted his teeth, his cheeks puffed out, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes—Gu Nan's move was truly ruthless and precise! Ostensibly, he was giving Liu Wen a long leave according to factory rules, but in reality, he was using Liu Wen to bring up those old grievances, a warning shot. This feud was now firmly established!
But before long, the anger on Deputy Factory Director Li's face gradually faded, replaced by a meaningful, somewhat sinister smile. He wiped his face, sat back down in his wicker chair, and tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a soft "tap-tap" sound. His mind was racing—what's the rush? It's not time to discard Liu Wen, this pawn.
After all, Liu Wen has powerful connections. His cousin is a section chief in the city's industrial bureau. Although it's not a high-ranking official position, it's one with real power, and he has connections with many higher-ups. A word from him at a crucial moment is more effective than running around like crazy. If Liu Wen is really pushed too far, and his cousin gets involved in obstructing project approvals and funding allocations, it will only cause more trouble.
Moreover, as a senior engineer in the factory with over twenty years of experience, Liu Wen possessed an extraordinary network of connections. Throughout the steel rolling mill, he had trained numerous apprentices, from technicians to team leaders, and even several workshop directors had received his guidance. Many of them held him in high regard. If a conflict were to arise with Gu Nan, a mere whispered suggestion, a few discreet hints, and the mobilization of his apprentices to create minor obstacles for Gu Nan's new production line—such as "accidentally" misplacing a parameter or "temporarily" reporting an equipment malfunction—would cause significant delays, leaving Gu Nan overwhelmed and unable to manage both ends.
He picked up the half-empty cup of tea on the table, took a sip, and the scalding tea, bitter and pungent, spread across his tongue. Yet, the more he thought about it, the clearer things became. Gu Nan wanted to use Liu Wen to teach him a lesson? He was still too naive. The waters of this steel mill ran deep; on the surface, everything seemed calm, but beneath lay a complex web of relationships. Who would have the last laugh was still uncertain.
He picked up his pen and drew a heavy circle on the tea-soaked report, a calculating glint in his eyes—since Gu Nan had made the first move, he didn't need to be polite anymore. He had to make good use of Liu Wen's move.
Gu Nan didn't say anything more, a faint smile on his face as he turned and left. To him, Liu Wen wasn't worth his time; his real target had always been Deputy Factory Director Li. Although he couldn't completely bring him down in one fell swoop, he absolutely couldn't let him have it easy—he had to get his revenge.
Back in his office, Gu Nan had just sat down when he tapped his fingers on the desk, suddenly remembering something. A meaningful smile played on his lips; he decided to give Deputy Factory Director Li and Liu Wen another piece of "smear campaign." Picking up the phone on his desk, he dialed the switchboard: "Pass the word down that all engineers in the factory, regardless of rank, must attend a meeting in Conference Room One in ten minutes. Tell them I have something important to announce."
He knew in his heart that some of these engineers were apprentices trained by Liu Wen, especially the junior engineers who were quite close to Liu Wen. But Gu Nan didn't care—he wanted to show Liu Wen and Deputy Factory Director Li that the factory's technical backbone ultimately recognized him as the person in charge, and that he had real plans and resources that no one could control.
After hanging up the phone, Gu Nan went straight to the conference room. When he opened the door, it was already full of people. All the junior and intermediate engineers were there and talking in hushed tones. When they saw him come in, they all stood up immediately.
"Deputy Factory Director Gu!" everyone shouted in unison.
Gu Nan waved his hand, a gentle smile on his face: "Please sit down, don't be shy. I called you all here today mainly to talk about the upcoming production arrangements. The higher-ups are pressing us hard lately, so some processes need to be adjusted."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a young man wearing glasses stood up from the back row, his face showing some dissatisfaction: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, I have something to ask—why isn't my teacher, Senior Engineer Liu, here? How could such an important meeting be missing him?"
Gu Nan recognized him; he was Zhang Zhi, Liu Wen's most prized student and a well-known "nurse." He knew this was a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for him. Gu Nan remained calm and said in a flat tone, "You mean Engineer Liu Wen? He's not feeling well and has taken sick leave. He probably won't be able to come anytime soon."
Zhang Zhi frowned even more, wanting to ask more questions, but Gu Nan raised her hand to interrupt him: "Alright, let's put personal matters aside for now and talk about production matters. After we finish talking about business, I have some good news to tell everyone."
Except for a few close to Liu Wen, the others weren't particularly concerned about his whereabouts. Upon hearing the "good news," their attention was immediately drawn to him. Gu Nan cleared his throat and began methodically outlining the production plan, explaining everything clearly and logically, from the precision requirements of the parts to the allocation of raw materials and the deadlines for expedited production. These engineers were all knowledgeable and could tell at a glance that he was truly capable, not just a leader who gave orders without real expertise. The previously somewhat relaxed atmosphere gradually became serious.