aircannonsinc Chapter 990 Xu Damao is still somewhat clever
Chapter 990 Xu Damao is still somewhat clever
Xu Damao was stunned, his surprise barely concealed – Gu Nan was taking leave at this time? Half the weight on his heart lifted, but a new doubt arose: what could possibly require him to take leave at this crucial moment? He clicked his tongue, didn't ask any more questions, and turned to walk towards his office, his mind racing: Could something have happened at home? Or is it related to that matter at the factory?
Just as he was pondering this, he bumped into a familiar-looking clerk who casually remarked, "Clerk Xu, did you see? Deputy Factory Director Gu is on leave today."
Xu Damao's eyes widened, and he deliberately raised his voice: "What did you say? Deputy Factory Director Gu took leave? How come I didn't know?"
The clerk glanced at him, a hint of disdain in his eyes—Xu Damao always loved to put on airs at the factory, did he really think he was someone important? He scoffed, saying irritably, "Does he need to report to you every time he takes leave?" He paused, then deliberately raised his voice, "Besides, who doesn't know you live in the same courtyard house as Deputy Factory Director Gu? You wouldn't not know he took leave? You're probably faking it, aren't you?"
Xu Damao was a little embarrassed, so he quickly forced a smile to smooth things over: "Oh—hey, look at my memory! We do live in the same hospital. How could I not know he wasn't at work? I just didn't realize it for a moment and forgot about it."
The clerk clearly didn't believe it; he just twitched the corner of his mouth, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
Once everyone had walked away, Xu Damao's smile vanished instantly. He had intended to go back to his office to rest, but after taking only two steps, he saw Deputy Factory Director Li walking towards him from the stairwell.
Xu Damao's heart skipped a beat, and his first instinct was to avoid him—he and Deputy Factory Director Li had never had much of a relationship. The latter only cared about performance and looked down on Xu's sycophantic behavior. When they met, they were just nodding acquaintances, and there was really nothing to talk about. He shrank his neck, lowered his head, and tried to slip away to the side.
Xu Damao had just turned around, his toes barely touching the steps, when his arm was grabbed tightly, the force almost making him stumble. His heart skipped a beat. Turning around, he saw none other than Deputy Factory Director Li. The man wore a smile, the wrinkles around his eyes crinkling like chrysanthemums, but his gaze was like a searchlight, scanning Xu Damao's face with an ambiguous scrutiny: "Xu Damao, why are you leaving as soon as you see me? Do you think I'd eat you?"
Xu Damao's heart leaped into his throat. He quickly forced a smile, rubbing his hands on the hem of his clothes until the wrinkles were almost smoothed out. "Deputy Factory Director Li, you're joking. How could I dare! I wouldn't dare even if you gave me the guts!" He bowed, his tone extremely submissive. "I'm rushing to the warehouse to get the film. I'm going to show 'Tunnel Warfare' in Workshop One this afternoon. The workers are all waiting. I can't afford to be late."
Deputy Factory Director Li slowly released his grip, lightly patting Xu Damao's arm twice with his fingertips, as if brushing off dust or tapping. He paced a couple of steps, hands behind his back, his gaze falling on Xu Damao's smiling face, and slowly said, "I just saw you going over to Gu Nan's side. Did you need something from him?" He didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning in his eyes was crystal clear—he wanted to know whether Xu Damao was on his side or had secretly sided with Gu Nan.
Xu Damao's mind worked faster than a projector's gears. While not particularly shrewd, he could still discern subtle cues. To say he was close to Gu Nan now would be asking for trouble. He quickly waved his hands, his smile becoming even more ingratiating, his wrinkles crinkling together: "Hey, Deputy Factory Director Li, please don't misunderstand! I just borrowed an old-fashioned magnifying glass from him the other day for watching films, and I was just returning it on the way. It's really nothing more than a coincidence, a complete coincidence!"
Deputy Factory Director Li stared at him for a moment, seeing that his head was almost touching his chest and his attitude was quite respectful, before slowly speaking, his tone sounding like casual conversation: "Alright, I understand. By the way, let me give you a heads-up—Director Wang of the Propaganda Department is retiring next month, and that position will soon be vacant. I think you're doing quite well in the projection team, and you're also quick-witted, so I'm planning to recommend you to the factory for a tryout."
Xu Damao's eyes lit up instantly, like two searchlights, and his voice rose eight octaves, trembling with disbelief: "Really? Deputy Factory Director Li, you're not kidding me?" He had been stuck in the projection team for almost ten years, carrying the equipment around the workshop every day, and had long hoped to move to an office. This was like a windfall, leaving him dizzy with joy.
Deputy Factory Director Li sneered inwardly—with Xu Damao's opportunistic nature, he actually wanted to be the director? It was just that the factory's political climate was unclear right now, so they had to keep him in check and prevent him from actually teaming up with Gu Nan. More manpower was always better than more adversaries. He patted Xu Damao's shoulder, the pressure neither too light nor too heavy, his tone conveying "care": "Work hard. Opportunities are for those who are prepared. From now on, the factory's publicity work will depend on you young people taking on more responsibility."
Xu Damao was overjoyed, bowing and scraping repeatedly, his back bent like a shrimp: "Oh, thank you for the promotion, Deputy Factory Director Li! I will definitely work hard and live up to your expectations!" When he turned around, his steps were unsteady, as if he were walking on cotton, and he didn't even see the fleeting contempt in Deputy Factory Director Li's eyes when he turned around—in the other party's eyes, he was just a pawn that could be used temporarily, and could be discarded at any time after it was used up.
On the other side, Gu Nan carried two large bags towards the courtyard. The bags were bulging; one side contained steamed rice cakes and fruit candies for the children, and the other held freshly cut pork belly and two large carp. They were so heavy that his fingers ached from the weight. Just as he reached the courtyard gate, he saw Jia Zhangshi standing there with her hands on her hips, like a guardian deity, her eyes fixed intently on the packages in his hands, as if she wanted to see right through them.
Madam Jia had come out of the house drawn by the aroma of meat, assuming it was someone having a special meal. But when she saw that Gu Nan had bought so much good stuff, her mind started racing – she was already thinking about how to ask for some, even just a piece of fish offal. But the moment she caught a glimpse of the big black dog following behind Gu Nan, her hopes instantly vanished.
The dog's ears were perked up, its bright black eyes fixed on her warily, a low growl emanating from its throat, its tail taut like a stick, ready to pounce at any moment. Jia Zhangshi immediately swallowed the words she was about to say, and sullenly moved aside, a good three feet away from Gu Nan. She still vividly remembered the pain of being chased and bitten halfway down the street by this dog last time, her trousers torn; how could she dare to go near it again now?