aircannonsinc Chapter 924 Xiao Bao Finds Xu Damao
Chapter 924 Xiao Bao Finds Xu Damao
He Yuzhu watched Zhong Yi walk into the cafeteria with an expectant smile on his face. He rubbed his hands and asked, "Director Zhong, you're here? We've cleaned the cafeteria thoroughly from top to bottom. Take a look. Is it to your liking?"
Zhong Yi, hands behind his back, slowly walked around the stove. The iron pot was polished to a sheen, a reflection in it. The grease in the cracks between the stove tiles had been scraped clean, leaving a pale, bluish sheen. Even the chopping block in the corner had been scraped clean, revealing a fresh, crisp surface. He nodded slowly, not saying much—there was truly nothing wrong, and any more would have seemed contrived.
Elsewhere, Xu Damao stormed into the Propaganda Department, seething with rage. He'd just been bumped by a reckless apprentice at the factory gate, nearly dropping his film canister. He'd been so frightened, and even now, a hint of sullenness still hung on his face. He deftly picked up the projector, muttering to himself, "It's more comfortable to be working. Projecting movies is my true calling. It's better than constantly worrying about how to keep tabs on people."
As he reached the entrance to the department, he ran into Deputy Director Li, who was walking in with his hands behind his back, his leather shoes clacking against the cement floor. Xu Damao's eyes lit up, and he quickly put down his equipment to greet him, a fawning smile on his face: "Deputy Director Li, you're here! You see, I've been back to work in the Propaganda Department for a few days now, and I've been working diligently without any problems. Do you think... could you give me a position? Even a team leader would be fine, so I can serve the factory more wholeheartedly, right?"
Deputy Director Li's mind was preoccupied with getting Xu Damao to keep a close eye on Gu Nan. Hearing him suddenly bring this up, he couldn't help but frown, his tone piercing: "Do you think I don't know how much effort I put into smoothing things over to get you back to the Propaganda Department? You've only been back a few days, and you're already thinking about becoming an official? Aren't you being too ambitious?"
Xu Damao was no fool. He understood what the other party meant the moment he heard it, and quickly smiled to smooth things over: "Deputy Director Li, you're joking! How could I dare to do that? The main thing is... you see, I'm about to go out and show movies to various workshops. I'm busy running around here and there, so how can I help you keep an eye on Gu Nan? You have to take care of both sides, right? If I could get a position where I could manage two people, maybe I could split some of my energy and serve you more comprehensively, right?"
Deputy Director Li hadn't expected Xu Damao to go along with the situation and steer the conversation towards "keeping an eye on Gu Nan." He chuckled inwardly, but his expression softened. "Okay, I get what you mean. I'll figure this out for you later, and I'll definitely find you a small position in the Propaganda Department. But for now, you have to do your job of showing the movie well, and don't make any mistakes. Do you understand?"
Xu Damao felt relieved when he saw his goal had been achieved. He knew that pressing further would be inappropriate, so he nodded and bowed hurriedly, "Of course! Deputy Director Li, how can I not believe you? Don't worry, I'll take care of the movie screening! I'll go get busy now and report back to you!"
He knew perfectly well that he was now a pawn between Deputy Director Li and Gu Nan. He couldn't completely offend either side, as the slightest mistake could lead to his downfall. Therefore, the most important thing right now was to strike a balance between the two and seize the opportunity to reap some tangible benefits—such as the position in the Propaganda Department. This was Xu Damao's true calculation at the moment.
Xu Damao picked up his equipment again and was about to leave with his bicycle. He didn't notice that Monkey was standing on tiptoe under the old locust tree not far from the factory gate, pointing at his back and saying to a sturdy man with sharp eyes beside him, "Boss Xiao, look, this is the Xu Damao I was telling you about. He lives in the same courtyard with Gu Nan and is in charge of showing movies at the factory. This guy is very cunning and tells different stories to different people. Maybe we can get some information about Gu Nan from him, such as what's going on at home and who he usually interacts with."
Xiao Bao, known as Boss Xiao, narrowed his eyes and looked up and down at Xu Damao's slightly hunched back. A meaningful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and his fingertips tapped lightly on the hilt of the knife at his waist: "Oh? Really? Then I can find an opportunity to meet this Comrade Xu."
Xiao Bao looked at Monkey, his brows furrowed slightly, his fingertips tapping unconsciously on his knees. "You mean, we can use that guy named Xu Damao? But he's just a movie projector in the factory. What use can he have besides fiddling with that machine? Can he even help us guard the door?"
Monkey quickly took two steps forward and explained in a low voice, "Boss Xiao, here's what I'm thinking - isn't Xu Damao always trying to find a chance to show up near the courtyard? Let's have him pick a night and show a movie at the courtyard gate. You see, everyone in the courtyard, both adults and children, will be happy to come out and see something new. Ran Qiuye might come out with the child, too. As soon as she shows up, won't we have a chance to take action? By then, there will be many people around, and it will be easy for us to sneak in. Even if we succeed, it will be easy to get away."
Xiao Bao paused for a moment, then looked up at the monkey with a smile on his face. "That's an interesting idea. I didn't realize you had such a bright mind. Okay, let's go and see what Xu Damao is up to. If this works, I'll give you a credit."
As they spoke, the two hurried after him. Not far ahead, Xu Damao was riding a half-worn bicycle. A heavy movie projector was tied to the back seat with a thick hemp rope. The iron shell gleamed in the sun. He was afraid the bumpy road would damage the equipment, so he rode slowly, occasionally leaning back to check, fearing the rope had come loose.
Monkey ran to the front of the bicycle and reached out to gently stop the handlebars: "Brother Damao, where are you going? You're in such a hurry."
Xu Damao was startled by the monkey that suddenly appeared. He frantically squeezed the brakes, and the bicycle squeaked to a stop. He steadied the handlebars and saw who it was. A smile immediately broke out on his face. "Oh, it's a monkey! What are you doing here? Do you want to talk to me?"
He was quite warm towards Monkey - after all, this guy had run errands for him twice before and solved a small problem in the process, saving him a lot of effort, so he was willing to talk to him more, maybe he would be of use in the future.
The monkey stepped aside and pointed at Xiao Bao, who was catching up quickly behind him. He introduced him, "This is my elder brother Xiao Bao. He came to see you specially because he wants to discuss a business deal with you."
When Xu Damao heard the word "business," his eyes lit up, and his initial discomfort instantly vanished. Who wouldn't want money these days? He quickly jumped out of the car, spat into his palm, wiped it on his pants, and with a fawning smile on his face, he bowed to Xiao Bao. "Oh, it's Brother Xiao. My apologies! I can tell from your demeanor that you're no ordinary person. What do you want from me? Do you want me to show you a movie somewhere? The price is negotiable! I promise I'll make it all clear for you!"