Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Chapter 1201 All the Evidence

Gu Nan possessed far more evidence than Zhu Tao and his team had imagined. From the travel expense receipts Zhu Tao had falsified when he first took office—invoices for accommodation in the provincial capital when he only went to a neighboring county; to the black ledger recording the weighing and buyers of scrap steel and old cables secretly transported out of the factory by his trusted workers; even the receipts from last winter when the canteen purchased frozen meat, showing them using water-injected and spoiled meat instead of good meat, with the warehouse keeper forced to sign it… Gu Nan had meticulously categorized and stored them in a locked drawer in his residence. He had originally intended to let these things rot in his hands—they were all from the same steel mill, they would inevitably run into each other, and pushing someone to the brink of ruin and creating a deadly feud would benefit no one.

But now, Zhu Tao and his group are relentlessly pressing him, spreading rumors and setting traps, determined to kill him. Then he shouldn't blame him for showing no mercy. Once all the evidence is laid out, let's see how long they can keep up their stubbornness and what fallacies they can come up with to argue their point.

Gu Nan deliberately rested at his lodgings for two hours, brewed a strong cup of tea, and leisurely flipped through the new cookbooks he had bought from the bookstore, occasionally pondering the dishes. He wanted Zhu Tao and his group to believe that he had no decent evidence whatsoever and was probably pacing around anxiously, racking his brains for a solution. The more arrogant and confident they were at this moment, the harder they would fall later—he understood the principle of "extreme joy turns to sorrow" better than anyone.

Zhu Tao's office was already filled with smoke, stinging the eyes. He sat cross-legged in his large office chair, a cigarette between his fingers, the ash nearly an inch long, yet he seemed oblivious. He exhaled a smoke ring and said smugly, "I told you, he's probably rubbing his hands in his room right now, he can't produce any real evidence. I just had He Yuzhu check it out, and he said the lights weren't even on, he's probably out of options."

Several workers nearby immediately nodded in agreement, their faces full of smug satisfaction. "That's right, Gu Nan's only ability is managing the canteen by buying groceries and serving meals. When it comes to scheming and maneuvering, he's no match for you, Director!" "When he comes, we'll slam all that 'evidence' on the table and drown him in a sea of ​​spittle. Let's see how he tries to argue then! We'll make sure he slinks out of the steel mill with his tail between his legs!"

A group of people huddled together, whispering and occasionally chuckling, but their eyes were fixed on the doorway, like a pack of wolves waiting for their prey to fall into their trap. They were hoping that Gu Nan would come to be scolded so they could watch a good show.

Gu Nan glanced at his watch; the hour hand steadily pointed to three in the afternoon—it was about time. It was time to teach these arrogant fools a lesson, especially those who were the most cocky and always shirking their duties. This was a good opportunity to expose all their dirty deeds and get them fired from the factory, so they wouldn't stay in the workshop causing trouble and corrupting the atmosphere.

He carried a stack of documents and strolled leisurely to Zhu Tao's office door, raising his hand to knock. The "knock, knock, knock" sound was unhurried and echoed in the quiet corridor, revealing a sense of confident composure, without the slightest hint of panic from being forced into a corner.

"Come in." Zhu Tao's voice came from inside the house, carrying a hint of feigned impatience, as if he disliked Gu Nan's arrival.

Gu Nan pushed open the door and entered, his face expressionless. He placed the documents in his arms on the table with a soft "thud" and said in a deep voice, "Factory Director, some of these pieces of evidence are from a few years ago. It took some effort to find them, so please don't mind that we're late."

Zhu Tao didn't even lift his eyelids, his fingers lightly tapping on the table, a cold smile playing on his lips—who was he putting on this act for? He wanted to see what tricks the other had up his sleeve. Could the other side conjure up evidence of his corruption out of thin air? "It's alright, as long as there's evidence," he said, leaning back in his chair, adopting an air of impartiality. "We'll go through this step by step today, see if someone is deliberately slandering you. If anyone dares to speak recklessly or make baseless accusations, I, Zhu Tao, will not let them get away with it, and I will definitely clear your name."

The workers nearby, upon hearing this, all forced insincere smiles. What evidence could Gu Nan possibly have? Nothing more than some insignificant old grievances, or simply baseless fabrications. If he couldn't produce any solid evidence later, that would be his turn to be punished! Then they'd see how he could hold his head high in the factory!

Gu Nan's gaze calmly swept across the crowd, finally landing on a short, stout worker—Liu Li, Zhu Tao's henchman, who usually coasted along in the workshop thanks to Zhu Tao's connections and was also dishonest. He spoke indifferently, "Liu Li, what evidence do you have to sue me?"

When Liu Li was called upon, he seemed to be injected with adrenaline. He stiffened his neck, took half a step forward, cleared his throat, and deliberately raised his voice so that everyone in the room could hear: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, although you are the leader, there are some things I have to say! Back when I was being promoted to Level 5 fitter, you took advantage of your power and embezzled a lot of precision parts from the workshop! Those were high-quality imported parts! At the time, you even threatened me, saying that if I dared to tell anyone, you would keep me in the apprentice group for life, with no chance of advancement! I was too timid to say anything then, but now that the factory director is in charge, I must speak out and let everyone in the factory know what kind of person you are!"

He spoke with great enthusiasm, spittle flying from his mouth, veins bulging on his neck, yet a barely perceptible hint of panic flickered in his eyes—he was the one who had done it all; back then, to get promoted to a fifth-grade worker, he had secretly taken parts from the workshop to bribe the judges, and now he was turning around and accusing Gu Nan. But he was certain Gu Nan had no evidence, so he could only grit his teeth and continue fabricating, knowing there would be no way to prove it anyway.

Gu Nan looked at him, a cold smile playing on her lips: "Oh? I did this? Say it again, I want to hear the details."

Liu Li felt a chill run down his spine under his gaze, as if pricked by needles, and his legs trembled slightly. But there was no turning back now; he had no choice but to go all the way. He took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and forced a calm demeanor: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, you can't just turn black into white just because you're a leader, can you? With the factory director here, I'm not afraid of you! This matter must be clarified openly and honestly, so that everyone in the steel rolling mill can see what kind of hypocrite you really are!"

"Are you sure I did this?" Gu Nan suddenly laughed, the laughter not loud, but carrying a chilling undertone. "Then don't blame me."

He had barely finished speaking when he raised his hand and gently clapped his hands.

"Snap! Snap!" Two crisp sounds rang out clearly in the smoke-filled office.