MM Racing Will there be evidence in Chapter 1199?
Will there be evidence in Chapter 1199?
Gu Nan feigned confusion, frowning as if he were genuinely stumped: "Director Zhu, what do you mean by that? I don't understand. Since I took office, I have been working diligently and have never done anything out of line. The factory's accounts are published monthly, and the attendance system is fair and transparent for everyone. I really don't know where the problem is that has caused everyone to have complaints."
Zhu Tao cursed "old fox" inwardly, but sighed and spread his hands, looking troubled: "I don't want to believe it either, but the evidence is all here. It's all from the workers' joint complaint. What am I supposed to do? I can't just cover it up and let everyone down, can I?" He winked at Yi Zhonghai, "Take the stuff out and let Deputy Director Gu take a look."
Yi Zhonghai and the others immediately stepped forward, unfolding the paper in their hands with a "whoosh," revealing dense writing and bright red fingerprints on it.
Gu Nan watched them rubbing their hands together, looking confident of victory, and sneered inwardly, but his face remained calm. He even nodded slightly and said indifferently, "Since there is evidence, then let's handle this officially. Director Zhu, don't be embarrassed. Just follow the factory's rules in terms of investigation and handling. I, Gu Nan, am upright and honest, and I'm not afraid of being investigated."
His composure made Zhu Tao's heart skip a beat—was Gu Nan really without any flaws? Or was he just putting on an act? The air in the office suddenly became tense.
Now that things have come to this, there's no room for change in the plan. Zhu Tao composed himself, tapped his fingertips lightly on the table twice, glanced at the workers beside him whom he had bribed, and said in a deep voice, "Alright, stop dawdling, tell me, what kind of shady evidence do you have against Gu Nan?"
The steel mill workers exchanged glances, their eyes filled with panic and hesitation. After a moment of hesitation, a burly, cunning old man finally spoke up, stammering, "Director Zhu, I... I know Deputy Director Gu is withholding benefits from the workshop. Last winter, he kept ten cotton-padded coats, saying they were for logistics, but he actually gave them all to his relatives in the countryside." Another tall, thin man immediately chimed in, "And me! I saw him pull strings to get his distant cousin a job in the inspection department. That job is so easy; we old workers who've been doing it for ten years don't even get a chance!" Someone else added, their eyes red, "He also takes bribes from suppliers! The last batch of steel that came in was clearly defective, but he still signed off on it. He must have taken kickbacks!"
Gu Nan stood to the side, arms crossed, listening to these fabricated stories riddled with holes, finding them utterly ridiculous—withholding winter coats? He had personally overseen the distribution of last winter's benefits; everyone's signature on the requisition forms was crystal clear. Backdoor deals? All the new employees in the inspection department were hired through written tests and interviews; there were records in their files. Kickbacks? He had the steel re-inspected immediately upon arrival at the factory, and any defective parts were returned on the spot; he even kept the supplier's apology letter. These accusations didn't even match up in terms of time and place; he wanted to see how Zhu Tao would explain himself.
Zhu Tao feigned surprise as he looked at Gu Nan, his brows furrowed and his face plastered with feigned confusion: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, listen to this... tsk tsk, I really didn't expect this. What do you think we should do? If you can't produce any evidence to refute this, in my opinion, we can only dismiss you from your post and suspend you from your duties for reflection. After all, our steel rolling mill has strict rules and regulations, and we absolutely cannot tolerate this kind of corrupting behavior that chills the hearts of the workers."
Looking at Zhu Tao's hypocritical appearance, Gu Nan couldn't help but laugh out loud, his voice tinged with sarcasm: "Director Zhu, isn't that a bit inappropriate? You can convict me based on just a few empty accusations, without even a decent witness testimony? You need to produce some real evidence, such as signed receipts or witnesses present at the scene. Otherwise, if word gets out, people will say that our factory is unreasonable and can frame innocent people just by talking."
Zhu Tao was taken aback by Gu Nan's composure. His heart skipped a beat, and he glanced at the workers, wanting to urge them to add fuel to the fire. But the workers all lowered their heads, not daring to speak—their previous words had been hastily prepared, and Gu Nan's questioning had made them appear timid, fearing that a single wrong word would give them leverage. But Zhu Tao was determined to deal with Gu Nan today, and he wasn't about to give up so easily. He cleared his throat, straightened his back, and adopted a "business ass" posture: "Gu Nan, you can't say that. You are, after all, the deputy director of the factory, and you should set an example for the workers. Even without solid evidence, these rumors will damage the factory's reputation. You have to prove your innocence and give everyone an explanation, right?"
Gu Nan almost burst out laughing—this was clearly a trap set for him, yet they were forcing him to prove his innocence; it was utterly absurd. But he was prepared, and his face remained impassive as he nodded: "Since Director Zhu says so, then I will accept. I can prove that I am completely innocent. Please wait a moment, and I will go to the office to get the evidence."
Zhu Tao sneered inwardly, not believing Gu Nan could produce any evidence at all—those so-called "old stories" were just old grievances he had dug up, which had long been blurred by him. Besides, the witnesses were all people who had grudges against Gu Nan, and they couldn't remember the details of what happened back then. How could they possibly leave any incriminating evidence? He nodded insincerely, his tone carrying a hint of condescending leniency: "Deputy Factory Director Gu has always been meticulous in his work, so I naturally trust you. Go ahead, we'll wait here, so everyone can be convinced."
Gu Nan nodded and turned to leave. In fact, from the very beginning, he had anticipated that Zhu Tao and his ilk would seek revenge—ever since he discovered problems with the factory's accounts and threatened Zhu Tao's interests, the latter had never been kind. Therefore, when dealing with the workers' violations years ago, he specifically had the clerk make detailed records, from the time of the offense and the process to the disciplinary decision, everything was written clearly. Even their signed confessions were carefully kept in a safe, all in preparation for this situation today.
As soon as Gu Nan left, the workers immediately gathered around Zhu Tao, their faces full of unease, their voices hushed: "Director Zhu, he... he doesn't really have evidence, does he? What I just said, actually... actually, I made it up."
Zhu Tao twirled his fingers, a confident smile spreading across his face. He patted the foreman on the shoulder: "Don't worry, so much time has passed. Even if there were records, they would be blurred by now, probably sold as waste paper long ago. Besides, as long as you insist it's true and refuse to admit you're lying, Gu Nan won't be able to produce any counter-evidence and will still have to admit defeat. Then I'll 'uphold justice' at the meeting, and even if he had ten mouths, he wouldn't be able to clear his name."