MM Racing Chapter 1196 Contact Immediately
Chapter 1196 Contact Immediately
Zhong Yi's heart tightened, and sweat instantly broke out on his back. He lowered his eyes, his voice dry and hoarse, as if it had been sanded: "Director Zhu, to be honest, I have indeed been paying close attention lately. But as you know, Chef Gu is always meticulous in managing the kitchen—he personally oversees the weighing of vegetables, keeps the accounts more precise than an abacus, weighs even a piece of meat three times, and even includes the vegetable scraps in the cost. It's really... really hard to find any evidence that can be presented to the public."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Tao's lips curled into a cold smile, though the smile didn't reach his eyes, as if he had already anticipated this outcome. He leaned back in his large leather chair, his hands clasped in front of his abdomen, his knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure. "It's nothing. What's the rush?" He paused, his tone laced with malice. "Gu Nan will be back tomorrow or the day after. We'll target him first then. Remember, this operation might fail, but that's alright."
He leaned forward, his eyes slithering like a snake: "Once things have calmed down, invite him to dinner and say you're thanking him for his past guidance. At the dinner table, follow the steps I taught you—first, get him to drink a few glasses, then have someone who 'happens' to be there 'accidentally' mention some 'rumors,' and finally, throw the prepared 'evidence' in front of him... Understand?"
Zhong Yi understood perfectly well what Zhu Tao meant—he was simply using the dinner invitation as an excuse to set a trap and frame Gu Nan. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something more to persuade Zhu Tao not to go too far, but Zhu Tao suddenly looked up at him, his eyes piercing like ice picks: "Director Zhong, you're not thinking of backing out now, are you?"
“I…” Zhong Yi was about to explain when Zhu Tao interrupted him.
“Remember, you’ve done a lot for me during this time—” Zhu Tao counted on his fingers, word by word, as if reciting evidence of a crime, “You checked the canteen’s purchase records for three months, asked Old Wang in the warehouse about Gu Nan’s handling of spoiled flour ten years ago, and even copied his old apprentices’ attendance sheets for me… If Gu Nan finds out about all this, even if you are an apprentice he personally trained, do you think he will let you off easily?”
He raised his voice, like a whip lashing Zhong Yi's heart: "Think it over carefully yourself, whether you stand on my side and live a life of luxury, or you cling to that master-disciple relationship and end up leaving the steel mill with him, unable to even get a bite to eat!"
Zhong Yi's face turned deathly pale. He had indeed done those things, but before Gu Nan left, he had confessed everything to his master—how Zhu Tao pressured him, how he dealt with it, even details like deliberately misremembering a few numbers when checking the records and only picking out trivial things to ask Old Wang. At the time, Gu Nan simply nodded calmly, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "I understand. Just be flexible and protect yourself," without blaming him in the slightest.
But he couldn't say this to Zhu Tao. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white as if they were about to crack, his nails digging deep into his palms, and whispered, "Director Zhu, I understand." His voice trembled without him even realizing it. "I know what I did was dishonorable. Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it. But... but could you please not let my master know what I did? He's been good to me, teaching me step by step since I was an apprentice. I don't want... I don't want to disappoint him."
Seeing that he had relented, Zhu Tao smiled with satisfaction, as if looking at a submissive prey. He waved his hand, his tone laced with condescending leniency: "Alright. As long as you help me deal with Gu Nan and make sure he can't stay in the factory, forget about this little thing. You'll still have your position as the canteen manager. Maybe I can even promote you to deputy head of the logistics department."
He stood up, walked over to Zhong Yi, patted him on the shoulder with such force it felt like he was going to break his bones: "Do a good job, don't let me down."
Zhong Yi kept his head down, not daring to look at him. He felt as if the hand on his shoulder was a branding iron, burning his heart with pain. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting bright spots of light on the floor, but he felt cold all over, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
Zhong Yi naturally understood the deeper meaning in Zhu Tao's words: he wanted him to completely take sides and deal a fatal blow to Gu Nan. He straightened his back, met Zhu Tao's gaze, and deliberately revealed a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes, as if he had been persuaded: "Factory Director, don't worry. I will personally step in and guarantee to give Gu Nan the final blow, crushing him to pieces so that he can never recover."
Zhu Tao nodded in satisfaction, tapped his fingertips on the table, and waved his hand: "Okay. There are still a lot of things to do in the kitchen. You can go back now, and don't let anyone see through your act."
Zhong Yi nodded in response, said nothing more, and turned to leave the office. He knew perfectly well that there was a mountain of work piling up in the kitchen—the fresh vegetables delivered that morning hadn't been counted and put into storage yet, and the menu for the afternoon staff meals needed to be finalized quickly to avoid delaying the start of the meal. More importantly, he knew that Zhu Tao and his group didn't fully trust him at all. The truly core plans, such as how the so-called "evidence" was forged and who was backing them, were something he wouldn't be involved in. But that didn't matter. Just as his mentor, Gu Nan, had instructed, he only needed to manage his own duties and keep things stable; his mentor would handle the rest.
Back in his cramped office, Zhong Yi closed the door behind him and stood leaning against it for a moment. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on the floor. He hesitated for a moment, then walked to his desk and picked up the old rotary dial telephone. His fingertips hovered over the number pad, but he ultimately dialed Gu Nan's number from memory.
The receiver kept ringing with a busy tone, each beep like a hammer blow to the heart. After a long while, the call was finally answered. Gu Nan's voice came through the static, carrying his usual calm and collected tone: "Zhong Yi? I'm going back to the factory tomorrow. Are they about to make their move?"
Zhong Yi sighed inwardly; his master was indeed astute. He lowered his voice and recounted Zhu Tao's instructions and his own feigned agreement to the "plan": "Yes, Master, I don't yet understand their overall plan, but the task assigned to me is to directly report you for embezzling public funds to falsify accounts for the cafeteria's purchases... Master, that's a serious charge. What should we do then?"
Gu Nan chuckled softly on the other end, his tone reassuringly confident: "It's alright. Just follow their plan, do what you're supposed to do, and act convincingly. Trust me, I won't be the one getting the short end of the stick."
Zhong Yi felt a weight lifted from his heart. He nodded heavily, as if he wanted the person on the other end of the phone to see it: "I understand, Master. Please be careful yourself." After saying that, he hurriedly hung up the phone, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table, a hint of composure flashing in his eyes—since Master said that, he must have a solution.