MM Racing Chapter 1134 New Factory Director
Chapter 1134 New Factory Director
Ran Qiuye's face flushed slightly from his pinch, and she took half a step back: "How is this going off-topic? You have a high reputation in the factory, and the workers all respect you..."
“Silly wife.” Gu Nan interrupted her, his tone deepening but revealing a clear understanding. “What kind of place is a steel rolling mill? It’s the nation’s precious gem, where the livelihoods of thousands of workers depend on. How can the position of factory director be determined by prestige? In the end, it’s always someone sent down from above, either a senior cadre with experience or a capable person transferred from elsewhere. Those of us who have toiled in the factory are just grateful if we can do our jobs well.”
As he spoke, he reached out and brushed a stray hair from Ran Qiuye's forehead. She hadn't slept well last night, and a single hair at her temple had stuck up like a mischievous little blade of grass. "I'm fine as I am now. As the deputy factory director, I don't care about those empty formalities of welcoming and sending off guests, I don't have to attend meetings and listen to reports every day, I just keep an eye on whether the machines in the workshop are running and whether the products are up to standard, it's reassuring."
Ran Qiuye finally breathed a sigh of relief, the weight in her heart finally lifted. She knew Gu Nan wasn't the kind of person who cared about empty fame. She smiled and gave him a gentle push, as light as cotton: "Alright, alright, I know you see things clearly. Let's go, or we'll be late. I'll save some sweet potato porridge for you when we get back tonight, with red dates in it."
"Okay, sure," Gu Nan replied, turning to walk out. Morning light filtered through the old locust tree at the alley entrance, casting dappled shadows on the ground. His steps were light and quick—in truth, he hadn't even considered the factory manager's position. The machine tools in the workshop were running smoothly, the workers' wages were paid on time, and after work he could drink hot porridge cooked by Ran Qiuye. This life was more fulfilling than any high-ranking official position.
Ran Qiuye stood at the doorway watching his retreating figure until he disappeared around the alleyway before turning back into the house. A tender yellow bud sprouted from the cactus on the windowsill; she reached out and touched it, feeling a warm glow in her heart. Who cares who the factory manager is? As long as her family lives a peaceful life, that's more important than anything else.
Ran Qiuye nodded slightly, her gaze lingering on Gu Nan's face for a moment. A complex emotion flashed in her clear eyes, as if she had something to say, but in the end, it only turned into a barely audible sigh before she turned and quickly walked back to the counter in the library. Her fingertips brushed against the neatly arranged books on the shelves, knowing very well that rumors about the new factory manager had been circulating wildly in the factory lately, with almost everyone from the workshops to the departments discussing it privately. But these things were ultimately not her place as a lowly librarian to interfere. Doing her job well and asking as few questions as possible was the safest course of action.
Inside the steel rolling mill's production workshop, the deafening roar of machines and the clanging of metal against metal were barely audible, yet they couldn't drown out the hushed chatter of the workers. A group of young workers who had just finished their shift huddled around an iron frame in the corner of the workshop. Some of them unconsciously tapped the rusty frame with wrenches, the crisp "clang, clang" sound becoming the background noise of their conversation.
"Let me tell you, the new factory director position is definitely going to be held by Deputy Factory Director Gu!" A young man with rolled-up sleeves and oil still on his arms patted his chest confidently. "He's the only deputy factory director in our factory right now. In terms of ability and the contributions he's made to the factory, who can compare? Take last month's batch of precision parts, for example. So many people were at a loss, but it was Deputy Factory Director Gu who led the technical team through three sleepless nights to finally crack it."
Immediately, someone chimed in, slapping a rag in their hand: "Exactly! What is Li Jianjun? Besides relying on his father-in-law Zhang Li's influence to make a scene in the factory, he's good for nothing when it comes to work. He's not even worthy of carrying Deputy Factory Director Gu's shoes!"
“That’s right,” another young worker wearing a hard hat chimed in, his voice full of admiration. “Last time, if it weren’t for Deputy Factory Director Gu’s sharp eyes that spotted the small flaw during forging, there would have been a huge problem with that batch of export parts. The losses would have been enormous! Just for that reason, he deserves to be the factory director!”
When these whispers reached Gu Nan's ears, he was checking production reports in the workshop office. Sunlight streamed through the window onto the spread-out reports, and his pen moved smoothly across the paper, leaving behind lines of clear and neat handwriting. He didn't even lift his eyelids when he heard those words, as if the people talking about were complete strangers.
He knew perfectly well that his current position as deputy factory director was the most secure. That long-standing, far-reaching case wasn't completely over yet, and in times like these, the higher one stood, the stronger the wind would blow, making one an easy target and attracting unnecessary trouble. As for the factory director position? Ultimately, it was just an empty title. He held the factory's production, technology, and morale in his own hands; there was no need to fight tooth and nail for a mere title.
Gu Nan proceeded with his work as usual: approving the material requisition forms submitted by each workshop, circling any questionable parts in red pen; taking technicians to inspect the rolling mill, keeping an eye on the operation of the newly commissioned mill, and occasionally stopping to discuss new forging processes with experienced masters; returning to his office, he answered several phone calls and arranged the afternoon's safety production meeting... The morning passed by in a blur of activity.
Just as the lunch bell rang, Gu Nan picked up the enamel lunchbox on the table and was about to go to the cafeteria when a young staff member rushed in from outside. His forehead was still covered in a thin layer of sweat, but his face was full of warm smiles. He almost jumped up to him.
"Deputy Factory Director Gu! Deputy Factory Director Gu!" The clerk's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, though he tried to keep it down. "People from above are here! They just announced it in the factory office—I want to congratulate you in advance on your promotion to factory director!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Nan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. He gently shook the enamel lunchbox in his hand, the food inside making a soft clinking sound. "What's the rush?" he said calmly, revealing little emotion. "It hasn't been officially announced yet. Maybe you misheard."
The clerk was taken aback, clearly not expecting this reaction. His smile froze for a moment, and he was about to say something more when a group of people walked towards the factory office. Leading them was the old factory director with gray hair, accompanied by an unfamiliar man in a crisp Zhongshan suit and black-rimmed glasses. The man looked to be in his forties, with a fair complexion and a refined demeanor, but his deep eyes exuded an indescribable air of composure.
The old director walked to the center of the workshop, cleared his throat, tapped the iron bucket next to him with the folder in his hand, and shouted, "Everyone, stop what you're doing and come over here! Let me introduce you. This is our new factory director, Comrade Zhu Tao! He was transferred from the city's Heavy Industry Bureau and will be the leader of our factory from now on!"