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

Chapter 1096 Li Jianjun is angry

The family of three went into the inner room. Zhang Li sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), patted the spot next to him, and instructed Zhang Xue, "Go boil some water and make me a pot of tea, the Longjing tea he brought."

Although Zhang Xue was on the plump side, she was quick-witted and agile. Seeing her father's posture, she knew he wanted to speak privately with Li Jianjun, and it wasn't appropriate for her to be there. She gave Li Jianjun a wink, her eyes clearly saying, "Listen to Dad, don't argue," and then said softly, "You two talk, I'll go boil some water." She added deliberately, "Jianjun, talk to Dad properly, don't be impulsive, Dad is doing this for your own good." With that, she turned and went into the kitchen, gently closing the door behind her—some things involved the factory, and it was indeed inconvenient for her to be present.

Only the father and son remained in the inner room. Li Jianjun finally relaxed a bit. As soon as his bottom touched the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), he began to ramble on about Gu Nan. He talked about the new technical upgrade plan in the workshop and the recent personnel changes in the factory. His words were full of resentment, and his complaints about why Gu Nan was so successful were evident in his tone. At the end, he subtly mentioned that he wanted to find an opportunity to "trip Gu Nan up" and let him taste the bitterness of failure.

Zhang Li frowned, twirling his pipe in his hand. Before he could finish, he abruptly interrupted, "Did I say anything wrong? How many times have I told you, don't touch Gu Nan lately!" He emphasized, his voice tinged with anger. "That kid's a star in the factory now, he's got the technical upgrade project in his hands, and the higher-ups are keeping a close eye on him. If you go looking for trouble with him now, aren't you just walking into a trap? Don't you have enough trouble already?"

Li Jianjun was indignant and stubbornly tried to argue—wasn't Gu Nan just lucky? In reality, how was he better than him? But he didn't dare to openly contradict Zhang Li, after all, he was still counting on his father-in-law to help him turn things around, so he could only sullenly reply, "Dad, I know." But in his heart, he had other ideas—if you won't let me do it openly, can't I at least trip him up secretly? For example, find some mistakes in the technical improvement plan, or leak some information to his former subordinates, anything would make him unhappy.

Zhang Li could tell from his expression that he hadn't listened, and sighed inwardly, but didn't bother to say anything more. This son-in-law was ultimately a hopeless case; he had already done more than enough by getting him out. If he caused any more trouble, he wouldn't have the energy to clean up his mess; in that case, Zhang Li could only let him fend for himself.

Just then, Zhang Xue came in carrying an enamel tea tray with a covered bowl on it. Wisps of steam rose from the bowl, dispelling the stuffiness in the room. She gently placed the bowl in front of Zhang Li and smiled as she smoothed things over: "Dad, the tea is ready. Try this Longjing tea; it smells wonderful. Jianjun was just angry for a moment. Young people are bound to be impulsive. He'll definitely listen to you from now on and won't cause any more trouble."

Li Jianjun quickly nodded in agreement, picked up the teapot on the table to refill Zhang Li's water, and acted with unusual attentiveness. He temporarily suppressed his resentment—for now, he needed to appease his father-in-law and figure out a solution later when things calmed down.

Zhang Li picked up the purple clay teacup and took a sip. The warm tea slid down his throat, leaving a faint aftertaste. He looked up at Li Jianjun, who was sitting uneasily across from him, and his eyes showed a hint of understanding. He knew his son-in-law's temperament all too well. He was never one to admit defeat. How could he possibly swallow such a huge loss after suffering such a defeat at Gu Nan's hands?

He put down his teacup, the bottom of which lightly tapped against the table with a soft "thud." Seeing Li Jianjun's impatient look, Zhang Li cut to the chase: "Speak, besides trying to pick a fight with Gu Nan, what else did you come here for? Just say it directly, no need to beat around the bush. I don't have time to listen to your rambling."

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Li Jianjun's face, as if his innermost thoughts had been touched. He rubbed his fingers on his knees, then quickly replaced them with urgency. He leaned forward and said, "Dad, I'm not the deputy director of the steel rolling mill anymore. I feel like people are talking behind my back whenever I walk down the street. Before, everyone in the factory would bow and scrape to me, calling me 'Director Li' and fawning over me. Now they all avoid me, and their eyes are full of contempt. What should we do? When can I go back to work at the steel rolling mill? Without this position, I feel so empty inside, I can't even sleep well."

Zhang Li paused, his hand still holding the teacup, his fingertips tracing the texture of the rim. His brow furrowed slightly, and his tone grew more serious: "Jianjun, this time you've gone terribly wrong. Falsely reporting project funds, colluding with suppliers for kickbacks—any one of those things is enough to get you into serious trouble. If it weren't for Xueya and the child, I've already spent a lot of manpower and resources, and owed many favors, just to get you out of there instead of going to jail. Forget about going back to the steel mill; you can't go back there anytime soon."

Upon hearing this, Li Jianjun nearly jumped up from his chair in a panic. He leaned forward, his voice trembling slightly, "Dad, but if I don't go back to work at the steel mill, where else can I go? I've worked at the factory for so many years, climbing step by step from apprentice to deputy factory manager. Besides what's done at the factory, I don't know anything else. You want me to do small business? How could I possibly do that!"

Zhang Li looked at him and smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. His tone was calm and unyielding: "Alright, don't get involved in factory affairs for a while. You still have some loose ends to clean up, and you haven't completely cleared yourself off with those suppliers you're involved with. Just stay put and don't cause any more trouble. We'll talk about it when things have calmed down."

“Dad, I know,” Li Jianjun gritted his teeth, his knuckles turning white, but his eyes still held a grudge, like a lump of coal that hadn’t been fully burned. “But I really can’t stand that kid Gu Nan! If it weren’t for him interfering and keeping an eye on me, I might be the factory director by now. Wouldn’t our family be in charge of everything in the steel rolling mill? Why would I have to put up with this?”

Zhang Li knew perfectly well what Li Jianjun was capable of. He knew that Li Jianjun's position as deputy factory director was mostly due to Zhang Li's influence and connections. But he didn't expose him, simply saying, "Alright, take it easy for now. Don't be hasty. I understand the situation and will make arrangements for you."

Seeing that his father-in-law had relented, Li Jianjun, though he hadn't given a definite answer, didn't dare say anything more. He simply lowered his head and listened to Zhang Li's lecture—which was nothing more than telling him to restrain his temper, be down-to-earth, and not always think about taking shortcuts, and that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Just then, Zhang Xue came in carrying a tray with freshly brewed tea on it. The porcelain cups were steaming. She said softly, "Dad, this is freshly brewed Longjing tea. Please have a taste."