MM Racing Chapter 1079 Xu Damao's Affairs
Chapter 1079 Xu Damao's Affairs
Seeing that He Yuzhu was unmoved by her words, like a block of ice that couldn't be warmed, and unmoved by her pleading and cajoling, Qin Huairu was both angry and anxious. Tears welled up in her eyes several times, but she stubbornly refused to fall—she had never liked to show weakness in front of others. Helpless, she stomped her foot angrily, turned around and walked out, her spine ramrod straight, as if everyone owed her a couple of pounds of rice or flour. That aggrieved yet stubborn air of hers was somewhat laughable.
Just as she reached the entrance to the corridor, she bumped into Xu Damao, who was leaning against the wall. This guy wasn't really going to the security office at all; he was clearly dawdling on purpose, with an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth and his eyes fixed on the office door, obviously waiting to see her make a fool of herself.
Seeing her storm out, Xu Damao raised an eyebrow, his smile practically reaching his ears. His eyes, brimming with undisguised mockery, seemed to say, "I told you He Yuzhu was unreliable." Qin Huairu, already seething with anger, was instantly provoked by his gaze, exploding like a lit firecracker. Her eyebrows shot up, and she pointed at Xu Damao's nose, yelling, "You're a lackey! Always wagging your tail behind Gu Nan's back, never daring to go west when he tells you to go east! You spineless piece of trash! You only deserve to sit here and laugh, gossiping!" Still not satisfied, she stomped her foot angrily, turned, and stormed off, her high heels clicking loudly on the concrete, as if venting her pent-up rage. In her mind, she cursed Xu Damao a thousand times—that bastard, always kicking someone when they're down, he'll get his comeuppance sooner or later!
Xu Damao waited until her figure completely disappeared at the end of the corridor before slowly straightening up, smoothing out non-existent wrinkles on his clothes, putting the unlit cigarette back in his pocket, and replacing the mockery on his face with a fawning smile. He raised his hand and knocked on Gu Nan's office door, his voice filled with cautious flattery: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, it's me, Xu Damao."
"Come in," Gu Nan's voice came from inside, calm and even. He was looking down at the production report, his fingertips sliding across the lines of data, his brows slightly furrowed, as if pondering the energy consumption of the new rolling mill. His face was expressionless—the Jia family's affairs were nothing more than a trivial interlude in the courtyard to him, not worth getting upset over. There were countless gossips in the courtyard; if he took everything to heart, life would be unbearable.
Xu Damao pushed open the door and carefully closed it behind him before bending down to approach the desk. His voice was low and tinged with gossip-filled eagerness: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, I just heard from Old Li in the gatehouse that Deputy Factory Director Li was taken away by the Discipline Inspection Commission this morning? They say he embezzled a lot of money from the factory and misappropriated public funds to build a house? Is this... true?" His eyes gleamed like a cat smelling fish, clearly showing his keen interest in this major factory event—after all, Deputy Factory Director Li had given him a hard time before, always complaining that his movie-showing was "not doing his job properly," and the two had long been at odds.
Gu Nan glanced at Xu Damao, his pen pausing on the document, leaving a small ink dot. He looked at the man before him—his hair slicked back, his Zhongshan suit collar buttoned impeccably, his smile more slick than the machine oil in the workshop. A faint smile involuntarily crept onto Gu Nan's lips, his tone slightly mocking: "I didn't expect you, riding your old bicycle around showing films every day, to be so well-informed. You know about this little commotion in the factory before even Old Zhang in the gatehouse."
Xu Damao's smile widened, his hands rubbing together until they were red, like he was holding two little rabbits. "Deputy Factory Director Gu, what are you saying? I just came back from showing a movie at the Hongxing compound. As soon as I entered the factory area, I heard everyone talking about how you're about to be promoted, so I rushed over to congratulate you." He leaned closer, lowering his voice, with a hint of smug satisfaction. "You wouldn't believe it, those who were talking badly about you with Deputy Factory Director Li a while ago are all like wilted eggplants now, cowering in the corners of the workshop, afraid you'll hold a grudge and settle scores later. Especially that Yi Zhonghai, I heard he was demoted in the performance review, he was practically burying his head in his bowl when he was getting food in the canteen."
Gu Nan put down his pen, the cap clicking shut. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the table, his eyes calm, like a lake reflecting the clouds. "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore." He paused, noticing the surprise on Xu Damao's face, and continued, "They were just egged on and made a fuss, saying a few nonsense things in the heat of the moment. I'm not so idle as to bother with them. After all, everyone in the factory knows what Deputy Factory Director Li did—the holes in the ledgers, the empty boxes in the warehouse—it's clearer than anyone else's mouth. Right and wrong will be judged by public opinion; it's not worth my time to take action."
He changed the subject, his gaze falling on Xu Damao's clenched hands: "Speak, you came all this way to see me, it can't just be to offer congratulations, what's the matter?"
Xu Damao then dropped his joking expression, his fawning look becoming more earnest. He took a half-step forward, almost touching the desk, his tone filled with cautious expectation: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, I wanted to ask, now that Deputy Factory Director Li has been...dealt with, the propaganda department has been lacking a proper director. What do you think about me..." As he spoke, his eyes shone like a newly lit kerosene lamp, dazzlingly bright—he had been ousted from his position as director of the propaganda department and relegated to running errands because he refused to help Deputy Factory Director Li falsify accounts. Now that Deputy Factory Director Li was down, it was a perfect opportunity for him to be reinstated.
Gu Nan shook his head, looking at the urgency in his eyes like looking at a child clutching a candy wrapper, and said slowly, "You're still too hasty." He picked up the enamel mug on the table, took a sip of tea, and said, "Right now, Deputy Factory Director Li has just been taken away, and the morale in the factory is still low. The accounts need to be checked, and the warehouse needs to be inventoried. If we move the position in the propaganda department at this time, people will inevitably gossip and think I'm using this opportunity to install my own people. Let's wait until things have calmed down and things have settled down before we discuss this matter again, understand?"
Xu Damao's warm expression froze for a moment, as if he'd been doused with cold water. He quickly realized he'd indeed been too hasty. He slapped his forehead and chuckled sheepishly, "Yes, yes, you're right, I was too impulsive. Well then, Deputy Factory Director Gu, I'll head back now, so as not to disturb your business." He turned to leave, then remembered something and turned back to add, "Tomorrow at three o'clock in the afternoon, they'll be showing a new documentary at the factory gate. I've reserved a front-row seat for you."
Gu Nan nodded, said nothing more, and picked up his pen again to review the documents. In his mind, however, he was pondering—although Xu Damao hadn't meddled with Deputy Factory Director Li this time, he hadn't been of much help either, so he couldn't be considered to have done anything significant. However, his film-showing skills were undeniable. Last time the factory held a safety production publicity campaign, he edited accident cases into a documentary, which made the workers very anxious; the effect was better than holding ten meetings. The factory's publicity activities couldn't do without him. Once things stabilized, it wouldn't hurt to return the position of head of the publicity department to him; after all, he was a useful person.