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

Chapter 1020 He Yuzhu Seeks Ma Hua

Gu Nan looked up at the sunset, the orange-red glow spreading across half the sky and gilding the distant factory buildings with a warm, golden edge. He stopped and steadied himself. He could vaguely sense the movements in the mining area—He Feng and his team's investigation must have already begun in secret, but it wasn't time to close the net yet.

He knew perfectly well that the infighting within the factory was fierce, with Deputy Director Li pressing forward relentlessly. If he rashly intervened, he would only be dragged into the maelstrom. It was better to calm down, stabilize the situation, and focus on maintaining production. Once the storm had passed and everything had settled down, he would have the real opportunity to make his move. Then, he could prioritize getting the new equipment running smoothly, increasing the factory's capacity, and ensuring the workers could earn a stable income – that was the most important thing.

On the other side, He Yuzhu wasn't in a hurry to return to the courtyard house. He stood under the old locust tree at the entrance of the steel rolling mill, thinking to himself—it had been quite a while since he'd had a proper talk with Ma Hua. The kid had been taking charge of the canteen lately, so he must have a lot to say. It would be good to find a place to chat.

He waited a short while before seeing Ma Hua emerge from the factory carrying a canvas bag. He had probably worked overtime, as he came out later than usual, walking hurriedly as if in a rush to get home. Seeing this, He Yuzhu quietly walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "Ma Hua, come with me for a moment."

Ma Hua was startled. He turned around and saw it was him. His face showed a hint of surprise and reluctance—after all, his master always nagged him, afraid that he might have done something wrong. But He Yuzhu smiled and said in a relaxed tone, "Alright, don't look like that. It's nothing important. We're just chatting and relaxing."

Ma Hua finally relaxed a bit, but he was also a little puzzled, wondering what his master wanted with him. He scratched his head and said half-jokingly, "Then I'll call you 'brother,' it sounds more comfortable. I wonder where you're taking me?"

He Yuzhu was amused by him and patted him on the back of the head: "You're so clever. It's not far. There's a small tavern at the entrance of the alley ahead. Let's go there and sit for a while and have a get-together. Look at the two of us, we see each other in the cafeteria every day, but we don't have a proper conversation. It's been quite a while since we had a good chat."

Ma Hua smiled, the restraint in his eyes fading considerably: "Yes, I'm really busy. Okay, I'll listen to you, go wherever you want."

The two walked side by side toward the alley entrance, the setting sun casting long shadows of them. They chatted about interesting things that happened in the cafeteria, finding a rare moment of relaxation in the atmosphere.

Afterwards, He Yuzhu pulled Ma Hua to a corner of the canteen, still thinking about cooking for Deputy Factory Director Li that afternoon—this was crucial to whether he could become the canteen manager, and he had to perform well and not make a mistake. He glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention before lowering his voice and asking Ma Hua, "Ma Hua, do you know what the situation is like in the factory right now?"

Looking at He Yuzhu's mysterious, as if he were carrying a huge secret, Ma Hua knew perfectly well what was going on—this guy was plotting something in the factory again. But he pretended to be clueless, scratching the back of his head and giving a simple, honest smile: "Brother, you know I'm not very bright. I just focus on cooking in the kitchen. I don't understand any of the bureaucratic stuff in the factory. I'm completely clueless, and it gives me a headache."

He Yuzhu was amused by his appearance and patted his arm with a light touch: "You, why are you pretending to be confused with me? Alright, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart—it's only because of our brotherly relationship that I wouldn't bother to say this to anyone else, for fear of being gossiped about."

He cleared his throat, lowered his voice, and recounted the key points of the power struggle between Deputy Factory Director Li and Gu Nan, who were openly and secretly vying for the position of factory director. He emphasized the end, his eyes filled with certainty: "You need to understand the situation. Deputy Factory Director Li has powerful backers. I've heard he's related to the leaders in the bureau. There's a high chance that the factory director position will be his! I'm giving you a chance. Work for me, and you'll reap the rewards in the future. You won't regret it."

Ma Hua chuckled inwardly—He Yuzhu had said the same thing last time, offering to help Deputy Factory Director Li host a banquet to curry favor, but it was all bark and no bite; they hadn't even finalized the menu before it fizzled out. He deliberately feigned difficulty, his brows furrowing into a knot: "Brother, then tell me, what should I do about this? I'm not good with words, and I'm not good at socializing, so I'm afraid I can't be of much help to you."

Seeing his reaction, He Yuzhu assumed he was interested and quickly revealed his plan, lowering his voice even further: "Ma Hua, as long as we find a way to squeeze Zhong Yi out—you know he's Gu Nan's confidant, right? If we take care of him, no one in the kitchen will be against us. When I become the canteen manager, the first person I'll promote is you to head chef, and your salary will be raised a level. How about that?"

Ma Hua chuckled, shrugged, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Brother, I'm a head chef now. I'm in charge of cooking in the kitchen every day, I'm in charge of everything on the stove, and my salary is the highest in the kitchen. Your conditions don't seem to be very attractive to me."

He Yuzhu was speechless for a long time after hearing Ma Hua's words. He opened his mouth but couldn't find the words to refute her. He was stunned for a moment before he realized that Ma Hua was telling the truth. His plan had indeed failed to impress anyone and was a complete waste of time.

Seeing his dejected expression, like a deflated balloon, Ma Hua abandoned her joking tone and earnestly advised, "Brother, I still think it's safest for us to just stay and work honestly in the kitchen. Have you forgotten? Next month is the month for performance reviews and promotions. If you can get your temporary worker status converted to permanent, your future will be more stable. If you get involved in those disputes at this crucial juncture and choose the wrong side, forget about getting a permanent position; you might not even be able to keep your current job. It'll be too late to regret it then."

He Yuzhu hadn't expected that instead of winning over the MCA and finding an ally, he'd been lectured. Feeling a bit annoyed, he waved his hand impatiently, "Fine, fine, take it or leave it! Wait until Gu Nan loses power and Zhong Yi is ousted, then let's see how you'll maintain your position as head chef!"

Ma Hua looked at He Yuzhu: "Brother, stop dreaming. This is impossible to succeed. If you get punished, it has nothing to do with me."

He Yuzhu looked at Ma Hua, and although he was very angry, he didn't say anything. After all, Ma Hua was right. He couldn't be too hasty. After all, Lu Jia still had a chance to get along with Gu Nan, so he couldn't go too far.