69novels Chapter 1069 Yi Zhonghai Prepares to Confess
Chapter 1069 Yi Zhonghai Prepares to Confess
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the steel rolling mill's office building, Deputy Director Li was talking with several leaders. These were all people he had invited through connections; they were cadres from the steel rolling mill's direct superior unit, with whom he had frequent interactions, and their conversation sounded familiar. He was already planning in his mind that later, in front of everyone, these leaders would "point out" the "suspicious points" regarding Gu Nan's professional title evaluation, and then he would naturally propose an investigation, which would surely catch Gu Nan off guard.
"Deputy Factory Director Li, you're so thoughtful to make such a special trip for such a small matter," a slightly overweight leader said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.
"This concerns the factory's atmosphere, so we have to take it seriously." Deputy Factory Director Li smiled broadly. As he spoke, he caught a glimpse of a black sedan approaching in the distance, its design even more dignified than theirs.
He paused for a moment, then looked at the people around him: "I wonder which other leaders are coming? I haven't heard of any other arrangements."
Several leaders shook their heads, one of them frowning and saying, "We only received a notice that it would be just a few of us coming; we haven't heard of any other people."
As they spoke, the car pulled up at the door. Three cadres in Zhongshan suits stepped out, their demeanor composed, their eyes sharp—clearly not ordinary people. Deputy Factory Director Li hurriedly went to greet them, his face plastered with a fawning smile: "Gentlemen, you have come from afar; I am so sorry for not welcoming you sooner..."
But he stopped mid-sentence—the leaders who had been invited beside him all looked reserved, and even subconsciously straightened their backs, clearly not recognizing them.
“We are from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection,” the leading official said, flashing his badge. His voice was low but carried an undeniable authority. “We heard that someone inside the steel rolling mill was abusing their power to interfere with technical evaluations and was also suspected of forming cliques and creating public opinion to attack colleagues. We have come here to investigate and verify this.”
The smile on Deputy Factory Director Li's face froze instantly, and cold sweat poured down his forehead. The Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection! This was not a department he could cultivate relationships with, much less one he could influence through personal connections! The higher-ups he had invited were also trembling with fear—although they were the steel rolling mill's direct superiors, in front of the Commission for Discipline Inspection officials, they were just ordinary cadres, and dared not utter a single word.
"Sir, is there some misunderstanding here?" Deputy Factory Director Li's voice trembled. "There have been some rumors circulating in the factory lately, but they're all just baseless gossip and nothing serious..."
"Whether there's a misunderstanding or not, we'll find out after we investigate." The disciplinary committee member didn't say anything more and walked straight into the office building. "Please cooperate with Deputy Factory Director Li and relevant personnel. We need to access the recent technical assessment files and the records of relevant personnel's interactions."
Deputy Factory Director Li stood frozen in place, watching the retreating figures of the disciplinary committee members, his legs trembling. The leaders he had invited exchanged bewildered glances, none daring to utter a sound—they weren't here to help him deal with Gu Nan; they were clearly here for him!
The sunlight was blinding, but Deputy Factory Director Li felt a chill run through him, his mind blank. He finally understood that his scheming was utterly insignificant in the face of true rules. And Gu Nan, that seemingly young deputy factory director, possessed far more power and influence than he had imagined.
Deputy Factory Director Li stood under the old locust tree at the factory gate, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the Parker pen in his pocket—a pen he had asked someone to bring from Shanghai, which he usually treasured, but now felt cold under his hand. His heart was like a pot of boiling water, churning with turmoil. He knew Gu Nan was not to be trifled with; at such a young age, he had already secured the position of deputy factory director and held the key to technological innovation. But he never expected the man to be this powerful—even the city's investigation team had personally come forward to support him. The "evidence" he and his confidants had fabricated overnight would likely backfire if he were to pull it out now.
"Tsk, we've really kicked a hornet's nest." Deputy Factory Director Li gritted his teeth, his back teeth almost breaking. A thin layer of sweat trickled down his temples, gleaming brightly in the sunlight. Now, the plan had to be changed. Rather than risk a head-on collision and getting his teeth ripped off, it was better to back down and play the submissive role. When he saw the leaders later, he'd say it was a routine inspection of production safety, and that he was checking on the new rolling mill's operation, without mentioning anything about targeting Gu Nan. Anyway, he hadn't left any obvious evidence. As long as he got through today, this storm would eventually die down, and there would be plenty of opportunities to make amends later.
He was calculating in his mind: even if he couldn't deal with Gu Nan today, he absolutely couldn't give the other party a chance to retaliate. He hadn't even warmed his seat as deputy factory director yet, and the teacup in his office hadn't even developed a patina yet. He couldn't afford to fall into this ditch and give those old fogies who always laughed at him a piece of their minds a chance to see him fail.
But despite all his calculations, he didn't anticipate that Yi Zhonghai, that stubborn mule, was still in the dark, single-mindedly heading towards the fire pit.
At this moment, Yi Zhonghai was pacing back and forth in the workshop office, clutching a crumpled stack of "whistleblower materials," his old leather shoes creaking on the cement floor. His face was flushed with excitement, as if he had drunk two cups of liquor, and his eyes shone with a frightening light. Last night, he had mentally rehearsed what he would say to the leader at least twenty times, from the "suspicious points" of Gu Nan's "promotion at a young age" to his "abuse of power to give special treatment to his young lover," he had meticulously crafted every detail, even figuring out when to slam his fist on the table and when to shed tears. In his eyes, this was a golden opportunity for him to make a name for himself. If he could bring Gu Nan down, he, an eighth-grade fitter, might be able to become the deputy workshop director, and then he would have more influence in the factory. Back in the courtyard house, he could keep that old bastard Liu Haizhong in check and stand taller.
As Deputy Factory Director Li accompanied the city leaders into the factory area, he saw Yi Zhonghai rush out of the workshop like he'd been injected with adrenaline, a cloth bag tucked under his arm, clearly heading straight for the leaders. The eagerness in his eyes was obvious to anyone. Deputy Factory Director Li's heart skipped a beat; he nearly jumped out of his skin. He quickly gave Yi Zhonghai a meaningful look—his eyes twitched sharply towards his temples, his brows furrowed, and he subtly ground his foot on the ground, wishing he could carve "Don't do anything rash" onto his face and stick it to Yi Zhonghai's forehead.
But Yi Zhonghai couldn't possibly understand this subtle maneuvering. He was a man of unwavering principles, and he took it as a signal from Deputy Factory Director Li, urging him to act quickly. Forgetting all pleasantries, he rushed to the leader, nearly kneeling with a thud, and shouted, "Leader! I'm Yi Zhonghai, a veteran worker from the steel rolling mill, and I'm here to report Gu Nan! His senior engineer title isn't clean; there's definitely something fishy going on. He got it all through abuse of power!"