As Zhang Liunian and his wife were being affectionate in bed, the banquet at the top of the department store also concluded and people began to depart.
Most of the people who had the good fortune to attend today's auction and banquet had been enlightened by Zhang Liunian.
No one had ever spoken of it, nor had they considered how Nan City would be in the future. Now, with Zhang Liunian's guidance, they had gained a new perspective and looked forward to such a prosperous Nan City.
"Old Li, why do Zhang Liunian's three names sound so familiar to me?" In the sedan car heading back to Datang County, two leaders in Zhongshan suits were chatting.
They were a stark contrast, one fat and one thin.
"They sound familiar to me too, but I can't quite place it," the stout man replied, frowning.
"I just keep feeling like I've heard them somewhere. It might just be our imagination. There are so many people with the same name in this world. Perhaps someone among our subordinates is also named Zhang Liunian."
"That makes sense. Even my name, there are three people named Zhang Liunian in the machinery factory."
As the two were talking, someone came to report that the machinery factory was holding a strike rally, and they were needed to handle it.
The machinery factory was the sole economic pillar of their county, business had always been good, and the latter half of the year was always the busiest. A strike at this time was indeed something that needed to be handled carefully. So, without a second word, they changed their route to the machinery factory.
Meanwhile, Zhang Liunian and his wife walked out of the house, chatting and laughing.
However, as soon as the door opened, Zhang Guihua rushed forward anxiously, "Liunian, it's almost eight o'clock. Huabao and Comrade Zhao haven't returned yet. Do you want to go check on them?"
Zhang Liunian's smile vanished. If it was past eight and they still weren't back, something must have happened.
Uncle Zhao and Huabao had returned home by seven the previous day.
"Liunian, let's go check together," Jiang Qingqing said upon hearing this, quickly grabbing Zhang Liunian's arm, her face full of worry.
"You stay home and rest. I'll be back soon," Zhang Liunian said, noticing his wife's fatigue, and gently pushed her back.
"But..."
"I'll drive. It'll be quick," Zhang Liunian interrupted his wife's unspoken words and strode out of the courtyard.
At the same time, a strike was underway inside the machinery factory.
On the stage stood Zhao Zhijie, along with the fat and thin leaders who had just arrived, and their assistants.
Below the stage, led by the sons of Old Master Cai, they held up signs calling for Zhao Zhijie's resignation, leading tens of thousands of people in protest.
The content on the signs listed various accusations against Zhao Zhijie, such as embezzling public property, infringing upon the factory's interests, and using his position for personal gain. In short, they had listed ten major offenses.
Zhao Zhijie looked at these signs, unsure how he had so many accusations against him. Especially the one about selling new goods as old, and a subsequent disappearance of fifty thousand yuan in price difference, which he had no idea about.
Most importantly, they claimed to have verified this matter, but where was the truth?
"The equipment I sold to my nephew was all second-hand, and the prices were according to market rates. There was no possibility of personal profit from price differences. I don't know how you calculated that I made fifty thousand yuan in huge profits, but I don't mind you investigating my assets."
Zhao Zhijie's gaze was sharp as he scanned the Cai family sons.
He truly hadn't expected the Cai family to move against him. That Old Cai was quite something!
The fat and thin leaders exchanged glances but remained silent.
Seeing this, the eldest son of the Cai family stepped forward again and said, "Zhao Zhijie, you say you didn't take the fifty thousand yuan price difference. Then how do you explain buying a house in the county town first, and then moving to Nan City yesterday? And didn't you give a motorcycle to Zhang Liunian before? That car was from the factory. You decided to give it to him, misappropriating the factory's public property. How do you explain these things?"
Cai's eldest son knew this was a smear campaign, but Zhao Zhijie and the others were not entirely clean. He felt no guilt about exaggerating the facts.
"I've worked in the factory for thirty-five years. I have no parents above and no children below. Even calculating at the lowest wage, I would have enough to buy a house. If you don't believe me, you can calculate it with the minimum wage. How much can a bachelor like me save in thirty-five years? It's not unreasonable to say ten thousand yuan, is it? Houses in our county don't cost ten thousand yuan; you can get a good one for a few thousand.
As for the house I moved into in Nan City yesterday, that's my nephew's house, nothing to do with me. I'm just staying there, not buying it with my own money.
And the motorcycle, it was equipment that had been dismantled and was deemed useless. I hired someone to repair it and took it. If you feel it was an unfair benefit, I can repay the money.
However, none of these incidents constitute the crime of misappropriating public property."
Zhao Zhijie looked at the people in front of him. He understood that his position as factory director was no longer secure.
Fine, he was tired of this life anyway.
"You say you didn't take it, so you didn't? Your nephew is just a young man from the countryside. How could he have bought a house in the county town in just a few months, and then bought another one in Nan City? It's said that the house you live in now cost him eighteen thousand yuan.
May I ask how he got such a large sum of money to buy houses, open shops, and do business everywhere? If you hadn't been giving him money, he wouldn't have gotten to this point."
A few days ago, Cai's eldest son had investigated Zhang Liunian's situation and discovered that he had become a wealthy man in less than four months.
He didn't believe in prodigies or geniuses. He only knew that if he were in Zhang Liunian's shoes, he wouldn't have reached this point in such a short time.
Therefore, Zhang Liunian's prosperity must have been due to Zhao Zhijie providing him with money, otherwise, Zhang Liunian couldn't have leaped into the dragon's gate and achieved a class elevation in such a short period.
Besides, whether the equipment was new or old was all up to Zhao Zhijie.
So, this was their method of clandestine dealings, and he wouldn't be fooled by them.
"..." Zhao Zhijie suddenly had nothing to say, especially when faced with Cai's eldest son's look of certainty that he was guilty. He didn't know what to say.
"Grandpa Zhao," just as Zhao Zhijie was at a loss for words, Huabao, who had been standing at the side with Xiao Wang holding his hand, suddenly rushed forward and hugged Zhao Zhijie's leg.
Zhao Zhijie came back to his senses, bent down, and picked up Huabao. He didn't want to argue with them anymore because it was futile. "If you don't believe me, we can call the police. I have nothing to hide."
"Hmph, who doesn't know that the director of our police station is your friend? It will all depend on what you say. In any case, you must abdicate today and not remain here as factory director. Our factory does not welcome a factory director like you who sells out the country. Don't you all agree?"
As Cai's eldest son finished speaking, the workers below raised their hands and shouted.
"Change the factory director!"
"Change the factory director!"
"..."
Zhao Zhijie looked at all the familiar faces yelling for him to step down, feeling so sad he wanted to cry.
"Grandpa Zhao, don't cry. Huabao will blow on you, and you won't feel bad anymore." Huabao had gotten along very well with Zhao Zhijie during this period, treating him as his own grandfather.