Siheyuan: The Era of Struggle

Chapter 433 An Accident Occurs at Factory No. 1

Upon reaching the third-floor stairwell, He Yuanchao turned right and went straight to Mo Dacheng's office.

When Mo Dacheng saw He Yuanchao enter the office, his originally serious face instantly broke into a smile. He got up and walked out from behind his desk, greeting him warmly.

“Yuanchao! I’ve been waiting for you to come back! You have no idea how much trouble I’ve had with all the trivial matters in the security department these past few days.”

As he spoke, Mo Dacheng didn't wait for Luan Hongsheng. He walked a few steps to the tea cabinet, poured a glass of water, and handed it to He Yuanchao, who was standing in front of the sofa.

"We've been talking all morning and I'm really thirsty! This glass of water from the Minister has come at just the right time..."

He Yuanchao took the teacup, said a few polite words in a joking manner, and then the two sat down on the sofa.

As soon as he sat down, He Yuanchao put down his water glass, smiled, and offered one of his cigarettes to Mo Dacheng, saying:

"I was supposed to report to the leader as soon as I arrived at work, but I was held up by some trivial matters in the department. Please forgive me, Minister."

Luan Hongsheng had already told Mo Dacheng about what happened in He Yuanchao's office that morning.

Hearing He Yuanchao bring this up, Mo Dacheng wasn't surprised. He took the cigarette and said magnanimously:

"What's the big deal? It's all for work. You're doing alright. A few days ago, when you weren't around, I was in charge of two departments by myself. Sometimes I couldn't even leave my chair all day. I had to be quick and precise when I wanted to go to the toilet."

Mo Dacheng spoke cheerfully, but he felt somewhat disappointed inside.

Although he knew that being the head of the security department was just a transitional role, he was, after all, the highest leader of the security department. Seeing that the heads of the various departments below all followed He Yuanchao's lead, he still felt somewhat annoyed.

If I'm unhappy, I can't let He Yuanchao have it easy either. It wouldn't hurt to find an opportunity to support Wu Mengsheng and give He Yuanchao a piece of my mind.

Unaware of Mo Dacheng's inner schemes, He Yuanchao lit their cigarettes with matches and chuckled as he continued Mo's conversation, offering a compliment:

"That's only because you're so capable. If it were me, I would have been completely overwhelmed."

Mo Dacheng felt much better thinking that Wu Mengsheng and He Yuanchao would be competing against each other in the security department. He took a puff of his cigarette and said modestly:

"What ability do you have? You've just worked a few more years and have some experience. If you hone your skills for a few more years, you'll definitely be better than this old guy."

Seeing Mo Dacheng using his seniority to put him on a pedestal, He Yuanchao didn't take it seriously and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously:
“Minister, you can’t say that. Your experience is a valuable asset. No matter how much you keep up with the times, there is still something for us to learn. If we young comrades want to surpass you, we need to put in a lot of hard work and find new ways to improve. I don’t think we’ll be able to do it.”

When Mo Dacheng first heard this, he was quite pleased, thinking that He Yuanchao had backed down and was trying to curry favor with him. But by the end, he realized the true meaning behind it.

He Yuanchao's words had no hint of flattery; they were clearly telling him that his ideas were outdated and that as the factory developed and innovated, the young people like them would have the power to decide.

Mo Dacheng was somewhat annoyed by these words, but looking at the young and strong He Yuanchao sitting next to him, he had to admit that there was some truth to them.

Thinking about his age, and knowing he would retire in a few years, Mo Dacheng suddenly lost the will to banter with He Yuanchao, and also lost interest in continuing the conversation. Just as he was thinking of finding an excuse to send He Yuanchao away, the phone on his desk suddenly rang.

He Yuanchao was just there to go through the motions; there was nothing important to him. Seeing Mo Dacheng get up to answer the phone, he quickly stood up as well and said:
"Minister, you go ahead with your work. I have some other things to attend to, so I'll head back now."

Although Mo Dacheng secretly wished He Yuanchao would get lost, he put on an act as if he hadn't had enough of chatting yet. "I was thinking of talking to you, but since you have something to do, you can go ahead and do your thing. We can talk again later."

As he spoke, Mo Dacheng, who had come to the desk, waved to He Yuanchao, then turned around and picked up the phone, looking very busy.

"Hello! This is the Armed Forces Department of Hongxing Steel Plant..."

Seeing this, He Yuanchao listened to Mo Dacheng's phone call while quickly walking out of the office.

As he reached the door and placed his hand on the doorknob, Mo Dacheng, who was on the phone behind him, suddenly called out to him.

"Wait a minute, Yuanchao. Secretary Yang wants us to go over there."

He Yuanchao was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. He turned around to find out what was going on, only to see Mo Dacheng hang up the phone and hurriedly walk towards the door.

“Something happened at the No. 1 factory in Yuanchao. Secretary Liang asked us to go and take a look.”

Mo Dacheng spoke in a hurry, and without pausing at the door, he opened the office door and walked out.

Seeing Mo Dacheng's ashen face, He Yuanchao guessed that the matter was probably serious and involved the security department, so he didn't waste any more words and followed Mo Dacheng out of the room.

The offices of the steel plant's armed forces department and the secretary's office were both on the third floor, not far apart. He Yuanchao and Mo Dacheng arrived at Liang Weimin's office door after only a few steps.

The office door was open, and Liang Weimin was sitting behind his desk with a stern face, smoking. Secretary Hong was carrying a black briefcase, looking like she was about to leave at any moment.

Upon seeing Mo Dacheng and He Yuanchao appear at the door, Liang Weimin didn't even exchange pleasantries. He immediately stood up, stubbed out his cigarette, and led Secretary Hong towards the door.

Seeing this, He Yuanchao and Mo Dacheng didn't waste any words. They turned to the side, each greeting "Secretary Liang," and then followed Liang Weimin and Secretary Hong downstairs.

Outside the office building, a military green jeep was already running, waiting for Liang Weimin and his group.

Liang Weimin led He Yuanchao and the other two to the outside of the office building. Upon seeing the jeep on fire, no one exchanged pleasantries and they all stepped forward, opened the doors, and got into the car.

After everyone got into the car, the driver glanced back at Liang Weimin. Seeing that Liang Weimin nodded, the driver didn't hesitate and stepped on the gas. A plume of blue smoke billowed from the rear of the jeep as it roared towards the steel mill.

The people in the office building stood by the window, watching Liang Weimin and his group hurriedly get into their car and drive away. They all speculated about their purpose, and before long, rumors were flying around the office building, with all sorts of things being said.

Some said he was summoned by a high-ranking leader, some said something happened at Liang Weimin's home, and others said someone at the factory had gotten into trouble and been taken to the police station, needing a leader to intervene and bail them out...

Compared to the lively atmosphere in the office building, the atmosphere inside the Jeep was much more oppressive.

Since getting into the car, Liang Weimin has been sitting in the passenger seat with a long face and hasn't said a word. Seeing that neither Mo Dacheng nor Secretary Hong has made a sound, He Yuanchao also didn't intend to be the one to stick his neck out. He turned his head to look out the car window, deciding to avoid seeing or hearing anything.

The jeep sped along for about forty minutes before finally arriving at the branch factory located outside Xizhimen in the western part of the city. (The two factories are not subordinate to each other; this is fictional for the sake of the plot, and the author hopes for your understanding!)

At this moment, the main leaders of the No. 1 Factory, led by the factory secretary Li Weizhong, were all standing at the factory gate. When they saw Liang Weimin's car, they all came up to greet him.

(End of this chapter)