In the fiery red era of the heavens, refrigerators are refreshed daily.

Chapter 42. Appreciation and Praise Sparks Jealousy
In the large office, Li Weidong was somewhat restless.

The report on labor protection supplies had actually been written long ago, but he habitually wanted to "polish" it a bit more to make it more perfect, which is why it was delayed until now.

Just now, Yang Guangming came out of the director's office with that thin file in his hand—he recognized it; it was the material for his speech on technological innovation!
A chill instantly ran up from the soles of my feet.

What does this mean? Did Director Han entrust such an important task to Yang Guangming, who has only been here for three days?

He stared at Yang Guangming's focused profile; his crisp shirt and the watch face on his wrist that occasionally reflected the light seemed to pierce his eyes like needles.

Why? A newcomer who got in through connections, and in just three days, he's gained this kind of trust!
A sour taste welled up in his throat, mixed with the humiliation of being looked down upon and a strong sense of resentment.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the rustling of turning pages and a sense of oppression.

As noon approached, Yang Guangming closed the file, picked up the neatly written manuscript, and headed back to Han Mingqian's office.

Knock on the door and enter.

"Director Han, I've roughly outlined the plan. Could you please take a look and see if it's on the right track?" He handed over the draft paper.

Han Mingqian was somewhat surprised by his speed and took the manuscript to examine it closely. The handwriting on the paper was clear, with bullet points and a well-defined structure:

I. Situation and Significance (National Requirements, Industry Trends, Current Status and Gaps of Our Factory);
II. Potential and Foundation (Existing technical backbone, recent minor improvements and innovations, and employee suggestions for improvement).
III. Main Focus (Based on the directives from higher authorities and the actual situation of the factory, divided into three aspects: equipment, process, and energy conservation and consumption reduction).

IV. Organization and Support (Leadership-led initiatives, technical backbone teams tackling key challenges, and incentive mechanisms for full participation);

V. Goals and Call to Action (Specific, quantifiable, and inspiring).

Each major item is further supported by concise and precise sub-items, demonstrating a rigorous logic and highlighting key points, perfectly capturing the style and core spirit of Secretary Tian's usual speeches.

Han Mingqian's eyes grew brighter the more he looked, his gaze behind his glasses revealing admiration.

This is more than just an outline. The framework is both stable and accurate, with a clear structure and strong bones. With a little more flesh and blood, it will become an excellent draft of a speech!
This young man's understanding of policies, grasp of the factory's situation, and ability to decipher the leader's intentions are simply too good to be true to his profession!

"good, very good!"

Han Mingqian couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, his voice filled with genuine appreciation and even a hint of excitement:
"Xiaoyang, your thinking is very accurate! The framework is also very solid, and you have all the essentials."

Let's proceed in this direction. This afternoon, fill in the details, especially points three and five. The data must be verified and accurate, and the goals must be compelling, realistic, and motivating!

"Understood, Director Han." Yang Guangming replied calmly, without a hint of smugness on his face.

When Yang Guangming came out of the director's office with the case file and outline, and returned to his seat, Han Mingqian followed him out and stood at the door of the main office.

He glanced around the office and said clearly, "Xiao Yang completed this task efficiently and with high quality. Everyone should learn from this proactive, meticulous work attitude! Keep up the good work!"

This praise, though not loud, carried great weight, like a stone thrown into calm water.

Zhang Yuqin smiled and chimed in, her tone filled with genuine admiration: "Director Han is right, Xiao Yang is so efficient and clear-headed! He gets things right away!"

Zhou Bingsheng finally lifted his eyelids from behind the newspaper. His gaze, behind his thick glasses, lingered on Yang Guangming for a few seconds, a fleeting hint of surprise and scrutiny flashing across his face before returning to the text. Only the pace of turning the pages seemed a beat slower. Li Weidong, however, felt as if Director Han's words, "High efficiency, high quality," were burning his eardrums like a red-hot iron.

Looking at his meticulously crafted but unsubmitted labor protection report, and then at the draft outline of his speech representing trust and ability on the sunny table, a strong sense of bitterness and jealousy surged violently in his chest, almost burning through his reason.

He suddenly stood up, the movement so abrupt that the chair legs scraped against the cement floor, making a piercing, high-pitched noise.

"Wei Dong, is something the matter?" Han Mingqian, who was turning to walk out, looked at him with a slight frown.

"No...it's nothing, Director Han." Li Weidong forced a stiff smile, his voice dry like sandpaper scraping. "I'm going to...going to the archives to find some data."

He practically fled the office, his back view showing obvious dishevelment and panic, as if staying even a second longer would crush him under the invisible pressure.

Yang Guangming seemed oblivious to the small ripple behind him, and had already sat back down, spread out a new sheet of paper, and dipped his fountain pen in thick, dark blue ink.

The pen tip landed on the paper, making a solid and even scratching sound, unhurried and steady.

The sound shut out all distractions, as if the whole world consisted only of paper, pen, and his clear thoughts.

Li Weidong practically burst through the creaking wooden door of the archives room, which was filled with the musty, dusty smell of old paper and ink.

He closed the door slightly behind him, leaned against the cold, rough door panel, and gasped for breath, as if he had just finished a marathon. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest, crashing against his ribs, making his eardrums buzz.

Director Han's words, "High efficiency and good quality," were like poisoned needles, repeatedly piercing his ears and the most sensitive and vulnerable part of his heart.

His mind kept flashing back to Yang Guangming's young, energetic, and almost hatefully calm face, and the dazzlingly shiny Shanghai brand watch under the cuff of his brand-new "Dacron" shirt.

"Why?" Li Weidong gritted his teeth, his fingers digging deep into his palms, leaving several pale crescent-shaped marks. "Only three days! Why can he..."

Only one thought was roaring wildly in his mind, like a runaway locomotive: Li Weidong was determined to get the position of Deputy Factory Director Zhao Guodong's full-time secretary!

He toiled for two years, working diligently and writing tirelessly, and finally managed to earn some recognition from Director Han and Lao Zhou!
He came from an ordinary working-class family, with no resources or connections, and every step forward was incredibly difficult.

This opportunity is his only tangible stepping stone to truly enter the core circle of cadres!
But now, this sudden burst of sunshine, like a heavy stone, with undeniable weight, crashed down onto this narrow log bridge.

His damned composure, his premature "appropriateness," and the vague yet almost certain background of Zhao Guodong... all of this made Li Weidong feel an overwhelming sense of crisis.

　Thank you again for your continued support, both new and old friends!

　　Before we knew it, our book had already climbed into the overall new book charts!!

　　To live up to everyone's support, Lao Shi has been working hard to save up chapters lately, just waiting for the new book to be released so he can release a huge batch of chapters!

　　20,000 words! Definitely! ...50,000 words? I'll give it my all! ...100,000 words? Maybe that's possible too?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)