Courtyard House: I, the eldest son of the Jia family, have returned from the battlefield.

This sudden intrusion caused Xu Damao's face to darken considerably.

He was seething with anger: "That Liu Haizhong really has no sense of propriety! I invited Section Chief Jia, and he was the one who knew how to chip in."

But he forced a smile: "Second Uncle! You've come at the perfect time! We just set the chopsticks, and you've arrived just in time. Please, have a seat!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong sat down next to Jia Dongming without saying a word.

He caught sight of the bottle of Moutai beside Lou Xiao'e, his eyes lit up, and his voice rose several decibels: "Heh! Da Mao, you've really gone all out tonight, even bringing out Moutai! I'm really basking in your glory today!"

These words, though blunt, sounded like a thorn in Xu Damao's ear.

He felt a tightness in his chest, and if Jia Dongming hadn't been sitting next to him, he probably would have immediately turned on him and kicked him out.

Xu Damao looked at Liu Haizhong's smug expression, a smile still on his lips, but he spoke lightly: "Second Uncle, Brother Dongming is my most respected guest, so naturally he should be treated with the best hospitality."

Liu Haizhong completely missed the understated tone in her words. He reached out and took the Moutai from Lou Xiao'e, first filling a glass for Jia Dongming, then pouring one for himself, leaving Xu Damao standing to the side.

He raised his glass to Jia Dongming: "Section Chief Jia! This glass is for you. From now on, if you need anything from the factory or the yard, just let me know!"

Seeing Liu Haizhong act beyond his master's authority, Jia Dongming felt that this man was really clueless.

He glanced at Xu Damao—whose eyes seemed to hide knives, as if he wanted to rip his bangs off—and almost couldn't help but laugh. He turned to Xu Damao and his wife and said, "Damao, Xiao'e, let's raise this first glass together. Thank you both for your hospitality tonight."

Xu Damao was so angry that he clenched his fingers under the table when he saw Liu Haizhong holding his good wine but completely disregarding him as the host.

It wasn't until Jia Dongming raised his glass to the couple that he felt he had salvaged his reputation somewhat, and he smoothly replied, "Brother Dongming, you are the guest, we should toast you first."

The implication in those words was the distinction between host and guest, but Liu Haizhong was only thinking about currying favor with Jia Dongming, so he couldn't understand it at all. He continued to pour and toast wine for himself, repeatedly pushing the glass towards Jia Dongming.

Xu Damao sat to the side, feeling a surge of energy rising in his chest, making his ears burn.

Liu Haizhong was completely focused on becoming an official.

The two characters are above.

How to get that official hat became his obsession, something he thought about day and night.

Therefore, he was obsequious and fawning over his superiors at the factory; when he returned home, he would listen to the radio and read the newspaper without fail, for fear of missing any news.

No matter what he did, the factory leaders' eyes always seemed to just pass over him.

Last year, when the workshop was selecting group leaders, Liu Haizhong went to the leader and volunteered himself, but in the end he lost to a coworker who was less experienced than him.

He still can't figure this out. He tosses and turns at night, always thinking about where he went wrong.

Today, Xu Damao hosted a banquet for Jia Dongming, and Liu Haizhong had already planned it out in his mind—he wanted to take advantage of this dinner to ask Jia Dongming for advice on why he was not selected. If he could build a relationship with him, it would be even better if he could ask Jia Dongming to find him a position in the steel rolling mill.

In order to please Jia Dongming, Liu Haizhong simply ignored Xu Damao, the main person in question.

As he poured the wine, he kept flattering her.

After a few drinks, his face flushed and he became more talkative. He then leaned closer to Jia Dongming and said, "Dongming, you're a leader in the factory. There's something I haven't figured out yet, Mingbai."

Asking others doesn't elicit detailed explanations, so I've come to you—what exactly is the reason for this?

Jia Dongming already knew that Liu Haizhong was ambitious for officialdom. Hearing him speak like this, he could guess without much thought that the next question would most likely be about his "future prospects."

Two characters.

Jia Dongming put down his teacup and looked at the eager face in Liu Haizhong's eyes, the longing in his eyes almost overflowing.

A smirk played on his lips, his voice carrying a cheerful tone: "Second Uncle! Just ask me anything you want to know. As long as I have some knowledge, I'll tell you everything I know!"

In fact, there wasn't much fuss about the bangs; they were "completely clean."

He didn't know what the specific rules were, but Jia Dongming's open and honest attitude put him at ease.

He rubbed his rough hands together and started talking: "Section Chief Jia, to be honest, I have something stuck in my head that I can't figure out."

I've worked in the forging workshop for many years, and I'm a level six worker. I've also trained more than a dozen capable apprentices. I wouldn't dare say I've made any great contributions, but I've certainly put in some hard work, right? Last year, when the workshop was selecting group leaders, I thought I could contribute as much as possible, so I nominated myself.

In the end, Lao Guo took the position—he was one level below me! I thought and thought about it, but I just couldn't figure it out.

Later, I tried to subtly find out what people were saying, but they just laughed and wouldn't utter a single word.

"Since I happened to run into you today, I'll be so bold as to ask, what exactly is the logic behind this?"

Xu Damao, who had been holding back his anger for a while, almost choked on his laughter when he heard Liu Haizhong's question.

Seeing Liu Haizhong's earnest and inquisitive expression, he interrupted before Jia Dongming could reply, saying, "Second Uncle! I do know a thing or two about the reason!"

Liu Haizhong suddenly turned his face, his eyes wide open: "You...you know? Da Mao, tell me quickly, what exactly is it about me that I'm inferior to Lao Guo?"

Seeing his anxious look, Xu Damao felt a surge of pride and a desire to show off, but he pretended to be calm and said, "I just overheard it by chance—I mentioned it briefly during a casual conversation with some leaders at dinner a few days ago."

"Then hurry up and tell me!"

Liu Haizhong leaned forward slightly.

Xu Damao, unhurried, instead threw back a question: "Second Uncle, what do you think is the first requirement for becoming a cadre?"

"If I wanted to know this, would I have let Lao Guo beat me to it?"

Liu Haizhong answered bluntly.

In fact, Xu Damao himself may not really know either; he just wanted to use this topic to provoke a conversation.

He then asked, "So, when you see the factory leaders, do they put on airs and act arrogantly in front of us workers? Do they ever boss anyone around, hit anyone, or verbally abuse anyone?"

Liu Haizhong thought about it carefully for a moment, then shook his head: "No, not really... The leaders are all smiles and speak very kindly to everyone."

"This is it."

Xu Damao changed the subject, "But I heard that when you were training apprentices in the workshop, if they learned slowly or made mistakes, you would often discipline them physically and scold them quite harshly."

Furthermore, regarding the courtyard, you are impeccable in your treatment of your eldest son, Guangqi, but what about your treatment of Guangtian and Guangfu? You frequently resort to yelling and scolding them.

Somehow, these things reached the ears of the leaders.

Liu Haizhong's expression changed, and his voice tightened: "What...what did the leaders say?"

Xu Damao remained silent, his fingers seemingly touching the empty wine glass on the table.

Liu Haizhong immediately understood, grabbed the wine bottle and filled it for him, his tone almost pleading: "Da Mao, please tell your second uncle that I will remember this favor."

Xu Damao picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and then lowered his voice to say, "The leaders think you have too fiery a temper, and you treat your apprentices and children like servants."

They were worried that if you really became a team leader, you'd treat the workers like this, which would ruin the factory's "harmonious" atmosphere. —That's why you weren't promoted.

Liu Haizhong stood there, speechless for a long time.

In his mind, it was only natural for a master to be stricter and more ruthless with his apprentice, just like a father disciplining his son.

But he never expected that this very "natural right" would become...

It turned out to be an obstacle in my upward progress.

Jia Dongming sat quietly to the side, listening to Xu Damao tell Liu Haizhong about those things.

In his eyes, Xu Damao's words were seven parts true and three parts false.

It's true that Liu Haizhong does have a fiery temper, a trait that, in the eyes of a leader, often makes him unsuitable for important tasks.

As for that three-tenths of falsehood, Jia Dongming felt that Liu Haizhong's inability to rise to prominence was less a matter of temperament and more a matter of insufficient knowledge.

Seeing the dejected look on Liu Haizhong's face, Jia Dongming had an idea. He wanted to try and offer some advice, so he said:

"Second Uncle, it's nothing to be disappointed about not being elected last year. As the old saying goes, 'Failure is the mother of success.'"

If you were willing to tone down your temper and read a few more books, I think you might have a chance at the group leader position.

Liu Haizhong was looking down in annoyance when he heard this, he suddenly raised his head and stared straight at Jia Dongming:

"Dongming, you just said... what is the mother of failure? Can it really help me become a team leader?"

"Sizzle—"

Lou Xiao'e, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Seeing that all three of them were looking at her, Lou Xiao'e quickly covered her mouth and explained to Liu Haizhong:

"Second Uncle, the saying 'failure is the mother of success' means that you only know how to walk steadily after you've fallen down."

If you can learn something from this failure to be elected, change your personality, and make up for your shortcomings, you will definitely succeed in the future.

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong didn't feel embarrassed at all. Instead, he raised his wine glass and waved it at Jia Dongming, Xu Damao, and Lou Xiao'e:

"Dongming, Damao, Xiao'e, this is a toast to you! If I ever become a group leader, I'll treat you to a feast to properly thank you!"

Jia Dongming smiled on the surface, but he knew very well in his heart that Liu Haizhong was a selfish man who would turn his back on people for a little benefit. He had even colluded with Xu Damao to swindle Lou Xiao'e's family fortune in the past.

His words are just something to hear, nothing to worry about.

Seeing Liu Haizhong raise his glass, Jia Dongming also raised his glass and said with a smile:

"Second Uncle, then I'll borrow this cup of wine from Da Mao to wish you a speedy fulfillment of your wish!"

Liu Haizhong was already somewhat drunk, and upon hearing this, his eyes narrowed into slits as he laughed:

"Dongming, don't worry, if Second Uncle really gets promoted, he will never forget your kindness today!"

Seeing that Jia Dongming had finished his drink, Xu Damao quickly grabbed the bottle and refilled his glass, a smile plastered on his face.

"Brother Dongming, I'd like to toast you too! If you need anything at the factory in the future, just let me know!"

Jia Dongming glanced at the still-presenting "Second Uncle".

Liu Haizhong, with his slender bangs, secretly shook his head in his heart—if this kind of person really gained some power, it probably wouldn't be a good thing.

He ignored Liu Haizhong's comment and simply raised his glass to Xu Damao:

"Come on, Damao, let's have a drink."

Xu Damao quickly went over to clink glasses, muttering to himself:

"Brother Dongming, I always follow the rules when drinking: 'One big, three small, two fives equal ten!'"

Jia Dongming knew that he liked to use this kind of talk when he was entertaining leaders at the factory, and he would often lie down before the drinking party even started.

At this moment, however, he feigned curiosity:

"What's the significance of this 'one big, three small, two fives, ten' rule?"

Xu Damao perked up:

"The biggest one is the leader! When drinking with the leader, I have to drink three cups, that's called the three small ones."

Jia Dongming burst into laughter after hearing this:

"According to your rules, if I drink three cups, wouldn't you have to drink nine? With your alcohol tolerance, can you even handle that?"

Xu Damao patted his chest and said:

"Brother Dongming, how can a man say no? If you really drink three cups, I'll immediately drink nine!"

Jia Dongming smiled at his confident expression:

"Alright, I'll give you a chance to prove yourself today."

After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass, then picked up the bottle and poured himself another drink. He drank three glasses in a row before putting down his glass and looking at Xu Damao with a smile.

Seeing this, Xu Damao grabbed the bottle and poured the wine into his glass, chugging it down one glass after another.

After nine cups, his face instantly turned as red as if he had applied cinnabar.

Jia Dongming was somewhat surprised as he watched Xu Damao drinking heavily—Xu Damao's alcohol tolerance seemed to be quite different from what he had heard before.

Before Jia Dongming could utter a word of praise, Xu Damao had already slumped onto the table, snoring loudly.

Lou Xiao'e, sitting next to her, looked a little embarrassed.

She felt extremely embarrassed when her husband hosted a dinner party, only to find the host drunk and unconscious.