Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

After the office door was closed, the corridor became much quieter.

The third floor, which had been as noisy as a vegetable market just moments before, was now filled only with a few deliberately hushed whispers.

The head nurse stood there, her face ashen, her chest heaving violently, clearly furious.

Less than half a minute later, two security officers came out of Director Li's office. One rubbed his arm, which had been hurt by the metal bunk bed, while the other spat on the ground and cursed. They followed the head nurse downstairs with a sullen face.

This scene was witnessed by Liang Tiejun and Dazhuang, who were standing at the top of the stairs.

Da Zhuang watched the retreating figures of those people, his brows furrowing slightly. He lowered his voice and asked, "Director Liang, was that bald guy the one Shanhe mentioned in the note, the Emergency Room Director Li? The one who admitted Old Scar to the ward?"

Liang Tiejun stared intently at the closed office door and nodded slightly: "Most likely. Judging from the situation just now, it seems that the patient he secretly treated had a conflict with the higher-ups, and the higher-ups ordered that the patient be sent out. However, someone has a fatal weakness against him, so he has no choice but to bite the bullet and protect him."

"Don't talk nonsense."

Liang Tiejun immediately lowered his voice to interrupt him. He didn't turn around, but only glanced around discreetly with his peripheral vision to make sure that the nurses and people moving around didn't notice them.

"At this point, all we can say is that Director Li is definitely up to something."

Liang Tiejun's gaze was deep and unfathomable. "Judging from his practiced and cowardly manner just now, who knows how many times he has been involved in this kind of shady business of taking bribes and hiding people, or how many shady thugs he has taken in. We can't be completely sure that it is Old Scar just based on that one vagrant."

Da Zhuang immediately became anxious upon hearing this and asked in a low voice, "So we're just going to stand by and watch, ignoring this guy surnamed Li?"

After a moment's thought, Liang Tiejun made a decisive decision: "We'll split up. You stay here and keep a close watch on the door to Director Li's office. I'll personally go into room 308 to check the bed. Remember, no matter what that bald guy is up to in there, don't do anything rash without my permission."

Dazhuang nodded solemnly, shrinking further into the shadows: "Director Liang, please be careful."

Liang Tiejun didn't waste any more words.

He straightened his collar and walked steadily toward room 308.

But he had just reached the door of the ward, before he could even raise his hand to knock.

"Squeak—"

A sickening scraping sound suddenly rang out.

The tightly closed wooden door was suddenly pulled open from the inside without any warning.

Liang Tiejun's hand froze in mid-air.

A man dressed in a dark gray cadre uniform walked out of the door.

He was in his fifties, wearing thin-rimmed metal glasses on his nose, and holding a white porcelain teacup in his hand.

Liang Tiejun assumed the other person was just an ordinary patient's family member and didn't think much of it. He stepped aside half a step to clear the way.

But the man stopped too.

His gaze had initially been casually sweeping over the person in front of him.

But after seeing Liang Tiejun's face clearly, the man's pupils suddenly contracted sharply through the metal-framed glasses.

Immediately afterwards, an extremely enthusiastic smile bloomed on his face.

He held the white porcelain teacup steadily in his hand, took half a step forward, and his voice revealed a great surprise, as if he had unexpectedly met an old acquaintance.

"Isn't this Comrade Liang Tiejun?"

"Why are you at the hospital?"

When his identity was revealed, Liang Tiejun, who was about to make way, stiffened almost imperceptibly.

He had previously treated the other party as just an ordinary patient's family member and hadn't taken it to heart at all.

But as soon as the words "Comrade Liang Tiejun" were uttered, coupled with that uniquely condescending yet gentle and friendly tone of someone within the system, alarm bells instantly went off in Liang Tiejun's heart.

He subconsciously looked up and quickly scrutinized the man in front of him again.

Around fifty years old.

The dark gray cadre uniform was pressed so well that there wasn't a single wrinkle.

A white porcelain teacup without any trademark.

And that calm and composed demeanor, even when standing in a chaotic hospital corridor.

This is no ordinary person.

He is definitely a leader who is used to giving orders in government offices.

Liang Tiejun's mind raced in that instant.

Who is this person? Why do they know me?

But he didn't show the slightest panic on his face. Instead, he quickly squeezed out an apologetic smile like an old comrade and patted his forehead.

"I'm not sick, I'm not sick."

Liang Tiejun sighed, his tone both restrained and natural, "Something happened at the factory, and a lot of people were sent to the hospital. I was worried about this old man, so I came up to check on things."

At this point, Liang Tiejun paused, then added with a smile, a hint of appropriate doubt and embarrassment in his voice.

"But... sir, haven't we met at some meeting before?"

"I'm getting old, and I stayed up all night last night, so my memory is really failing me. I didn't recognize you for a moment."

The man's smile deepened.

Instead of immediately introducing himself, he held his teacup and began to reminisce about the past.

"In 1977 or 1978, the city held a meeting at the First Guesthouse to reorganize state-owned factories."

"Back then, the room was filled with smoke and fumes. Dozens of factory managers were banging on the table complaining about aging equipment, running out of funds, crushing targets, and the workers below them being a disorganized mess that was difficult to manage."

"Everyone was gazing up, waiting for the city to show its kindness and allocate funds, waiting for approvals, waiting for life-saving policies."

"That meeting lasted for four hours, and everyone was complaining about being poor, but you, Liang Tiejun, were the only one who stood up."

"You slammed your teacup on the table and said that the backbone of a state-owned enterprise cannot be broken, and it cannot be a giant baby lying in the arms of the state waiting to be fed."

"You said that if the equipment is scrapped, you can repair it yourself; if the funds run out, you can save money from every little bit; and no matter how critical the target is, you can chip away at it inch by inch."

"You said that as long as the workers' hearts are still warm and haven't given up, even if all that's left in the factory is an old lathe that's leaking oil, they can still chew up the toughest bones and swallow them down."

You must lead the Hongxing Machinery Factory to set an example for the entire province.

The man stopped abruptly, staring intently at Liang Tiejun's face.

He looked at Liang Tiejun's ashen face, which drained all color from his face the moment he heard those words, turning deathly pale.

But only half a second had passed.

On that deathly pale face, the muscles twitched extremely slightly, and then, miraculously, a trace of life-like color surged back up.

The barely suppressed horror in his eyes vanished completely in an instant.

Instead, he adopted a composed and mature demeanor, tinged with a hint of regret.

Liang Tiejun raised his hand very naturally, gently patted his forehead, and revealed a helpless, bitter smile unique to veteran cadres.

"Alas, as people get older, their eyesight and memory decline."

As Liang Tiejun spoke, he quickly leaned down slightly, his tone polite but not servile, "Isn't this Secretary Chen? The light in the corridor was dim just now, and I didn't dare to recognize you for a moment. My apologies."

Chen Jianguo looked at his old factory director demeanor and a faint smile flashed in his eyes.

He waved his hand, his voice still gentle.

"People are all the same. When you get old, your eyesight, memory, and energy all decline."

"I've been like that for the past few years too. I'll ask my secretary to put the materials on my desk one minute, and the next minute I'll have to ask where they are. Sometimes my secretary will come in with a cup to remind me to take my blood pressure medication, and in the time it takes to turn around and answer a phone call, I'll completely forget about taking the medication. When you have too many things on your mind, it's easy to get confused."

Liang Tiejun smiled in response.

"Secretary Chen is concerned with important matters in the city; how can I, in my old age and senility, compare to you?"

Liang Tiejun shook his head self-deprecatingly, then continued the conversation, recounting the events of that year, "Back then at the meeting, I was actually seething with anger. I was thinking, we Chinese are so tough, we drove out the Japanese, defeated the Kuomintang, and even withstood American planes and artillery in the Korean War. What haven't we seen? How come in this era of peaceful construction, we can't even manage the factories we're in charge of? Do we have to rely on others for everything?"

"At the time, I acted impulsively and, with the stubbornness of someone who has nothing to lose, started making irresponsible remarks at the meeting."

"Looking back now, I break out in a cold sweat. I really made a fool of myself in front of Governor Li and all the leaders. I never expected that you would even remember the crude words I used to complain back then."

"That's not rude language at all; I think you speak very well!"

Chen Jianguo's smile faded slightly, and his tone became more serious.

"We were able to get through such difficult times back then. Now that the social atmosphere has changed, we should have your spirit of fighting against nature, against the earth, and against people when we are building a better society! Look at some of our comrades, they have forgotten how they tightened their belts to carry out the revolution when life was a little better."

"Especially now, at this crucial juncture in the city's efforts to advance state-owned enterprise reform, we desperately need veteran comrades like you who dare to speak the truth and take responsibility. It seems I need to find an opportunity to talk to Governor Li about when we can invite veteran comrades like you out again to give everyone a voice and help some of our comrades overcome their spinelessness. If we do organize a training course and invite you to speak, don't refuse!"

Liang Tiejun quickly put on a smile and readily agreed.

"Secretary Chen, you flatter me. As long as the city and the leaders need me, this old man will definitely do my duty without hesitation. I'll go wherever you tell me to go."

"Okay, that's enough."

Chen Jianguo nodded in satisfaction.

But then, he abruptly changed the subject, his gaze casually sweeping towards the corridor behind Liang Tiejun.

"However, Comrade Tie Jun, you just said something happened at the factory and you came up to check on things..."

Chen Jianguo's gaze returned to Liang Tiejun's face, a faint smile curving his lips.

"You've come to see Comrade Gao Wenbin, right?"

Hearing the name uttered so casually by Chen Jianguo, Liang Tiejun's heart skipped a beat.

Immediately afterwards, he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The worst outcome did not occur.

Chen Jianguo came because he heard about Lao Ba; he came to visit Gao Wenbin.

However, upon closer examination, this makes perfect sense. Gao Wenbin was originally a favorite of Chen Jianguo, who had personally promoted and strongly recommended him to the Hongxing Machinery Factory. Now that he had been slapped on the head and hospitalized, Chen Jianguo had no choice but to come and see him in person.

In that sense, Gao Wenbin is currently lying in this very room, 308.

Therefore, confirming the location of the old scar requires even more care.

Although his mind was racing, Liang Tiejun did not reveal the slightest flaw on his face.

He sighed very naturally and nodded frankly.

"Yes, Secretary Chen, I've come to see Comrade Gao Wenbin."

Liang Tiejun's face was full of helplessness and worry, and his tone was full of concern for the mess at the factory.

"After all, I am the former director of Hongxing Machinery Factory. Even though I have retired, I still have a deep affection for this factory."

"Just now, I returned home after completing my quarantine and inspection, and I heard from people at the factory that Comrade Gao Wenbin had a conflict with some of his subordinates and ended up being beaten up and hospitalized."

"I thought to myself, I've worked at Hongxing Machinery Factory for decades, and I know all the troublemakers there. Director Gao is new and young, so he's bound to lack experience in handling relations with the workers. I thought I'd come over quickly to check on the situation, help mediate, and calm the workers down so that things don't escalate and affect the factory's daily production."

After listening, Chen Jianguo's smile slowly faded. He held his teacup, his expression becoming somewhat serious.

"I only found out about your isolation and investigation later."

Chen Jianguo frowned slightly, his tone revealing just the right amount of anger.

"I heard they even blamed you for the deaths at the factory and are subjecting you to exhaustion interrogation? That's utter nonsense!"

"Who are you, Liang Tiejun? You were a model factory director for the whole province back in the day! Some of your comrades made mistakes and caused trouble, how can you just blindly blame it all on this old man like you?"

Upon hearing this, Liang Tiejun sighed with a bitter smile, lowered his head, and his voice carried a trace of heartfelt grief and desolation.

"I am the factory manager of Hongxing Factory. The factory has been in such a mess since it was handed over to me, and I am not without responsibility. I will accept whatever investigation the city conducts on me and whatever injustice I suffer."

Liang Tiejun clenched his fists tightly, as if he was trying his best to suppress his emotions.

"It's such a pity about Comrade Zhang Dafa... He was a rare good comrade, always working diligently at the factory. When I left, he was so badly injured that he couldn't even speak a coherent sentence..."

"Bang!"

Chen Jianguo slammed the white porcelain teacup in his hand heavily against the windowsill in the corridor, making a dull thud.

"What kind of work are these people doing! What are they up to?!"

Chen Jianguo's face was full of anger. "They resort to torture to extract confessions from veteran comrades at the drop of a hat! Do they think they're Kuomintang secret agents?! Comrade Tie Jun, I will not stand idly by in this matter. When I get back, I will definitely have the relevant departments look into this thoroughly and we must completely stop this lawless and corrupt practice!"

Upon hearing Chen Jianguo's resounding statement, a moment of emotion and gratitude flashed across Liang Tiejun's weathered face.

He took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly, and bowed deeply with utmost solemnity.

"Secretary Chen, with your words, I bow to you on behalf of Old Zhang and all the comrades at Hongxing Factory who have suffered injustice! As long as the city can still understand us old folks and uphold justice for us, no matter how bitter or difficult things get, it's all worth it!"

Chen Jianguo stepped forward, reached out a hand to support Liang Tiejun's arm, and squeezed it hard.

"You flatter me, Comrade Tie Jun. We must never let our comrades who have shed blood and sweat shed tears again; this is the city's consistent principle."

Chen Jianguo picked up the white porcelain teacup on the windowsill again, and the thunderous anger on his face instantly disappeared.

He raised his wrist and looked at his watch.

"Alright, it's getting late. There's a standing committee meeting in the city this morning, so I won't stay any longer."

Chen Jianguo turned his head and glanced intently at the closed door of ward 308.

"Since you're here, go in and see Xiao Gao. This young man is energetic, but a bit too impulsive. He's really suffered a big loss this time. It's good for you, as his old squad leader, to step in and appease him. Also, please give him a good talking-to and teach him how to behave and conduct himself in this city. He needs to know the proper rules."

Liang Tiejun nodded repeatedly and readily agreed: "Secretary Chen, don't worry, I will definitely give him some guidance."

"Okay, go ahead."

Chen Jianguo said no more, picked up his teacup, and turned around.

Only then did several secretaries and entourage members who had been waiting there silently emerge from the shadows at the entrance to the corridor staircase.

The group of people surrounded the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee and slowly disappeared into the depths of the corridor.

Only when the steady footsteps could no longer be heard did Liang Tiejun's slightly hunched back gradually straighten up.

The corridor fell silent again.

Liang Tiejun stood quietly in place, only then realizing that his undershirt was completely soaked with cold sweat, and the draft in the corridor made it feel icy cold.

He knew perfectly well that Chen Jianguo wouldn't believe a single word of the nonsense he had just made up about "the old factory director considering the overall situation and caring for the younger generation."

How could a cunning fox like Chen Jianguo, who has cultivated himself to perfection in the quagmire of officialdom for thousands of years, not see through his hastily cobbled-together, flawed explanation?

But there was nothing he could do.

Things had been forced to this point, and he had no choice but to bite the bullet and take it one step at a time, like a pawn crossing a river.

As long as we can find Old Scar before everyone else, it's not too late.

Liang Tiejun took a deep breath of the cold air, which smelled strongly of disinfectant, and forcibly suppressed the wildly pounding heart in his chest.

He turned around and stared at the closed wooden door of ward 308 with a gloomy look.

Gao Wenbin was lying inside.

Now that the show has started, he has to go in and find out what's going on.

Liang Tiejun raised his rough, calloused hand, and without knocking, grasped the cold metal doorknob and pressed it down forcefully.