Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 698 The Undercurrents Are Like Roasting on the Fire!

Steel rolling mill.

Transport team.

Nothing much to do at the end of the month.

In the break room, the drivers gathered in twos and threes, smoking and chatting, enjoying themselves immensely.

"Hey Lao Wang, you should be free by the end of the month, right?"

Master Zhao, with his shirt open, wiped the sweat from his brow with the towel hanging around his neck and smiled at Master Wang, who was rolling tobacco next to him.

Old Wang slowly lit the rolled cigarette, took a deep drag, squinted, and said, "That's about right, not many are left to live."

"What about you?"

"Me? I still have work to do in Workshop 3, but there's no rush."

Master Zhao said leisurely, glancing towards the direction of the third workshop, and added meaningfully:
"The jobs in our team are all about adapting to the situation. Some jobs, you know..."

"No rush, let's postpone it. We'll deal with it when it really becomes urgent, so it won't delay anything."

He spoke softly, but the surrounding masters understood him, and a knowing smile appeared on their faces.

"Those people in the workshop need to be disciplined!" Master Qian said indignantly.

"What happened to Lao Wang the other day was really frustrating! He almost lost his life, and they still dared to deny it, saying our skills weren't good enough. We can tolerate that!"

"Their work in the third workshop? Well, we'll just have to wait!"

That's like a spark falling into a haystack.

Mentioning the "unpleasant" incident with the third workshop not long ago, the relaxed mood of the end of the month on everyone's faces vanished instantly, replaced by naked resentment and frustration.

Although the matter ended with Kim Li-kyung apologizing and receiving an award from the steel mill, it was not so easy to end.

The transport team had already privately established a rule: any goods marked "Third Workshop" should be placed at the back, unless there was a direct order from above to force them to go.

"Jin Lijing is really strange. The Third Workshop was punished so severely, yet he's still able to stay in the workshop. I wonder what trick he used?"

"Yeah, all those benefits are gone, yet the workers in the third workshop are still letting him continue as the foreman. I really don't know what they're thinking?"

"I don't care what they think, as long as Jin Lijing is being bullied, I can watch!"

"That's true~" Everyone burst into laughter.

at the same time.

The atmosphere in the third workshop was quite different from the relaxed demeanor of the transport team.

The sounds of cutting from large machine tools and the clanging of stamping presses still linger, and the air is thick with the smell of metallic dust.
Although the workload decreased at the end of the month, the quality requirements would not be relaxed, and the old equipment would occasionally cause minor malfunctions, which was quite annoying.

What weighed heavily on the workers' hearts was an indescribable sense of suffocation.

A sense of powerlessness, of being controlled and manipulated.

A worker team leader wiped the oil off his face, holding several "shipment lists" he had just copied from the logistics department, his brows furrowed in worry.

On the list, a critical batch of machine frame bases that should have been shipped out and delivered by the third workshop yesterday was prominently displayed in an inconspicuous corner behind several pages of paper, with the note "awaiting shipment".

He walked dejectedly to the office of workshop director Jin Lijing.

"Director Jin, take a look at this." The team leader handed over the list, pointing to the information on the batch of bases.

"It's been two days already, and our base is still sitting in the warehouse! If this delays delivery, our workshop will have to take responsibility again."

Jin Lijing put down his pen, took the form, and looked at it.

He knew perfectly well what the transport team was doing; wasn't this blatant retaliation?

I thought the matter had settled down, but it turns out they were just holding back and only started retaliating in the last few days.

Anyone can see through this little trick.

"Okay, I understand. I'll follow up on this later and try to communicate with the transport team. Don't worry."

He was just saying that; the transport team insisted on doing things according to factory rules and regulations, and there was nothing he could do about it.

We can't force people to do their thing immediately, especially since such a big conflict has already arisen.

Trying to reason with them now will only lead to humiliation and escalate the conflict; it will yield no results.

The last conflict was seemingly resolved after Director Yang intervened, but the workshop suffered a loss and was punished. Jin Lijing also expressed his apology on behalf of the workshop.

But the grudges and distrust between the two sides were already as solid as a rock.

Arguing now will not only fail to solve the problem, but will also reignite the emotions that have been temporarily calmed down, and may even provoke a more severe backlash.

Once the other workshops have finished transporting their work, it will naturally be the turn of the third workshop.

"Okay." The team leader knew this was impossible. "Then I'll get back to work."

"Go."

"Sigh~" Watching his team leader leave the office with a worried expression, Jin Lijing leaned back in his leather chair, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him.

"A mere transport team dares to hold me by the throat? That's quite something! What can your transport team do without our workshop's production?!"

"A bunch of bastards who live off our workshop dare to do this! Just you wait, when I get powerful, you'll see."

As the workshop director, Jin Lijing certainly wanted to stand up for himself.
He lost face in front of the workers, and felt even worse inside.

They simply didn't have enough leverage to break ties with the transport team.

After the team leader came out, the workers immediately asked about the situation.

The team leader shook his head: "Not really."

"Jin Lijing is such a coward, a spineless coward, all bark and no bite. He's so tough on us, but he wilted as soon as he encountered an outsider."

"Yes, if it weren't for Director Yang's insistence on protecting him, I think we should have just replaced him with a different director. It wouldn't make a difference if we had one more."

"That's right, it should be replaced; it has no backbone at all."

The workers whispered among themselves, saying bad things about Jin Lijing.

The punishment imposed by Director Yang on everyone was a serious blow.

The work gloves, soap, and other benefits that were supposed to be distributed at the end of the year were either partially deducted or completely lost.

If Jin Lijing hadn't talked himself hoarse, even paying out of his own pocket to make up for it, and repeatedly promised to make up for it in other ways, he wouldn't have been able to temporarily "appease" everyone.

The workshop's concessions during this period made Jin Lijing the target of everyone's suspicion, making him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.

However, what worried Jin Lijing even more was Director Yang's attitude. If Director Yang doubted his abilities, he would not be able to continue as the workshop director.

"Just to put on a show for everyone."

Jin Lijing stood up, holding the list, and made a gesture as if he was going to confront the transportation team.

They disappeared shortly after leaving the workshop.

As for where to go, it's simply to check with the logistics department to see if the mission has been taken over.

According to factory rules and regulations, the tasks assigned yesterday will be completed by the transportation team on the second or third day.

Transport team.

After chatting with everyone for a while, Master Zhao finally stood up and said, "Time to get to work!"

"Be careful on the road, don't rush," Mr. Wang kindly said.

"Don't worry, I'll be extra careful with the work in the third workshop. Anyone can make a mistake, but we can't afford to make a mistake in the work in the third workshop."

"Otherwise, if we die on the way, the third workshop will blame me for not being skilled enough. Everyone agrees, right?"

"Haha, that's right~" everyone laughed.

Amidst the laughter of the crowd, Master Zhao went to carry out his task.

With nothing else to do, Li Kailang also came to the transport team to chat with everyone and maintain good relationships.

"Oh, our college student is out! What a rare guest!" "Master Wang, please don't tease me," Li Kailang said with a smile.

"Xiao Li, how's your studying going?"

"It's alright. Reading all the time can be a bit tiring, so I need to balance work and rest."

Master Wang nodded: "That's true. You can't just read books all the time; you also need to read more."

"For example, when we drive trucks on long-haul routes, knowing the roads is a skill! Being able to judge people and situations is a capability! You can't just be a bookworm!"

"Look at Jin Lijing, he's so well-educated, right? And look at him now! He's still completely under our thumb! When it comes to people and things, you have to be tactful and practical!"

Master Wang had a loud voice, which drew laughter and applause from the crowd.

Anyone who heard this would know that it was a statement made in response to the situation with the transport team.

"Alright, alright, stop teaching my apprentice nonsense. He finally got into night school, it wouldn't be good if you corrupted him!"

Zhang Jinwu strolled over and patted Old Feng on the shoulder.

He paused, then glanced around at everyone.

"The brothers in our transport team are all about loyalty and sticking together through thick and thin. There are a lot of twists and turns in the factory, so just keep some things to yourself and don't get too involved."

"Xiao Li, the most important thing for you right now is to study hard. Don't worry about anything else, and don't take it to heart."

Li Kailang nodded: "Understood, Master."

Director Yang's office.

"What? What did you say? The coal will be delayed for a few days? Please specify the exact number of days."

"What! It could take anywhere from three to seven days, how could it take so long? What's going on?"

Factory Director Yang received a message from the supply department that a batch of coal, originally scheduled to be delivered in a few days, would be delayed for several days due to a landslide affecting the railway supply line.

This news came as a complete surprise to Director Yang.

Coal is of paramount importance to the steel rolling mill's production and cannot be delayed. A meeting of all leaders was immediately convened.

"A coal shortage?! That's absolutely unacceptable! Blast Furnace No. 3! If we cut off its coal supply, how much will we lose if a blast furnace stops blowing and cools down? How long will it take to reignite and heat up? Who will bear the cost of that waste?"

Director Yang made his conclusion right away.

Director Li, who was in charge of raw material supply, wiped his sweat and said, "Director Yang, I've already contacted other coal mines, but the amount that can be arranged in a short time, especially low-sulfur coal that meets the requirements of Blast Furnace No. 3, is limited."

"It's risky; the inventory can only last four or five days at most."

"How come there's only this much?"

Director Li explained, "Director Yang, the amount of coal that meets the requirements for Blast Furnace No. 3 is counted each time. I calculate the amount to burn, otherwise we might have to stop in a couple of days."

"I burned a lot these past two months, so I didn't save much."

The atmosphere in the room froze.

The workshop directors all remained silent, as this involved the core production of the entire factory, and no one dared to express their opinion easily.

Factory Director Yang frowned, seemingly deep in thought.

"I remember"

The voice wasn't loud, but it instantly drew everyone's attention.

"Behind the warehouse area of ​​the third workshop, there seems to be a small emergency coal storage facility, right? There should be a few tons of coal stored there, maybe a thousand or two kilograms of high-quality coal, Director Jin?"

Jin Lijing's heart skipped a beat.

That small coal storage facility was left over from a previous technical renovation experiment, and it's located in a remote area.

Even when Jia Dongxu died in the warehouse, it didn't affect this place.

There were indeed several tons of coal stored there, and it should be high-quality carbon.

However, its location is remote, and getting in and out requires passing through their entire warehouse, which is extremely inconvenient. In addition, it has not been used for many years, and even he himself had almost forgotten about it.

How did Director Yang know so much?
All eyes were on his face.

Jin Lijing immediately replied, "Yes, there is such a backup warehouse. I don't remember exactly how much coal is in it. I'll go take a look in a bit."

Even after saying this, Jin Lijing was still filled with unease.

Director Yang's unfathomable eyes stared calmly at him, as if this was a ladder being offered to him, or a trap that had been dug.

If he can solve this urgent problem, he will undoubtedly have made a great contribution.

The problem is that the coal storage is in the third workshop, and to get the coal out, vehicles must frequently travel between their workshop and warehouse.

"However, Director Yang, our workshop is currently processing a batch of precision workpieces. The process is complex and the safety requirements are very high."

"Currently, the mobilization of a large number of manpower and transport vehicles for frequent in-and-out transportation is possible."

"Emergency relief is the most important thing!" Director Yang interrupted Jin Lijing directly. "Coal is the blast furnace's lifeline, and it must be guaranteed as a priority!"

"Your workshop production can't stop either; try to avoid peak processing times!"

"Time is of the essence, and efficiency is paramount. We need to have the transport team plan the most efficient inbound and outbound routes, assign the best drivers, and have designated safety officers monitor the entire process."

"Captain Zhang is very experienced. You will be in charge of vehicle dispatching and driver arrangement."

Factory Director Yang made arrangements one by one, and finally he paused, his gaze lingering on Jin Lijing's face for a moment.

"The Third Workshop made a sacrifice to safeguard the overall situation, and the factory will remember it. Director Jin, this task is now entrusted to you to take charge. Can you overcome the difficulties?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Lijing's heart skipped a beat.

Director Yang firmly placed the burden on his shoulders, praised him for "putting the overall situation first," and most importantly, acknowledged his "meritorious service."

Could this be what Director Yang meant when he said he was giving him a chance to make a contribution?

Everything has been arranged by Director Yang. He just needs to carry it out. What else is there to be unable to do?

He immediately responded loudly, "Yes, Director Yang! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

"Very good!" Factory Director Yang nodded in satisfaction.

Zhang Jinwu looked at Jin Lijing, his eyes flickering, seemingly lost in thought.

Director Yang immediately assigned tasks to the other directors, saying, "Director Li, Director Liu."

For a time, the steel rolling mill was operating at high speed.

After Zhang Jinwu returned, he relayed Director Yang's instructions.

Upon hearing that Jin Lijing would be in charge, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Do you think Jin Lijing is deliberately trying to cause trouble for us?"

"I'm not so sure. We've been messing with him for so many days, who knows if he'll take this opportunity to get revenge on us? We need to be careful."

"That's right, you can never be too careful!"

Listening to everyone's "victim theory," Zhang Jinwu nodded, not finding anything wrong with it.

But that's not the most urgent matter right now.

"Alright, alright, stop talking. The most important thing right now is to get things done. If the No. 3 blast furnace runs out of coal, several workshops will have to shut down. We have a huge responsibility."

"Our transport team absolutely cannot make any mistakes. It's not certain whether this will work out. Director Yang is putting Jin Lijing in a very difficult position right now. If he doesn't do a good job, he'll be in trouble."

"We absolutely cannot make a mistake, otherwise Jin Lijing will blame us and we'll be in trouble."

"The captain is right. As long as we don't make any mistakes, let's see what Jin Lijing does."

"That's right, if Jin Lijing doesn't do a good job, he'll definitely lose his position as workshop director!"

Immediately, everyone's worries subsided.

"Alright, stop overthinking it. Those of you who don't have anything to do, pack up and come with me to the third workshop!"

(End of this chapter)