Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 771 Embers and Howling

The Third Parts Factory.

"morning!"

"Morning!"

As the workers looked at Kim Geon-hyun inspecting the workshop, they greeted him warmly, and Kim Geon-hyun responded enthusiastically.

"What a promising talent!"

Many workers felt sorry for Kim Geon-hyun.

"Why are you sighing? It's right for Xiao Jin to leave. What future would he have staying in our factory? With a factory manager like that, who would work for someone with a future? Only us workers."

"That's right. When Xiao Jin wasn't so capable, Bao Daxing never cared about him. Now that he's finally graduated, he's rushing to keep him. Bah! Dream on!"

"I see this is Bao Daxing's own doing. If I had Xiao Jin's skills, I'd leave too! Let whoever wants to stay stay!"

The crowd didn't hold back in mocking and ridiculing Bao Daxing, showing their ignorance of his true abilities.

The workers knew perfectly well that Bao Daxing deserved all of this!

The whole factory knew about the conflict between Bao Daxing and Jin Jianxian. Everyone felt sorry for Jin Jianxian's resignation, but no one tried to persuade Bao Daxing to keep Jin Jianxian.

At this moment, in the factory manager's office.

Bao Daxing's face turned a deep, dark brown, and he was so angry that it seemed as if the entire factory was against him.

"Outrageous! This is outrageous!" He slammed his hand down, and the enamel mug lid on the table jumped up with a "clatter".

"A mere technician! Not even an engineer, just a lowly graduate, yet he dares to be so arrogant and disrespectful! He doesn't take me, Bao Daxing, seriously at all!"

The thought of Jin Jianxian disrespecting him in public and throwing his resignation letter at him still fueled Bao Daxing's anger.

"Even the engineers in the factory wouldn't dare to disrespect me like this, how dare he go against me! It's just that Jin Jianxian! Who does he think he is?!"

Bao Daxing gritted his teeth.

What infuriated him even more was that he found himself powerless against Kim Geon-hyun!
Is he trying to make things difficult for Kim Geon-hyun? By withholding some of his benefits and bonuses?
Jin Jianxian's family was poor and frugal, and he seemed to care nothing about material things, not even flinching.

Do you want to transfer him to a dirty and tiring job that nobody wants to do?

But without him, the workshop would stop working if a problem occurred, and the others were useless.

I'm afraid it's easy to invite a god but difficult to send him away!
In the end, it only highlighted how foolish and incompetent the factory director was.

What bothered him the most was...

I don't know where Jin Jianxian got his connections, but he actually got involved with Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill!
Thinking back to the phone call and warning he received from Director Yang, Bao Daxing felt helpless.

"Director Bao, our steel rolling mill highly recognizes Comrade Jin Jianxian's abilities and character. Since he is not happy working here, we are in need of such a knowledgeable and capable young man over there."

"Follow the normal resignation procedures, and make sure you receive all the owed wages and benefits, not a penny less!"

Director Yang's words carried immense weight, striking Bao Daxing's heart deeply.

He certainly wouldn't let Kim Gun-hyun off so easily; he wouldn't be satisfied without giving him a good beating!

But Director Yang didn't tolerate his recklessness.

"We'll need him when the time comes. Comrade Bao Daxing, you'd better behave yourself until then. If I find out you dare to make things difficult for Comrade Jin Jianxian again..."

The words weren't explicitly stated, but everyone understood.

Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill is a large factory with powerful connections; it's far beyond what a small parts factory like his could handle.

The two factories had no connection whatsoever.

But he has connections in the ministry, and a few words from him are enough to give him a headache.

By withholding raw materials, suppressing orders, and then saying a few words in the ministry, "The Third Parts Factory is poorly managed and can't retain its technical backbone," Bao Daxing will be in deep trouble.

It even made Bao Daxing's hard-won position precarious, or even completely ruined!

This frustration made him feel more humiliated and powerless than Kim Geon-hyun's defiance itself.

When the word "engineer" is mentioned, Bao Daxing feels even more helpless.

Although there was indeed an engineer in the factory, the title of "engineer" was purely determined internally by the factory.

They did not undergo any departmental assessment or certification, nor did they possess any engineer's certificate bearing a bright red seal that could prove their true abilities.

These are the so-called "factory-sealed engineers," whose technical skills and theoretical foundation often cannot withstand close scrutiny.

In comparison, engineers from large factories like steel rolling mills are the real engineers.

It involves professional theoretical examinations, practical skills assessments, and is supervised and evaluated by engineers and other personnel sent by the ministry. Finally, the ministry issues a formal engineer qualification certificate.

This is the kind of genuine engineer who is recognized by the state, is accepted nationwide, and is respected by their peers.

The thought of Jin Jianxian having the opportunity to become a legitimate engineer in the future made Bao Daxing feel extremely resentful.

Fortunately, this feeling of frustration didn't last long before it was dispelled by an unexpected "gift".

Two night school admissions slots!
Both of these spots were secured thanks to Kim Geon-hyun.

The notification letter from the night school was polite yet pragmatic:
In recognition of Comrade Jin Jianxian's outstanding performance during his evening university studies, and to commend his excellence and encourage more young employees to strive for progress, his recommending unit—the Third Parts Factory—is hereby granted two recommendation slots for admission!

This notice, like a blinding light, instantly illuminated Bao Daxing's gloomy heart.

It was like a resounding slap across his face, striking him again.

Ye Da was unaware of the conflict between the two; if he had known, he certainly wouldn't have offered them a spot.

"Good good!"

As expected of Bao Daxing, after a brief moment of embarrassment and anger, a head quickly occupied his mind.

"Every cloud has a silver lining. Jin Jianxian is gone, does that mean I, Bao Daxing, can't cultivate talent?"

"I refuse to believe I can't find a couple of good prospects! I refuse to believe I can't train them!"

The thought that the college students he personally mentored would graduate smoothly, just like Jin Jianxian, made him fearless towards Jin Jianxian.

"I refuse to believe it! The factory can't function without him!"

Bao Daxing was determined to cultivate his own people to prove that the Third Parts Factory could still operate smoothly, or even better, without him, Jin Jianxian!

He wanted to show Director Yang, Jin Jianxian, and all the workers in the factory who were gossiping behind his back!
The candidates were chosen almost without hesitation—Wang Lixing and Mu Guangfu!

First, these two people usually oppose Kim Geon-hyun and are very ruthless towards him.

Secondly, these two are the only relatively young people in the factory; the other technicians are all old.

Third, if a comparison is to be made, it should be between people of the same age to be effective.

For various reasons, neither of these two is the best choice.

When Bao Daxing called the two men to his office and announced with great pride that he would be awarding them these two "precious" night school spots,

Wang Lixing and Mu Guangfu were initially stunned, then their faces were filled with resistance.

"Huh? Director Bao... is going to study? That's too tiring!" Wang Lixing rubbed his hands, looking miserable. "Working during the day is tough enough, and now I have to go to class at night? I can't take that!"

Mu Guangfu quickly chimed in, "Yes, Director Bao, I'm just not cut out for studying. I get sleepy as soon as I start reading. Going there would be pointless and a waste of a spot." The two men's excuses instantly ignited Bao Daxing's newly kindled ambition.

He launched into an unprecedented tirade against the two of them: "Bullshit! You two still have the nerve to say you're tired?! Kim Gun-hyun's departure is all your fault!"

Bao Daxing slammed his hand on the table, causing the documents to jump high into the air.

"If you guys hadn't been whispering and gossiping all day, spreading all sorts of nonsense that made Kim Geon-hyun feel he couldn't stand it anymore, would he have left?!"

"The factory has lost such a skilled technician, and you two are the culprits!"

The sudden appearance of the large pot left Wang and Mou dazed and speechless.

Jin Jianxian resigned because you, Bao Daxing, forced him out. What does it have to do with us?

Bao Daxing gave them no chance to explain and continued to roar and pressure them:
"Now! Such a great opportunity is being given to you! To go and study, to improve yourselves! It's a chance for you to redeem yourselves! And you're still picking and choosing?"

"I'm telling you, you have to go, whether you like it or not! If you don't go, or if you go and fail the exam..."

Bao Daxing pointed at the two men's noses, his eyes fierce, and roared, enunciating each word clearly:

"Believe it or not, I'll process your paperwork right now, pack your things and get out of here! The Third Parts Factory is too small to accommodate two big shots like you!"

The blatant threat turned Wang Lixing and Mu Guangfu pale.

Even though they knew that as long as they didn't resign, Bao Daxing couldn't force them to resign.

But when you're under someone's roof, you have no choice but to bow your head.

They immediately wilted.

Bao Daxing knew the principle of giving a slap followed by a sweet treat, so he softened his tone and unleashed his killer move—the provocation tactic.

"Jin Jianxian passed the exam and made a name for himself, even Director Yang was scrambling to hire him! Do you two think you're inferior to him?! That you're not even as good as him?! Are you really that cowardly?!"

"Can't compare to him?"

"Not even as good as Kim Geon-hyun?"

"Coward?!"

My uncle can't bear it, but my aunt can't!
Their jealousy and contempt for Kim Gun-hyun were ingrained in their very being.

The idea that "who is he? He's just lucky" is deeply ingrained.

Wang Lixing suddenly raised his head, his neck turning bright red, and roared in a strained voice:

"Director Bao! I'll show you! I refuse to believe it! If Jin Jianxian can do it, why can't I, Wang Lixing?!"

Mu Guangfu gritted his teeth and breathed heavily:

"Yes! Director Bao is right! We've read this book! We not only need to read it aloud, but we need to read it even better than Jin Jianxian! Let him see!"

Seeing that the two had been successfully "goaded" and were patting their chests to promise that they would definitely pass the exam, Bao Daxing nodded in satisfaction, a long-lost smug smile appearing on his face.

He could almost see Wang Lixing and Mu Guangfu returning after completing their studies, becoming his capable subordinates.

He completely erased the traces left by Jin Jianxian, proving to everyone his ability to "know people well and appoint them appropriately" and "cultivate talent effectively".

"Good, good, good! You two are excellent. You are indeed the talents I value. In our parts factory, you two are the most talented!"

Clutching the notice that Bao Daxing had forcibly shoved into their hands, Wang Lixing and Mu Guangfu walked out of the oppressive factory director's office, their hearts filled with complex emotions.

As soon as I came out, I saw Jin Jianxian returning from his inspection.

"Hey! Isn't this our Jinda technician? Still here? Saying goodbye with reluctance?" Wang Lixing deliberately raised his voice and spoke in a sarcastic tone.

Mu Guangfu immediately followed up, his contempt undisguised: "That's right, Jin, you're going to get promoted to a big temple like the steel mill, but don't forget about us poor guys from this little lousy factory!"

"Tsk tsk, climbing up the social ladder really makes a difference!"

The two men were clearly mocking each other.

Seeing that Jin Jianxian didn't react, Wang Lixing assumed he was feeling guilty or was about to leave and wouldn't dare cause any more trouble, which made him even more smug.

"What? Have you gone mute? Do you feel like you were wasted your talents working in our factory before? Now that you're finally going to climb the social ladder, you can't be bothered with us backwards anymore?"

He deliberately imitated Bao Daxing's tone.

Mu Guangfu maliciously speculated: "Could it be that you're afraid that if you go to a new place, people will find out about your eccentric past in our factory, and it will be difficult for you to get along?"

"Don't worry, we guys are tight-lipped! Hahaha!"

The shrill, exaggerated laughter sounded particularly jarring and despicable in the office.

Kim Geon-hyun looked at the two of them as if they were clowns, his face showing no anger, not even a ripple of emotion.

The two men felt as if they were seeing a stray dog ​​barking wildly at pedestrians on the roadside, trying to attract their attention.

I only felt that those harsh words were full of empty bluster and patheticness.

The reason the two dared to mock Jin Jianxian like that was because he had resigned and was leaving; now they had been entrusted with important responsibilities by Bao Daxing.

They were worried that Kim Geon-hyun wouldn't leave and that he would become their boss and then get back at them, but they never expected that Kim Geon-hyun would actually resign.

What's so scary about this? If they don't curse Kim Geon-hyun to death, then they're just incompetent.

Kim Geon-hyun simply uttered one sentence: "Barking incessantly!"

Four words, light and airy, yet containing immense contempt.

"You! Jin Jianxian! Who are you calling a dog?!" Wang Lixing's face turned from red to purple, and the veins on his neck bulged.

"Jin Jianxian, what do you mean!" Mu Guangfu's face turned ashen with suppressed anger.

The two of them immediately felt ashamed.

Jin Jianxian didn't even turn around, and went straight to his workstation.

Sunlight streamed in through the high window, casting a pale gold hue on his profile.

This formed a stark and glaring contrast with the exasperated and disheveled state of Wang and Mou.

The people in the office watched this scene unfold, their suppressed laughter and meaningful glances silently converging on Wang and Mou, making them wish they could disappear into the ground.

The two looked at each other, feeling ashamed and indignant, and could only slink away in disgrace.

Bao Daxing, in his office, witnessed this brief conflict through a crack in the window.

Especially after witnessing the pathetic escape of Wang and Mou, and Jin Jianxian's infuriating calm.

He sneered, "You ungrateful wretch! Just you wait and see. When Wang Lixing and Mu Guangfu return from their studies, I'll show you what real talent is! I'll show your Director Yang that I, Bao Daxing, have no shortage of capable people!"

He returned to his desk with great confidence, spread out some paper, and prepared to personally draft a notice on "vigorously cultivating technical backbones and building a learning factory".

The main focus is to proudly introduce two rising stars, Wang Lixing and Mu Guangfu.

He wanted the whole factory to know that Bao Daxing had a keen eye for talent and had cultivated it effectively!

Kim Geon-hyun?
He was just a passerby, a stumbling block who didn't know his place.

(End of this chapter)