Rebirth 93: Break off the engagement at the beginning and marry Bai Fumei

Time flies, and a month has passed in the blink of an eye. The once noisy and bustling battery factory is now quiet, with only the occasional voices of workers and the sounds of dismantling machines echoing in the empty factory.

After a month of intensive construction, the renovation project of the battery factory is nearing completion. The production workshop, which was originally filled with debris and covered in dust, has been completely cleared, revealing a clean cement floor.

The old machinery and equipment had long been dismantled and were waiting to be transported to the recycling station. In their place were newly laid electrical wires and pipes, connecting every corner of the factory like blood vessels. To welcome the new beginning, the workers also painted the entire factory area with brand-new white paint, which looked exceptionally bright, clean, and brand-new under the sunlight.

Meanwhile, Matsumoto hadn't been idle for the past month either. The phone calls were like a relentless nagging, several a day, probably more frequent than his relatives. At first, Chen Guohua patiently answered them, making small talk, like an ant on a hot pan, having to pretend to be relaxed and carefree.

But after a while, Director Chen got annoyed. Think about it, who has the time to waste on the phone with them? So, later on, whenever he heard it was a call from Matsumoto, Chen Guohua would hang up without a word. In his words, "We're so busy, we don't have time to waste on their nonsense!"

That day, Chen Guohua sat in his office, holding documents in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed, as if pondering some important national matter. Standing opposite him was He Xiaojuan, waiting for Chen Guohua's instructions.

"Xiao He," Chen Guohua put down the documents in his hand, rubbed his slightly sore eyes, glanced at He Xiaojuan standing across the desk, and asked with a smile, "Have all the office equipment for the electronics factory been delivered? The equipment will arrive soon, and we also need to start arranging for the recruitment of workers. Time is tight and the task is heavy!"

Upon hearing Chen Guohua's words, He Xiaojuan's previously relaxed expression instantly crumbled. She sighed softly and hesitated before saying, "Director, I've already handed the materials to Director Geng in the office, but..." He Xiaojuan paused deliberately, glancing furtively at Chen Guohua.

"But what? Xiao He, this hesitant stammering isn't like you!" Chen Guohua asked, feigning confusion, though he already had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on.

"But...but Director Geng's stomach problems have flared up again recently, and we haven't seen him at all lately. He spends most of his time in the hospital!" He Xiaojuan said helplessly, with a hint of complaint in her tone. "This Director Geng always messes things up at crucial moments, and the electronics factory has already been delayed quite a bit!"

"Oh? Stomach problems again?" Chen Guohua's lips twitched. Director Geng's stomach problems really do come at the right time. They always flare up at crucial moments. This stomach problem can't go on like this. It needs to be treated!

"That's right," He Xiaojuan chimed in, complaining. "When we were compiling the revised documents a while ago, he kept saying he had a stomachache. Every time I asked, he said it wouldn't interfere with work. But then time was running out, and we had to get Sister Zheng Ru to work overtime to revise it. It took a whole week to submit it."

After that, regarding the electronics factory's rectification and publicity efforts, he claimed to have a stomach ailment and was hospitalized. To this day, there's still no sign of a publicity plan! He avoids and postpones anything related to the electronics factory whenever possible. His stomach is perfectly fine as long as he's not working, but once he starts working, his stomach problems flare up immediately, like a switch has been flipped.

Listening to He Xiaojuan's complaints, Chen Guohua subtly tapped his fingers on the table, secretly thinking: This Director Geng really knows how to pick his time to get sick; it seems he's determined to go against me this time. However, while his little scheme is quite clever, Chen Guohua isn't so easily fooled!

Chen Guohua found it increasingly amusing, but the thought of the work progress being delayed made his laughter subside. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, pondering: It seems Director Geng's illness is quite serious; he's not fit to continue working!

"Xiao He, I understand. You go ahead and do your work. I'll handle this." He pretended to be in complete control, waved his hand, and signaled He Xiaojuan that she could leave.

After He Xiaojuan left, Chen Guohua picked up the phone on the table and dialed a number: "Xiao Zheng, come to my office, I have some important work to arrange!"

He put down the phone, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his lips. Everything was under control. They were all experienced doctors; neither of them could prescribe a remedy for the other!

A short while later, there was a gentle knock on the office door, and Zheng Ru walked in gracefully. She was wearing a well-fitting business suit, and her short, jet-black hair accentuated her fair skin. She looked to be under forty and was very well-maintained.

Everyone in the bureau knows she's already in her mid-forties, and her husband works for a state-owned enterprise, but time seems to have been exceptionally kind to her, leaving only a few faint wrinkles around her eyes. Not only does she have a great temperament, but she's also kind and gentle, always smiling when talking to anyone. Even when she's wronged, she just smiles it off, making her a true "confidante" in the electronics bureau.

She jogged along, afraid that Director Chen would be getting impatient. She gently knocked on Chen Guohua's office door, making three crisp "knock, knock, knock" sounds. Little did she know that these three knocks would open a new chapter in her life.

"Come in!" Chen Guohua's loud voice came from the office. Zheng Ru took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

"Director Chen, you wanted to see me?" Zheng Ru pushed open the door and entered, her face bearing a gentle smile, like a spring breeze that soothes the soul. Chen Guohua pointed to the chair opposite his desk, gesturing for Zheng Ru to sit down. He then stood up and poured her a steaming cup of tea, his movements fluid and seamless, making one think he used to own a tea house.

"Little Zheng, come, have some tea, let's chat slowly." Chen Guohua looked at Zheng Ru with a smile, like a big bad wolf ready to talk to a little white rabbit about life ideals.

Zheng Ru accepted the teacup with both hands, feeling flattered, and said, "Thank you, Director Chen." She then took a small sip, and a faint aroma of tea filled her mouth, gradually easing her initial nervousness.

"Little Zheng, what year did you join the Electronics Bureau?" Chen Guohua asked slowly, as if he were having a casual chat. But Zheng Ru knew that this was not just a simple conversation; there was always a deeper meaning behind the leader's question!

"Director Chen, I came to the Electronics Bureau five years ago." Zheng Ru quickly sat up straight and answered carefully, afraid of missing any detail.

"Five years have passed, time really flies!" Chen Guohua sighed, as if recalling his lost youth, then changed the subject, "You came here even earlier than me, which unit did you work for before?"

“Director Chen, I used to work in the electronics factory office,” Zheng Ru replied calmly, while also tidying her hair, striving to present her best self to her superior.

"Oh? The electronics factory office?" Chen Guohua became interested. This was perfect, so he asked, "What was your position at the electronics factory back then?"

“I was the deputy director of the office at the time,” Zheng Ru said, a hint of helplessness in her voice. “I was originally waiting for Director Xing to retire so I could be promoted to a full-fledged position, but then…”

"What happened next?" Chen Guohua's curiosity was piqued, and he pressed for an answer.

"Later, the electronics factory's performance declined, and the position of director remained vacant, so I never got promoted." Zheng Ru said, her tone tinged with regret, as if lamenting the opportunity she had missed.

Zheng Ru composed herself and said, "At the time, the Electronics Bureau's office was short-staffed, so they transferred me here."

"Oh, I see." Chen Guohua nodded, indicating his understanding, and then asked, "When you came to the Electronics Bureau, who was the deputy director of the office?"

“No,” Zheng Ru shook her head, her tone very certain. “When I came here, there was only Director Geng in our Electronics Bureau office, no deputy director.”

"No?" Chen Guohua frowned, seemingly not quite believing it. How could there not be?

Zheng Ru nodded firmly, "When I first came here, there were only Director Geng and Sister Xu in the office. Later, Sister Xu retired, and a young staff member named Ma Yan came. But not long after, Ma Yan took sick leave, so it has always been just Director Geng and me in the office."

After listening to Zheng Ru's explanation, Chen Guohua finally understood. It turned out that the position of deputy director of the Electronics Bureau's office had been vacant to save expenses. After all, having fewer positions meant less money to be spent each month, which was not bad...

Chen Guohua stroked his chin, secretly chuckling to himself. This was like a pillow delivered just when he was sleepy. He casually asked, "Xiao Zheng, you've been with the Electronics Bureau for so many years, you must be quite familiar with the office work, right?"

Zheng Ru was taken aback by Chen Guohua's sudden question. She nodded slightly, but a question arose in her mind: What is the director up to? Could it be...? She secretly glanced at Chen Guohua and saw him smiling, looking inscrutable. She became even more uneasy. Director Geng hadn't reached retirement age yet. Was he planning to have her take his place?

"That's good, that's good!" Chen Guohua clapped his hands and said with a big smile, "From today onwards, all the affairs of the office, big and small, will be handed over to you. I will notify the various departments in a while and ask them to coordinate with you."

Zheng Ru's eyes widened as if she had heard some earth-shattering secret. She stammered, "Director Chen, what do you mean...?"

Chen Guohua waved his hand and said with a smile, "Little Zheng, don't be nervous. I'm not the kind of person who would discard someone after they've served their purpose, and I certainly won't let you work for nothing."

Chen Guohua smiled and said to Zheng Ru, "Let's be frank. As you know, Director Geng has worked diligently for our Electronics Bureau for decades, and his health has been ruined. I'm both moved and heartbroken!"

Chen Guohua sighed deeply, his face filled with heartache. "Director Geng has dedicated his whole life to his work, and now he's constantly running to the hospital. It really breaks my heart!"

At this point, Chen Guohua made a distressed expression, "Although I am very reluctant to part with him, our electronics factory is about to undergo reform, which is a matter of life and death for our electronics bureau. Director Geng is obviously not up to the task now. For the sake of his health, I think he should apply for medical retirement and take a good rest."

Retirement due to illness? Upon hearing these two words, Zheng Ru suddenly realized that Chen Guohua had been waiting for her here! She couldn't help but laugh. Director Geng's health wasn't a stomach ailment at all; it was clearly a work-related illness. He would get sick whenever he had work to do, and would be lively and energetic whenever he wasn't. He was quite the veteran actor, really.

“Xiao Zheng, look, if Director Geng retires due to illness, the position of office director will naturally be yours. After all, you are the most familiar with the business, so…” Chen Guohua paused deliberately, looking at Zheng Ru with a hint in his eyes: “You can act as director first, and after the bureau leaders hold a meeting to discuss and decide, you will be officially appointed as the office director.”

"But right now, the main thing is to..."

"Of course it's the renovation of the electronics factory! And it has to be completed as quickly as possible!" Zheng Ru interrupted Chen Guohua, smiling brightly, her eyes sparkling with confidence.

"Haha, clever!" Chen Guohua laughed heartily, waved to Zheng Ru, "Alright, you go ahead and get busy, leave the coordination to me."

After making the phone call, Chen Guohua seemed to have accomplished a great feat. He leaned back in his chair with a smug look, picked up his teacup and blew on it. Anyone who didn't know better would think he had just commanded a battle involving millions of people.