Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Gu Nan smiled gently, his tone as relaxed as if he were having a casual chat: "Xu Damao, we see each other all the time, we're neighbors living in the same courtyard. If we can't even help each other out, wouldn't we be fools?"

Xu Damao looked at Gu Nan, a hint of surprise and embarrassment flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected Gu Nan to still consider him one of his own—over the years, he had done countless unethical things in the factory, especially targeting Gu Nan, constantly causing trouble and gossiping, yet the other party hadn't said a word about it, instead offering him a way out. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was somewhat hoarse: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, before... before I was confused, I did many things that wronged you, I know I was wrong."

Gu Nan waved his hand, his smile becoming even more amiable: "Hey, why bring up the past? We're all family here, blood is thicker than water." He then changed the subject, getting straight to the point, "So, you've come to see me today, there must be something you need, right?"

Xu Damao finally composed himself and recounted in detail the conspiracy Li, the deputy factory director, had conspired with him—from the promise of the position of head of the propaganda department to his encouragement to collect "dirt" on Gu Nan, even including the veiled threats. Finally, he patted his chest and said, "Deputy Factory Director Gu, don't worry, we're from the same institute, I'll definitely side with my own people! Deputy Factory Director Li trying to cause trouble? No way!"

After listening, Gu Nan nodded slowly, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table: "Okay, you did the right thing. Since he promised you the position of director of the propaganda department, I'll give you a definite answer—as long as you can get the evidence of Deputy Factory Director Li's crimes, I guarantee you a promotion, and your position will definitely not be lower than that of the director of the propaganda department."

But he had other plans in mind: Xu Damao was the kind of person who would betray principles for personal gain, and keeping him around would only cause trouble. It would be better to use him to disrupt Deputy Factory Director Li's plans, and once things escalated, Deputy Factory Director Li would naturally deal with him. After all, Xu Damao had done quite a few dirty things over the years, and any one of them would be enough to get him into serious trouble.

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao's eyes lit up, and his face crinkled into a wide grin: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, don't worry! I'll keep a close eye on Deputy Factory Director Li. I'll report every single word he utters to you!"

"Alright, you can go back now. Be careful not to give yourself away." Gu Nan waved his hand.

Just as Xu Damao was about to turn around, Gu Nan suddenly seemed to remember something, pulled out a wad of cash from the drawer, and handed it over: "Damao, I know you're not doing well financially lately, with losing money on glass and having your bonus deducted from the factory, things aren't easy for you. Take this money first, consider it a supplement for you, take it slowly, things will get better eventually."

Xu Damao's eyes lit up when he saw the stack of money. He hurriedly took it and thanked him repeatedly, saying, "Thank you, Deputy Factory Director Gu! You are such a kind person! I, Xu Damao, will definitely follow you from now on!" He pocketed the money and walked away with light steps, as if he could already see the good days of his promotion and raise.

Xu Damao held the money Gu Nan handed him, his fingertips trembling slightly, his face crinkling with a wide smile—he had been running around for Deputy Factory Director Li for so long, doing all sorts of favors, but that old rascal always made empty promises, saying things like "I'll give you a raise after this is done" or "I'll promote you to team leader," but he hadn't seen a single penny of real benefit.

But look at Gu Nan, he's straightforward and hands over the money before Xu Damao could even say a word. This contrast instantly tipped Xu Damao's scales.

Seeing his overjoyed expression, Gu Nan knew exactly what was going on—this was called giving a sweet treat first to keep someone hooked. He said calmly, "Alright, take the money first. As long as you work diligently for me, don't worry, you'll be well paid in the future, much better than following Deputy Factory Director Li."

Xu Damao quickly stuffed the money into his pocket and patted his chest, guaranteeing, "Deputy Factory Director Gu, you can rest assured! I'll make sure this is handled perfectly for you, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied! You tell me where to go, and I'll do it without hesitation!"

Gu Nan nodded, glancing towards the office door. "Alright, it's not good for you to stay here any longer. If Deputy Factory Director Li sees you, there will be more trouble. Go back first, I'll contact you if there's any commotion."

Xu Damao knew the importance of the matter and nodded hurriedly, "Okay! I'll go first then, Deputy Factory Director Gu, you're busy!" He then tiptoed out, afraid of being seen—he was caught between two sides and couldn't afford to offend either, especially Deputy Factory Director Li, who couldn't let him know that he had anything to do with Gu Nan.

After Xu Damao's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, Gu Nan turned around, looked at the factory's chimneys outside the window, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips: "Interesting... It seems that the meeting this morning really put a lot of pressure on Deputy Factory Director Li." He deliberately mentioned "strictly investigating production errors" and "verifying account details" at the meeting, just to see the other party's reaction. Now it seems that the effect was better than expected.

In the afternoon, as expected, Deputy Factory Director Li didn't leave, but sat restlessly in his office. He couldn't figure out what tricks Gu Nan had up his sleeve during the morning meeting, so he simply called over a few of his trusted confidants, and they whispered among themselves behind closed doors, busy trying to gather information and devising countermeasures.

Gu Nan was unaware of all this. After finishing his work, he went straight to the kitchen.

As soon as he entered the kitchen, Zhong Yi greeted him with a worried look on his face: "Master, I heard from people outside that Director Yang has been taken away. Has something serious happened? Should we make some preparations in advance?"

Gu Nan glanced at him, her tone calm: "Don't overthink it. Your current task is to manage the kitchen, keep a close eye on the stoves, and keep the purchasing accounts straight. No matter who gets into trouble or who gets promoted outside, it has nothing to do with you. But if anything goes wrong in the kitchen—the vegetables aren't fresh, the accounts are wrong, or the factory's meals are delayed—I won't let you off the hook, understand?"

Zhong Yi's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly nodded: "Master, I understand! Don't worry, I will definitely keep a close eye on the kitchen and there will be no mistakes!" He had been following Gu Nan for so long and knew that his master never made empty promises. Since he had given such an order, there must be a reason for it. He would just do as he was told.

Gu Nan took a walk around the kitchen, checked the food supplies, and looked at the day's menu. Seeing that everything was in good order, he smiled with satisfaction: "Good. Remember, the kitchen is your battlefield. Defending this place is more important than anything else. I'm going back to my office now. Remember my words, nothing is allowed to go wrong in the kitchen, not even the slightest thing."

"Hey, Master, take care!" Zhong Yi hurriedly replied, watching Gu Nan's back, he secretly made up his mind - no matter how big the storm outside, he would just guard this stove.