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

Yi Zhonghai was terrified, his face as white as a sheet. He stammered out everything he had just said to the leader, from Gu Nan's "young and arrogant disrespect for senior workers, always interrupting them during meetings," to "the assessment process was rigged, the expert group might have received bribes from him," and finally, with a limp face, he looked at Deputy Factory Director Li, his voice trembling with tears: "I...I told you everything, not a single word was missed. What should I do? Will the leader think I'm deliberately causing trouble, that I'm jealous of Gu Nan's youth and talent?"

Deputy Factory Director Li abruptly shook off his arm, took a step back, and looked at him as if he were a hot potato or a burden. His tone was icy cold: "From now on, this has nothing to do with me." He straightened his clothes and deliberately took two steps away, as if that would draw a line between them. "What you said just now was what you wanted to say yourself. It was your personal opinion about Deputy Factory Director Gu. It has nothing to do with me, understand?"

Seeing how eager Gu Nan was to distance himself, Yi Zhonghai's last hope vanished. His legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed, only managing to hold onto the wall to keep from falling. He then realized he'd likely been used as a pawn, and now that the gun had gone off, Gu Nan was prioritizing his own safety. A gust of wind blew in through the window, chilling the back of his neck like a bucket of cold water. His earlier confidence in dealing with Gu Nan had vanished completely, replaced by utter panic—if the higher-ups took it seriously and investigated his allegations of "shady dealings," and found nothing, his reputation as an eighth-grade fitter would be tarnished with the stain of "gossiping behind people's backs and framing colleagues." How could he ever hold his head high in the factory again?

Under the pressure of Deputy Factory Director Li's gaze, Yi Zhonghai deflated like a punctured balloon, his anger instantly replaced by panic and trembling hands and feet. How could he dare utter a single word of dissent? His earlier drive to rush forward and report had vanished in the face of this silent pressure. He knew perfectly well that Deputy Factory Director Li was using him as a scapegoat. If he uttered a single wrong word, Li would seize upon it, pinning all the blame on him, leaving him no room for defense.

His head slumped, his shoulders slumped as if deflated, and his voice was so low it was almost a mosquito's hum, with a hint of pleading: "Deputy Factory Director Li, this time... this time I was confused, I admit it. But after this matter is over, what about the eighth-grade fitter thing you promised me before..."

Deputy Factory Director Li didn't even lift his eyelids, his fingers casually stroking the enamel mug on the table, yet he heard everything clearly. He cursed the old man inwardly, thinking that even at this point, he was still thinking about benefits—truly stubborn until he was faced with a fatal mistake. Aloud, however, he offered a perfunctory reply, his tone unreadable: "Alright, enough nonsense. You take responsibility for this first. Once you stabilize the situation, I'll naturally help you smooth things over later. The eighth-grade fitter job won't be out of the way."

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth, almost grinding them to powder. At this point, there was no other way but to take a gamble. He forced a smile and replied, "Okay...okay, I'll take responsibility this time." His heart was pounding, hoping that Deputy Factory Director Li wouldn't go back on his word.

Inside the room, the senior leader's gaze fell on Gu Nan, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "You must be Deputy Factory Director Gu."

Gu Nan stood there ramrod straight, his face showing no sign of panic—he had acted uprightly and honestly, relying on solid technical skills every step of the way since joining the factory, never having done anything wrong, so naturally he had nothing to fear. He met the leaders' gaze calmly, his voice clear and bright: "Yes, I am Gu Nan. I know that you leaders are here today to investigate my passing the senior engineer exam. I have brought the relevant assessment records, drawings, and review comments with me, and I am ready to accept your inspection at any time."

The senior leader nodded, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound: "That's indeed the case. Also, we received a message saying you also have something to report?"

Gu Nan responded with a "Yes," and took out a neatly arranged stack of materials from his briefcase. These were the evidence he had secretly collected regarding Deputy Factory Director Li's abuse of power to accept bribes—several obviously abnormal account statements were included, along with photocopies of bank transfer records; there were also testimonies written by two suppliers who had been extorted, detailing the times and amounts Deputy Factory Director Li demanded benefits under the guise of "maintaining relationships." He handed over the materials with both hands, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable force: "This is evidence of Deputy Factory Director Li abusing his power to accept bribes. Originally, I thought we were all colleagues and didn't intend to make a big deal out of it, but since someone is deliberately targeting me, even going so far as to fabricate rumors to ruin my reputation, I can't just sit idly by. I have no choice but to truthfully report these circumstances to the leadership."

The senior leader took the materials and carefully flipped through them page by page. His brows gradually furrowed, and his expression darkened. After a moment, he looked up at the staff beside him and said, "This evidence is complete. Contact the disciplinary inspection department immediately and launch an investigation."

Gu Nan nodded slightly. After the leader finished giving instructions, he changed the subject and brought up the assessment: "Regarding whether my exam was compliant, should we start the reassessment now, or should we wait until tomorrow to prepare?"

The senior leader looked at him, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes—this young man not only had excellent skills, but also a very stable mentality; it was truly rare for him to remain so calm in the face of such a situation. He immediately made the decision: "Let's start now, and finish this quickly, so that some people will be completely convinced."

Gu Nan nodded in agreement and turned to leave. The senior leader's gaze immediately fell on Yi Zhonghai, who had just been brought in, and his tone left no room for doubt: "Perfect, let Deputy Factory Director Gu and you, this 'Level 5 Fitter,' take the exam together. It's all real technical work. Whether he showed favoritism or you lied, we'll know after the exam."

Yi Zhonghai's face turned deathly pale, as if he'd been doused with a bucket of cold water, a chill running through him from head to toe. Cold sweat trickled down his spine, soaking his shirt. He knew his own skills best—he could fool newbies with his seniority on ordinary days, but competing against a technical expert like Gu Nan would be blatantly embarrassing. But his superiors had already spoken, and he dared not say "no." He could only grit his teeth and agree, his lips trembling, cursing Deputy Factory Director Li a thousand times in his heart: That old bastard, he's screwed me over!

The examination room was quickly set up in the open space of the workshop. Three intermediate engineers from the technical department were invited to act as examiners. They immediately presented drawings of considerable difficulty and workpieces to be processed—a precision gear component with extremely high requirements. It was necessary to ensure both dimensional accuracy and surface finish of the gear teeth, which was a true test of skill.