She won't clear her name; she'll throw away all the scum.

Factory Director Li glared at her, as if he was disgusted that Old Lady Xia had said something that no one else dared to say aloud. It was as if these things wouldn't exist if Old Lady Xia hadn't spoken them. "Comrade Xia, since you know you've been biased, I hope you can be more careful with your words in the future."

Not everyone is as good-tempered as me and lets you yell at them. The fact that you're here at this meeting means you're a minor manager in the textile factory. You just said that what we managers say can easily influence the workers below us. I bet a large part of the rumors circulating in your factory are because of you, right?

Seeing that he had immediately placed such a huge burden of blame on Old Lady Xia, Director Song was worried that there might be unpleasant words or pressure from others on her later. It would be truly unfair for an honest and upright old woman to be smeared at the last moment. So he took over and said:

"It is the responsibility of all the managers in the factory to not manage the people well. It is probably inappropriate for Director Li to say that."

Factory Director Li scoffed, "Not quite right, I think it's too right. If your Comrade Xia hadn't caused so much trouble, so many female colleagues wouldn't have gotten divorced. I think the person in your factory who should reflect the most isn't you, Old Song, but this old comrade."

Isn't her behavior just stirring up trouble? And she's doing it under the guise of doing what's best for others. Maybe those women she's advised didn't want a divorce themselves; they were forced into it?

Upon hearing these impolite words, Director Song said sternly, "Old Li, we've known each other for so many years, and you've been the deputy director for just as long. You should know what you should and shouldn't say. You can't just accuse Comrade Xia like this out of anger because you were upset by what she said. Let me put it more clearly: what you just said was spreading rumors, and you have to take responsibility for saying such things."

Factory Director Li remained unperturbed. "When your Comrade Xia was talking about our food factory just now, why didn't you say she was framing us?"

Factory Director Song: "What did she say that was a lie? You mocked our textile factory first, and it's a fact that your factory's production schedule is behind schedule. Your handling of that domestic violence incident was problematic. Factory Director Li, please tell me now, is what Comrade Xia just said a lie?"

Factory Director Li: "In the past, in those families, who beat their wives and was then treated like this by the factory? Has your textile factory been advising people to divorce since before? We've been advising them in the same way as before, is there a problem with that?"

Factory Director Song: "The factory's technology is constantly being updated. Isn't dealing with people more important than these technologies? The technology is being updated, but you are still handling these relationships according to old ideas. Does that mean your factory's management methods are also based on past experience?"

The purpose of this conference for leaders from various factories is to share management experiences. If you are so complacent and self-satisfied, and still have the energy to mock other factories, then what is the point of this conference? You might as well all the leaders go back to the factory and lie down.

No wonder your factory is lagging behind; it's because you, Director Li, simply don't care about these things. You don't care about production, you don't care about management, and you especially don't care about the workers. So you deserve to be criticized!

Factory Director Li: "Old Song, don't start picking on me just to protect this nobody old comrade in your factory. The fact that I'm in this position means that the higher-ups recognize my abilities, I..."