Courtyard House: The Road to an Industrial Power

In the final assembly workshop of the automobile factory, the first prototype truck has already begun to take shape.

The silver metallic body was not painted because there wasn't enough time.

The engine, delivered from the steel rolling mill, was securely embedded into the vehicle frame.

The technicians were making final adjustments to the vehicle. After nearly two months of working day and night, the moment of acceptance was finally approaching.

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the first road test can be conducted in three days."

The technical team leader, holding the test report, reported to Lin Weidong.

Lin Weidong nodded, reached out and tapped the truck's frame; the new type of special steel felt solid and heavy.

His gaze swept across the underside of the vehicle, pausing slightly at the brake lines.

"Thank you all for your hard work. These are the last three days. Let's do one last thorough check."

Lin Weidong acted as if he hadn't seen anything.

These days, Liu Zhiqiang has been consumed by humiliation and anger.

Every second felt like an eternity.

Every day, he had to do the heaviest and most tiring work in the workshop, unloading heavy parts and cleaning up the oil stains all over the floor.

My hands developed thick calluses, and my back was so tired I couldn't straighten up.

What frustrated him even more was that the factory's veteran employees, seeing him fall from power, also took advantage of his misfortune.

When he was the factory director, these people flattered him, but now they order him around and scold him harshly if he does anything that displeases them.

"Liu Zhiqiang, this steel plate isn't smooth enough. Redo it!"

"Hurry up! If you keep dawdling and delay the project, can you take responsibility?"

"Clean up this oil stain properly, don't get the original car dirty. Can you afford to pay for it?"

But now, he can only swallow his anger.

He believes that Lin Weidong was behind all of this.

Lin Weidong deliberately embarrassed him and made him suffer humiliation.

This resentment grew wildly in his heart, making him even more eager for the day of the road test.

If the brake cable breaks, Lin Weidong will be disgraced and may even be imprisoned. At that time, he will be able to redeem himself.

"Lin Weidong, you just wait!"

"The day of the road test will be your death day! I'll not only ruin you, but I'll also make sure the project you built is destroyed along with you!"

He had already planned that he would not only embarrass Lin Weidong, but also trick several leaders into getting into the truck.

If something happens to the leader, no matter how capable Lin Weidong is, he cannot save the situation.

He might be able to use this opportunity to clear his name again, and all the blame could be placed on Lin Weidong.

Meanwhile, in the Ministry of Industry, Liu Jie was sitting in his office, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

The minister who was parachuted in was named Shen Hongtao, a senior expert in the industrial field.

He is meticulous in his conduct and ruthless in his dealings with others.

More importantly, the Shen family and the Liu family have been political enemies for many years.

After taking office, Shen Hongtao targeted Liu Jie in every way, gradually stripping him of his power.

Although Liu Jie now holds the title of vice minister, he is now a completely idle person with no one to whom he can mobilize, putting him in an extremely awkward situation.

When Liu Zhiqiang told Liu Jie about his plan, Liu Jie agreed almost without hesitation.

Right now, he wished he could kill both of them.

"Great! This is a good plan! I'll find a way to lure Shen Hongtao to the testing site."

"If he were to sit in the truck himself, and something went wrong, Shen Hongtao would be injured at best, and killed at worst."

"Lin Weidong will be forever branded with shame, and then our chance will come!"

Liu Jie became more and more excited as he thought about it. He had already started planning how to make Shen Hongtao lower his guard and get on that truck that was hiding a deadly trap on the day of the test.

He had even prepared his subsequent explanation, should the accident occur.

He could then unite with some of his old subordinates and shift all the blame onto Lin Weidong.

He was accused of being technically incompetent, impatient for quick results, and disregarding human life.

His actions at the time will also be transformed from black to white.

"Lin Weidong, Shen Hongtao, you just wait!"

Liu Jie clenched his fists, his eyes filled with ruthlessness.

"This time, I'm going to completely eliminate you two thorns in my side."

The road test day arrived as scheduled three days later.

The test track at the car factory was already packed with people.

Shen Hongtao brought along several leaders from the Ministry of Industry, and Su Zhenbang also came to show his support.

Also present were members of the preparatory team for the Hongxing Machinery Factory, and all employees of the automobile factory.

Everyone looked at the silver truck with anticipation, eager to witness the fruits of their two months of hard work.

Liu Zhiqiang mingled in the crowd, his eyes fixed on the truck's braking system, his palms slightly sweaty, his heart pounding wildly.

Liu Jie stayed by Shen Hongtao's side, wearing a fake smile and constantly saying flattering things, trying to get Shen Hongtao to agree to sit in the truck for the experience.

"Minister Shen, this is a major project under the leadership of the Ministry of Industry. You must participate in it personally."

Shen Hongtao sensed that Liu Jie was unusually excited today, and his attitude towards him was inexplicably good.

Even though he was a minister, the other party usually didn't give him a good look, but today they actually flattered him.

Lin Weidong stood beside the truck, his expression calm. His gaze swept over Liu Zhiqiang and Liu Jie in the crowd, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

He walked up to Liu Zhiqiang. "Director Liu, oh no, former director, I remember you can drive a truck, right?"

"In that case, you will drive the truck for this test."

Liu Zhiqiang's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly waved his hand, saying, "No, no, I haven't driven in years and my skills aren't good enough. I'm afraid I'll damage it."

"No, no, no, I don't need any skill. Just step on the gas and go for it. If you crash, it's on me."

Liu Zhiqiang quickly refused.

Those around him who knew the inside story felt that Lin Weidong was acting strangely, wondering why he would give the people who had bullied him before such an opportunity to shine.

Lin Weidong pulled Liu Zhiqiang and pushed him towards the car, saying, "If you're not going, do you know there's going to be some kind of problem?"

"Is there a problem with the braking system?"

In a panic, Liu Zhiqiang blurted out, "The brake cable has been cut."

The surrounding leaders' expressions changed drastically; they never expected Liu Zhiqiang to do such a thing.

Liu Jie cursed under his breath: "Idiot."

Shen Hongtao now understood why Liu Jie had been acting so strangely today; he hadn't expected to find him waiting here.

Lin Weidong had someone bring over the replaced brake cable: "Is this it?"

Liu Zhiqiang's initial shock turned to anger: "Did you already know? You're trying to frame me! This was all part of your plan, wasn't it?"

Lin Weidong didn't answer and directly ordered the security personnel to take Liu Zhiqiang away. Shen Hongtao, who was standing to the side, turned to Liu Jie and said:

"Those two brothers really hate each other, I've seen it for myself."

After Lin Weidong explained the whole story, the truck test proceeded as usual.

This time, Lin Weidong drove himself.