Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

"You don't need to do much. You just need to follow my instructions, change yourself a little, and then 'accidentally' appear in front of Li Huaide so that he 'notices' you. I'll teach you what to say and do. Remember, you're not doing this for me personally; you're eliminating bad apples for the steel mill, doing something important for the benefit of all the factory's employees! After it's done, you'll not only be a hero of the factory, but the organization will also make proper arrangements and provide guarantees for your and your child's future."

He clearly laid out the "risks" and "rewards" in front of Liu Lan.

He controlled and resolved the risks, and in return, she received the stable future and the status of a "hero" that she had always dreamed of.

This was an irresistible temptation for a woman who had just crawled out of hell and had no one to rely on.

Liu Lan's breathing became rapid.

Looking into Li Zhenhua's confident and powerful eyes, and recalling how easily he had brought down her fierce husband, a blind trust and an impulse to repay his kindness overwhelmed her fear of the unknown mission.

Yes, Director Li is such a capable person, anything he arranges will definitely succeed!

He gave me my life, so what is there to be afraid of?

It was her honor to be able to do something for Director Li and for the factory!

She stood up abruptly, her body trembling slightly with excitement, and bowed deeply to Li Zhenhua, her voice trembling with determination.

"Director Li! I understand! Don't worry! Although I, Liu Lan, am incompetent, I am grateful! You saved me and my child; you are like my second parents! Wherever you point, I will go! I will never disgrace you! Corrupt officials like Li Huaide should be purged!"

Seeing Liu Lan's almost sworn allegiance posture, Li Zhenhua's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.

The first step, bestowing favors to establish authority and build absolute loyalty, is complete.

This chess piece is now firmly in my grasp.

All he needed was a little polishing so that she could stir up the ripples she desired in Li Huaide's murky waters.

"it is good."

Li Zhenhua stood up, walked to Liu Lan, and gently patted her shoulder. This gesture carried the reassurance and affirmation of a superior.

"I'll teach you the specifics step by step. Right now, go and get the divorce papers and moving settled in. Don't worry about anything else, I'll take care of everything."

"Yes, Director Li!"

Liu Lan nodded vigorously, her eyes shining with an unprecedented light that was a mixture of gratitude, awe, and a sense of mission.

As Liu Lan left Li Zhenhua's office, she felt her steps become much lighter.

The heavy keychain in her hand gave her an unprecedented sense of security. She was no longer that pitiful creature who could be bullied and had no hope of tomorrow.

She had found support, a mission, and a goal to strive for—to repay Director Li's kindness and complete the tasks he assigned!

A new kind of power was quietly growing within her long-suffering body.

Liu Lan's divorce proceedings went surprisingly smoothly.

With the intervention of the factory's women's federation and the neighborhood committee, the in-laws, who might have been entangled in a protracted dispute, were terrified after learning that their son had been sentenced to ten years of re-education through labor. They were afraid of being implicated and were eager to distance themselves from Liu Lan, this "jinx."

Moving was even simpler; the so-called "home" contained almost nothing but a few pieces of old furniture and patched bedding.

Liu Lan moved into the temporary dormitory assigned to her by the factory with her son in just one afternoon.

Although the dormitory was small, only about ten square meters, the walls were snow-white, the windows were bright, there was a wooden bed, an old table, and a shared kitchen and toilet.

For Liu Lan and her son, this was paradise. Her son seemed to sense the change in his environment as well, his usual fear and silence diminished, replaced by a childlike curiosity.

The day after settling in, Li Zhenhua called the dormitory area's reception office.

He didn't come in person, but instead asked Liu Lan to take leave the next morning and wait for the person he arranged at the factory gate.

The next day, Liu Lan took leave early and arrived at the factory gate with trepidation.

A short while later, a nearly new women's bicycle stopped in front of her, and the rider turned out to be Qin Huairu, the warehouse keeper.

"Is this Liu Lan? Director Li asked me to pick you up."

Qin Huairu greeted him with a smile, her attitude very friendly.

Today she wore a clean floral shirt and blue cargo pants, making her look neat and exuding a mature woman's charm.

Liu Lan nodded somewhat hesitantly.

"Master Qin... thank you for your trouble."

"Hey, don't be shy, get in the car."

Qin Huairu patted the back seat. Liu Lan sat on the back of the bicycle, unsure of what to do with her hands.

Qin Huairu seemed to sense her nervousness and chatted casually while pedaling.

"Director Li instructed me to take you out to buy some new clothes. You've just escaped your misery, it's time for a fresh start."

Liu Lan felt a warmth in her heart, but also a sense of apprehension.

How could I possibly accept such expense from Director Li?

Qin Huairu seemed to see through her thoughts and smiled.

"Girl, don't overthink it. Director Li is just looking out for the job. You... well, you need to present yourself presentably in public, right?"

Her words were subtle, but Liu Lan immediately understood that this "purchasing of clothes" was probably related to that "mission".

She immediately became even more nervous. Instead of going to the crowded and noisy department store, Qin Huairu led Liu Lan through a maze of streets to a relatively quiet area in the south of the city. There were some small-looking tailor shops and clothing stores with signs that read "Shanghai Fashion" and "Suzhou Silk".

Clearly, this is a place frequented by people with some wealth and refined tastes.

Entering a brightly lit shop with various ready-made clothes hanging on the walls, the shop assistant, a well-dressed middle-aged woman, greeted Qin Huairu as if they were old friends.

"Sister Qin is here? And who is this?"

"This is a girl of mine, a colleague at the factory. Sister Wang, could you please pick out a few outfits for her, as I mentioned before? The fabric should be good, and the style... should be something that makes her look elegant."

As Qin Huairu spoke, she secretly gave him a look.

The shop assistant, Wang, understood immediately and enthusiastically helped the somewhat flustered Liu Lan take her measurements. Then she took out several ready-made garments hanging in the back room.

Instead of the currently popular Lenin suits or work clothes, she wore several more tailored shirts in more elegant and understated colors, two high-quality Dacron long-sleeved tops, and even a navy blue wool trousers and a coffee-colored "Dica" fabric skirt.

"This...this is too...I can't wear it..."

Liu Lan blushed as she looked at the clothes.

She had never worn such "fashionable" clothes in her entire life.

"Give it a try, girl. Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse."

Without saying a word, Qin Huairu pushed her into the fitting room.

When Liu Lan walked out awkwardly, wearing a light beige polyester top with fine pleats at the neckline and navy blue trousers, even she herself was stunned.

The woman in the mirror, though still looking somewhat haggard and overly thin, had her waistline, which was barely visible under her oversized work clothes, outlined by well-fitting clothes. The elegant colors made her skin appear fairer, and she exuded a quiet and... indescribable charm.

So, I can be like this too?

Qin Huairu looked her up and down, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, before she smiled.

"Look! I knew it! She has such a great foundation! With a little hair styling, she looks like a completely different person!"

For the next half day, Qin Huairu took Liu Lan to the hair salon to trim her perpetually haphazardly tied-up hair, turning it into a neat, slightly wavy, ear-length bob that made her look much more energetic. She also bought a pair of black mid-heel leather shoes and a pair of low-cut flat leather shoes to replace her worn-out cloth shoes.

After the makeover, Liu Lan, standing in front of the mirror, could hardly recognize herself.

Although she still showed timidity and awkwardness in her demeanor, she had completely shed the image of a "petty woman" and transformed into a neat, capable, and even gentle urban female worker with a mature charm that was rare in this era.

"Girl, remember this."

Qin Huairu looked at the completely transformed Liu Lan and her tone became serious.

"Director Li told me to tell you that you need to change, inside and out. The timid and submissive Liu Lan of the past is dead. Now you are an independent woman who has experienced misfortune but has moved on and wants to start a new life. When you interact with others, hold your head high, speak slowly and steadily, and don't get teary-eyed so easily. Especially in front of... certain people."

She added something meaningful.

Liu Lan nodded as if she understood, but she kept every word Qin Huairu said firmly in her heart.

She knew that this new outfit and these instructions were all part of her "mission".

Just as Li Zhenhua was meticulously planning how to make the transformed Liu Lan "coincidentally" meet Li Huaide at a "just right" moment.

Inside the logistics director's office, Li Huaide was also looking out at the factory area through the window, a sinister smile playing on his lips, his fingers tapping absently on the surface of the mahogany desk.

"Li Zhenhua, Li Zhenhua, you're really lucky with women, you're quite the ladies' man..."

Li Huaide muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of scheming and lewdness.

Director Zhao of the cafeteria had just been summoned by him to "report on his work".

In what appeared to be casual conversation, Fatty Zhao "unintentionally" mentioned Deputy Director Li's recent "special concern" for Liu Lan, a female worker in the cafeteria.

Not only did they inquire about her family's difficulties, but they also used their connections to get her alcoholic and abusive husband sent to a labor camp, and even arranged for her to move into the factory's temporary dormitory.

Director Zhao spoke vaguely, but his words implied that Li Zhenhua took this matter very seriously.

Li Huaide was overjoyed to hear this!

As a long-time adversary, he never relaxed his surveillance of Li Zhenhua's every move.

He had long heard of Qin Huairu's beauty and had even secretly sought out opportunities to see her twice. Her mature and charming demeanor made him restless and eager. Several times he secretly tried to make advances, but she always turned him down with indifference.

He had already decided in his heart that Qin Huairu was Li Zhenhua's woman and could not be touched.

But now, suddenly Liu Lan has appeared!

Li Zhenhua actually went to such lengths for a female worker washing vegetables in the cafeteria.

This is far more than just "caring for employees"!

To someone like Li Huaide, who is prone to judging others by his own standards, this was clearly Li Zhenhua setting his sights on a new prey!

"Even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman... Kid, you're still too young!"

Li Huaide smiled sinisterly.

The thought of stealing his rival's woman filled him with immense satisfaction and a distorted sense of conquest.

It's a win-win situation: it can both cuckold Li Zhenhua and disgust him, and satisfy one's own lust!

He immediately decided to go and see for himself what kind of person Liu Lan was, that she could bewitch Li Zhenhua to the point of helping him so much.

If she really had some looks… Li Huaide licked his dry lips, his lust burning even brighter in his eyes.

A few days later, one noon, Li Huaide, contrary to his usual behavior, did not go to the small canteen for a special meal, but instead strolled into the large canteen, which was crowded with people.

Upon seeing this, the canteen manager, Fatty Zhao, immediately came over eagerly, bowing and scraping.

"Director Li, what brings you here? It's so noisy in here... Shall I find you a quieter spot?"

"Need not,"

Li Huaide waved his hand, but his gaze swept across the busy cooks like a searchlight.

"Just taking a look around and experiencing the lives of the workers."

His gaze quickly settled on the vegetable washing area.

That figure... seemed somewhat out of place with its surroundings.

No longer the timid and slovenly woman of the past, she was still thin, but she wore a well-fitting light-colored top and dark trousers, her hair was neatly combed, and her profile revealed a delicate and pretty face. In particular, when she was working with her head down and eyes downcast, the faint trace of sorrow and forbearance that occasionally appeared aroused a desire to bully and possess her.

Li Huaide's heart skipped a few beats.

This Liu Lan possessed a completely different charm from Qin Huairu's bright and beautiful appearance; she was like a small white flower swaying in the wind and rain, with a unique and endearing allure.

"That...is that Liu Lan?"

Li Huaide casually pointed and asked Director Zhao.

"Ah? Yes, yes, it's her. Director Li, do you know her?"

Director Zhao knew perfectly well what was going on, but he pretended to be clueless.

"I heard your family was having some financial difficulties. Did the factory help you out?"

Li Huaide continued to probe for information.

"Yes, it's all thanks to the factory leaders' concern, especially Deputy Director Li..."

Director Zhao stopped mid-sentence, stealing a glance at Li Huaide's expression.

Li Huaide's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes grew even colder.

He thought to himself: Li Zhenhua, you certainly know how to pick people!

I'm going to have this woman!

He didn't immediately approach her, knowing that he couldn't rush things with a woman who had just escaped a life of misery and was still in shock.

He needs to find a suitable opportunity, one that allows him to appear as a "savior" or a "confidant leader."

The opportunity soon arrived. A few days later, the factory distributed a batch of labor protection supplies, some of which were extra subsidies specifically for employees in need.

Li Huaide personally carried the list of subsidies and items to the canteen kitchen.

Is Comrade Liu Lan here?

Li Huaide's voice was gentle, and he had an approachable smile on his face.