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

She accepted Sha Zhu's lunchbox and his labor help. Occasionally, when he brought things over, she would give him a perfectly timed, grateful and tired, weak smile and say things like, "Zhu Zi, thanks to you," or "I'll remember your kindness." This gave Sha Zhu hope and made him work even harder.

But when Sha-ju tries to go further, such as touching her hand or saying something more explicit, she immediately puts on a stern face and uses excuses like "Dong-xu just left, I can't let people gossip" or "The children are watching" to deflect the question, leaving Sha-ju unable to succeed and unable to retaliate.

This ambiguous attitude left Sha Zhu in a state of constant suspense, unable to let go.

He increasingly felt that Sister Qin was a proper and reserved good woman, and he wanted to marry her and cherish her even more.

All of this was seen by another person, who felt a pang of jealousy.

That was Xu Damao.

Xu Damao's feelings for Qin Huairu were not necessarily deep; it was more of a restlessness caused by "not being able to have her" and jealousy of "not being able to see Sha Zhu doing well."

Before, when Jia Dongxu was around, he didn't dare to be blatant. Now that Jia Dongxu is gone and Jia Zhangshi has also left, seeing that Shazhu, that toad, is always chasing after swan meat and it seems that he really has a chance to get it, Xu Damao feels like he's being scratched by a cat.

"Pah! You stupid Zhu, you idiot! Don't you even take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror? You think you can even dream of a woman like Sister Qin?"

Every time Xu Damao saw Sha Zhu carrying a lunchbox into the Jia family or helping out at their beck and call, he couldn't help but curse in his heart.

He started secretly sabotaging her. For example, he would spread rumors in the courtyard, saying that Sha Zhu was "taking advantage of her vulnerability" and "had ill intentions towards the widow"; or he would deliberately say in the factory canteen, in front of Sha Zhu's apprentice, in a sarcastic tone, "Hey, Master He, are you saving the best food for your lover again? This canteen is practically your private kitchen!"

This made Sha Zhu want to fight him several times, but he was held back by others.

Xu Damao also tried to get close to Qin Huairu, pretending to care and saying things like, "Sister Qin, don't be fooled by Sha Zhu's little favors, he's unreliable."

But Qin Huairu saw right through his tricks. Each time, she would simply reply with a nonchalant, "Thank you for your trouble, Brother Da Mao. I know what I'm doing," and then ignore him, leaving Xu Da Mao feeling humiliated.

The undercurrents in the courtyard maintained a fragile balance through Qin Huairu's calm maneuvering, Sha Zhu's fervent fantasies, Yi Zhonghai's opportunistic support, and Xu Damao's sarcastic and malicious remarks.

The real force that can break this balance comes from outside the factory, from the wider world of the steel rolling mill.

On a spring afternoon, the sunlight carried a hint of warmth.

Cars come and go in front of the gate of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.

A black, well-maintained Ford sedan slowly drove up and stopped at the factory gate.

The car stood out conspicuously in those days, immediately attracting the attention of the gatekeeper.

The car door opened, and the first person to get out was a middle-aged man dressed in a respectable Zhongshan suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and with an extraordinary demeanor. He was Lou Zhenhua, one of the important shareholders of the steel rolling mill, known as "Lou the Half-City".

Then, a young woman wearing a fashionable woolen coat and a silk scarf gracefully stepped out of the car; she was his daughter, Lou Xiao'e.

Lou Bancheng came to the factory today to hear a report on the new quarter's production plan and some equipment upgrade plans.

As a shareholder, although he does not directly participate in day-to-day management, he still retains influence over major decisions made by the factory.

He brought his daughter, Lou Xiao'e, along, partly to let her relax and partly to let her get involved in some business, since she was his only daughter.

Lou Xiao'e wasn't very interested in her father's business affairs; she enjoyed this rare opportunity to get some fresh air.

The tall factory buildings, the roaring machines, and the busy workers in the factory area were all new and exciting to her.

She followed behind her father, curiously looking around.

Meanwhile, in the propaganda department office, Xu Damao was enthusiastically boasting to his colleagues about how popular his last movie screening in the countryside was, and how the young women and wives in the village fawned over him.

Just then, a colleague peeked in through the window.

"Xu Damao, look! That car at the gate, it's really impressive! Is some big leader here?"

Xu Damao casually walked to the window and immediately saw the Ford sedan, as well as Lou Bancheng, who had just gotten out of the car and was exchanging pleasantries with Director Yang who had come out to greet him.

When his gaze fell on the graceful figure standing next to Lou Bancheng, his eyes widened instantly!

Lou Xiao'e!

Why is she here?!

Xu Damao's heart leaped into his throat. Ever since Li Zhenhua ruined his blind date by the river, he hadn't found a chance to get close to Lou Xiao'e again.

The Lou family had high standards; even an ordinary film projectionist like him found it difficult to get a visit.

I never expected to run into him at the factory today!

This is a golden opportunity!

He hurriedly straightened his clothes, wiped his hair with his hand with some saliva, threw a "I have something to do outside" message at his colleague, and darted out of the office like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

He had to quickly create a "chance encounter" and couldn't let this opportunity slip away!

Just as Xu Damao was rushing to the factory gate, Li Zhenhua was coming out of the logistics department's office building.

He had just finished a meeting with Li Huaide about spring material reserves. Although the two still had some subtle tensions between them, Li Zhenhua managed to stabilize the situation again thanks to his control over the material channels and his clear accounts.

He planned to go to the factory's warehouse area to take a look at the newly arrived batch of labor protection supplies.

As soon as he reached the open space in front of the factory office building, he saw the conspicuous Ford sedan, Lou Bancheng talking with Director Yang, and the somewhat familiar young woman beside him.

"Director Lou?"

Li Zhenhua's heart stirred slightly.

He had heard of this mysterious capitalist shareholder, but had little contact with him.

As for his daughter… Li Zhenhua remembered her; she was Lou Xiao'e, the woman he had met by the river before, the one who had gone on a blind date with Xu Damao.

Li Zhenhua wasn't particularly interested in the capitalist's daughter and was about to walk around to the warehouse when he noticed Lou Xiao'e's gaze sweeping over him.

Their eyes met, and Lou Xiao'e was clearly stunned for a moment. Then, a look of recognition appeared on her face, and there was even a hint of... surprise?

Li Zhenhua was somewhat surprised, but still nodded politely as a greeting.

Just then, Xu Damao came running over, panting, his face full of fawning smiles. He completely ignored Li Zhenhua beside him and greeted Lou Xiao'e warmly.

"Comrade Lou... Comrade Lou Xiao'e! What a coincidence! What brings you to the factory?"

When Lou Xiao'e saw Xu Damao, her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. The slight smile that had appeared on her face when she recognized Li Zhenhua vanished instantly, replaced by a polite but distant expression.

"Comrade Xu Damao, hello. I'm here with my father to take care of some business."

Xu Damao, however, seemed oblivious to Lou Xiao'e's coldness and continued to speak enthusiastically.

"Oh dear, why didn't you tell me you were coming to the factory? I know this place well! Would you like me to show you around? Our factory has changed a lot recently!"

Lou Xiao'e declined calmly.

"No need to trouble yourself, Comrade Xu Damao. My father and Director Yang have something to discuss, I'll wait for him here."

Xu Damao was rebuffed and felt a little embarrassed, but he was still unwilling to give up and racked his brains to find a topic to talk about.

At that moment, he saw Li Zhenhua, who was about to leave, and his eyes lit up with a sudden idea.

He deliberately raised his voice and spoke to Lou Xiao'e.

"Comrade Xiao'e, you may not recognize her yet, but this is Li Zhenhua, the deputy director of our factory's logistics department. He's young and promising, and a favorite of Director Yang!"

His words, though seemingly an introduction, actually concealed malicious intent.

First, it explicitly states Li Zhenhua's position, implying his "both red and expert" status, which contrasts with Lou Xiao'e's capitalist background.

Secondly, she wanted to bring Li Zhenhua into the picture to ease her own embarrassment, and also wanted to see Lou Xiao'e's attitude towards Li Zhenhua.

How could Li Zhenhua not see through Xu Damao's little scheme?

He sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, nodding to Lou Xiao'e again.

"Hello, Comrade Lou Xiao'e."

To Xu Damao's surprise, Lou Xiao'e was noticeably more enthusiastic towards Li Zhenhua than towards him.

She smiled slightly and said in a clear, crisp voice.

"Director Li, hello. Do you remember us when we met by the river?"

Li Zhenhua said frankly.

"I remember. Comrade Lou has a good memory."

Lou Xiao'e seemed to have found an excuse to get rid of Xu Damao's entanglement. She naturally took two steps closer to Li Zhenhua and asked with great interest.

"Director Li, are you going out on business? You seem to know this factory very well."

Li Zhenhua answered truthfully.

"Go check out the newly arrived supplies in the warehouse area."

"Supplies?"

Lou Xiao'e displayed just the right amount of curiosity.

"My father often says that the supply of materials is the most important thing right now. Director Li is in charge of this area, so he has a great responsibility."

The two of them started chatting back and forth.

Lou Xiao'e was clearly intentionally responding, asking questions that were neither unprofessional nor too in-depth, demonstrating her good manners and knowledge.

Although Li Zhenhua had no intention of having too much contact with the capitalist's daughter, she was friendly and asked work-related questions, so he gave a brief and concise answer.

This scene was like a needle prick to Xu Damao's eyes!

He eagerly came to fawn over her, but Lou Xiao'e ignored him; however, she took the initiative to talk to Li Zhenhua, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and they chatted happily!

This discrimination is too obvious!

Xu Damao's face flushed red and then turned pale. He stood there, unable to get a word in edgewise, yet reluctant to leave. He felt like an unwanted third wheel, so embarrassed he wished he could disappear into the ground.

What chilled Xu Damao even more was that while Li Zhenhua and Lou Xiao'e were talking, Lou Bancheng and Factory Director Yang finished their business and walked out side by side in the factory office building.

Lou Bancheng immediately spotted his daughter chatting happily with a young, unfamiliar cadre in the open space by the door, while Xu Damao, who had come to ingratiate himself earlier, stood dejectedly to the side.

Who is Lou Bancheng?

Having navigated the ups and downs of the business world for decades, he possesses a keen eye for opportunity.

He immediately noticed the look in his daughter's eyes when she looked at the young cadre, a look of appreciation and ease that was completely different from the perfunctory attitude she showed when facing Xu Damao.

Looking at the young cadre, he was tall and handsome. Facing his daughter, a young lady from a wealthy family, he was neither humble nor arrogant, and his speech and behavior were calm and measured. He was clearly no ordinary person.

"Director Yang, who is that young comrade...?"

Lou Bancheng casually asked Director Yang beside him.

Factory Director Yang introduced it with a smile.

"Oh, that's Comrade Li Zhenhua, the deputy director of our factory's logistics department. He's a capable young man with a lot of guts, and he's helped the factory solve many practical difficulties."

Factory Director Yang's appreciation for Li Zhenhua was genuine, especially after the last safety plan incident.

"Li Zhenhua..."

Lou Bancheng silently memorized the name, his gaze lingering on Li Zhenhua for a moment, lost in thought.

He had always been very concerned about his daughter's marriage and had introduced her to many promising young men, including Xu Damao, but his daughter didn't seem to be very satisfied with any of them.

This Li Zhenhua in front of me is quite interesting...

It seems your daughter has a good impression of him?

Lou Bancheng did not immediately go forward to disturb them, but stood on the steps with Director Yang, watching from a distance.

This scene naturally fell into the eyes of Li Zhenhua and Lou Xiao'e.

When Lou Xiao'e saw her father come out, her face flushed slightly, as if she was a little embarrassed. However, she did not immediately end her conversation with Li Zhenhua. Instead, it seemed as if she wanted her father to see her.

Li Zhenhua also saw Lou Bancheng and Director Yang. His mind raced, and he immediately understood the delicate situation before him.

He didn't want to get involved in any unnecessary trouble, especially trouble involving the capitalist's daughter.

So he ended the conversation at the appropriate time and said politely to Lou Xiao'e.

"Comrade Lou, your father is out. I still have work to do, so please excuse me."

A barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed in Lou Xiao'e's eyes, but she still managed a polite smile.

"Okay, Director Li, you're busy."

Li Zhenhua nodded to Lou Bancheng and Factory Director Yang on the steps, then turned and strode toward the warehouse area, never once glancing at Xu Damao, whose face was ashen, beside him.

Lou Bancheng watched Li Zhenhua's departing figure, then glanced at his daughter's following gaze, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

He walked down the steps to his daughter's side and asked gently.

"Xiao'e, what are you chatting about that makes you so happy?"

Lou Xiao'e looked away, took her father's arm, and said with a hint of coquettishness.

"Nothing much, just asking about things at the factory. Dad, are you finished talking?"

"We've finished talking."

Lou Bancheng nodded, glanced at Xu Damao who was awkwardly approaching, said nothing, and then led his daughter toward the car.

Xu Damao stomped his feet in anger as he watched the Lou family father and daughter get into the car and leave.

He originally wanted to make a good impression, but his attempt backfired, and Lou Bancheng ended up seeing Lou Xiao'e and Li Zhenhua chatting happily together!

Now things are really messed up; my image in Lou Bancheng's mind is definitely going to get even worse!

"Li Zhenhua! It's you again! You're always going against me!"

Xu Damao gritted his teeth inwardly, his hatred for Li Zhenhua deepening even further.

He felt that as long as Li Zhenhua was around, he would never be able to get ahead or win Lou Xiao'e's favor!

Sitting in the speeding car, Lou Xiao'e gazed at the fleeting street scenes outside the window, but Li Zhenhua's calm and composed face kept appearing in her mind.

.