1994: Starting with unpaid leave

"Bad news? What bad news could I possibly have?"

Dong Jianguo was taken aback when he heard Secretary Zhang's words.

Zhang Zhiyi smiled wryly:

"Remember Director Jiang? He was furious when he found out your factory had a booth at the exhibition. He's yelling at the booth manager right now, telling you to pack up and leave!"

"No, what's it to him if we set up a stall here?"

"Besides, isn't he from the Hecheng Railway Bureau? How can he have jurisdiction over Harbin's affairs? Does he also have extraterritorial jurisdiction?"

"What long-arm jurisdiction?" Zhang Zhiyi looked completely bewildered.

He could only explain to Dong Jianguo with a wry smile:

At the annual work summary meeting organized by the Provincial Railway Bureau at the end of the year, Director Zhang of the Harbin Passenger Transport Section was specifically commended, and the leaders also mentioned Yizuihezhiwei Food Factory.

As the person in charge of the Hecheng Passenger Transport Section, Director Jiang also attended that meeting.

On the way back to Hecheng after the meeting, he had a dark expression on his face the whole time.

After all, Crane Flavor is a factory in Crane City, so cooperating with Harbin City bypasses him.

Otherwise, he should be the one being praised this time.

Director Jiang was naturally unhappy that such an easily attainable honor had slipped through his fingers.

Dong Jianguo was somewhat helpless:

I had even gone to Director Jiang's place to ask about the supply, but not only did the guy treat me to a meal and turn me away, he also had Secretary Zhang solicit bribes from me.

Now that I haven't received any honors, they're blaming me instead?!

I hadn't originally planned to complain, but it seems I won't be able to get rid of this grudge unless I take this opportunity to teach him a lesson.

"Secretary Zhang, you can't say that. I did approach him before, and you know best what his attitude was. Now that you haven't gotten any benefits, you can't blame it all on me! If he can't poop, does he blame the earth for not having gravity?!"

Zhang Zhiyi nodded:

"Director Dong, I know you're right. Some people are so arrogant; they only see other people's faults. What can we do?"

"The key issue is that Director Jiang has quite a wide network of connections in Hecheng. If you really anger him, it could be detrimental to your factory..."

"What, he thinks he can bankrupt our factory?"

Upon hearing Secretary Zhang's words, Erzhuzi's eyes widened.

Even the good-natured Zhao Hongmei gripped the spatula tightly.

The factory grew and developed in their eyes, and although the time was short, they all had feelings for it.

If anyone tries to harm the factory, they will be the first to object!

Zhang Zhiyi looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to them before speaking:

"Director Jiang is capable of this; he has a relative in the Hecheng Health Bureau. His responsibility is to oversee food safety in businesses, which happens to be the same area your factory is involved in..."

Dong Jianguo shook his head: "But I don't think his relative would go to such lengths to turn black into white just to help him. If things blow up, he'll be the first to be finished!"

Zhang Zhiyi frowned: "Boss Dong, are you betting your entire fortune on whether he dares to do it?"

Dong Jianguo also shrugged and said helplessly:

"I really can't turn down this booth!"

"This was approved for me by Director Zhang and Deputy Director Wan of the Harbin Passenger Transport Section. Leaders from the Provincial Bureau may also come to meet and report later."

"If I just leave now and make a mess of things, won't those two leaders hate me to death?!"

"My factory will go bankrupt sooner or later if it loses the big order from the Harbin Railway Bureau! Since I'm going to die sooner or later anyway, what do I have to be afraid of?"

"this……"

Zhang Zhiyi didn't know what to say.

If things are doomed no matter what, then who controls that doom doesn't seem to be the key to the answer.

After thinking for a while, he spoke softly:

"Jianguo, I see you're honest and capable of great things, so I'll give you a piece of my mind: in the railway bureau, ordinary people really can't handle Director Jiang, because his uncle is the third-in-command of the provincial railway bureau."

"But you're in luck today. I heard that the fourth-in-command of the provincial railway bureau came here for an inspection this afternoon..."

"Oh, what's so great about that?! Would the fourth brother dare to interfere with the third brother's relatives?"

Erzhuzi asked, bewildered, "Brother Jianguo, aren't you right? He doesn't have as much power as that uncle, so how can he control that Director Jiang?"

Dong Jianguo kicked Erzhuzi: "I always tell you to read the newspapers more, but you've got it all stuck in your head! Why can't you just take down the fourth-in-command and get a promotion in the process?"

"Who doesn't have ambition at the beginning of the year?! Am I right, Secretary Zhang?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Zhang Zhiyi shook his head, clearly feigning ignorance.

He glanced down at his watch:

"It's said that provincial leaders will be coming here around 3 PM to inspect the progress of the work. Whether you can hold out until 3 PM depends entirely on yourselves..."

"Director Jiang is quite familiar with the person in charge of this exhibition hall; he might send someone to kick you out beforehand..."

Dong Jianguo nodded. After all, his uncle wasn't one of the top leaders in the railway bureau, but he was the first among the top three.

The exhibition hall will certainly not pay the price for its unfair treatment...

"Alright, that's all I wanted to say. I'm leaving..."

After saying that, Secretary Zhang left in a hurry, without even taking the pickled chicken feet that Dong Jianguo had given him.

"Holy crap, things in here are so shady!"

Seeing him walk away, Erzhuzi couldn't help but curse.

He had been wondering why, when he delivered braised eggs for the first time, he only needed to deliver the goods to the Hecheng Passenger Transport Section, but later he had to transfer the goods by truck to Harbin.

After all that fuss, it turns out there was a villain causing trouble.

"Everyone says the economic situation is bad, the economic situation is bad, but I think the bad economic situation is all caused by these petty bastards!"

"Brother Jianguo, don't worry. If our Hezhiwei factory really goes bankrupt and we can't bring him down, I, Wu Qianzhu, will go to Beijing at my own expense to sue that guy surnamed Jiang!"

Dong Xiangguo gave a wry smile and remained silent.

What good would it do to bring down Chiang Kai-shek by then?

My own factory has probably already vanished into thin air...

Such cases have happened before.

Many business tycoons have received this treatment.

They can fabricate a crime and throw someone into prison. By the time they get out, everything has changed, and the family fortune they accumulated in their early years has vanished.

No one will compensate for this loss.

When Director Wan and Director Zhang advised me to file a complaint, I hadn't thought about it in this way.

In business, harmony brings wealth; if you're always harboring resentment, you won't be able to do anything well.

But this time, Director Jiang's reach has gone too far. If we don't teach him a lesson, he'll never know why the flowers are so red!

Dong Jianguo quickly recalled the on-site rights protection cases he had seen in his previous life.

Thinking about which strategy would allow them to remain invincible...

……