My cousin-in-law helped me achieve my ambitions.

Su Ming was pondering Lin Shumei's words in the scrap yard, plotting how to deal with the network administrator, when his phone suddenly rang. He took it out and saw it was Yang Tian. Yang Tian's voice was soft, tinged with weariness and apology. She told him she was going to the hospital tonight to take care of her sister-in-law, who had just given birth and was very weak. Her brother, Yang Jing, couldn't manage alone, so she probably wouldn't have time to go shopping with him tonight. She told Su Ming to take good care of himself, and then gave a soft "kiss" on the phone before hanging up.

Su Ming put down his phone, feeling a sense of relief. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with Yang Tian, ​​but now he had some free time to spend with Lin Shumei that evening. Just then, his phone rang again; this time it was Zhuang Rong. Zhuang Rong cheerfully told him on the phone that it was Factory Director Gu's birthday tonight, and a table had been booked in town. All the factory's management would be attending, and Factory Director Gu had specifically asked her to call, hoping Su Ming could also come in person. Su Ming readily agreed.

He made a special trip to Lin Shumei's office to tell her about it. Lin Shumei smiled and said that she had also received an invitation and of course she would go. She moved closer to Su Ming, lowered her voice, and her eyes held a layer of ambiguity that only the two of them understood: "Perfect timing, the dinner is over, let's find a place to get a room." Su Ming smiled knowingly and nodded.

After finishing work in the evening, Su Ming and Lin Shumei split up and headed to the seafood restaurant in town. The restaurant had a large storefront, its neon sign flashing red and green in the sea breeze. A row of cars was parked outside, and the workshop foreman and several department heads were standing on the steps, exchanging cigarettes and pleasantries. When Su Ming went inside, the private room was already quite full. A snow-white tablecloth covered the round table, and a dish of peanuts and several cold dishes were placed in the center of the lazy Suming. Except for General Manager Yan, who was away on a business trip, almost all the managers and above in the company's management were present; Su Ming was the only team leader. Vice President Liang had also arrived and was sitting in a seat towards the back, talking to Quality Manager Yu Jie next to him.

Once everyone was gathered, Factory Manager Gu stood up from his seat, a kind smile plastered on his round face. He picked up the menu, glanced around the room, and called out with a smile, "Who wants to order?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Shumei took the lead and shouted, "Let's order for Team Leader Su!"

Vice President Liang immediately echoed this sentiment, and Yu Jie also smiled and patted the table, suggesting that Team Leader Su should order something better. Several department managers exchanged glances, not quite understanding why a team leader would be pushed to the forefront, but seeing that Vice President Liang had spoken, they all nodded in agreement, turning the conversation towards Su Ming.

Just then, two waiters came in with tea. Hearing this, they couldn't help but glance at each other and whisper among themselves.

A round-faced waiter whispered to the tall, thin waiter next to him, "Who's the boss in this factory, the manager or the team leader? In my memory, the manager is much bigger than the team leader, so why does the team leader have to go first when ordering food?"

Although the two spoke in hushed tones, the silence in the private room lasted a moment, and their whispers reached Zhao Fang's ears. Zhao Fang gave a cold laugh, slammed her teacup on the table, turned to glance at the two waitresses, and spoke in a condescending, slightly mocking tone: "Ladies, let me explain things to you. Listen carefully. In the factory's power hierarchy, the first is the general manager or chairman, then the vice president, and below that, the manager. Team leaders and such are nobody in our factory, not even in the top ranks." She finished speaking with a faint, sarcastic smile, her gaze intentionally or unintentionally sweeping towards Su Ming. Clearly, she was continuing from her earlier conversation about ordering food, deliberately putting Su Ming down in public.

However, Director Gu sighed leisurely, leaned back in his chair, and said slowly, "I don't know who has the highest power in our factory, but here, it's definitely our Team Leader Su who has the highest power."

Zhao Fang paused for a moment, then smiled inwardly. She thought Factory Director Gu was joking, playing along with her earlier words, deliberately putting Su Ming in a difficult position. She thought to herself, Factory Director Gu is using the tactic of praising someone to death, first elevating Su Ming high, then letting him fall hard. She decided to play along, so she smiled and glanced at Su Ming, then called out loudly, "Su Ming, can't you see Factory Director Gu is flattering you? Hurry up and sit down, I'll pour him some wine later!"

Factory Director Gu was startled, his face changed, and he quickly glared at Zhao Fang, waving his hands in front of him: "Manager Zhao, don't get me into trouble! I wouldn't dare ask Team Leader Su to pour me wine, I'd rather pour it for him."

Zhao Fang grew increasingly smug. She thought to herself, "Director Gu's acting is truly superb; even his expressions are spot-on. He's trying to elevate Su Ming to the point of no return, so the higher he's lifted, the harder he'll fall. There's bound to be a good show to watch next; everyone will surely follow Director Gu's lead and ostracize Su Ming one by one, putting him in a very difficult position." Deciding to add fuel to the fire, she cleared her throat with a smile and called out to Su Ming in a generous yet teasing tone, "Alright, Su Ming, come sit here. Director Gu can pour you some wine later, and I'll pour you a few glasses too, to bask in your glory."

Su Ming sat firmly in his seat without even moving, and replied with a smile, "Forget it, I'll just sit here. If Director Gu really wants to drink with me, he'll naturally sit next to me. Manager Zhao doesn't need to worry about it."

Upon hearing this, a smug smile flickered across Zhao Fang's lips. She thought to herself, "This fool actually believed Factory Director Gu's words, and even took it seriously. He's putting on airs now; he doesn't even know how he'll die next." She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and looked at Su Ming from above the rim, waiting to see the show.

To everyone's surprise, Factory Director Gu stood up with a broad smile, picked up his teacup, walked around half the table, and sat down in the empty seat next to Su Ming. After sitting down, he deftly and naturally picked up the menu, respectfully handed it to Su Ming with both hands, and said with a smile, "Team Leader Su, here, please order!"

Zhao Fang's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air.

She stared at Factory Director Gu's gesture of handing over the menu with both hands, and began to wonder, "Isn't this acting a bit too much?" Handing over a menu with both hands is a courtesy only subordinates show to superiors. Factory Director Gu is, after all, a factory director. Why does he have to lower himself like this in front of Su Ming? She reassured herself that Factory Director Gu was just continuing his act, praising Su Ming to the skies and waiting for him to fall.

Su Ming didn't bother to pretend and readily ordered from the menu. He flipped through the menu, his fingers flying across the dish names, and ordered more than a dozen dishes in one go, from steamed grouper to salt and pepper mantis shrimp, from steamed scallops with garlic and vermicelli to typhoon shelter-style stir-fried crab, all of them the most expensive.