Upon hearing Zhao Guodong's feigned ignorance, Guo Guanghua felt a surge of anger rising in his chest. He couldn't help but let out a cold laugh, a laugh filled with contempt and disdain.

He leaned forward, placed his hands on the table, his body trembling slightly, and stared intently into Zhao Guodong's eyes, as if trying to see through him. He said, each word squeezed out from between his teeth, "Hmph, Section Chief Zhao, you're really pretending to be ignorant! Fine, since you insist on me being so clear, then I won't beat around the bush anymore."

His voice was deep yet incredibly penetrating, as if every word carried an undeniable power.

"To tell you the truth, I have a way to bring down the entire Xia family." Guo Guanghua slightly raised his chin, a sinister glint in his eyes. "But I need your testimony. As long as we join forces to take Xia Xiong down and demote him, the vacant deputy director position will definitely be yours!"

At this point, the greed in his eyes could no longer be suppressed, and his whole being exuded an aura of determination to succeed.

"How about it? These conditions are tempting enough, aren't they? How can you remain unmoved after hearing all this?"

As Guo Guanghua spoke, he looked at Zhao Guodong with confidence, as if he was certain that the other party would not be able to refuse the generous offer he had made.

After all, power and status are extremely attractive to most people, and in his view, Zhao Guodong would naturally be no exception.

Zhao Guodong's eyes narrowed slightly, like a wary cheetah, a hint of doubt flickering in them. His tone was calm, but it contained a sense of skepticism:

"Director Guo, are you so certain that you can make the final decision on that deputy director position?" His voice was not loud, but it carried a sense of composure and calmness.

He knew very well that Guo Guanghua did indeed have certain connections within the factory. However, could a mere factory director easily influence the appointment of someone to such an important position as deputy director? This thought swirled in Zhao Guodong's mind like an unsolvable fog.

Upon hearing this, Guo Guanghua's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful and enigmatic smile.

That smile seemed to hide countless untold secrets, making people feel uneasy.

He leaned forward slightly, deliberately lowering his voice as if afraid of being overheard, and whispered to Zhao Guodong, "Section Chief Zhao, you may not know the ins and outs of this. To tell you the truth, I have powerful figures backing me, and their influence is not to be underestimated!"

His voice was soft, yet it carried a chilling, intimidating power.

"As long as you nod your head, indicating your willingness to cooperate with me, this matter will basically be more than half successful." Guo Guanghua held up a finger and tapped it lightly in the air. "Think about it, now that the Xia family has fallen, the benefits vacated are not just limited to a deputy director position. A continuous stream of resources will flow towards us, and the benefits we can obtain will be beyond imagination!"

In order to completely dispel the doubts of the person in front of him, to make him believe that he has enough strength and background to cooperate with him willingly, Guo Guanghua did not hesitate to reveal more information about his own network of connections.

At this moment, he was like a gambler, willing to reveal his trump card in order to win over Zhao Guodong.

Zhao Guodong did not respond immediately, but instead crossed his arms in front of his chest, a gesture he often made when thinking.

His eyes were fixed on Guo Guanghua's expressive face, his gaze sweeping up and down as if trying to see through the man's face to his true thoughts.

At the same time, his brain was working at lightning speed, like a sophisticated machine, carefully weighing the pros and cons.

And so, time passed by, and the entire room fell into a brief but heavy silence.

The air seemed to freeze, making it hard to breathe. The wall clock ticked away, each tick feeling like a blow to the heart.

Finally, after a long silence, Zhao Guodong slowly opened his mouth and said carefully, "Director Guo, this matter is of great importance and is no small matter. Please give me some time to think it over."

His voice was calm and firm, and every word was spoken with extreme clarity.

After saying this, he leaned back in his chair and fell into deep thought again. He knew perfectly well that once he got involved, it would be a thrilling and high-stakes adventure!

If there is even the slightest mistake, I might fall into an abyss of no return, never to rise again.

At that very moment, Xia Wan and Xia Shuyu, who were hiding in the shadows of a corner, heard every single word of this conversation.

Their faces turned deathly pale instantly. Xia Wan's eyes widened in shock and anger, while Xia Shuyu's eyes were filled with fear and resentment.

Their hearts clenched as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

Xia Shuyu's slender hands involuntarily gripped the hem of her clothes tightly. Due to the force, her neatly trimmed nails even dug deeply into her palms, causing excruciating pain, but she was completely unaware of it.

At this moment, her eyes were filled with burning anger and resentment, and her chest heaved violently as she tried her best to suppress her anger.

In contrast, Xia Wan only frowned slightly, her beautiful and sharp eyes flashing like two bolts of lightning.

Her mind was racing at an alarming pace, racking her brains for a solution to this predicament. She knew she had to stay calm; panic would only make things worse.

In a flash, Xia Wan had a sudden inspiration and casually clicked on the system's query function, wanting to find out where Guo Guanghua's confidently stated network of connections came from.

Her fingers tapped rapidly on the virtual screen, her eyes revealing a hint of eagerness and anticipation.

Meanwhile, when Guo Guanghua saw that Zhao Guodong did not immediately agree as he had expected, a barely perceptible look of displeasure flashed across his originally smiling face.

His displeasure, like a dark cloud, instantly enveloped his face.