Chapter 348 Retreating to Advance! Factory Director Su Waits for the Fish to Take the Bait

"Exactly! This shrew almost ruined our business!"

"Stop pushing! I'll sign up first! I'm strong, I can carry things!"

"I'll sign up too! I'm the fastest at sewing shoe soles at home, so I can definitely handle the packaging!"

The old women who were just pointing fingers at Su Yue are now arguing heatedly, their faces red and necks bulging, afraid that if they go too late, the spots will be gone.

Meanwhile, behind the window of a tenement building not far away, Zhu Cuihua was peeking through the curtains.

Seeing her old friends who were just fawning over her now scrambling to get a job at Su Yue's factory, she was so angry she almost wrung the rag in her hand to shreds.

Eighteen yuan... and there are meat buns to eat too...

Zhu Cuihua swallowed hard, touched her old face that had been hurt by the documents, and felt a mix of pain and itch in her heart, like being scratched by a cat.

The registration office was located at the Military Dependents Committee. Early in the morning, a long queue formed, stretching from the entrance all the way to the edge of the parade ground.

Su Yue sat behind the table, conducting the interviews herself.

"Name?"

"Li Guiying".

What did you do before?

"I'm quick at sewing shoe soles at home."

"Okay, go to Group Two and try the packaging."

The interview proceeded quickly. Su Yue had an excellent eye for people; she could spot those who tried to cheat or be cunning at a glance and immediately eliminated them.

Just then, a familiar figure pushed through the crowd and slammed a form on the table.

"I want to sign up too."

Su Yue looked up.

Zhu Cuihua was wearing a half-new floral shirt, her hair was combed slicked back and shiny, and her face was smeared with rouge from somewhere, making it as red as a monkey's bottom.

"You?" Su Yue twirled the pen. "Didn't you say this was a poison gas factory? What, aren't you afraid of being poisoned to death?"

Zhu Cuihua's skin is as thick as a city wall.

"Hey, that's a misunderstanding. Since Commander Zheng says it's a good thing, I definitely have to support it." She leaned closer and lowered her voice, "Su Yue, look, we're old neighbors now. Don't make me do any heavy lifting, arrange for me to be a group leader. I have a loud voice, I'm sure I can manage people."

The military wives queuing around them were all amused.

How thick-skinned can this person be? He was cursing in the streets just a few days ago, and now he wants to become an official?

Su Yue didn't laugh.

She picked up Zhu Cuihua's form, tore it in half without even looking at it.

Sizzle—

The crisp sound of tearing silk froze the fake smile on Zhu Cuihua's face.

"What...what are you doing!"

Su Yue threw the scraps of paper into the wastepaper basket.

"Blue Ocean Daily Chemical Factory is too small to accommodate such a big Buddha as you."

"This is retaliation!" Zhu Cuihua exclaimed angrily. "I'm also a military family member! Why won't you let me in! I'm going to sue you!"

Su Yue stood up, placed her hands on the table, and leaned forward.

Go ahead and sue.

“My factory is a privately owned joint venture, not a free-for-all. I can hire whoever I want, and if I don’t want to hire anyone, even the Emperor himself can’t help me.”

She pointed to the four large characters "Diligence Leads to Wealth" pasted behind her.

"We only hire hardworking people here. People like you who gossip all day, cause trouble, and try to get in through connections before even getting in the door."

Su Yue gave a cold laugh.

"roll."

Zhu Cuihua was so choked by that one word that she almost fainted. The other military wives around her didn't hold back either, pointing and whispering among themselves.

"Exactly, people like that are just troublemakers in the factory."

"Don't block our way to register, let's go!"

Amidst the spittle and whispers of the crowd, Zhu Cuihua slunk away. Before leaving, she turned back and glared fiercely at Su Yue, muttering, "Fine, you just wait..."

Su Yue didn't take her threat seriously at all.

The Dongtan saline-alkali land was bustling with activity, like a pot had been boiled over.

Before the bulldozers had even stopped roaring, the large iron gate bearing the wooden sign "Blue Ocean Daily Chemical Factory" was already packed with female workers coming to apply for jobs.

A dozen or so tables were lined up in a row. Huo Wenxuan, wearing a straw hat and holding a megaphone, was shouting until his voice was hoarse.

"Line up! Everyone line up! Only those who are quick and have a clean record are allowed in! Those who try to cheat or shirk their responsibilities should get lost!"

The sun was scorching, making one's scalp tingle.

Su Yue sat in the makeshift shed, holding a stack of freshly filled job application forms in her hand, tapping the table with her fingertips.

Beside him was a cup of iced tea, which Gu Beichen had just sent over. It was rock sugar pear water, chilled in well water, and exuding a slight chill.

"What's the name of that woman in the blue floral jacket?" Su Yue raised her chin slightly and pointed to a woman in the crowd who was helping someone move a table.

Chen Xinyue followed the gaze and flipped through the roster in her hand.

"Lin Zhaodi. She's from the Hongxing Commune next door. She said her husband died and she has a child, so she's in a hurry to find work. I saw that she's quite efficient at work. Just now, she carried a 200-pound bucket of raw materials by herself. She's a good worker."

Su Yue didn't speak, her gaze fixed on Lin Zhaodi like a hook.

Indeed, very efficient.

But beneath that efficient pace lay an unsettling eagerness.

Those eyes were so lively. While moving things, her eyes darted around, her gaze always intentionally or unintentionally drifting towards the innermost raw material preparation room.

The room had a sign that read "No Entry to Restricted Area," and only Su Yue and Chen Xinyue had the key.

Just now, a porter was passing by the door of the distribution room when he slipped. Lin Zhaodi actually dropped what she was doing and rushed over to help him. While helping him, she almost stuck her head through the crack in the door.

“She’s a pitiful person too.” Chen Xinyue sighed. “Why don’t we assign her to the packaging workshop? It’s piece-rate pay, the more you work, the more you earn.”

"No." Su Yue picked up the herbal tea and took a sip; the sweet coolness suppressed the heat in her heart. "Have her go to the raw material pre-processing workshop. It's closer to the core area."

Chen Xinyue froze, her pen stopping in her hand: "Sister, that's..."

“The bait has been cast, it’s no fun if the fish don’t bite.” Su Yue put down her cup with a soft thud. “These next few days, you don’t need to watch the production line, just keep an eye on her. Remember, don’t alert her, let her see, let her touch, let her feel… that the opportunity is right at her fingertips.”

As night fell, the sea breeze, carrying moisture, swept through the factory area.

The newly built factory was empty and quiet, with only a few dim streetlights swaying in the wind.

To meet that urgent order from the provincial capital, the raw material workshop is working overtime tonight. The roar of the machines drowns out many other subtle noises.

Su Yue didn't go home; she stayed in the office with Gu Ping'an.

Gu Beichen went to the regimental headquarters for an emergency meeting, and the little guy, having no one to look after him, insisted on staying with his mother.

He was sitting on the carpet, holding the wooden toy gun in his arms, building a huge pile of blocks, then knocking it down with a crash, having a great time.

The office window faces the back door of the raw material workshop.

Su Yue turned off the lights, leaving only a slit in the curtains.

Time passed second by second.

The wall clock pointed to two in the morning.