Li Tong left, but Xu Damao was still thinking about the missing building materials she had mentioned. Theft is not uncommon in any factory; from large machines to small pots and pans, anything of value will attract attention.

The problem is that Xu Damao was unaware of this matter. This wasn't some gossip incident, but a genuine factory security incident. According to procedure, the security department was required to handle it and then mention it in their monthly work report, even if it was just a brief one-sentence report.

The fact that the security department did not report it suggests either that someone in the security department deliberately did not want to report it and concealed the incident, or that it was due to dereliction of duty and an oversight of the reporting procedure.

The building materials were then moved to a different location on the advice of the security department, and it's unclear whether they're still there now.

Therefore, the primary issue is to ascertain the current status of the building materials. If all or a large portion of the materials are missing, then the problem is much more serious.

"Old Peng, how's work lately?" Xu Damao called over Peng Shitou, the head of the logistics department.

Building materials fall under logistics management, so the logistics department is primarily responsible for any loss. Any use of the materials also needs to be reported to the logistics department, as they are the only ones with the most comprehensive knowledge of building materials. Therefore, Xu Damao needs to determine whether Peng Shitou is a reliable person.

"Factory manager, it's alright. The factory building was recently completed, so things are a bit easier than before. However, I see that our staff dormitories still have quite a few problems. I'm thinking about how to repair or build new ones."

Peng Shitou had no idea why Xu Damao had called him over. He thought it was because he had been a bit lax at work lately and had been late or left early several times, which Xu Damao had noticed. So he was speaking with a bit of trepidation.

Previously, his departure from the transportation department was a last resort; he couldn't compete with Sun Lan and had to find another way. But after arriving here, he discovered that, apart from the lower rank, the work at the auto repair shop was more stimulating than at the steel rolling mill. Furthermore, knowing the current state of the transportation department, he was even more grateful to have come to the auto repair shop.

Therefore, he didn't want to be targeted by Xu Damao and then be sent back because of work issues. That would not only be embarrassing, but he would also lose his job, as there was no place for him in the transportation department now.

"Speaking of repairing staff dormitories, do we still need to purchase building materials? It's not easy to get those these days," Xu Damao asked deliberately.

“Factory manager, there’s no need to purchase new materials for the dormitory. We still have a lot left over from building the workshops and factories; they’re all piled up in the factory,” Peng Shitou replied.

"Are you sure they're all piled up? Do you know where they are?" Xu Damao asked.

"I'm absolutely sure, it's right there."

Peng Shitou was about to answer, saying that they were piled up in the open air in the workshop outside, when he suddenly realized that Xu Damao's question was a bit off.

Peng Shitou was a carefree driver when he was a leader, and he always had a good opinion of himself. But after he became the deputy head of the transportation department and was severely bullied by Xu Damao, he became very sensitive.

Logically, Xu Damao wouldn't keep focusing on such a small problem and would have to confirm it himself, which means there's a bigger issue involved. This problem must have been discovered by someone else who missed it, and it's also possible that it relates to his responsibilities.

"Factory manager, is there a problem with the building materials?" Peng Shitou asked tentatively.

"Go and find out what's going on. Remember, be careful and don't let anyone else know. Tell me as soon as you have any results," Xu Damao instructed.

Hearing Xu Damao's instructions, Peng Shitou felt even more that something was amiss, and then he went out looking around like a spy. About an hour later, Peng Shitou returned looking anxious.

"Factory manager, something really happened to the building materials. I just went to look for them, but I couldn't find them. Later I learned that Director Li from the office had arranged for them to be sent to the warehouse, so I went to the warehouse to look for them. But there's only a little bit left in the warehouse; most of them are nowhere to be found."

"Factory manager, does Director Li know how?"

Peng Shitou was initially worried that he would have to take responsibility, but later he learned that it was Li Tong who took away the building materials. Now that the building materials were gone, it had nothing to do with him, Lao Peng.

Instead, he became somewhat suspicious of Li Tong, but he didn't know why. Anyone at the steel rolling mill above the section chief level probably knew about the relationship between Li Tong and Li Xuewu.

"Don't make wild guesses. Alright, don't worry about what happened today, and don't say anything out of turn. Just keep an eye on your own warehouse. If anything happens, just let me know immediately. Don't act on your own."

After settling Peng Shitou in, Xu Damao rode his bicycle out of the factory gate. He originally intended to go to the steel rolling mill to find Tong Shuai, but then changed his mind and went directly to the branch office. He went upstairs familiarly and knocked on Lu Xiangyang's office.

"Hey, isn't this the factory director? What brings you here to give me some guidance?" Lu Xiang said.

However, his words were full of sarcasm. The last time Lu Xiangyang invited Xu Damao to dinner, a leader happened to be inspecting the factory that day, so Xu Damao had to decline Lu Xiangyang's invitation. Now, although Xu Damao invited Lu Xiangyang once later, every time they met, the other party would inevitably make a sarcastic remark.

“How am I qualified to inspect the work of you, the captain? Here’s the thing, as a law-abiding citizen, I’m here to report a crime,” Xu Damao said, feigning seriousness.

"You even called the police? I don't think you're a good person. You're already being lenient by not returning the money. Who would want to harm you?" Lu Xiangyang's face was full of disbelief.

“How can you slander someone’s innocence out of thin air? Besides, I wasn’t talking about my own affairs, but about our factory,” Xu Damao said.

Xu Damao briefly explained the situation at the factory. After listening, Lu Xiangyang also felt that the key issue was whether the security department would cause problems. After discussing it, the two decided to call Tong Shuai over.

Fortunately, the bureau and the steel rolling mill's security department had close ties, and no one suspected anything after Tong Shuai received the call.

"Team Leader Lu, how about we eat and chat here tonight?" Xu Damao suggested.

"Hey, you come to call the police, and in the end I have to pay for a meal too. I'm really losing out. You, a big factory manager, have no idea how tough it is for us team leaders. It's so hard to get meals reimbursed." Lu Xiangyang pretended to vent his frustration.

“I might believe what others say. But your team, where are you going to go without food? Besides, if you encounter a food problem in the future and can't find a place to eat elsewhere, just come to my auto repair shop.”

"Our auto repair shop's cooks can't compare to the top chefs in Beijing, but they're still pretty good," Xu Damao said, patting his chest.

Although it's still a difficult time, it's the lower-level employees in every organization who are struggling, not the leaders. Besides, Xu Damao isn't short of money. Many times when the canteen lacked good ingredients, he prepared them himself and then had the canteen cook them.

Lu Xiangyang was very happy to hear Xu Damao's promise. He didn't lack food and drink, but it felt different to lead a group of colleagues to a big factory for a meal and then say, "This is my brother's factory, and they came to invite me."

Just as the two were joking around, Tong Shuai arrived. When he heard what Xu Damao was saying, he knew that this was no small matter.