The voice was so familiar that Zhou Qiqi suddenly looked up, her pen slipping from her hand and falling onto the table with a "thud." She instinctively looked towards the door.
Li Ping also stood up and blurted out, "Zhang Guoqiang? What brings you here?"
Zhang Guoqiang's forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and there were mud spots on the knees of his blue overalls, clearly indicating that he had run all the way here.
He first nodded solemnly to Li Ping, then wiped the sweat from his face, and then quickly walked up to Zhou Qiqi.
"Master Zhou, please don't sign yet! Let me explain first!"
Zhang Guoqiang's chest heaved violently as he reached out to steady himself on the table in front of Zhou Qiqi, causing the inkpad box on the table to shake.
"Our factory is saved!"
"What?"
Zhou Qiqi raised her eyebrows high, "Really?"
"Of course it's true!"
Zhang Guoqiang loosened the reddish collar of his shirt, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, and large dark sweat stains soaked the back of his work clothes.
"Lu Shouqian and his brother-in-law have been taken away by the municipal government's investigation team! This time it's for real! He's been removed from his position as factory director! The city has appointed me as the temporary factory director, in full charge of managing the First Garment Factory!"
As he spoke, he pulled a brown paper document bag from his canvas satchel. "Our contract can continue!"
"Very good!"
Zhou Qiqi let out a heavy breath, and immediately felt relieved.
Before she could catch her breath, Zhang Guoqiang spoke urgently again.
"Ping-jie has shown me your contract. Our First Garment Factory is willing to sign a 37% contract with you! You absolutely must not sign this contract with the Third Factory!"
Factory Director Qiu was dumbfounded when he heard this.
"Zhang Guoqiang, you...you're here to cause trouble?!"
He turned to face Zhou Qiqi, his attitude firm.
"Comrade Zhou, don't listen to him. Their No. 1 Garment Factory has several pieces of unsold inventory. They're producing those outdated styles that can't be sold, and the quality is poor. Plus, the workers are all old, weak, sick, or disabled! You still have to sign this contract with us!"
He confronted Zhou Qiqi with the contract.
Zhou Qiqi's Adam's apple bobbed, and she reached out and pushed the contract aside.
"I'm sorry, Director Qiu, I can't sign this contract for the time being."
She knew the situation at the First Garment Factory well; it was definitely not as Director Qiu described.
Factory Director Qiu was furious. He never expected that the contract he had negotiated so well would be snatched away by a struggling First Garment Factory. He immediately lost his temper.
"You...you...you'll regret this! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If it doesn't work out there, and you come back here, you won't get such a good share!"
Then he turned around.
"And you, Zhang Guoqiang! You...you just wait! When your factory goes bankrupt, don't be begging us to buy it!"
Zhang Guoqiang has always been known for his kind and honest image, but this time, he was uncharacteristically serious, with a half-smile playing on his lips.
"Director Qiu, instead of wasting your time slandering us, you should hurry up and check the quality of your factory's products."
The three walked out of the gate of the Third Garment Factory and saw a gleaming Jiefang brand truck parked at the entrance.
Li Ping reached out and patted the clean car door, which was so clean it was like a mirror, and laughed.
"Hey, Deputy Factory Director Zhang finally decided to drive the factory's truck out. I thought you came by tricycle again! Aren't you worried about the gas money?"
Zhang Guoqiang scratched his hair, which was flattened by his hat.
"Isn't this an emergency? I'm afraid we won't make it in time if we don't drive. Get in the car quickly."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Huang, the factory's driver, leaned out of the cab and beckoned the three of them to get into the truck bed.
He grinned, revealing two rows of bright white teeth, a stark contrast to his disheveled appearance a month ago when he was pedaling a tricycle.
Once on the train, Zhou Qiqi gripped the iron railing at the edge of the carriage and asked impatiently.
"Deputy Factory Director Zhang, what exactly happened? Tell me in detail!"
The truck made a "clattering" sound as it rolled over the gravel road.
Zhang Guoqiang leaned against the carriage, gazing at the white smoke billowing from the distant chimney, and began to speak in detail.
Last week, the people from the Municipal Economic Commission took Lü Shouqian away, but released him the next day.
When Lü Shouqian learned that Zhang Guoqiang had paid the workers the money for the goods, he was so angry that he smashed the safe and immediately punished Zhang Guoqiang by making him guard the gate. Even Master Ma, who pleaded for him, was suspended from his job.
"I was originally planning to pack my bags and go back to my hometown."
Zhang Guoqiang gave a wry smile.
"Unexpectedly, three days ago, the police from the investigation team arrived in a car and took Lü Shouqian and Wu Shufen away."
He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing, speaking with great excitement.
"Vice Mayor Zhai, who is in charge of the economy in G City, has learned about our factory's situation!"
"Originally, we planned to publicize it as a positive example after our contract ended, but unexpectedly, Lü Shouqian obstructed it halfway through. I heard that Vice Mayor Zhai was furious and immediately had Director Wei, who was protecting Lü Shouqian, taken away! Later, an investigation team was set up..."
Li Ping listened intently and then asked a question.
"How did Vice Mayor Zhai find out about this? Did you tell him?"
"I don't have that kind of ability."
Zhang Guoqiang shook his head, "If I knew Vice Mayor Zhai, none of these things would have happened."
Li Ping suddenly turned to look at Zhou Qiqi, her eyes sparkling, "Qiqi, is that you...?"
Don't look at me.
Zhou Qiqi quickly waved her hand, "I've only been in G City for less than three months, how could I possibly know any deputy mayor?"
Zhang Guoqiang continued.
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