"Keep it a secret?"
Zhou Qiqi scoffed.
"Such a large quantity of raw materials, taken from the warehouse, loaded onto trucks, transported, and unloaded, involves at least eight or ten people. You want to keep it a secret? Unless it's transported to some remote mountain forest! This kind of secrecy is just a facade!"
Try to appease an honest man like Zhang Guoqiang.
They all came from state-owned factories and never had to worry about sales or competition. They had no idea that the business world was like a battlefield.
She walked to the window, looked down at the bustling factory below, hesitated for a moment, and then decisively turned around:
"Okay, Director Zhang, please do me a favor and find a few quick-witted young men and women who can keep their mouths shut. Have them take turns keeping watch near the warehouse of the First Wool Textile Factory. Don't get close, just keep an eye on things from a distance. Make sure they don't get spotted. Keep an eye on their delivery trucks and see which trucks took the Australian wool that was supposed to be given to us from their warehouse, and where it was taken!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Guoqiang's eyes lit up, and he suddenly stood up:
“Great! This method will work! Master Wang’s wife works in the wool mill warehouse, and we also have several other workers’ relatives who work at the same factory. I’ll have them try to find out more! We must find out who’s reaping the benefits behind our backs!”
"Okay, I'll leave that to you. Be careful, don't alert them."
Zhou Qiqi nodded and gave another word of advice.
After seeing off the whirlwind Zhang Guoqiang, Zhou Qiqi didn't stay in the office for long.
She hurried to the warehouse, found a dark green "Guanghua" double-faced wool coat sample, carefully wrapped it in a clean cloth, and carried it out of the factory gate.
She rode her bicycle straight to the Materials Bureau and went to Hu Chunxiao's office.
Hu Chunxiao was writing a document when she saw Zhou Qiqi and the conspicuous bundle in her hand, and she was somewhat surprised.
"Qiqi? What brings you here? Please have a seat."
Zhou Qiqi didn't sit down, but placed the bundle on her desk and opened it, speaking sincerely.
"Sister Chunxiao, this is a small token of my appreciation. It's a new style from the factory. Try it on and see if it fits."
The double-faced wool coat is made of thick and sturdy fabric, and its dark green color is calm and elegant, making it stand out in the somewhat old office.
Hu Chunxiao immediately fell in love with it; she usually liked this color, and it suited her perfectly in every way.
But this coat looks high-end; you couldn't buy it for less than thirty or forty yuan, which is more than half a month's salary for her.
She looked at it several times, but still waved her hand and said, "This is too valuable, I can't accept it! You should take it back!"
As he spoke, he reached out to push the bundle back.
Zhou Qiqi held her hand, her gaze calm.
"Sister Chunxiao, don't be in such a hurry to refuse. The reason I gave you this gift is because I need your help with something."
Hu Chunxiao looked completely understanding, and Zhou Qiqi added at the opportune moment,
"Don't worry, I won't let you break any principles. I just want to ask you to help me find out something, is that okay?"
Hearing this, Hu Chunxiao hesitated for a moment, looking at the exceptionally warm and exquisite dark green coat on the table, and then at Zhou Qiqi's sincere eyes, before finally nodding.
"Well... okay, you tell me. We're both military wives, family. I'll definitely help if I can. But this coat..."
"Keep the coat; consider it an early preview of our factory's new product."
Before she could finish speaking, Zhou Qiqi interrupted her, not allowing her to refuse any longer, and quickly recounted the raw material crisis the factory was facing.
The focus was on the suspicious transfer notice and the mysterious "brother unit".
"...Sister Chunxiao, you're a veteran in the Materials Bureau, you know the system well and have many connections. You definitely know more about these transfer approvals than I do. I just want to ask you to help me find out which department and which leader approved this approval that transferred our raw materials? What's the level of the approval? Is it possible...to try to negotiate and see if it can be revoked, or at least, to get some of these materials back for us?"
After listening, Hu Chunxiao frowned. She picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip, clearly deep in thought.
She knew all too well how murky the waters were in the area of resource allocation. After a long pause, she nodded.
"Okay, Qiqi, I agree to this."
She put down her teacup, her expression turning serious.
"This approval slip looks like it came from the Planning Department of the Light Industry Bureau, but who knows who's behind it. I'll call my old classmate in the province right now; he has connections in the Planning Commission. Leave this to me, and I'll give you a definite answer by noon tomorrow at the latest!"
Hearing Hu Chunxiao's agreement, Zhou Qiqi felt a weight lifted from her shoulders and sincerely thanked him.
"Sister Chunxiao, thank you so much!"
"No need to thank me, we're all military wives, family, we'll help each other out if we can."
Hu Chunxiao waved her hand, her gaze falling again on the dark green coat, and a smile finally appeared on her face.
"Besides, your coat is really something to admire."
As soon as Zhou Qiqi walked in, she took a liking to the red dress she was wearing. Unfortunately, she was seven or eight years older than Qiqi, so wearing such bright red was inappropriate for her. This dark green was just right, calm and dignified, and suited her perfectly.
With the matter settled, Zhou Qiqi didn't linger and took her leave of the Supply Bureau.
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