Chapter 173 (Chapter 173: A Clay Bodhisattva Crossing the River)
Luo Li hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Deputy Director Liu has worked at the Dongfanghong Research Institute for so many years, he's not so easy to deal with. Can't we really just keep to ourselves and not interfere with each other? I think Deputy Director Liu and Comrade Lin Yuanshu get along quite well, we can learn from Comrade Lin Yuanshu."
If she were to actually face Deputy Director Liu, she would be a little apprehensive. After all, she had worked at the Dongfanghong Research Institute for several years and knew that Deputy Director Liu was not someone to be trifled with and was extremely vengeful. If they couldn't take him down in one fell swoop, they would be the ones to suffer.
Wu Qin frowned, looking puzzled. "How could you have such a thought? Don't forget, I came here in the first place aiming for the deputy director position. How could I possibly stay out of his way? There's no turning back now. You need to understand one thing: we have no other choice. You only joined me because I'm ambitious! Now is the best time to make our move. Anyway, our project is already completed, and now we're just waiting for approval."
She is no longer someone who has achieved nothing at the Dongfanghong Research Institute. Most importantly, Lin Yuanshu is pregnant, and she has lost the advantage of favorable timing and location.
Seeing that Wu Qin's attitude was firm and there was no room for negotiation, Luo Li could only smile and agree, "You're right, I misunderstood."
Wu Qin said confidently, "I have already heard some news. Among the comrades who have been exonerated and returned to Beijing, there is one who has a grudge against Deputy Director Liu. He was tricked by Deputy Director Liu into going to the farm for reform through labor. Try to contact him and help him report Deputy Director Liu. Then we can take the opportunity to hand over the evidence of Deputy Director Liu's crimes and catch him off guard."
Luo Li took a deep breath and said in a strong voice, "Okay, I'll take care of it right now."
Two days later, Deputy Director Liu was "happily welcomed" to be investigated by the Ministry of Supervision. After learning about this, Lin Yuanshu rushed to Deputy Director Liu's office immediately. How could she miss such an important scene!
It must be admitted that Wu Qin has a strong ability to execute orders. After learning that Deputy Director Liu was planning to deal with her, she immediately made arrangements without any hesitation.
Lin Yuanshu arrived a little late. Deputy Director Liu had already been taken into custody by the inspectors, and some of the documents in his office had been confiscated.
Lin Yuanshu feigned anxiety as he entered the office and approached Director Huang, asking, "Director Huang, what's going on? Why are the inspectors suddenly investigating Deputy Director Liu?"
Director Huang said with a helpless expression, "You're asking me? I'd like to ask you the same thing!"
Why make such a big fuss when dealing with Deputy Director Liu? Just report it to the institute's disciplinary inspection team directly. Why involve the external supervisory department? If word gets out, people will only laugh at his ineffective supervision and he'll lose face outside the institute.
Lin Yuanshu was stunned for a moment. She felt that Director Huang might have misunderstood her and thought that she was the one who did it.
Unfortunately, now is not a good time to explain. There are too many people around, and too much talk will lead to conflict. She can only put this matter aside for now.
"Director Huang, I'd like to have a talk with you after the inspectors leave," Lin Yuanshu said in a low voice.
Director Huang thought for a moment, then said with a serious expression, "I'd also like to have a talk with you."
Lin Yuanshu: "..."
Although I can't claim to be innocent, it's really unpleasant to be made a scapegoat.
Lin Yuanshu turned to look at Deputy Director Liu. At this moment, Deputy Director Liu no longer had the spirited look he had before; he appeared listless and dispirited.
With a smile on her face, she walked up to the investigators and proactively extended a friendly gesture, speaking well of Deputy Director Liu, "Although I haven't spent much time with Deputy Director Liu, I've heard he's a very responsible leader. You must investigate thoroughly; you can't let a bad person go unpunished, nor can you wrong an innocent person..."
Deputy Director Liu was surprised that Lin Yuanshu was willing to speak up for him at this critical moment instead of distancing himself from him. A trace of gratitude flashed in his eyes, but unfortunately Lin Yuanshu's words were useless. He knew that he was doomed and would not be able to turn things around so easily.
A strong sense of regret welled up in his heart, not regret for doing those illegal and criminal things, but regret for not thinking ahead when he did them.
Instead of trying to use someone else to do his dirty work and making Lin Yuanshu and Wu Qin fight each other, he should have found a way to deal with Wu Qin on her very first day at the research institute.
Knowing that Wu Qin had evidence of his illegal and criminal activities, he shouldn't have thought of using legitimate means to deal with Wu Qin. He sent people to investigate Wu Qin's incriminating evidence, which wasted so much time. Anyway, he had already done so much dirty work, so one more time wouldn't make a difference.
The removal of the Revolutionary Committee Director made him less decisive in his actions.
He never suspected that someone else was behind it. After all, if Director Huang wanted to do it, he would have done it long ago and wouldn't have waited until today. Lin Yuanshu was focused on her project and had no interest in these backstabbing and intrigue.
Deputy Director Liu opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. Not getting involved with Lin Yuanshu was his last act of kindness.
The inspector replied seriously, "Don't worry, comrade, we will conduct a thorough investigation and collect evidence."
Lin Yuanshu nodded with a relieved expression.
Wu Qin, who was outside the office, saw Lin Yuanshu's behavior and sneered, "Hypocrite."
Luo Li said thoughtfully, "Should we go in and act it out too?"
Wu Qin decisively refused, saying, "I don't have a good relationship with Deputy Director Liu. Going in would only make him more hostile. Let's forget about it!"
She was afraid that if she went in, Deputy Director Liu would attack her relentlessly, so it was better not to do something that would provoke hatred.
Thinking about the good deeds they had done, Luo Li suddenly felt that it would be safer for them not to go in.
Wu Qin stood at the door for a short while before leaving. She had only come to personally confirm whether Deputy Director Liu had been investigated by the surveillance personnel. Now that the first step of the plan had been successful, there was no need to stay here to watch the show.
Instead of returning to the office area, she headed towards the laboratory where Maas was located.
After the inspectors finished collecting evidence, they prepared to leave the institute with Deputy Director Liu.
Deputy Director Liu glanced at his office, where he had worked for a long time, and felt a great sense of panic. He said to his assistant, "Don't forget what you promised me."
Even if he couldn't escape his fate, he would drag someone down with him; he couldn't accept Wu Qin climbing over his body to get ahead.
The assistant, with tears streaming down her face, replied, "Okay."
Lin Yuanshu sighed from the side, "I never expected that Deputy Director Liu and his assistant had such a deep relationship. They are both people of strong character!"
Upon hearing this, the assistant cried even harder. He wasn't crying because Deputy Director Liu was under investigation; he was crying because he had no way to escape. With Deputy Director Liu in jail, the things he had done for Deputy Director Liu would be found out sooner or later, and he couldn't possibly remain unscathed.
The inspector frowned and stared at the assistant, asking, "What did you promise him?"
The assistant stammered, her voice trembling with tears, "Help... him... take care of... his parents..."
Because the assistant was crying so hard, the investigators couldn't tell from his expression whether he was lying or not, so they had to give up questioning him.
After the inspectors left, Director Huang also told the administrative staff around him to return to their posts, and he took Lin Yuanshu to his office.
Director Huang sat on the sofa, frowning as he asked, "What do you want to talk to me about?"
Lin Yuanshu explained directly, "Director Huang, you don't think that I did the investigation of Deputy Director Liu, do you? I admit that I want Deputy Director Liu's position, but I won't make a move at this time. After all, I'm pregnant, so how could I compete with someone else for the deputy director's position at this time!"
It just goes to show that some things happen unexpectedly, not when she's prepared. Plans can't keep up with changes! She wanted to play it safe, but reality forced her to take an unconventional approach.
Director Huang glanced at Lin Yuanshu's belly and thought Lin Yuanshu was right. At this time, she had no advantage in competing with others for the position of deputy director. After all, the higher-ups might think that she was not able to take on such an important job in the short term, and instead assign the deputy director position to someone else.
"Then who do you think did this?" Director Huang asked thoughtfully.
Lin Yuanshu shook his head, feigning ignorance, and said, "I don't know. Maybe no one did this. Maybe someone just wanted to get back at Deputy Director Liu. It's not as complicated as we think. The most urgent thing is to minimize Deputy Director Liu's influence on the Dongfanghong Research Institute."
Director Huang felt there was something fishy about this, that it might not be a simple retaliation. He stroked his chin and said seriously, "I'll take care of this. You just focus on your research and studies!"
"Okay," Lin Yuanshu said softly.
At the same time, Wu Qin called Ma Si into the conference room. Ma Si looked at Wu Qin warily and asked, "Why did you call me here?"
Wu Qin smiled slightly and said softly, "Of course, I'm here to tell you some unfortunate news."
Upon hearing this, Mas's eyes widened. "You're planning to deal with me?"
Wu Qin extended her index finger and shook it from side to side, denying it, saying, "Of course not, it's Deputy Director Liu who is being investigated by the supervisory personnel and has been taken to the Ministry of Supervision."
Mas was initially relieved that he was alright, but then he realized that while he was safe, his boss was in trouble, and his promotion plans were ruined.
“I don’t believe it,” Mas said dejectedly to himself.
This event was so impactful that he found it hard to believe for a moment.
Wu Qin observed Ma Si's dejected expression before slowly saying, "I have no reason to lie to you about something like this. After all, you could easily find out when you went to the cafeteria for lunch that I'm here to give you another way out."
"What way out?" Mas asked hurriedly, his brows furrowed with anxiety.
Wu Qin revealed a confident expression. She was very confident that Ma Si would not refuse her proposal. She said slowly, "I have some evidence of Deputy Director Liu's illegal and criminal activities. I hope you can stand up and report Deputy Director Liu, and hand over the evidence. In this way, you can get credit, and I can also make sure that Deputy Director Liu can never recover."
Mas looked serious and hesitant, unable to make up his mind. He didn't want to betray his leader like Lu Bu did.
Wu Qin pursed her lips, her tone carrying a hint of seduction, "Even without your report and evidence, Deputy Director Liu is already in deep trouble, it's just a matter of the severity of the charges. He's already in this state, why don't you choose a way out for yourself? As long as you help me become the deputy director, I can also help you become a team leader, letting you take charge of a small project on your own, just like Comrade Lin Yuanshu did back then. Don't you want to try to surpass Comrade Lin Yuanshu?"
Mas took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "Are you sure you can help me?"
Wu Qin's offer was too good to refuse; even Deputy Director Liu hadn't made such a promise to him.
Wu Qin nodded without hesitation and said seriously, "Of course I'm sure."
"Fine, I agree. If you can't keep your word, I won't let you off the hook." Mas stared fiercely at Wu Qin.
Wu Qin appeared calm and composed, showing no sign of unease. It was precisely because of this attitude that Ma Si began to trust her a little.
After Maas left the meeting room with the evidence, Luo Li asked in a low voice, "Are you really going to help Comrade Maas? I don't think he's capable of handling a small project on his own right now. If he makes a mistake, you'll be the one in charge!"
Upon hearing this, Wu Qin chuckled lightly and said nonchalantly, "I'm not like Comrade Lin Yuanshu, who always tries to be a good person and then abandons you after you've served your purpose. How difficult can someone who can't even become an assistant researcher be to deal with!"
Luo Li: "..."
After leaving Director Huang's office, Lin Yuanshu returned to the office area, which was empty. Everyone else had gone to the laboratory to conduct experiments. She had just sat down when Team Leader Ye rushed in from outside.
"Have you heard about Deputy Director Liu's situation?" Team Leader Ye asked breathlessly.
Lin Yuanshu raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Not only do I know, I also personally witnessed Deputy Director Liu being taken away by the inspectors."
Team Leader Ye couldn't help but smile. This was truly the best news she had heard all year. Although it was only the beginning of the year, she excitedly grasped Lin Yuanshu's hand and looked at him with utmost seriousness. She believed that Lin Yuanshu would understand what she meant.
Although Team Leader Ye didn't say a word, Lin Yuanshu strangely understood what Team Leader Ye wanted to express. One of Team Leader Ye's eyes was full of ambition, and the other eye was full of "help me".
She pushed away Team Leader Ye's hand and proposed another idea, "The First Research Institute has two deputy directors. I suppose our institute can do the same. After all, in the past two years, our institute has also made a lot of achievements and expanded its scale."
Team Leader Ye looked at Lin Yuanshu with disbelief and asked, "You want to become deputy director with me?"
Lin Yuanshu nodded firmly. This was the most reliable way she could think of to become the deputy director at this stage, while also allowing her to maintain her previous advantages. As long as Team Leader Ye was there, the higher-ups wouldn't focus on her lack of energy.
Besides, the project she's currently working on is so important, and the progress is at its most critical stage. Even if she becomes the deputy director, the higher-ups won't consider letting her take a break from her work. So whether or not she can take over the deputy director's duties isn't that important right now.
"Are you crazy? This is much harder than making me the deputy director!" Team Leader Ye said frankly. She thought Lin Yuanshu was being unrealistic. This was too crazy and completely impossible.
"I'm confident I can persuade Director Huang," Lin Yuanshu said softly. After all, Director Huang had promised her that he would help her become the deputy director, and now it was time for him to fulfill his promise.
Team Leader Ye paused for a moment, then coughed lightly twice. "Since you were able to persuade Director Huang, this method isn't entirely unacceptable."
She can handle even the most difficult people; the rest are just small fry. If it weren't for the fact that it would be difficult for her to become the deputy director on her own, she wouldn't have thought of cooperating with Lin Yuanshu.
Lin Yuanshu was not surprised at all by Team Leader Ye's change of heart. She said with a serious expression, "If we can get Deputy Director Liu's people on our side, our chances of success will be much greater."
Team Leader Ye frowned and said, "Deputy Director Liu's men! They're quite difficult to deal with."
Lin Yuanshu's lips curled up, and he said calmly, "That was when Deputy Director Liu was still around. Now they're like clay bodhisattvas crossing the river, barely able to save themselves, so how could they possibly be troublesome! You need to understand one thing: we can now become a community of interests with them. Those who commit crimes are one thing; those kinds of people should go and keep Deputy Director Liu company. We should choose those with clean hands..."
Team Leader Ye suddenly realized, "I know what to do now."
"My subordinate, Comrade Hong Shuang'er, will assist you. I won't get involved in this matter," Lin Yuanshu said in a low voice.
It wasn't that she didn't want to step forward, but rather that she wanted to focus her energy on the project tasks, because she didn't have much time left.
Team Leader Ye mistakenly thought that Lin Yuanshu didn't want to show up because of her pregnancy, so she earnestly instructed him, "I will handle this matter well. Just take good care of yourself and wait for good news!"
After saying this, Team Leader Ye, filled with eagerness, prepared to leave.
Lin Yuanshu quickly called out to Team Leader Ye, walked up to him, and said in a serious tone, "You need to be careful of Comrade Wu Qin. Deputy Director Liu's entry into the Supervision Department is definitely related to her. Don't underestimate her."
Upon hearing this, Team Leader Ye's expression turned serious. "I understand. You don't need to worry too much. I've worked at the research institute for so many years, and I won't do it for nothing. I will be on guard against her."
Lin Yuanshu had confidence in Team Leader Ye; otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen to cooperate with Team Leader Ye, but would have cooperated with other comrades who were more reliable.
In addition, what she valued most about Team Leader Ye was that he had connections with the Minister of Health, and could find a way to persuade the Minister of Health to approve the deputy director nomination submitted by Director Huang.
While Team Leader Ye was trying to win over Deputy Director Liu's people, Wu Qin was doing the same thing.
Compared to Wu Qin, most of the people under Deputy Director Liu trusted Team Leader Ye and Lin Yuanshu more. If it weren't for Wu Qin, their situation wouldn't have become so awkward, so how could they possibly trust her?
There were exceptions, though. Some people had something on Wu Qin's hands, and they had no choice but to side with her.
Wu Qin was unaware that Lin Yuanshu was involved; she thought it was Team Leader Ye trying to compete with her for the position of deputy director!
Sure enough, once Deputy Director Liu fell, all sorts of demons and monsters came out!
He wasn't proactive in dealing with Deputy Director Liu, but he was quite proactive in vying for the position of deputy director.
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