After the internal management meeting of the auto repair shop ended, everyone else left except for the deputy director, Zuo Chang'an, who was kept behind by Xu Damao.
Seeing the bewildered Zuo Chang'an, Xu Damao lit a cigarette and tossed one to him. He slowly took a few puffs but remained silent, which made Zuo Chang'an feel immense pressure.
Zuo Chang'an thought that Xu Damao was going to talk about his outspokenness at today's meeting, and he was already prepared to debate with Xu Damao.
He used to be one of the most powerful section chiefs in the steel rolling mill, a real powerhouse. Xu Damao, in his eyes, was just a marginal department head. But fate had other plans; he'd become Xu's deputy and was constantly being suppressed.
Although he had been disciplined several times, he hadn't done anything outrageous again, but he was always waiting for an opportunity—an opportunity to seize power. He believed this auto repair shop incident was that opportunity.
According to his information, the office and logistics departments were responsible for the theft at the auto repair shop, and these departments were all managed by Xu Damao's own people. Therefore, he wanted to use this attack to rebuild his authority and image as deputy factory director. He figured that Xu Damao, who bore leadership responsibility in the incident, wouldn't do anything to him.
"Old Zuo, how old are you this year?" Xu Damao asked slowly after finishing his cigarette.
Zuo Chang'an thought the other party would start cursing and slam the table, but he didn't expect them to ask such a completely unrelated question.
"I am 43 years old this year," Zuo Chang'an replied after a long pause.
"Well, that's not a big deal. You have a lot of potential ahead of you. I don't think being the deputy director of the auto repair shop is the end of your career."
When Xu Damao said this, Zuo Chang'an assumed that the other party was preparing for peace talks. It seemed that his outburst today had indeed had an effect. However, Xu Damao's attitude suddenly changed.
“But you’re not young anymore, how could you do such a stupid thing? It’s utterly foolish!” Xu Damao said, slamming his hand on the table.
Zuo Chang'an was a little bewildered by this unpredictable behavior, thinking that the other party should be keeping a low profile at this time.
"Xu Damao, don't push your luck. You bear leadership responsibility for the theft at the factory, don't try to shift the blame onto me." Zuo Chang'an thought Xu Damao was trying to shirk responsibility, and he was very indignant, so he stopped being polite and addressed him by his first name.
"What are you talking about? I'm not talking about the theft at the factory; the factory will determine the nature of that later. I'm talking about your personal issues." Xu Damao tapped the table.
"What's wrong with me personally? You're being ridiculous!" Zuo Chang'an remained defiant.
"Did Song Yucheng treat you to a meal and give you some gifts? Don't rush to deny it; there's evidence over there," Xu Damao asked.
"What?" Zuo Chang'an's head suddenly exploded, and his originally clear-headed brain suddenly turned into a mess.
Song Yucheng invited him to dinner, and there were more than one person at the table. Afterwards, gifts were given, which he couldn't deny. Under normal circumstances, accepting gifts and having dinner together wouldn't be a big deal, but if Song Yucheng were arrested, he wouldn't be able to explain himself clearly.
If others said he was Song Yucheng's protector, he couldn't deny it. Indeed, after accepting gifts, he became even more attentive to Song Yucheng and the security department. Originally, he had been terrified for days after Song Yucheng's arrest.
Seeing that no one was talking to him, he assumed the matter was over and relaxed, not expecting a fatal blow waiting for him. If the factory found out, losing his job was a minor matter compared to going to jail at this crucial time of rectification.
The thought of spending the rest of his life in prison or a labor camp filled Zuo Chang'an with immense regret. Why hadn't he seen through Song Yucheng back then? At that moment, his mind raced, flashing through the images of those who could save him, but finally settling on Xu Damao.
He suddenly realized that Xu Damao was giving him a chance. Otherwise, the person talking to him here wouldn't be Xu Damao, but someone from the factory's discipline inspection committee.
"Director Xu, please save me! I have several children at home, and an elderly father and mother. They can't live without me!" At this moment, Zuo Chang'an burst into tears.
Xu Damao learned about Zuo Chang'an's situation from Lu Xiangyang immediately. Afterwards, he communicated with Li Xuewu and managed to suppress the matter.
If Xu Damao hadn't been involved, Zuo Chang'an would have been punished, and the deputy factory director would have been out of a job. But after the punishment, Xu Damao couldn't be sure who the new deputy factory director would be.
At this crucial juncture in development, Xu Damao didn't want to be distracted by internal factory struggles. Keeping Zuo Chang'an around, with the dagger in his own hand, was the best option for Xu Damao at the moment, ready to eliminate him should the other party disobey.
Therefore, Xu Damao, representing the auto repair shop, reported to Li Xuewu, who, representing the steel rolling mill, agreed to temporarily suspend Zuo Chang'an's proposal. All of this was done officially, with records available for review, so there was no fear of others bringing it up later.
“Old Zuo, are you confused? But I’ll take the blame for you on behalf of the auto repair shop for now. The steel mill leaders said they’ll observe your performance. If you do well, they’ll let bygones be bygones; if you don’t, you’ll go back to where you came from,” Xu Damao said.
Zuo Chang'an didn't expect to get through so easily. He originally thought he would have to ask the other party several times, give them something afterwards, or at least talk to his superiors on his behalf.
However, he also knew what he had to do from now on. Whether he performed well or not at the auto repair shop would be up to Xu Damao.
"Thank you, Director Xu. Don't worry, I will definitely correct my mistakes in the future, resolutely obey the factory leaders' orders, and wholeheartedly do my job well, correcting my mistakes with my own actions." Zuo Chang'an's attitude changed quickly.
In this era, at his age, he absolutely cannot afford to make any mistakes like this. Right now, his Achilles' heel is completely under Xu Damao's thumb.
"Old Zuo, it's natural for people to make mistakes, and it's good to be able to correct them. However, a person cannot make the same mistake twice, nor can they cross the line, otherwise no one can save you."
It's a kind of fate that brought us together as colleagues. As the team leader, I naturally didn't want anything to happen to the other members. So I reminded them whenever I could and helped them whenever I could. But everyone has to walk their own path, and I hope you'll remember your promise from today.
Xu Damao was to listen to Zuo Chang'an's words and observe his actions regarding his promises. He believed that such a person wouldn't cause problems in the short term, but anything could happen in the long run. When that time came, Xu Damao would naturally have the means to deal with such a person.
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