Yu Yao's expression changed. Seeing that she was panting, she said calmly, "Tell me slowly, what exactly happened?"
Fang Qiaoqiao was initially extremely flustered, her hands and feet were weak from running all the way here. But seeing that Yu Yao was calm despite her anxiety, her anxious mood calmed down a bit.
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "It's like this, just now, the Su family, the family of Su Yu whom Comrade Wu had previously met, led her and a group of fellow villagers to storm the factory. They demanded that the factory hand over Comrade Wu, saying that Comrade Wu had bullied Su Yu and that Comrade Wu should give them an explanation..."
"Comrade Wu said that she and Comrade Su had not seen each other since that meeting, and that she knew nothing about Su Yu's affairs."
"The Su family said he was trying to shirk responsibility. Both sides had their own reasons, and the matter became very heated. Just then, Zhou Qiang appeared."
"Zhou Qiang?" Yu Yao's heart sank.
Fang Qiaoqiao was furious. "That's right, it's him."
"He didn't come alone. He brought not only people from the factory's Revolutionary Committee, but also Su Yu. After Su Yu arrived, she identified Comrade Wu as the child's father and even produced evidence—Comrade Wu's watch, saying that he gave it to her when he was deceiving her."
In addition to physical evidence, the Su family also prepared witness testimonies.
A worker from the purchasing department came out and said that he had seen Director Wu and Su Yu together, go into a room, and come out after a long time.
Yu Yao could guess what would happen next.
With Su Yu's arrival, the Su family had witnesses and physical evidence, making them even more arrogant.
Wu Huaiqing was unable to defend himself and was taken away for investigation by the factory's Revolutionary Committee.
Two days ago, when Yu Yao met with Wu Huaiqing, he mentioned that his watch, which he kept in his office, had been taken away.
At the time, I thought someone was just after money, but now it seems that this was a conspiracy against Wu Huaiqing, with the ultimate goal of securing the position of purchasing manager.
As long as Wu Huaiqing cannot prove his innocence, this matter will become powerful evidence for Zhou Qiang to accuse him of having questionable lifestyle.
Needless to say, Zhou Qiang, the beneficiary, is the mastermind behind it all.
Seeing how proactive he was, no longer even bothering to hide it, it seemed he was certain that Wu Huaiqing had no chance of turning things around.
"Ayao, Comrade Wu is definitely innocent. How can we save him?"
"Let me think about it."
Saving people isn't actually difficult. If the Su family can't produce direct and favorable evidence, relying solely on their testimony and physical evidence isn't enough to convict Wu Huaiqing. The key is how to clear his name.
Unlike later generations where a DNA test immediately reveals who the child's father is, in this era...
Without being able to determine who the child is, this matter can easily become a murky affair.
Zhou Qiang must have given the Su family something, otherwise the Su family wouldn't have stepped forward.
So what are Su Yu's thoughts as the person involved in the incident?
Why would someone risk their reputation to frame Wu Huaiqing?
We also need to find out who the father of the child in her belly is.
The key to solving this problem lies with Su Yu; we must find a way to locate her first.
Yu Yao told Fang Qiaoqiao her thoughts, and Fang Qiaoqiao also felt that she had to find Su Yu to get to the bottom of things.
"Yu Yao, do you think Su Yu might be faking her pregnancy?"
"It's hard to fake pregnancy; once the belly gets big, it's impossible to hide. If it's fake, it'll be exposed. Her pregnancy must be real."
Hearing this, Fang Qiaoqiao thought of a question: "Yu Yao, if she is really pregnant, could the child be Wu De's? She and Wu De were so close before, it's not impossible that she was deceived and got pregnant."
"Wu De is highly suspicious, but we need to find out more details before we can confirm."
Fang Qiaoqiao immediately said, "Then what are we waiting for? I took a day off when I came here. Let's go now."
"Wait, I'll go ask Brother Zhao for leave."
Yu Yao immediately went back to the sugar water workshop to find Zhao Shengli.
"Brother Zhao, something happened at home, and I'd like to ask you for two days off."
"Is it because of Director Wu?" Zhao Shengli was one of the few people who knew about the relationship between Wu Huaiqing and Yu Yao.
Yu Yao nodded.
“You don’t need to worry about work. Comrade Wu’s matter is more important. I trust Comrade Wu’s character; he’s not that kind of person.”
Zhao Shengli had dealt with Wu Huaiqing before.
He is a very capable and principled young man. Zhao Shengli does not believe that he would bully female comrades.
"Thank you, Brother Zhao."
Yu Yao took leave and went out with Fang Qiaoqiao.
"Yu Yao, should we go directly to Su Yu?"
Yu Yao shook her head. "Going to Su Yu so rashly is too passive. The Su family is definitely wary of us and won't let us see her easily. Let's go to the machinery factory first and see if we can find out any useful information."
Judging from the situation we witnessed last time, Wu De and Su Yu's relationship is not simple.
If the child is Wu De's, then things will be much easier. If the child isn't Wu De's, given his relationship with Su Yu, he might be able to find out who the child's father is.
Either outcome is beneficial to them.
Fang Qiaoqiao looked at Yu Yao with eyes full of trust, "I'll listen to you."
Yu Yao is so smart; with her around, she can definitely clear Comrade Wu of suspicion.
All I can do is try my best to cooperate with her.
Wu De's factory, Nandao Machinery Factory, was located east of the food factory, more than ten kilometers away. Yu Yao and Fang Qiaoqiao rode their bicycles as fast as they could and finally arrived before noon.
The access control at the machinery factory wasn't as strict as at the food factory. Yu Yao and Fang Qiaoqiao found out which workshop Wu De was in and went inside to look for him.
"Hello comrade, I'd like to find a worker named Wu De in your workshop. Could you please ask him to come out for me?"
The worker looked up, glanced at Yu Yao and Fang Qiaoqiao, and replied, "He's on leave and won't be coming to the factory for the next two weeks."
"Do you know where he lives?"
"I don't know about that. This kid is from Guangdong Province and usually lives in a dormitory. As for where he lives outside the factory, I don't know."
Upon hearing this, Fang Qiaoqiao became anxious. "Yu Yao, what do we do now? By the time he comes back, it will be too late."
Upon hearing Fang Qiaoqiao's words, the worker couldn't help but ask, "Are you here to find him to take responsibility as well?"
also?
Yu Yao asked, "Besides us, did anyone else come to him asking for responsibility?"
The man immediately shut up when he realized he had let something slip, saying, "I don't know, you should ask someone else."
Yu Yao and Fang Qiaoqiao exchanged a glance, both feeling that this uncle definitely knew something.
Yu Yao took out a pack of Coconut Tree brand cigarettes from her pocket and handed it over. "Uncle, please help us. Tell us everything you know. We really need his help, it's a matter of life and death."
The middle-aged man was a heavy smoker. His wife was very strict with him, and he hadn't smoked in a long time. When he saw the cigarette Yu Yao offered him, his craving kicked in.
After looking around, the uncle grabbed a cigarette and put it in his pocket.
"I helped you two young women because I was worried about you and it wasn't easy for you. You mustn't tell anyone that I told you. Wu De is a wicked guy. If he finds out I told you about him, he'll definitely cause me trouble."
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