Chapter 1529 Is he an illegitimate son? Or a glove?
Saturday, heavy rain.
Li Ye stood by the window, watching the first rain of summer outside, his face as calm as the rain.
Spring 1993 finally passed. The animals, restless because of spring, had completed their breeding process and returned to quiet.
However, the unrest at Jingnan Heavy Truck intensified.
Dong Shan's sudden rise to prominence has stirred up excitement throughout the group's headquarters.
"Old Yan, did you know that during today's meeting, Shang Bin suddenly supported Dong Shan's proposal and strongly urged Li Ye to support the enterprise reform at Southwest Heavy Truck?"
Shang Bin not only demanded that Li Ye send no fewer than two hundred management cadres to the Southwest, but also requested that Li Ye provide Dong Shan with technical assistance and financial support, and even proposed the establishment of a reform liaison group, with Dong Shan serving as the group leader.
"Hiss, didn't you say yesterday that Shang Bin didn't support Dong Shan's proposal? How come he changed his mind after just one night? This reform is clearly taking over Shang Bin's old base. What is he thinking?"
"What else could he be thinking? Jin Hong got into trouble! The police are here. Shang Bin is in cahoots with Jin Hong. If he still dares to go against the higher-ups at this point, he'll probably end up in jail too. You know what I mean?"
"Hiss, I get it now. Dong Shan's assignment to the Southwest to oversee enterprise reform wasn't an accident caused by him being a mere figurehead for Li Ye. He's the one the higher-ups really want to support. In the election a few days ago, Li Ye was just a figurehead!"
"Well! You're only just realizing this now? I figured it out after the article was posted the day before yesterday. Your reaction is way too slow."
“.”
A few days ago, after Qu Si came over to convey the message of "selecting outstanding young people to take on important responsibilities," everyone generally believed that Li Ye was the absolute "right choice," and Dong Shan, who was nominated with him, was just a supporting character and a decoy.
Even though Dong Shan "won" in the end, everyone still thought it was Li Ye and Ma Zhaoxian's "little trick". After all, to make Li Ye leave the thriving No. 1 Factory and go to the mess of Southwest Heavy Truck was almost like "exile".
Therefore, Dong Shan was probably a "sacrifice" pushed out by Ma Zhaoxian and Li Ye, replacing Li Ye to die at Southwest Heavy Truck.
But now, things seem to be getting a little strange.
Dong Shan acted too aggressively; this is not the behavior of a "scapegoat."
In particular, Shang Bin's sudden and full support for Dong Shan after his fierce opposition to Dong Shan added a layer of mystery to Dong Shan.
It turns out that Dong Shan is the true new king.
Old Yan was still somewhat unhappy after being ridiculed by his colleagues for being "slow-witted." He stubbornly retorted, "It's not that I'm slow-witted, it's that General Manager Ma hasn't given his opinion yet."
Li Ye has always been General Manager Ma's right-hand man, and the First Branch Factory is the most crucial part of our group. Who would have thought that the most outstanding young person wouldn't be Li Ye?
"Hehe, you've hit the nail on the head. Branch Factory One is the most crucial part of our group, but does it belong to Li Ye or the state?"
"Furthermore, did you know that when Li Ye was reprimanded by Shang Bin at the meeting yesterday, General Manager Ma did not step in to stop it? Have you ever seen this before?"
"Hiss~"
Old Yan gasped again, and several phrases immediately came to mind—"merit that overshadows the ruler," "possessing military power and acting independently," "establishing oneself as king," and so on.
Li Ye has indeed achieved remarkable results over the years, but he has also done a lot of things that are "unruly". The factory director, Niu Hongzhang and other people have written a lot of reports about him.
According to the rules and regulations in mainland China, the people who are most favored by the higher-ups are those who are capable, can stabilize the situation, and are obedient, rather than those like Li Ye who are outspoken and always looking for trouble.
Dong Shan is experienced and cautious, which is exactly the kind of person that many people above like. Now, he is sent to the southwest to reform and gain experience. After he comes back, he will climb over Li Ye's head. Will the No. 1 Factory still be Li Ye's "private plot" then?
"Ring ring~"
Li Ye's phone rang, and when he answered it, it was Ma Zhaoxian calling.
"Li Ye, are you busy right now? If you're not, come to my office for a bit!"
"Okay, Uncle Ma, please wait five minutes."
"Okay, okay, okay."
After hanging up the phone, Li Ye stared blankly at the heavy rain outside the window for a few minutes before walking towards Ma Zhaoxian's office.
In the past, Li Ye would have just hung up the phone and moved on, but now, he needs to take a few minutes to carefully consider the various situations that might arise next.
The restless onlookers outside couldn't accurately grasp the real situation inside the group. In fact, the relationship between Ma Zhaoxian and Li Ye was very delicate, and it was not a case of "his merits overshadowing his master" at all.
Shang Bin wasn't truly supporting Dong Shan; instead, he was subtly stirring things up, trying to get Li Ye and Dong Shan to fight. At this point, Ma Zhaoxian had to be extremely cautious about making any decision.
On Li Ye's way to Ma Zhaoxian's office, countless eyes were watching his every move. It was estimated that within minutes, the news that "Li Ye had a dispute with General Manager Ma in the office" would spread rapidly within the Jingnan Group.
When Li Ye arrived at Ma Zhaoxian's office, Ma Zhaoxian had already brewed tea: "Come, try this year's new tea. A friend of mine brought it from the south. It's not very famous, but it tastes just as good."
Li Ye picked up the teacup without any hesitation, took a sip, and indeed found the tea fragrant and delicious.
"This tea is really good, much better than those fake Longjing or Da Hong Pao teas."
"Hahaha, you're absolutely right. The market is flooded with counterfeit goods these days; genuine products are becoming increasingly rare."
After laughing heartily, Ma Zhaoxian suddenly asked seriously, "Li Ye, do you think Dong Shan is a genuine talent with real skills, or just a pretty face with no substance?"
Li Ye paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Uncle Ma, you've really stumped me. I studied economics, so I know pretty well how to make money, but when it comes to judging people, I'm far from good at it."
Sigh~
Ma Zhaoxian sighed, and after a long while, he said, "Li Ye, we've worked together for so many years, and everything has gone smoothly. It's been so smooth that many people have the illusion that reform is not difficult at all, that as long as we break with old rules and bad habits, we can achieve a complete transformation and obvious results. They think that the production miracle of the First Factory can be replicated."
"Now Dong Shan wants to replicate the miracle of Factory No. 1, and the higher-ups also want him to replicate the miracle of Factory No. 1. Do you think it's possible?"
"Maybe? I have billions of dollars backing me; I can buy technology from all over the world. Does Dong Shan have that?"
Li Ye looked at Ma Zhaoxian and suddenly asked, "Uncle Ma, who exactly is Dong Shan that makes you feel so much pressure?"
Ma Zhaoxian paused for a moment, then smiled awkwardly and said, "His background is indeed quite impressive, at least I couldn't refuse. So I fully support his going to the southwest. The mountains are high and the emperor is far away, which can avoid a lot of trouble for both sides."
Li Ye carefully considered Ma Zhaoxian's words and seemed to have figured out a hint of "being unable to control one's own destiny".
Li Ye thought for a moment and then asked, "So what exactly does Dong Shan want? Uncle Ma, don't you know anything about it?"
"I know a little about that."
Ma Zhaoxian lowered his voice and said, "As you probably know, many companies in China started pilot reforms last year, allowing employees and managers to own shares in their companies."
Li Ye was slightly surprised.
Although many state-owned enterprises of this era were sold off cheaply to a group of trendsetters, this also created many star companies decades later.
But if Dong Shan, with such a strong background, really did that, at most he would only gain wealth and status. If he wanted to continue climbing the power pyramid, he would be at a disadvantage.
Li Ye was suddenly startled.
Could he be an illegitimate son, or perhaps just a pair of gloves?
Seeing Li Ye remain silent, Ma Zhaoxian continued, "Li Ye, if you also want to convert the No. 1 factory into a joint-stock company, I will fully support you."
(End of this chapter)
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