Chapter 1653 Trending Topics of the 1990s (Part 2)
"What did you say? Zhuo Minglan had an accident last night? What exactly happened?"
"She must have had a fight with her husband, so she went to a hotel. The hotel called us in the middle of the night, saying something terrible had happened."
Li Ye learned about Zhuo Minglan's situation the next morning.
Because Zhuo Minglan was helpless and had no one to turn to for help at the hotel, she had no choice but to ask the hotel reception to notify her work unit to come and save her.
When life is at stake, all pride is worthless; no matter how humiliating it is, it doesn't matter anymore.
It must be said that state-owned enterprises have various shortcomings in the eyes of some people, but they still have many merits in "being parents". Jingnan Group has a sound emergency duty system. After receiving the news, the duty personnel immediately dispatched people and vehicles to send Zhuo Minglan to the hospital for emergency treatment.
Unfortunately, Zhuo Minglan's situation was not "normal," and because she hesitated for more than half an hour due to her pride, she was only able to save her own life after being taken to the hospital; the baby in her womb was definitely lost.
Because the flower growers have a strong desire to "continue the family line," everyone felt very sorry about this incident. So much so that when Shan Shengwen came to report to Li Ye, he was still very remorseful.
"President Li, I take responsibility for this. I haven't paid enough attention to the family issues of the group's employees, and I didn't notice Zhuo Minglan's unusual behavior these past few days."
Li Ye asked in surprise, "What's it to you? The group has tens of thousands of employees; how can you possibly manage their personal matters?"
Dan Shengwen said awkwardly, "But this morning I received a call from Deputy General Manager Shang. He criticized me severely, saying that I had exacerbated the conflict between the managers and employees, which led to such a serious problem."
I only offered a few words of explanation, and Deputy General Manager Shang warned me that if Zhuo Minglan's family came to cause trouble, I would have to bear all the consequences.
"Damn, is Shang Bin getting all worked up now? Where was he before?"
Li Ye found it amusing, but that's how it is in state-owned enterprises. The birth, aging, illness, and death of employees can all be attributed to the leaders. Once a problem arises, accountability will be pursued, regardless of whether it's your responsibility or not. When the leaders above are angry, you have to bow your head and endure it.
Furthermore, Zhuo Minglan had dealt with Shan Shengwen some time ago regarding work and housing issues, and Shan Shengwen refused her special request in accordance with company regulations.
If Zhuo Minglan's family were to cause trouble at his workplace right now, Shan Shengwen would definitely be the first to be affected. That's why Shang Bin was angry with Shan Shengwen. Shan Shengwen's current efforts to express his stance to Li Ye are also an attempt to gain Li Ye's understanding and support.
Li Ye wasn't the kind of person to be unreasonable, so he immediately comforted Shan Shengwen: "Alright, this happened outside of work, I guarantee you're not responsible. Besides, didn't she go to the hotel because she had a fight with her husband? The primary person responsible should be her husband!"
Shan Shengwen grinned and said, "Something's not right. We notified Zhuo Minglan's husband, but when he arrived at the hospital, he didn't seem to care about his wife at all. Instead, the two of them started talking about divorce."
Li Ye exclaimed in surprise, "Damn, he's really decisive about getting a divorce at this time!"
Shan Shengwen said awkwardly, "She was indeed very decisive, and Zhuo Minglan even agreed on the spot. Several people from the union tried to dissuade her, but Zhuo Minglan calmly declined. Mr. Li, you didn't see Zhuo Minglan's appearance at the time; she was really frightening."
Sigh~
Li Ye couldn't help but sigh.
Because Li Ye knew a lot of inside information, he could imagine Zhuo Minglan's feelings at this moment. The calmer she appeared, the more resentful she actually was.
But who should she blame?
She resented that Li Ye hadn't obediently followed her plan and sold the land.
Or is it Shangbin's fault for not decisively divorcing her and marrying her?
Or perhaps he resents Lu Junyi and is unwilling to "overflow with love" and treat the child in her womb as his own?
In the end, Li Ye still instructed Shan Shengwen: "Then arrange for someone from the union to take care of her, at least until she is discharged from the hospital. After all, she is still an employee of our unit."
Shan Shengwen quickly replied, "Understood. I've already coordinated with the union. Two people will be assigned from the office and the union to work in shifts, ensuring they're there 24/7 and guaranteeing Zhuo Minglan's food safety."
"Okay, have the cafeteria prepare some nutritious meals suitable for her condition. Let me know if she needs anything."
"Hey hey."
Shan Shengwen agreed and turned to leave, but when he reached the door, he turned back with a troubled expression.
"Mr. Li, there's something I'm not sure if I should tell you. When I arrived at the hospital, the doctor sternly questioned Zhuo Minglan about where she got the D-pregnancy drug. Zhuo Minglan wouldn't say a word. The doctor was so angry that he almost called the police. Do you think we should continue to investigate this matter?"
Li Ye exclaimed in shock, "A D-type pregnancy drug? You're saying this wasn't an accident, but that Zhuo Minglan deliberately aborted the child?"
Shan Shengwen scratched his head and said, "I'm not sure either, but that's what the doctor said. I even tried to get some information out of Zhuo Minglan's husband, but he seemed very impatient. I feel like something's not right."
Li Ye frowned slightly: "Something's not right? What do you mean?"
Dan Shengwen hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "We've been busy all night, and the news shouldn't have spread yet. But how does Deputy General Manager Shang know that Zhuo Minglan is in trouble? And he seems to know very well what happened to Zhuo Minglan."
Li Ye was slightly taken aback, and immediately said, "Don't investigate this matter for now, lest we get ourselves into trouble."
"Understood. I'll talk to the people accompanying me at the hospital and tell them to watch what they eat."
"."
Shan Shengwen was quite experienced in dealing with this kind of thing, and he had instructed the people who went to the hospital to take care of Zhuo Minglan in advance not to gossip or spread rumors.
However, you can only guard against gossip for a while, not forever. After Zhuo Minglan was discharged from the hospital, various rumors still slowly began to circulate.
"Have you heard? Xiao Zhuo got divorced. She'd only been married a few months! It's kind of pitiful, isn't it? She lost her child and her husband. How could Lu Junyi be so heartless?"
"Tch, you just don't see it? I knew something was wrong when she got married so quietly. A person only gets married once in their life, why wouldn't it be a grand wedding? Something's definitely fishy. That Lu Junyi isn't stupid, how could he do something like Dorgon?"
"What? What Dorgon?"
"Shh, I'm telling you, but don't go spreading this around. I heard that during our pre-New Year's checkup, they found out that Xiao Zhuo's pregnancy date was off."
"Wow, that's actually true."
"Stop talking, stop talking, Xiao Zhuo is coming."
The rumors reached Zhuo Minglan's ears, but she seemed to have become a different person.
In the past, if Zhuo Minglan had even the slightest disagreement with a colleague, they would argue until they were red in the face and the whole thing would turn into a chaotic mess. But now, even if you accidentally let something slip in front of her, she won't even lift an eyelid.
Has Zhuo Minglan lost her mind?
She's not stupid, her heart is dead.
[What happened to such a nice girl? How did she end up like this?]
[It's because he had bad intentions; if a person goes astray, he'll get his comeuppance sooner or later.]
[Took the wrong path? What wrong path?]
[Think about it, when was Shang Bin transferred? What was his relationship with Zhuo Minglan before he was transferred? When did Zhuo Minglan get pregnant?]
[Hiss~, you mean...]
【Hey, I didn't say anything!】
Yes, yes, I understand, I understand completely.
Li Ye was aware of the rumors surrounding Zhuo Minglan; after all, the clerks in the vice president's office were all gossips, and it was essential to have accurate information about the company's inside stories.
Shang Bin and he didn't get along back then, and now Zhuo Minglan is having bad luck. The group of them chatter on and on all day long, and even Zhou Ziqing occasionally chimes in.
So Li Ye thought about it for a while and decided to transfer Zhuo Minglan to another place after a few days when things calmed down. After all, it's good to be lenient when possible, and she still has to make a living.
But things took a turn for the worse for Li Ye; the other person didn't need Li Ye's pity at all.
The incident began when a post suddenly appeared on the BBS forum of the light vehicle company—a marriage proposal post from a successful person who had studied in the United States.
I am a graduate of Peking University (class of 1978) and hold a master's degree from a prestigious university in Beijing. I currently work for a top-tier financial firm on Wall Street in Beijing, earning an annual salary of over $250,000.
Previously, I was busy with my studies and work, which delayed resolving my personal issues. My parents were very worried about me, and as their child, I was filled with anxiety.
Therefore, I am sincerely seeking a life partner to travel to the lighthouse and spend the rest of my life with. My contact information is XXXXXX.
If anyone questions my identity or income level, they can consult with Li Ye, Deputy General Manager of Jingnan Group, for verification.
"."
When Li Ye created the Light Automobile Company's BBS site, he adhered to the principle of open speech. As long as the posts did not spread harmful ideas, he would not interfere. However, this post blatantly dragged Li Ye into the discussion at the end, and Xiao Zhiyu, who was in charge of managing the site, had no choice but to contact Li Ye immediately.
"Factory Manager, a marriage proposal post has appeared on our BBS. It says that people can verify with you, and now many people are asking me for your contact information. What should I do?"
"You want me to verify? Let me take a look!"
Li Ye quickly logged in to check, and after reading it, he almost laughed out of anger.
This is clearly the work of his cheap senior brother, Zhang Chaoxian.
Li Ye called Zhang Chaoxian directly to verify, but the other party was still very resentful.
“Brother Li Ye, I’d like to ask you to help me find a match, but nothing has happened. I’m wondering if it’s my fault, or if I’m not popular in mainland China anymore?”
And guess what? Less than half a day after I posted that, I received over ten phone calls asking about it. Can you believe what happened?
What's going on? You're shameless!
You said you were going to post a marriage proposal, fine! But you even dragged Li Ye into it to endorse you. You're incredibly clever.
Who is Li Ye? How high is Li Ye's reputation within the entire Jingnan Group?
Li Ye's reputation is widely acknowledged by everyone in the Jingnan Group. Zhang Chaoxian was able to receive more than ten phone calls in a short period of time, and Li Ye's credibility played a significant role in this.
Of course, the fever for going abroad in the 1990s had not yet cooled down, and the popularity of Zhang Chaoxian was a testament to the allure of the Lighthouse Civilization.
"Li Ye? Li Ye? Are you listening? Hello?"
"Hey, Senior Brother Zhang, I'm listening! After you left that day, I've been actively looking for someone for you, but it's really rare to find someone who meets all the requirements in terms of physique, education, weight, appearance, etc., so there hasn't been a suitable one yet."
"Don't be fooled by the fact that you can get a dozen or so calls in half a day; they might all be from unsuitable people."
Li Ye wasn't just making this up. Pretty girls are a scarce resource. Girls who meet an eight out of ten standard in every aspect are usually sought after since their school days. Nine times out of ten, they're already taken. How could you possibly run into the rest so easily?
But Zhang Chaoxian chuckled and said, "A crooked melon or a cracked date? Li Ye, you're really blinded by a leaf. If I actually believed you, I'd be delaying everything."
【Damn it, you better not believe me.】
Li Ye was very unhappy, so after finishing his phone call with Zhang Chaoxian, he drew a conclusion about Xiao Zhiyu.
"Xiao Zhiyu, if anyone wants to verify this with me, just say I won't comment. I don't take responsibility for that."
"Understood, factory manager. Should we delete this post or not?"
"Of course we can't delete it. We'll pin it to the top. If anyone wants to get married, we won't stop them."
"."
Li Ye didn't know why Zhang Chaoxian was so obsessed with finding a wife from his own workplace, but if anyone wanted to get married, he would never stop them, but he would also never endorse them.
But Li Ye forgot his current status and his influence within the light vehicle company, which was so great that "even a sneeze from him could cause a typhoon."
Xiao Zhiyu only slightly altered his words, and everyone interpreted "I will not take responsibility" as "This bastard is lying."
Then, Zhang Chaoxian, who was full of excitement, suddenly realized what it meant for the "market to plummet". Of the dozen or so people who called to inquire, he only met a few in the end, and some of them were indeed "ugly ducklings".
Zhang Chaoxian wasn't stupid. After making several inquiries, he realized that Li Ye hadn't helped him at all. However, Li Ye's Tai Chi skills were quite impressive, so Zhang Chaoxian couldn't vent his anger.
Li Ye doesn't owe you any money, so why are you getting angry?
Left with no other option, Zhang Chaoxian resorted to his "Yilin" skills, starting to post continuously on the BBS of the light vehicle company.
[Lighthouse Supermarket after the power outage: The supermarket was dark because of a power outage, making it impossible to check out. However, everyone lined up quietly and orderly. After the power came back on, some people couldn't wait and left, but the checkout counter was piled high with cash they had left behind.]
Look, look, how high the quality of the people in the Lighthouse is!
Look at the mainland, there are countless pickpockets on buses, and people have to pray to Buddha when walking alone at night. In comparison, the lighthouse is heaven.
This really made Li Ye laugh in exasperation.
If I hadn't known about the zero-yuan purchase, I would have actually been fooled into believing you. Even if the Lighthouse in the 90s wasn't necessarily that chaotic, to say that they were all highly educated is just ridiculous.
However, the BBS of the Light Vehicle Company was not only browsed by the employees of the Light Vehicle Company, but also by many netizens from other websites. It really resonated with many people, since at that time, mainlanders viewed the Lighthouse with a super-beautified filter.
There aren't many netizens these days, but they are very active and enthusiastic. They share any trending topics with each other, and everyone follows along as soon as they hear them.
As a result, the BBS of the light automobile company suddenly became a popular site, with people constantly posting under Zhang Chaoxian's marriage proposal post. As the posts went on, they started to go off-topic, which made Li Ye take it seriously.
If everyone is praising how wonderful the lighthouse is, then Li Ye won't bother to interfere. But some people are going crazy, constantly attacking how bad the mainland is.
Admittedly, mainland China in the 1990s had all sorts of problems, but which country isn't like that? Everyone is working hard to build their own homeland. If you're not contributing, fine, but why complain?
Unable to respond directly, Li Ye took a roundabout approach and posted a thread on a different topic.
Ms. Zhong has three sons. Her eldest son has had an intellectual disability since childhood and has been slow to react, but fortunately he is able to take care of himself.
Ms. Zhong's second and third sons are both very intelligent. They were admitted to universities one after another, studied abroad, and then settled overseas, rarely returning home.
As Ms. Zhong gets older, she misses her second and third sons very much, but every time she talks to them on the phone, both sons say they are too busy and can only talk for a few minutes.
Later, Ms. Zhong fell ill, and her second and third sons still didn't return. They only called their eldest brother, ordering him to take good care of their mother, warning him that if anything happened to her, the two brothers wouldn't let him off the hook.
Although the eldest son of the Zhong family had intellectual disabilities, his filial piety was unquestionable. He spent all his time doting on his mother, his silly, cheerful demeanor bringing Ms. Zhong a rare sense of comfort in the final moments of her life.
After the old lady of the Zhong family passed away, the eldest son, with the help of the neighbors, handled his mother's funeral arrangements. Three days after the funeral, the second and third sons finally returned.
After the two sons of the Zhong family returned, they held a family meeting and ultimately decided by a vote of three to two—to send the eldest son of the Zhong family to a mental hospital, sell the Zhong family's old house, and distribute the proceeds fairly to subsidize Ms. Zhong's children and grandchildren.
Li Ye's post wasn't very long, only about three hundred words, but it caused a huge uproar on the Light Vehicle Company's BBS.
Because Li Ye did not conceal his identity when posting the message, but instead used the pen name "Seven-Inch Blade".
Although Seven-Inch Blade has not been producing many works in recent years, his readership has not decreased at all, and the people at the Light Vehicle Company know Seven-Inch Blade's true identity.
Now things were really going to get interesting. Xiao Zhiyu and the others quickly got into an argument with those who were praising the Lighthouse Civilization. Accusations of disloyalty and filial impiety clashed with the arrogance of civilized behavior, sparking countless fires.
Abandoning their parents and framing their elder brother—this kind of person is worse than a pig or a dog.
[Impossible. In the civilized society of Lighthouse, such low-quality people would not exist. They would even treat stray cats in trees with gentleness. It is really inappropriate for Seven-Inch Blade, a well-known writer, to fabricate such a story.]
While the two sides were arguing fiercely, Li Ye calmly posted a response.
This post is very short, with only one address and one piece of advice.
No. 136A, 14th Alley, XX Street, Xicheng District (If you are a stickler for details and want to verify this, please ask the neighbors at this address. Do not disturb the kind and honest man who, although intellectually disabled, is kind and simple.)
Li Ye's post was like a sledgehammer smashing down on the heads of those who praised the beacon of light.
Seven-Inch Blade is a person with a name and identity; he wouldn't try to fob everyone off with something like this, would he?
If all the students studying in Lighthouse are like this, then is Lighthouse, which is so desirable, still the civilized world that everyone thinks it is?
(End of this chapter)
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