The visitor turned out to be Factory Director Wang, now a senior advisor to the group.
"Long time no see, Consultant Liu, or should I call you Director Liu?" Factory Director Wang laughed heartily, but his eyes held a subtle scrutiny.
Liu Lu was slightly taken aback, then realized that the news of her promotion to group technical director had already spread.
She smiled faintly: "Advisor Wang is joking. Just call me Liu Lu."
The atmosphere in the spacious and bright conference room was so heavy it seemed like water could drip from it.
On the projection screen, complex project plans flickered with a cold light, illuminating the varied expressions on the faces of the executives present.
Liu Lu stood in front of the podium, calmly explaining the key technical points, but she could sense that the gazes from all directions were not all friendly and supportive.
"Director Liu, if I may be so bold, how feasible is this plan?" A man in a suit and tie, with his hair neatly combed, was the first to challenge, his tone filled with undisguised skepticism.
"As far as I know, you have always worked in factories, and you may lack experience in operating projects at the group level."
Another well-dressed female executive chimed in, "Yes, this project is crucial to the group. If something goes wrong, the consequences would be unimaginable. Shouldn't we consider this more carefully?"
Liu Lu took a deep breath, trying to suppress the turmoil in her heart.
She knew that these people didn't really care about the project, but rather harbored resentment towards her, the technical director who had been "parachuted" in from the factory.
They wanted to use this opportunity to give her a hard time and make her back down.
Faced with these questions, Liu Lu did not rush to defend herself. Instead, she pointed her laser pointer at a set of data on the screen and calmly said, "I understand your concerns. I have done a detailed assessment and calculation of the project's feasibility. The data is all here, and you can take a closer look."
She explained every detail of the plan with composure and humility, responding to the doubts one by one with her professional knowledge and rigorous logic.
The atmosphere in the conference room gradually eased, and some of the senior executives who were initially skeptical began to listen attentively.
Just when Liu Lu thought this "trap" was about to end, Director Wang suddenly spoke up: "Director Liu, the importance of this project is beyond doubt, and the group will give you its full support. But..." He paused, staring sharply at Liu Lu, "I hope you understand that this project cannot afford to fail, and you bear a heavy responsibility."
Liu Lu met Factory Director Wang's gaze and nodded firmly: "I understand."
After the meeting, Liu Lu returned to her office and wearily rubbed her temples.
The vibration of her phone on the table brought her back to her senses; the screen displayed a call from her "darling daughter."
She answered the phone, and before she could even speak, she heard her daughter Liu Bei's childish voice: "Mommy..."
Liu Lu answered the phone, her tired expression softening instantly. "Honey, what's wrong?"
Liu Bei's soft, sweet voice came from the other end of the phone, with a hint of coquetry: "Mom, I miss you so much! When are you coming back?"
A warm feeling welled up in Liu Lu's heart. Her daughter's voice was like a magical force, instantly dispelling all her fatigue.
"Mommy misses you too, baby. Mommy will be done with work soon, and then I'll take you to the amusement park, okay?"
"Great! Great!" Liu Bei cheered excitedly, then, as if remembering something, she said earnestly, "Mom, I know you're amazing, you can definitely do well on that project! Go for it!"
Hearing her daughter's innocent yet firm encouragement, Liu Lu felt a surge of strength.
She hung up the phone, rallied her spirits, and threw herself into the project analysis.
For several days in a row, Liu Lu almost locked herself in her office, going through the documents again and again and rehearsing the plans.
She astutely discovered a crucial problem that everyone had overlooked: although the existing solution seemed perfect, it had a potential risk in actual operation, and the consequences would be unimaginable if an accident occurred.
Liu Lu realized that a safer and more reliable solution had to be found.
She began to try to think about the problem from different angles, boldly breaking free from the constraints of traditional thinking, and finally came up with an innovative solution.
This proposal immediately resonated strongly with grassroots technical personnel.
To their surprise, this seemingly simple solution perfectly resolved the problem that had been troubling them for so long.
They began to look at Liu Lu with new respect, their initial doubts and observations turning into admiration and trust.
"Director Liu, your solution is brilliant! How come we didn't think of that?" a young technician said excitedly.
"Yes, this solution not only solves the safety problem but also greatly improves efficiency. It's a win-win situation!" another veteran technician exclaimed.
Looking into their enthusiastic and hopeful eyes, Liu Lu felt a great sense of accomplishment.
She knew that she was gradually winning their trust and support.
However, just as she was about to submit the proposal to senior management for approval, the office door was suddenly pushed open...
Factory Director Wang walked in, his face grave, holding a document in his hand. He said in a deep voice, "Liu Lu, we need to discuss your proposal further..."
Factory Director Wang, his face grave, placed the documents in front of Liu Lu: "The group has decided to stick with the original plan." Liu Lu looked up abruptly, a hint of disbelief flashing in her eyes: "Why? My plan is clearly safer and more effective!" Factory Director Wang sighed, his voice low: "I know, but... there's pressure from above, and we... are powerless to do anything about it."
Liu Lu took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress her anger.
She understood that this power struggle was far more complex than she had imagined.
She didn't argue, but simply said, "In that case, I hope we can conduct a small-scale simulation experiment to verify the actual effects of the two schemes." Director Wang hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded, "Okay, I'll arrange it."
When the news broke, those high-ranking officials who opposed Liu Lu scoffed at it.
"Show-off!" the man in the suit scoffed disdainfully.
"Overestimating yourself!" the elegantly dressed woman echoed.
They were convinced that Liu Lu's experiment would fail and were waiting to see her make a fool of herself.
On the day of the experiment, Liu Lu and her team arrived at the site early.
She calmly and meticulously directed every step, striving for perfection in every detail.
Meanwhile, the higher-ups sat aside, watching with disdainful smiles.
Liu Bei also came. She held her mother's hand tightly, her eyes filled with worry and encouragement.
As the experiment progressed, the data began to be updated continuously.
Initially, the data from the two plans were almost identical, and the smiles on the faces of the high-ranking officials became increasingly obvious.
However, as time went on, the data from Liu Lu's approach began to steadily climb, while the data from the traditional approach stagnated or even declined.
The expressions on the faces of the higher-ups began to darken; they realized that things seemed to be developing in a direction they had not anticipated.
The man in the suit had beads of sweat on his forehead, and the elegantly dressed woman pursed her lips tightly, remaining silent.
The experiment is now complete, and the data comparison is clear at a glance.
Liu Lu's solution far surpasses traditional solutions in terms of security, efficiency, and cost.
The scene was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.
Liu Lu looked at the ashen-faced executives and a barely perceptible smile appeared on her lips.
Factory Director Wang walked up to Liu Lu with a complicated expression: "Liu Lu, your proposal..." Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a sudden voice.
"Wait!" A hoarse yet loud voice came from outside the crowd.
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw an elderly man with gray hair and a sprightly spirit walking slowly with a cane.
He was followed by a young assistant who was carrying a folder.
The old man walked up to Liu Lu, staring intently at her: "Young lady, your plan is very creative, I admire it. My name is..."
The simulation results were just as Liu Lu had predicted, and the data clearly demonstrated the superiority of her solution in all aspects.
Those high-ranking officials who were originally waiting to see her make a fool of herself now looked ashen-faced, as if they had swallowed a fly.
The man in the suit wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes darting around nervously; the elegantly dressed woman stared intently at the data on the screen, as if trying to bore a hole through it.
Factory Director Wang walked up to Liu Lu, his expression a complex mix of admiration and surprise: "Liu Lu, your proposal..."
Before he could finish speaking, an old but loud voice interrupted everyone's thoughts: "Young man, your plan is very creative, I admire it."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw an elderly man with gray hair but a vigorous spirit walking slowly towards them, supported by his assistant.
He walked straight up to Liu Lu, his eyes sharp: "My name is Li Cheng, chairman of the group. You are in full charge of this project."
Chairman Li's appearance was undoubtedly a bombshell, shattering the power dynamics among the top management.
Those who had initially questioned Liu Lu now changed their attitudes, fawning over her and showering her with praise.
Liu Lu responded politely, but remained vigilant in her heart.
A few days later, Liu Lu discovered that the project funding had been drastically reduced.
She immediately realized something was wrong; this was definitely not a normal budget adjustment.
She approached Factory Director Wang for questioning, but he hesitated, his eyes darting around, and finally only managed to say, "There have been some changes at the top..."
A sense of foreboding rose in Liu Lu's heart.
She thought of those high-ranking officials who had previously harbored resentment towards her. Could it be that they were the ones pulling the strings behind the scenes?
She decided to investigate the matter secretly.
She first went to the finance department, only to find that all the accounts were meticulously prepared and there was no clue whatsoever.
She then went to ask some junior employees with whom she had a good relationship for information, but to no avail.
Just when she was at her wit's end, an unexpected phone call broke the deadlock.
A strange voice came from the other end of the phone, deep and mysterious: "Director Liu, do you want to know where the funds went? I know..." The phone suddenly hung up, leaving a busy tone.
Liu Lu gripped her phone, her brow furrowed, a sense of unease rising within her...
...
She got up and walked quickly towards the door.
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