Liu Lu gently knocked on the door of Director Wang's office, and after receiving permission, she pushed the door open and entered.
"Director Wang, I..." Before she could finish speaking, Liu Lu caught sight of Section Chief Li from the Finance Department sitting to the side. He adjusted his glasses, looking serious, and held a document in his hand. His upright posture made Liu Lu's heart sink.
An ominous premonition arose spontaneously.
"Little Liu's here. Section Chief Li is here too. Please give us a more detailed report on the project." Director Wang pointed to the chair in front of his desk, gesturing for Liu Lu to sit down.
Liu Lu took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm.
She handed the prepared documents to Director Wang, clearly explaining the project's funding gap and emphasizing the huge profits that the project would bring if it succeeded. She even used data to simulate the profitability over the next few years, trying to persuade Director Wang and Section Chief Li with the impact of the numbers.
"Director Wang, you see, if we can successfully solve the equipment problem, the output can be increased by at least 30%, and the quality of the products will also be significantly improved, greatly enhancing our market competitiveness..." Liu Lu explained with great enthusiasm, her eyes sparkling with confidence.
However, Section Chief Li kept interrupting her and raising various questions.
"Xiao Liu, isn't your estimate too optimistic? With the market fluctuating so much right now, how can you guarantee that you'll achieve the expected returns?"
He pushed up his glasses and said in a stern tone, "Also, you know the factory's current financial situation is rather tight. Investing such a large sum of money is too risky."
Liu Lu patiently explained, "Section Chief Li, I understand your concerns, but..."
“I understand, but the factory’s money doesn’t grow on trees,” Section Chief Li said firmly. “If the project fails, this money will be wasted. The factory has several other projects waiting for funding.”
Factory Director Wang listened silently, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, his brow furrowed.
He glanced at Liu Lu, who was speaking eloquently, and then at Section Chief Li, who had a serious expression. He seemed to be caught in a dilemma.
The atmosphere in the office became tense, and Liu Lu felt the pressure increase, her palms sweating slightly.
“Well then,” Director Wang finally spoke, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger, “Xiao Liu, you go back and wait for news, then we’ll discuss it further.”
Liu Lu's heart sank instantly. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but in the end, she said nothing. She simply picked up the documents silently, turned around, and left the office.
As she reached the door, she heard Factory Director Wang say to Section Chief Li, "Old Li, you..."
Factory Director Wang watched Liu Lu's departing figure, sighed, and said to Section Chief Li, "Old Li, I know you're cautious, but sometimes we have to be bolder and dare to try."
Section Chief Li adjusted his glasses, his face still serious: "Factory Director, it's not that I don't support innovation, it's just that the risks are indeed too great..."
Factory Director Wang waved his hand, interrupting him: "I know, I understand your concerns. But look at Xiao Liu, how driven she is! I've studied her proposal carefully. Although some parts are not perfect, the ideas are clear, the data is detailed, and you can feel her enthusiasm for this project, right?"
Section Chief Li remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Factory Director, you're right, Xiao Liu is indeed very motivated."
Factory Director Wang picked up Liu Lu's project proposal and began to review it again, his eyes gleaming with admiration: "Young people should have this kind of drive! Old Li, we can't always stick to the old ways; we have to keep up with the times and be bold in innovation!"
He slammed the proposal shut and said firmly, "I've approved the funding!"
Although Section Chief Li still had doubts, since Factory Director Wang had made the decision, he could only nod helplessly: "Alright, Factory Director, since you've decided, I'll go and get the formalities done."
Factory Director Wang picked up the phone and dialed Liu Lu's internal line: "Xiao Liu, come back for a moment."
A few minutes later, Liu Lu nervously walked into Director Wang's office again.
"Little Liu," Director Wang said with a smile, "after careful consideration by Section Chief Li and me, we have decided to approve your funding application!"
Liu Lu could hardly believe her ears. She stared blankly for a few seconds before excitedly saying, "Really? Thank you, Director Wang! Thank you, Section Chief Li!"
"Keep a good job!" Director Wang patted her on the shoulder encouragingly. "I believe you can do a good job on this project!"
After Liu Lu left the office, she rubbed her hands together excitedly, her face beaming with a smile.
Colleagues around him cast envious glances and whispered among themselves.
Back at her workstation, Liu Lu took a deep breath to calm her excited emotions, turned on her computer, created a new document, and her fingers flew across the keyboard, lines of text appearing on the screen...
Liu Lu gathered the project team members, including Technician Sun, Master Zhao, and several other experienced veterans.
"Masters, great news! Our project funding application has been approved!" Liu Lu announced excitedly, her voice brimming with emotion.
"That's great!" Master Zhao slapped his thigh, his face flushed with excitement. "I knew it! Xiao Liu's project was bound to succeed!"
Technician Sun pushed up his glasses, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "Now we can finally go all out and get things done!"
Liu Lu reorganized the project, breaking down the tasks to each member and assigning them according to each person's strengths.
Master Zhao is highly experienced and is responsible for the installation and commissioning of the core equipment;
Technician Sun is highly skilled and is responsible for tackling technical challenges and developing new processes;
The other experienced workers were responsible for assisting them in completing various specific tasks.
With ample funding, the project progressed rapidly.
The new equipment was quickly delivered to the factory, and the brand-new machines gleamed in the sunlight, attracting the attention of many workers.
Wow, this equipment is so advanced!
"Yes, I heard it's an imported product!"
The workers watched curiously, discussing among themselves.
Looking at all this, Liu Lu felt a great sense of accomplishment.
She seemed to see the glorious scene after the project's success, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.
In the days that followed, Liu Lu led her team members in working day and night on the production line.
With his years of experience, Master Zhao quickly solved the problems encountered during the equipment installation and commissioning process;
Technician Sun further leveraged his technical expertise, successfully overcoming several key technical bottlenecks, which significantly improved product performance.
The news of the project's smooth progress quickly spread throughout the factory, and even the usually rigid Section Chief Li couldn't help but come over to take a look.
"Little Liu, you've done a great job!" Section Chief Li rarely smiled. "It seems my worries were unnecessary."
Liu Lu smiled modestly: "This is all thanks to everyone. I just did what I was supposed to do."
However, just as the project was about to enter its final sprint, Liu Lu felt a vague sense of unease.
She noticed that in the past few days, some people had been pointing and whispering about her behind her back.
One night, Liu Lu worked overtime until very late before leaving the factory.
As she reached the factory gate, she suddenly heard someone calling her: "Liu Lu!"
Liu Lu turned around and saw it was Sister Wang from the same workshop.
"Liu Lu, wait a minute!" Sister Wang quickly caught up, looking somewhat flustered. "...Be careful..." Sister Wang hesitated for a moment, then only said this before hurriedly leaving.
As Liu Lu watched Sister Wang's departing figure, her doubts deepened.
Be careful?
What should we be careful of?
A lingering gloom hung over Liu Lu's heart.
Sister Wang's words, "Be careful," echoed in her ears like a thorn, making her uneasy.
She knew that some people in the factory had always been jealous of her, especially since she took charge of the project, and they had done a lot of things to trip her up, both openly and secretly.
Are they up to something again this time?
As expected, the rumors spread like wildfire the next day.
Some say she had an ambiguous relationship with Director Wang, which is why she was able to obtain the funds; others say she embezzled public funds and lined her own pockets.
These rumors, like venomous snakes, quietly gnawed at Liu Lu's heart, making her feel incredibly wronged and angry.
"That's utter nonsense!" Liu Lu trembled with anger. She clenched her fists and secretly vowed to find the people who spread the rumors and make them pay the price.
She began to secretly investigate, paying attention to the actions and words of her colleagues.
She noticed that several workers who didn't usually get along with her had recently been gathering together and whispering, with a hint of smugness in their eyes.
In particular, Li Dazui in the workshop spread all sorts of rumors, exaggerating their details as if he had witnessed them firsthand.
Liu Lu observed everything calmly. She knew that to bring these people down, she had to find solid evidence.
She began gathering information in an attempt to find the source of the rumors.
She reviewed the factory's financial statements, carefully checked every item, and confirmed that there were no problems.
She then went to Factory Director Wang and frankly explained the situation, hoping he could clear her name.
Upon hearing this, Director Wang flew into a rage and immediately declared that he would thoroughly investigate the matter and clear Liu Lu's name.
He convened a meeting of all employees, strongly condemned the act of spreading rumors, and stated that those involved would be dealt with seriously.
However, the investigation did not go smoothly.
Those who spread rumors are very cunning; they hide in the shadows and dare not show themselves in public.
Even Li Dazui insisted that he had only heard it from others and did not know who first spread the rumor.
One night, Liu Lu was working overtime until late at night. As she was about to leave the factory, she suddenly heard a series of soft voices coming from the office.
She gently pushed open the door and, through the crack, saw Li Dazui and several other workers gathered together, looking furtive.
"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear..." Li Dazui said in a low voice, "...tomorrow..."
Liu Lu held her breath and strained her ears, trying to hear what they were saying.
Suddenly, Li Dazui seemed to sense something, abruptly raising his head and staring straight at the doorway...
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