Chapter 5 She's not my biological niece.
Lin Jianguo slammed down his teacup and glared at Xu Zhili: "You've gone too far! The job quota is determined by the factory. What makes you think that the job is yours?"
"Ordered by the factory?"
Xu Zhili scoffed, her eyes filled with blatant mockery.
“Alright. Let’s go to the factory and see if it’s based on performance, or on your old face, Lin Jianguo, or Zhang Jiumei’s underhanded methods.”
After she finished speaking, she turned and left without the slightest hesitation, giving Lin Jianguo no chance to reprimand or stop her.
On the way to the machinery factory, Xu Zhili keenly sensed her surroundings.
In this world of the 1960s, there was indeed a strange fluctuation in the air, extremely faint, different from the violent energy of the apocalypse, yet it still resonated subtly within her mental space.
Machinery... may be more than just a tool for making a living.
Xu Zhili tilted her head, a hint of interest flashing in her eyes.
Machinery factory, factory director's office.
Xu Zhili ignored the secretary who tried to stop her at the door and pushed the door open to enter.
The factory manager was frantically working on a blueprint when he saw the intruder, especially Lin Jianguo's "notorious" stepdaughter. His face immediately darkened: "Xu Zhili? What are you doing! Get out!"
Xu Zhili ignored him, walked to the desk, and slammed a stack of yellowed papers filled with dense, delicate handwriting and precise sketches in front of the factory manager.
"Lin Wanwan impersonated someone else to secure a position in the logistics department; I was the one who passed the exam. This is the evidence."
The factory manager paused for a moment, picked up the paper, and initially showed obvious impatience and disdain.
But when his gaze swept over those clear and smooth mechanical structure sketches, the precise and unique analysis of common equipment failures, and even a few seemingly bold yet logically sound improvement ideas for existing equipment, he was struck by their beauty.
His eyes changed.
He looked up, his gaze filled with surprise and uncertainty as he re-examined the thin but ramrod straight-standing girl before him.
The depth of understanding and talent displayed in those notes were far beyond what one could achieve through connections or even cheating!
Compare this to Lin Wanwan's stammering and error-ridden answer sheet when she joined the company... the difference is immediately apparent!
The factory manager's brows furrowed into a knot, and the air in the office instantly became heavy.
Looking into Xu Zhili's eyes, which were calm to the point of being cold, yet seemed to see through everything, he felt a sense of unease for the first time.
This girl doesn't seem to be here to demand an explanation, but rather... to deliver a verdict?
"I understand. You may leave now."
————
Outside the window, the phoenix car bells jingled.
Xu Zhili leaned against the window frame and sneered.
Lin Jinguo's Phoenix brand bicycle was leaning against the courtyard wall. Zhang Jiumei was dragging a girl with braided hair into the house. The Luzhou brand watch on the girl's wrist made Zhang Jiumei squint. The watch chain was still wrapped with the faded red rope that the original owner had tied.
"interesting."
Her fingertips traced the cold glass, her nails scraping against the window frame with a harsh sound.
The scheming in Zhang Zhaodi's eyes when she lowered them was exactly the same as when Lin Wanwan snatched her spot at the machinery factory.
A 19-year-old girl appeared on the street wearing a watch given to her by her grandfather, choosing the very moment when the girl had just regained her job.
A cold glint flashed, and she curled her lips into a smile as she looked at her reflection in the mirror: "A pawn delivered to my door, might as well not use it."
Greed is always the best bait.
Downstairs, Zhang Jiumei's shrill voice pierced through the floorboards: "Old Lin! Director Wang said that as long as Zhao Di marries his mentally challenged son, Wanwan's temporary job will be..."
Before the words were even finished, "Bang—!!!"
The flimsy door of the guest room shattered under Xu Zhili's feet!
A pungent smell of sweat, cheap face cream, and a nauseatingly aggressive masculine aura hit me.
The brocade quilt was disheveled, and 19-year-old Zhang Zhaodi was like a bird with broken wings, held down tightly by Lin Jinguo.
The shoulder strap of her nightgown was torn, revealing a large area of pale skin.
The girl's sobs were stuck in her throat, leaving only desperate gasps.
Lin Jinguo's eyes were bloodshot, and he was breathing heavily, like a wild beast whose mind was clouded by desire.
"brute."
The two cold words carried a chilling, poisonous intent.
Xu Zhili moved.
Swift as a ghost, with the strength of a thousand pounds!
She grabbed Lin Jinguo's sweaty nape with one hand, her fingers digging into his flesh like iron clamps, and suddenly pulled him away from Zhang Zhaodi!
Before he could react, his arm unleashed terrifying power, slamming the burly man like a broken sack against the heavy solid wood wardrobe!
"Boom—Crack!"
The wardrobe door was dented and shattered, and Lin Jinguo rolled to the ground with a miserable howl, blood streaming from his forehead.
"You little bastard! I'll kill you!" Lin Jinguo's eyes were bloodshot as he struggled to reach for his belt.
At the doorway, Zhang Jiumei, who had witnessed the entire scene, was struck dumb. Her face drained of color, and her lips trembled as she stammered, "Lin...Lin Jinguo! That's Zhaodi! Your...your niece!"
The last few words cracked, carrying the sharp edge of a collapsing faith.
"You stinking old woman, what do you know?" Lin Jinguo roared hoarsely, spitting as he clutched his bleeding forehead.
"It's all for Wanwan! Director Wang specifically asked for her! If she marries him, Wanwan can get a job at the factory!"
He pointed at Zhang Zhaodi, who was shivering and disheveled, as if she were just a commodity waiting to be sold.
"Oh."
A short, sharp laugh came from Xu Zhili.
She stood in the center of the room, like a bloodstained, unsheathed blade, ignoring Zhang Jiumei's breakdown and Lin Jinguo's roar. Her cold gaze swept over Zhang Zhaodi, who was curled up in the corner of the bed with tears streaming down her face, and finally fixed on Lin Jinguo.
Lin Jinguo had just pulled out his belt when he met those bloodshot eyes devoid of any human warmth, and his movements suddenly froze.
That look sent a chill down his spine.
Is this still my rebellious daughter?
He was filled with doubt and couldn't understand how his once weak and easily bullied daughter, Xu Zhili, had become so decisive and resolute.
He couldn't help but ask himself, "Is this girl really my daughter?"
Xu Zhili approached step by step, her boots creaking on the broken wood.
She bent down and picked up Lin Jinguo's dropped belt. The cold metal buckle turned between her fingers, making a slight clinking sound.
He glanced at the belt in her hand and was so frightened that he took several steps back.
“Dad,” her voice was as calm as if she were discussing the weather, “what if tomorrow a big-character poster is put up at the factory gate—'Technical backbone Lin Jinguo commits lewd acts in broad daylight, rapes a distant niece, and sells the niece for personal gain to secure his stepdaughter’s future'…”
She paused, admiring Lin Jinguo's face, which had turned deathly pale and was covered in cold sweat, a cruel smile curving her lips.
"And add a few more photos from the scene? Do you think you can keep your reputation and your position as a 'key technical staff member' for more than a few days?"
"You...you dare!"
Lin Jinguo's voice trembled uncontrollably; he was all bark and no bite, and he could barely hold onto his belt.
"Whether you dare or not is none of your concern."
He pointed a trembling finger at Xu Zhili, his voice shaking: "You...you unfilial daughter, what nonsense are you spouting! She's not my biological niece!"
Xu Zhili met his gaze without fear.
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