svetikya Chapter 238 Reflection
Chapter 238 Reflection
Liu Haizhong watched Xu Damao being taken away by Director Wang from the Street Office, and he was secretly proud of himself. He thought that the old ones were still the best. Fortunately, he did not intervene, otherwise he would be embarrassed this time. He turned around and left the yard without delay and went to the steel mill.
Liu Haizhong walked quickly through the gate of the steel mill, with an undisguised look of pride on his face. He deliberately slowed down his pace, straightened his collar, and then knocked on the door of Li Huaide's office.
"Come in." Li Huaide's low voice came from inside.
Liu Haizhong pushed the door open and saw Li Huaide standing in front of the window with his back to the door, playing with a fountain pen in his hand. The setting sun outside the window stretched his shadow very long, extending all the way to Liu Haizhong's feet.
"Director Li," Liu Haizhong bent his waist, his voice just right with a bit of urgency, "something happened! Xu Damao was taken away by the street office!"
The pen fell to the ground with a "bang". Li Huaide turned slowly, his eyes narrowed behind the lenses: "What's going on?"
Liu Haizhong exaggerated the story, emphasizing how Xu Damao acted rashly and how he was outmaneuvered by Sha Zhu. At the end, he added: "If I hadn't been mature enough to report to you in time, I'm afraid I wouldn't have..."
"Waste!" Li Huaide suddenly flew into a rage and punched the desk. "You are useless but always make trouble!"
Liu Haizhong shuddered with fear, but he was actually very happy. He carefully observed Li Huaide's expression and said tentatively: "Director Li, what do you think about this matter..."
Li Huaide took a deep breath and slowly sat back in his chair: "Director Wang of your street office...is not in the same system as us, so I can't control them." He sneered, "But he is trying to put on an eye drop for me."
Liu Haizhong rolled his eyes and said, "How about...I go to the street office to get Xu Damao back? After all, he is from our factory..."
"No need." Li Huaide waved his hand, "Let him stay there for one night, so he can learn his lesson." He suddenly raised his head and stared at Liu Haizhong, "Old Liu, you handled this matter very well today. In the future... you should help the organization with more worries."
Liu Haizhong felt hot in his heart and straightened his back unconsciously: "Don't worry, Director Li! I will do my best!"
When leaving the office, Liu Haizhong's steps were so brisk that it seemed like he was stepping on cotton. He seemed to have seen that after Xu Damao lost power, he would take the position of deputy director of the Revolutionary Committee of the steel mill. When passing by the cafeteria, he deliberately looked inside and saw Sha Zhu instructing his apprentice to cut vegetables. He could not help but snorted coldly: "Sha Zhu, Sha Zhu, let's settle our accounts slowly..."
Xu Damao curled up on a cold wooden chair in the street office, his pen leaving deep marks on the paper. The dim light bulb swayed overhead, casting his shadow on the mottled wall, like a trapped beast.
"Liu Haizhong, this old fox..." He gritted his teeth, the tip of the pen almost piercing the paper. The ink spread on the four big characters "deep self-examination", like a ball of resentment that could not be dissolved.
The cold wind whistled outside the window, and Xu Damao's thoughts gradually drifted away. He remembered Liu Haizhong's flattering face in Li Huaide's office this morning; he remembered the way Liu Haizhong hid behind the crowd and smiled sinisterly when he was criticized in the courtyard.
"No..." Xu Damao suddenly stopped writing, cold sweat oozing from his forehead, "Li Huaide is the one playing chess." His fingers tapped the table unconsciously, recalling the scenes of the past few days - Li Huaide deliberately forced him to raid the Lou family, and indulged Liu Haizhong to interfere.
The pen fell on the table with a "bang". Xu Damao then realized that his hands were shaking. He looked around. This simple examination room only had a table, a chair, and a few bundles of old newspapers piled in the corner. In the distance, the laughter of the duty staff of the street office came, making the place seem even more deserted and terribly quiet.
"I was too anxious..." Xu Damao wiped his face and suddenly realized his mistake. He shouldn't have been so active in front of Li Huaide, and he shouldn't have been provoked by Liu Haizhong's few words to be the first to speak out.
There were footsteps outside the room, and Xu Damao lowered his head and continued writing his self-criticism. Director Wang pushed the door open and came in, holding an enamel pot in his hand.
"Have you finished writing?" Director Wang glanced at the half-page inspection on the table.
Xu Damao forced out a flattering smile: "Director Wang, I have deeply realized my mistake. You see..."
Director Wang placed the enamel pot on the table. The steaming hot tea exuded a faint jasmine scent. "Have a sip of hot tea. Xu Damao, we are old acquaintances and neighbors. I have to remind you of something."
Xu Damao was flattered and took the teacup. Director Wang lowered his voice and said, "The situation at the steel mill is changing rapidly now. Don't let others use you as a tool."
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Xu Damao's head. He held the hot tea in his hand, but felt a chill running up from the soles of his feet. Director Wang gave him a meaningful look, then turned and left.
Late at night, Xu Damao finally finished writing his self-examination. He moved his frozen fingers and suddenly sneered: "Okay, you all want to use me as a pawn..." A plan gradually took shape in his mind - didn't Li Huaide want to kill someone with a borrowed knife? Didn't Liu Haizhong want to benefit from it? He, Xu Damao, wanted them to fight each other!
When he walked out of the street office, the sky in the east was already turning pale. Xu Damao took a deep breath of the cold morning air, his eyes becoming sinister and determined. He straightened his collar and walked towards the steel mill, his pace getting faster and faster.
Xu Damao squatted beside the grocery store at the entrance of Maweigou Hutong in the east of the city, a cigarette in his mouth, but his eyes were fixed on the low bungalow across the street. That was the home of Zhao Chuzi, the old servant of the Lou family. Faded spring couplets were pasted on the gray door panels, and the newspapers pasted on the windows had turned yellow.
"Strange..." Xu Damao blew out a puff of smoke and narrowed his eyes. He had been keeping watch for the past three days and found that Chef Zhao's house was unusually quiet. Usually at this time, Chef Zhao's wife would come out to empty the spittoon, but today it was almost noon and the door hadn't been opened yet.
Just as he was thinking, the wooden door creaked open a crack. Xu Damao quickly hid behind the oil drum of the grocery store, only to see Chef Zhao sticking his head out and looking around. After confirming that there was no one around, he quickly walked out with a cloth bundle in his arms.
"Old man, there really is something fishy going on!" Xu Damao put out his cigarette and quietly followed. He had specially changed into a pair of rubber-soled shoes so that he could walk without making any sound.
Chef Zhao took many detours, choosing to walk along small alleys. He turned back twice and almost spotted Xu Damao following him. Finally, the old man left the city and stopped in front of an abandoned brick kiln. After looking around cautiously, he went into a half-collapsed brick house.