Chapter 50: Appointment at the Deputy Section Level

The rolling mill workers' hospital was thick with the pungent smell of disinfectant.

The red light of the emergency room was still brightly lit, and the hallway outside was crammed with people.

Director Wang from the neighborhood committee and First Aunt were weeping almost to the point of fainting. Several managing elderly residents of the courtyard and other neighbors were also present, all with grave, solemn expressions on their faces.

He Yuzhu stood at the very end of the corridor, his back turned to the crowd, gazing at the dreary, overcast sky outside. Rainwater wound its way down the glass pane like trails of cold, frozen tears.

Yizhonghai's final, slurred words—"Deputy Director Li... also took..."—and the mouthful of black blood he had spat out replayed continuously in his mind.

"Group Leader He." An officer surnamed Li from the security section walked over briskly and lowered his voice. "Yizhonghai's brick bed-stove has been dismantled. Inside, there is... something."

He Yuzhu whipped around abruptly.

Officer Li handed him a heavy parcel wrapped in old newspaper. "Right at the very back of the stove cavity, sealed up with bricks. Besides this, there is also a small iron box."

He Yuzhu took the package, feeling its heavy weight in his hands.

Tearing open a corner of the newspaper, he revealed several neatly stacked bundles of banknotes. Most were old currency, with a small amount of new currency mixed in. Although the denominations varied, the thick wads represented a substantial sum.

When he opened the palm-sized, rusted iron box, he found a few yellowed receipts and a small savings passbook.

The receipts were difficult-subsidy disbursement vouchers issued by the rolling mill's finance department, concentrated in the first two years after He Daqing's departure. In the recipient signature column, the name was shockingly written as "On behalf of: Yizhonghai"!

The total amounted to over two hundred yuan! In that era, this was a colossal fortune!

The name on the savings passbook account was Yizhonghai, and the last deposit and withdrawal record was from two years ago, with a balance of only a few yuan left.

The human witnesses and material evidence were complete! The iron-clad proof of Yizhonghai embezzling the He family's property was as unshakeable as mountains!

"Regarding Deputy Director Li..." Officer Li's voice dropped even lower, carrying a hint of hesitation and solemnity. "We heard Yizhonghai's final words... but empty words without proof..."

He Yuzhu closed the iron box, his gaze freezing cold. "Yizhonghai's words are to be recorded in the interrogation transcript. As for Li Huaide... I will handle him. First, let's take care of the matters right in front of us."

He Yuzhu handed the parcel containing the cash and the iron box to Zhang Biao. "Comrade Li, these are the proofs of Yizhonghai embezzling my He family's property. Please inventory and seal them together with Director Wang from the neighborhood committee. As for those five gold bars, please register them as well."

"Zhuzi, this..." Director Wang also walked over, looking at the parcel and the iron box with a complex mixture of emotions.

"Director Wang," He Yuzhu said in a calm tone that nevertheless carried unquestionable strength. "The gold bars and this money were left behind by my father. But now, I, He Yuzhu, am capable of earning a living to support myself and my younger sister."

"I request the neighborhood committee to temporarily seal and safekeep these assets and issue a notarized document. Once Yizhonghai... reaches a conclusion, or the day my father returns, we can handle it according to the rules. For now, I must trouble you and the security section to clear my name first."

Director Wang looked at He Yuzhu's young yet steady and resolute face, then glanced at the money stained with stove soot, and nodded heavily. "Alright, Zhuzi! The neighborhood committee will vouch for you! What rightfully belongs to you, no one can take away! I will personally oversee the paperwork!"

……

The rolling mill's conference room.

Seated around the oval conference table were all the members of the factory's party committee.

Factory Director Yang sat in the primary seat with a stern expression. Opposite him sat Li Huaide, keeping his head down while toying with a fountain pen, his expression obscured.

Sun Jianguo, Technician Chen, and other supporters of He Yuzhu were also present.

"Regarding the appointment of Comrade He Yuzhu as the deputy section chief of the procurement section," Factory Director Yang began straight to the point, his voice resonant, "today I ask all committee members to conduct a final vote. Comrade He Yuzhu's achievements since taking charge as the procurement group leader are obvious to all: turning chemical waste into treasure, establishing an inter-provincial poultry supply network, and successfully importing German equipment."

"Especially recently, breaking through waste-oil recycling technology and developing a new type of lubricating grease that resolved a nationwide oil shortage, earning commendations from the ministries! These are all solid, undeniable contributions!"

Director Yang's gaze swept across the entire room. "Such a capable, accountable, and contributing young cadre is, in my opinion, fully qualified and competent to serve as the deputy section chief of the procurement section. Comrades in favor, please raise your hands!"

Director Yang was the first to raise his right hand. Sun Jianguo, Technician Chen, the trade union chairman, the production section chief... one arm after another rose firmly, quickly surpassing the majority!

Li Huaide's head snapped up, his complexion turning so gloomy it seemed water could drip from it.

He had not expected Yang Weimin to be so aggressive, calling for a direct vote! His malevolent gaze swept across several committee members who usually associated closely with him.

Feeling his gaze, Section Chief Zhang of logistics braced himself against immense pressure and muttered quietly, "Comrade He Yuzhu... his ability is strong... but... but recently there have been quite a few rumors in the factory... saying he plagiarized... and about his personal conduct... shouldn't we... investigate further..."

"Investigate what?!" Factory Director Yang slammed his hand onto the table with a sound like rolling thunder!

He snatched up the joint investigative document issued by the security section and the neighborhood committee bearing a red official seal, and slammed it down with a loud slap right in the center of the table!

"Rumors?! Qin Huairu tore up technical documents and framed a meritorious contributor, and she has already confessed! She was directed by Comrade Li Huaide! The security section has the interrogation transcripts!" He pointed his finger directly at the pale-faced Li Huaide without a shred of mercy!

"Personal conduct?! That two-hundred-yuan dowry was saved up bit by bit by Comrade He Yuzhu over three years of living frugally, selling old goods at the pigeon market! Every single transaction has a paper trail! Director Wang from the neighborhood committee personally testifies to it!"

"As for the embezzlement of property?!" Factory Director Yang picked up the notarized document. "Yizhonghai! Embezzled the He family's gold bars and difficulty subsidies! The iron-clad proof is like a mountain! Caught red-handed with the stolen goods! He is still being resuscitated in the hospital right now, hanging between life and death! Is this the 'rumor' you wanted to investigate?!"

Factory Director Yang's fierce gaze swept across Section Chief Zhang and the other two hesitating committee members. "Raise your hands to vote! Will you look at actual achievements, or listen to those gutter-level false accusations?! Choose for yourselves!"

Under the immense pressure, Section Chief Zhang and the other two turned pale, cold sweat beading on their foreheads, until finally, slowly and with extreme difficulty, they raised their hands.

Passed unanimously!

Li Huaide sat there in isolation, his expression shifting from white to cyan, and from cyan to purple. The fingers gripping his fountain pen turned white at the knuckles from sheer force, trembling slightly.

Looking at the glaring notarized document and the sea of raised arms across the room, he felt as though he had been stripped naked in public and slapped across the face! Humiliation! Unprecedented humiliation!

"Good!" Factory Director Yang ignored Li Huaide's murderous glare, his voice ringing loud and clear. "The appointment of Comrade He Yuzhu as deputy section chief of the procurement section is passed unanimously! Effective immediately! Meeting adjourned!"

Picking up a red velvet box from the table, Factory Director Yang stood up. "Furthermore, upon study and decision by the factory party committee, Comrade He Yuzhu is awarded the title of 'Technical Innovation Expert' along with a medal! I am going to make the announcement right now!"

Li Huaide was practically the last person to walk out of the conference room.

Returning to his office, he slammed the door shut with a heavy bang that made the window glass buzz loudly.

He paced anxiously around the office like a trapped beast, his sinister gaze terrifyingly dark.

Humiliation! Failure! Publicly slapped in the face by He Yuzhu, trampled underfoot by Yang Weimin!

No! He could not just let it go like this! He Yuzhu! Just you wait!

Li Huaide lunged toward his desk, yanked open the drawer, snatched out a stack of letter paper and a fountain pen, and unscrewed the cap. Trembling violently from rage, the ink spilled into a blotch of stain on the paper.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down and began to write:

Denunciation Letter

Respected Leaders of the Municipal Supervisory Commission:

Driven by the sense of responsibility of a veteran Party member, I am reporting in my real name that He Yuzhu, the newly appointed deputy section chief of the Red Star Rolling Mill, has a corrupted personal conduct and an unexplained source of wealth.

First, the relationship between He Yuzhu and Su Qing (a technician at this factory) is questionable! Su Qing's premarital conduct was improper, involving multiple individuals...

Second, He Yuzhu possesses an unexplained massive fortune! Recently, as he prepared for his younger sister's wedding, his extravagant spending far exceeded his income level! His so-called income from selling old goods at the pigeon market is fraught with suspicious points...

Li Huaide wrote with gritted teeth, every single word imbued with venom. He was determined to drag both He Yuzhu and Su Qing down into the mud and ruin their reputations!

Just at that moment, a sharp knock sounded: "Knock, knock, knock."

Startled, Li Huaide instinctively tried to cover the letter paper beneath his hands, but it was already too late.

The door pushed open, and Su Qing stood in the doorway holding an insulated food jar, a professional, businesslike smile on her face.

"Deputy Director Li, the technical section has compiled the promotional materials for the new lubricating grease, and a few documents require your signature..." Her gaze naturally fell upon the letter paper that Li Huaide had scrambled to conceal, yet still left largely exposed, landing directly on the striking characters: "Denunciation Letter."

The smile on Su Qing's face instantly froze, and her fingers holding the insulated jar tightened slightly.

Looking at Li Huaide's distorted face twisted with panic and fury, and at that denunciation letter that had evidently just begun, her expression rapidly shifted from initial astonishment into cold understanding and an imperceptible trace of mockery.

Fumbling clumsily, Li Huaide wadded the letter paper into a ball and shoved it into the drawer. His face flushed bright red with embarrassment turning into anger. "Who told you to come in without knocking?! Get out!"

Su Qing said nothing, merely giving Li Huaide one deep, piercing look. Her gaze was calm and tranquil, yet it inexplicably sent a chill creeping up from the bottom of Li Huaide's heart.

Silently placing the insulated food jar on the coffee table by the door, Su Qing turned and walked out, gently clicking the door shut behind her.