Chapter 124: What Kind of Mischief is Wang Chengliang Really Plotting?

Upon hearing this, Shen Guodong asked with a puzzled expression, "The year-end bonus? When was that? I don't even remember."

Wang Dongliang chuckled and replied, "You certainly have a memory like a sieve. It was back when Line 3 had that malfunction, and you specifically pulled Factory Director Xu aside to help us reorganize the entire line."

"Have you forgotten that you were the one who translated the manual?"

Shen Guodong slapped his forehead. "Oh, my! I completely forgot. That was really nothing—just a small favor. We’re all just working hard for our pay."

"That may be true, but they certainly feel the need to show their gratitude."

Wang Chengliang grabbed Shen Guodong’s arm and continued, "We were afraid of disturbing you earlier because we knew how busy you were, but since you’re here now, there’s no time like the present. We must have a good meal together tonight."

Seeing Wang Chengliang’s enthusiasm, Shen Guodong replied, "Fine then. We were colleagues after all, and you’ve always treated me well. Let’s grab dinner tonight."

"Then let’s just head to my place."

Shen Guodong nodded. "Alright, I’ll come find you when I get off work. You go ahead and get back to your tasks; I’m going to go take a look at Line 1 and Line 2."

The First Lathe Factory had only three production lines in total. Line 1 consisted of older, traditional lathes manufactured by the Soviet Union. While they might have been less efficient, they were simple to operate and highly reliable, consistently producing a steady output of machine tools every day. Lines 2 and 3 were equipped with new, high-end machines that had been purchased at a high cost from the United States. The recent misunderstanding had occurred because the American technology was more advanced, resulting in technical manuals filled with complex English terminology.

Shen Guodong headed straight to the Line 1 workshop. The staff there, including the workshop supervisor, were all veterans of the factory, mostly over thirty years old. As he entered, the supervisor spotted him and immediately walked over. "Ah, Guodong, you’re here."

Shen Guodong was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected these veteran employees to show him such respect. In the past, his reputation among them had been quite poor. He had been seen as shiftless, a gambler with no ambition—a man in his twenties who, if he kept on the way he was, would surely bankrupt his family. However, they had witnessed his recent transformation, which had put the lathe factory on a path to rapid growth.

Shen Guodong nodded and said, "Old Wang, I’m just here to take a look around. Since the factory is expanding, I want to see if any of these lines need refurbishing."

The supervisor, Old Wang, took a puff of his cigarette. "Don't worry about it. Line 1 uses the old machines, but they’ve served this factory well for years and haven't had any major issues. You can rest easy, Director."

Seeing Old Wang’s confident assurance, Shen Guodong nodded. "Fair enough, I just wanted to check. Are there any malfunctions, minor glitches, or drops in production? If there’s an issue, you must report it."

"Rest assured, there are no problems. I check the entire line every single day before we start the machines. Besides, these machines have been with us for over ten years; we know every little quirk they have."

Knowing the veterans on Line 1 were reliable, Shen Guodong didn't press further. He nodded and said, "Alright, that’s all then."

After leaving Line 1, Shen Guodong returned to his office. With all three lines checked, there were no major issues. He called for Zhou Meiniang, who arrived wearing a small straw hat, her face flushed with heat and glistening with sweat.

Seeing her state, Shen Guodong asked, "Why are you so hot?"

Zhou Meiniang stuck out her tongue. "There’s no helping it. It’s too hot outside. My cousin and I went to survey the actual land usage of the factory. We might need to demolish the trash heap on the northwest side and build a new facility there."

Shen Guodong was confused. "Weren't we going to build on the vacant land to the southwest? Why tear down the trash heap?"

"My cousin said the geological conditions in the southwest are very poor. If we build there now, it might affect Line 3."

Shen Guodong pulled out the bird's-eye view map of the factory. Nearly two-thirds of the site was already occupied, with the remainder consisting of a small plaza and the trash heap.

"But if we tear down the trash heap in the northwest, where does it go? Does it move to the southwest?"

"Exactly. The location and ventilation of the northwest site are quite good; we can build two facilities there at once."

Shen Guodong nodded. "That works. Have her draw up the complete bird's-eye view, and then I’ll have Baldy start the construction."

"Alright, I’m going to go freshen up. It’s really too hot out there—my clothes are soaked through after just a while."

After Zhou Meiniang left, Shen Guodong studied the map. He already had a general direction in mind, but he couldn't appear too omnipotent, or it would seem suspicious. Besides, he was feeling a bit lazy regarding the design work, so he was happy to let others handle the details.

By five o'clock in the afternoon, Shen Guodong finished up his tasks and decided not to go home yet. He had a dinner appointment with Wang Chengliang. It felt surreal; the last time they had dined together, they had been at odds over the translation of the Line 3 manual.

Stepping out of the factory, he saw Wang Chengliang waiting at the gate. As soon as Wang spotted him, he called out, "Director! Over here!"

Shen Guodong walked over, smiling. "You’re quick; you’ve been waiting here for me?"

"Not at all, I just thought waiting at the gate would make it easier to find you. It would be a shame if we missed each other."

Shen Guodong shook his head at the man’s earnestness. "Alright, where are we eating?"