Chapter 010: Anonymous Letter

With the deepening of the reform and opening-up, various workshops at the Huangzhou Machinery Factory are seeking ways to improve and innovate on their machines in order to enhance production efficiency and quality, thus ensuring that their products have a market.

The two employees were at a loss for words, as they could not clear their names after what was said by Amman; it was as if they could jump into the Yellow River and still not wash away the stain. Their home was suddenly shrouded in a cloud of despair and gloom

Moreover, if the matters stated in the anonymous letter are true, with this leverage in hand, Wu Kui will be completely at the mercy of Bai Keming

Although the workshop director was extremely dissatisfied, there was nothing he could do but wait for Anman to sober up before addressing the issues on the assembly line

Although Fang Cheng did not have a favorable view of that assembly line, he was, after all, the chief engineer of the factory. Thus, he hurriedly followed the workshop director to inspect the situation, while Zhao Dongsheng trailed behind the technical department staff to see the commotion

"Take a look at this." Bai Keming glanced at the spirited Wu Kui and expressionlessly tossed the anonymous letter in his hand over.

However, it can be said that this anonymous letter represents both a crisis and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Bai Keming. If he makes good use of it, the Huangzhou Machinery Factory will still be his domain. He must take a gamble to alleviate his concerns.

When Wu Kui received a call from Bai Keming, he was at home watching television. After the conversation with Bai Keming, he hung up the phone with some surprise, then put on his coat and had the driver take him to a restaurant located on the west side of the Municipal Cultural Palace, entering a private room on the second floor

After making up their minds, the two employees took the anonymous letter to seek out Bai Keming. The conflict between Bai Keming and Wu Kui is an open secret at the Huangzhou Machinery Factory, and they certainly wanted to seek Bai Keming's assistance

In the machinery factory of Huangzhou City, the undisputed technical authority is Chief Engineer Fang Cheng. Two employees, uncertain about the contents of the letter they received from an acquaintance, decided to visit Fang Cheng at his home

Since the assembly line was introduced by Wu Kui, Fang Cheng did not want to get involved in this matter. Therefore, he adopted a self-preserving attitude and found excuses to evade the two employees. After all, how could a dignified chief engineer like him possibly inspect that assembly line based on an unverified anonymous letter?

The production line is currently manufacturing a batch of in-demand components, with a very tight schedule. Any halt in production would result in significant losses, and the personnel in the workshop are already in a state of anxiety.

After receiving the promise from Baikeming, the two employees left with satisfaction, believing that they could finally uncover the truth of the matter. Little did they expect that shortly after their departure, Baikeming, after careful consideration, dialed Wu Kui's phone number and then got up and left the house

Although Zhao Dongsheng graduated from a prestigious university and holds the title of junior engineer, which gives him a unique inherent advantage over most technicians in the technical department who have only attended vocational schools, he should logically be busy as well

The two employees felt dissatisfied with Fang Cheng's indifference towards the matter. After discussing it with their families upon returning home, they decided to take decisive action and escalate the issue. Only in this way could they uncover the truth; otherwise, if Wu Kui intervened to cover it up, they would inevitably bear the blame.

In the private room, Bai Keming sat in the chair, looking sternly at the photocopies of the anonymous letter sent by the two employees. He could not show the original to Wu Kui, as it was a crucial piece of evidence. If Wu Kui were to destroy it, it would be a great loss. Therefore, before coming here, he had instructed the driver to make a photocopy of the anonymous letter at the factory office.

Given the circumstances, the factory has no choice but to replace the damaged parts to ensure production tasks are met. The cost for those two parts amounts to over 3 million, and when including shipping and other expenses, it will require nearly 4 million, which is a significant expenditure

Bai Keming was fully aware of the stakes involved in this matter, and thus adopted a perfunctory attitude towards the two employees seeking help. He reassured them, left the anonymous letter behind, and told them to return for the time being, stating that the factory would thoroughly investigate the issue and provide them with a fair resolution

The wives of the two individuals are weeping and wailing, spending the entire day with tear-streaked faces. Given the severity of the situation, it is certain that the two employees will be dismissed, and they may even face imprisonment on charges of damaging public property

While Wu Kui was busy dealing with the loan matters, the two employees who had been suspended for reflection each received an anonymous letter. The words in the letter were cut out from newspapers and pasted together, informing them that the production line was a second-hand item refurbished from West Germany, and that the issues arose due to the aging of the equipment, which had nothing to do with the two of them

These two letters were naturally prepared by Zhao Dongsheng. To be cautious, he specifically cut out letters from the newspaper and pasted them onto the stationery.

However, due to the limited capabilities of that acquaintance, it was not possible to determine the true cause of the malfunction of the two components. Therefore, it is recommended that the two employees seek assistance from someone with higher expertise

On the afternoon of the second day, Anman went to the factory. After inspecting the halted production line, he solemnly informed the workshop director that the two areas tampered with by Liu Dongcheng had inadvertently been exposed to water during the work with the drawings, resulting in man-made damage, and they were no longer usable, necessitating the replacement of new components

"Director Bai, is there something that cannot be discussed over the phone? You need to come out at this late hour." Wu Kui said with a smile as he sat down opposite him.

Furthermore, due to the differences in technical proficiency, Fang Cheng had been busy for such a long time without identifying the problem. Even if he goes this time, he cannot ascertain the matters mentioned in the letter

Moreover, the letter also provided a brief description of the two damaged areas, indicating that their damage was not due to water ingress, but rather to aging

As a result, the personnel in the technical department have become highly sought after, becoming esteemed guests of various workshop directors, receiving invitations for meals and gifts, and enjoying an exceptionally comfortable life

Although Gu Liancheng was angry, Wu Kui was after all one of his own, and the assembly line had been purchased under his initiative. Now that a problem had arisen, he certainly could not ignore it. Therefore, after reprimanding Wu Kui, he instructed his secretary to accompany Wu Kui to the city to handle the loan matters.

Wu Kui stood there trembling, not daring to breathe a word. The workers in the assembly line workshop were all under his command, and now that an incident had occurred, he naturally could not escape responsibility.

At this moment, Bai Keming can no longer afford to regard Wu Kui as his enemy; the only pressing matter at hand is to suppress this incident. Otherwise, not only will Wu Kui be finished, but he will also face dire consequences.

When Wu Kui opened it, the smile on his face gradually froze, and his eyes began to reveal a look of astonishment

Due to the suddenness of the incident, coupled with the strict confidentiality maintained by the two employees regarding the anonymous letter, no one else, apart from the acquaintance from the technical department and Fang Cheng, is aware of this matter, and naturally, Wu Kui is also unaware of it

Like Fang Cheng, Bai Keming was greatly shocked upon learning about the assembly line situation, immediately sensing the seriousness of the matter. Although he had a poor relationship with Wu Kui, this assembly line had cost over 20 million. If something were to go wrong, Wu Kui would undoubtedly be in trouble, but he would also be implicated, as he was the director of the Huangzhou Machinery Factory and bore an inescapable leadership responsibility.

The two employees were greatly astonished upon receiving the letter. After some discussion, they took the letter to a familiar contact in the technical department. This contact, after reviewing the letter, made a special trip to the assembly line workshop to inspect the two problematic components. As a result, it was indeed found that, as mentioned in the letter, there appeared to be an issue related to aging.

As the saying goes, "Without hair on the mouth, one cannot be reliable in work." Although Zhao Dongsheng comes from a formal background and has received systematic education, the people in the factory view what he learned in school as mere embellishment, lacking any practical work experience. Consequently, no one from the workshops seeks his assistance, making him the most idle person in the technical department. His daily routine consists of drinking tea and reading newspapers in the office

On the morning of the following week, while Zhao Dongsheng was idly reading the newspaper in his office, a long-awaited piece of news arrived: the assembly line imported from Germany suddenly ceased operation

Gu Liancheng was greatly enraged after receiving the loan application from the Huangzhou Machinery Factory. It had not been long since the production line had encountered issues, which was simply a slap in the face for him, Gu. Consequently, he called Wu Kui to his office and berated him severely.

Fang Cheng was greatly shocked upon learning this news. When he heard that two employees had already consulted the technical department regarding the problematic area and the drawings, he immediately sensed that this production line might indeed have issues as mentioned in the letter; otherwise, these two employees would not have come to him.

It is quite coincidental that Amman left the hotel two days ago, and it is unknown where he went. Therefore, the workshop director of the assembly line had no choice but to come to the office building of the factory to seek a solution from the chief engineer Fang Cheng after Feng Tian'en was unable to troubleshoot the issue.

Furthermore, if this matter escalates, not only the Huangzhou Machinery Factory but also the city of Huangzhou will be unable to bear the consequences. It is important to note that this involves over 20 million, which is enough to bring down the vice mayor in charge of industry, effectively ending his political career.

Fang Cheng and others worked tirelessly in the assembly line workshop for an entire afternoon but were unable to identify the source of the problem. Zhao Dongsheng stood by, observing coldly. That night, he had tampered with two critical areas of the assembly line, which already had serious issues that would inevitably lead to problems within six months. He merely advanced the timeline of the incident, remaining completely undetected.

The Huangzhou Machinery Factory has only over 3 million on its books, which is used to pay employees' salaries and maintain the daily operations of the factory. There is no extra money to purchase new machines, so it has no choice but to seek assistance from the city, hoping to obtain a bank loan to address its urgent needs

In the evening, the workshop director of the frantic assembly line finally waited in the hotel for the inebriated Anman. After inquiring with the translator accompanying Anman, he learned that Anman himself did not know how he had gotten involved with a young widow from the city. Over the past two days, he had accompanied the young widow on a trip to the provincial capital, purchasing numerous items to please her.

The conclusion from Amman immediately brought misfortune to the employees responsible for those two areas, who were ordered by the factory to take a leave of absence for reflection