Chapter 36: Fierce Confrontation with Deputy Director Li, Xu Damou Temporarily Holds Back the Report
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In the open ground beside the scrap heap, lime powder fell in a soft rustle, mixing with a bucket of waste oil wax that gave off a pungent odor.
He Yuzhu stirred it vigorously with a thick wooden stick.
“Team Leader He, what exactly are you doing?” Engineer Liu from the soap factory asked, watching him in bewilderment.
Without stopping, He Yuzhu continued stirring. Then he scooped up a small pinch of fine gypsum powder left over from sifting the sulfur and sprinkled it into the mixture.
“Engineer Liu, watch closely.”
Under the motion of the wooden stick, the gray-black paste became more uniform in color, and its texture grew noticeably finer.
“That does it.” He Yuzhu stopped stirring, planted the stick in the bucket, and pointed to the gray-black paste. “Engineer Liu, feel it for yourself.”
Half skeptical, Liu extended a finger and carefully dipped it into the paste. It felt slightly cool and smooth, but unlike the waste oil wax, it no longer clung stubbornly to his skin.
“What is this?” Liu rubbed his fingers together, savoring the strange texture.
“A simple mold-release agent,” He Yuzhu declared, startling him. “The lime powder absorbs moisture and alters the viscosity of the oil wax. The fine gypsum powder improves its lubricating properties. It may not compare with the products made by proper manufacturers, but it has one great advantage: it is cheap! And it makes use of waste materials without causing pollution.”
He Yuzhu pointed to the pile of sulfur blocks nearby. “Crushing and sifting sulfur produces a great deal of dust, so the workers need protective equipment. But with this…”
“If the workers rub a thin layer over their hands before starting, sulfur dust will be less likely to stick to their skin. They can work more efficiently, and cleanup afterward will be easier. More importantly…”
He Yuzhu picked up a battered metal mold lying nearby, dug out a small portion of the oil-wax paste, and spread it evenly along the inner wall.
“For sand casting, metal casting, or even brickmaking, wouldn’t applying a layer like this make demolding easier? Wouldn’t it also extend the life of the molds?”
As Liu watched He Yuzhu demonstrate, his eyes widened further and further. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh.
“Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Team Leader He, how is your mind even built? How did you think of this? This stuff… this stuff can really be used!”
“Of course it can.” He Yuzhu’s tone was firm. “The commune’s earthen kilns and the small foundries at the agricultural machinery plant are in desperate need of an inexpensive, effective mold-release lubricant.”
“The cost of this is practically zero. If we sell it to them at scrap prices, it will be in great demand! Your soap factory can use it when processing waste sulfur blocks as well. It solves several problems at once!”
Liu looked at the shabby grayish paste in the bucket, then at the mountain of sulfur blocks piled nearby, and finally back at He Yuzhu. His gaze had changed completely; it was filled with admiration and astonishment.
“Team Leader He, I’m convinced! Completely convinced! We’ll take the sulfur powder according to our agreement! As for the market for this mold-release paste—if you can open one up, we’ll take as much as you can produce!”
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A faint smile appeared on He Yuzhu’s face.
“Good! It’s a deal. Once we find an outlet for the alkali blocks, we’ll sign a contract together.”
Just then, a jeep came roaring to a halt at the entrance to the freight yard, sending clouds of dust billowing into the air.
The door opened, and Li Huaide stepped out with a dark expression. His secretary and Director Zhang of Logistics followed behind him.
Li Huaide immediately spotted He Yuzhu and Engineer Liu standing beside the scrap heap, as well as the bucket of gray-black paste they had been stirring. His eyes hardened, and he strode toward them.
“Comrade He Yuzhu! During working hours, instead of handling your duties in the office, what are you fooling around with here?” Li Huaide demanded harshly.
“Reporting to Deputy Factory Director Li.” He Yuzhu straightened and answered calmly. “I’m carrying out the factory’s assignment to clear away the waste. This is Engineer Liu from the municipal soap factory. We’re discussing a comprehensive utilization plan for this batch of scrap.”
“Comprehensive utilization?” Li Huaide’s gaze swept over the bucket of oil-wax paste before moving to the neatly sorted sulfur blocks. A cold smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You mean this junk? Comrade He Yuzhu, the deadline is only a few days away! I told you to dispose of the waste and clear the site, not to sit here indulging in some impractical ‘invention.’ Do you really think this stuff can be dealt with? I think you’re deliberately stalling for time!”
Seeing the situation, Engineer Liu hurriedly stepped forward.
“Factory Director Li, I’m Engineer Liu Ming from the Technical Department of the municipal soap factory. Team Leader He is not stalling! His proposal is entirely feasible. Our factory has already decided to purchase this processed sulfur powder. And as for this mold-release paste—”
“Mold-release paste?” Li Huaide interrupted, pointing disdainfully at the bucket of grayish sludge. “This? A pile of waste oil and rotten wax mixed with a little lime, and you call it a product? Engineer Liu, since when did the soap factory start collecting garbage?”
The remark was exceptionally offensive. Liu’s expression darkened at once.
“Factory Director Li, that’s not a fair way to put it…”
“Deputy Factory Director Li!” He Yuzhu’s voice rang out sharply. He looked Li Huaide straight in the eye. “This waste-clearing assignment came from the factory—and from you personally. As the person in charge, I’m searching for a method that is economical, environmentally sound, and fully compliant with regulations.”
“The soap factory has approved our sulfur-processing plan, and the potential market for the mold-release paste has already been identified. Isn’t that what it means to actively complete the assignment? Must we dump or bury everything like ordinary trash, causing pollution, before you’ll consider it ‘disposed of’?”
His words landed with force, each one backed by reason. Li Huaide’s face shifted from green to white as he struggled to answer. The phrase “from you personally” sounded almost like a reminder that this was the burden he had intentionally thrown at He Yuzhu.
“You…!” Li Huaide pointed at him, his finger trembling with anger.
“Factory Director Li,” Liu said, having recovered his composure, “Team Leader He’s proposal is a genuine example of turning waste into something valuable. Our factory sincerely wants to cooperate. It solves your factory’s problem while also reducing our costs—a true win-win arrangement. We hope you’ll support it.”
Li Huaide looked at Liu’s serious expression, then at He Yuzhu, who stood steady as a mountain, as though everything were already under his control. Finally, he glanced at Director Zhang, who stood nearby with his head lowered, not daring to say a word.
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A furious fire burned in Li Huaide’s chest, yet he could not vent it. What could he say? That he opposed recycling waste? That he opposed bringing additional income to the factory? He could not afford to wear either accusation.
“Hmph!”
In the end, all Li Huaide could do was snort heavily. He shot He Yuzhu a dark, venomous look.
“If Engineer Liu approves, then proceed according to your plan! But the site must be completely cleared within one month. Otherwise, you will be held responsible!”
After dropping that threat, he spun around, swept away in anger, and climbed back into the jeep.
Watching the vehicle drive away, Liu shook his head and gave He Yuzhu a wry smile.
“Team Leader He, your superior is… quite a handful.”
He Yuzhu remained calm.
“I’m used to it. Shall we continue and discuss the details?”
———
In a corner of the waste-recycling station, Xu Damao was hiding behind a mountain of discarded cardboard boxes. He had witnessed the entire confrontation from beginning to end.
He had seen Li Huaide arrive in a fury. He had seen He Yuzhu stand his ground without either cringing or blustering. And he had seen Li Huaide leave in defeat.
He Yuzhu had actually dared to confront even the deputy factory director—and he had won? The people from the soap factory were even taking his side?
What shocked Xu Damao most was that he had personally watched He Yuzhu transform those unwanted heaps of junk into things that could actually be sold.
Sulfur powder! And that disgusting bucket of greasy paste! Even the soap factory was eager to buy them! Could He Yuzhu really possess some kind of sorcery?
He had originally planned to use Li Huaide to get rid of He Yuzhu. But judging from what had just happened, even Li Huaide had gained no advantage in front of him.
What about the denunciation letter he had prepared? Would it still be useful? If he submitted it, might he end up dragging himself into trouble instead?
No… no…
The matter of the denunciation letter would have to wait. He needed to think it over again.
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