Chapter 61: The National Promotion Team, the Jia Family Causes Trouble Again

The news that the Ministry had issued a nationwide promotion task spread through the Rolling Mill on the very same day.

The workers buzzed with discussion, their faces beaming with pride.

He Yuzhu had been entrusted with a heavy responsibility, representing the pride and face of the entire Red Star Rolling Mill.

The technical department was practically boiling over.

To be selected for the promotion team and follow Engineer He across the country to impart technical expertise—what an immense honor and opportunity that was!

The eyes of several young technicians lit up as they swarmed around He Yuzhu, volunteering themselves.

"Engineer He! Take me with you! I'm young and strong, I can carry the equipment!"

"Section Chief He! My drafting skills are top-notch! I guarantee I'll explain the technical essentials clearly!"

"Engineer He..."

He Yuzhu's head throbbed from the noise, and he raised a hand to press it down. "Quiet down, everyone. The factory will consider the roster comprehensively. Don't let your current work slip. The promotion task is important, but the factory's production is even more crucial."

He already had a plan in mind.

Ma Hua would definitely be brought along; the kid was sharp and willing to work hard, and he was one of his own.

He also needed an experienced veteran technician to hold down the fort, along with two steady and eager young learners.

He submitted the preliminary roster to Factory Manager Yang.

Factory Manager Yang waved his hand dismissively and agreed entirely: "Do as you say! Whatever equipment or materials you need, submit a requisition directly! The factory will give you a green light all the way!"

Assembling the team, allocating supplies, preparing technical documentation—He Yuzhu was so busy his feet barely touched the ground.

The lights in his office often stayed on until the late hours of the night.

While he was busy in a flurry of activity, the courtyard presented an entirely different scene.

Xu Damao had been driven away by the authorities, Li Huaide had fallen from power, and Yi Zhonghai was paralyzed in the hospital.

The courtyard had quieted down significantly for a time, but the schemes of the Jia family showed no sign of stopping.

Peering through her window, Mrs. Jia watched He Yuzhu leave early and return late every day, occasionally even being picked up by the factory's sedan. Bitterness and jealousy twisted her heart.

Poking Qin Huairu in the back, she cursed in a low voice, "Did you see that? That little orphan is acting high and mighty again! He's going to tour the entire country? In his dreams! He gets to be all glorious and high-profile, while our family's Banggen is still suffering in the juvenile detention center!"

Qin Huairu's heart felt congested as well, and she murmured, "Mom, please say a little less... Right now... we can't afford to provoke him..."

"Can't afford to?" Mrs. Jia's triangular eyes widened. "Even if we can't afford to, we have to! Otherwise, will there be any place left for the two of us to stand in this courtyard? With him gone for half a year, it's the perfect opportunity!"

"What opportunity?" Qin Huairu asked, uncomprehending.

Mrs. Jia's small eyes rolled around, flashing with a malicious glint. "Isn't he capable? Isn't he going all over the country to impart techniques? How much money is that going to cost? Can the factory reimburse it all? Who would believe that! There must be something fishy going on! We'll keep an eye on him!"

"Once he leaves, we'll find a way to audit his accounts! The moment we get the slightest bit of leverage, we'll report him to the factory! We'll make him pay dearly!"

Qin Huairu was startled. "This... will this work? The factory is siding with him right now..."

"Why wouldn't it?" Mrs. Jia gnashed her teeth. "If the open approach doesn't work, we'll do it covertly! I refuse to believe his hands are that clean! And his belongings inside his room..." She lowered her voice, "With him gone for half a year, won't all those nice things in his room breed bugs? It's not too much for us to 'help' him watch the house, is it?"

Qin Huairu felt a chill run through her heart, but the thought of He Yuzhu's current glory, contrasted with her own family's destitute state—missing meals and with a son in juvenile detention—stoked a fierce anger within her.

She gritted her teeth and offered no further objection.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law muttered together in the room, believing themselves to be secretive, unaware that walls have ears.

As Yan Bugui strolled past the Jia family's window and vaguely caught words like "audit" and "watch the house," his heart skipped a beat.

This Jia family woman was courting death again! He had no desire to be dragged into it. Yan Bugui oiled the soles of his feet and hurried away, determined to stay far away from the Jia family.

By the time He Yuzhu finished his work at the factory and pushed his bicycle back to the courtyard, the sky was pitch black.

Just as he propped up his bike and reached for his keys to open the door, the door to the neighboring room creaked open.

An elderly woman walked out carrying an enamel bowl emitting heat, filled with several plump, round dumplings.

"Section Chief He, just got back? Haven't eaten yet, have you? I just boiled some dumplings, cabbage and pork filling. Have a taste." The elderly woman handed the bowl over with a gentle smile.

He Yuzhu was momentarily stunned.

Though he and the elderly woman were neighbors, they rarely interacted beyond a polite nod when passing each other. Suddenly offering dumplings...

"Thank you, Auntie, but no need. I'll whip something up myself in a bit," He Yuzhu declined politely.

However, the elderly woman insisted on pushing the bowl into his hands. "Why are you being so polite? You've gotten thin from working so hard lately, everyone in the factory knows it. Besides, you helped rid our courtyard of some bad characters, and I haven't even thanked you yet. Eat them while they're warm."

Under the light, the elderly woman's gaze was clear, carrying sincere concern.

He Yuzhu looked at her and took the bowl. "Then... thank you."

"You're welcome." The elderly woman smiled. "I heard you're leading a team for nationwide promotion? Congratulations. Be careful on the road." With that, she turned and went back inside her room.

Holding the bowl of warm dumplings at his doorway, He Yuzhu felt a warmth in his chest.

In this courtyard, not everyone was a beast.

He Yuzhu unlocked his door, stepped inside, set down the dumplings, and just as he picked up his chopsticks, his gaze swept over several inconspicuous corners of the room.

Those were the hidden spots he had set up earlier using the [Micro Trace Capture Device] (single-use) obtained from check-ins, which could record abnormal movements.

The indicator lights were dark; it seemed no one had entered today.

He calmly finished the dumplings and washed the bowl clean.

Early the next morning, before heading out, he placed the elderly woman's bowl back at her doorstep, pinning a one-jin national grain coupon underneath it.

The departure date for the promotion team was finalized.

Three days later, their first stop was Shencheng, the industrial powerhouse of the Northeast.

The factory had equipped the team with an old jeep and a truck loaded with the necessary equipment and materials.

The day before departure, He Yuzhu called the five finalized members of the team into his office for a meeting to go over precautions. Ma Hua rubbed his hands together in excitement.

After the meeting, He Yuzhu made a special trip to the security section.

"Chief Zhang, I'm taking a team out on business tomorrow for half a year." He Yuzhu handed over a cigarette.

Chief Zhang accepted the cigarette and immediately understood. "Don't worry, Engineer He! As for your place, I'll arrange for people to 'patrol by' in shifts. I guarantee not even a mouse will dare wander around blindly! And those people from the Jia family will be watched like hawks!"

"Thanks." He Yuzhu nodded. With the security section keeping watch, he could leave with peace of mind.

He also made a trip to see Director Wang at the neighborhood committee to mention the business trip, and took the opportunity to convert the gold bars and cash he had previously sealed away—keeping only a small amount of cash—into special cashier's checks issued by the People's Bank of China, tucking them securely against his body.

Director Wang patted her chest in assurance, promising that if any trouble stirred in the courtyard, the neighborhood committee would handle it immediately.

Everything was properly arranged.

On the morning of departure, the factory gates were quite lively.

Factory Manager Yang brought several factory leaders to see them off, and the jeep and truck were already parked and ready.

He Yuzhu and the team members came out carrying their luggage.

"Zhuzi! Have a smooth journey! Show them the imposing spirit of our Red Star Factory!" Factory Manager Yang gripped his hand tightly.

"Mission guaranteed!"

Just as He Yuzhu was about to get into the car, his peripheral vision caught sight of the courtyard direction—Xiaodang from the Jia family was peeking furtively around the corner of a wall, watching them.

He Yuzhu sneered inwardly, ignored her, and pulled open the car door.

At that moment, Yan Bugui came panting out of the courtyard, carrying a small mesh bag containing a few withered apples.

"Zhuzi! Wait! Wait!" Yan Bugui squeezed his way to the front of the vehicle and shoved the apples into He Yuzhu's hands. "Take these for the road! Quench your thirst! Have a safe trip! Come back soon!"

He Yuzhu looked at the apples, whose skins were clearly wrinkled from aging, and then at Yan Bugui's flattering yet nervous expression. He understood instantly: the man had read the political winds and come to hedge his bets.

Without refusing, he accepted them. "Thanks, Third Uncle."

"Hey, hey! What's with the politeness! It's only right!" Seeing that He Yuzhu had accepted them, Yan Bugui broke into a beaming smile, nodding and bowing.

Without further delay, He Yuzhu turned and got into the jeep. Ma Hua hopped into the front passenger seat, and the other team members boarded the truck behind.

The engine roared to life, and the vehicles slowly drove out of the factory gates.

Around the corner of the Jia family wall, Xiaodang sprinted back to report the news.

Outside the car window, the Rolling Mill receded into the distance.

He Yuzhu leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.

A new journey had begun.

And the petty squabbles back in the courtyard were, for the time being, no concern of his.