Chapter 115: Director Yuan's Magnanimity

Upon hearing this, the factory director nodded in agreement and said, "I have thought about what you mentioned, but I still feel a bit concerned."

"It’s alright, Director. Since we have already successfully secured the bid from the Shencheng Steel Mill, it shows that they trust us."

"As long as the funding comes through, we will strictly follow the manuals, enhance worker training, and improve professional standards. We will certainly be able to steadily increase our factory's production capacity and put the name of the Fengcheng No. 1 Lathe Factory on the map."

This statement was incredibly persuasive, and the director, feeling encouraged, replied, "It is true that I may have handled some things poorly in the past. I didn't expect you to let bygones be bygones and focus entirely on contributing to our factory. It was my lack of vision."

The director had realized that Shen Guodong was indeed a talent worth cultivating. His foresight, confidence, and conduct all suggested that he was no ordinary man. The director was a smart person; he knew that one could gauge a person’s potential by the things they were capable of achieving.

Seeing the director extending an olive branch, Shen Guodong cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and replied, "Director, I am just an ordinary person. As cadres, we must take the lead; otherwise, what would the employees in our factory think?"

The director agreed wholeheartedly. "Very well. Since you have successfully secured the bid, you should continue to oversee the follow-up work."

"After all, you have already met the director of the Shencheng Steel Mill, so it should be much easier for you to communicate and handle the follow-up."

Shen Guodong was no fool. He could tell from this that the director was now pinning all his hopes for the factory on him.

"Director, since you trust me enough to entrust me with such a heavy and important task, I will certainly see it through to success."

"Young Shen, that’s the spirit! As part of the factory's leadership, we must set a good example. I am leaving this bidding project entirely in your hands. Just report back to me if there are any developments."

Watching the director eagerly hand over the responsibility, Shen Guodong nodded happily. Regardless of whether the director’s intentions were good or malicious, since he was now in charge, he would make sure to handle every detail of the factory’s affairs perfectly. After all, once the funding arrived, it would open up new opportunities for him.

As he walked out of the office, Shen Guodong’s mind began to race, planning his next steps.

Now that the bid had been won, the next task was to wait for the official approval to arrive so they could expand the factory and ramp up the production lines.

Just as he stepped out of the office and onto the stairs, he saw Director Yuan Junfeng walking by with a dark expression on his face.

Seeing Yuan, Shen Guodong walked straight over. "Oh, isn't this Director Yuan? I haven't seen you around lately. What have you been up to?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Yuan Junfeng wished he could just run away. Ever since he heard that morning that the No. 1 Lathe Factory had won the bid, he had felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

"How is it possible?" he thought. "My cousin is in charge of the bidding for the No. 3 Factory. How could the No. 1 Factory, which is vastly inferior to the No. 3, possibly win the bid?"

Although he refused to believe it, the official announcement posted that morning clearly stated that the No. 1 Factory had won. Yuan Junfeng felt as if his world were spinning; his mood had been wretched all morning.

Turning his head, he saw Shen Guodong smiling brightly at him.

Yuan Junfeng forced a smile and said, "Ah, Director Shen. You’re back from the bidding? It must have been exhausting."

Seeing the look of disgust on Yuan’s face, as if he had swallowed a fly, Shen Guodong replied with a grin, "Not at all. How could it be tiring to bring honor to the factory? Since I’ve run into you, Director Yuan, I was wondering—does that bet we made still stand?"

At these words, the smile on Yuan Junfeng’s face froze. The bet was for 2,000 yuan. As a mere department head, even though he picked up some extra money here and there, losing 2,000 yuan was a painful blow.

Shen Guodong, however, spoke loudly enough for everyone in the stairwell to hear. Many people stopped to watch, eager to see how Yuan Junfeng would handle it.

Feeling the eyes of his colleagues on him, Yuan gritted his teeth and said, "Of course it stands! I suppose the previous talk was just a way to provoke you. I never expected you, Director Shen, to be so capable as to actually win the bid."

Shen Guodong shook his head. "Oh, it wasn't just my ability alone. It was the strength of our entire factory that allowed us to win."

This made Yuan Junfeng’s face twitch.

Shen Guodong continued with a smile, "Since the bet is still on, why don't we settle the payment right now? I might get busy later and forget about it."

Seeing Shen Guodong demanding the money on the spot, Yuan Junfeng felt the pinch. Trembling, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope containing the 2,000 yuan. He had been carrying it with him ever since the bet was made, as 2,000 yuan in cash was no small sum.

Shen Guodong took the envelope, glanced inside to confirm the amount, and patted Yuan on the shoulder with a grin.

"Director Yuan, you really shouldn't gamble like this in the future. It’s too costly. After all, if you were to save up your salary, this 2,000 yuan would take nearly ten years to earn."

The onlookers gasped.

Shen Guodong gave him another pat on the shoulder. "Well, Director Yuan, I’ll be off now. I have things to attend to."

Ignoring the man, Shen Guodong walked away. Yuan Junfeng remained standing there, eventually slamming his fist against the wall of the stairwell. He was absolutely miserable.

He couldn't understand how this guy had managed to win the bid. "I must go see my cousin tonight and find out exactly what happened."

His cousin had promised that he had arranged things specifically to ensure the No. 1 Factory would fail. That was why Yuan had been so confident in putting Shen Guodong on the spot. He never imagined he would end up throwing away 2,000 yuan for nothing.