Chapter 118: Who Exactly Is the Mole?

The factory manager hesitated for a moment and asked, "Should we go to the Urban Construction Bureau to register now?"

"Yes. In any case, word has already gotten out at the top, and the director of the Shencheng plant has told us that the funding should be coming down. It’s practically a done deal."

"I see. In that case, Shen, you go ahead to the Urban Construction Bureau. I’ll give them a call first."

In this era, large factories in the county seat had already installed telephones. Although the installation costs were exorbitant, they were essential for facilitating communication. At that time, any major factory looking to expand was required to report to the Urban Construction Bureau and obtain the necessary approved documentation before work could commence.

Having recently secured a bid in Shencheng, the No. 1 Lathe Factory had become a hot topic throughout Fengcheng. When the director of the Urban Construction Bureau received the call regarding the factory expansion, he immediately offered his full support. "Prepare the application for the factory, and leave the rest to me."

After all, being linked with the Shencheng Steel Mill proved the robust strength of the No. 1 Factory. Furthermore, this tender agreement was signed for a ten-year term, ensuring a bright future for the No. 1 Lathe Factory for the next decade.

After leaving the manager's office, Shen Guodong returned to his own. As he passed Yuan Junfeng’s office, he saw Yuan storming out, looking furious.

Seeing Yuan, Shen Guodong smiled and said, "Isn't this Director Yuan? You're in quite a hurry this morning. Where are you off to?"

Having lost 2,000 yuan to Shen Guodong the previous day, Yuan Junfeng turned to leave the moment he saw him. "What a nuisance," he muttered under his breath.

"It’s almost lunch time. Care to join me?"

Shen Guodong knew Yuan was only being polite, so he shook his head and continued, "Ah, never mind then. Since our factory just finished the bidding process, we’ll likely need to expand. Things are a bit busy lately, so let's eat another time."

Shen Guodong said this deliberately to give Yuan Junfeng something to chew on. "Baldy" had told him that morning that Yuan Junfeng appeared to have some familial ties to Wang Chengzhi of the No. 3 Factory. Furthermore, according to his men, Yuan had gone directly to see Wang the night before, and it seemed their relationship was quite close. By saying this, he was sending a warning to Wang Chengzhi’s camp: the No. 1 Factory was about to turn the tables and become the master of its own fate.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Yuan Junfeng was stunned. "What? Is the No. 1 Factory already starting its expansion?"

"Of course. Since we secured the bid, the expansion funds we applied for have been released, so we definitely have to expand. Otherwise, our production capacity won't be enough."

Hearing this, Yuan Junfeng frowned deeply. "How is that possible? At this critical juncture, isn't there talk of merging the two factories into one? If they merge, the capacity should be sufficient."

Shen Guodong did not answer Yuan's question. Instead, he patted him on the shoulder. "Forget it, go have your lunch. Since everything is now on my plate, you can take it easy."

Seeing Shen’s smug expression, Yuan Junfeng snorted and walked away. He had intended to go to the canteen, but realizing the significance of this news, he headed straight out of the factory.

From his office window, Shen Guodong watched Yuan storm out of the factory. A smile played on his lips.

"And he thinks he can compete with me? When I find out who the traitor in the No. 1 Factory is—the one who sent that letter to Director Wang—I’ll make their life a living hell."

Clearly, Shen Guodong was truly incensed by the whistleblower. Regardless of the era, people deeply despise those who betray them, and this was no exception. Shen suspected that Yuan Junfeng was the one behind it, especially given their 2,000-yuan wager and Yuan’s shady connections with Wang Chengzhi.

Watching Yuan disappear from sight, Shen Guodong stared blankly out the window.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Shen turned to see that Zhou Meiniang had walked in. Seeing him lost in thought by the window, she smiled and asked, "Still daydreaming? What did the manager say?"

Shen Guodong shook his head. "The manager said it’s practically settled and we just need to go to the Urban Construction Bureau to register."

"That’s great. Now that we’ve won the bid, we should get workers in here as soon as possible to add two more assembly lines. It will significantly improve our production efficiency."

Shen nodded. "Have you heard anything about what’s happening inside the factory? Like who leaked that report to Shencheng?"

The most direct way would be to ask Director Wang, but doing so might "startle the snake," and given Director Wang’s upright character, he likely wouldn't reveal the source.

Zhou Meiniang paced nearby. "The two factions within the factory are clearly divided now. Even though there has been plenty of friction before, this seems like going too far." After all, under normal circumstances, their factory couldn't compare to the No. 3 Factory. Unless someone was maliciously targeting them, there would be no reason for this; everyone in the factory was eating from the same pot, and ruining the factory would ultimately hurt everyone.

This observation was quite realistic. Shen Guodong nodded. "I know what you mean. But it happened, and I had Baldy keep an eye on things. I’m not sure if it’s had any effect yet."

"Why bring this up now? Let’s just head to the Urban Construction Bureau."

It was clear that Zhou Meiniang was more eager to finalize the expansion plans. Shen Guodong sensed this and said, "Alright, let's go. We'll grab a quick lunch now and head to the Bureau this afternoon."

Since they had to go in the afternoon, Shen kept things simple and grabbed lunch with Zhou Meiniang at the factory cafeteria. Perhaps because the No. 1 Factory had secured the bid, the food in the canteen had improved significantly recently. The head chef even carefully brought them a small bowl of braised pork.