In the blink of an eye, only Cheng Fangqiu and Zhou Yinghuai remained in the room.
“Shall we go back and continue eating?” Cheng Fangqiu was the first to break the silence. Although she knew Zhou Yinghuai might not have much of an appetite now, eating something was still better than going hungry.
Zhou Yinghuai seemed lost in thought, pausing for a couple of seconds before responding. He then reached out, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and guided her toward the dining table.
However, this meal was destined to be eaten absentmindedly. After hastily finishing, Zhou Yinghuai cleaned up everything, bid her farewell, and headed into the study. A short while later, he emerged carrying a briefcase.
Seeing this, Cheng Fangqiu stood up from the sofa, her gaze sweeping over him as she softly asked, “Are you going out?”
Zhou Yinghuai didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned in and pulled her into his embrace. A faint, delicate fragrance unique to her wafted into his nose, instantly soothing his restless heart. His eyes darkened as he said in a low voice, “I’m sorry, Qiuqiu. I might not be able to accompany you these next few days.”
Hearing this, Cheng Fangqiu wasn’t surprised. In fact, she felt this was typical of Zhou Yinghuai.
She reached out and gently stroked his back, softening her tone and deliberately acting coquettish as she said, “Don’t worry. If you’re not around, there are plenty of people to keep me company.”
Upon hearing her ambiguous words, Zhou Yinghuai nearly laughed in exasperation. He gritted his teeth and pinched her waist, saying, “Just wait until I get back to deal with you.”
“What are you thinking? I meant Mom and Dad.”
Cheng Fangqiu giggled and buried her face in his chest, her nose pressing against his warm, firm body. They were so close that she could clearly feel the strong, rhythmic beating of his heart.
The tense atmosphere eased considerably with her laughter. The two of them held each other quietly for a while before Cheng Fangqiu finally pushed him away, tilting her chin up and gazing at Zhou Yinghuai with her large, watery eyes. “Husband, I’ll wait for you to come back.”
Meeting her enchanting gaze, Zhou Yinghuai’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Unable to resist, he leaned down and planted a kiss by her lips, murmuring, “Wait for me to bring you a gift when I return.”
“A gift?” Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes instantly lit up.
“Yes, your favorite.” He curled his lips into a smile, leaving the sentence unfinished and creating a sense of anticipation.
Her favorite? Thinking about what Zhou Yinghuai was about to do, Cheng Fangqiu vaguely guessed what it might be. She immediately cheered and pushed him toward the door, saying, “Then hurry up! Go early and come back early. Good luck!”
Feeling the push on his back, Zhou Yinghuai couldn’t help but laugh wryly. However, he didn’t forget to remind her, “I’ll probably be gone for a few days. Take care of yourself at home, and make sure you stay safe. It’s best if you stay at the guesthouse with Mom and Dad.”
“Okay, I’ll figure it out. You take care of yourself too. Love you.”
Cheng Fangqiu escorted Zhou Yinghuai downstairs and stood at the stairwell, watching him leave. Only after his figure had completely disappeared did the smile on her lips gradually fade. A wave of intense longing welled up in her heart, but she wasn’t the type to be unreasonable. Zhou Yinghuai had important matters to attend to, and she couldn’t cling to him and prevent him from leaving.
On the contrary, she fully supported his decision. Addressing problems promptly and nipping potential bad outcomes in the bud was far better than letting things escalate.
If the situation were allowed to develop unchecked, it would not only embolden petty individuals but also cause significant losses to the machinery factory.
Zhou Yinghuai would never stand by and watch this happen, nor would he allow anyone to use his research to harm the nation’s interests.
—
“Technician Hu, these are the documents you asked me to organize. They’re all here.”
Hu Pingsheng took the documents and, without even glancing at them, casually tossed them onto the table. He leaned back in his chair, lazily tilting his head, and even began humming a tune.
He looked radiant and full of energy.
Seeing this, Ma Jinghui’s expression stiffened, but he quickly lowered his head to hide it, afraid Hu Pingsheng might notice. However, his hands, hanging at his sides, clenched into fists involuntarily.
This was far from the first time Hu Pingsheng had pushed his work onto him. In the past, Hu Pingsheng would at least offer some perfunctory words of thanks, but today he didn’t say a thing. Instead, he carelessly tossed the documents Ma Jinghui had spent two or three days organizing into a corner.
This was a clear sign that Hu Pingsheng didn’t regard him as a person at all.
Faced with such humiliating treatment, Ma Jinghui clenched his back teeth in anger. However, when he thought about Hu Pingsheng’s status and the praise he had received from Supervisor Lei earlier that day, he could only swallow his anger and pretend not to notice.
With this in mind, Ma Jinghui forced a smile back onto his face and said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head out now? Let me know if you need anything.”
Hearing this, Hu Pingsheng waved his hand dismissively, signaling that Ma Jinghui could leave.
The gesture, reminiscent of how one might treat a lowly servant in the old days, made Ma Jinghui feel even more stifled. He took a deep breath and continued to endure it. Just as he took two steps toward the door, Hu Pingsheng suddenly seemed to remember something. He abruptly opened his eyes and called out to stop him.
“Wait.”
“Is there something else?” Ma Jinghui asked with a strained smile.
Hu Pingsheng’s dark eyes shifted, eventually landing on a white wall in the distance. Hanging on the wall was a calligraphy piece with the bold black characters: “Work with full vigor, strive to be at the forefront.”
This was a piece he had personally written and hung up after being promoted to senior technician. It held significant meaning for him.
Behind this wall was the office of his arch-rival, Zhou Yinghuai.
“Did you pass the message to Zhao Zhigao?”
Ma Jinghui had initially thought Hu Pingsheng was about to dump more miscellaneous tasks on him. Upon hearing this question, he immediately relaxed and replied with a smile, “Yes, I did.”
Compared to other tasks, this one had been relatively simple and easy.
However, Hu Pingsheng didn’t seem satisfied with his answer. His brows furrowed tightly.
Seeing this, Ma Jinghui’s heart sank. After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously asked, “Is there a problem?”
Hu Pingsheng shot him a cold glance. “Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t. You can leave now.”
Ma Jinghui was momentarily speechless. He couldn’t understand why Hu Pingsheng had suddenly lost his temper. He hadn’t said anything out of line, yet he was still being scolded.
As he watched Hu Pingsheng’s face darken, Ma Jinghui couldn’t help but grumble inwardly: What a difficult person to serve.
He couldn’t understand how fate could be so blind as to allow someone like Hu Pingsheng to solve the industry’s top problem. With this research under his belt, Hu Pingsheng’s future was practically secured.
It’s infuriating how life works sometimes.
Despite his internal complaints, Ma Jinghui plastered on a smile and quickly left Hu Pingsheng’s office.
After he left, the room fell silent once more.
“Why hasn’t there been any movement?”
Hu Pingsheng muttered to himself, growing increasingly agitated. He stood up and began pacing back and forth in his office.
He had deliberately instructed Ma Jinghui to deliver those words to Zhao Zhigao. Even if Zhou Yinghuai hadn’t disclosed the research details to Zhao Zhigao, given their close relationship, Zhao Zhigao would undoubtedly have gone to inform Zhou Yinghuai about the matter.
Zhou Yinghuai was smart enough to sense something was amiss. And once suspicion arose, any normal person would be eager to verify the situation, potentially causing them to panic and make mistakes. That would give Hu Pingsheng the upper hand, allowing him to crush Zhou Yinghuai underfoot, branding him with shame and ensuring he could never recover.
But why was the entire technical department still so calm? After Zhao Zhigao returned from his trip, he had quietly resumed his duties, and Zhou Yinghuai hadn’t shown his face at all.
This wasn’t normal!
As the end of the workday approached, Hu Pingsheng grew increasingly restless. Unable to wait any longer, he personally went to Supervisor Lei’s office to probe for information. After some indirect questioning, he received the same answer: Zhou Yinghuai had not shown up in the technical department that day.
Hu Pingsheng couldn’t tell whether this made him more anxious or somewhat relieved.
Back when Ma Changjun had gotten into trouble, Hu Pingsheng hadn’t dared to waste a single moment. He had rushed to the technical department that very night to destroy any evidence, thinking that even if it were discovered the next day, he could pin the blame on Ma Changjun, who had fled.
Originally, after completing his task, he had planned to leave immediately. However, seeing that no one was around and realizing it was a rare opportunity, he had impulsively decided to break into Zhou Yinghuai’s office.
On one hand, he wanted to see what Zhou Yinghuai had been working on in his office all this time. On the other hand, he hoped to get lucky and find some dirt on him.
As luck would have it, he stumbled upon something extraordinary in a locked cabinet—a research report of immense significance!
As a senior technician in the department, he immediately recognized the value of the report. If made public, it would cause an uproar, shaking the entire industry.
How could Zhou Yinghuai be so fortunate? To have single-handedly produced such groundbreaking research!
It was impossible not to feel jealous or envious. After all, this report was a guarantee of lifelong security and a ticket to climbing the ranks. With it, not only could he secure the position of department supervisor, but after a few more years of experience, even the factory director’s seat wouldn’t be out of reach.
If Zhou Yinghuai submitted this report, the gap between them would only widen, and Hu Pingsheng would never be able to surpass him.
The more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became. After much hesitation, and upon seeing that the report bore only Zhou Yinghuai’s name, he ultimately decided to take a reckless gamble.
After all, without evidence, who could prove he had stolen it?
If anyone was to blame, it was Zhou Yinghuai himself. How could he have produced such groundbreaking research without saying a word? There was no one to vouch for him! Even if there were, who would believe mere words without proof?
Moreover, with so many important documents destroyed in the technical department, Zhou Yinghuai would undoubtedly be swamped with work and unable to focus on this research report. Meanwhile, Hu Pingsheng could use this time to thoroughly understand the research.
By the time Zhou Yinghuai confronted him, Hu Pingsheng would have memorized the report inside and out, allowing him to respond with ease.
It seemed as though the heavens were on his side. Just as the technical department’s issues were being resolved, Zhou Yinghuai had to prepare for his wedding banquet, leaving him with no free time.
Seizing this opportunity, Hu Pingsheng submitted the report to the higher-ups.
With almost every advantage in his favor, what could Zhou Yinghuai possibly do? Who would believe him?
Hu Pingsheng was waiting for Zhou Yinghuai to make a move. In fact, he was looking forward to it, as it would give him a chance to play the victim, garner sympathy, and increase his credibility.
But to his surprise, Zhou Yinghuai had shown no reaction upon learning of the situation. Was it because he knew there was no way to turn things around, so he had simply given up? Or was he still lost in the bliss of his honeymoon, planning to address the issue after his vacation?
However, based on what little he knew of Zhou Yinghuai, Hu Pingsheng was more inclined to believe that Zhou Yinghuai was planning something big. This made him even more cautious.
After much deliberation, Hu Pingsheng decided to propose to Supervisor Lei that they speed up the process of interviewing and publishing the report in the newspaper, as well as quickly implementing the research into the production line.
Once everything was set in stone, even if the truth came to light, the factory would prioritize its reputation and not correct the “mistake.” Instead, they would do everything to protect him and cover up the scandal.
Moreover, there was no chance of the truth being exposed.
Hu Pingsheng curled his lips into a smirk. Zhou Yinghuai, Zhou Yinghuai, this is fate!
What he didn’t expect, however, was that for three consecutive days, not only was there no sign of the interview or newspaper publication, but even the promised promotion, raise, factory award ceremony, and speech had all vanished without a trace.
It was as if the report he had submitted had never existed.
Hu Pingsheng began to panic. He started making frequent trips to Supervisor Lei’s office, but even Supervisor Lei claimed to have no information. Seeing Hu Pingsheng’s anxiety, Supervisor Lei tried to comfort him, saying that such an important matter was likely still going through the proper channels.
Hearing this, Hu Pingsheng felt slightly reassured, but for some reason, a sense of foreboding continued to grow within him. This unease reached its peak when he learned that Zhou Yinghuai had also been absent from the factory for three days.
His once unwavering confidence began to waver. He mobilized all his connections within the factory to find out where Zhou Yinghuai had gone, even reaching out to Zhou Yinghuai’s wife. But the answer was always the same: no one knew…