Siheyuan: How the Little People Live

In the office of Director Yang of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill, Director Yang sat at his desk, holding an application form in his hand and looking at the person in front of him with a slightly frown.

"Old Li, you're putting me in a passive position, do you know that?" Director Yang said with some dissatisfaction.

Deputy Director Li sat on the chair opposite his desk and nodded solemnly: "I know, Director, but I have my own considerations for this matter."

Director Yang put down the application form, tapped the table with his fingers, and said, "I have known about Ye Wenwu for a long time, but he has only been in our Red Star Steel Rolling Mill for a short time. Isn't it a bit too fast to promote him to deputy director of the Propaganda Department so quickly?"

As Director Yang spoke, he carefully observed the changes in Deputy Director Li's expression.

Deputy Director Li took a deep breath and explained, "Director, I also know that Ye Wenwu has been at our Red Star Steel Mill for too short a time. It is not appropriate to promote him so quickly, but you know..."

Director Yang interrupted him: "What do I know? Tell me!"

Deputy Director Li hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell the truth: "Director, I have actually been paying attention to Ye Wenwu. His ability and potential are rare talents in our factory. If we can train him well, he will definitely make greater contributions to the factory in the future."

After hearing this, Director Yang was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly: "Well, what you said makes sense. However, we still have to act cautiously and not act too hastily. How about this, you go back and prepare the relevant materials, and when the time is right, submit them to the factory committee for discussion."

Deputy Director Li stood up and replied respectfully: "Okay, Director, I will prepare the relevant materials as soon as possible." After that, he turned and left the office.

Director Yang frowned, tapped his fingers on the table, and stared at the application in his hand, as if he wanted to see the truth behind the paper. He recalled the conversation with Ye Wenwu, when Ye Wenwu confidently confronted him with the project book, firmly stating that the project would definitely be approved by his superiors, and bet that if it succeeded, he would become the new project department director.

However, the current situation makes Director Yang feel regretful and helpless. Although he promised that if the project was taken seriously by the superiors, he would reuse Ye Wenwu, he eventually broke his promise. He gave this opportunity to the grandson of his old boss, but the project got stuck at the first step, which gave him a headache as a factory director.

"What a pity!" Director Yang couldn't help but sigh. He knew that the relationship between him and Ye Wenwu could not be improved any further. Otherwise, Deputy Director Li, a political opponent, would not have come to review Ye Wenwu's application form. According to common sense, if Ye Wenwu really wanted to get this position, he should come to him in person with the application report, instead of passing it through Deputy Director Li.

Director Yang sighed deeply. He realized that this incident might disappoint Ye Wenwu. At the same time, he also understood that his decision was irreversible. He could only accept the reality and try his best to solve the current problems.

A tense atmosphere permeated the office of Deputy Director Li of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill.

"This old guy really rejected it." Deputy Director Li threw the application report on the desk viciously, his voice full of anger and dissatisfaction.

He deliberately sent this application report to Director Yang, just to see how Director Yang would deal with it. He had always coveted Director Yang's position, and this incident gave him a glimmer of opportunity.

He originally thought that he could kill two birds with one stone by doing this: he could make Ye Wenwu grateful to him and make Director Yang offend the Xu family, thus creating more opportunities for himself. However, Director Yang's decisive refusal broke his wishful thinking.

"Director, do you want me to secretly reveal this to Ye Wenwu?" Wang Xiaotian asked cautiously, with a hint of flattery in his voice.

Deputy Director Li glanced at Wang Xiaotian with a feminine look, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes. Wang Xiaotian suddenly felt a chill and lowered his head, secretly regretting that he had said such an impulsive thing.

"I'll leave this matter to you, but remember, I don't want Ye Wenwu to blame me. You should know what to do, right?" Deputy Director Li said in a low voice, revealing an unquestionable majesty.

Wang Xiaotian nodded repeatedly, secretly glad that he had said the right thing. He understood what Deputy Director Li meant, asking him to tell Ye Wenwu about this, but he couldn't let Ye Wenwu think that it was Deputy Director Li's idea. He had to handle this matter skillfully, so that Ye Wenwu could get the news, but Deputy Director Li wouldn't be implicated.

"Don't worry, Director, I will never let you down." Wang Xiaotian promised with a firm look in his eyes.

Deputy Director Li nodded with satisfaction, a barely perceptible smile on his face. He believed that Wang Xiaotian could handle this matter well, and he also looked forward to the next development.

. . . . . .

At lunch time, we went to the third canteen.

"Brother Wang, you are not lying to me, are you?"

Ye Wenwu was also stunned when he heard the news about Wang Xiaotian. He did not expect that Director Yang was so brave that he dared to refuse what the Xu family did.

Xu Ying told him in the morning that the position of deputy section chief would definitely be given to him in due time. Ye Wenwu knew that this was definitely not an idea of ​​one person, and the Xu family would definitely agree to it and use this position as compensation.

"Wenwu, how could I dare to lie to you about this? If I hadn't heard it at the time, Deputy Director Li might have been very angry when he came back. He even broke several porcelain teacups. I have never seen him so angry before."

Wang Xiaotian was astonished. There was no sign of acting on his face.

Ye Wenwu did have a doubt in his heart. After all, the Xu family was such a big background. What good would it be for him to offend Director Yang? Or was someone ordering him to do so?

Ye Wenwu frowned, thinking about the reason behind this matter. Could it be that Director Yang was dissatisfied with the Xu family? Or was there some other conflict of interest that forced him to make such a decision? In any case, this matter seemed a bit complicated and mysterious.

At this moment, Ye Wenwu couldn't help but think of the conversation with Xu Ying in the morning. She had clearly said that the position of deputy section chief would be given to him, but now it seemed that everything had become uncertain. Would the Xu family still be able to fulfill their promise? Or was this just a victim in a power struggle?

The more Ye Wenwu thought about it, the more upset he became. He realized that he was involved in a power game that was far more complicated than he had imagined. In this game, everyone had their own goals and means, and he had to deal with it carefully to avoid becoming a pawn in the hands of others.

"Forget it, Brother Wang. It doesn't matter whether there is the position of deputy section chief or not. Anyway, I'm still young and can wait. When I have made some career in the future, the factory will also consider me." Ye Wenwu said calmly.

Wang Xiaotian looked at Ye Wenwu's calm expression and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "What a powerful character! Such psychological quality and mentality are really admirable." He originally thought that Ye Wenwu would feel disappointed because of losing the position of deputy section chief, but he didn't expect that the other party would be so calm.

Wang Xiaotian knew that for most people, losing such an important opportunity would be disappointing or even angry. But Ye Wenwu was able to remain calm and not be swayed by emotions. This kind of temperament made Wang Xiaotian have a deeper admiration for Ye Wenwu.

However, Wang Xiaotian didn't know that Ye Wenwu didn't really care about the position of deputy section chief. He just regarded it as a transitional stage, and his real goal was to be the director of the new department. So, when he learned that he couldn't get the position of deputy section chief, he didn't feel lost or angry like others. On the contrary, he felt that this just gave him more time to prepare and fight for the position of director of the new department.

Wang Xiaotian sighed inwardly: "It seems that I still underestimated Ye Wenwu. He not only has outstanding abilities, but also has an extraordinary mentality and wisdom. Such a person will definitely achieve great things in the future."

Wang Xiaotian took a deep breath, adjusted his mood, smiled and said to Ye Wenwu: "Wenwu, you have a really good mentality. I believe that with your ability and talent, there will be greater room for development in the future. However, I still hope that you will not be discouraged, continue to work hard, and strive for better opportunities."

Ye Wenwu nodded and replied with a smile: "Thank you Brother Wang for your encouragement, I will work hard." After that, the two smiled at each other, and their relationship seemed to become closer.

In the afternoon, the sun shines into the office through the window, reflecting a golden glow. However, Ye Wenwu has no intention of appreciating the beautiful scenery. He sits alone at his desk, frowning, with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

He recalled the conversation with Wang Xiaotian in the morning, and a feeling of doubt and uneasiness surged in his heart. Although he had a good relationship with Wang Xiaotian, he knew that this level of friendship was not enough for him to take the risk of eavesdropping on the conversation between the two factory directors. Moreover, even if Wang Xiaotian really heard something, with Director Li's connections and means, it would be unlikely for him to know it easily.

"Humph!" Ye Wenwu snorted coldly, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, with a hint of sneer. He felt as if he had become a pawn in the hands of others, and this discovery made him angry and dissatisfied.

"Do you think I'm a fool? Do you think I'm so easy to be bullied?" Ye Wenwu thought to himself, with a fierce look in his eyes. If he hadn't returned to the office in time to review the whole incident, he would probably have mistakenly thought that Director Yang had something against him.

However, Ye Wenwu did not immediately decide to turn against them. He took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and secretly vowed to deal with it calmly.

"In that case, let you continue to fight. In the end, the fruits of victory will belong to me." Ye Wenwu muttered silently in his heart, with a firm light flashing in his eyes. He decided to keep a low profile, secretly observe the development of the situation, and wait for the right time to take action.

At the same time, he couldn't help thinking about the open and covert struggle between Director Yang and Deputy Director Li. Who will win and who will lose in this struggle? Can he profit from it? These questions lingered in his mind and made him fall into deep thought.