boyutpedia Chapter 5 He Shengli is injured, Su Xiao is fired
Chapter 5 He Shengli is injured, Su Xiao is fired
Construction site of the Anju residential community project, a key municipal project for improving people's livelihoods.
Under the blazing sun, dust swirled in the intense light. Conspicuous safety warning signs stood around the construction site, where workers were operating in an orderly manner, scaffolding stood tall, and tower cranes with their long arms suspended in mid-air—a scene of bustling activity.
Today was the day the construction site was to be inspected by the relevant authorities, and the atmosphere was exceptionally tense. As the contractor, Yu Chao, the project manager of Zhongjian Group, led his team to repeatedly inspect the site half a day in advance, even clearing away the gravel underfoot; Huang Lilin, the construction contractor, was also pacing back and forth on the site with his protruding belly.
At 10 o'clock, the inspection team arrived.
He Shengli walked at the front, dressed in a crisp dark suit with the cuffs buttoned up perfectly. His face was stern, and his eyes, sharp as an eagle's, swept over every corner of the site with an undeniable air of authority. He was accompanied by a group of department heads, their steps steady and their expressions serious throughout. Also accompanying them were television reporters, carrying cameras and filming, their lenses pointed at the construction site, ready to record the inspection by the relevant authorities.
Huang Lilin and Yu Chao lagged behind the group, huddled together, and talked in hushed tones.
Huang Lilin leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of smugness, "Do you know Director He Shengli? He was my deskmate for three years in high school! We were in the same class, slept in bunk beds, skipped classes together, fought over meals together, and were as close as brothers!"
Yu Chao narrowed his eyes, clearly disbelieving, a half-smile playing on his lips: "President Huang, I don't believe you. Director He is a leader in the relevant department; his status speaks for itself. How could he possibly be sitting at the same table as you? You must be bragging."
"Bragging?" Huang Lilin instantly became agitated, retorting with a stiff neck and a raised voice, "What's the point of me bragging to you about this? My friendship with He Shengli is genuine! I'll go up and say hello to him later, and you'll see if I'm bragging or not!"
After saying that, without waiting for Yu Chao's response, he straightened his shirt, sticking out his belly, and quickly walked towards He Shengli and his group.
He Shengli had just reached a construction site and stopped to listen to his supervisor's report. His brow was slightly furrowed, clearly scrutinizing the construction details. Huang Lilin approached, a forcedly enthusiastic smile plastered on his face. He extended his hand, his tone as familiar as if they were long-lost friends.
"Director He! Hello, I am Huang Lilin, manager of Tianke Construction Company, the contractor for this Anju Community project. Welcome, leader, to inspect our work."
The reporter's camera instantly focused on the two of them, and everyone's attention at the scene turned to them.
Ke Hesheng merely raised his eyes slightly, glancing at Huang Lilin with a look devoid of familiarity, even carrying a hint of distant doubt. He slowly raised his hand, symbolically shaking hands with Huang Lilin, his fingertips icy cold, the pressure pitifully light, before quickly withdrawing his hand, his tone flat, a formulaic smile on his face:
"Mr. Huang, today's visit is a routine on-site inspection to check the construction safety and progress of the affordable housing project. This project is a key project of the municipal government and is related to people's livelihood. You must ensure that the construction uses high-quality materials and guarantee the safety of people's housing."
After exchanging a few polite words, he ignored Huang Lilin and continued walking forward with steady steps, without pausing for a moment.
The reporters at the scene keenly captured this moment, and their cameras instinctively swayed, revealing Huang Lilin's embarrassment. He stood there, his face flushing red and then turning pale, and finally he could only reluctantly withdraw his hand, feeling a surge of anger inside, yet having nowhere to vent it.
As He Shengli walked away, Huang Lilin's smile froze instantly, turning from smugness to embarrassment and even a hint of resentment. He watched He Shengli's retreating figure, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something more, but was subtly stopped by He Shengli's staff, and could only watch helplessly as the group walked away.
Yu Chao strode over to Huang Lilin's side, and seeing his ashen face, he secretly understood what was going on. He didn't make any more jokes, but simply asked in a low voice, "Mr. Huang, what's wrong?"
Huang Lilin glared at him fiercely, his chest heaving violently, clearly offended by He Shengli's attitude. He never imagined that the "deskmate relationship" he cherished so much would be worthless in He Shengli's eyes. Not only did the other party pretend not to know him, but he also dismissed him with just a few official words, showing him no mercy whatsoever.
A moment later, He Shengli walked to the temporary backdrop erected to welcome the leaders' inspection and prepared to give a speech. The others followed and stood in line.
Just then, a creaking sound came from behind the background wall, accompanied by a thick cloud of dust, and the wall suddenly collapsed!
"Mr. He, be careful!"
Exclamations echoed across the construction site, and the reporter's camera shook in response.
He Shengli instinctively ran forward, but still didn't have time to dodge. A small piece of cracked wall hit him on the head. He groaned, staggered back two steps, blood gushed out instantly, and he fell straight down, losing consciousness on the spot.
Chaos erupted instantly. Workers screamed and swarmed around, reporters' cameras stopped rolling, Yu Chao turned pale with fright, and Huang Lilin's pupils constricted sharply. His earlier resentment was instantly replaced by fear. Looking at He Shengli lying in a pool of blood, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, and in his panic, he too fainted.
The sound of ambulance sirens quickly grew louder as it approached, and the noise of the construction site was replaced by the cries of emergency services.
Fortunately, after emergency treatment, He Shengli only suffered a shoulder injury and a head bump, and was not in life-threatening condition. He was only kept in the hospital for observation due to minor injuries. When the news came back, the relevant personnel of Zhongjian and Tianke breathed a sigh of relief. However, the ensuing accountability storm plunged everyone into greater panic.
When Huang Lilin woke up, he learned that He Shengli had only suffered minor injuries, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief. But he knew how serious the nature of this accident was; if it were used by someone with ulterior motives, crushing him, a nobody, would be a piece of cake.
Anxious and worried, Huang Lilin immediately contacted his nephew Xia Ming. Xia Ming was meticulous and composed. After listening to Huang Lilin's explanation, he instantly understood the situation and immediately took Huang Lilin to Yinghai Group to demand an explanation and seek protection from Wang Mingyu.
The atmosphere in Wang Mingyu's office was heavy.
Wang Mingyu said, "Old Huang, what can I say to you? You're older than me and more experienced. Last time your workers caused trouble at Zhongjian, you handled it promptly, so I pretended not to know. But it hasn't been long, and you've stirred up another huge mess."
Huang Lilin: "President Wang, look at what you're saying, it sounds like I'm deliberately trying to smear our group. I know the affordable housing project is something that makes us look good, I'm not stupid, this really was an accident."
"No accident is accidental."
"But this was an accident."
"Alright, Lao Huang. Stop trying to fool me. We've known each other for over ten years. Do you think you can hide your little tricks from me? You need to think this through. This can't be hidden. You need to explain things clearly so the company can help you. Tell me, what was the cause of the accident, and who is responsible?"
Huang Lilin opened his mouth to speak, but Xia Ming interrupted, "President Wang, the person responsible for this accident is none other than you."
"Huh? What do you mean? Are you trying to drag me into this?" Xia Ming's words made Wang Mingyu burst into laughter.
Xia Ming, standing beside him, said earnestly, "President Wang, as the group's vice president, you are in charge of construction and materials. Whether it's the cement plant or Tianke, they are all under your supervision. If there are any problems, they are your problems. You have been in the group for many years. Even as the vice president and executive director, countless eyes in the group are watching you. If there are any problems, it will only become a handle for others to attack you."
After listening to these words, Wang Mingyu carefully looked Xia Ming up and down, and then said:
"I've heard Lao Huang mention you before, and you really are an outstanding young man. But young man, I've been in this position for over a decade. You think you can shake my position at the slightest sign of trouble? You're overthinking it."
Wu Ming didn't reply, but simply took a document from the file bag he was carrying and said:
"Mr. Wang, this is the list of media present today. The earliest print run will be at 4 PM. We don't have much time left."
Wang Mingyu finally took the young man seriously and calmly accepted the list. Xia Ming then pulled his uncle aside to say goodbye and leave.
Wang Mingyu's original intention was to scare Lao Huang a little before helping him, thus gaining his control. Unexpectedly, the young man outmaneuvered him, making him marvel at how formidable today's youth were! Then, thinking of his nephew, he finally burst into laughter.
In the end, Zhao Xiankun rushed back from out of town and personally went to the hospital to apologize to He Shengli. After Wang Mingyu's mediation, the parties finally reached a consensus, attributing all the responsibility to poor on-site management. Several grassroots supervisors of the Zhongjian Anju project were punished, while Su Xiao, who was in charge of the project cost, was identified as having neglected her duties in review and supervision, becoming the most innocent scapegoat, and was dismissed on the spot.
A cold dismissal notice slammed down in front of Su Xiao. She had been diligent and conscientious, adhered to professional ethics, and worked in accordance with regulations throughout the entire process. She had never participated in any illegal operations, yet in this power struggle and mutual buck-passing among superiors, she became a victim, lost her job, and was burdened with unwarranted accusations of dereliction of duty.