Chapter 134 Don't Let It Show

"I really can't help you."

He sighed.

"I'll talk to Officer Cui and arrange a better dormitory for you girls. It's a four-person room here. Just tell him if you need anything, and he'll provide it."

"You can also get the books, paper, and pens you need from him; you won't have to pay extra. The factory provides all the daily necessities."

"That sounds like a pretty good offer."

Jiang Min smiled, her eyes curving into two crescent moons.

They exchanged a few more words and then parted ways.

Li Jianguo continued working on the project.

Jiang Min returned to the dormitory with her classmates.

The dormitory was located on the east side of the factory, a row of single-story houses with red bricks and gray tiles. A few pieces of clothing were hanging on the wire outside the door, frozen stiff.

The dormitory environment is alright.

The four-person room wasn't crowded. Each person had their own set of basic necessities. The beds were bunk beds, but since only four people were staying, the top bunk could be used to store luggage.

"Minmin, what did you say to Director Li?"

As soon as Qi Yuan saw Jiang Min return, she immediately went up to her, took her arm, and asked her what was going on.

Qi Yuan is her roommate. She has a round face, loves to smile, and has two dimples when she smiles.

"I didn't say much, just told him not to give me any special treatment. He was busy with work, so we didn't say much more."

"Jiang Min, you're really lucky."

A girl next to me suddenly spoke up.

Her surname was Sun, and her given name was Sun Qiaozhen. She wasn't very close to Jiang Min; they were in the same school but different classes. She was tidying up her things with her head down, not looking up.

"You'll have someone to take care of you from the start. With him around, you definitely won't suffer much."

She took the towel out of her bag, folded it, and placed it on the bedside table.

"Could you talk to him and ask if we could be transferred to a better project team? That way, we can all learn more."

That's a bit sarcastic.

Jiang Min could easily tell.

She smiled faintly.

"It's all for the sake of national development; there's no such thing as a good or bad project."

She also started tidying up her things, taking out her toothbrush and putting it on the table.

"To get into a good project, you have to have the ability. Only those with ability can get in; those without ability will only hold the project back."

She turned around and looked at Sun Qiaozhen.

"Director Li is the project leader, and he has a heavy responsibility. I can't cause him any trouble at this time."

Jiang Min's few words silenced the girl completely; she opened her mouth, then closed it again, and finally simply lowered her head and remained silent.

After the dormitory was tidied up, there were still wet stains on the floor, and the air smelled of soap and dust mixed together. Officer Cui called out from outside, "It's time to eat!"

The canteen was packed with people, the steam carrying the aroma of food, and it was as noisy as a market. The head chef was said to be a retired employee of a state-owned restaurant, who had formally apprenticed, and his skills were renowned in the area—this was the only hope for everyone after working themselves to the bone. At mealtimes, everyone rushed out faster than rabbits.

As soon as Jiang Min and her group stepped across the threshold, they heard someone call out, "Minmin, over here."

Li Jianguo stood at the door of a small room further inside, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and waved to them.

Qi Yuan quickly shoved Jiang Min and whispered, "Hurry up, what are you standing there for?"

Jiang Min's face flushed red. With so many people watching, she felt embarrassed and walked quickly with her head down.

"Call all your roommates over, we're having a special meal today," Li Jianguo said with a smile, pointing inside.

The small room next to the kitchen had an octagonal table, already piled high with dishes—the braised pork was glistening with oil, the sweet and sour fish was sizzling, and the aroma of stewed chicken wafted into the air. Next to it were two plates of stir-fried greens, green as they were, but compared to the main dishes, they seemed like mere accompaniments.

Yuanyuan's eyes widened, and she blurted out, "Wow, we're in for a treat today!"

The other two girls were too shy to say anything, but their eyes were practically glued to the table.

"Sit down and eat, this is to welcome you." Li Jianguo pulled out chairs. "When things get busy, it's hard to say whether you'll be able to come to the cafeteria on time. But don't worry, Comrade Cui and the others will bring the food to your hands, you won't go hungry."

As he spoke, he placed a piece of fish on Jiang Min's plate.

"The projects here are demanding, so don't push yourselves too hard. Take a break when you're exhausted, and balance work and rest—I've told the staff this so many times, but no one listens." Li Jianguo sighed. "Later, I had no choice but to have Officer Cui keep an eye on their meals every day, and record who doesn't eat. That's when things got a little better."

Yuanyuan was stunned: "Really that busy?"

"The engineers you'll be working with are all workaholics. You're lucky to run into them." Li Jianguo changed the subject, lowering his voice, "You can slack off a bit, but don't let me fall behind schedule."

No sooner had she finished speaking than she felt a slap on her thigh. Jiang Min glared at him.

Li Jianguo coughed and stopped talking.

"We're here to learn, so what's a little tiredness?" Jiang Min chimed in. "The engineers are even more tired; we're just here to help out."

Several girls nodded in agreement with what he said.

The meal was enjoyed immensely, with the plates almost licked clean. Yuanyuan patted her belly and said she wished she could eat this kind of cooking every day. The other two girls echoed her sentiment.

Just as we were finishing up, the door was suddenly pushed open with a bang.

Factory Director Yang burst in, sweating profusely. Seeing Jiang Min and the others, a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face: "Oh, everyone's here. Minmin's here too. Enjoy your meal, I need to speak with Director Li about something."

Seeing his expression, Li Jianguo knew what was going on, so he stood up and followed him out.

The two walked to a sheltered corner outside the canteen. Director Yang couldn't contain his excitement: "Director Li, they've taken the bait! This time you have to help put on a show and ensnare them."

Li Jianguo remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"There's more good news," Director Yang lowered his voice and leaned closer to say, "The higher-ups held a meeting and approved it. At least half of this money will be allocated to our factory. You might be able to get those experimental devices you wanted this time."

After hearing this, Li Jianguo poured cold water on the idea: "You think you can buy that batch of equipment for fifty thousand US dollars? You're way off. But something is better than nothing, so let's save it up."

Factory Director Yang grew impatient: "Tell me what you want to buy, something so expensive!"

"You don't know that the foreign exchange you earn from exports in a year is many times more than this?" Li Jianguo glanced at him sideways.

Factory Director Yang choked, muttering, "Isn't it because this money is free? Besides, the factory's foreign exchange earnings have to be handed over, and you don't know how troublesome it is to apply for approval? Every time I try to get some money approved, my legs get worn out. This 50,000 can be used at my own discretion, isn't that great!"

"Then the higher-ups won't approve the next time we buy equipment."

"Impossible! With your imperial sword, who would dare not approve it? We can't let people like you suffer." Director Yang said with a grin.

After exchanging a few casual words, Li Jianguo got down to business: "What kind of play do you want me to act in? Arrange a time."

Factory Director Yang immediately became serious: "You'll have to hear the details from Deputy Director Zhang. Those people on the other side are very shrewd. Although they've taken the bait, they don't believe you have a relationship with Yu Li. You need to put on a show with her so they can see for themselves how close you two are."

Li Jianguo frowned: "If this gets out, Minmin will skin me alive!"

"Director Li, you can't just stand by and watch us die!" Factory Director Yang pleaded pitifully. "We've been working so hard for so long, and we're just one step away from success."

Li Jianguo was silent for a few seconds, then nodded helplessly: "Alright. Minmin is busy at the factory right now, so you guys keep your mouths shut and don't give anything away."

"Don't worry! Everyone involved keeps their mouths shut," Factory Director Yang assured him. "It's just a charade, we're not asking you to do anything real."

Li Jianguo didn't reply and turned back to the small house.

Jiang Min and the others had finished eating and were sitting down drinking water. When Yuanyuan saw him come in, she said with a grin, "Director Li, this cafeteria is so nice, I don't want to leave!"

"You'll have something to eat every day from now on," Li Jianguo said casually, glancing at Jiang Min.

The girls were quite perceptive; they stood up and said they would leave first, leaving the two of them to talk.