"I came by this morning."

Having been discovered, Director Zhao stopped hiding. He stepped out from the corner and nodded to the team members who were greeting him. "Carry on. Don’t let me interrupt your work."

’Director Zhao must really value us,’ the team members thought.

They began handling their tasks with even greater diligence.

Watching the team members, who were now all fired up, Director Zhao patted Xie Changning’s shoulder. "Excellent work. Things at the Anong County Machinery Factory have been pretty bad lately, and they need a new director. What do you think, Xiao Xie? Are you interested?"

Director Li’s eyes widened at Director Zhao’s proposition.

How long had Xie Changning been a vice factory director?

How was she already being promoted to a full director?

Being asked directly, Xie Changning naturally had no reason to refuse. "If you dare to use me, I dare to do it!" ’The fact that Director Zhao came to ask me in person means all the arrangements have been made. All that’s left is for me to say yes.’

As soon as she nodded, she would be Director Xie, no longer Vice Factory Director Xie!

She had no real impression of the Anong County Machinery Factory. ’It’s probably just some small factory,’ she mused.

But she wasn’t picky. She was confident that she could revitalize the machinery factory and lead it to new heights!

"Good, good, good! I knew you wouldn’t refuse. I’ll go back and submit the promotion report to the leadership. For now, just focus on preparing for the competition. Leave the rest to me!"

He would handle it!

"Yes, sir! I guarantee I’ll complete the mission!"

The competition in Beijing was just a month away. Only 100 factories from the entire country were eligible to participate.

Each province could only select two or three factories, so those chosen carried the high hopes of their entire region. As a result, every factory was going all out, determined to achieve the best possible results.

They promoted their best young workers to participate, all for the sake of progress and broadening their horizons!

「One month later...」

"Honey, you have to be careful when you get there. Don’t overwork yourself. If you feel tired, sit down and rest for a bit, okay?"

A worried Yue Yihan saw Xie Changning onto the train, nagging her with anxious reminders.

Xie Changning nodded. "Don’t worry. The train is about to leave. Aren’t you getting off?"

"Oh..."

Yue Yihan reluctantly said his goodbyes to Xie Changning, then got off the train and stood on the platform, waving to her.

Only after Yue Yihan was off the train did Xie Changning return to her sleeper bunk to get some proper rest.

Next to her was Zhu Yuhong, a team member from the Chuncheng Machine Tool Factory.

"Commander Yue looked like he wished he could come along with you," Zhu Yuhong teased from the side.

Wang Lisheng, sitting on Director Li’s bunk, also started laughing. "You have no idea how much Yue Yihan treasures her. He wishes a day had twenty-five hours so he could spend them all chasing after her. If it weren’t for the fact that men can’t get pregnant, I bet he’d want to do it for her. He babies her like crazy!"

Zhu Yuhong nodded. "Director Wang, if you had such a wonderful wife, wouldn’t you dote on her too?"

"Hah! You’ve got some nerve teasing Commander Yue?" Director Li said, laughing at Wang Lisheng. "What about yourself? Don’t think I don’t know that you go home every day after work to wash your wife’s feet and wait on her. It’s an open secret among us!"

Wang Lisheng, not to be outdone, retorted, "And you’re any better? Don’t you wash all the clothes in your house? We’re away from home, and you’re not giving me any face. So I’ll just expose you right back."

"Hmph! I love my wife, and I’m proud of it!" Director Li puffed out his chest, showing he wasn’t afraid of being exposed.

Xie Changning had met Wang Lisheng’s wife. She was a very crisp and capable woman from the Northeast, a master of managing things both inside and outside the home. She was also the principal of Chuncheng Primary School—an incredibly impressive person.

As for Director Li’s wife, she had never met her, but she had heard people talk about her.

Director Li’s wife was a Level 6 machinist at the Chuncheng Machinery Factory. She had been sent by the leadership to the south to support a "brother factory," and the two hadn’t seen each other in two years.

If their children hadn’t already grown up, one of them would have likely had to sacrifice their career to take care of them.

"Xiao Xie, you need to get used to this. From now on, when Yue Yihan gets back, leave all the housework for him to do!" Wang Lisheng advised Xie Changning.

As they chatted, the conversation turned to the first time Xie Changning and Wang Lisheng met.

Wang Lisheng began to act out the scene with exaggerated expressions and tone. "Changning beat those foreigners so badly they pissed their pants in fear! They didn’t even dare to let out a fart afterward!"

Zhu Yuhong was shocked. She craned her neck to look at Xie Changning.

"Huh? You beat them that badly, and they still didn’t refuse to cooperate?"

Zhu Yuhong gave Xie Changning a thumbs-up. ’Now that’s a real woman!’

’The alpha female!’

The group chatted about everything under the sun, and before long, they arrived in Beijing.

Since it was their first time in Beijing, everyone was a bit reserved. The two factory directors, being well-traveled, led the group to find the staff member sent to pick them up. Soon, the group arrived at the guesthouse in Beijing.

The guesthouse was already crowded with people.

Many people recognized the group from Chuncheng and greeted them warmly.

In this era, everyone helped each other out. This was especially true since key personnel in some southern factories had been sent from the north as support, so many people were already acquainted.

Seeing a young person like Xie Changning in the group, everyone was quite curious.

"This is...?"

"Oh, this is our Chuncheng Screw Factory’s Vice Factory Director, Xie Changning!" Wang Lisheng introduced her to everyone, not forgetting to mention her achievements as he did so.

Hearing this, everyone’s gazes toward Xie Changning filled with admiration.

One after another, they gave Xie Changning a thumbs-up. "Excellent! It’s great to see that the younger generation’s education isn’t going to waste! Truly excellent!"

Xie Changning was feeling a bit tired, so after chatting with them for a little while, she went to bed.

She slept exceptionally well.

She woke up bright and early the next day.

As she left her room, she happened to see Director Wang and Director Li getting ready to go downstairs. Seeing her, they called her over. "I thought you’d sleep in a bit. Director Li and I were just planning to go eat first and bring something back for you."

"I went to bed early last night and slept really well, so I woke up early."

The three of them went downstairs for breakfast.

They had just sat down when several foreigners walked in from outside, followed by a young woman who looked like a translator.

As soon as they entered, the men started talking loudly and boisterously. The young woman then had to relay their needs to the server, asking the restaurant to bring them their food.

Listening to their conversation, Xie Changning’s brow furrowed.

She looked at Wang Lisheng, confused. "Why are there foreigners at our own competition?" ’What’s with foreigners participating?’

"They’re special judges, here to serve on the panel."

Wang Lisheng didn’t like foreigners either, but he couldn’t go against the decision from above.

Director Li also nodded, signaling for Xie Changning to ignore them and just eat.

Only then did Xie Changning avert her gaze.

Unfortunately, just as she looked away, the foreigners noticed her. They glanced at where she was sitting and said something to the female translator, who shook her head, looking troubled.

She was refusing their request.

"You stupid jerk!"