Chapter 9: His Character Is Beyond Reproach!

Industrial King fan group: 376544470. Friends who are interested are welcome to join and chat! Next week I’ll be aiming for the New Book Chart. The competition is fierce, so I hope those who like the story will support it as much as possible, so more readers can discover this book. When the time comes, I’ll update with at least three chapters a day. I’m counting on you!

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After preparing Zhao Guoyang’s breakfast, He Huifen carried it into the inner room.

Zhao Guoyang took the bowl and, reaching into his pocket, pulled out two crisp hundred-yuan bills, handing them over. “Mom, this two hundred yuan is from my salary. Please take it.”

“This… this is too much. Your job isn’t badly paid, but living expenses in the city are high. If you give it all to me, what will you use? Absolutely not! Take one hundred back with you!” He Huifen waved her hands repeatedly.

“Mom, don’t worry about me. I still have money on hand, enough for me.” Zhao Guoyang insisted, pressing the money into her hands.

A glimmer of tears shimmered in He Huifen’s eyes as she carefully put the money away. She spoke to him in a heartfelt tone, “Guoyang, I’ll keep this money for you for now, save it up for your future wedding. You’re working out there alone—make sure to take care of yourself and eat well. Don’t be too frugal!”

“I know, Mom. I understand.”

Sitting down to his porridge and pancakes, Zhao Guoyang said, “By the way, Mom, I’ve still got things to deal with at the factory. This morning I’ll go out for a walk, and I’ll head straight back to the factory in the afternoon. No need to make lunch for me today.”

“So soon? Why not stay for lunch before you go?” There was a clear trace of reluctance on He Huifen’s face.

Zhao Guoyang smiled, patting her hand. “There’s a lot going on at the factory lately. When things settle down, I’ll be able to come home more often.”

As they chatted, Zhao Xiaojing bounced into the room. Smelling the delicious aroma of pancakes, she clapped her hands in delight. “Smells so good, Mom! I want two pieces!”

“Eat up, eat up… If it's not enough, I’ll make more!” He Huifen looked at her daughter with loving affection.

Watching his mother and sister so close and affectionate, warmth filled Zhao Guoyang’s eyes.

When his mother returned to the kitchen, Zhao Guoyang quickly took out another large bill from his pocket and pressed it into Zhao Xiaojing’s hand.

“Xiaojing, aren’t you going shopping today? You can’t go without money. Here, this is from your big brother,” he said dotingly.

“Wow!” At first, Zhao Xiaojing hadn’t noticed, but when she saw the brand-new note in her hand, her eyes widened.

“Don’t make a fuss, or Mom will confiscate it!” Zhao Guoyang gave her a look.

“But bro, this… this is way too much! Mom only gives me five yuan a month for pocket money…” Zhao Xiaojing was both shocked and overjoyed, her face blossoming with happiness.

“If I give it to you, take it and don’t say anything. And from now on, you don’t need to ask Mom for pocket money—your brother will cover it.” Zhao Guoyang ruffled her hair with genuine feeling.

“You’re the best, bro!” Zhao Xiaojing nodded sweetly.

“Mom takes care of our whole family—it’s really not easy for her,” Zhao Guoyang sighed.

“Bro, I want to help out at home when I have free time, but Mom won’t let me. She always tells me to study, never lets me help!” Zhao Xiaojing pouted.

“She does it for your own good, hoping you’ll succeed in your studies,” Zhao Guoyang nodded.

After breakfast, Zhao Guoyang packed his things and left the house around ten.

He said he was going out for a walk, but there wasn’t really anywhere to go—he just wanted to set out early to catch the bus.

After two days of making the half-marathon journey on foot, even with his youth and stamina, Zhao Guoyang was exhausted. When he reached the station, the afternoon bus was just starting to board.

There were only two buses from Jianghai County to Ninghai City in the afternoon. If he missed the three o’clock bus, he’d have to wait for the five o’clock one, which would mean arriving in Ninghai too late.

He decided to return to the factory half a day early mainly because he couldn’t wait to see the results of the batch of bicycle frames after the rework.

It was the same minibus as the one he’d taken home. By the time Zhao Guoyang reached Ninghai, his backside was sore from the bumpy ride. Still, he paid it no mind and hurried to the bicycle storage.

“Two days’ storage, that’s ten cents. Including the deposit, here’s forty cents change, take it,” the attendant handed him four ten-cent bills.

Thanking the old man, Zhao Guoyang mounted his bicycle and sped toward the factory.

Back at the dormitory, Xu Dongfeng was nowhere to be seen. Xu’s home was right in Ninghai, so of course he went home for the weekend.

It was nearly dark, so Zhao Guoyang didn’t bother to go to the workshop. He grabbed a quick fried rice at the little restaurant near the factory gate, then returned to the dorm and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

…

The next morning, Zhao Guoyang rose full of energy to go to work, but before he could reach the workshop, the workshop director, Zhang Fusheng, called out to him.

“Guoyang, there you are. Factory Director Mu mentioned in his meeting just now that you should go to the office as soon as you got in. He’s only just left, so if you go now you’ll still catch him.”

“All right, got it. Thank you, Director Zhang,” Zhao Guoyang replied with a smile.

At the office, one of the older ladies greeted him with a beaming face. “Well, if it isn’t Guoyang! What brings you here today?”

Zhao Guoyang chatted with her politely and explained his purpose.

“Oh, Director Mu? He’s here, he’s here. He’s in the office discussing things with Director Ma and Director Wang. Go on up, it’s fine!” the lady replied warmly.

Thanking her, Zhao Guoyang quickly escaped her barrage of questions and hurried upstairs.

As he reached the door of Mu Aijun’s office, the people inside spotted him through the window.

“Xiao Zhao, you’re here! Come in, come in!” Ma Jian opened the door enthusiastically, waving him inside.

Stepping in, Zhao Guoyang saw both Mu Aijun and Wang Youchang were present. He greeted the three factory leaders in turn, then stood respectfully to one side.

“Speak of the devil—Guoyang, you’ve come at just the right time. The three of us were just discussing you. Why are you still standing? Come, have a seat!” Mu Aijun beckoned him with a genial smile.

Wang Youchang, being a straightforward sort, broke the news as soon as Zhao Guoyang sat down. “Guoyang, I have some good news! Over the past two days, the workshop followed your suggestions and reworked the batch of frames for Siyang Group—they’re perfect now, no issues at all. You’ve really done us a great service this time…”

In the office, Zhao Guoyang modestly replied with a smile, “Director Wang, I only made a few suggestions. The credit really goes to the leadership and the collective effort of everyone.”

“Haha, what did I say? Guoyang is humble and prudent, never taking credit for himself—his character is beyond reproach!” Ma Jian praised from the side.

Mu Aijun nodded, looking at Zhao Guoyang with deep appreciation. “Guoyang, the frames have been reworked. The three of us were just discussing when to deliver the goods.”