Chapter 19: Hoisting a Stone Only to Drop It on One’s Own Foot

Only the senior engineers at the factory had the ability to program. Skilled senior technicians were the only ones qualified to operate the CNC machines. Cheng Shi hadn’t even finished high school or technical school—how on earth had he learned all this? Could it be that he had been wrong about his son all along? Had Cheng Shi been secretly studying and working late into the night instead of going out? No wonder he had been angry and felt wronged when his father accused him of wandering around at night.

The more Cheng Yongjin thought about it, the heavier his heart felt.

It took Cheng Shi two hours to finish making a single part. Only after shutting down the machine did he realize that Cheng Yongjin had been standing beside him the whole time, fanning him for two hours. Cheng Shi didn’t know what to say and asked, “Dad, aren’t your hands tired?”

“They’re not. It’s nothing—I just switched hands now and then,” Cheng Yongjin replied hesitantly, pointing at the CNC machine. “When did you learn to do this? You never told me before. Are all those parts in the workshop your work? Then why were they all credited to Xiao Ying? When they wronged you and pressured you to become a contract worker, why didn’t you say anything?”

Cheng Shi smiled faintly. “That’s all in the past. It’s okay. Didn’t I still get paid wages and bonuses, and learn the skills? Now I work for myself, isn’t that better?”

Cheng Yongjin thought for a moment and nodded. “Yes, a man should have that kind of grace—not to fuss over temporary gains and losses. I only just realized you’re truly a man with grand ambitions and broad vision. You’re worthy to be my son.”

With all the work completed ahead of schedule, Cheng Shi slept soundly until he woke naturally.

He was a little dazed when he heard birds chirping outside. From a distance came the rhythmic clapping of the tofu vendor’s wooden clapper.

Instinctively, he called out, “Mom.”

Cai Aiping poked her head in. “Awake? Get up and eat. Your sister’s already gone to work.”

Eating the soybean milk and fried dough sticks Cai Aiping had bought, Cheng Shi listened to his mother’s chatter about how the price of green beans had dropped again and how the weather was getting hotter.

Someone honked their horn downstairs.

Cheng Shi was startled. So early?

He went to the window and saw Zhang Ziqiang.

Honestly, it was already strange that a driver would come to pick him up today, but Zhang Ziqiang showing up was even more unreasonable. After all, they no longer needed to pry into his background.

When appearances don’t make sense, there’s always a bombshell reason underneath.

Cheng Shi leisurely finished his breakfast, gathered the drawings and parts, and went down.

Zhang Ziqiang pulled him aside. “Can you guarantee the parts you made meet the requirements my father mentioned the other day?”

Cheng Shi gave him a meaningful glance and replied, “Yes.”

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Cheng Shi was not at all surprised by Zhang Guohua’s ill intentions, but Zhang Ziqiang coming to warn him was quite unexpected.

Zhang Ziqiang admired Cheng Shi and felt his own father was wrong, yet he couldn’t betray him. Torn and conflicted, his face was a knot of hesitation.

Cheng Shi patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m confident.”

Zhang Ziqiang didn’t follow Cheng Shi into the factory director’s office, claiming he wanted a smoke, and stopped once he got out of the car.

Cheng Shi quietly smiled to himself: If I’m not afraid, why are you so scared?

He walked in calmly and laid everything out.

Zhang Guohua immediately picked up the connecting rod journal and handed it to the technician.

The technician took it and left without even glancing at the bearings. The implication was clear.

Cheng Shi had even taken the time to make a copy of the drawing, intending to give it to them for free.

Now he felt that was unnecessary.

After a while, the technician returned and said, “It’s not qualified.”

Zhang Guohua raised an eyebrow. “How can you bring us defective parts to fool and deceive us?”

Cheng Shi glanced at the connecting rod journal and said calmly, “Are you sure this is the one I gave you?”

The technician said, “Positive. How could it be wrong? You were the only one who submitted connecting rod journals today.”

Cheng Shi replied, “This isn’t the one I just gave you. I made a special mark on mine.”

Zhang Guohua was stunned, his face flushing.

He had indeed instructed the technician that if Cheng Shi’s parts passed inspection, they should be substituted with someone else’s defective ones.

They were definitely setting him up.

But they hadn’t expected Cheng Shi to be so cunning.

Squinting, Cheng Shi said, “A grand state-owned enterprise stooping to such despicable tricks. Will you return my parts now, or should I call the police?”

Though calling the police might not help, Cheng Shi was certain Zhang Guohua and the others were guilty.

Zhang Guohua said, “Young man, don’t make baseless accusations. What evidence do you have to prove the parts were swapped?”

Cheng Shi replied, “I’ll tell the police when they get here.”

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Zhang Guohua cursed inwardly but dared not take the risk.

If the police came and Cheng Shi had no proof, at worst they wouldn’t pay for the connecting rod journals.

If Cheng Shi did produce evidence, they would lose face completely.

Zhang Guohua gave the technician a glance. “Did you mix up the parts with someone else’s shipment by mistake?”

The technician caught the hint and said, “Maybe.”

Cheng Shi said, “We can’t just let this go. Call the police.”

Zhang Guohua said, “No need, that’s too much trouble.”

Cheng Shi replied, “I don’t mind the trouble. You all said you only received my one shipment today. It’s impossible to have made such a careless mistake.”

“You keep trying to cheat me again and again. If I don’t teach you a lesson, I might as well have lived in vain.”

He picked up the desk phone’s receiver and dialed “11.” Before pressing “0,” Zhang Guohua grabbed his hand.

“Oh, young man, don’t be impulsive,” Zhang Guohua smiled apologetically at Cheng Shi, then turned to harshly scold the technician, “What’s wrong with you? How could you make such a big mistake?”

Damn, just like that, they elegantly pushed me aside to take the blame?!

The technician gritted his teeth and reluctantly bowed to Cheng Shi. “Comrade Cheng Shi, it was entirely my carelessness. Please forgive me.”

Cheng Shi withdrew his hand from the phone receiver. “So, are the parts I submitted qualified or not?”

The technician glanced at Zhang Guohua, unsure how to answer.

Cheng Shi sneered. “Whatever the inspection results are, that’s what they are. What are you staring at the director for? Did he go down to check?”

Zhang Guohua was embarrassed and tried to sound authoritative. “Yes. Whatever it is, it is. What are you looking at me for?!”

The technician, feeling wronged, could only say, “They meet the requirements.”

In truth, they were even more precise than required, but he was unwilling to admit it outright.

Cheng Shi nodded slightly. “Fine. Then do you want them or not? If yes, pay up. If not, give me my parts back. I’ll take them to Haicheng and sell them to the local automobile factory there.”

Zhang Guohua forced a bitter smile. “Of course we want them, but can we negotiate the price?”

Cheng Shi shook his head. “I said yesterday, no bargaining. If you can’t accept it, find someone else.”

Zhang Guohua said, “Look, taking them to Haicheng would be troublesome. We want to do business long-term.”

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