Chapter 106: Acting Director
What the poor woman did not know was that her seemingly dependable husband would divorce her shortly after arriving at the labor camp, waste no time in hooking up with the daughter of the local village chief, and leave his family behind.
The village chief’s family was well aware of Wang Chaofan’s elite background in the capital. Betting on his eventual political rehabilitation, they turned a blind eye to his character flaws and eagerly agreed to the match. Left completely unprotected, the mother and her three daughters were subjected to relentless, daily abuse at the camp until the exhausted woman eventually worked herself to death.
Worse still, to secure his own fame and fortune, Wang Chaofan eventually sold his three daughters off to be wives to strangers. The youngest was bartered away as a child bride when she was still a little girl. He utterly sacrificed his own flesh and blood for personal advancement.
Had the mother chosen a different path and stayed in the city, her three daughters would still legally be the granddaughters of the powerful Wang clan. The elders in the capital would never have allowed them to be cast out or left entirely destitute. At the very least, the family patriarchs would have arranged respectable city marriages for them—unions that would have brought mutual strategic benefits to the clan. But because the girls were legally bartered away by their own biological father while under his custody at the penal colony, the elders of the Wang family chose not to interfere. After all, in their traditional minds, daughters were never as important as sons.
“Let’s go with your father,” the mother repeated numbly.
“Mother…”
The three girls stared at her in absolute disbelief. But since their mother had made the final decree, they had no choice but to bow their heads and follow.
Escorted by the public security officers, the mother and daughters were taken back to their quarters to pack a few basic changes of clothes before boarding the transport to the labor camp.
With the wife’s tragic choice, the public farce finally came to an end. Sheng Wanyan watched the retreating figures of the four women, her brow furrowing slightly. The woman is far too foolish and overly dependent on men, she thought. Her inability to stand on her own will only succeed in ruining her own life and the lives of her children.
The dramatic downfall of Director Wang sent a profound shockwave through the entire factory workforce. The sudden vacancy left everyone walking on eggshells; no one possessed the courage to even whisper about who might be parachuted in as the next factory manager or logistics director. Who could possibly predict the background or fate of the next official? Take Director Wang, for example—he had barely enjoyed his prestigious post for half a year before being hauled away in chains.
Faced with this tense climate, the factory director resolved to promote someone from within the existing ranks rather than requesting another outside transfer. The real dilemma, however, was deciding who was worthy. While the Logistics Department possessed plenty of veteran employees, none of them had demonstrated the executive capability required to run the entire department. The factory director needed to locate a comrade who was thoroughly competent, highly efficient, and full of fresh ideas.
The moment Sheng Wanyan returned to her desk, Director Li received an urgent notification to attend an executive meeting.
When he finally returned to the Propaganda Department, his brow was heavily furrowed. He stepped into the office and quietly signaled for Wanyan to join him out in the corridor for a private conversation.
“Comrade Sheng Wanyan, I need to ask you for a personal favor,” Director Li said, his tone unusually solemn.
“Director Li, how can I help you?” Wanyan asked, looking at him curiously.
Director Li quickly explained the situation. “With the sudden vacancy, the director position in the Logistics Department is entirely empty, and the heads of the other factory branches are far too buried in their own tasks to take on extra work. The factory director intends for me to concurrently serve as the Acting Director of Logistics. Once a suitable permanent candidate is vetted and installed, I’ll return to my full-time post here in the Propaganda Department.”
He paused, lowering his voice. “As you know, our department’s core responsibility is merely executing the monthly publicity campaigns. The daily workflow isn’t overly demanding, and the baseline tasks are quite manageable. Therefore, I want to formally task you with overseeing the Propaganda Department on my behalf during this transition.”
He sighed, rubbing his temples. “This arrangement will free me up to focus on the logistics crisis without constantly running back and forth between two separate buildings. Most importantly, I need someone I can fully trust to attend the municipal meetings in the city on my behalf. After weighing all my options, I am certain you are the best fit for the task.”
He looked at her with genuine appreciation. “You’ve already traveled to the city for several high-level summits, and you’ve established an excellent rapport with the municipal officials. Furthermore, your administrative capabilities are exceptional, and your publicity campaigns are always highly creative. Temporarily managing the department will be well within your abilities.”
Wanyan was genuinely taken aback by the request. She hadn’t anticipated that Director Li would place such an immense layer of institutional trust in her.
“Director Li… I possess the least seniority in the office,” she countered tentatively. “I’m afraid placing me in charge might cause friction among the staff.”
In truth, she simply had zero desire to court extra work. To be perfectly frank, the grueling, bumpy commute to the city for those monthly meetings was enough to make her want to run in the opposite direction.
“Seniority is secondary to actual execution,” Director Li stated firmly, waving off her objection. “Given your demonstrated capabilities, I am entirely confident you are the perfect fit for the role.”
“Director Li, Comrade Niu Fangli has a far longer service record,” Wanyan suggested, attempting a tactical retreat. “Perhaps she would be more appropriate for the assignment.”
She was acutely aware of Niu Fangli’s simmering resentment toward her. Since the older woman craved the spotlight and institutional recognition so desperately, Wanyan was more than happy to cede the stage. Her own professional ambition was simply to cruise through her shifts with as little effort as possible.
“Comrade Sheng Wanyan, as women of the new era, we must embody the spirit of collective contribution,” Director Li chided gently, deploying the ultimate ideological shield. “We must step up to serve the factory and the motherland. I have absolute faith that you will execute this duty flawlessly. Besides, this is merely a temporary arrangement—three months at the absolute most.”
With Director Li framing the assignment as a matter of national duty, Wanyan realized she could no longer refuse without looking politically suspect.
“What do you say, Comrade Sheng Wanyan?”
Wanyan offered a helpless, reluctant nod. He’s already backed me into a corner using national contribution, she thought. What choice do I have?
“Alright, Director. I will do my best.”
Director Li beamed with satisfaction. He marched back into the main office and immediately gathered the staff to announce the administrative shift.
The moment the words left his mouth, the entire room turned their eyes toward Sheng Wanyan, their gazes shifting with newfound respect. Although she was technically just stepping in as an interim manager, everyone understood the immense political and professional weight of the appointment.
Niu Fangli stared at Wanyan in absolute, jaw-dropped disbelief. How on earth had this young girl suddenly leaped over her to become her direct supervisor? She was undeniably the longest-serving veteran in the room. If anyone was going to manage the department in the director’s absence, custom dictated it should be her! The sheer unfairness of the selection made her blood boil.
“The factory leadership possesses immense faith in Comrade Sheng Wanyan’s executive capabilities,” Director Li concluded strictly, his eyes sweeping the room to suppress any dissent. “I expect every single one of you to fully cooperate with Comrade Wanyan and support her directives over the coming months.”
“Yes, Director,” the staff murmured in unison.
“Understood.”
What else could they do except nod obediently? Besides, for the majority of the clerks, having Wanyan take the reins was an absolute stroke of luck. Wanyan was an expert at pacing her workload; she was remarkably gentle, easygoing, and never bothered to put on bureaucratic airs. With her sitting in the manager’s chair, their daily shifts would become infinitely more relaxed, making it far easier for everyone to coast through their tasks. Had the hyper-competitive, rigid Niu Fangli been given the post, she undoubtedly would have weaponized her authority to micromanage and bully them. The staff wasn’t stupid; they knew exactly which boss would make their lives easier.
Having settled the department’s leadership in a few swift minutes, Director Li finalized his notes. He intended to drop in frequently to audit their progress, so he wasn’t particularly worried about any internal mutiny while his attention was divided. Gathering his briefcases, he hurried out the door, eager to embed himself in the Logistics Department, familiarize himself with the supply personnel, and map out his new administrative duties. He needed to master the logistics workflow immediately; otherwise, rendering a complete mess of the factory’s supply lines would only court disaster for his own career.
The literal second Director Li vanished down the corridor, the remaining clerks turned their eyes toward Wanyan, waiting for her first official address as acting manager.
Wanyan offered a relaxed smile and waved her hand dismissively. “Alright, everyone, let’s keep things exactly as they were before. As long as your core assignments are completed on time, I won’t interfere with your routines.”
Hearing her baseline directive, a collective ripple of laughter broke out across the room. It was exactly as they had hoped: Comrade Wanyan had zero intention of enforcing rigid bureaucracy. This was the dream scenario for every worker in the office.
“Understood, Manager!”
The staff laughed happily, their postures instantly relaxing. When they saw Wanyan calmly reach into her bag, pull out a piece of sweet pastry, and begin to nibble on it, the clerks felt entirely at ease and returned to their own quiet slacking.
“Wanyan, have some melon seeds,” Wu Jiaxiu offered cheerfully, scooping a generous handful from her desk drawer and sliding them over. Wanyan accepted the seeds with a smile, breaking off a piece of her premium cake to share in return.
Niu Fangli tracked the friendly exchange out of the corner of her eye. Swallowing her pride, she reached into her coat pocket and retrieved two pieces of hard candy. She had originally hoarded these sweets to bring home to her precious son, but seeing Wanyan sitting in the seat of power, she realized she desperately needed to curry favor with her new supervisor.
“Wanyan, have a piece of candy,” Niu Fangli said, forcing a warm smile onto her face as she extended her hand.
Wanyan glanced at the offering. Noticing that Niu Fangli had only brought out two pieces, she accepted the candy but immediately countered by pouring a generous portion of her own melon seeds into the older woman’s palm. Wanyan understood Niu Fangli’s transactional nature perfectly; if she accepted a favor from a woman like her without offering equal value in return, Niu Fangli would harbor the perceived debt and hold a grudge for the rest of her days. It was infinitely safer to settle the ledger immediately, ensuring Niu Fangli could never claim Wanyan owed her a single thing.
Niu Fangli scooped up the melon seeds, privately gloating. She misread the gesture entirely, assuming Wanyan’s immediate reciprocity was a deliberate sign of respect and a desire to cultivate her loyalty as a veteran clerk.
Wanyan didn’t care a whit about whatever delusions were spinning in Niu Fangli’s head. Her singular goal was to ensure the office ran smoothly and quietly for the next three months without any unnecessary workplace drama.
As the afternoon progressed, Wanyan could palpably feel a sudden wave of intense warmth and enthusiasm from the rest of the staff. Even the two male clerks in the corner went out of their way to share their holiday snacks with her. She accepted each offering politely, reaching into her canvas bag to bring out a supply of wild walnuts to distribute evenly among the desks, ensuring the harmony of the room remained perfectly balanced.
