"Jao Ping is really shameless. He's relentlessly pursuing Zhen Ni on one side and also daring to纠缠 Mo Dan on the other. I wonder what he's relying on to act so arrogantly in the factory?" Qi Zhendong lowered his voice, speaking with disdain. "Is it just because his father is the workshop director? Or is it because his second uncle made some money through dubious means?"
"Hmph, Zhendong, you don't know. In this era, when power and money combine, they become an invincible weapon. There's no fortress they can't breach. Do you know what kind of person Yao Zhibin is? Do you think no one in the factory knows how Yao Zhishan made his fortune? Many people say that if the 195 Factory continues like this, it will eventually be ruined."
Wei Deyong also lowered his tone, but his dissatisfaction was evident. "Yao Ping just thinks that because his father and second uncle have power and wealth, he can do whatever he wants. He thinks he can make any girl fall into his arms. I spit on that!"
Lu Weimin, while pondering, recalled the time when Mo Dan had her incident. In his memory, it was around the time he first went to Nantang.
Now, history has slightly changed. He didn't know if the slight deviation in Zhen Jingcai's incident would affect other events, so he had to consider more carefully.
"Let's go over there!" Lu Weimin lightly dove into the water.
Wei Deyong was startled. "Damin, what are you going to do?"
"Nothing, I haven't seen Mo Dan in a long time. I'll just go and check on her." Lu Weimin's expression remained unchanged.
Wei Deyong and Qi Zhendong exchanged glances. In the past, Lu Weimin didn't seem so impulsive. Could it be that Yao Ping's frequent pursuit of Zhen Ni was making Lu Weimin lose control?
The two guys following Yao Ping were notorious troublemakers from the 195 Factory's children's school, one a year older and the other a year younger. They now worked for Yao Ping's second uncle, Yao Zhishan. If there was a conflict, they would be at a disadvantage.
But since Lu Weimin was going, Wei Deyong and Qi Zhendong had to support him.
The water in the pool, even under the afternoon sun, felt cool. It was spring water from Weifeng Mountain, the Wuyou River's water wasn't much, but it was bone-chillingly cold. Even after flowing for hundreds of miles, the temperature remained the same.
The factory used a water pump to draw the Wuyou River water, filter it slightly, and then fill the swimming pool. It usually took a day or two for the water to reach the same temperature as tap water.
"I really can't go. I have a movie with Chang Yan at the Art Palace Cinema tonight, and we've already bought the tickets."
"Dan Dan, what's the point of a movie? Why don't we go sing karaoke? There are a few high-end karaoke bars on Park Road. They have all kinds of songs. You love singing 'In the Water,' right? They also have songs by the Little Tigers and Cui Jian, which you also love. Chang Yan, don't you love Jiang Yuheng's songs? They have those too."
It had to be said that Yao Ping was good at understanding girls' minds. Karaoke was new, and only a few places on Park Road had just opened, with luxurious decor and high prices. But for girls eager to show off their singing, it was quite tempting.
"No, I still don't want to go. I promised Chang Yan we'd see a movie."
As Lu Weimin swam closer, he clearly saw a flash of longing in Mo Dan's eyes, but she quickly controlled her emotions and shook her head in refusal.
"Dan Dan, why don't we go sing? We've never been to karaoke before, and you said you wanted to try. There's nothing good to watch in the movies. Yao Ping has invited you several times, and he's not a stranger. It's just singing."
The girl with Mo Dan, whom Lu Weimin didn't remember, was probably her high school classmate. He noticed a hint of satisfaction on her face, as if she was signaling something to Yao Ping. Yes, she seemed to be seeking credit.
Lu Weimin's heart tightened. This girl seemed problematic.
The subtle feeling might not be noticeable to others, but for Lu Weimin, with his twenty years of political experience, reading people's expressions was a basic skill. In that moment, he could roughly gauge the situation. Perhaps Mo Dan's trouble would come from someone close to her.
"Chang Yan! If you want to go, you go. I'm not going!" Mo Dan glared at her friend with some anger.
"Dan Dan, we're just going to sing. It's not a big deal. We'll come back early. Yao Ping is just being nice. You've refused him so many times, and it's not good, right? Yao Ping, we won't go for dinner, just sing a few songs. We'll be back by ten o'clock, okay, Dan Dan?" The girl seemed to have anticipated Mo Dan's reaction, still twisting Mo Dan's arm affectionately. "Dan Dan, let's just go once. Two hours, and I'll go with you and come back with you. The trolley and bus haven't stopped running by ten o'clock. The 32 bus and the 2 electric bus can take us right home, okay?"
Mo Dan hesitated. Honestly, she didn't have much ill will toward Yao Ping. They weren't familiar before, but he had been quite persistent recently. She just felt she was too young and didn't want to date so early. She had also heard that Yao Ping had pursued Zhen Ni in the factory, which was why she didn't want to go out with him.
But singing karaoke was something Mo Dan had always wanted to do, and Chang Yan's reasoning made sense. It was just singing, and they would be back in two hours.
Seeing Mo Dan hesitate, Yao Ping knew he had to seize the opportunity. He made a solemn promise to send them back by ten o'clock, and Mo Dan reluctantly agreed.
Lu Weimin knew that if he intervened, he could ruin the plan, but Yao Ping was arrogant and malicious, with many underhanded tactics. Even if he ruined this plan, Yao Ping would surely use other means in the future. Mo Dan might still get into trouble, especially with Chang Yan around. The only way was to make Mo Dan learn a lesson.
"Hey, Yao Ping, what a coincidence? Dan Dan, you're here to swim too?" Lu Weimin dove deep, swimming about seven or eight meters before surfacing. He wiped the water from his face, glanced at Yao Ping, then at Mo Dan, and spoke with a half-smile.
Yao Ping's face changed slightly in front of Lu Weimin. He couldn't express his hatred for Lu Weimin. He just couldn't understand why Zhen Ni would refuse him for this guy. He couldn't figure out what Zhen Ni saw in him. Just because he went to Lingnan University? So what? He would still have to go back to the countryside!
Brothers, give me a few recommendation tickets each, let me get on the weekly recommendation list. I'm working hard!