Chapter 168: What's Going On?

After more than ten hours of bumpy travel, Zhou Ming finally arrived in Linyang. Although he had taken the train several times since his rebirth, each journey still felt very uncomfortable. He missed the high-speed trains of the future; if there were high-speed trains, he could have arrived in less than three hours. As for planes, Zhou Ming could afford the tickets, but long-distance travel was more suitable for them. Since there was no airport in Linyang and the journey from Nanjing was not very far, it was more trouble to transfer, so he had to choose the train.

As Zhou Ming exited the station, he saw a charming figure anxiously looking around in the crowd. It was Su Han.

Zhou Ming walked over with his luggage, and as soon as Su Han saw him, she pushed through the crowd and ran toward him, throwing herself into his arms.

"Zhou Ming, I missed you so much," Su Han murmured.

"I'm back, aren't I?" Zhou Ming hugged Su Han's delicate body and gently patted her back. "Alright, Xiaohan, there are so many people watching us!"

Upon hearing this, Su Han's body stiffened, but she didn't let go. She just buried her head in Zhou Ming's embrace, shaking slightly. Even through the thick clothing, Zhou Ming could still feel her flushed and warm cheeks.

Su Han was indeed shy, but she also missed Zhou Ming deeply and wasn't willing to let go. Zhou Ming understood her feelings and didn't say much, allowing her to hold on. After a while, Su Han finally lifted her head, and Zhou Ming led her out of the station to the parking lot in front of the train station.

Su Han had driven there. The last time Zhou Ming came back, he had felt the inconvenience of not having a car, so he had encouraged Su Han to learn to drive. Su Han was very smart and quickly learned, obtaining her driver's license. Now, as the general manager of Factory 760, she had come to pick him up in her car. However, when Zhou Ming saw her car, he frowned.

"This is the car you drove?" Zhou Ming asked.

In front of Zhou Ming and Su Han was a square-shaped car that looked a bit like a jeep but wasn't one. It was a small car imported from Poland, affectionately nicknamed the 'Little Potato' due to its color and shape. In the future, this car would be considered a piece of junk, but in this era when Western cars had not been widely introduced, it was the most popular civilian car.

Zhou Ming's frown wasn't because of the car's low status. He didn't mind a low-end car, but he remembered that the factory had other vehicles. Before he left, he and Su Han had used a Toyota Crown, considered a high-end luxury car of the time. So why wasn't that car being used?

Su Han could tell what Zhou Ming was thinking. She lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry, that Crown is currently being used by Factory Manager Cai."

Zhou Ming had already guessed this answer, as it was the very reason he had hurried back.

Zhou Ming gently patted Su Han's soft hand and comforted her, "It's okay. The Little Potato will do just fine. No matter what, let's head back to the factory first."

Zhou Ming got in the car with Su Han, and they drove back to Factory 760. During the drive, Su Han recounted the events that had happened in the factory over the past month.

In fact, there was nothing particularly special about it. Zhou Ming had already learned about the major issues through phone calls while in Nanjing. Essentially, after he left, the only remaining deputy factory manager, Cai Zhongxian, had taken advantage of the situation. Using his extensive connections in the factory and the fact that Ma Jianjun, who could suppress him, had been arrested, Cai Zhongxian began to build his own faction within the leadership, gradually taking control of the factory's major powers. He made decisions on everything, leaving Su Han and Zhou Ming's parents marginalized.

"Zhou Ming, I'm sorry. I couldn't help you manage the factory, and Cai Zhongxian has taken advantage of it. Now, the entire factory only recognizes him as the deputy factory manager. Both my uncle and aunt and I are left with only nominal positions," Su Han said, crying by the end.

This shocked Zhou Ming. He quickly comforted Su Han, "Xiaohan, it's not your fault. After all, neither you nor my parents have leadership experience, and Cai Zhongxian is a seasoned player. Even when Ma Jianjun was here, he couldn't control him. And you can tell from Cai Zhongxian's name that he's someone full of schemes, so how could you compete with him?"

Zhou Ming's words didn't seem to console Su Han much. She shook her head and cried, "No, it's all my fault. I'm sorry."

"Xiaohan, don't say you're sorry. What could you have done wrong? If you really wanted to apologize, it would be if you had someone else…" Zhou Ming started to joke to lighten the mood. In a more open society, a girl might blush and tease back. But Su Han suddenly went blank upon hearing this, staring at Zhou Ming with a dazed expression, muttering, "Zhou Ming, what are you saying? How could you think that of me? Am I really that kind of woman in your eyes?"

Although Zhou Ming didn't understand women well, he could tell that Su Han was deeply affected and mentally distressed.

Zhou Ming quickly pulled over to the side of the road, turned to Su Han, and said, "Xiaohan, I didn't mean it like that. I…"

Before Zhou Ming could finish, Su Han's tears burst forth uncontrollably. She said, "Zhou Ming, why don't you trust me? Do you really think I'm a cheap woman who attracts others? Why would you say that about me? Do you not believe me at all? If even you don't believe me, then I don't want to live anymore…"

Su Han reached for the car door, but Zhou Ming wouldn't let her get out. He hurriedly pulled her back and said, "Xiaohan, calm down. I didn't mean that. I definitely trust you!"

But at this moment, Su Han wasn't listening. She just shook her head helplessly, saying, "I'm innocent. I'm not that kind of woman. I haven't wronged you. Zhou Ming, please don't doubt me…"

Seeing Su Han's distressed state, Zhou Ming felt heartbroken and didn't know what to do. In the end, Zhou Ming took Su Han's delicate face in his hands and kissed her lips.

"Hmm!"

When their lips met, Su Han's eyes widened in surprise. She struggled violently in Zhou Ming's arms, pushing against his chest with all her might. She opened her mouth, bit Zhou Ming hard, and then shouted, "Get away! You pervert! Don't try to touch me. I belong to Zhou Ming…"

Zhou Ming, pained by the bite, pulled away but still held onto Su Han, looking into her eyes and saying, "Xiaohan, calm down. Look closely, it's me. I'm Zhou Ming!"

Su Han finally stopped struggling, looking at Zhou Ming with her beautiful eyes and touching his face, bewildered, "You… really are Zhou Ming?"

"Of course it's me, no mistake. Do you not recognize me?" Zhou Ming said.

Su Han threw herself into Zhou Ming's arms, crying, "Zhou Ming, you're finally back. I missed you so much. I think about you every day, but I'm so sorry. I didn't help you manage the factory well, and I've let down your trust. I'm so afraid that the factory will be taken over by someone else. I'm scared that all your hard work will go to waste. I really don't know what to do."

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I'm back now. Xiaohan, don't worry. This factory is ours, and no one can take it away," Zhou Ming gently stroked Su Han's hair to comfort her.

After comforting her for a while, Su Han finally stopped crying. She looked up at Zhou Ming's face and exclaimed in surprise, "Zhou Ming, your lips?"

Zhou Ming instinctively touched his lips, which were bleeding. He apologetically said to Su Han, "I didn't know what to do when I saw you like that, so I took the liberty to kiss you. I meant to bring you back to your senses, but… I guess this is my punishment."

Su Han shook her head, helping Zhou Ming wipe the blood from his mouth with a pained expression, "I'm sorry, Zhou Ming. I didn't know it was you. If I had known, I wouldn't have reacted like that."

Zhou Ming wanted to say, "If you had accepted the kiss, I would have been more upset," but he was afraid of provoking Su Han again. Instead, he said, "Xiaohan, don't say you're sorry anymore. I don't want to hear that from you. It was my mistake for forgetting the rules of not kissing and driving. So, Xiaohan, you did the right thing."

"Zhou Ming, you're just making things up. There's no such rule!" Su Han said.

Zhou Ming smiled and rubbed Su Han's head, "Actually, whether or not there are such rules doesn't matter. What's important is that you're here with me."

Su Han then remembered her outburst earlier and was about to say something to Zhou Ming. However, he spoke first, "Don't say you're sorry."

Su Han hesitated but eventually complied, nodding and sitting quietly.

Seeing Su Han like this, Zhou Ming said, "That's better!"

Despite his reassuring words, Zhou Ming's concern grew. Su Han's emotional reaction was abnormal. Although she appeared gentle, Zhou Ming knew she was strong internally; otherwise, she would have collapsed after the scandal Huang Zheng created at the factory. Yet she persevered, even opening a small restaurant in the factory despite frequent troubles from the factory's security department.

Such a strong girl would not react so intensely just because of a joke. Su Han was also very conservative and valued her own integrity highly, as evidenced by her harsh reaction to Zhou Ming's forced kiss.

Perhaps she took his joke seriously, which led to her intense reaction. But the crucial question was why Su Han would suddenly take a joke so seriously. There must be some underlying issue Zhou Ming wasn't aware of.

Zhou Ming drove on, thinking about the situation. He glanced at Su Han, who had calmed down but was still occasionally wiping away tears. The factory's situation was serious, and he needed to address it carefully. He had to find out more about Cai Zhongxian's actions and restore order in the factory. But for now, comforting Su Han and assuring her that he was there to support her was the priority.

They finally reached Factory 760, and Zhou Ming helped Su Han out of the car. He took her hand and led her inside, where the atmosphere was tense and awkward. It was clear that Su Han's distress had affected the entire factory, and Zhou Ming could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

He took a deep breath and said to Su Han, "Let's start by talking to the employees and addressing the issues. We need to work together to resolve this and get everything back on track."

Su Han nodded, her expression more determined now, though still tinged with worry. Zhou Ming's presence and reassurance were a comfort to her, and she was ready to face the challenges ahead with his support.

As they walked through the factory, Zhou Ming could see the impact of Cai Zhongxian's actions on the staff and operations. It was clear that regaining control and trust would be a significant challenge, but with Su Han by his side and his own resolve, he was ready to tackle it head-on.