Chapter 170: These Days Have Been Hard on You

"Cai Factory Manager seems to be in a bad mood today!" 

Ignoring Cai Zhongxian's angry curses, Zhou Ming kicked the door open and walked straight in. He saw Cai Zhongxian behind the desk, his back to the door as he fastened his belt. The air was thick with a peculiar smell, suggesting Zhou Ming had interrupted something unsavory, possibly at a critical moment. It made sense that Cai, who always prided himself on his composure, would be so enraged.

However, Zhou Ming noticed there was no one else in the office, presumably having slipped out through another door to avoid the scene.

As Cai Zhongxian hastily adjusted his pants, he turned around and, seeing Zhou Ming, forced a smile and said, "Oh, it's Mr. Zhou returning. You've been away for over a month, Mr. Zhou. Why didn't you let me know you were coming back? I could have sent a car to pick you up!"

Zhou Ming chuckled but didn't respond to Cai Zhongxian's words. Instead, he surveyed the office and finally focused on Cai Zhongxian, saying, "It seems like Mr. Cai is quite comfortable here! Even managing to engage in some special activities in the office from time to time."

Cai Zhongxian chuckled awkwardly, "Mr. Zhou is joking. I'm just handling some factory affairs. We can't leave the office empty, right?"

"You're lying! You clearly had the office rearranged without the consent of Uncle, Auntie, or myself!" Su Han pointed out.

In the face of Su Han's accusation, Cai Zhongxian remained calm, "Manager Su, statements need evidence. You shouldn't make baseless accusations."

Su Han wanted to say more, but Zhou Ming gestured for her to stop. He knew if talking could persuade Cai Zhongxian, the situation wouldn't have escalated to this point.

Zhou Ming addressed Cai Zhongxian, "Mr. Cai, it doesn't matter which office you're in. Since I've just returned to the factory, I'd like to call a meeting with all the factory leaders. Could you assist in notifying them?"

"Of course, Mr. Zhou, as the major owner of Factory 760, I'll make the arrangements immediately!" Cai Zhongxian said, picking up the phone to call the office.

After the call, Cai Zhongxian looked at Su Han with a serious expression and said, "Manager Su, you should really learn how to handle yourself and speak from Mr. Zhou. Be honest and practical, instead of daydreaming. Do you think Mr. Zhou will support you in your reckless actions? How naive!"

Zhou Ming frowned but remained silent. He told Cai Zhongxian, "Since you've arranged the meeting, I'll go wait in the conference room."

Cai Zhongxian nodded, "Sure, Mr. Zhou. I'll join you as soon as I finish up here."

Zhou Ming said nothing more and took Su Han's hand, leading her to the conference room.

The conference room door was unlocked today. Zhou Ming and Su Han entered and sat down. Seeing Su Han's angry expression, Zhou Ming gently stroked her beautiful face and said softly, "Xiao Han, these days have truly been hard on you."

Surprised by Zhou Ming's unexpected words, Su Han's eyes immediately filled with tears. She shook her head vigorously, saying, "It's not hard. As long as it's for you, Zhou Ming, it's never hard."

"Fool!" Zhou Ming said, pulling Su Han into his embrace.

Zhou Ming genuinely felt for Su Han. Though he hadn't been able to fully grasp everything that had happened in the past month, he could piece together some of it from the recent events.

First, there was his mother's attitude upon returning home. Zhou Ming knew his mother was not unreasonable, but today she had scolded Su Han without listening to her explanations. It was clear that she had been affected by rumors, causing her and his father a lot of distress, which in turn led them to dislike Su Han.

Then, encountering people gossiping in the factory revealed that the rumors had spread extensively.

Moreover, Su Han, as the factory's general manager responsible for everything, was still being gossiped about, indicating that some people no longer took her seriously.

Finally, Cai Zhongxian had taken over the office that was originally for Su Han and his parents. Despite his parents and Su Han not telling him, Cai had displaced them, taken over the office, and even dared to engage in inappropriate activities there. This clearly showed that Cai Zhongxian had overstepped and was treating the entire Factory 760 as his personal property.

Considering all this, Zhou Ming could easily imagine Su Han's plight: facing Cai Zhongxian's relentless pressure and the factory's gossip, she still persisted in her commitment to the factory. While his parents had given up and returned home due to the pressure, Su Han had stayed, keeping her promise despite being ill-equipped to handle someone as entrenched in the factory as Cai Zhongxian. She had been marginalized, with her authority eroded, and even driven out of the manager's office. Despite her anger, frustration, and despair, she had had no recourse.

From Cai Zhongxian's behavior, it was evident he had no regard for Su Han or Zhou Ming, or he wouldn't have spoken about her in front of Zhou Ming, nor would people have dared to gossip openly.

Zhou Ming now understood why Su Han had been so hysterical in the car. Over the past month, she had endured an unimaginable amount of suffering and injustice. Perhaps she even cried herself to sleep at night.

Girls are often more vulnerable than men, and Su Han's situation was unbearable for any girl. Even the mature Lin Muqing couldn't withstand workplace gossip and had requested a transfer to the factory's TV station. 

If Lin Muqing had struggled, others would struggle more. Yet Su Han bore it all silently, just because she had promised to look after Factory 760 for him.

Seeing her at the train station so excited and hugging him despite the crowd, Zhou Ming understood she had finally found her support. Yet, his ill-timed joke had exacerbated her vulnerability, leading to her breakdown.

Realizing this, Zhou Ming felt guilty for making light of Su Han's struggles. She had endured so much for his sake, and he had jokingly added to her burden. Even if unintentional, it was still inappropriate.

"Zhou Ming, don't blame yourself. I'm doing all this willingly for you."

Hearing Su Han's reassuring words, Zhou Ming released her and looked into her large, expressive eyes, saying, "It's because you are willing that I feel even more guilty. You don't have to do this. You should just take care of yourself. I will handle the factory matters when I return."

"But Cai Zhongxian has already amassed so much power, and many departments only recognize him. Without his approval, no orders can be implemented..."

Before Su Han could finish, Zhou Ming interrupted, "Xiao Han, it seems you still don't understand the reforms at Factory 760 or what my role as the owner means."

Su Han looked puzzled, blinking her beautiful eyes. "What does it mean? Aren't you just the biggest leader of the factory? Didn't the former factory manager have great authority too? But he couldn't control Manager Ma. I know you're smart and capable, but Cai Zhongxian has been here for years. You might not be able to compete with him and could suffer. We need to think of other solutions."

Zhou Ming smiled and said, "That's exactly why I say you don't understand! I am indeed the biggest leader of Factory 760, but my role is different from any previous leaders."

"What's the difference?" Su Han asked, then suddenly realized something. "Did you get some news from the county? Is someone from the county going after Cai Zhongxian, or do you have some evidence against him?"

Zhou Ming shook his head, "Cai Zhongxian is just a deputy factory manager. I don't need elaborate methods to deal with him."

Before Su Han could ask more, Zhang Lei came in and said, "Zhou Ming, Xiao Han, Cai Zhongxian is coming."

Earlier, Zhang Lei had stayed outside to give Zhou Ming and Su Han some privacy, which made Su Han blush. Zhang Lei, seeing this, chuckled, "Xiao Han, don't be shy. I've always hoped you and Zhou Ming would be together. You two are a perfect match."

"Enough, Da Zhuang. Stop talking nonsense and come sit down."

Zhou Ming said, and Zhang Lei sat down. Zhou Ming turned to Su Han and said, "Watch how I handle this meeting. I'll show you how I differ from previous factory leaders and teach you the proper way to be a boss."