Chapter 49

Lu Xin lowered his head, seriously pondering Liu Xinmeng's words. He was an ambitious person and was not content with spending his entire life as a technician at the grassroots level. Especially after acquiring the ability to control metal, he was even more unwilling to live an ordinary life. He wanted to climb to the highest position in the shortest time possible.

However, the problem was that he was a commoner with no family background. In private enterprises, he could rise rapidly based on personal ability, but Sanjiang Group was a state-owned enterprise. Without any background or connections, it was extremely difficult to climb to the top, let alone make even a small advancement.

Although Lu Xin had won the favor of Shen Yafang, the head of the group's publicity department, and her brother, Shen Yazhou, was the vice mayor of Jiangzhou City, it was not convenient for him to interfere in the internal operations of the company. Unlike local government agencies, the publicity department was not a powerful department. Shen Yafang could only deter Li Qiming from taking drastic actions against Lu Xin, but she could not help much with his promotion.

Lu Xin had also won the favor of Jiang Chunyu, the vice president in charge of quality and equipment in the business unit. It seemed that he could be promoted through Jiang Chunyu in the equipment system, but this was also unreliable. In the official world, a county official is not as powerful as a current manager. Lu Xin was just an ordinary maintenance worker, and the gap between him and Jiang Chunyu was too large. Promoting him directly would be a major taboo in the official world. Jiang Chunyu could interfere with the appointment of deputy factory managers in charge of equipment in various factories within the business unit, but she could not directly interfere with the appointment of equipment department heads or maintenance teams in more grassroots factories. She could only instruct the deputy factory managers in charge of equipment to influence the appointments of equipment department heads and maintenance teams. However, Jiang Chunyu had not been at Sanjiang Group for long, and it was uncertain whether she could command the deputy factory manager in charge of equipment at the special alloy materials factory, Du Haibo.

In both government agencies and enterprises, people generally advance step by step. Unless they were the children of powerful officials, they could not be promoted in an unconventional manner. Lu Xin, being a commoner, could not suddenly be promoted from a maintenance worker to the vice president in charge of equipment. He could only climb step by step, from an ordinary maintenance worker to a deputy team leader, then to a team leader, and finally to the head of the equipment department, gradually advancing.

The first step now was to be promoted to deputy team leader. This position was not of any significant rank and was usually decided by the head of the equipment department and the team leader. However, the head of the equipment department, Liu Jianhui, and the team leader, Li Li, had a strong animosity towards Lu Xin. They would never agree to promote him to deputy team leader.

What should he do to be promoted to deputy team leader? Should he give gifts to Liu Jianhui and Li Li? Given their malicious intentions towards him, no matter how many gifts he gave, it would not change the current situation. What should he do then?

Just as Lu Xin was thinking about this, Liu Xinmeng suddenly asked, "How is your probationary evaluation going?"

This question completely shattered Lu Xin's previous thoughts. The first step was not to seek promotion to deputy team leader but to pass the probationary evaluation.

The probationary period in state-owned enterprises is one year. Lu Xin had only two months left. People like Xie Fei and Ma Changle, who had connections, had already passed their probationary evaluations and become formal employees. However, Lu Xin had not received any news about his probationary evaluation. He was certain that the factory manager of the special alloy materials factory, Li Qiming, the head of the equipment department, Liu Jianhui, and the team leader, Li Li, had no intention of giving him a probationary evaluation.

Seeing Lu Xin's face turn gloomy, Liu Xinmeng said softly, "I suddenly remembered that Li Li was talking on the phone with someone at noon, and he mentioned you. Li Li said the safest way was to extend your probationary period, citing that you transferred to the maintenance team halfway through. If they can't get rid of you, they will make sure you fail the probationary evaluation, and then you won't be able to stay at Sanjiang!"

"Damn," Lu Xin was angry, "Isn't this cutting off my future? Is it really necessary to be so scheming?"

"You need to think of a way quickly, there are only two months left," Liu Xinmeng said nervously, looking at Lu Xin.

People's feelings are strange. Liu Xinmeng and Lu Xin had just met, but they had a deep conversation. She developed an inexplicable trust in Lu Xin. On the other hand, her husband, Li Li, had been married to her for a month, but she still had no good feelings towards him. If it weren't for the child in her womb, she would have already called off the marriage.

"I need to think carefully," Lu Xin lowered his head and thought for a while. He came up with two strategies and smiled at Liu Xinmeng, "Don't worry, they won't be able to stop me at this stage!"

Liu Xinmeng blinked her seductive eyes, "If you can't get ahead under Liu Jianhui and Li Li, why don't you think about transferring to another factory? A tree dies if it is moved, but a person thrives when moved!"

Lu Xin shook his head lightly, "I don't plan to leave for now. If I do leave, it will be because I have been promoted, not because I have been squeezed out!"

He thought fiercely to himself, a man cannot remain under others for long. If the two strategies don't work, he would use his ability to control metal to secretly deal with Li Qiming, Liu Jianhui, and Li Li, so they wouldn't keep putting obstacles in his way.

"Lu Xin, I admire your confidence," Liu Xinmeng said seriously, "But the nature of state-owned enterprises means that you cannot rise solely based on your technical skills. Generally, there are three types of people who get promoted: the first type relies on their background, and they rise the fastest; the second type relies on their ability to please their superiors, and they make up the majority; the third type relies on their technical expertise, and they are the hardest to promote. Which method do you think you will use to rise?"

Lu Xin smiled faintly, "Why not try all three methods?"

"Having a background, technical skills, and the ability to please superiors," Liu Xinmeng smiled, "That's not easy!"

"Nothing is impossible!" As Lu Xin chatted with Liu Xinmeng, he was also thinking. He planned to use a three-pronged approach: build good relationships with higher-ups, find a good patron, and curry favor with a mid-level leader who could influence his current promotion stage. At the same time, he would use his ability to control metal to create the illusion of being highly skilled.

The number of people coming and going was decreasing. Lu Xin checked his phone and saw that it was already 1:30 AM. He smiled at Liu Xinmeng, "It's very late, let's go back to sleep!"

Liu Xinmeng obediently stood up and walked towards Li Li's ward.

Lu Xin now knew she was pregnant, so he made a gesture to support her.

Liu Xinmeng waved her hand, "I'm not nine months pregnant yet, I don't need support!"

The light in the ward corridor was broken. When Liu Xinmeng passed a ward, she did not see a banana peel that the cleaner had not swept away. She stepped on it and immediately fell backward.

She was three months pregnant, and the fetus was still unstable. If she fell to the ground, it could lead to a miscarriage. Given her frail health, a miscarriage could mean she would never be able to conceive again, which would be a more devastating blow than a ruined reputation.

Lu Xin quickly rushed forward, extended his arms, and supported Liu Xinmeng's back from behind, holding her small body in his arms. He removed the banana peel from her shoe and threw it into the restroom.

When Liu Xinmeng stepped on the banana peel and slipped, she was terrified. Her mind went blank, and she could not imagine the terrible consequences of falling. When she leaned against Lu Xin's strong arms, she felt a sense of security she had never experienced before, and her heart raced.

---

The number of people coming and going was decreasing. Lu Xin checked his phone and saw that it was already 1:30 AM. He smiled at Liu Xinmeng, "It's very late, let's go back to sleep!"

Liu Xinmeng obediently stood up and walked towards Li Li's ward.

Lu Xin now knew she was pregnant, so he made a gesture to support her.

Liu Xinmeng waved her hand, "I'm not nine months pregnant yet, I don't need support!"

The light in the ward corridor was broken. When Liu Xinmeng passed a ward, she did not see a banana peel that the cleaner had not swept away. She stepped on it and immediately fell backward.

She was three months pregnant, and the fetus was still unstable. If she fell to the ground, it could lead to a miscarriage. Given her frail health, a miscarriage could mean she would never be able to conceive again, which would be a more devastating blow than a ruined reputation.

Lu Xin quickly rushed forward, extended his arms, and supported Liu Xinmeng's back from behind, holding her small body in his arms. He removed the banana peel from her shoe and threw it into the restroom.

When Liu Xinmeng stepped on the banana peel and slipped, she was terrified. Her mind went blank, and she could not imagine the terrible consequences of falling. When she leaned against Lu Xin's strong arms, she felt a sense of security she had never experienced before, and her heart raced.