The master was persuaded by her to go upstairs. Meanwhile, Li Sanmei was coaxed out of the workshop by two co-workers. With kind words and the cooperation of security, he was escorted out of the factory.
He Yao and her master conducted experiments in the laboratory for over an hour. Someone called to say the electroplated products had returned.
The driver had already brought the goods to the factory entrance, but Li Sanmei, like a mad dog, had clashed with the driver and slashed the tires.
The bidding at Zhan's was scheduled for tomorrow morning. He Yao had to submit the verification results by tonight at the latest.
There were many things to do, and time was of the essence.
As soon as she heard about the incident, she rushed downstairs.
Her master said he would accompany her, but He Yao advised him against it.
"You shouldn't go. Li Sanmei is targeting you. If you go, he'll only get angrier and more unreasonable."
"I have no grievances with him. I'll just get someone with a forklift to bring the products in. I won't confront him directly, and it won't delay anything. Don't worry. I'm not foolish; I can handle it."
Her master thought this made sense and let her go down alone.
He Yao went to the workshop and called a forklift driver. The two of them went to the factory entrance.
As soon as they stepped out, the delivery driver, agitated, started yelling at He Yao.
"What kind of people are you! What's wrong with your factory, having such a drunkard going crazy here and slashing my tires!"
"I still have other deliveries to make. What am I supposed to do now? The security guards aren't doing anything. I'm really fed up! If I weren't worried about the consequences of getting into a fight with him, I would have beaten him up!"
Li Sanmei, swaying drunkenly, leaned against the deflated tire, looking utterly shameless.
He Yao ignored him and spoke kindly to the driver.
She suggested he call someone to fix the tire, and the repair cost would be included in the processing fee. She would explain the situation to her superiors. After much persuasion, the driver finally calmed down.
However, he couldn't help but complain.
"Your factory is something else. To save money, you hire old men as security guards. What good are they when something actually happens? Look, it's come to this, and they're too scared to even show their faces!"
He Yao had nothing to say about this.
Xu Zheng wanted to control costs from every angle. Elderly people wanted to re-enter the workforce. Everyone had their own struggles, and she had no standing to criticize others.
She directed the forklift driver to unload the goods. The driver called someone to fix the tire. Li Sanmei stared at He Yao's beautiful, smooth face repeatedly, then suddenly stood up unsteadily.
"I say, He, I heard you're no longer at the factory and have been transferred to be the boss's mistress. That's great for you."
"No wonder so many people in the factory pursued you, but you were always indifferent. You were aiming high all along."
"To put it bluntly, you're just greedy for money, not a decent person. Yet you act superior in front of us. Isn't that laughable?"
He Yao ignored him.
She had seen this many times before: ordinary men with inflated egos who tried to flirt with any woman they saw. If the woman ignored them, they would call her prudish. The best way to deal with them was to not engage.
Li Sanmei, having hit a wall everywhere, thought he could easily handle He Yao because she was a woman. Seeing that she was ignoring him only made him angrier.
"Hey! I'm talking to you. Are you deaf? Stop acting so high and mighty in front of me! Others might not know what you are, but I do!"
"Back in the workshop, didn't Old Wang always cover for you? Do you think you could have had such an easy time otherwise?"
"Speaking of which, you're really not picky. Or rather, to climb higher, you'd do anything, wouldn't you?"
"That Old Wang is so old he could be your father. Which young man in our workshop is not better than him? Who would you choose if not him? Him!"
"Can he satisfy you? Is his equipment still functional? I've always wanted to ask you. Being with him every day, don't you find it disgusting?"
Hearing this, the forklift driver and the delivery driver simultaneously turned their surprised gazes to He Yao.
He Yao felt a wave of disgust and her scalp tingled. She was losing her patience.
"Are you sick? If you're sick, go get treatment. Stop barking like a dog. You think I'm close to Old Wang? You're sleeping with your own mother!"
Li Sanmei didn't expect her to talk back. After He Yao's scolding, he stumbled towards her.
"What did you say? What the hell did you say? You dare to curse at me?"
He Yao glared at him furiously.
"What's wrong with cursing at you? Try laying a hand on me, and I'll have you thrown in jail today! Don't think everyone will indulge you like Master Wang! If you don't want to behave yourself, then go stay inside!"
"You damn it, do you believe I'll cut you?"
As he spoke, Li Sanmei fumbled and pulled a switchblade from his back waist.
Seeing his frail appearance, He Yao knew she could kick him several meters away, so she wasn't afraid of him.
"Try laying a hand on me, and if I don't get you thrown in jail for life, I'll take your surname!"
Li Sanmei bared his teeth and lunged at her. He Yao easily dodged to the side, and he missed, nearly headbutting the truck.
Enraged, Li Sanmei turned around, located He Yao, and lunged again.
He Yao took out her phone, reporting her location while dodging his attacks.
Li Sanmei, dizzy from drinking, couldn't even aim properly. He spun left and right, quickly becoming disoriented, and dropped the knife.
He Yao finished explaining her situation on the phone, hung up, and kicked his knife several meters away with her foot.
"Starting tomorrow, you won't have to worry about making a living. The state will provide your meals. Don't be polite, Li Sanmei. Lie down and rest for a while."
With that, she went to the back of the truck to check how the forklift driver was unloading the goods.
As she passed Li Sanmei, he suddenly, like a rabid dog, grabbed her ankle.
He Yao didn't have time to kick him away. As if sensing his impending fate, he used his last ounce of strength and bit her calf.
Hearing He Yao cry out in pain, the driver rushed over to help.
Under her and the driver's punches and kicks, Li Sanmei finally let go.
However, he had used all his strength, and He Yao's calf was broken by his bite.
A round, blood-stained tooth mark was left on her calf through her pants.
Seeing how lawless he was, the driver finally lost his patience and beat him soundly.
Li Sanmei, dazed and disoriented from the beating, passed out.
About ten minutes later, the police arrived, reviewed the surveillance footage from the factory entrance, heard the testimonies of those present, took statements, and took Li Sanmei away.
Although He Yao sustained minor injuries, a troublemaker had been dealt with, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
He Yao was very satisfied with the electroplating results, with a deformation rate of only 2.1%.
While this deformation rate was outrageously high compared to other products, for this particular product and considering the rushed deadline, it was the best possible outcome.
Everyone moved the products to the assembly line, and they finished assembling them around eight in the evening.