Can You Have a Proper Conversation?

"Old Lu, stop working. Time to eat."

At eleven-thirty in the morning, Li Ye carried his lunchbox to find Lu Zhizhang, calling him to the cafeteria for lunch.

This was a habit the two had formed from the very beginning of their time at the factory. Every day, they had to show their faces in front of the workers, rather than be like those managers who were as elusive as divine dragons—showing only their heads but never their tails—leaving the workers able to interact only with middle-level cadres and completely forget that there were still two steady, practical Factory Directors.

But after entering Lu Zhizhang's office, Li Ye found him on the phone with someone.

"Oh, oh, one-thirty this afternoon, right? Who exactly will be attending? Is Director Zhao coming? All right, all right. The two of us will be there on time."

Lu Zhizhang put down the phone and said to Li Ye, "The main factory just sent word. There's a meeting at one-thirty this afternoon, and we're to report on the ISO quality management system reforms. People from The Department will be coming to observe."

Li Ye said in surprise, "A report meeting at one-thirty this afternoon, and they're only telling us now? Who's putting shoes on us again? Who arranged the reception today? I'm definitely asking him what he means later."

For a meeting involving people from The Department, it was impossible that the parties concerned would be notified only two hours in advance. Li Ye therefore concluded that someone was stirring up trouble.

Lu Zhizhang took out his lunchbox, threw an arm around Li Ye's shoulders, and headed out. "Heh heh, a mediocre man is never envied. Let's go, let's go. No matter what demons or monsters come our way, soldiers will block soldiers, earth will