The moment Silly Zhu heard Deputy Director Li say that, the smile vanished from his face.
At this point, Silly Zhu had not yet fallen out with Deputy Director Li, and he still held him in great awe.
"Th-this... who did you hear that from? Nothing like that happened! Look, I carry two lunch boxes every day. At most, I take home a little leftover food that I didn't finish myself. It's not like what you're thinking!"
Deputy Director Li narrowed his small eyes.
He sneered. "He Yuzhu, as the old saying goes, if cooks don't steal, grain won't grow. I don't care what you were like before."
Silly Zhu immediately forced a smile. "Ah! Just look at that, this is truly the bearing of a top leader. You're a great man who doesn't hold a petty man's faults against him."
Deputy Director Li said coldly, "The past is the past. As long as you cooked well, that was enough. But now someone has reported you for stealing food from the cafeteria. That's essentially exploiting the state. How do you think I should punish you?"
"What?! Th-this... who's so damned immoral as to report someone over this? Just a mouthful of leftovers... Oh! I know, was it..."
"Shut up!"
Deputy Director Li cut him off. "You have no right to know. I'm giving you an opportunity now."
Silly Zhu got the message.
Deputy Director Li wanted to hold this leverage over him so he could control him whenever he wanted.
He could only nod and accept his fate. "Go ahead. I'll accept any punishment you give me."
Deputy Director Li smiled. "Strictly speaking, even firing you would be a light punishment for behavior like this, because its nature is extremely bad. But considering how diligently you've worked and how excellent