MMB Chapter 1386 Don't do anything foolish!
Chapter 1386 Don't do anything foolish!
Chapter 1386 Don't do anything foolish!
"I still remember it to this day."
Wang Fengnian, the former workshop leader of the No. 3 blast furnace workshop of the Gangcheng Steelmaking Plant (the predecessor of Hongxing Steel City Metallurgical Plant), held Li Xuewu's hand and kept talking about his participation in the revolution before liberation.
Wang Fengnian is a veteran comrade. He started working in 2019 and joined the Steel City Progressive Organization in 2021. He has been active in his work ever since and has become a member of our organization.
He had always been an employee of the steel plant, and it had been almost ten years since he retired from his position as a workshop leader.
Not to mention Li Xuewu, even when Dong Wenxue came to Gangcheng, they never worked together, but Dong Wenxue would visit him every year.
He will be 70 years old by the Lunar New Year, which is considered a long life in this era, and he can be regarded as a "treasure" of the metallurgical plant.
As the old saying goes, "Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure." Our organization has always had a fine tradition of respecting retired cadres.
Li Xuewu didn't know how Dou Changfang and Luo Jiaping had handled the management and service work for retired cadres before, but from their work records in recent years, it was clear that Dong Wenxue attached great importance to this aspect of the work.
Whether it was a show of manipulation to win people's hearts or the genuine support of veteran cadres who played a crucial role in his work over the past three years, Li Xuewu always insisted on putting respect first.
If you don't respect your elders, how can you expect your subordinates to respect you? This is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation.
So even though Wang Fengnian found him a bit nagging, his son felt awkward and wanted to remind his father but had no chance. He could only smile apologetically at Li Xuewu, who did not interrupt him but patiently listened to his story.
They were at Wang Fengnian's home at the time. Li Xuewu and Wang Shuqiong had come here after visiting employees who were unable to go home for the Spring Festival due to work injuries at the hospital.
Wang Fengnian was a senior and long-lived person, so his home was chosen as the first office location.
They just didn't expect that when Director Dong Wenxue came here before, the old director wasn't this clingy. If that were the case, they wouldn't have made such a "mistake".
Inside the room, only Wang Fengnian and his family were with Li Xuewu and Deputy Director Wang Shuqiong, along with Zhang Jing, the Deputy Director of the Office, who was sitting on a bench in the corner. Everyone else was outside the door.
Zhang Enyuan glanced at Zhang Jing with a strange expression. Zhang Jing was also a little embarrassed; it was his mistake.
It's impossible for him to say anything else in this situation; he can't admit to this kind of mistake on his own initiative.
He wouldn't admit it to Zhang Enyuan; he'd explain it a little when Li Xuewu came out.
Zhang Jing was certainly not just there to observe; he was holding a notebook and taking notes on the leader's visit.
He's a seasoned writer; although he's not old, he's been working alongside Dong Wenxue for three or four years.
The reason I chose to stay in Gangcheng is because I am optimistic about the future development opportunities of Gangcheng Industrial Zone.
Young cadres like him can only get ahead by improving their professional skills and making achievements.
Even if you want to develop in the direction of office work, you still need to have a solid foundation in basic business operations.
Sure enough, he exchanged a glance with Zhang Enyuan outside the door, then turned back to look at the sofa and became completely focused, his hands constantly summarizing and taking notes.
What to record?
Although Li Xuewu and Wang Fengnian talked about mundane matters, and Wang Fengnian recounted old, trivial stories, the following text was written down:
On February 16, Li Xuewu of Hongxing Steel Group visited and extended his regards to Zhang Yuanli, a sick employee, and Wang Fengnian, a retired veteran, on behalf of the Group's Management Committee and the Metallurgical Plant Management Committee. He thanked them for their important contributions to the construction and development of the metallurgical industry and wished them good health and a happy life.
This message must include the following:
Wang Shuqiong, deputy director of the management committee of the metallurgical plant, and Zhang Jing, deputy director of the management committee office, participated in the event.
Of course, this can be used as a work briefing for the metallurgical plant and the group tomorrow, and will be elaborated in more detail in the United Industrial News:
During the visits, Li Xuewu showed concern and offered condolences to employees on sick leave and had cordial exchanges with retired comrades. He inquired about their health and living conditions, listened attentively to their opinions and suggestions on the industrial development of the metallurgical plant, and instructed relevant departments to provide dedicated and caring services to retired comrades, creating favorable conditions for their happy lives and continued contributions.
Li Xuewu said that the entire group is currently studying and implementing the spirit of the important speech delivered by Director Li Huaide during his inspection of the Tianjin Trade Management Center. In accordance with the deployment requirements of the entire group and the Management Committee, the group is taking "grasping revolution and promoting production" as its path and "three-year plan and five-year plan" as its tools to accelerate the construction of a cluster of distinctive industrial projects. The group strives to make new contributions to showcasing the new style of the group's industry, writing a new chapter in Liaodong's industry, building a model industrial enterprise, and creating a growth pole.
In his speech, he pointed out that in recent years, the entire group has paid particular attention to the service and support work for retired employees. To ensure that services for retired employees are implemented effectively and meticulously, and to genuinely enhance their sense of gain, participation, happiness, and security, he made clear requirements to the accompanying management committee office staff. He also mentioned the "Five Must-Visit" work system, a service mechanism led by the principal responsible comrade, with team members assigned to specific groups, and staff paired with each other for support. The system aims to ensure that retired employees receive regular inquiries, visits during holidays, assistance in times of difficulty, and medical care, serving as their trusted confidants.
A Visit is Essential for Retired Cadres Hospitalized: Offering Care and Support. Visiting retired cadres who are sick or hospitalized is considered an important way to provide them with emotional support. When retired cadres are hospitalized, key personnel and staff promptly visit them in the hospital to inquire about their condition, offer care and assistance, and urge the hospital to provide high-quality medical services to ensure they receive timely and effective treatment.
Visiting veterans during major holidays: extending blessings. During important holidays such as the Spring Festival, members of the leadership team and organization cadres visit veteran cadres at home to offer their regards, chat, listen to their suggestions, and convey holiday greetings and the organization's care and concern. They also learn about their needs in detail, promptly inform them of the group's industrial development and the work progress of their respective units, and continuously enhance the veterans' sense of political honor, organizational belonging, and happiness in life.
Special visits are mandatory for those facing particular difficulties: providing assistance. When retired cadres encounter difficulties in their lives, families, or other aspects, factory leaders will lead teams to visit and comfort them, understand their situation, establish a record of their difficulties, formulate effective measures, and provide assistance in accordance with the special hardship assistance mechanism. They will offer necessary help and support, and do their best to help retired cadres solve their problems and do practical things for them.
We always visit retired cadres on their birthdays to send them heartfelt wishes. Every year on the birthdays of retired cadres (70 years and older), we send them birthday greetings through phone calls, letters, and visits. We carefully inquire about their health and living conditions, reminisce about the glorious past, and discuss their future aspirations, so that they can feel the warmth of the organization.
A visit is always made for important funerals to offer condolences. When a retired cadre passes away, factory leaders promptly visit and comfort the family, assist them with funeral arrangements and compensation, explain relevant policies, safeguard the interests of the retired cadre and their family, and provide psychological support to the family.
He hoped that the veteran comrades would take care of their health and continue to care about and support the development of the group and the metallurgical plant's industry and various undertakings, offering valuable opinions and suggestions to help them do their work better. The veteran comrades unanimously expressed their full support for the work of the group and the metallurgical plant's management committee, continuing to contribute their remaining energy and strength to help the group's various undertakings reach new heights and achieve new results.
Things are different now. Li Xuewu no longer specifically requests the publicity department to avoid excessive publicity about him. Promoting his itinerary to a certain extent during routine work, research, and visits, according to work procedures and needs, is also part of the publicity department's job.
Having reached this position, he could no longer do as he pleased, much less act recklessly; he had to consider the work comprehensively.
Especially since he had just taken office in Liaodong, everyone in the group, including its other branches and various enterprises in the steel city, needed to understand his job responsibilities.
Therefore, both the office and the publicity department are trying their best to collect and compile news reports about him.
The office and publicity department also have tasks to complete. The United Industrial Daily has been urging them several times, but why haven't they submitted any news articles since Li Xuewu arrived in the steel city?
Even the branch of Red Star Literature and Art Publishing House in Liaodong has been contacted by the head office two or three times.
There was only one goal: everyone in the group was waiting for Li Xuewu to make his first move.
The results of it?
Before he could even light the fire, two deputy directors of the Steel City Metallurgical Plant set it ablaze, right there in Beijing.
Looking back at Steel City, two deputy directors have left, and the remaining one is not honest either, and is also ambiguous.
Who is it? It's Deputy Director Yin Zhongyao.
Having learned from Yang Shuxing's example, Yin Zhongyao wouldn't confront Li Xuewu head-on; he would resort to more underhanded tactics.
On the surface, he kept a high and mighty attitude and hardly ever got involved in anything. Whenever work came up, he would basically hand it over to Li Xuewu.
If no one asks, fine; but if someone does, we should say we respect the new leader and hope that Li Xuewu will learn more about the work at the metallurgical plant.
He was originally in charge of personnel work at the Hongxing Factory, where he was the deputy manager of the personnel department. After arriving in Gangcheng, he was still in charge of personnel work, and he was very confident in this aspect.
Ding Zigui, his former partner and former personnel manager, privately told him that he hoped he would actively cooperate with the new leader and get closer to Li Xuewu.
Out of consideration for his pride, Yin Zhongyao hummed and hawed, neither refusing nor agreeing.
In truth, he looked down on Ding Zigui. In the past, he would have tried to curry favor with him, since Ding was a leader in the group.
What is Ding Zigui now?
To put it nicely, they're in charge of the group's mouthpiece, but aren't they still under the management of the propaganda department, and have superiors above them?
From this perspective, although Ding Zigui was the head of the Red Star Literature and Art Publishing House, he ultimately only reached the level of a section chief.
He saw the other party's persuasion as a sign of weakness. He couldn't say that Li Xuewu hadn't "contributed" to Ding Zigui's retreat from the position of director of the management committee office to the literary publishing house. So why was he now so thoroughly committed?
Even if Li Xuewu is incredibly powerful, he only has one head and two hands. Others may fear him, but he doesn't.
If you can't beat them with legitimate means, can't you beat them with underhanded tactics?
Besides, who knows what Li Xuewu is up to in Steel City? Does he think he can boss people around? Let's wait until he's established himself.
-
"Regarding security—" On the way back to the factory, Wang Shuqiong hesitated for a moment, then looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "Shouldn't we ask Comrade Han Zhan to go through some extra trouble?"
"Hmm, what's wrong?" Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows slightly, turned to look at her, and asked, "Is there something you need? Or—"
"No, it's just that I need to take a vacation."
Wang Shuqiong said with some difficulty, "How about I don't take a break this year? It's not like I'll miss out on this dumpling meal."
"Dumplings taste better when the whole family eats together. What's the point of working so hard all year?"
Li Xuewu looked at her and said, "Take a vacation without worry. Han Zhan will be in charge of the security work for the time being."
"Okay, I'll go back and talk to him."
Wang Shuqiong glanced at Li Xuewu's expression, then tentatively whispered, "About Deputy Director Zong Fang..."
"We can't count on him for now."
Li Xuewu sighed softly and explained, "He had a deep affection for his father-in-law and would eventually have to see him off on his final journey. Let's just go through the trouble and be understanding."
“Yes, I understand.” Wang Shuqiong nodded and said, “It’s difficult to balance work and family when you reach middle age.”
"This is the time to show the organization's care and concern; we can't hold him back—"
Li Xuewu said calmly, "I heard the situation is not good; he is on his deathbed."
"Oh dear—" Wang Shuqiong also sighed softly, and said, "I'll have to make a call when I get back and ask. If there really is a situation, shouldn't we be prepared?"
"Well, I can't go back." Li Xuewu said, looking ahead, "I've already asked Comrade Qingfang to deliver the care and condolences on my behalf. There's not much more I can do."
“Let’s try to understand each other—” Wang Shuqiong nodded, then asked, “When you mentioned this, I remembered that Deputy Director Shuxing’s father-in-law is also sick, isn’t he?”
"Yes, it is indeed 'sick'—"
Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow, nodded with a rather strange expression, and said, "He's destined to be a hard worker too."
They're all foxes from the mountains, what nonsense are they spouting?
Wang Shuqiong arrived in the steel city a year earlier than him, and she may have already fought against these old men all by herself.
Today, he tried to sow discord again in his car. It seems there's something wrong with the organizational structure of the steel city.
This brings us to Dong Wenxue. Li Xuewu was impressed by Dong's contributions to Liaodong and the Gangcheng Metallurgical Plant. Without Dong's leniency and hard work, the group's industry in Liaodong would not have achieved such stable development.
However, his methods were too lenient, which made the cadres in the steel city somewhat arrogant, and they dared to use tricks even in front of him.
Haha, maybe we really do think he's a young man.
Looking at the two probing sentences above, and combining them with the following sentence, Li Xuewu was surprised to discover that she also wanted to covet Yang Zongfang's small territory.
What? She asked if Han Zhan could take over. If he said Han Zhan couldn't, would she start making plans?
When Yang Zongfang took leave, he took the opportunity to have Yang Zongfang hand over the reins, which may have touched a nerve with some people.
After all, these people had probably heard about the conflict with Yang Zongfang more than once. It's not surprising that they wanted to use his connections to scheme against Yang Zongfang.
Li Xuewu didn't think Wang Shuqiong's methods and ideas were particularly malicious, just that her behavior was a bit unsightly.
Since she was going on leave to go home, and only talked about the security work she had handed over from Yang Zongfang, why did she avoid talking about the management work she was in charge of? Perhaps it was a kind of test.
She was testing whether he intended for her to hand over her work as well, and whether it was the same as what Yang Zongfang and Yang Shuxing had done.
Conversely, if Li Xuewu didn't let her hand over the work, it would prove that he had a problem with the two Yangs. At the very least, he was treating them differently.
If the two Yangs handle it the way they did, it proves that Li Xuewu was indeed following organizational procedures. At that point, she'll have to retract her claws, abandon her greed, and stop probing.
A single matter involves many twists and turns, requiring countless schemes and intricacies—that's what unit cadres are like.
She wanted to test Li Xuewu's abilities and level, but she was also somewhat unwilling to come over so easily. However, as an outsider, she was already struggling to make ends meet in the steel city.
The deputy director, Liu Yongnian, who arrived around the same time as her, was in a similar situation, or even somewhat worse.
Liu Yongnian was also an outsider; he joined when Hongxing Steel Group merged with sixteen industrial enterprises in Beijing.
And her? A cadre at Fengcheng No. 1 Machinery Factory.
Under the guidance of Jing Yunong, the group's deputy director, Xiao Zihong, the head of the No. 1 Machinery Plant, carried out a complete structural reform of the enterprise.
From the technical level to production management, and even the organizational and corporate structures, a complete overhaul and restructuring has been carried out.
Fengcheng No. 1 Machinery Plant now only retains the capacity to produce machine tool equipment. The production of other mechanical parts has been transferred to Gangcheng and a new industrial enterprise has been established—Gangcheng Mechanical Parts Manufacturing Plant, which is a secondary enterprise in Gangcheng Industrial Zone.
Technology and production are both changing in response to the group's overall transformation strategy, and personnel changes are naturally underway as well.
She was transferred from Fengcheng to Gangcheng during a personnel change.
Regardless, she is from Northeast China, or even Liaodong, making her a more established local compared to Liu Yongnian.
In terms of the foundation of her political and local relations, she was certainly much stronger than Liu Yongnian, and she had an advantage in this respect.
However, she is a woman, which puts her at a natural disadvantage in the factory's management, even though the leadership emphasizes the need for women.
But everyone knows that the more something is emphasized, the more it is lacking; the organization is still a man's world.
She didn't know what Liu Yongnian was thinking, but she did know that Xiao Zihong, who was now the head of Hongxing Fengcheng Machinery Factory, had once been Li Xuewu's deputy.
According to information from other sources, Liaodong Industry is actually already under Li Xuewu's control.
Given the relationship between Li Xuewu and Dong Wenxue, Li Xuewu would take over all of Dong Wenxue's influence in the steel city.
See? Dong Wenxue's secretary, Zhang Wei, is still in Gangcheng, but he hasn't been given any official position.
What does it mean?
It's as obvious as helping someone get on their feet and then seeing them off for a while.
The group will be able to complete the organizational restructuring after the new year, forming a management structure of large departments and small offices.
Meanwhile, in the steel city, the newly formed enterprise has already completed the standardized structure of the group and the factory.
You can tell just by listening to how people address the heads of their respective factories. Those who call themselves "factory manager" are basically from branch offices that have already completed organizational restructuring.
Companies that use titles like "director" or "factory manager" are those that existed before the group was formed, or those that completed the establishment and reform of the management committee system in the early stages of the group formation.
Enterprises such as metallurgical plants and hardware factories need to take steps to reduce the influence of the management committee.
Of course, this doesn't mean that after these factories completed their organizational restructuring under the group's management, the factory directors had complete control and the management committee had no role anymore.
Li Huaide clearly stated in the group's development plan that the group's management committee is the only organizational and management structure for the entire group, while the management committees of other branch factories are considered branches.
Therefore, whether the branch factory's management committee is dismantled or not will not affect the branch factories' ability to carry out their respective work under the guidance and management of the group's management committee.
Reducing the management committee structure is a sign of progress, representing a transition towards a more group-oriented, modern, and professional enterprise.
Each branch factory retains its management committee organization, but is only responsible for publicity, organization, and labor union work.
Business operations should be conducted independently, and the factory director responsibility system should be gradually restored to establish a unified management structure under the group's management committee.
Once the metallurgical plant takes action, these deputy directors will face the reality of a reassignment of responsibilities.
Each management committee group, including the security group, political group, logistics group, production group, and economic management group, must be broken down.
What a mess, all this fuss and nonsense.
What's that saying again? The world, after a long period of division, tends to unite; after a long period of unity, tends to divide. It seems like that's been the case for the last two years.
Before and after the Lunar New Year, Li Xuewu was busy conducting research. After completing the research, he would issue a report outlining his management intentions for the steel city and introduce corresponding policies and guidelines.
By then, Li Xuewu will have completed the division of labor within the team. What should she do?
The metallurgical plant's leadership team was not just one level below Li Xuewu, but two, or even three levels below him.
Don't let Li Xuewu's current rank fool you; his status as a group leader is enough to overshadow them.
The office meetings have never been held, and the orders are all issued by the management committee office in the form of notices. Doesn't she understand that? Li Xuewu doesn't treat them as comrades in the leadership team at all, but as subordinates of the Liaodong Industrial Management Group.
There is an old saying in China that those who understand current affairs are heroes.
Now it's time for her to make a choice and figure out how to respond to Li Xuewu.
Those who follow the rules will prosper; those who go against them will perish.
-
"Isn't this like punching cotton?"
When Wang Shuqiong saw Yin Zhongyao, she couldn't help but mutter to herself, "He's also a blind fool."
She and Li Xuewu had to visit even more people, so they returned later, arriving at the factory after four o'clock.
Even the older comrades and sick leave employees need to see it in person; otherwise, Li Xuewu really wouldn't feel at ease.
However, it's not appropriate to go empty-handed during the Lunar New Year; it would seem as if one doesn't trust the staff on duty.
So he didn't go through all those complicated procedures, like organizing cultural performances or anything like that; nobody wanted to go through all that trouble.
The simplest and most heartwarming thing is a dumpling, so he called on all the metallurgical plant team members who were at home to bring their families if they could, and those who couldn't bring their families to join the colleagues who stayed in various departments for the New Year to make dumplings in the canteen.
That's right, Li Xuewu specially approved a sum of money to obtain a lot of flour and pork from the distribution unit.
No one can taste the foreign flavor in this flour and pork, but it's definitely not from the mainland. I won't go into how it got here.
There's no need to calculate the cost of these dumplings. Don't you think organizing cultural performances, charity shows, and all sorts of miscellaneous events cost money?
If we save all of that, we can squeeze the money out of other funds.
It's easy to imagine how the workers in the factory must feel on New Year's Eve, watching the lights of thousands of homes illuminated and the bustling activity.
But what do you think they'll feel when they receive a call from the workshop director informing them that factory leaders will be delivering dumplings around 8 p.m. tonight?
All the cadres who stayed behind in the unit were not allowed to leave after work; they had to go to the canteen to help out.
Kneading dough, chopping filling, and wrapping dumplings are all skilled tasks.
Add plenty of scallions and a little less pork, make the wrappers thinner, and try to ensure that all the workers on duty today can eat dumplings. Whether they eat a lot or a little, their hearts will be warm and cozy.
Some people in later generations complained that the Spring Festival Gala was reduced to just one theme: making dumplings, and that it was quite boring. But that's not true. For people in later generations, eating dumplings is commonplace, but back then, it was quite a rare treat to eat dumplings.
This was in 1969. The national economy was improving, the central government had completed the economic development plan, and the living standards of urban workers had improved significantly.
In the past, even if you wanted to eat eggs, you couldn't find any; you couldn't even pick up an eggshell.
Li Xuewu could clearly feel that the supply of goods in cities other than those from steel groups was becoming more diversified.
Let's get back to eggs. Surprisingly, they're now available in the market and people can buy them.
People of that era had a strong attachment to a rich material life, which was reflected in later generations through that meal of dumplings.
No matter how far apart the family members are, they all want to get together and have a hot reunion dinner.
The reason this meal is not cherished in later generations is because gatherings are easy; one can get home by plane or high-speed rail.
Who has that kind of opportunity these days?
Li Xuewu's grandmother could only see her other children and grandchildren once every few years. Is this a problem for later generations?
So when the dining tables in the cafeteria were arranged in rows and side by side, divided into sections according to the steps of making dumplings, with each person doing their own part, the scene became even more lively and passionate.
Although they made the dumplings themselves and couldn't even eat them, they could still tell the workers that it was all worth it.
They can go home and reunite with their families tonight, but what about the factory workers?
The head chef in the cafeteria was extremely busy, having to instruct the filling team on how to add seasonings, and also keep an eye on the dough-making and rolling-out teams.
By this time, everyone had a big appetite, so very few people didn't know how to make dumplings. Those who really didn't know how to make dumplings were assigned other jobs, like watching over piles of food.
The dumplings can't be cooked right away, or they'll all clump together. It's not even eight o'clock yet, so these dumplings need to be frozen first.
The outdoor temperature in the steel city isn't very cold, only around minus thirty-two or thirty-three degrees Celsius. Dumplings placed on a wooden table can easily last for three minutes before freezing into ice lumps.
You do not believe?
This is no joke; when the temperature drops to minus thirty degrees Celsius at night, even urinating outside feels different.
The urine looks like water when it falls on the ground, but it looks like ice. If you pee too slowly, the stream of water can freeze on you.
That's a bit of an exaggeration, but some people really did get frostbite.
As it got closer to eight o'clock, the atmosphere in the cafeteria became more and more tense, and no one was in the mood to look at Li Xuewu anymore.
Right there, Li Xuewu was making dumplings, just like everyone else, his hands moving quickly as he pinched them together.
Other factory leaders who were at home were also busy, and they all seemed quite different from when they were in the office. They were much more approachable, friendly, and vibrant.
Especially Dou Changfang, the head of the trade union, who really didn't know how to make dumplings, but he couldn't bear to be separated from the team members. So he was learning to make dumplings while sweating profusely.
Some people chuckled to themselves, saying that he wasn't in a hurry, but rather embarrassed, since even Li Xuewu could make dumplings.
The head chef in the cafeteria was also grumbling, saying that the staff on duty this year were the luckiest, as he had never seen anything like it before.
Wang Shuqiong sat next to Li Xuewu, her eyes occasionally sweeping over him. Seeing his quick movements, she joked, "Does the leader do housework at home too?"
“Looks like they were made.” Sitting opposite her, Liu Yongnian looked up at Li Xuewu and smiled, saying, “Look how beautifully these dumplings are made.”
Cadres from other units also looked over, and regardless of whether they could tell the dumplings were beautiful or not, they had to praise them.
Li Xuewu smiled and didn't mind. He frankly said, "I have a lazy side. I never do housework at home. It's a skill I learned when I was a child."
He placed the dumplings he had just wrapped on the wooden board, then picked up a dumpling wrapper and, while using chopsticks to smear the filling, introduced with a smile: "There are three brothers in my family, and one sister. I'm the second oldest. I'm usually lazy, but during the New Year, if I don't show off a little, I'm always worried that I won't get enough dumplings."
"Hehehe—" Everyone laughed along. Although many people didn't understand what Li Xuewu was saying, it didn't stop them from cheering.
Wang Shuqiong glanced at the person opposite her, then her gaze swept over the other members of the team.
She hadn't known much about Li Xuewu before, but today's close encounter made her realize that this leader was truly extraordinary, at least in his sharp tongue.
Was Li Xuewu describing his family situation in the previous sentence?
Other cadres in the unit might find it amusing, and they might just take his words literally. But can they really do that?
Li Xuewu's words clearly pointed out the current organizational state of the metallurgical plant.
Three brothers and one sister, who are you talking about?
Listen to the next line: If you don't show your goodwill during the New Year, you'll have to worry about whether you'll get to eat dumplings.
Li Xuewu remembers in his heart who performed well and who did not.
Don't complain if you don't get enough dumplings later; it's your own fault for not doing this.
Dou Changfang's eyelids twitched, but she didn't lift them, continuing to struggle with the dumpling wrapper in her hand.
Liu Yongnian and Wang Shuqiong exchanged a glance, then Liu turned away to ask for dumpling filling.
Yin Zhongyao's expression changed the fastest, so fast that it could pass by if one wasn't paying attention.
Now, Deputy Director Yin's expression is exactly the same as before, but those who are observant have already noticed something is wrong.
Deputy Director Yin's grip was inconsistent, sometimes strong, sometimes weak, and the dumplings were also inconsistent in size. He clearly understood what Li Xuewu had said and was flustered.
Are you going to deprive me of dumplings?
At eight o'clock, the canteen was wrapping up its work. A three-wheeled motorcycle carrying a boiler stove made from oil drums and bags of frozen dumplings followed the leaders toward the workshop.
Unlike during the day, at night several factory leaders each led a group to different workshops.
Li Xuewu led his team to Workshop 7. He first shook hands with the workshop leaders who were waiting at the door and exchanged a few words before entering the workshop.
The roar of machinery in the workshop continued as usual.
He walked through the workshop, nodded and greeted the workers who looked over, and then, with the introduction of the workshop leader, visited several production areas. Finally, he looked at the operation log.
While they were inspecting the vehicle, the boiler stove had already been unloaded and a fire was quickly lit.
Add water, blow air, and add firewood. Soon, boiling steam rises from the large pot; it's time to cook the dumplings.
The people making the dumplings weren't the cafeteria chefs, but female colleagues from the workplace; they were more meticulous.
A large strainer gently stirred the white dumplings, and the aroma of the dumpling filling wafted through the workshop door.
The workers lost all motivation to work, and at this point, the workshop leaders, at Li Xuewu's request, issued an order to suspend work.
As the roar of the machinery ceased, shouts of "The dumplings are ready!" rang out from the doorway, instantly filling the workshop with excitement.
Li Xuewu stood smiling beside the large pot, watching the workers line up with their lunchboxes to receive dumplings and dumpling soup.
The workshop leaders and colleagues from the management committee office stood by, talking excitedly.
"Happy Chinese New Year, Boss!"
I don't know who shouted it first, but before the workshop leader, who was terrified, could go to find them, more greetings rang out, all of them from young people.
When he looked at Li Xuewu again, he saw that Li Xuewu was neither angry nor concerned.
To be honest, there's nothing wrong with greeting your boss for the New Year. The reason the workshop leader was startled wasn't because of that, but because the first young man to greet him clearly had a Jincheng accent.
Many people might not understand this. What's wrong with the Jincheng accent? Nothing, it's just that it makes people suspicious of everything.
"Happy New Year, Boss!"—The last "ah" in this sentence is stressed with an upward slant, making it sound like a sarcastic remark to the boss, as if the boss is being unhappy.
Perhaps the young man's coworkers also noticed this, or perhaps it was a shared feeling of gratitude that prompted them to chime in, asking the question to everyone who came forward to collect dumplings.
By this point, it's impossible to tell who was the first person to question whether he was having a good New Year.
Li Xuewu knew the Jincheng accent all too well, and found it amusing, his smile widening even further.
After the greetings had faded slightly, he mimicked the accent and asked in return, "Happy New Year, everyone!"
"Hahaha—" The atmosphere in the workshop became even more cheerful, and some workers who were eating dumplings almost choked.
One by one, they thought to themselves or muttered to themselves, "This new leader is quite interesting."
Furthermore, some workers who had been transferred from the Hongxing Factory and knew Li Xuewu began to tell them about Li Xuewu's past "legends," which sounded like legendary tales.
Eating dumplings while relaxing and listening to stories made this year's Lunar New Year's Eve much more interesting.
Li Xuewu watched as the dumplings were distributed before leaving the workshop and heading to the next workshop, accompanied by the workshop leaders and other workshop cadres.
Tonight, he only needs to go to two places, leading the dumpling-cooking team to distribute steaming hot dumplings into the workers' lunchboxes.
After a flurry of activity, it was already 10:10 when we returned to the main cafeteria. Everyone was exhausted, especially the cafeteria staff.
On behalf of the metallurgical plant's management team, Li Xuewu distributed red envelopes to all those working overtime that evening.
The red envelopes, wrapped in bright red paper, looked especially festive in the lively atmosphere tonight.
It feels thin to the touch, but the sense of participation and accomplishment in my heart is thick. Would they not have come to make dumplings without this red envelope? But they are even happier with this red envelope.
There wasn't much money in the red envelope, just five small bills, which was roughly half a pound of pork for each person, but the meaning was different.
Every employee who received a red envelope from Li Xuewu would introduce themselves and wish him a Happy New Year.
Li Xuewu would also take the initiative to offer his condolences, comments, or praise on their performance that night, which made them even more excited.
Yes, the leaders have been paying attention to them, and these are the group leaders, how could they not be excited?
Li Xuewu couldn't possibly remember all these people; he just relied on vague tones and praised them as much as possible.
However, tonight's dumpling-making and dumpling-delivering activities have made him a household name among the workers in the workshop and the company, and he has also remembered the faces and names that should be remembered.
Yin Zhongyao and the others who were with him appeared calm on the surface, but their hearts were in turmoil and they were sweating profusely.
Let them jump around like clowns, the leader remained calm and continued to follow his own pace.
Look, just one meal of dumplings was enough to win over everyone in the metallurgical plant. The key is that Li Xuewu didn't even pay for the dumplings; he just made them and gave them away. As a result, all the employees in the plant will only remember his kindness.
Tell me, isn't this open scheme brilliant?
The employees' gratitude and surprise will be transformed into motivation and heartfelt support for Li Xuewu's guidance.
Even before they had fully digested the dumplings, their enthusiasm had already waned, but the situation had already reversed.
If Li Xuewu persists, sooner or later the entire metallurgical plant will become his personal fiefdom, and no one will be able to influence him.
Is this only the case in metallurgical plants?
How could that be? They had already heard this afternoon that the metallurgical plant was having dumplings tonight, and other plants were having dumplings too. It was specially approved by Li Xuewu in his capacity as the leader of the Liaodong Industrial Leading Group.
After delivering the dumplings to the metallurgical plant, Li Xuewu was about to head to other factories.
You've eaten the dumplings, but don't forget who sent them.
That's amazing! This kind of open strategy is beyond the reach of most people, and they are completely convinced.
The key is that they made their move, and Li Xuewu hadn't even retaliated yet, so how could they possibly fight back?
Those two in the capital are going to have a hard time. Yang Zongfang is doing alright because his father-in-law is doing well, but what about Yang Shuxing?
And I urge my father-in-law to do something to live up to his reputation?
Li Xuewu's car went from car manufacturing plant to aircraft manufacturing plant to hardware manufacturing plant... and finally returned to Zhou Yamei's home, where the mother and daughter were waiting for him to have New Year's Eve dinner.
Zhou Yamei had originally planned to have Mai Qinglan and her son come to her home for the New Year, but after discovering that someone was following her, she gave up the idea.
If Li Xuewu wanted to do something bad or cheat people, she could put up with it, but she couldn't let Mai Qinglan suffer because of him.
The fact that not a single person from the recycling station has been seen since Li Xuewu arrived in Gangcheng shows that he has great ambitions.
She asked for nothing more than that all the people from the Hongxing Steel Group in Liaodong should be more careful and not do anything foolish.
These people might not be afraid of death, but she really didn't want to bury them.
boom--
Li Xuewu stepped into the courtyard, and a burst of fireworks happened to rise in the distant sky, dazzlingly bright.
Happy New Year!
(End of this chapter)