MMB Chapter 1413 Deception, keep deceiving!
Chapter 1413 Deception, keep deceiving!
Chapter 1413 Deception, keep deceiving!
“Secretary-General is really…” Ma Baosen shook his head in a daze, standing by the window on the third floor and looking down at Deputy Factory Director Yin being led into the car.
Wang Min, standing next to him, had a cold smile on his lips and tapped his fingers lightly on the glass.
Following his gesture, the group looked over and saw Liao Jinhui, the office director, standing at the building entrance, his face ashen.
Is it a case of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold" or "when something harms one's own kind"?
After the factory management committee was restructured, the management committee office was abolished and a comprehensive management office was established, so Director Liao was put on hold.
Over the past month, various news has been reported from other department heads, and everyone is worried about him.
Of course, not everyone meant well; some were just waiting to see Director Liao make a fool of himself, hoping to hear him say that he was reaping what he sowed.
The position of director of the factory director's office was the first to be decided, and unsurprisingly, it went to Sun Jia.
Some people lament that a new emperor brings a new court, and this saying is fully exemplified in the cases of Sun Jia and Liao Jinhui.
Sun Jia was originally an invisible person in the office, someone who had long been forgotten by everyone. Liao Jinhui, on the other hand, was a highly sought-after and favored director in the metallurgical plant.
What now?
Director Liao's position was as precarious as an egg, while Sun Jia rose rapidly to become the director closest to the leadership.
The position of head of the General Management Division of the government agency was more attractive, but Liao Jinhui had long since lost his chance.
So now, looking at Director Liao, he has long lost his high spirits and is left with only a sense of dejection.
"Has the appointment of the Director of the General Office not been made yet?" Zhou Linghua walked over and glanced out the window, clearly having overheard their conversation.
"Isn't it Director Liao who's in charge right now? The higher-ups haven't had time to deal with this yet?"
“That depends on whether he can get through this hurdle—” Wang Min spoke without restraint, even with a hint of cynicism.
He glanced downstairs and said, "The audit team said he's fine, so he's fine. Otherwise, he would have lost his position as the director of the general office."
Zhou Linghua gave him a deep look, but said nothing. They weren't classmates, but they had worked together for a while, and he knew what kind of temperament the other was.
In terms of talent, Wang Min is undoubtedly a prodigy in the field of architectural engineering, possessing exceptional professional skills. However, he tends to be somewhat extreme and stubborn in his interpersonal relationships.
Director Zhang Jing once said privately that Wang Min's personality might be related to his upbringing.
This kid grew up in a single-parent family, and it takes a lot of perseverance for him to go to university in this day and age.
“It’s not like the leaders didn’t give them a chance,” Ma Baosen said, arms crossed. “Those who actively returned the stolen goods and voluntarily confessed their problems were basically not punished.”
"That depends on the person—"
Wang Min then chimed in, emphasizing, "If the problem is serious and has a negative impact, then it should still be dealt with."
He glanced at Ma Baosen and said, "It's just a matter of granting some leniency depending on the circumstances."
“That’s still better than burning incense and praying to Buddha when things come to a head,” Ma Baosen turned to look at him and said, “Isn’t it better to take the initiative to talk to the leader than to stay at home and worry?”
“Comrade Xiao Ma—” Wang Min shook his head with feigned emotion, patted the other’s shoulder, and said in a mature tone, “If they all thought like you, they wouldn’t have reached out a hand long ago.”
“I knew that admitting one’s mistakes and correcting them is the greatest virtue.” Ma Baosen shrugged his shoulders, shaking off the other man’s hand, and said calmly, “I also know that killing is just a matter of beheading, and nothing is more important than life.”
“Comrade Baosen has a very clear understanding of life.” Zhou Linghua, fearing that the two would start arguing, deliberately interjected, “It’s not easy to see this clearly at such a young age.”
"Hey—he just doesn't have any ambition."
Wang Min smiled and glanced at Ma Baosen, then looked away from the window and swayed back into his office.
Zhou Linghua smiled and patted Ma Baosen's arm, gently comforting him, "Wang Min is just like that. He's not a bad person. Don't take it to heart."
"Hey, what are you talking about?" Ma Baosen laughed generously and said, "We're not talking about other people, are we?"
"Well done, you have a truly magnanimous heart."
Zhou Linghua looked at him with great admiration and nodded, saying, "I'll talk to him later. He can't keep talking like that; it's too discouraging. He doesn't deserve to be called Little Ma."
"Don't bother, it's not a big deal. That's what everyone calls me."
Ma Baosen smiled and said nonchalantly, "Let's just forget about it, we get along quite well."
“He has read a lot of books, but his knowledge is not solid.” Zhou Linghua said to Ma Baosen with a slight sigh, “Especially in the field of social studies, he is really not as good as you.”
"Oh, please stop talking." Ma Baosen smiled sheepishly, rubbing his arms as he said, "You're giving me goosebumps."
"Hehehe—" Zhou Linghua tilted his head, gesturing for the two of them to go inside together.
Ma Baosen was quite willing to communicate with Zhou Linghua. Despite being a college student, Zhou Linghua had none of the airs or reserve typical of college students and was very friendly towards him.
"Hey, Brother Zhou, I have a question for you." Ma Baosen asked softly, "How did the Secretary-General learn so much? How did he become so amazing?"
"Hehe, your question has stumped me." Zhou Linghua looked at him with amusement and said, "If I know how the leaders study, I'll learn from them."
"I just don't understand."
Ma Baosen looked genuinely bewildered, frowning as he pondered, "He's always calm and composed, as if he'd never panic or be surprised by anything."
“Take his experiences in Steel City as an example,” he said, counting on his fingers. “So many people have ideas, but he always manages to sort out the conflicts and ideas and solve the problems without anyone noticing.”
"Take the person who was taken away today, for example."
He looked at Zhou Linghua and asked, "How did the Secretary-General do it? There was no warning at all."
"What kind of signs do you expect to see?" Zhou Linghua asked, half-laughing and half-crying. "Do you really expect them to have a fight, or even a physical one?"
"Hehehe, that won't do." Ma Baosen found the thought of such a scene amusing, and he quipped, "If a fight really broke out, I reckon even ten Deputy Factory Directors Yin tied together wouldn't be a match for the Secretary-General."
“Stop talking nonsense—” Zhou Linghua patted his arm and whispered a reminder, “If your master hears this, he’ll scold you again.”
"Then you absolutely mustn't tell anyone!"
When Ma Baosen heard him mention his master, he belatedly realized what was going on and widened his eyes, saying, "I have no problem with the secretary-general."
Unexpectedly, Zhang Enyuan's voice rang out from behind them: "So, who do you have a problem with?"
-
On the last day of April, the Third Regiment of the Guards was rotated out and withdrew from the north, returning to Beijing by train.
The related issues have been largely resolved through diplomatic channels. It was precisely because the Third Regiment fought so fiercely, accurately, and ruthlessly that it provided a broader negotiating environment for the diplomatic corps.
Before the troops had even returned to Beijing, news of their achievements spread. Li Xuewu learned from Li Huaide's phone call that the Third Regiment of the Guard had been awarded the title of "Red Star Regiment" for its meritorious service.
There's a story behind why it's called the "Red Star Regiment," and it all started with Old Li.
The implication from Lao Li's phone call was that while commending the Third Regiment, the higher authorities also affirmed the positive attitude and strong support from Hongxing Steel Group.
Taking all factors into account, the Third Guard Regiment's current combat effectiveness and high level of professionalism are partly due to cooperation with various parties, especially the development and feedback from enterprises.
Details of the 3rd Regiment's participation in this battle have been reported to higher authorities, especially the detailed information on the combat equipment, which also includes the names of the weapon manufacturers.
The frequent appearance of the Red Star Steel Group logo, especially the helicopters and special vehicles, truly made them take notice of the battlefield-tested equipment.
Anyone with expertise can't ignore the importance of these equipment and their key attributes in this battle; they are truly the key to victory.
The report also mentioned that SteelAir is working on mass production of the KH-4 helicopter, as well as production plans for two other more advanced helicopters.
The description of the Tundra special operations vehicle also quotes the engineers from the steel and automobile industry. This is a key project for the Steel City Automobile Plant of Hongxing Steel Group for the next five years, with an investment of more than five million yuan in research and development alone.
In this day and age, to invest over five million in developing a car, that must be an incredibly comprehensive vehicle, far superior to the current experimental model.
"I was wondering when they called me to attend a meeting, since I don't have anything much going on lately."
Li Huaide was clearly praised by his superiors, otherwise he wouldn't have been so excited about dermatitis on the phone.
Li Xuewu could tell from the tone of his voice on the phone that he was beaming with joy.
"Did the boss not mention anything from the past?"
Li Xuewu is such a good conversationalist; he speaks so naturally and even knows how to hit the nail on the head.
"No—" Old Li exaggeratedly drew out the words, laughing as he said, "How could he possibly remember anything from the past now? I bet he has to forget it whether he wants to or not."
"That's right, we provided a lot of support this time." Li Xuewu didn't want Old Li to feel bad about it, so he pretended to be stingy and asked, "Can't you step forward and ask about the equipment we provided?"
He paused deliberately at this point, then continued, "Even if those conventional equipment are damaged in battle and unusable, shouldn't our experimental vehicles and helicopters be returned to us?"
"Sigh—" Sure enough, upon hearing Li Xuewu's story, Old Li, who had just been excited, also sighed helplessly and said in a resigned tone, "Forget it. When you brought this up, I never expected to see these equipment return."
"Now that everything is done, we can't let it all spoil the mood."
He feigned magnanimity and said, "The leaders are still in high spirits. If I were to cause them trouble at this time, even if I had ten points of merit, I would only have three."
"Furthermore, we are not outsiders with the Third Guard Regiment, and these things will be sent over for practice sooner or later."
Li Huaide composed himself and said to Li Xuewu, "Even if the experiment is ahead of schedule."
"If Steel Gas and Steel Aircraft need experimental targets, then produce some more. If you don't have enough funds, tell me and I'll figure something out."
"That's the only way."
Li Xuewu mimicked his tone and said something, but there was still a slight silence on the phone.
Li Huaide didn't want him to feel bad about such a small thing; if Li Xuewu felt bad about it, he would feel even more bad.
"By the way, I have something to tell you."
He changed the subject and said on the phone, "Comrade Wang Xiaoqin voluntarily submitted her resignation to the Group's Management Committee, requesting to resign from her position as Manager of the Quality, Safety and Environmental Protection Department."
"I tried to persuade her with the relevant leaders, but they couldn't resist Wang Xiaoqin's special circumstances, so they agreed."
Don't be fooled by what Lao Li says; in reality, it was his opinion that influenced Wang Xiaoqin to resign voluntarily.
During their last meeting, Li Huaide revealed that some government agencies and regions were already undergoing reforms to the management committee system, and the three representatives had withdrawn from these units.
He wanted Li Xuewu to prepare early, but the group only had one representative from the three branches. What could he possibly prepare?
Li Xuewu also frankly told Li Huaide that he would talk to Wang Xiaoqin.
Given their friendship, they didn't even need to meet; everything was understood without being spoken.
On the phone, Wang Xiaoqin let out a long sigh of relief, as if a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders; there was no sense of loss whatsoever.
She wanted to resign from her positions as one of the three representatives immediately, but she was afraid that such a move would attract unnecessary attention from the group and other parties, so she had to take it one step at a time.
Li Xuewu and Wang Xiaoqin had agreed that Li would first resign as manager of the Quality and Safety Department and voluntarily withdraw from the management committee. He would then resign as a representative of the three branches. This process needed to be gradual and timed carefully.
Old Li said things were changing outside, but what he really wanted was for the group to get rid of the three representatives' surveillance as soon as possible. But if it were to be fully implemented, it would take some time.
Fortunately, Wang Xiaoqin continued Li Xuewu's work approach here, so it didn't cause Old Li much trouble.
The two sides cooperated well, and Lao Li was really reluctant to let Wang Xiaoqin completely leave Hongxing Steel Group.
He was also afraid of overreactions from both the outside and inside, so it was better to be cautious at this time and there was no need to rush to be first in everything.
In fact, the system represented by these three representatives was also learned by Hongxing Factory. When Wang Xiaoqin took on this position, she cooperated very well with the work of Hongxing Factory.
So it was Li Huaide's idea, but he said it in a more tactful way to save face for Li Xuewu.
After all, the reason we invited Wang Xiaoqin to oversee things was precisely to prevent problems from arising; we were essentially taking advantage of her situation.
Let's not even talk about mutual benefit; Red Star is a large and well-established company, so it benefits more.
Old Li's politeness on the phone was not at all fake. He really didn't expect Wang Xiaoqin to be so accommodating, without a single complaint or reluctance to leave.
"Yes, she mentioned it to me once, saying that she has too much work now and is too busy to handle it all."
Li Xuewu said very sincerely, "If you need her to finish her work as a representative of the three branches, she will be overjoyed."
"Hahaha—" Li Huaide laughed for a while and said, "Personally, I am very grateful to Comrade Wang Xiaoqin for her obedience at the Red Star Factory, so we should continue to cooperate with the Third Regiment and intensify our efforts."
In return for kindness, Wang Xiaoqin was generous and open-minded, and Lao Li was not a stingy person either, so he was even more generous than Wang Xiaoqin.
Li Xuewu always felt that Lao Li was the kind of person who could be easily tricked and swindled by words.
"It will happen soon. I'll arrange for the office to make her a banner, so she can have some face."
I'm just bored!
"It's a little warm, I definitely can't wear a sweater anymore, but short sleeves are too cold, so a shirt is fine..."
Banggeng sat alone at his desk, carefully writing a letter home with a fountain pen in his hand.
On the left side of the desk were a fountain pen and a water bottle, and on the right was a dictionary. In his plain-language letters home, there were always some words he couldn't pronounce correctly or couldn't write.
When traveling, people often write letters home sparingly, selecting only the essential details, for words can convey deep emotions.
But no, he can't write those elegant, literary words at all; he just writes whatever comes to mind.
Sometimes, the text is interspersed with Beijing slang, which makes readers chuckle.
Actually, Li Xuewu forced him to write letters home; otherwise, he wouldn't be given food.
Li Xuewu had already told Banggeng that he would write a letter home every week; if it was too short or too little, he would have to go hungry and skip dinner.
You said it's okay to skip dinner, you can just get through it by being hungry. If that were really the case, Bang Geng wouldn't have gone to so much trouble to nitpick over every word in writing his letter home.
Is it a matter of dinner? If you don't eat this dinner, how will you stick to your workout before breakfast tomorrow morning? You'll be starving!
Why is there pinyin in your letter?
Fu Zhidong, who had somehow gotten close to him, glanced at the letter he had written and suddenly burst out laughing.
This is so embarrassing! He was actually laughed at by a second-grade elementary school kid.
"I've forgotten how to write characters, don't you understand?!"
He even tried to justify himself, saying, "My inspiration is all in my head, and I'm afraid I'll forget it later. I'll put the pinyin file aside for a while, and then I can add it back later when I'm done writing."
"Your inspiration came way too hastily." Fu Zhidong tapped his finger on the letter, counted a few words, and looked up in surprise, saying, "There are eleven pinyin entries! You can't even write so many Chinese characters?"
"I told you I forgot how to write characters, why are you so annoying!" Banggeng waved his hand impatiently and said, "Can't you see I'm writing a letter? Go away, go away, go somewhere cool and stay there, don't bother me, do you hear me?"
Kids talk like that; they don't think it's excessive, they're just joking around.
Fu Zhidong, having also learned bad habits from his godfather, pointed to the blank space in front of him and asked, "Why is there a missing one here? Is it because you don't know how to spell the pinyin?"
"Tsk—" Banggeng glared and explained forcefully, "I was going to mark the pinyin, but who told you to disturb me? I've forgotten what I was supposed to mark."
“Hehe—” Fu Zhidong chuckled mischievously, looking at Bang Geng and said, “I still suggest you stop using Chinese characters and just use pinyin.”
"This way, you won't have to go through the hassle of carrying things back and forth, and you won't have to look up words in the dictionary. It's just that the translation takes a little more effort."
"Didn't I hit you?" Bang Geng glared at Fu Zhidong, trying to scare him. Seeing that the little brat wasn't afraid at all, he turned around and was about to call Aunt Zhou to complain.
But Fu Zhidong is worse than him; he saw that he was about to shout and was already waiting for him here.
“Go ahead and shout!” He raised an eyebrow to remind Bang Geng, “If you shout, my mom will see your spider-scratched letter, and then you’ll have to add calligraphy practice to your daily routine.”
"Zhou—" Bang Geng had only managed to shout half a sentence when he heard what the little rascal said, so he swallowed the rest of his words back, his face turning bright red as he almost choked on his own.
"What do you want?" he asked, glaring at Fu Zhidong. "I don't have any pocket money for you."
"Who wants your pocket money—"
Fu Zhidong rolled his eyes at him, then whispered, "Didn't you say you could make a slingshot to shoot birds? Make one for me and teach me how to shoot birds too."
"Heh—heh—" Bang Geng sneered and turned back to continue writing his letter.
Seeing that he wasn't falling for his tricks, Fu Zhidong quickly added, "I can help you write the letter!"
“No need—” Banggeng lowered his head and mumbled as he worked, but he said very clearly, “I’ll get scolded for making a slingshot to teach you how to shoot birds, and I’ll get scolded for asking you to write letters for me.”
"Even if you go to Aunt Zhou to complain that my writing is bad, I can just spend time practicing."
He glanced back at the little one standing by the desk and said, "I can make a wise choice between being scolded and being lectured, so don't bother me. If you want to play, figure it out yourself and don't bother me."
"You really don't know what's good for you!"
Fu Zhidong stomped his foot angrily and said, "If I had known you were such a coward, I wouldn't have come to beg you. We even recognized you as our leader, and you really don't stand up for us."
“Bullshit leader—” Bang Geng curled his lip and said, “I’m here to hang out with your mother at the docks, not to lead you little brats around the streets.”
He stopped writing, cracked his knuckles, and looked at Fu Zhidong with droopy eyelids, saying, "Believe it or not, even if I beat you up right now, you won't dare to tell Aunt Zhou."
"You're ruthless—" Fu Zhidong wasn't going to argue with him. Seeing that he was about to throw a punch, he slipped away.
He also made friends at school. The male classmates would get together and talk about who had the best older brother, who was the best fighter in the class.
These days, teachers are also worried; the students are like sheep being let loose. Elementary school is actually a little better, at least there's some order, but conflicts between students are inevitable.
Fu Zhidong is short in stature, but he is cunning and always manages to gain an advantage by playing both sides. However, he also needs a powerful backer.
That's what he was thinking. Anyway, Bang Geng eats at his house and lives at his house, so it's not too much to borrow Bang Geng's prestige, right?
That's outrageous! It's very offensive. Bang Geng looks down on these little brats who never do anything productive. They just chatter on their way to school, but they're all well-behaved in class.
Back in the day, he dared to pull the airtight valve off the teacher's bicycle, dared to put a toad in the chalk box, dared to put the trash can on the door before the school bell rang, dared to...
Ugh--
Thinking back to those days, Bang Geng felt a little desolate; he missed his school days.
That was half a year ago... It feels so distant now.
Now that I see Fu Zhidong is going astray, he even seems to be acting like a know-it-all. I really want to teach him a lesson so he can study hard and not follow in my footsteps.
Look how busy he is these days; life is tough these days.
After chasing away the brat Fu Zhidong, he continued writing about his family, expressing to his mother in what he thought was a mature tone that he had no regrets about dropping out of school.
-
"It's one thing that they don't give us a holiday for Labor Day, but why don't they give us a holiday for Youth Day either?"
Fu Zhidong staggered downstairs, watched his mother busy in the kitchen, and then complained to Bang Geng, who had just come out of his room.
Banggeng raised the corners of his mouth with a half-smile and said, "May Fourth Youth Day is for young people like us, not for bed-wetting brats like you. You should celebrate Children's Day on June 1st. You're a child."
"You? A young man from the streets?"
Fu Zhidong curled his lip, walked into the restaurant, and muttered, "Neither society nor youth."
"What are you muttering about?" Zhou Yamei took the cooked white pancakes out of the pan and put them in a bowl. She turned to her son and said, "Go wash your hands and get ready to eat."
"Okay, Mother—"
Fu Zhidong smiled obediently and skipped past his mother, the smile on his face vanishing instantly.
Banggeng stood facing him, raising an eyebrow and teasing, "Pretending to be clever and innocent, what else could you be but a child?"
"Tch—" Fu Zhidong curled his lip, walked past him, and said resentfully, "You were born to celebrate Youth Day, but not Children's Day, huh..."
Once the two got to know each other well, they would bicker every morning, whispering and grumbling to each other for a while.
Even when they were panting heavily from their morning exercise, their arguments couldn't be stopped.
Zhou Yamei wasn't used to it, but she didn't have time to talk to them. Li Xuewu had time to talk to them, but he was used to it.
Zhou Yamei was preparing breakfast. He had just finished exercising, taken a shower, changed his clothes, and was sitting on the sofa reading today's newspaper, looking very relaxed and comfortable.
In today's newspaper, a spring breeze blew by, and even the harsh winter began to show cracks.
It seems that Lou Yu and his ilk will see their status and lives improve to some extent. I just wonder if my cheap father-in-law will still have the guts to show his face in public.
As if he were about to retire, Lou Yu didn't even go back to his own mansion, but instead lived in the workers' new village apartment building that Li Xuewu bought for him.
The elderly couple lived a secluded life, spending their time taking care of their grandson's commute to and from school, and even when they went out for a walk, they would only wander around the Liangmahe Ecological Industrial Zone.
It's not that no one has advised Lou Yu to come back to work. Even if the steel mill can't be recovered, surely his status and treatment can be improved. He should take the initiative and cooperate with the publicity.
Whether she was terrified or truly weary of the hustle and bustle of worldly fame and fortune, Lou Yuzhen refused them all, showing no intention of regrouping and returning to the scene.
Li Xuewu didn't bother him, and he only visited him once after they moved.
Since he wants to enjoy his later years, then so be it. Judging from his mother-in-law's words, Lou Yu's health is not very good, and he may not live for many more years.
Lou Xiao'e echoed this sentiment from the port city, expressing her desire for her father to no longer be too involved in business.
The think tank on the mountain is still operating. Those old guys waited for four years without any good results, and they had long since lost heart and made their own arrangements for their funerals.
Raising children and grandchildren is naturally important, and the main force of think tanks is also these middle-aged people and the younger generation.
The elderly still prioritize making key decisions.
Li Xuewu has rarely seen them in the past two years, and has even deliberately avoided them, as it is better for both sides to avoid them.
Lou Xiao'e's business in Gangcheng was getting better and better, and these people inevitably had some ulterior motives.
Li Xuewu was afraid that if he saw them, he would lose patience with their wicked intentions, and it would be a waste to resort to violence.
The "taking action" mentioned here doesn't refer to actual physical violence, but rather to sabotaging businesses in the port city.
He really wanted to double-cross them and take all their shares, then they wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
Right there in those mountains, it would be easy for Li Xuewu to make them disappear forever.
Of course, after four years, they had gained some confidence. If Li Xuewu wanted to make a move, he would have done so long ago, so Lou Yu's coming down the mountain didn't scare them.
Everyone knows that Lou Yu's health is failing and she wants to live a few more years to take care of her grandson.
These people are in very good health; the mountain is rich in resources and very nourishing.
If Lou Ting hadn't needed a better learning environment, the elderly couple really wouldn't have been willing to leave.
Actually, it's better to keep a low profile. Li Xuewu doesn't think that spring has arrived yet. With their status and physical condition, they can't withstand any turmoil.
They couldn't even handle the psychological pressure, so they decided to stay on the mountain and cultivate themselves properly. When spring really came, Li Xuewu had no intention of stopping them at all.
How much money is too much?
What belongs to others should be given to them. When the time comes, these people will definitely choose to go to Hong Kong. He can fully support them and even arrange for someone to send them there.
Whether they buy property or abscond with the money, it's up to them. If you borrow a hen to lay eggs, you can't leave the hen behind, and you certainly can't leave the eggs behind.
***
Just after the May Fourth Youth Day, Li Xuewu heard some good news: my country had developed an antibiotic with unique therapeutic effects—"gentamicin".
This is one type of antibiotic, but it is one of the few antibiotics that is heat-stable.
There's no point in going into any more detail; all I can say is that this discovery can save more patients.
Gu Ning mentioned this discovery during her phone call with him, and her training program is following up on this project.
She demonstrated a high level of professional enthusiasm for medicine, and despite her introverted and aloof personality, she was able to maintain normal communication and cooperation with her patients.
Sometimes Li Xuewu was curious about how she communicated with patients, but she never explained it in detail.
However, he would collect any medical books that Gu Ning liked.
On the bookshelves of his study on the second floor, he has very few books left, only theoretical books. The rest are Gu Ning's professional books, all of which he helped find.
It wasn't just him who was paying attention; he had also talked about it with relatives and friends, and they would send good medical books to Gu Ning's home for her to take a look.
This unique pampering was one of the few times Gu Ning had taken the initiative to express her gratitude to Li Xuewu.
****
The news that Yin Zhongyao, the deputy director of the metallurgical plant, was under formal investigation still spread, and no one was surprised.
Li Xuewu didn't pay attention to what was happening in the organization. If anything went wrong, both Zhang Jing and Sun Jia would report it to him. After all, he wasn't deaf or blind, and Zhang Enyuan was quite astute.
The phone on his desk rang; not many calls came directly to his office. So Li Xuewu answered it without hesitation.
"Yes, I am Li Xuewu."
The call was from Wu Shuping, the vice president of the construction engineering company, and it concerned questions about the report on the construction of a world-class standard hotel in a 100-meter-high building.
“A detailed report is on its way, but no matter how I and the expert group calculate it, even with the group’s own advantages in design, technology and construction, the total cost will definitely not be less than ten million yuan.”
She said hesitantly over the phone, "The expert panel's initial assessment is twelve million."
“Hmm, ten million… twelve million…” Li Xuewu listened to her report, thought for a moment, and repeated it. Then he nodded and said, “That’s enough.”
"What do you mean, 'enough'?" Wu Shuping said in surprise, "Please don't be impulsive."
"Of course I won't act impulsively. It's not like I'm the one taking the money, why would I act impulsively?" Li Xuewu said with a laugh. "What I mean is, ten million is enough to fool people. It's not a big deal."
Wu Shuping on the other end of the phone was speechless. What was all this about? If it was about financing, it was about financing. How could it be called a scam? The secretary-general was so unprofessional.
She comes from a prominent family in Southeast Asia. The family-style education she received from a young age, as well as her father and brothers' business experience, gave her an early understanding of economics and trade.
It was during her university years that she suddenly developed a strong interest in physics, which is why she did not choose a major related to business and trade.
She was not short of money. After graduating, she married her husband and came to the mainland to support education development.
When she helped Li Xuewu run Shunfeng Trading Joint Venture Company in Tianjin, she had the opportunity to show her skills and truly let Li Xuewu see what the background of a great family was.
Coming from a family of businessmen, her perspective and approach to problems are rooted in professional expertise and practical experience.
The only advice Li Xuewu would listen to in business management, besides his sister-in-law Zhao Yafang's financial opinions, was Wu Shuping's management advice.
When it comes to investment, Wu Shuping could argue with him for a while, and in the end, he was the one who lost.
But when it came to actually running the business, Li Xuewu always managed to do things that she couldn't understand, yet they were effective.
For example, this time, the Santa Y Group threw out bait, saying they were going to build an international standard hotel. This thing looks tempting, but it's ultimately a double-edged sword.
It is a pity that it is tasteless.
Just think about it, how much consumption potential does Beijing have these days? How high would the vacancy rate be if such a large hotel were built?
If we really want to waste money and resources on construction projects and create vanity projects, we can't do such a large-scale undertaking all at once.
Her suggestion was to slow down and wait for the right opportunity to make plans. She also advised against paying attention to the Santaya Group's ulterior motives, since it was unlikely that he would always be able to swallow the sweet words and retaliate with his own bullets.
But Li Xuewu refused to believe it and confidently told her one thing before hanging up the phone.
Actually, she had already understood what Li Xuewu meant on the phone; it was nothing more than the old trick of using someone else's resources to achieve his own goals.
However, Li Xuewu went even further. He intended to take the bait thrown out by the Santayah Group, but he didn't want to invest a single penny. He even planned to scheme against them.
Twelve million! Where would we have gotten that money without the steel group's investment?
Could he possibly print it himself?
This makes no sense. In Li Xuewu's view, printing money is not as fast as robbing money, and robbing money is not as fast as capital operation. What he wants to do is capital operation.
After hanging up with Wu Shuping, he called Hongxing United Savings Bank.
Sister Xie was quite surprised to receive his call. She brought up the matter of Vice President Chen Dajun. She knew that Li Xuewu had a strong personality and could not stand procrastination and hypocrisy. She wondered if Chen Dajun should be transferred back to Beijing.
Li Xuewu ignored her and instead introduced the project of the tallest building in China with a smile.
When Xie Lanzhi first heard Li Xuewu say these things, she thought he was still half asleep and was just making things up. But as the introduction and explanation on the phone went on, she gradually understood that Li Xuewu was trying to pull off another scheme to get something for nothing.
"If you're going to raise funds, you need to come up with a reliable plan." Xie Lanzhi wasn't optimistic about the project either. She said on the phone, "The tallest building sounds impressive, but what's the point of building it? Just for eating, drinking, living, and having fun?"
"How long do you think it will take to build a 100-meter-tall building?" Li Xuewu explained the project for the first time over the phone. "The feasibility report from the engineering and construction company indicates that it will take three years."
"Let's not talk about whether the construction period is ahead of schedule or behind schedule, let's just talk about these three years." He emphasized, "Compared to three years ago, think about the changes between now and three years from now, can you really say that it won't be necessary?"
"Furthermore, I didn't say we should build the building now. What I need is for you to provide me with a capital operation feasibility study to see if there is room for raising funds."
Li Xuewu glanced at the calendar under the glass of his desk and said, "I'll have the engineering company send you a feasibility study report for your reference."
"Argumentation, is it really just argumentation?"
Xie Lanzhi knew Li Xuewu too well, and she knew his work efficiency too well, so she didn't believe any of the arguments.
Li Xuewu is a man who always thinks things through. What he says he's going to do now is something he's already prepared for and even has a well-thought-out plan.
Therefore, in group meetings, people should carefully consider any suggestions or opinions he makes before responding, otherwise they will be thoroughly criticized by him.
"The feasibility study won't last three years, or even a year," Xie Lanzhi said with a wry smile. "I'm afraid that before our feasibility study is even finished, you'll have already started building."
"Oh, no way," Li Xuewu replied with a smile. "This project is too large. I won't feel at ease if I don't bring in more capital."
He meaningfully reminded Sister Xie, "There's no need to keep this a secret anymore, right?"
"I know, I know," Xie Lanzhi replied with a helpless smile. "But our bank won't invest too much, only twelve million."
"Don't say that too soon," Li Xuewu said confidently. "If the day comes when we go public, you won't be able to invest in many places even if you want to."
"I really hope you're not just bragging or trying to fool me," Xie Lanzhi said sincerely. "I hope there will come a day when you refuse my further investment."
"Don't worry, that day won't be too far away."
Li Xuewu said confidently, "A lot will change in three years, you can trust me."
"Hehe, okay, I believe you."
Xie Lanzhi rarely saw Li Xuewu so confident, so she chuckled and agreed.
With the backing of the United Savings Bank, financing for this project is not difficult; the difficulty lies in finding someone who is easy to fool.
How many of those "first" skyscrapers were abandoned in the past?
(End of this chapter)