MMB Chapter 1416 Su Qing is here
Chapter 1416 Su Qing is here
Chapter 1416 Su Qing is here
"How did Director Bao of the credit union end up sleeping with you?"
Zhang Jing refilled Li Xuewu's teacup with hot water from the thermos, and joked with a smile, "You came all this way, are you trying to put all the investment targets for the year on your shoulders?"
"I'd like to use all the quotas he has, but he has to be willing to do so."
Li Xuewu took out several boxes of dried fruit from under the coffee table, tapped them, placed them on the coffee table, and waved to the people working in the office to help themselves.
After lunch, he planned to rest for a while, but Zhang Enyuan was busy with his work and asked the people in the leadership team office to help organize the old documents so they could be put into the warehouse.
Zhang Jing, instead of taking a nap at noon, joined in the fun. Seeing that he hadn't rested, he asked about the commotion of the past two days. He found it all quite novel; those big shots representing capital seemed to be eagerly handing over money, and when he refused, they even threatened him with angry looks.
"How long have you been keeping these sunflower seeds?" Zhang Jing grabbed a handful, tasted them, and said with a smile, "They've all developed a flavor."
"It has no flavor and it doesn't taste good either."
Zhang Enyuan smiled and glanced at him. After instructing Zhou Peilan and the others, he turned back to him and said, "If you don't eat, the leader will blame me for being slovenly."
"It's all your fault for being so sloppy; you've wasted all this good stuff," Zhang Jing said with a laugh. "If you had sent it to our room earlier, would it still be here now?"
While Zhou Linghua and the others were busy working, they also found it amusing to hear the leaders joking and teasing each other.
Zhou Peilan, however, was more concerned about economic matters. As the person in charge of liaising with trade-related work, she asked about it.
"Boss, judging from their anxious appearance, they don't seem like stingy people."
She looked at Li Xuewu with a puzzled expression. "You want to use their investment, and they want to invest in our group's projects. Isn't this a perfect match?"
Others wanted to ask this question, but none were as bold as Zhou Peilan, since they were there to work, not to listen to lectures.
Even Zhang Jing dropped his joking expression and glanced at Li Xuewu. He was prepared that if the leader was really unhappy about the question, he would pretend to scold Xiao Zhou a couple of times, but he couldn't let the leader be scolded to tears; that would be too bad.
Li Xuewu wasn't unhappy, but his expression became more serious as he said, "There's a saying that goes, 'You can't make a sale if you're too eager.'"
“That’s true for us, and it’s also true for the investors.” He looked at Zhou Peilan and asked, “What do you think they’re investing in?”
"Isn't it a project?" Zhou Peilan was eager to clear up this doubt. Seeing that her leader did not refuse her, she spoke frankly: "I heard that our group plans to build the tallest building in the country."
"Believe it or not, if I told them we were going to build the number one tavern in the country, they would invest."
Li Xuewu's lips curled slightly as he picked up his teacup and looked at her confidently, saying, "A sophisticated investment perspective never focuses solely on the project itself."
So you mean—
Zhou Peilan disregarded her work and unconsciously approached, asking, "They invested in you..."
At this point, she realized that her ideas were a bit too advanced, so she lost confidence as she spoke.
Li Xuewu smiled, took a sip of hot tea, put down the teacup, and said, "What do I have that would make people want to invest? It's the group."
"They are investing in influence."
He tapped his finger on the sofa armrest and emphasized earnestly, "They've seen the group's development booming and every project making a fortune, so they seem a bit blind to the next project before they've fully understood it."
“This—” Zhou Peilan frowned slightly and asked, “Are you saying that there are investment risks involved in what they are doing?”
"From the perspective of the project team, I would never tell them how high or how great the risks of the project are, because that is my professional requirement and professional ethics."
He looked at Zhou Peilan and said, "Assessing project risks before investing is their job, not something they should be doing, not listening to what I have to say."
"Of course, my explanation and attitude toward this project can also reflect the group's confidence in it, but this is not absolute."
Li Xuewu spread his hands and asked, "What if I'm a swindler? What if I run off with the money they invested? What will they do then?"
"Huh?—" Everyone was surprised by his shocking words.
"Hehe, you've never encountered this before, have you?"
Li Xuewu chuckled and glanced at the stunned crowd in the office, saying, "This is not an exaggeration; there is a lot of room for maneuver."
"Think about it, if the other party's investment funds are transferred over, and I, as the project manager, arbitrarily withdraw these funds, exchange them for foreign currency, and board an offshore passenger ship, how should they respond?"
"..." The people in the leadership team office were stunned. The shocking robbery plan was still swirling in their minds, and their faces turned red.
Yes, if the total investment of 12 million can really be converted into foreign currency and taken away, one can live a life of luxury even abroad. Wouldn't one be like an emperor every day?
Given the cost of living in China, 12 million yuan would take several lifetimes to spend!
“But—” Zhou Peilan was the first to react, looking at Li Xuewu and emphasizing, “The group’s project funds are in separate accounts, and individuals cannot withdraw them. They can only be allocated through the public account, and where can we find so much foreign currency to exchange?”
"Hehe—" Zhang Jing and Zhang Enyuan exchanged a glance and then looked at the young people.
Upon hearing Zhou Peilan's words, Wang Min and the others seemed to wake from a dream, their faces and eyes filled with disappointment and dejection, as if they had just lost a huge sum of twelve million yuan.
“Hongxing Steel Group has its own bank and project fund accounts, but that doesn’t mean other entities have the same risk awareness.”
Li Xuewu picked up his teacup and said calmly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group as he emphasized, "I'm saying this to remind you to think things through carefully, not to lead you astray. You might be able to swindle this kind of money, but you certainly can't take it with you, and that doesn't mean others can't."
"Yes, Secretary-General, we understand." The young people were quite diligent and had a proper attitude. Even though they had different personalities, it didn't matter much; they were all promising talents.
"Let's get back to the project itself and talk about why the tallest building in China is so sought after by investors."
Li Xuewu put down his teacup and said, "If you insist on reading newspapers and listening to the news, you will definitely and should have noticed that the situation has changed this year."
"Boss, I think so too!"
Wang Min suddenly widened his eyes and leaned closer to say, "I was just telling Linghua and the others a few days ago that the economic situation this year is very promising."
Zhang Jing glared at him, amused and annoyed. How dare he be so disrespectful in front of his superior!
Li Xuewu smiled and waved his hand, not paying much attention to the young man's impulsiveness and bluntness.
Instead, he affirmed Wang Min's keen sense of smell and praised his reading habits.
"You guys should also develop the habit of reading newspapers and listening to the news."
Li Xuewu gestured to the people in the office before continuing, "The university study program has completed its initial reform phase and has now entered a new phase. Economic recovery is the key task for this year and for the next few years."
"If you follow international news, you will know that at the beginning of this month, America's Nixon Group announced the easing of restrictions on people-to-people exchanges and trade with the mainland."
He pointed to the sofa armrest and looked at everyone, asking, "What does this mean?"
"What?" Wang Min was a little confused. He had never heard of this news before, nor had he paid attention to the international news section of the newspaper.
Now that the leader has mentioned it, everyone has started to think about what this news means.
Even the office director Zhang Jing and deputy director Zhang Enyuan began to think about it seriously.
Li Xuewu did not rush to reveal the answer, but instead slowly sipped his tea.
Offices are more likely to produce talented individuals because they are closer to leaders, have access to more key information, and have more opportunities to be taught and inspired by leaders.
The student years are the most active stage of human brain development, full of imaginative ideas and boundless possibilities.
The student years are also the easiest time to learn and think, and people grow faster during this period.
However, after starting work, there will be a transitional period where the knowledge learned is not in line with the application of work. Everyone's adaptability is different, and the overall quality they demonstrate is also different.
At school, you have teachers to teach you; at work, you have leaders to teach you. How you learn is up to you.
What if everyone is willing to learn?
It also depends on opportunities, whether you can frequently hear, see, learn, and understand these things.
In this era, leaders still pay more attention to cultivating young people, and often say something like, "Let go of your burdens, work hard, and don't be afraid of making mistakes."
Of course, the leaders said this later on, but it would be interesting if you believed it.
Li Xuewu is certainly willing to cultivate young people, because a leader who doesn't know how to cultivate successors will never move fast or steadily, and there will be no one to carry on the legacy.
If there's really no one in this unit who can replace you, then the higher-ups definitely won't be willing to promote you.
Therefore, we should give young people opportunities whenever possible, allowing them to think and learn more.
After taking a few sips of tea and seeing that they had thought it through, Li Xuewu didn't ask them any questions individually. After all, he wasn't a teacher and it wasn't appropriate for him to be a teacher, so he simply announced his answer.
"This news means that relations between the country and America are about to begin to thaw."
"What! How is this possible!"
Wang Min's eyes widened, and he almost jumped up in fright at the secretary-general's words.
You need to know what kind of image America was portrayed in China during this era.
Wang Min's education and living environment naturally led him to show a conservative and cautious attitude towards America.
But the others were pondering Li Xuewu's words, and some even frowned.
Of course, there were also some clever ones; based on Li Xuewu's words, they had already thought of many things.
"What's the next step after the relationship is thawed?" Li Xuewu raised his chin and gestured to Zhou Peilan, whose gaze was somewhat dazed, and asked, "Tell me."
"Next step—" Zhou Peilan was a little nervous, but not surprised that her leader would ask her a question. "The next step is to formulate a list of trade items and lift the trade embargo against us."
"This—this is real?!"
Li Muqin and the others all looked at her, and seeing the solemn look on her face, they all turned to look at Li Xuewu, as if they urgently needed to wait for the right answer.
"This... must be true."
Seeing that the secretary-general had not spoken for a long time, or that Wang Min and the others were eager to go up to the roof, Zhou Peilan mustered up her courage and explained: "Actually, we didn't pay attention. There were signs of this matter long ago."
"What sign?" Wang Min scratched his head anxiously, looking at her and asking, "Is it international news?"
“It should be Takamoto, right? Secretary-General.” Zhou Peilan didn’t look at the anxious Wang Min, but looked at Li Xuewu for an answer.
Li Xuewu looked at her with undisguised approval and appreciation, and nodded slightly, saying, "That's right, it's Takamoto."
He paused, then looked at everyone earnestly and explained, "The Japanese side has come to the mainland many times to communicate on trade and actively open the door to bilateral trade. Our group also has trade relations with Sanhe Co., Ltd."
Why are they so actively promoting economic and trade cooperation with the mainland?
Li Xuewu spread his hands and looked at Zhou Peilan expectantly, hoping she could answer the question.
"It's to counter America's trade deficit!" Zhou Peilan seemed to be back in a university classroom, listening to the professor ask questions and actively answering them.
At that moment, she realized that the Secretary-General had an exceptionally strong vision and sense for economic and international affairs. No wonder he was able to participate in and preside over the group's economic, management, industrial, and security work at such a young age.
"That's right, the situation is a trade deficit."
Li Xuewu smiled, pointed at her with his finger and said, "It seems that you are qualified to be in charge of trade and sales. Keep up the good work."
Upon hearing this, Wang Min and the others all showed expressions of envy. This was the Secretary-General's affirmation; Zhou Peilan's future was limitless.
"To do management work, one must understand the international situation; to do economic management work, one must understand the international situation; and to do industrial management work, one must understand the international situation even more."
Li Xuewu emphasized each sentence more strongly than the last, and he looked at everyone very seriously as he said, "In September 1962, with special approval, we imported two sets of vinylon equipment from Japan."
He counted on his fingers: "In 1963, we successively imported 14 complete sets of equipment projects in petrochemical technology from countries such as Japan, Britain, France, West Germany, Sweden, and Italy."
"You must understand the present, be familiar with the past, and be able to see the future."
Li Xuewu gestured with his index finger and thumb as he spoke: "After the two successful technology introductions I just mentioned, the country has adopted a more proactive approach and made more positive statements about attracting foreign investment."
"Then in 1963 and 1964, the authorities approved more than 100 projects in industries such as metallurgy, precision machinery, and electronics, and conducted overseas inspections, inquired about prices, and signed contracts as opportunities arose."
As he recounted the key moments in the domestic economy and industrial work with great familiarity, everyone suddenly had an expression of realization.
It turns out that many things have omens.
"In January 1964, the higher authorities proposed that Japanese people could come to the mainland to open mines and set up factories, learn technology from them, and that overseas Chinese could also invest in building factories."
Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and looked at everyone, saying, "Now you should know why our group can engage in in-depth joint ventures and cooperation with Santay Group in the fields of construction engineering and mineral development, right?"
Everyone's eyes lit up. Hearing him say that, they finally understood. What they had discussed countless times in private but couldn't figure out, suddenly became clear because of the secretary-general's quoting of classical texts.
"The reason why the Santayah Group was able to establish a cooperative relationship with our group in mainland China is because in January 1964, France became the first major Western country to establish formal diplomatic relations with us."
Li Xuewu tapped his fingers on the sofa armrest as he said, "After the Sino-French Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations was published, the leader expressed his hope to expand economic exchanges with the two countries when meeting with French parliamentarians and Italian guests."
What does this mean?
He glanced at everyone and continued, "In April 1965, thanks to Mr. Z's efforts, the higher authorities approved the report of the New Technology Import Group on several key issues concerning the introduction of new technologies."
"The report proposes that in 1965, we should make full use of the relatively favorable international environment, adapt to the domestic economic situation and the needs of construction, and more actively carry out the work of introducing new technologies from capitalist countries."
"It was because of the proposal and adoption of this report that our group was able to complete foreign trade through technology introduction and cooperation, and thus earn the first pot of gold to start the group's development process."
As if reciting a familiar story, Li Xuewu, his fingers automatically closing, told everyone: "Up to 1966, our mainland successively signed 84 contracts with manufacturers from countries such as Japan, Britain, France, Italy, West Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands for the import of technology and equipment in petroleum, chemical, metallurgy, mining, plastics, automobiles, hydraulic components, electronics, and precision instruments, with a total transaction value of US$280 million."
"Among them, there are 56 complete equipment contracts, with foreign exchange expenditures of US$260 million, accounting for more than 90% of all imports." Li Xuewu spread out one palm and looked at everyone, emphasizing: "Our group started the work of importing technology and equipment in 1966 or 1967, which was in full line with the economic development and industrial construction policies and plans at that time."
"The imported equipment covers a wide range, from production equipment to consumer goods production equipment, but the most important are heavy industrial projects and major technical equipment, with the steel industry accounting for 31.7% and the chemical industry accounting for 28.1%."
He raised his eyebrows and looked at the group, asking, "Now you should know which favorable wind the group took advantage of to build the Steel City Automobile Manufacturing Plant, cooperate with Beijing Chemical to improve the auto parts industry, and create an auto parts supply chain, right?"
"Enterprise management is not something that can be calculated on a whim or decided on a whim."
Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Do you know how many countries and regions the mainland has established trade relations with as of this year? And how many countries have we signed bilateral trade agreements with?"
"The answer to the first question is 125, and the answer to the second question is 38."
He nodded, smiled, and said confidently, "This is the core purpose and main reason why the group is building Yingcheng Port Area, opening up a channel for foreign trade to the sea, and using Gangcheng and Fengcheng as industrial parks, to develop an integrated light and heavy industry mixed economy inward and outward."
"Now you should all understand, right? Isn't corporate management work interesting? It's a bit like playing chess."
"Uh—" Wang Min looked left at Zhou Peilan, right at Zhou Linghua and Li Muqin. He didn't even bother to look at Ma Baosen, who was wide-eyed and completely shocked by the secretary-general's long speech. He could not see any of the fun in the three classmates' faces, which the secretary-general had described as a game of chess.
Is this fun?
My brain is about to explode!
We implemented the policies of 1962 in 1966, and we started to work on the experiences of 1963 and 1964 in 1967. What we needed to do in 1969 was to plan for 1971, 1972 and even more distant futures!
Who the hell can afford to scheme against this?!
Wang Min looked numb; his friends had also been through a baptism today.
In the past, when they talked about the boss's work in the office, it seemed like they would plan for the next month, or even half a year or a year. Many times, the goals set at the beginning of the year could not be achieved by the end of the year.
But now it seems that leaders are thinking five years ahead, five years behind, or even ten or twenty years ahead when they do things. These positions of responsibility are truly not for ordinary people.
The previously somewhat eager and restless hearts of Wang Min and the other three were thoroughly tempered at this moment, and they will surely gain something after reflection.
-
"Boss, someone is looking for you. They say they're from Beijing and insist on seeing you."
Li Xuewu was studying the newly arrived documents when Zhang Enyuan had no choice but to disturb him.
He's been quite busy lately, and Zhang Enyuan has tried his best to arrange non-essential meetings and work.
It was almost time to leave work, and Zhang Enyuan knocked on the door and came in to gently remind him when it was almost time.
The secretary-general's family lives in Beijing, and in the past few months, many friends and connections in Beijing have come to visit him. Zhang Enyuan doesn't dare to make decisions on his own; he reports directly to those who can distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Li Xuewu was already used to his reporting style, and without looking up, asked, "Who is it? Is it someone from our unit?"
“No, it’s a female college student named Su Qing, from the Central University of Finance and Economics. I saw her student ID.” Zhang Enyuan replied softly, “She’s been here for half a day, she arrived this afternoon.”
"Su Qing—"
Upon hearing the name, Li Xuewu paused, looked up, frowned slightly, and thought for a moment before turning to Zhang Enyuan and asking, "Did she come alone?"
“It was a person, carrying a backpack,” Zhang Enyuan described. “He looked travel-worn and said he had just gotten off the train and came to find you.”
"Okay, I understand." Li Xuewu nodded and instructed, "Bring her over here. She's my younger brother's classmate."
The secretary-general's older brother is a top student in the Department of Physics at Tsinghua University. He currently teaches at the university and also works part-time as a researcher at the Physics Institute of the Group's Science and Technology Research Institute.
The secretary-general's younger brother is a medical student and may graduate this year;
The secretary-general's sister is Li Xue, the deputy head of the group's finance department. Zhang Enyuan had already found out about these relationships long ago.
He wasn't plotting against Li Xuewu; it was all for work.
The secretary-general said that Su Qing, who came to visit, was his younger brother's classmate, which made perfect sense. He saw Su Qing's student ID and confirmed that she was also graduating this year.
You might say that the two of you didn't go to the same university, but who says that only those who go to the same university can be classmates? Aren't high school classmates classmates?
They're all from the capital.
Zhang Enyuan had a question in his mind: why did the secretary-general's younger brother's classmate travel all this way to find him?
Li Xuewu was also thinking about this problem, and he already had a guess.
Su Qing arrived at the main gate of the metallurgical plant at 2 p.m. and sat down in the metallurgical plant's reception room at 2:30 p.m.
They sat there for more than three hours, drinking several large cups of tea, but Li Xuewu still hadn't summoned them.
She was somewhat flustered and at a loss, afraid that Li Xuewu would not see her or would simply dismiss her.
To be honest, she was a little ashamed to come to Gangcheng to see him, but when the time came, the only connection she could turn to was Li Xuewu. She couldn't contact Li Wenbiao at all; it was as if he had vanished into thin air.
"Su Qing." Just as she was feeling nervous and anxious, and it was almost time to leave work, the secretary who had met her the first time came in and said with a smile, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. The secretary-general just had some free time."
"Uh? Okay! It's alright." Su Qing was so nervous that she almost couldn't speak clearly. At the other person's prompting, she quickly stood up, grabbed her schoolbag, and followed the other person out.
To be honest, this trip to Gangcheng was Su Qing's first time leaving Beijing, her first time taking a train, and her first time visiting Northeast China. She had to muster up all her courage to come alone.
She was going to find Li Xuewu; she wanted to grasp at this last straw, even if she ultimately returned disappointed, she still had to try.
As she approached the office door, her steps slowed and became smaller, her heart pounding like a drum.
When she actually stood at the door of that office, she was completely stunned.
dong dong——
The secretary knocked on the door and greeted softly, "Secretary-General, Su Qing has arrived."
"Well, come in."
The familiar voice came from the office, piercing Su Qing's heart.
At this moment, her anxiety, guilt, and regret were all mixed together, making her extremely confused and completely losing her usual calm and composure.
She stood there like a wooden doll, head bowed, as the secretary ushered her into the office, but she stood just two steps inside the door, too afraid to go any further.
"Well then, Secretary-General, I'll get back to work now. Please call me if you need anything."
Zhang Enyuan was very perceptive and did not choose to stay. She was not a female colleague in the office, and there was no need for him to protect the secretary-general.
If this person really has a problem, then the secretary-general would never meet with her.
After Zhang Enyuan left, Su Qing remained standing there without moving. Only when Li Xuewu heard no sound from her did he look up.
"What are you standing there for? Find a place to sit."
The voice was just as it had when she was invited in—neither forceful nor annoyed, but simply gentle.
"Secretary-General...I..."
Su Qing didn't dare to move her feet, and didn't even dare to lift her eyes.
"Hehe, what's your name, Secretary-General?" Li Xuewu marked the document he had been reading and put it aside. He stood up from behind his desk and said with a light laugh, "Just like before, you can call me Brother Li or Brother Wu."
He didn't mention Lao Biaozi because he wasn't sure if Big-Chested Brother left out of pity for the woman or because he really had something on his mind.
He still doesn't understand what their relationship is.
However, Su Qing had worked at the club for over a year, serving as his deputy director of the office for over a year.
He knew a little about this girl, but only from a work-related, business-related, and one-sided perspective.
"Come and sit down, don't just stand there. This isn't some government office, there's no need for guards here."
He eased Su Qing's tension with a joke and invited her to sit on the sofa.
Su Qing only dared to raise her head now, nervously glancing at the office furnishings. The imposing presence made her dare not be presumptuous in the slightest, and she simply sat on the sofa as Li Xuewu had instructed.
"Thank you Brother Li."
"You're welcome. I was quite surprised to hear that you came to see me."
Li Xuewu smiled and gestured towards the desk, saying, "I spent the whole afternoon working on the training documents from the group. They didn't dare disturb me. I hope I kept you waiting?"
"No, no—"
Seeing his warm demeanor, Su Qing looked up at him and waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "I'm fine..."
"Why would someone travel all the way to Steel City to find me if there's nothing wrong with that?"
Li Xuewu looked at her amusedly and asked, "Tell me, what happened that you need my help with?"
Su Qing never expected him to be so direct, asking about the purpose of her trip. Overwhelmed with emotion, she almost burst into tears.
"Brother Li, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come to disturb your work."
Su Qing said in a tearful voice, "But I really have nowhere else to turn, I have no other choice."
She raised her hand to wipe her eyes, sniffed, and tried to control her nervousness and anxiety. She explained in as calm a voice as possible, "The school notified us that we need to complete our graduation work in June this year, and then we will be assigned jobs."
"Yes, I've heard about it." Li Xuewu nodded and looked at her as he said, "I'm studying at the Iron and Steel Institute and I'll be graduating this year. I just received a notice from the school."
"I would like to ask you for your help."
Su Qing looked at him expectantly and explained, "The notice from the school says that unless there are special circumstances, all three graduating classes will be assigned to the border region."
"Really? I haven't heard about that." Li Xuewu frowned slightly and asked, "Is your information accurate?"
"It was the representatives from the three teams who notified us; many students are already making preparations."
Su Qing was truly anxious and had placed her hopes on him. Seeing him question her words, she quickly offered an explanation.
"If the situation cannot be resolved by the end of May, I will have no choice but to go to the border area according to the school's arrangements."
"Don't rush, tell me slowly."
When Li Xuewu saw Zhang Enyuan appear at the door, he probably came over after hearing the crying.
He gestured towards the tea cabinet, indicating that Zhang Enyuan should pour Su Qing a cup of hot water.
Zhang Enyuan was afraid something might go wrong, so he was listening carefully from next door.
He deliberately passed by at this moment to see if his boss needed his help.
Delivering water now will interrupt the other person's crying and prevent any negative impact.
When Su Qing saw that an outsider had come in, she composed herself and took the water glass, but her expectant gaze still did not leave Li Xuewu.
Li Xuewu thought for a moment, then stood up, walked to his desk, and picked up the phone.
He didn't make a big fuss by calling the school or asking his older brother and sister-in-law at home; it would be more convenient for someone else to do it.
Why did you suddenly decide to call me?
It was clearly a call from Gangcheng. He Yushui recognized the familiar voice on the other end.
Li Xuewu didn't waste any time talking to her. He simply asked a few questions about this year's job assignments and then hung up the phone.
"I understand the situation."
He turned back to the sofa and looked at Su Qing, saying, "It's not just you who's like this; everyone is like this. That's what the higher-ups require."
"Yes, I know." Su Qing explained, gripping her cup tightly. "Our teacher also told us that if we don't want to go to the border region, we can only give them a heads-up in advance. If a unit is willing to accept us, that's fine too."
“Brother Li, it’s not that I’m afraid of difficulties, but my parents are getting old and their health has been declining these past two years. My younger sister is still very young, and I’m afraid that if I leave…”
"Yeah, I understand."
Li Xuewu nodded and looked at her, saying, "Don't rush this. There's still some time before the end of the month. Let me give it a try."
He looked at Su Qing and said, "If you were a student at Tsinghua University or the Iron and Steel Institute, I could help you find connections right now, but I don't know anyone at the Central University of Finance and Economics."
“I understand your thoughts.” Seeing that Su Qing was eager to speak, he pressed his palm down and said, “Even if you want to come to Hongxing Steel Group, and Hongxing Steel Group can accept you, we still have to follow the procedures.”
"Then, Brother Li, I'll listen to you."
Su Qing thought about it and realized that apart from Li Xuewu, she really couldn't ask anyone else for help. She didn't have any connections that could compare to Li Xuewu's.
She worked as Li Xuewu's office secretary for over a year and did indeed have some contact with him.
Su Qing knew very well that Li Xuewu had a large network of connections in Beijing and was the only person who could help her, as well as the only person willing to help her.
So when the school's notice came down, she talked to her parents and came to Gangcheng without hesitation.
"Hmm, I heard you arrived at two o'clock in the afternoon?" Li Xuewu raised his wrist to look at his watch, listened to the closing bell outside the window, and said with a smile, "Stay at the guesthouse tonight, I'll treat you to a meal."
"I'm so sorry." Su Qing wiped away her tears, composed herself, and said, "I'll just have something quick and easy, I can't disturb your rest."
"It's not a problem at all," Li Xuewu said, turning to Zhang Enyuan. "You're free after work, right? Let's grab something to eat together."
"Then I'll go to the guesthouse to order food."
Zhang Enyuan nodded, and seeing that Li Xuewu had no further instructions, he turned around and went to make arrangements.
"I usually come downstairs ten or twenty minutes later. If you're not too hungry, just hang in there."
Li Xuewu smiled and looked at Su Qing, saying, "Have a good meal later, then get a good night's rest, and I'll give you an answer tomorrow."
"Thank you, Brother Li! I really..."
When Su Qing heard Li Xuewu say this, she knew he genuinely wanted to help her, so she quickly stood up, bowed, and thanked him, her voice choking up again.
Li Xuewu didn't want to reach out to help her, so he pointed to the sofa, indicating that she should sit down and talk.
We just ate something casual for dinner; the food at the guesthouse was plentiful and tasted alright.
Su Qing felt much more at ease after receiving Li Xuewu's reply. Perhaps she was really hungry, because she ate three steamed buns before blushing and putting down her chopsticks.
Li Xuewu usually eats very little and very slowly for dinner, waiting for her to finish before putting down his chopsticks.
"Your room and breakfast have been arranged. Just take the key and go upstairs."
As Li Xuewu spoke, he gestured for Zhang Enyuan to hand the key to Su Qing, and then added, "Just rest well in your room tonight, don't go anywhere else, there are many construction sites here and it's very complicated."
After giving her a few instructions and seeing that she understood, he led Zhang Enyuan away from the guesthouse.
Su Qing saw them to the door and watched the Volga luxury car leave before returning upstairs somewhat bewildered.
She didn't know what tomorrow would bring, whether she would be excited or disappointed. She had eaten her fill, but her worries hadn't completely disappeared.
Zhang Enyuan, who was in the car, was also a little puzzled. If they really came to ask for help through connections, the secretary-general could have arranged it directly. He wondered why they had to wait a whole day and go through all that trouble.
If you say that this Su Qing has only a casual relationship with the secretary-general, then why bother inviting her to dinner and arranging her accommodation?
If you say they have a close relationship, he just can't understand it.
This was not something he should be thinking about. Li Xuewu had already made up his mind. After returning home, he told Zhou Yamei and then made a phone call to Beijing.
The call was to Zhou Yao, asking her to help investigate Su Qing's situation. A simple investigation was all that was needed; given Su Qing's circumstances and Zhou Yao's abilities, she was confident she could find out everything she wanted to know.
If nothing can be found, then it's even simpler; just hand it over to Ji Weidong's unit.
How could a normal person not understand the basic situation? It defies common sense.
Zhou Yao agreed readily. After Gu Yan got married, he returned to the army. She still had to be on duty, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to receive Li Xuewu's call at work.
They investigated Su Qing, and did so overnight, without even her leaving her office; all she had to do was make a phone call.
During the phone call, Zhou Yao also told Li Xuewu that Wang Xiaoqin was no longer serving as the manager of the Quality, Safety and Environmental Protection Department, but only as a representative of the three branches. The group had announced the personnel appointment, and Yu Decai, the deputy manager, would take over as the manager.
Li Xuewu was aware of this situation; Li Huaide had communicated with him about it, and it seems that it has now been officially approved.
Li Xuewu wasn't too surprised that Yu Decheng was appointed as the manager of the Quality and Safety Department, given that Dong Wenxue was already there.
Zhou Yao reported the news to him the next morning, after he had arrived at his office.
He was looking at the report in his hand, which he had also signed and submitted, concerning the construction of a large-scale supply market in the Workers' New Village and the construction of the Red Star Hotel.
There's still no word on the international standard hotel project, but the group has already started planning to build a guesthouse.
The address is next to the Riverside Garden residential area. It is a nine-story building in the shape of an I-shaped structure with a podium.
The construction of a hotel by Hongxing Steel Group is not a big deal in itself; a building with more than ten floors is not unusual in Beijing. What is unusual is that Hongxing Steel previously said it would build the tallest building in China. Now, the hotel it is building will probably be the tallest building in Liangma River.
Those who follow this story find it absurd, believing they've been fooled by fake news or by Li Huaide.
When Bao Peigang called to inquire, Li Xuewu's reply was not to worry and to wait a little longer.
Let the bullets fly for a while—
(End of this chapter)