MMB Chapter 1419 This is truly a ghost story!
Chapter 1419 This is truly a ghost story!
Chapter 1419 This is truly a ghost story!
"United Savings Bank plans to acquire 16 savings offices and merge with 6 credit unions in Northeast China."
Bu Qingfang accompanied Li Xuewu as they left the project management office building and headed towards the main office building.
She jokingly said to Li Xuewu with a smile, "If you roar in Liaodong, the savings bank will tremble."
"When President Xie came to the group for a meeting, he talked with Deputy Director Jing for an entire afternoon. Everyone in the headquarters said that President Xie really went all out this time."
"A rare big move, isn't it?"
Li Xuewu smiled and said, "It's a rare opportunity. With Liaodong Industry backing us, they've taken the initiative to invite us to provide capital assistance."
"I don't quite understand. What kind of difficulties must have been encountered to allow corporate capital to invest and build across regions?"
Bu Qingfang, holding a thermos in her hand, turned to look at Li Xuewu and smiled, "Did you negotiate this?"
"It's just a coincidence." Seeing a group of young people standing in front of the main office building, Li Xuewu gestured with his chin and asked, "What's going on here?"
"Oh, it's an annual training camp for newly graduated or recruited college students."
Bu Qingfang also saw it, but didn't pay much attention. Now that Li Xuewu asked, she replied.
There were quite a few young people standing haphazardly in front of the building, which shows how much effort has been put into attracting talent this year.
As Li Xuewu listened to Bu Qingfang's introduction and observed the young people, he suddenly heard someone call his name.
Not only was Li Xuewu taken aback by the call, but even Bu Qingfang, who was walking beside him, was also stunned.
At Hongxing Steel Group, in the group's office area, someone actually called Li Xuewu by his full name?
Let alone ordinary employees, even the group's leadership doesn't call him by his full name; they either call him Secretary-General or Comrade Xuewu. Who is this person who is so bold and impolite as to address him by his full name?
"Li Xuewu—" The man waved excitedly in their direction, even taking a few steps forward and shouting, "You're here to report for duty too?"
Li Xuewu carefully examined the other person, and seeing that the other person was being pulled, and after hearing Bu Qingfang's soft explanation, he finally remembered who the other person was.
"Principal Pei is really generous." He smiled at the classmate he had met a few times before, then turned to Bu Qingfang and said, "Is he sending all the graduates from the Iron and Steel Institute here?"
"He's not that he's willing to part with it, he's just too smart."
Bu Qingfang gave the government official who was pulling at the college student a deep look. Her expression was still smiling, but her gaze was frighteningly sharp.
Li Xuewu didn't stop walking, nor did he offer to say hello, so she naturally didn't stop either. The two continued talking as they climbed the steps of the office building and headed into the lobby.
Guo Hongmei, deputy director of the General Office of the General Management Department, is in charge of training newly recruited college graduates this year. She was recently transferred to the position.
Bu Qingfang is both the manager of the comprehensive management department and the deputy secretary-general of the group. A sharp look from her completely shattered her mentality of trying to leave a good impression on her superiors.
She had already seen the secretary-general and deputy secretary-general approaching, and had intended to take advantage of the work to greet the two leaders, but now things had fallen through.
When Guo Hongmei was transferred here, Secretary-General Li Xuewu had already gone to Gangcheng. Of course, she wanted to get to know this supervisor, even if it was just to say hello first.
"Zhou Zixin! You're sincere, aren't you!"
After being doused with a bucket of cold water, Guo Hongmei's voice trembled slightly, and she looked at the graduate from before with eyes that were practically spitting fire.
The young man named Zhou Zixin was still a bit stunned. He was sure he hadn't mistaken the person for someone else; the person who had just walked past was his classmate, Li Xuewu.
He even smoked cigarettes given to him by the other person. Although they didn't meet often, he would go over and say hello every time the other person came to the school for an exam.
Other classmates might not know who this person was, but he had some impression of him.
That was during the first semester. This student came to take the exam, handed in his paper early, and then suddenly left.
Even the proctor, Director Han, didn't stop him. He didn't even need to come to class on weekdays; you could only see him during the final exams.
No one in the class ever spoke to him except him, even though he didn't say much each time.
He guessed that this person might be someone with connections or some special relationship.
He was quite excited when he saw Li Xuewu and recognized him, and immediately called him by name.
What was he excited about? He was excited that the two of them were so destined to be assigned to the same unit.
This year, a large number of graduates from the Iron and Steel Institute came to Hongxing Factory. The two sides have a close school-enterprise cooperation relationship, which is not affected by the allocation policy. Hongxing Factory is willing to accept students from the Iron and Steel Institute, and there has been no active interference from above.
No matter how many classmates he had, none of them excited him as much as this mysterious classmate.
It wasn't until a cadre from the Red Star Factory grabbed his arm and stopped him from going any further that he suddenly realized the other person seemed a little different.
Wearing a black and white work uniform even more standardized and refined than that of ordinary cadres at the Red Star Factory, he exuded a particularly capable and mature aura. The female cadre accompanying him also seemed to be no minor figure. This…
Zhou Zixin was really confused, but it was Deputy Director Guo's suppressed roar that woke him up.
"Huh? What? Director Guo!"
His classmate quickly pulled him aside. Everyone could see that the person Zhou Zixin had offended was not an ordinary cadre, much less someone he wanted to associate with.
You could tell from Deputy Director Guo's flushed face that the female cadre's gaze had been very serious and powerful.
"You're really amazing!"
Guo Hongmei was so angry that her face turned red and her neck bulged. Standing in front of Zhou Zixin, she glared at him and scolded, "You even dare to call the group leaders by their names? Do you call your teachers and principal by their full names at your school?"
Her words were already very serious and stern; she was practically asking Zhou Zixin if he called his parents by their full names at home.
Zhou Zixin was stunned by her outburst; he hadn't yet processed this complicated situation.
Seeing his bewildered expression, Guo Hongmei was both annoyed and amused. She thought to herself that young people are ignorant and reckless, and their impulsiveness is truly frightening.
“Deputy Director Guo, Zixin didn’t do it on purpose.” A classmate defended him, saying, “He probably mistook someone for a classmate.”
"He's our classmate—"
Zhou Zixin suddenly said, "He was smiling at me when I called him just now."
"Although I don't know what you're talking about, I have to tell you that you can't be so rude." Guo Hongmei certainly knew the secretary-general's name, and Zhou Zixin was indeed correct in calling him that.
She glared at Zhou Zixin and emphasized, "You're not a student anymore, and this isn't a university campus. This is where you'll work in the future."
"I don't demand that you be serious, but you still need to have the proper work attitude."
Guo Hongmei also looked at the other young people who chimed in to explain, and said, "The two people who just passed by are the group's secretary-general and deputy secretary-general. Should we greet them like that?"
Her explanation stunned everyone. They hadn't expected that the young cadre who had just passed by was actually a senior leader of the group and a member of the group's leadership team.
They were recent graduates, but they weren't completely clueless. Today was their first day at work, and they never expected to encounter such an important person.
Seeing the other graduates quietly disperse, Guo Hongmei then looked at the bewildered Zhou Zixin and said, "I don't know how you got to know Secretary-General Li. Whether it's a friendship or a family relationship, you still need to be mindful of your boundaries and influence in the workplace."
"I'm sorry, Director Guo, I know I was wrong." Seeing that Deputy Director Guo was gently admonishing him and his attitude had softened, Zhou Zixin quickly took the initiative to admit his mistake, after all, he had indeed been reckless.
He never imagined that the college classmate he'd been secretly working with for four years would actually be his boss!
"The Ministry of Machine Building has issued a document to prepare for the construction of eight 8-ton-class slipways in six shipyards in Shanghai, Tianjin, and Dalian. What do you think of this?"
Li Huaide popped a few unidentifiable pills into his mouth, swallowed them with water, and then turned his gaze to Li Xuewu, who was sitting opposite him.
Sitting next to Li Xuewu was Dong Wenxue, the deputy director in charge of the group's technological development and the construction of the Liangmahe Industrial Zone. The three of them were having a small meeting.
When Li Xuewu heard Old Li ask this, he first glanced at Dong Wenxue before asking in return, "Is there any for us?"
"Hehehe——"
"Hahaha--"
Li Huaide and Dong Wenxue were almost doubled over with laughter at his sudden quip; the joke was just too funny.
"If I had known it would be this funny, I should have answered like that when Director Du asked me that day."
The small pill in Old Li's mouth almost flew out. After tidying up the medicine bottle in front of him, he said to Li Xuewu, "Don't even think about it, because I didn't even dare to think about it."
"Then what else is there to say?"
Li Xuewu shrugged indifferently and said, "Do you think the higher-ups took this step because of our influence?"
“I’m not entirely sure either,” Li Huaide said, shaking his head slightly. “But the locations of the three shipyards in Shanghai, Tianjin, and Bincheng are still quite special.”
“It’s not necessarily a bad thing; it’s a cluster effect,” Li Xuewu said frankly. “I even think that United Engineering Construction Corporation should take the initiative to bid for and apply for some construction projects.”
"Hehe, that's a good idea."
Dong Wenxue sat to the side, clasped his hands, and nodded with a light laugh, saying, "We can't always take on projects from the group. You can't raise a fleet in a bathtub. Construction companies should go out and get some experience."
"We'll talk about that later. Let's talk about the shipyard and port first." Old Li didn't change the subject; he was still concerned about Yingcheng's industries.
"The cluster effect you just mentioned is not yet visible, but the trend of developing the shipbuilding industry in the future has already taken shape."
He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, pondering as he spoke, "It seems the higher-ups are paying more and more attention to import and export trade."
"Will the Yingcheng Shipbuilding project be completed this year?" Dong Wenxue asked Li Xuewu. "I asked Xu Sinian last time, but he didn't give me a detailed answer. Is there some concern?"
"He's a cautious person, he has his concerns, but he's mostly just hesitant to make any guarantees," Li Huaide said calmly. "It probably won't be finished this year, right?"
The following question was still directed at Li Xuewu. As the head of the group, he still frequently heard Li Xuewu report on the work in Liaodong.
"At the beginning of next year, or at least."
After careful consideration, Li Xuewu gave a vague answer, which was exactly what Xu Sinian had said.
Dong Wenxue shook his head slightly and said, "The initial steps were quite large, so it's normal for the construction period to be longer now. Let's just wait patiently."
"What about Yingcheng Port Area?" Li Huaide raised his head slightly and asked Li Xuewu, "Three years is a crucial year."
"We still have the help of Yingcheng Shipyard." Li Xuewu nodded and said affirmatively, "Comrade Xu Sinian made great contributions to this project and did a lot of work, including communication and coordination with the local authorities."
"Once Yingcheng Port Area is operational, even ships in Bincheng will benefit."
Li Huaide thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you talk to Bincheng Shipbuilding and deepen your cooperation?"
Is it the basics or the project?
Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "Now that you mention it, Bincheng's shipping industry is also going to flourish. Whether they will still recognize us is another matter."
"Hehehe—" Li Huaide was also amused by him. He raised his hand to smooth his thinning few strands of hair and nodded, saying, "You handle it. Try your best to integrate the shipping resources of the Bohai Bay."
"The ports of Tianjin and Qinzhou..."
Li Xuewu hesitated for a moment, then looked at Old Li and asked, "Shouldn't we do some work on this side too?"
"Qinzhou is mainly a coal and fishing port. Do you think it's necessary to coordinate port operations?"
Li Huaide looked at him and said, "I've already spoken with Deputy Director Gao about the Tianjin Port area; she'll go talk to her."
"After all, it's an important port in the Bohai Bay. If we don't pay attention to it now, it might be too late later," Li Xuewu cautiously reminded. "I believe Hebei Province would also welcome our cooperation."
"Hmm, let's take a look."
Li Huaide picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said, "The railway transportation scheduling on the Yingcheng Port Area to Fengcheng line needs to be further strengthened."
He emphasized earnestly, "Try to establish normal cooperative relationships; emotional appeals don't work very well."
"I understand your concerns. I'll meet with the dispatchers later." Li Xuewu nodded and looked at Old Li, asking, "Didn't you say the group was going to establish a joint logistics development company?"
He looked at Dong Wenxue again and asked, "How are the talks with the railway company going?"
“Beijing Railway is naturally willing.” Dong Wenxue twisted his body, sat sideways, and looked at Lao Li, saying, “I guess the higher-ups still have some concerns.”
"Then let's do it little by little."
Li Xuewu smiled and said casually, "If Beijing Railway is willing to cooperate, then let's first establish a joint logistics Beijing service company."
He tapped the armrest of his chair with his finger and said, "Once the Beijing company has developed well, we can form other companies and merge them together to form the head office."
"It's a bit of a hassle, but it's better than waiting for them with your neck stretched out."
Dong Wenxue agreed with his opinion and looked at Lao Li, saying, "Why don't we just get started?"
Old Li nodded, agreeing with the opinion, and looked at Dong Wenxue, saying, "Let's discuss it at the next meeting, and if it's feasible, we can implement it first."
After saying that, he looked at Li Xuewu and said, "The United Logistics side is easy to handle, but you need to be more careful about the United Savings Bank entering Liaodong."
He emphasized, "Even with the support of Liaodong industry and the connection with local capital, we must not be malicious, but we must be wary of others."
“I’ve been thinking about this these past few days,” Dong Wenxue continued, “What is Liaodong Industrial’s idea in inviting the United Savings Bank to set up operations in Liaodong?”
"The industrial revolution has encountered resistance," Li Xuewu said, taking a sip of his tea. "They want to get rich quick."
“But that’s not how capital works,” Dong Wenxue said, frowning slightly. “If the capital operations of the United Savings Bank fail to meet their expectations, have you considered the consequences of future coordination?”
“Compliant merger, compliant operation, are you deliberately causing trouble?” Li Xuewu glanced at him, then looked at Old Li and said, “With the Hongxing Industrial Zone in the steel city, I don’t think the person in charge of Liaodong Industry would be so short-sighted. Besides, we’re not afraid of them causing trouble.”
"They sold sixteen savings offices and offered six credit institutions for merger with United Savings Bank because they couldn't sustain themselves any longer."
Old Li crossed his arms and frowned slightly as he said, "The opportunity is real. It would be a good thing if the United Savings Bank could take root and flourish in Liaodong."
"Capital operation has its own rules and principles, which cannot be changed by human interference or desires."
With a serious expression, he said, "The relocation of the United Savings Bank to Liaodong will inevitably drive the transfer of other capital, and the development funding pressure of related projects will also be alleviated. This is a win-win situation."
“It’s good to be cautious.” Dong Wenxue still held a conservative attitude. He looked at Li Huaide and Li Xuewu and said, “The current situation is still unpredictable. Whether it is industry or economic work, there are still some uncertainties in the future. There is no need to rush to place bets at this time.”
"Let's wait and see." Li Huaide's originally radical ideas were also influenced by him, and he became hesitant.
Originally, Li Xuewu didn't have any overly aggressive actions or plans; it was just that Old Li was a bit too impatient.
As he came out of Lao Li's office, he ran into Xie Lanzhi, the president of the United Savings Bank, who was coming out of Deputy Director Jing's office. The two bumped into each other.
"Hey, I was just looking for you." Xie Lanzhi smiled and nodded, asking, "What day did you get back?"
"I arrived home the night before last." Li Xuewu smiled and asked, "You're not here to interrogate me, are you? Are you upset that I caused you trouble?"
"He's just a college student, and from the Central University of Finance and Economics no less. We're in dire need of someone with that kind of expertise."
Xie Lanzhi knew what he was talking about, but waved her hand dismissively and said to him, "If you have connections, introduce more people to us."
“This is a relative of a friend, what a coincidence.” Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, “I see that the group has recruited quite a few college graduates this year, aren’t there any from the Central University of Finance and Economics?”
"Yes, but we don't mind having too many."
Xie Lanzhi said with a smile, "The Central University of Finance and Economics is quite cautious and hasn't given us many spots."
"If it weren't for the coordination of the propaganda team, maybe only two or three would have come, and that would have been a lot."
Hearing her mention this, Li Xuewu couldn't help but think of He Yushui, who was still working in the propaganda team.
She was put in charge of this project in the first place, just so that we could reap the rewards today.
He had one thought about official business, another about personal matters, and he couldn't resist Sha Zhu's request.
He Yuzhu had always been troubled by He Yushui's marriage. Since Li Xuewu was unwilling, Shazhu could only try to persuade him from his side.
He's not stupid at all; he seems to have latched onto Li Xuewu.
Li Xuewu was quite decisive. The propaganda team had many young cadres, and they were stationed in universities to carry out their work. What if they could spark a connection with the intellectuals?
"Wait until next year. When the students from the vocational college graduate, you won't lack top students."
Li Xuewu raised his hand, gesturing towards the stairs, and asked, "Are you going downstairs?"
"It's lunchtime, let's have lunch together."
Xie Lanzhi took the initiative to invite him, saying, "It's convenient to be in the cafeteria. I'd like to talk to you about the work at the Liaodong branch."
Hu Ke, an industrialist from Liaodong, greatly admired the Hongxing model. He had personally witnessed the development of the Hongxing factory, and his feelings of awe were profound.
After returning to Liaodong to take charge of industrial work, he made great efforts to promote various exchanges and cooperation with Hongxing Steel Group, and not only in the industrial field.
The last time Li Xuewu, representing Hongxing Steel Group, visited Deputy Director Lu, who is in charge of industrial work in Liaodong, and Hu Ke, the two sides had a relatively in-depth discussion.
Hu Ke took the initiative to invite Red Star Capital, education companies, and other projects to visit Liaodong.
School-enterprise cooperation is a routine practice in this era, especially with the policies and instructions from above.
Even without corporate partnerships, the school will establish its own businesses to provide students with internship and employment opportunities.
It can be considered a product of this era; almost all schools have their own businesses.
Even primary schools have them, but primary school students don't have to work. Most of them are companies that produce teaching tools, stationery, and paper, as well as printing.
When Li Xuewu was a child, he made test papers printed by his teachers. Because the ink and process were substandard, he had to be very careful every time, otherwise his hands would be covered in black ink.
Li Xuewu understood Liaodong Industry's initiative and role in facilitating the deal perfectly. It was simply about getting Hongxing Steel Group on board. Since they weren't sure of the direction ahead, they found someone to drive the vehicle and scout ahead.
If Hongxing Steel Group develops well, then other industrial enterprises in Liaodong can simply follow suit.
Hongxing Steel Group has the capability and strength to develop foreign trade and investment, and Liaodong Industry also wants to take advantage of this opportunity to develop its industry and trade.
Similarly, the top ten import and export trading companies also have branches in Liaodong, and it cannot be said that this multi-faceted cooperation was not made possible without their support.
They were behind the Guangzhou Export Commodities Fair, and they also knew that Hongxing Steel Group was going to hold a trade fair for northern China in Tianjin.
Perhaps because of the special circumstances of Hongxing Steel Group, and the fact that foreign trade officials were on-site to direct operations, they had not yet made a formal visit, but this did not prevent both sides from testing each other out.
Li Xuewu neither took the initiative to respond nor explicitly refused; let's wait and see.
-
On June 4th, Li Xuewu returned to the steel city, choosing to travel by train instead of going to Tianjin.
It is summer now. If you take a passenger ship from the riverside wharf of Liangmahe Ecological Industrial Zone, pass through Tianjin United Trade Center, and then go out to sea into Bohai Bay to reach Yingcheng, you can take an inland river passenger ship directly to Gangcheng, or take a train directly to Gangcheng.
Li Xuewu found it troublesome and was too lazy to take the risks of boarding a ship; taking the train was much safer.
Old Li values his life, but he's not the type to risk his life, something Zhou Yamei knows best.
Li Xuewu arrived home at 3 p.m., and she came back early to help him tidy up.
"Didn't I tell you? You always bring so much stuff back every time you come back." Zhou Yamei was touched, but said with a hint of helplessness, "Don't you find it tiring? You're such a high-ranking leader."
"The kid likes to eat, how tiring can it be?" Li Xuewu smiled and looked upstairs, asking, "Zhidong went to school?"
Zhou Yamei glanced at him and said, "It's Wednesday today, what are you doing if you're not in school?"
“Don’t be too harsh on him. He’s already done very well and studies very hard.” Li Xuewu said while taking off his clothes, “It’s fine to hope your son will become a dragon, but this isn’t the way to do it.”
“I have high expectations for him, but not extremely high ones,” Zhou Yamei replied earnestly. “He’s become more lively in the six months since you came, but he’s also become more undisciplined.”
"He's even started talking back to me now."
As if remembering something, Zhou Yamei packed up the Beijing specialties Li Xuewu had brought back, and said somewhat naggingly, "Just this morning..."
Li Xuewu listened to her rambling without responding, and went to the bathroom to run warm water, preparing to take a shower.
These days, no matter what kind of carriage you travel in, whether it's a hard seat, a hard sleeper, or even a soft sleeper, there's no air conditioning. If it gets hot, you can open the window.
In later times, high-speed trains and express trains no longer allow windows to be opened because the wind is too strong and can blow people away.
At this time, passengers don't need to get off the train at each station. They can simply open the window and ask the staff on the platform for hot water, as long as they have a cup.
In addition, there are station staff selling ice cream, cold drinks and snacks on the platform, and smoking is not prohibited in the carriages, so there are all kinds of smells.
The sleeper carriages are better, and the passengers are generally more courteous and less likely to produce unpleasant odors.
But after half a day and a night, he was covered in the smell of sweat and smoke; his nose had become very sensitive since he quit smoking.
Don't you want to say anything?
Seeing that Li Xuewu was not moving, Zhou Yamei turned to look at the bathroom, where he was already lying in the bathtub.
She said with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "I'm talking to you here, and you're really enjoying yourself."
“True enjoyment is always shared between two people.” Li Xuewu, with his eyes closed, beckoned and asked, “Do you want to come along?”
"You just talk nonsense with a straight face—" Zhou Yamei muttered under her breath, busy packing the luggage he brought back, still muttering something under her breath.
With his nerves completely relaxed, Li Xuewu could no longer hear what she was saying; it was like she was automatically filtering it out.
When she couldn't hear Li Xuewu's response, Zhou Yamei stopped nagging.
"Uncle Wu? When did you get back?"
After some time, Banggeng suddenly appeared outside the bathroom window. This kid had the front door, but instead of using it, he went to the backyard.
Li Xuewu heard the voice coming from outside the window, opened his eyes and saw it was him.
This villa is quite stylish. The bathroom has a window, and it's not small either. You can enjoy the view outside while soaking in the bathtub.
Of course, people outside the window could also enjoy the "view" of the bathroom, but unfortunately, Li Xuewu didn't have any view for Bang Geng to enjoy.
He has some of the same catchphrases that I also have.
"Where have you been? You're covered in sweat." Li Xuewu looked at him lazily and asked, "Didn't you go to the docks to help out?"
"Aunt Zhou is at home, how can I go?"
Banggeng, with his head down, pulled out a handful of crabapples from somewhere and handed them over, saying with a smile, "Try them, they're delicious."
Crabapples, as the saying goes, are not very big. They are smaller than plums but larger than hawthorns. They taste sweet and sour like apples and are very delicious.
Li Xuewu looked at the fruit on the windowsill with amusement, pointed to the bathtub, and asked the unfortunate child, "Are you telling me to use this water to wash the crabapples before eating them?"
"The original soup helps digest the original food, why would you complain about yourself?" Banggeng chuckled, then grabbed a crabapple from somewhere without washing it and stuffed it into his mouth to gnaw on. The sourness made Li Xuewu's mouth water.
"Can you go eat somewhere else?" Li Xuewu said with his eyes closed. "Or come in and rub my back."
"Let Aunt Zhou rub it for you. I'm afraid you'll feel pricked and burned by needles. That's what happened last time."
Bang Geng really had something to say. He leaned on the windowsill and looked at Li Xuewu, asking, "Uncle Wu, did you see my mom when you went back this time?"
"No, what's wrong? Do you want to go home?"
Li Xuewu opened one eye, glanced at Banggeng, then closed it again, saying, "If you want to go home, just say so. I'll buy you a train ticket and send you on your way."
"I'm not homesick, I just miss my mom a little." Banggeng wasn't being stubborn anymore; he was still just a child.
He might be able to argue with others, but what's there to be ashamed of when it comes to Uncle Wu?
He said in a low voice, "She wrote to me last time asking me to go back, but I don't want to go back now. I haven't made it big yet."
“Then you’ll have to wait a while,” Li Xuewu said calmly. “Your Aunt Zhou said that you shouldn’t expect to work for the next three years; she doesn’t use child labor.”
"Am I a grown man now?"
Banggeng gestured with his arm and asked seriously, "Am I not capable of standing on my own yet?"
"Wow! Young master, you know idioms now!"
Li Xuewu pretended to be surprised and opened his eyes to look at him, saying, "Okay, you've made progress. You've not wasted your time studying. Your Aunt Zhou has some tricks up her sleeve."
“But it’s a bit early to go out and do things now.” He smiled and closed his eyes again, saying, “When you can use two idioms in three sentences, you’ll be able to handle things on your own.”
"Now—keep reading."
"I've read all four classic Chinese novels!"
Banggeng seemed to have achieved something great, and emphasized, "Now I'm reading the Zizhi Tongjian. Aunt Zhou said that once I finish reading this book, I'll be a useful person."
"Chopping wood? Or matches?"
Li Xuewu said with a laugh, "Your Aunt Zhou means that you can become a useful person by reading this book, not that you can become a useful person by finishing this book. You're delusional."
"I don't care, just find me something to do—" Banggeng said somewhat unwillingly, "I've been following you to Steel City for almost half a year, and all I do is read books every day. I haven't done anything at the docks, and I've just been eating for free."
"Looking for something to do?" Li Xuewu opened one eye again and said with a smile, "Dongfeng Shipping has two new ships. I'll give you one. You take the fleet to Tianjin, and when you come back, you'll be the captain."
"Ah! I don't know how to drive a boat!"
Bang Geng meant to find something to do, not something he didn't know how to do, and now he's dumbfounded.
Does Uncle Wu value him that much?
Is it that they didn't consider their true abilities, or that they were just fooling themselves?
"Oh—you can't drive a boat."
Li Xuewu seemed to have just found out, and continued with his eyes closed, "The dockside truck fleet is short of drivers. Go to the driver's section and drive a truck."
"I can't drive either—"
Bang Geng's voice suddenly lowered considerably; he felt somewhat ashamed for not being able to take on the job Uncle Wu had given him.
Li Xuewu continued, "If you can't sail a boat or drive a car, then go to the office. The finance department is short of an accountant, so you can do the accounting."
"I..." Bang Geng couldn't continue speaking, as if he had suddenly realized that he was a useless person.
When Li Xuewu couldn't hear his reply, he opened his eyes wide and asked, "If you can't do this either, how about I have you carry heavy loads at the docks?"
"I can do this!" Banggeng suddenly perked up and asked him, "How heavy is the big bag?"
"It's not heavy, it's very light," Li Xuewu said with a smile. "Only the three of you are heavy."
"I weigh three!" The stick was numb; he had never imagined that he would become a unit of measurement for weight.
"If you can lift yourself up, then you can carry small bags, that's fine too."
Li Xuewu nodded and said, "It's okay if we earn less, it's good to train slowly."
"Okay—" Banggeng finally got his chance and said very seriously, "I'll go tomorrow!"
"Young Master, listen carefully, what did I just say?" Li Xuewu tilted his head and reminded him, "You have to prove to me first that you can lift yourself up."
"Can I lift myself up?"
Banggeng looked down at his own body, hugged himself tightly, unsure of how to exert any force.
He looked up at Uncle Wu through the window, bewildered, and asked, "How do I lift myself up?"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu couldn't help but laugh out loud, and stood up from the bathtub, saying, "That's a really good question. It's a pity, I was the one asking you that question."
"I picked myself up... I picked myself up..." Bang Geng kept muttering about this one question from the afternoon until dinner, even confusing Fu Zhidong.
Zhou Yamei overheard the conversation between the father and son in the kitchen. Now, she looked at Li Xuewu with amusement in her eyes, unsure of what to say.
With this level of intelligence, it seems he might not be able to graduate in three years. Maybe five years would be better.
-
"This is absolutely outrageous!"
Yang Shuxing finally lost his temper. Faced with organizational changes and job adjustments, he flew into a rage and went straight to the group company to file a complaint against Li Xuewu.
With Yin Zhongyao as a precedent, he naturally couldn't repeat the same mistake. He had also thought things through carefully and didn't sue about everything.
"Deputy Director Dong, is what I said correct?"
If we say that Yang Shuxing learned from Yin Zhongyao's lesson, he didn't go to Director Li to complain right away.
He first went to see his old leader, Dong Wenxue, and without fear of the relationship between Dong and Li Xuewu, he frankly spoke his mind.
Yang Shuxing thought to himself, if he didn't come to Dong Wenxue's office, perhaps Director Dong would plot against him and tip off Li Xuewu so he could retaliate.
If someone comes to his office and tells him about their personal experiences and conflicts, what should he do?
It's impossible to be completely impartial, but it won't be too biased either; we have to give it some space.
When Dong Wenxue worked in the steel city, he was very cooperative and sensible. Now that his former subordinate is in trouble, will he, as his superior, help him?
He didn't dare say something like "I'll control your students," but he still had to put some pressure on Li Xuewu.
Regarding Yang Shuxing's complaint against Li Xuewu, it was said that Li Xuewu was domineering and unreasonable at work in the steel city, refused to listen to the opinions of his colleagues, and had problems with his lifestyle.
What could Dong Wenxue say?
His suggestion was that Yang Shuxing could talk to Deputy Director Gu, who was in charge of supervision, or go directly to Director Li to report the relevant situation.
Yang Shuxing's demands were simple: he disagreed with Li Xuewu's adjustment of his work assignment and demanded that Li Xuewu stop some of the malicious actions against him.
Some people could speak, but Dong Wenxue, caught in the middle, couldn't say anything, so they let him report.
When Yang Shuxing heard Dong Wenxue say this, he felt relieved, knowing that his old leader would not help Li Xuewu.
He wouldn't waste time going around reporting to Gu Weijie; instead, he went straight to Director Li.
They used the same old rhetoric, talking about all of Li Xuewu's faults, the drawbacks and problems exposed during the organizational restructuring of the metallurgical plant, the contradictions reported by the headquarters and subordinates after Li Xuewu took charge of the metallurgical plant, and also about Li Xuewu's extravagant lifestyle.
Someone eventually jumped into this pit, though not in a proper way, but they still jumped in.
As Li Huaide listened to Yang Shuxing's complaints and reports, his mind raced, and his gaze towards Yang Shuxing gradually became indifferent, even showing signs of annoyance.
With such a paltry claim, he dares to come to the group to report a problem? He must think Yang Shuxing has some serious dirt on Li Xuewu. Turns out he's just here to smooth things over.
Ostensibly, he was complaining and accusing others, but in reality, he couldn't make it in the city anymore and openly admitted that he was being ostracized and wanted to return to Beijing.
Since he had offended Li Xuewu, the higher-ups had to take a comprehensive view and, without determining any major issues, had to choose between him and Li Xuewu.
Yang Shuxing didn't believe the group would choose to support him; Li Xuewu would definitely win.
However, by doing this, he disgusted Li Xuewu and extricated himself from the metallurgical plant.
It's just a lateral transfer, but it's still better than just loafing around in the metallurgical plant. He doesn't think Li Xuewu will give him a chance to prove himself, so it's best to get out of this hellhole as soon as possible.
He kept an eye on Director Li's expression as he delivered what he had prepared.
Director Li pulled a document out of his drawer and listened to his report while looking at it.
The deeper Director Li's brows furrowed, the more nervous he became. What was Director Li looking at? Could it be that someone had already reported the problems he was raising?
If that's really the case, that would be great. With both sides confirming it, Li Xuewu is bound to suffer a setback.
"Finished?"
Li Huaide asked this question only after Yang Shuxing had stopped talking for half an hour.
Seeing Yang Shuxing nod sheepishly, he tossed the document in his hand onto the desk, watched it slowly slide to the next page, pointed, and gestured for the other person to look at it, saying, "Take a look at this too."
"Huh? Me?" Yang Shuxing was secretly delighted, but he looked at Director Li with surprise. When he picked up the document and took a look, his eyes almost popped out.
This isn't a summary of questions about Secretary-General Li Xuewu; the name on it clearly says Yang Shuxing from the Metallurgical Plant. It's unbelievable!
(End of this chapter)