MMB Chapter 1427 Jing
Chapter 1427 Jing
Chapter 1427 Returning to Beijing
"Two acres of land, an ox, a wife, children, and a warm bed—"
Banggeng brought the cooked millet porridge to the table, muttering to himself, "Eating cornbread with pickled vegetables, saving money to buy government bonds..."
Just as he was about to take the steamed buns sitting on the pot, he suddenly noticed a woman standing at the kitchen door.
No, I should say she's a beautiful woman.
The woman leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, looking at him with a bright smile, as if she had been watching him for a long time.
"Aunt Zhang! What are you doing here!"
Banggeng looked at the other person with some surprise, then frowned and asked, "Why are you dressed like this?"
Hmm... how should I put it? This pretty lady is dressed rather lightly. Even though it's the dog days of summer and the weather is hot, it shouldn't be this hot, right?
"I heard you lived here, so I came."
Zhang Songying was holding a water cup, as if she had just come downstairs to get a drink of water.
She looked at the chubby guy with a smile and said, "You've grown quite a bit taller, but you're still so fat."
"You haven't answered my question yet."
When Banggeng heard her say she was fat, the corner of her mouth twitched, and she thought to herself: I didn't even say you were fair-skinned.
"Didn't I already answer you?"
Zhang Songying, wearing Li Xuewu's shirt and barefoot, walked into the kitchen, looked at the breakfast on the table, nodded and said, "Alright, you can cook now."
"I've known how to cook for a long time—"
Banggeng blushed slightly and looked away. Hmm... that shirt was really white, snow-white.
Zhang Songying and Qin Huairu are friends, so she is very familiar with Bang Geng and still thinks of him as a child.
She straightened up and pinched his chubby face, saying with amusement, "You can even blush."
"I didn't..." Banggeng moved away, her face flushed, and went towards the stove, grabbing a water ladle haphazardly and adding water to the pot.
He didn't know why he added water to the pot; maybe he thought it was a bit hot.
This is... Mom's friend!
"Did you grow this sticky corn?"
Zhang Songying picked up a piece of sticky corn from the table, tasted it, and nodded, saying, "It's quite delicious."
Seeing her like this made Banggeng even more afraid to look directly at her, and he just kept adding water to the pot, at an even faster pace.
Zhang Songying gave him an amused look, turned around and left the restaurant, saying, "Go wash up first, then come eat right away."
Woo——woo——
Bang Geng felt as if his ears and nostrils were about to breathe fire, and steam was rising from the top of his head. His whole body was as red and hot as a train engine.
Um—I forgot to check, what's Aunt Zhang doing here?
***
"Aren't you getting up yet?"
Zhang Songying went upstairs and saw that Li Xuewu was still asleep. She walked to the bedside and nudged him, saying, "Bang Geng has already prepared breakfast. It will get cold if you don't eat it soon."
"Okay, I'll get up—"
Li Xuewu said this, but his eyes remained closed, though his hands were getting restless.
"This isn't the breakfast I was referring to."
Zhang Songying slapped his hand, both amused and annoyed, and tapped his forehead, saying, "Why are you still acting like a child?"
"Haven't you heard the saying, 'A man is a boy until he dies'?"
Li Xuewu released his grip, turned over, and slightly opened his eyes, saying, "I didn't want to either, but sometimes my hands just won't obey me."
“Sometimes I’m the same way, my hands just won’t obey me.” Zhang Songying’s hand reached under the covers, and Li Xuewu immediately perked up, his sleepy eyes turning bright and alert.
"Woman, you're playing with fire—"
He raised his hand and pointed at Zhang Songying, saying, "Don't take lessons as pleasure."
"I know I was wrong, aren't you going to teach me a lesson again?"
Zhang Songying pretended to be seeking advice, showing a tenacious determination to stick to her principles.
"Looks like you really need a lesson."
Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "I'll give you one hour..."
"Breakfast should still be warm after an hour, right?"
Zhang Songying unbuttoned her shirt, looked at him with seductive eyes, and said, "Would you like to...?"
***
"What are you looking at me doing?"
Li Xuewu took the sticky corn from the basin, glanced at the stalks, and said, "Go to work after you finish eating."
Bang Geng raised his eyebrows, gesturing to Aunt Zhang sitting across the table, wanting an explanation.
He has gotten into the habit of getting up every morning to run and exercise with Uncle Wu, and then making breakfast.
While he was making breakfast, Uncle Wu would usually be preparing his work materials or reading the newspaper.
There was no sound from upstairs this morning, so he assumed that Uncle Wu had overslept and would skip his morning exercise.
He wouldn't go upstairs to wake Uncle Wu up. Besides the fact that Aunt Zhou had told him not to go upstairs, he also didn't want to go out for a morning run.
Go to sleep, go to sleep, it would be best to sleep until it's time for work, so that Uncle Wu won't have a reason to drag him out to run around.
Unexpectedly, Uncle Wu, who got up early, didn't get to see Aunt Zhang, but instead was greeted by an unexpected visitor.
Aunt Zhou just left, and now Aunt Zhang has arrived. Uncle Wu has a lot of aunties around him!
Aunt Zhang came downstairs and ate half an ear of sticky corn, saying she was going to wash up. She didn't come down for an hour. Did she need that long to wash up? Or were they doing something upstairs?
"No rush to work, Uncle Wu, are you going to work today?" Banggeng asked, trying to make conversation. "What time will you be back tonight?"
When he asked the last question, he looked at Aunt Zhang, implying that Aunt Zhang would still be there tonight?
Li Xuewu was too lazy to pay attention to him. This kid's cooking skills were not bad, at least his millet porridge was cooked perfectly.
Don't underestimate millet porridge; if not cooked properly, it can easily burn at the bottom or be undercooked.
The cooked millet porridge will have a layer of rice water on top, which is nutritious and can be used to feed children.
"Have you been living here in Steel City ever since you came here?"
Zhang Songying looked at Banggeng, who had finished breakfast but still refused to leave, and asked with a smile, "Just you two?"
"Uncle Wu, can we talk about this?"
Bang Geng didn't answer immediately, but looked at Li Xuewu, raised his eyebrows and asked.
Li Xuewu didn't say anything, but just stared at him, warning him not to talk nonsense, or he'd have to run five kilometers tomorrow morning.
Bang Geng understood immediately, turned to Zhang Songying and replied very seriously, "It's a confidential matter, I can't tell you."
"Pfft—" Zhang Songying chuckled, "What? Work secrets?"
She glanced at Li Xuewu, then said to Banggeng, "Your mother is really something. If she wants you to be successful, she should find you a good teacher."
“Go back with your Aunt Zhang.” Li Xuewu tilted his head at Banggeng and said, “She’s a good teacher, so you can learn from her from now on.”
"What's wrong with me teaching? Am I not better than you?"
Zhang Songying scolded him and looked at Banggeng, saying, "At least I don't need you to make breakfast for me."
"I can only make breakfast..."
Banggeng twitched the corner of his mouth and looked at her, emphasizing, "We eat out for both lunch and dinner."
“…Learn something good.” Zhang Songying looked at Banggeng speechlessly and said, “Who do you think you are, Aunt Zhang? All you do is use children to make lunch and dinner?”
"Did you hear that? You don't need to cook."
Li Xuewu, holding his rice bowl and drinking millet porridge, said with a smile, "Following your Aunt Zhang, you'll even get to eat meat."
"We absolutely have to have meat to eat!"
Zhang Songying raised her eyebrows and said, "Are you coming back with me or not? If you come back to the capital with me, you can eat meat every day."
"Well, Aunt Zhang, you guys keep chatting, I have to go to work." Seeing that the city gate was on fire and he was in danger of being caught in the crossfire, Banggeng quickly made his escape.
Want to hear more?
If he listened any longer, he would become a victim.
What exactly is Aunt Zhang doing here? Could she really be taking me back to Beijing?
***
Whose house is this?
Zhang Songying cleared the table and pointed to the exquisite dishes on the dish rack, saying, "This is definitely not something a man could afford."
Why ask so many questions? Are you coming to stay?
Li Xuewu took a sip of tea, looked at the morning newspaper, and said, "Whether you leave in the morning or at noon, Jicheng is still waiting for you, isn't it?"
What's the difference between walking in the morning and walking at noon?
Zhang Songying walked to the sofa, placed her hands on his knees, bent down, looked into his eyes, and asked, "Would you like me to leave in the morning or at noon?"
"Don't you know when to stop?" Li Xuewu looked up at her and said, "Are you here to spend the New Year?"
"Hehe—" Zhang Songying couldn't help but laugh out loud, biting her lip as she looked at him and said, "It's the New Year, after all. Do you know how difficult it is to catch you—"
“You can’t eat a year’s worth of food in one day,” Li Xuewu said, shaking the newspaper in his hand. “Be careful not to overeat and get tired of it, or you won’t want to eat it next time.”
"Don't worry, you'll never get tired of it!"
Zhang Songying stood up, took off her apron, and said, "Okay, it's good to know where you live. I won't have to look forward to and wait for dumplings during the New Year anymore."
"Pack your things and leave early, you'll miss your train." Li Xuewu said impatiently, "There are only two trains to Jicheng, if you leave at noon you won't arrive until midnight."
"I'll have the driver take you to the train station in a bit."
He folded the newspaper in his hand, stood up and said, "Remember what I told you, mind your own business, and next time you won't be punished like this."
“Okay, okay, okay—” Zhang Songying said helplessly, “When you’re in the martial arts world, you can’t help yourself.”
"Not entering the mortal world, not staying in the martial world." Li Xuewu pointed at her and walked towards the door, saying, "It's because you've been tempted by worldly desires, otherwise why would they beg you for help?"
"He already said that... never mind."
Zhang Songying sighed softly, saw Li Xuewu to the gate, and seeing his car already parked there, said, "Have the driver drop me off and then come back to pick me up. I'll be ready soon."
"Okay, I understand." Li Xuewu replied, then turned around and looked at her, saying, "Call me in advance if you're coming to Gangcheng again, and I'll have someone pick you up at the station."
"I know—" Zhang Songying rolled her eyes at him, her tone slightly reproachful, "Do you think I really want to come every day, every month—"
"Whatever you say, I welcome it."
Li Xuewu smiled, turned around and left the room.
Zhang Songying stood at the doorway, watching his retreating figure, and bit her lip. This trip was definitely worthwhile.
-
"Is this your opinion? Or someone else's?"
Li Xuewu glanced at the application in front of him, then looked up and glanced at Wang Yajuan standing across the desk.
Wang Yajuan stared at him suspiciously for a long while before pouting and saying, "You're wearing perfume too?"
This was a rhetorical question, wasn't it? She was certain that Li Xuewu didn't have the habit of "smelling perfume," so how could he smell like perfume? It must be her nose that had offended her.
If he doesn't criticize, someone else will. Tell me, how did he get involved?
Humph--
Li Xuewu turned his head and sniffed, then frowned and said, "No, it's your smell."
"Nonsense! Do you think I can afford something like this?"
Wang Yajuan squinted slightly, looking at him with suspicion, and said, "You're just used to the smell, aren't you?"
"Stop talking nonsense, I'm asking you about work."
Li Xuewu tapped the documents in his hand and said, "I put you in charge of building Liaodong TV Station, what kind of performance troupe are you running?"
He glanced at the contents of the application, his eyelids drooping, and said, "You think I'm asking you to set up a TV station?"
"Does setting up an arts troupe necessarily mean performing on the radio? Can't they perform live?"
Wang Yajuan said calmly, "Didn't you say that we should spend three years doing four things in Liaodong? Isn't the fourth thing cultural development?"
She leaned forward and pointed at the documents in front of Li Xuewu, saying, "Isn't this legitimate cultural development?"
"Whose opinion am I asking you for?"
Li Xuewu looked up at her and asked, "The group has clearly stated that no new branches will be established this year."
He tapped the table and asked, "If you want to start a performing arts troupe in Liaodong, where will the money come from?"
"That's why I came to find you."
Wang Yajuan said matter-of-factly, "If you're going to do cultural development work, of course you should approve the funding."
“That makes sense—” Li Xuewu found it both amusing and intriguing, tapping her with his pen and saying, “You still haven’t answered my question.”
"You just want to know who gave me the idea to do this project, right?"
Wang Yajuan tilted her head and looked at him, asking, "Are you always on guard against someone trying to harm you?"
“That’s right.” Li Xuewu looked her in the eye and said, “Besides comrades, I also have enemies around me.”
"Making a mountain out of a molehill, seeing enemies everywhere."
Wang Yajuan looked at him and said, "This is my own idea, and I also consulted the publishing house."
Seeing that Li Xuewu was serious, she pointed to the document and explained, "The publisher's reply is that, in principle, it supports cultural development in Liaodong, and related matters are subject to the application."
"Wouldn't it have been better if you had just said that earlier?"
Li Xuewu lowered his head, quickly wrote his comments on the application, and signed his name.
"I don't have much funding, so I'll use it sparingly and get through these six months first."
"I'm exhausted just looking at you—"
After taking the application form from Li Xuewu, Wang Yajuan looked at it and said, "Can't it be simpler?"
"I also want things to be simpler and easier."
Li Xuewu tightened the pen, leaned back in his chair, and looked at her as he said, "I thought that after coming to Liaodong, I could be like you and completely let go of the shackles in my heart."
"It's a pity that wherever I go, the shackles follow. I don't live as freely and clearly as you do."
"You're copying me too?" Wang Yajuan glanced at him and said, "Living like a lonely, heartless person, like a walking corpse?"
Do you look like a walking corpse right now?
Li Xuewu tilted his head, looked her over, and said, "I think you are in better spirits now than you were in the capital. At least you are your true self now."
"Want to recite tongue twisters?" Wang Yajuan chuckled, but when she saw Zhang Enyuan appear at the door, she suppressed her smile and said, "I'm planning to recruit local performers from Liaodong. Can you help me vet them?"
"Me? Forget it—"
Li Xuewu chuckled and shook his head, saying, "I can't even distinguish between different plays, yet I'm here to help you with the judging."
"You'll have to ask around for business opportunities yourself. You have connections with publishing houses, you know how to make phone calls, right?"
He tapped the table with his finger and said, "Go find Director Zeng on the organization side and ask him for help."
"Work is never a solo endeavor. If you don't know how to unite with your colleagues, you'll never learn how to get things done."
"It's really difficult to ask you for a favor."
Wang Yajuan frowned slightly, picked up the documents, and said, "Don't watch the show after we've finished arranging it," before turning and leaving.
Zhang Enyuan's eyes widened slightly as he watched her leave before walking to Li Xuewu's desk and quietly reporting his work.
He naturally wondered about the relationship between Wang Yajuan and the secretary-general. Both of them came from Beijing and were of similar age, so it was natural for them to be familiar with each other.
It's rare to see someone in this organization speak to the Secretary-General like that.
However, it seems that Director Wang does not interact with the Secretary-General very frequently on a regular basis.
He was Li Xuewu's secretary-general and knew Li Xuewu's life quite well. He wasn't sure if the two had met in private, but they definitely didn't meet often in the office.
Li Xuewu is very busy, and not everyone has the opportunity or time to report to him; it's up to him to make the arrangements.
Of course, it's not uncommon for people to come directly to their superiors with documents for signature; that's perfectly normal.
For urgent or special requests, department heads can directly contact their superiors, which facilitates reporting and communication.
"How's the activity organized by the union going?" Li Xuewu asked Zhang Enyuan after finishing his work. "It's been several days, why is there no news?"
"They say they're organizing a stage and reviewing the programs; it's quite a lively affair." Zhang Enyuan nodded and reported, "Director Dou has been personally in charge of this matter and has been on-site for the past few days, saying he wants to create something unique."
"That must be something special."
Li Xuewu smiled and said, "I'm really looking forward to it."
"Yes, this is the most talked-about topic in the organization lately." Zhang Enyuan saw his expression and reported softly, "Director Dou has found a lot of actors from outside, and I heard that they all have unique skills."
"Hehe, all Northeasterners have unique skills, right?" Li Xuewu nodded knowingly and said, "Okay, it would be best if they could make a name for themselves."
He pointed to the notes beside him, which were his signed records, and said, "Look, the radio station is also forming an arts and performance team."
"Then let them compare and see who does it better and whose program is more distinctive."
Zhang Enyuan finally understood why Wang Yajuan had come here earlier; it turned out she wanted to challenge him to a duel!
However, Wang Yajuan and Director Dou have different purposes and original intentions in organizing cultural performances, so how can they be compared?
The Secretary-General means... that they want a direct competition?
On the 28th, after the expert group of SteelAircraft demonstrated its capabilities and discussed with the design and R&D teams of Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, a report on the cooperation plan and production conditions was finally released through the joint efforts of both parties.
"We're a bit pressed for time."
Kong Xiaobo, still somewhat unsatisfied, looked at Li Xuewu, who was reviewing documents, and explained, "We are preparing to conduct a second round of argumentation and experience exchange."
"Yes, but this document must be submitted to the group's leadership as soon as possible."
Li Xuewu put down his pen, looked up at him and Bai Guangming, and asked, "You should understand what I mean, right? We must exhaust ourselves by the third drumbeat."
"Understood, it is appropriate to report it now."
Bai Guangming and Kong Xiaobo exchanged a glance. As the chief engineer of Gangfei, he had also put a lot of effort into this report, so he attached great importance to it.
Although Steelfly organized an expert team, the two factories did not have any direct cooperative business.
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) values Hongxing Steel Group for its technology in materials smelting and precision manufacturing.
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) also researched helicopters, but did not put them into production, which is quite different from Shenyang Steel Aircraft Corporation (SAC).
To be honest, Kong Xiaobo and Bai Guangming were somewhat unsure of themselves, especially when facing these veterans in the field of aircraft research and production.
What does SteelAir have? It just has three production lines for three types of helicopters, ranging from micro to heavy. What else do they have besides that?
Yes, saying things like that might get you beaten up, but that's what they really think.
Steelfly has excellent production capacity, but its research and development capabilities are lagging behind and it is still in its initial stage.
Other aircraft manufacturers, despite their lagging manufacturing capabilities and having never actually produced a single helicopter, benefited from planned production, and their blueprints and research results were shared.
Gangfei is an oddity among aircraft manufacturing plants nationwide, with a severe imbalance in its specialization.
Both of them had ulterior motives for working with Shen Fei, so they were very proactive.
Learning skills and exchanging ideas is nothing to be ashamed of.
You really think we're here to steal technology?
Yes, you guessed it. This is how everyone developed in this era, and it's not shameful at all.
"I will submit the report according to procedure. If you need to continue the exchange and discussion, please do so."
Li Xuewu handed the document, which he had reviewed, signed, and given his opinion to, to Zhang Enyuan, who was standing to the side. "Send it to the group as soon as possible and give it to the deputy secretary-general."
"Okay, I'll get on it right now."
Zhang Enyuan didn't ask which deputy secretary-general the document should be given to, because there was no need to ask.
One is Bu Qingfang, the deputy secretary-general who also serves as the manager of the comprehensive management department, and the other is Chen Shuzhi, the executive deputy secretary-general. Who do you think should be given this document?
"Don't underestimate yourself, but don't aim too high either." Li Xuewu finished tidying up the documents in front of him and looked at the two of them, saying, "Gangfei's path is correct; just keep going."
"Shenyang Aircraft Corporation can provide original technology and experience exchange, but when it comes to truly poaching talent—"
He shook his head slightly and said, "It might be a bit difficult. You've already seen it; they are very strict in protecting technical personnel and don't easily give them a chance to make a move."
Look how eager Hongxing Steel Group is for talent; they're even resorting to "taking action."
"Secretary-General, do you think we have a chance to develop fighter jets?"
With Bai Guangming's repeated prompting, Kong Xiaobo finally asked the question.
Li Xuewu looked at him with some surprise and asked in return, "Do you think Gang Fei is qualified?"
"We don't know either—"
Kong Xiaobo shook his head with a wry smile, glanced at Bai Guangming beside him, and then said to Li Xuewu, "I'm really envious of fighter jets. If we were to do export trade, that would be..."
"Technological accumulation is too slow, and the requirements are too numerous," Li Xuewu said, shaking his head slightly. "How many parts does a helicopter have? It doesn't even have a quarter of the parts of a fighter jet, does it?"
"I think we need to be realistic. We're not even on the same starting line as them."
He pointed to the fighter jet model displayed on the cabinet behind him, which was a gift from Wang Xin, the deputy general manager of Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.
To be honest, Wang Xin is quite the research expert at Hongxing Steel Group; he even borrowed this kind of small idea.
Hongxing Steel Group has such models; they make models of all sorts of interesting products for display.
"We don't have reserve forces, we don't have time to develop, so what do we have?"
Li Xuewu spread his hands and said, "Besides the large amount of export trade that helicopters can generate, what else do we have?"
This means that we have nothing but money, and we can't compare to others.
Kong Xiaobo and Bai Guangming couldn't hide their disappointment. Both of them came from technical backgrounds, so it was normal for them to have such unrealistic ideals.
Since the two of them came to his office to talk, it means that they are still quite unsure about their feelings.
"Let's study helicopters properly."
Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, smiled, and said, "Actually, helicopters also have combat capabilities, and in terms of battlefield importance, they are in no way inferior to fighter jets."
"I'm saying this isn't a combat domain, you should understand, right?"
"Hmm—" Both of them were experts in this field, so they naturally understood what Li Xuewu was saying.
Fighter jets belong to the air force, helicopters belong to the army, and they even fight in different directions.
"The helicopter combat environment is more complex and harsh, and I think there is great potential for it."
Li Xuewu took a sip of hot tea and looked at the two men, saying, "Have you ever thought that fighter jets have export restrictions, but helicopters don't?"
"As long as we don't make any modifications, the civilian helicopter market is vast, and we have a lot of potential."
He tapped his desk and reminded the two men, "Focus more on market research and forecasting. Instead of watching other people's planes soar through the sky, become the king of land warfare, the foremost land warfare expert."
After listening to his words, Kong Xiaobo and the other person looked thoughtful, but also excited to rebuild their confidence.
Yes, helicopters also have a large market, and a bright future. The domestic helicopter market is currently unclear because there is no good helicopter in China yet.
The Z-5 is certainly a good aircraft, but it is too old and can no longer keep up with the times.
The Skylark 3, which is about to enter mass production, can completely outperform it; this is a contest of technological advancement.
Jaguar has even greater potential in transportation. The group's introduction of these three helicopter production lines has given SteelAir the time and motivation to produce, learn, and conduct research and development simultaneously.
What is the price of a KH-4 on the international market?
The answer is $5, which is a very lucrative profit.
With money and ambition, Li Xuewu naturally wanted to encourage them to get back on the right track.
A company like SteelAir, which is responsible for its own profits and losses, shouldn't even think about developing fighter jets; there's no suitable environment for it, and it's unrealistic.
-
"There were a lot of people coming to eat today, and the staff couldn't keep up, so the delivery was a bit late."
Nie Liansheng had been here before, but time had passed and he couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
Banggeng was very hungry, but he didn't say much. He took the food box and went to the restaurant.
Li Xuewu, sitting in the living room, waved to Nie Liansheng, who was standing in the entryway, and said, "Come in, have a seat."
"Oh, I just finished too."
Nie Liansheng looked at himself somewhat embarrassedly; he still smelled of stir-fried vegetables.
Even though he had ridden his bicycle for two miles, the smell on him still hadn't dissipated.
Seeing that he was a little reserved, Li Xuewu pointed to the sofa and said, "Sit down and let's talk for a while. It won't interfere with your work."
"No, no, I'm almost done with everything." Nie Liansheng caught the cigarette he was thrown at him and said with a forced smile, "Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to get out."
When are you planning to take care of this?
Li Xuewu glanced at him and said, "We have to give him a proper title."
"Forget about titles and ranks, she's really doing me a disservice by being with me." Nie Liansheng said, lowering his head slightly. "I'm so much older than her, sigh—"
"You realize the gap now? Too early, huh?"
Li Xuewu tilted his head and looked at him, then turned to look at Banggeng, who was busy in the kitchen, and said, "A man must have his own career in the end, otherwise he won't dare to accept a woman even if she is handed to him, right?"
Nie Liansheng's silence was Li Xuewu's response. These words were like bait on a fishing hook; once Li Xuewu nodded or confirmed them aloud, he would be hooked like a fish.
But does he become free simply by denying it?
"Get ready, you'll be going on a long trip in the middle of next month to do something for me."
Li Xuewu gestured for him to smoke as he pleased, and said casually, "When you come back, I'll make sure you regain the confidence and prestige a man should have."
"May I ask how far this door is?"
Nie Liansheng said cautiously, "As you know, apart from the experience I've accumulated in the past, my skills are not what they used to be."
"This is how my life has been. If I delay your plans, I will feel extremely guilty."
"It's not as serious as you think. Don't make that face. Nobody wants to kill you."
Li Xuewu stood up, waved, and asked, "Have you had dinner yet? Let's eat together."
Did Nie Liansheng have a choice?
The table was set up by Bang Geng, and when Uncle Wu brought the other person in, he thoughtfully prepared an extra set of bowls and chopsticks.
All four dishes were brought by Nie Liansheng; Li Xuewu never ordered any dishes, it was all arranged by Bang Geng.
He didn't know if the money he had saved at the restaurant was enough to cover such expenses, but he told the owner that he didn't have a habit of owing money or favors.
With Nie Liansheng around, he believed the landlady would understand what he meant.
"What do you know about the port city?"
Li Xuewu asked bluntly, "Besides what you see on the map, have you paid any attention to this before?"
"Hong Kong?" Nie Liansheng's hand holding the chopsticks froze in mid-air, his expression blank. "Go to Hong Kong?"
He never imagined that Li Xuewu would arrange for him to work in Hong Kong. Did he have such great influence?
"I'm asking you this—"
Li Xuewu glanced at him and said, "Say whatever you know, it doesn't matter."
"To be honest, I don't know."
Nie Liansheng shook his head slightly and said, "I need to look at a map to know its exact location."
"Besides that, all I know is that it's under the jurisdiction of the English. What would you want me to do there?"
"Take a walk and have a look around."
Li Xuewu said calmly, "Bring back what you see and tell me, it's that simple."
"It's not simple, is it?" Nie Liansheng asked, looking at him. "If you put it that way, I'm not so sure."
That's exactly what I meant.
Li Xuewu put down his chopsticks, looked at him and explained, "Some work has run into problems in the port city, and I need a professional to go and take a look."
"Then what do you need me to do for you?"
Nie Liansheng also put down his chopsticks and said, "I'm talking about real things, not just what you just said, like going around and taking a look."
In short, act when the time is right.
Li Xuewu picked up his chopsticks and said, "Someone will contact you later to tell you exactly where to go and what to see."
Do I need to prepare a will?
Nie Liansheng's question was not a joke at all; he looked at Li Xuewu very seriously as he asked it.
Li Xuewu looked at him with amusement and asked, "How much of your estate do you still need to distribute in your will?"
Nie Liansheng remained silent for a long time before replying, "After all, there are some things I need to say to an old friend."
"I advise you to put your mind at ease."
Li Xuewu took a bite of food and said calmly, "What's yours will eventually be yours, it won't run away; what's not yours will never be yours, you can't force it."
"Don't waste time, and don't let yourself down." He handed the rice bowl to Banggeng, gesturing for him to get more rice; the stir-fried pork with chili peppers was a bit spicy tonight.
***
On the 30th, Li Xuewu received a phone call from the group's general manager's office, instructing him to return to the group as soon as possible to attend an important meeting. The business jet had already flown to the steel city.
This is a setup where even the plane is ready; only exceptionally important and urgent meetings would have such a configuration.
After hanging up the phone, Li Xuewu made arrangements for the relevant work.
Zhang Jing informed the heads of all the group's industrial enterprises in Liaodong of his itinerary.
During his absence, the daily operations of the metallurgical plant were handled by Yang Zongfang, the executive deputy director.
Meanwhile, Zhang Enyuan tidied up the work that urgently needed to be dealt with and resolved on his desk, preparing to take it on the plane.
At 3 p.m. that day, Li Xuewu, accompanied by his secretary Zhang Enyuan, drove to the airport, boarded the group's business jet, and headed to Beijing.
The flight attendant service was still provided by Zhou Xiaoling's team, and she seemed more professional and attentive than before.
How did you figure that out?
A smile, but if you smile too much, it becomes fake.
"Secretary-General, you can rest for a bit. The plane should arrive at the airport at 7 p.m.," Zhou Xiaoling said softly to Li Xuewu, bending down. "Would you like me to get you a blanket?"
"Take one, you probably won't be able to sleep, cover your legs with it, they'll get a bit cold."
Li Xuewu sat behind the small desk, looking at the documents Zhang Enyuan had prepared, and replied to her.
Zhou Xiaoling didn't care what he was looking at; she was just a little disappointed that the secretary-general wasn't looking at her.
"Okay, I'll prepare it for you right away."
She asked softly to confirm, "A blanket. Would you like anything else to drink?"
"Tea, please. Just make it light."
Li Xuewu's answers remained accurate, giving Zhou Xiaoling no time for further idle chatter.
On the way back from the cabin, Zhou Xiaoling was somewhat disappointed. She had been mentally prepared to say a few more words since receiving the notification of the temporary task.
She harbored improper thoughts, but she knew that Li Xuewu wouldn't give her the chance, and their lives became even less intertwined.
Especially after she switched to a flight attendant job, she had less contact with Li Xue.
It wasn't that she was unwilling, but rather that her working hours during the standby period differed from Li Xue's.
Li Xue was wary of her, but she couldn't resist her persistent pleading, and the two became good friends.
In the past two years, Zhou Xiaoling's "rules" have also won Li Xue's favor, so she hasn't said anything to her.
However, without a further relationship, she always felt uneasy and didn't feel comfortable calling him "Second Brother."
Li Xuewu was busy from takeoff to landing. She went to serve him several times, but failed to attract his attention until she came to handle the luggage and office supplies during the plane's taxiing.
How's work these days?
Li Xuewu looked up at her and asked, "Are you busy? Are you tired?"
"I'm a bit busy, but not tired."
Zhou Xiaoling was caught off guard by Li Xuewu's sudden attention; she was prepared to miss this opportunity to chat. Unexpectedly, he…
"This mission was also received suddenly; our aircraft is mostly assigned to these kinds of missions."
She explained, "We are all on standby duty. We fly when there is a flight, and even when there is no flight, we have to wait at the airport until our shift is over."
"That was quite tough."
Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Take care of yourself, and pay more attention to your family. How are your parents?"
"It's fine. I don't live with my parents now, which is a bit inconvenient."
When Zhou Xiaoling said this, she looked at him specifically, as if she was emphasizing something.
Whether Li Xuewu understood or not is unknown, as he didn't show any particular reaction.
"That's good, living independently so early."
Li Xuewu looked out the window at the airport and nodded, saying, "How much longer until it comes to a complete stop?"
"Quickly, it should only take about three minutes."
Zhou Xiaoling knew that he had lost interest in talking and no longer cared about her, so she stopped the conversation in time.
Just as she predicted, the plane came to a steady stop on the tarmac after taxiing for about three minutes.
"Come visit when you have time. Li Xue has mentioned you several times, but she always says you're too busy with work."
Director Li's large red flag was already waiting at the bottom of the aircraft steps. Zhou Xiaoling was standing by the cabin door when she heard Li Xuewu say this while waiting for him to get off the plane.
"Okay, I'll contact her."
She said with a smile, "The last time I saw her, she said she would take me to my second brother's house to play, and that Li Shu was cute."
"That doesn't sound like something she would say."
Li Xuewu shook his head and smiled, not caring about how she addressed him, and stepped down the suspended stairs.
Bu Qingfang, the manager of the General Management Department and deputy secretary-general, was already standing by the car waiting for him.
"Secretary-General, all the group's leaders are in the conference room, waiting for you."
As soon as Li Xuewu got off the plane, Bu Qingfang and the driver came to greet him.
The driver took the luggage from the flight attendant and went to the back of the car with his secretary, Zhang Enyuan.
Li Xuewu walked with Bu Qingfang to the car, asking as they went, "Have you prepared the materials I asked you to?"
"Everything is ready. The aircraft research experts are also here, waiting for your next instructions."
(End of this chapter)