MMB Chapter 1440: Strike first to gain the upper hand
Chapter 1440: Strike first to gain the upper hand
Chapter 1440: Strike first to gain the upper hand
"Five kilometers, I love you! I miss you so much if I don't run for a day!"
"Five kilometers, I love you! May you have a healthy body every day!"
Having lived in the steel city for more than half a year, Banggeng followed Li Xuewu from the initial one kilometer, two kilometers... and finally persisted to five kilometers.
Of course, despite all the loud slogans, neither of them could actually manage five kilometers every day.
Li Xuewu has superhuman physical strength, so running five kilometers every day is no problem for him. However, he takes two days off every month, each time for two or three days. During this time, he won't run.
Even Banggeng couldn't maintain five kilometers every day. A fourteen-year-old boy could run, but his foundation was too weak and his body too bulky.
Even so, he didn't lose much weight; the fat on his face still jiggled precariously.
When Qin Huairu was washing her son's clothes that evening, she noticed that the fabric of his clothes was very good, but it wasn't the one Bang Geng had brought from home.
Without a doubt, Li Xuewu would never make clothes for his son; it must be the gift from the teacher he found for Banggeng.
While tidying up Bang Geng's room, I noticed that the clothes piled up in the closet, which I had brought from home, hadn't been worn in a long time.
I asked Banggeng, and it turns out that all the clothes are too small because he's grown taller.
In just over half a year, Banggeng grew taller and his shoes went up a size.
She had no shortage of clothes and shoes, and even several sets of underwear. Knowing that her son usually handled all the household chores, Qin Huairu felt both gratified and aggrieved.
She was gratified that her son had grown up, but she also felt aggrieved that she had never experienced his growth.
At home, Banggeng doesn't exactly expect to be waited on hand and foot, but it's pretty much the same.
His grandmother would rather chase after him to feed him than tire out her precious grandson.
She learned to do housework here; what should she think?
Children grow up faster when they are in the care of others; parents have to be willing to let go.
Will she blame Li Xuewu for using a stick as a service soldier?
Of course not, because she knew Li Xuewu was genuinely lazy, the kind who didn't even want to get up in the morning. Banggeng's laziness was a result of being spoiled at home, and it could be corrected.
Besides, Li Xuewu didn't skimp on his son's needs in terms of clothing, food, housing, and transportation; he even taught his son to love reading.
What moved and pleased Qin Huairu the most was that after dinner last night, Banggeng went to the study to read without chatting with her.
Qin Huairu dared to swear to heaven that she never imagined her son could change like this. Looking at Banggeng studying late into the night, she wished she could kneel down and kowtow to Li Xuewu.
She was busy in the kitchen when she saw the father and son change their clothes and run outside. She thought something had happened, but when she asked, she found out they were going for a run.
With such healthy lifestyle habits, a good living environment, ample learning space, and apprenticeship opportunities, she truly regarded Li Xuewu as a god from that moment on.
When I came yesterday, I saw that my son had grown taller and stronger, and his face was chubby. I thought he was still the same little fat boy he used to be.
But then she heard strange yet passionate slogans coming from outside the window. She went to the door and looked out. The father and son were running back shirtless, their muscles glistening with sweat and looking incredibly strong in the rising sun.
She knew Li Xuewu's physical condition, of course; it felt soft to the touch, but when she exerted force, chunks of muscle would appear.
Looking at my son now, his chubby face is so cute in contrast to his robust body.
"Take a shower, breakfast will be ready soon."
Qin Huairu greeted them with a smile and quickly went back to the kitchen to get busy.
As the old saying goes, even a clever housewife can't cook without rice; she really used up the last bit of sunshine in the vegetable garden for this breakfast.
If we don't search hard, we won't even be able to put together a complete breakfast.
Some people are wondering what happened upstairs last night, and if there were any late-night stories.
The answer is... of course not. Qin Huairu was tired from the journey, and seeing the father and son reading intently in the study downstairs, she didn't disturb them and went back to her room upstairs to rest early.
She slept soundly until dawn, without any regrets or disappointment. Both she and Li Xuewu knew that the past was the past.
She is no longer the widow who needed security and job security, and Li Xuewu is no longer a young man who has just started working and needs to mobilize all his resources to build a foundation.
May you both achieve success in your respective careers and offer your heartfelt blessings to each other's families.
Qin Huairu admitted that she used to be cunning and calculating, but when she was starving, she would do anything for a pound of cornmeal or a pound of rice.
It is said that when the granaries are full, people know etiquette. Now that she has no worries about food and clothing and has a promising future, Qin Huairu has naturally learned about propriety, integrity, and moral cultivation. She would never belittle herself again.
Li Xuewu was not a man whose soul was dominated by desire. His excellence and kindness were the luckiest and most grateful choice Qin Huairu made in her life.
Rather than saying he needs himself, it's more accurate to say he pities himself.
Qin Huairu never thought that her position at the guesthouse had helped him in any way.
To be honest, Li Xuewu reminded her several times not to deliberately collect information about guests, and even more so not to spread the secrets she heard around, nor to report everything to him.
Arranging to stay in a guesthouse is more like a hidden move that will never be used.
It was because of him that I was able to climb out of the endless abyss, live like a human being again, and regain my self-respect and dignity.
Even in every interaction, it was her initiative; driven by a fear of not being able to repay him, all she could offer Li Xuewu was herself.
Qin Huairu was not trying to flaunt her own nobility, nor was she trying to vindicate Li Xuewu; she was simply expressing her gratitude to him from a personal perspective.
If he really wanted something from her, he wouldn't have gone through so many twists and turns, including helping her take care of the pheasant.
Therefore, she had to respect him and not shamelessly make excessive demands. Marriage was her declaration of bidding farewell to the past and also the final dividing line in ending her relationship with Li Xuewu.
In every subsequent reunion and encounter, she would respect and trust him with a grateful heart, regarding him as her pillar of strength.
Li Xuewu was unaware of Qin Huairu's psychological changes during her visit to Gangcheng, and he had never paid attention to the changes that had occurred after their relationship cooled down.
Life is like a bus; many people get on the bus at different starting points and get off at different destinations.
What we can truly remember is simply that we traveled together for a while.
When Banggeng was running with him, he said that he didn't want to go back to Beijing at this time.
Li Xuewu did not answer him directly, but only told Banggeng that he already knew what was good and what was bad when he was fourteen years old, and that he could make his own decisions about many things.
After breakfast, the mother and son saw Li Xuewu off to work.
Only after watching the Volga M24 leave did Banggeng muster the courage to look at his mother and say, "Mom, I want to talk to you."
-
"A performing arts troupe can't be without equipment; they can't just shout, can they?"
Wang Yajuan pushed the application back to him again, looking at him and saying, "Just approve it, we need the money urgently."
"There are too many. Even if I approve them, they won't pass the year-end review."
Li Xuewu tapped the pen in his hand against the way she was pushing him towards him and said, "If you get the money and get things done now, I'll have to give an explanation at the end of the year, and I'll have to cover up this hole next year. Do you think it's worth it?"
"If you ask me, this is a classic case of shooting yourself in the foot!"
Wang Yajuan said indignantly, "You participated in the formulation of the regulations for the management of office procedures, and you also participated in the formulation of the group's financial management system. And what was the result?"
She looked at Li Xuewu and said, "You are Shang Yang, the one who drafted the Qin laws!"
"Hehe, I'm willing—"
Seeing that she was unhappy, Li Xuewu picked up his teacup and said with a smile, "Even if my toes are swollen from being smashed, I'll be happy to accept it."
"Hmph—what's there to be so smug about?"
Wang Yajuan snorted and pointed at the business application form he had pushed back, asking, "Then should I submit the applications in batches?"
What do you think? Ask me!
Li Xuewu looked at her calmly and asked in return, "Do I need to teach you how to do things?"
"Finally, you've become my boss. I'm now in your hands."
Wang Yajuan withdrew the application, tilted her chin, and asked in a stubborn tone, "Then how many do you think are appropriate?"
"Follow the business application preparation guidelines in the financial management system."
Li Xuewu put down his teacup, nodded at her, and said, "Be smarter."
"I am grateful for your guidance—"
Wang Yajuan picked up the application, turned around and walked out without even saying thank you or goodbye, which showed that she was dissatisfied.
Zhang Enyuan came in through the door and saw her leave with a stern face, so he quickly hid to the side.
"Hello, Director Zhang!"
It's alright, Wang Yajuan still greeted him proactively, so she didn't seem really angry.
"Deputy, deputy director."
Zhang Enyuan smiled and corrected him, "Have you finished talking with the leader?"
"It's not over yet, he won't approve it for me."
Wang Yajuan was quite straightforward with him, waving the application in her hand before leaving.
Zhang Enyuan watched her leave with amusement before entering his office.
"Is Director Wang dissatisfied again?"
"Ignore her, just make her happy, and I won't have to work as secretary-general anymore."
Li Xuewu picked up the teacup, swirled it, and then placed it on the corner of his desk.
"How's the contact with the people in Beijing going? Is there any progress on the plan?"
Knowing he wanted tea, Zhang Enyuan picked up the thermos from the tea cabinet by the door and came over, refilling the teacup with hot water as he reported, "There's news."
"It was Director Li's secretary, Liu Bin, who called me back, saying that Director Li was currently busy and couldn't find the time to talk."
"That's alright, I was asking how things are going."
Li Xuewu waved his hand, watched him place the teacup in front of him, nodded and said, "Director Bao and the others from Dongcheng Credit Union have left Gangcheng. I estimate the time should be about right."
"Just as you predicted, things are bustling around the group—"
After arranging the teacups, Zhang Enyuan carried the thermos back to the tea cabinet.
"Deputy Director Su introduced Jizhou Steel and Anyang Steel."
He picked up the notebook he had just placed on the tea cabinet, walked back, and reported: "General Manager Xue introduced the Beijing TV Factory and the Shanghai Motor Factory; Deputy Director Gu introduced..."
Zhang Enyuan had a fairly good memory; he remembered clearly all the group leaders who had been introduced to him, whether passively or actively.
They talked at length, all about the international hotel project.
In this era, banks are not the only entities that can participate in fundraising.
In fact, banks in that era were not as comprehensive as those in later times. Banks in the planned economy system operated with specific tasks in mind.
Due to policy restrictions, almost every bank is involved in investment activities to some extent.
Why doesn't Dongcheng Credit Union have it?
It's very simple. The Dongcheng Credit Union only has one superior, the Jingcheng Credit Union, which offers a high degree of investment flexibility.
If it weren't for the fact that Dongcheng Credit Cooperative has made a fortune in social investment in the past two years, especially in several projects invested in steel groups, the investment sector in Beijing's banking industry would still be stagnant.
If even a ragtag group like Dongcheng Credit Union can make money through investment, how could a major player like them be willing to fall behind?
The fact that so many banks are actively seeking investment projects from Hongxing Steel Group doesn't mean that the capital operation market in Beijing has improved; rather, it means that the steel group's projects have become very popular.
Other companies that approach these banks for financing with their projects would likely face severe criticism, but Hongxing Steel Group is different.
Hongxing Steel Group has already created several industrial miracles, and there are rumors that the higher authorities intend to use it as a benchmark for comparing the integration of market economy and planned economy, so many policies are not restricted.
Of course, this is the only one of its kind; there is no other place like it.
In fact, there are quite a few companies or organizations like Hongxing Steel Group that conduct experimental explorations in a certain field, but they are not known to outsiders.
Hongxing Steel Group has its own overseas distribution channels, including for automobiles, food, airplanes, hardware, and pharmaceuticals.
Hongxing Steel also has its own import and export channels and fund transfer channels.
Moreover, Hongxing Steel Group is also a leader in areas such as technology introduction and promotion, product marketing, and modern production.
Dongcheng Credit Union has already demonstrated the excellence of the Hongxing Steel Group project through its actions; they are simply blindly following the trend and investing blindly.
You tell them to close their eyes and invest in other companies' new projects, how could they dare?
So, while the financial market seemed active and everyone was taking their projects to banks to discuss financing, they could only watch as the banks used the money they needed to curry favor with Hongxing Steel.
Those who need money can't get it, and those who don't need money are being turned away. It's infuriating!
If banks are so enthusiastic about Hongxing Steel Group's projects, then there's no reason why joint ventures and other industrial enterprises shouldn't participate.
Since Hongxing Steel's previous projects were all very successful, there's no reason why this project shouldn't be a huge success, so they're rushing to invest.
"Deputy Director Jing wasn't involved?"
Li Xuewu looked at the documents on the table, occasionally writing with his pen.
Zhang Enyuan glanced at the documents on his desk, but his mouth didn't stop talking.
"Not only Deputy Director Jing, but Deputy Director Cheng was also not involved."
He reported softly, "Even Xiong Zhuxi, who is bedridden, introduced a unit to come and inspect the project."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled and asked, "Is Xiong Zhuxi sick again?"
"I heard that's how it is. He fell ill after the latest management committee meeting and is currently recuperating at the United Hospital."
"He's working too hard, he's a real iron man." Li Xuewu smiled and instructed, "Make a call to his secretary to express your appreciation, and also arrange for someone to send some fruit and gifts over in my name."
"Should we send Yu Zhe?"
Zhang Enyuan said softly, "Yu Zhe is still on vacation in Beijing and hasn't come back yet."
"Okay, let's go with him."
Li Xuewu looked up at him and asked, "Are you still in contact with Yu Zhe?"
Seeing Zhang Enyuan unable to suppress his laughter, he also laughed and said, "Call and ask if he's still coming to work. If his arm or leg is broken, I'll arrange for someone to come right away."
"Hehehe—" Zhang Enyuan said with a laugh, "He told me that he got hit by his father with a fire poker and is currently at home on a blind date."
"Sure, blind date is good."
Li Xuewu raised his pen and tapped it lightly, saying, "He can't keep coasting along like this in the government office. If he continues like this, he'll make us lose face."
"I think Zhang Meili is alright," Zhang Enyuan said with a smile, raising his eyebrows. "She's got a pretty face, no doubt about it."
"Be careful your partner doesn't get jealous!"
Li Xuewu looked at him with amusement and said, "No matter how beautiful you are, you can't stay beautiful forever. If you lose your home, you lose everything."
"You're right, Yu Zhe is at an age where he really should find a suitable partner."
Zhang Enyuan became more serious and reported softly, "I feel the atmosphere in the office isn't very good. If these..."
"Go and report this situation to Comrade Mei Yi, and ask him to work with Director Dou to come up with a solution to this matter."
Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, "I've also noticed that some things aren't going well in the organization, and it's time to clean things up."
"We urge the Organization and Management Department and the Trade Union to work together to address both the symptoms and the root cause."
He looked at Zhang Enyuan and said, "Please also ask Zhang Jing to pay attention to the handling of this matter and give me a summary report."
"what do you mean……"
Zhang Enyuan raised his eyebrows and asked softly, "Do other companies have this too?"
"This is both accidental and inevitable." Li Xuewu nodded slowly, looking at the thick book on the table, and said, "The more special the period, the greater the fluctuations in the employees' thoughts, and it is not surprising that they do some incomprehensible things."
"But this is not a reason for indulgence and neglect." He tapped the table with his finger and emphasized, "Employees are limited by their personal understanding and lack vigilance against dangerous ideas. We managers cannot fail to think ahead of problems; if problems do arise, it is a dereliction of duty."
"I understand what you mean."
Zhang Enyuan nodded and said, "I'll go find Director Zeng now and report the information and situation to him."
"Okay, tell Yu Zhe that if he can't find his partner, he shouldn't come back."
Li Xuewu was determined that no problems could arise around him.
Unlike Nie Xiaoguang, Yu Zhe was asked by Yu Li to stay by his side. Yu Li was worried about his situation in Gangcheng and also wanted to give her younger brother a chance.
Nie Xiaoguang is a ticking time bomb that Li Huaide has placed next to him, and Li Xuewu can do whatever he wants with Nie Xiaoguang.
Of course, when he played chess with Li Huaide, Nie Xiaoguang's move was not wrong; it was just that he was young, impetuous, and foolish.
Despite having a blood feud with Li Huaide, he still insists on wearing Li's worn-out shoes.
He naively thought he could reach Li Huaide through Han Lu and fulfill his obsession, but what a foolish idea that was.
Han Lu's marriage to him was to eliminate the negative impact of his tarnished reputation, and it was also a scheme by Li Huaide: to turn the tables on him.
When Han Lu lay on Lao Li's bed, Lao Li knew what Nie Xiaoguang was up to, trying to steal his girlfriend.
Fortunately, Old Li helped him out by pushing the wall down, and the wall crashed down on Nie Xiaoguang.
Now look what happened. Nie Xiaoguang's attempt to steal a chicken backfired, and he's now under strict control. Everything he does is under Lao Li's surveillance, as long as Han Lu wants to improve.
Li Xuewu had long seen through Han Lu; this girl was ruthless.
He's ruthless, but he's brainless.
She had the determination and courage to climb into Old Li's bed, but not the courage to get down.
Look at Zhou Miaomiao again, she's a cunning and ruthless character.
The two families live in different buildings, one upstairs and the other downstairs. It's easy to tell who is smart by comparing them.
Yu Zhe is not Nie Xiaoguang; this kid could actually be useful if trained properly.
-
"Hey! Mr. Li, it's great to see you!"
Bao Peigang and his men blocked Li Huaide's car door, their attitude resembling that of a debtor demanding payment during the Lunar New Year.
Actually?
Actually, he came to give away money.
Isn't it infuriating? Even with someone like Bao Peigang offering money so readily, Old Li still tries every possible way to avoid him.
"Um, Director Bao, I have a research trip to take place here."
Li Huaide said with an embarrassed and helpless expression, "How about we reschedule for tomorrow, or when you have time?"
"I have time today."
Bao Peigang stared wide-eyed and said, "Let's not wait until tomorrow. There's no time like the present. I'll go wherever you go."
He said shamelessly, "I'm not going anywhere today, I'm just going with you."
"Hey—what are you doing?"
Li Huaide had already put one leg on the bus, but now he had no choice but to pull it back.
He looked at Bao Peigang and the others and said, "We're all old friends. I'm just going to the scene. How could I trouble you to accompany me?"
"Don't mention it, Director Li. I'm not afraid of hard work since you treat me like an old friend."
Bao Peigang tilted his head and emphasized, "Aren't you going to do some research? Come on, I'll be your secretary for a day."
He made a move to get into the passenger seat.
"We also drove here, and we hope to learn from you and broaden our horizons."
Liu Cunxin and Zhang Wancheng, who came with Bao Peigang, spoke with a slight smile.
Isn't this just adding fuel to the fire?
Seeing that they were serious, Li Huaide could only smile wryly and pull Bao Peigang, who was already sitting in the passenger seat, to tell Liu Bin, who looked embarrassed, "Tell the textile factory I'll go later."
"Okay, Director Li, I'll make the call right away."
Liu Bin watched his leader's performance with amusement. If he hadn't known the script beforehand, he would have been completely fooled by his leader's acting skills.
There were no research activities at all; the whole group knows that Director Li doesn't like to go down to the grassroots.
Actually, it's not just Director Li; the group's leaders, as well as leaders of large and small departments, don't like to go to the workshops—this is an open secret.
However, there are exceptions. The security system, including the cadres who have come out of it, likes to go to the workshops, to the grassroots, and even to stay at the grassroots level. This is all brought up by the secretary-general.
Director Li received a notification at the main gate, which is why he hurriedly went downstairs at the last minute, pretending to be about to run away. This was all for the benefit of Director Bao and his team.
A textile factory, a scrap of the tertiary industry, was a cooperative enterprise with the Beijing No. 2 Textile Factory. What's so interesting about it?
What embarrassed Liu Bin was that the way Director Bao had pulled him out of the car and made him sit in the passenger seat almost made him burst out laughing.
"Look at you, what are you doing?"
Li Huaide feigned helplessness, pulled Bao Peigang along, and then called Liu Cunxin and Zhang Wancheng back to the office building.
Here's the thing: the entire organization watched helplessly as Director Li tried to escape, only to be stopped and brought back. What's going on?
"What's going on?"
Xiao Liu, who was in the office, was peering out the window when he saw the leaders coming in. He turned to Gu Cheng, who was watching the commotion, and asked, "Are they here to collect a debt?"
"Heh, here to deliver money."
Gu Cheng had just glanced at it too, and now he was walking back with a cigarette in his mouth.
Xiao Liu has sharp eyes; in just a moment, he noticed what brand of cigarette Gu Cheng was holding in his mouth.
"Damn! Spending over fifty yuan a month smoking cigarettes, what kind of loser is that!" He spat inwardly and muttered, "If you didn't have a good father-in-law, you'd be nothing!"
Indeed, the best decision Gu Cheng ever made was to submit to Qian Youqiong.
Do you think he was wronged for marrying Qian Youqiong?
Anyone who dares to say such a thing will be met with Peng Xiaoli's fury and swearing.
Peng Xiaoli was afraid that his brothers would suffer, but he was also afraid that his brothers would leave him to suffer alone.
Qian Youqiong truly deserves this surname; her father was a finance official, so how could she possibly be "poor from a young age"? She never knew what it meant to lack money or food growing up.
It serves Gu Cheng right for being a kept man; with his irresponsible attitude, he couldn't even pass the first test with his father-in-law.
But Qian Youqiong liked him, and when she told her father, he didn't understand how good he was to her.
My daughter has changed her mind, what can a father do but accept it?
After all, he was his son-in-law, so even if Lao Qian didn't think much of him, he still had to take care of him.
Look at Su Weide, so arrogant and disrespectful to everyone in the group. Does he dare not use Gu Cheng?
So don't ask who Qian Youqiong's father is; just look at Gu Cheng's happy life and you'll know.
If Gu Cheng is so arrogant outside, wouldn't he have to be Qian Youqiong's servant at home?
On the contrary, after they got married, Qian Youqiong took care of him, washing his clothes clean and practically feeding him.
Look at the cigarettes Gu Cheng is smoking; Qian Youqiong brought them back from her parents' home with the money she had for her father's health.
Well, she wasn't afraid that Gu Cheng's smoking was harmful to his health; she was her father's little darling.
What's the old saying?
"A hero may not have a good wife, but a scoundrel may marry a beautiful woman," Peng Xiaoli often says.
"Good morning, Section Chief Peng."
Just as Xiao Liu finished muttering to himself, Gu Cheng's good friend Peng Xiaoli came over.
Peng Xiaoli is the deputy head of the production management department of the food company.
Don't underestimate Peng Xiaoli just because he's a deputy section chief; he has two other identities.
On the first level, he was the former secretary of Secretary-General Li Xuewu.
The second time, he was the lover of Yu Haitang, the director of Red Star United Radio Station.
Xiao Liu envied Gu Cheng's good fortune, but he was even more jealous of Peng Xiaoli's strategic planning.
The three of them entered the Red Star Factory at almost the same time. Five or six years have passed, and he is still a junior staff member, while the other two have already taken off.
You see, he has to greet Peng Xiaoli first, and even nod and smile.
Peng Xiaoli knew what kind of person this kid was, so he didn't intend to pay him any attention.
Is Gu Cheng upstairs?
"We just went in and chatted for a bit," Xiao Liu explained with a smile.
He's just patting himself on the back, or rather, borrowing Gu Cheng's reputation.
He didn't amount to much.
He only said one sentence, yet he already considered Gu Cheng as his friend.
Peng Xiaoli would never believe him; Gu Cheng is incredibly arrogant these days.
The more arrogant Gu Cheng became, the more secure his position next to Su Weide became—it was truly a case of a little monk climbing a roof beam—it was quite a strange and wonderful thing.
***
"Oh! What a rare guest!"
Gu Cheng was reading documents in his office, the cigarette in his hand about to burn out, as he pondered writing an article for Deputy Director Su.
A few days ago, Deputy Director Su went to the mountains of Miyun for research and asked him to write an article based on his speech at the site, with the aim of summarizing and publicizing it.
He greeted Peng Xiaoli with a smile when he saw him come in.
Peng Xiaoli looked around and asked, "Why are you the only one here? Where is everyone else?"
"You don't know yet?"
Gu Cheng pointed towards the conference room and said, "Director Li is calling a meeting."
What kind of meeting are they having?
Peng Xiaoli habitually picked up a cigarette case and lighter from Gu Cheng's desk and lit one for himself.
Back when this kid hadn't fallen into Qian Youqiong's hands, he was always taking advantage of her, even smoking her cigarettes.
He's only getting his principal and interest back now, so smoking cigarettes isn't excessive at all.
"The share division meeting was quite exciting, it's a pity I couldn't see it."
Gu Cheng shook his head slightly, feeling quite regretful, and pointed to Peng Xiaoli's pocket, reminding him: "You can smoke the cigarette, but give me back the lighter."
"Huh? What lighter?"
Peng Xiaoli was still trying to play dumb, but Gu Cheng wasn't buying it. He stood up, reached into Peng Xiaoli's pocket, and took the lighter back.
"I've already done all of this before."
Gu Cheng shook his head smugly, holding up the lighter in his hand to show Peng Xiaoli, "This is imported, it's different from the lighter I swiped from you."
"You son of a bitch, you've forgotten your mother once you've got the milk—"
Peng Xiaoli laughed, wanting to slap him, "Have you forgotten who helped you when you had no food and even pissed you a load of shit?"
"Get the hell out of here!"
Gu Cheng rolled his eyes at him and said, "You're the one who eats shit and drinks piss. If you have something to say, say it. If you have something to say, spit it out."
“Big news—” Peng Xiaoli raised an eyebrow and asked in a low voice, “Tell me about the share division meeting you just mentioned.”
-
“I don’t care about others, but I can invest 300 million at Dongcheng Credit Union.”
Inside the meeting room, Bao Peigang looked aggressively at Li Huaide and said, "We have only one condition: to share the resources of Hongxing Steel Group at the International Hotel."
You think you can just eat shit?
Li Huaide glanced at him, and was about to politely decline when he heard the other two speak.
"Our conditions are the same."
Liu Cunxin and Zhang Wancheng exchanged a glance, and Zhang Wancheng said, "ICBC can provide 150 million."
“The central bank can also contribute 150 million,” Zhang Wancheng said, “under the same conditions.”
Well, these three people just threw out 600 million, which is more generous than industrial companies.
Don't be fooled by how enthusiastically the group's management team talks about those industrial enterprises; when you ask them how much they can invest, it's either tens or hundreds of thousands, never more than a hundred.
When it comes to investment operations, you have to look to professional teams, and these banks are the main players.
"Director Bao, it's just an international hotel, how much is the total budget?"
Li Huaide chuckled and advised him, "Actually, I'm not optimistic about this project either. How about we cooperate again next time?"
"Oh—you don't think this project is promising." Bao Peigang drew out the word, seemingly understanding, and nodded, asking, "Then how much did your Red Star Steel Group invest?"
“We…” Li Huaide hesitated for a moment, then smiled and explained, “We had no choice. We just wanted to train our construction team to appease the foreign businessmen.”
“The project that Director Li didn’t think highly of was still invested in by Hongxing Steel Group for 500 million yuan.”
I don't know where they got this information from, but it's incredibly accurate!
It's all true; these messages were all designed and arranged by Li Xuewu. They're just bait in the net.
"If you can invest 500 million in projects you don't believe in, how much would you invest in projects you do believe in?"
Bao Peigang looked at him with considerable dissatisfaction and said, "Director Li, you've gone astray. You weren't like this before."
"There's no such thing as 500 million."
Li Huaide waved his hand with feigned modesty and said, "We are not investing in any large projects this year, nor do we have 500 million yuan to invest."
"Heh, do you think I'd believe that?" Bao Peigang asked, his eyes slightly narrowed. "Do you know what the large sum of money that United Savings Bank withdrew from Oriental Times Bank in Hong Kong was used for?"
Li Huaide really wanted to say he didn't know, but Bao Peigang was about to get angry.
"Hey, it's nothing."
His acting skills have been recognized by Li Xuewu; he is a true artist.
The exaggerated acting skills of today's young heartthrobs are nothing compared to Old Li's.
Looking at Old Li's face, one could see six parts embarrassment, three parts helplessness, and one part emotion.
He shrugged and said, "These are the conditions for cooperating with the Santa Ya Group."
“They offered low-interest loans specifically for international trade, requiring Hongxing Steel Group to provide corresponding investment funds in return.”
Li Huaide said with a serious expression, "Right now, we can say that we don't lack money, but we lack technical partners."
"You can't treat us like dogs, walking us around like that!"
Bao Peigang said with dissatisfaction, "Tell me, how many times have I been to Steel City?"
"Li Xuewu even pretended to discuss international hotel operation standards with me."
He slammed his hand on the table and said, "If we hadn't been careful, we would still be in the dark after you signed the contract and started construction!"
"How could that be? The Secretary-General isn't that kind of person."
Li Huaide feigned surprise and asked, "Is there some misunderstanding?"
“There’s no misunderstanding, he really did something inhuman!” Bao Peigang looked at him and asked, “Your Director Li is a good person, he would never do such a shameless thing.”
I...I'm a good person?
Li Huaide was almost ready to stand up and look in the mirror. How could he not know about this?
But Bao Peigang is too vicious; isn't he trying to elevate him to a higher position?
"Director Bao, we really don't have any investment quota left. We can't possibly leave none for our technology partners, can we?"
"I didn't say you couldn't stay."
Bao Peigang tilted his head and said, "Your group has invested 600 million and taken out an international trade loan of 600 million. What's left?"
He glanced at Old Li and asked, "Director Li, tell me the truth, what is the total budget for this project?"
"That's exactly what I wanted to say."
Li Huaide earnestly stated, "This investment is extremely large and carries extremely high risks."
He tapped the table and emphasized, "Even we are not confident that it will be completed in the end, so please reconsider."
"No need to think about it, we've already thought it through."
Bao Peigang took out a few documents from his bag, tapped them, and said, "This is our development prospect estimate. We are very familiar with the risks involved."
Actually, their two trips to the steel city weren't entirely in vain; at least on the last trip, Li Xuewu gave them a detailed introduction to the construction project of the International Hotel.
Now that they know their enemy and themselves, it will be easy for them to surround and kill Li Huaide.
Looking at the reports, Li Huaide asked awkwardly, "Are we really going to submit this one?"
"Just this once!"
Seeing his attitude, Bao Peigang became even more convinced that there was no good person in the Red Star Factory, and all they knew was how to hoard food!
"But how do we raise project funds?"
Li Huaide stood up awkwardly and paced around the conference room.
At this moment, Liu Bin walked in, glanced at Bao Peigang and the others, and then quietly reported a few words to Lao Li.
Unfortunately, Bao Peigang overheard part of what Liu Bin said.
Secretary-General Li Xuewu secured an investment share of 350 million yuan in Liaodong.
"Okay, I get it."
Li Huaide's face grew increasingly troubled, as if he were about to jump off a building.
"I have a suggestion."
Zhang Wancheng, deputy director of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, took a puff of his cigarette and said, "Since the Santa Y Group requires that your investment correspond to low-interest loans for international trade..."
He looked at Bao Peigang and the others and said, "Then reduce the low-interest loans, wouldn't that free up investment space for us?"
"This can't be allowed—"
Li Huaide stopped and patted the back of his hand, saying, "This project requires a budget of 1355 million, and it's not just you all who need to invest. As for Liaodong... never mind."
He stopped speaking after only saying half of what he had said, realizing it might cause a misunderstanding.
Bao Peigang and the others couldn't understand the misunderstanding, and they were all getting anxious.
"I think Deputy Director Zhang's opinion is very pertinent. Even the lowest interest rate loan is still a loan. It's not as good as our investment."
Liu Cunxin smiled and advised, "It's only six million. Even if we have three and a half million from Liaodong, it's still only nine and a half million."
He raised his chin and said, "Isn't there still a shortfall of 4.05 million?"
"You mean, we'll take out a loan of two million? And invest two million ourselves?"
Li Huaide said with a wry smile, "In that case, you've become the major shareholders."
“We don’t participate in actual operations,” Bao Peigang said, shrugging. “We only want business resources and dividends.”
He patiently persuaded her, "Your group also needs a lot of funds to operate, why put all your money into this project?"
"Reduce investment, reduce risk—" Liu Cunxin also said.
"But not all of these two million are ours."
Li Huaide seemed to be very receptive to advice, and hesitantly said, "Technological cooperation also requires the support of shares."
“We don’t care about that, we can’t lose our 600 million.”
Bao Peigang stood up, nodded to Li Huaide, and said, "Then let's do it this way. We'll allocate the funds to the account when we get back."
He didn't allow Li Huaide to say anything more, exchanged a glance with the other two, and then left.
Downstairs in the office building, the three of them glanced back at the third floor before getting into the car, exchanged glances, and smiled.
"See? I told you we can't be too polite to this kind of person," Bao Peigang said with a smile. "When it's time to be shameless, you have to be shameless."
"We must remain firm when necessary."
Liu Cunxin nodded and said, "That old man is too cunning. If we hadn't come today, he would have really gotten away with it."
"This project is sure to make money."
Bao Peigang stated confidently, "They need technological cooperation and have rejected our kind of investment from the very beginning."
"I reckon they'll have to talk to us again and restrict our investments."
"Then transfer the money quickly—"
Zhang Wancheng said seriously, "Once the money is transferred, don't even think about getting it back."
"Old Zhang is right, it's best to strike first!" Liu Cunxin said. "We can't miss this project."
“Then let’s do it this way, send the money first.” Bao Peigang threw away his cigarette butt and said resolutely, “We can’t give Hongxing Factory a chance.”
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(End of this chapter)