MMB Chapter 1445 The Third Brother is in Trouble
Chapter 1445 The Third Brother is in Trouble
Chapter 1445 The Third Brother is in Trouble
"Have you set a time? What day are you heading back?" Shen Guodong lit a cigarette for Wen San'er, and then lit one for himself with the remaining embers.
Wen San'er returned to Beijing to attend Li Xuecai's wedding, and also to attend a meeting of the recycling station.
Yu Li, Wen San'er, Shen Guodong, Zhou Yamei, and Wu Shuping were all in the conference room.
When Li Xuewu came in, they were eating fruit and drinking tea, having a tea party.
"The plane on the 14th is flying to Fengcheng."
Li Xuewu casually found a seat, put down his notebook, and said, "Time is a bit tight, so please feel free to speak your mind."
Do you have any other plans for the next few days?
Yu Li looked at him through the crowd and asked, "Isn't this considered a vacation?"
“It’s a vacation,” Li Xuewu nodded in reply. “But have you ever seen me actually on vacation?”
"Then let's not take this holiday."
Yu Li said with a laugh, "Taking a vacation is more tiring than going to work."
"Spending the weekend in the steel city at least saves you the trouble of traveling."
Wen San'er said with a smile, "You're not like me. Shan Ying and her two children can still come to see me, but Xiao Ning is too busy with work to even have time to see you."
I stayed there for a few days a while ago.
Li Xuewu took a grape from the table, tasted it, nodded, and said, "It's quite sweet."
"A new product of Hongxing Village".
Yu Li glanced at Shen Guodong and explained to him, "It was Guodong who suggested that they plant grapes."
"Hmm, that's a good suggestion."
Li Xuewu looked up at him and asked, "Why did you decide to have them grow grapes?"
“A large number of fruit trees in the reclamation area of Weisan Regiment died. I asked a teacher from the Agricultural College to take a look.”
Shen Guodong explained, "The teacher said there's a piece of land on the mountain that's not suitable for planting fruit trees, but it's perfect for growing grapes."
"After the successful trial planting of grapes in Weisan Regiment the year before last, Hongxing Village followed suit last year."
He looked at Li Xuewu and said, "Growing grapes is indeed more economically valuable than growing other fruit trees, and there is a huge shortage of seasonal fruits."
Despite what he said, in reality, the cash crops from both the Weisan Reclamation Area and Hongxing Village rarely reached the distribution market; the Hongxing Steel Group Service Department alone could handle them all.
This includes potatoes, radishes, cabbages, and the like. These are the portions after deducting the supplies reserved for the Third Guard Regiment. Fruits and such were distributed early on and were no longer available.
These grapes on the table are not something ordinary people in the capital could just eat casually.
Those who are skillful and good at tending fruit trees might plant a few grapevines in their yard, so that when the grapes ripen, they can enjoy the freedom and joy of growing grapes.
However, such conditions are far too rare. Even though Li Xuewu's family has a large yard and grows melons, fruits, pears, and peaches, less than one-tenth of them actually get to eat.
"I hope it can be scaled up and industrialized someday."
Li Xuewu only touched on the topic of grapes briefly and didn't elaborate further.
The villagers of Hongxing Village and Weisan Regiment would consult Shen Guodong on what fruit trees to plant and what livestock to raise, because he was in charge of sales channels.
Given Yin Mancang's cautious and prudent nature, he would not easily get involved in the urban supply and marketing system.
Despite his absolute authority and autocratic rule in Hongxing Village, he never flaunts his power outside the village.
Under the current circumstances, the cadres of Hongxing Village see things very clearly: there is no problem with them farming and growing cash crops, but turning these products into cash would be a matter of crossing the red line.
Is there no problem if we sell the cash crops to Shen Guodong?
Of course not. Shen Guodong has compliant distribution channels and also has material procurement contracts with units such as the Third Regiment of the Armed Police, the International Hotel, and the Steel Group.
Today's recycling stations are not like they used to be; they can no longer operate in a low-key manner to avoid attracting attention, whether in terms of business scale or number of staff.
The only way to eliminate potential risks is to operate in compliance with regulations and, to a certain extent, exercise self-restraint.
The distribution business, which has been transferred to Tianjin Shunfeng Commerce, still insists on not doing business with individuals and will not sell any goods to individuals.
Recycling stations that have completed resource integration and business separation insist on not engaging in corporate business.
Li Xuewu convened a meeting with key personnel from the recycling station and Shunfeng Commerce to summarize and coordinate the integration of the businesses of several companies.
"Should I go first?"
Yu Li glanced at Li Xuewu, and seeing him nod, she spoke first: "This year is the third year of the club's official operation, with a total of 112 members and 157 members in the Youth Hub."
"Club membership fees totaled 88300 yuan, service profits amounted to 235687.63 yuan, and operating expenses..."
Her report began with the accounting, summarizing the club's situation two years into its official operation.
This includes the current number of club members, coaches, and service staff, as well as the operational status of service programs.
At the end of the financial report, she looked at Li Xuewu and said, "The debts incurred in establishing the club were all paid off in June of this year."
"Starting in June, the club's revenue has been sufficient to support the daily operations of all projects."
"Great, at least we don't have to worry about famine anymore."
Li Xuewu smiled and led the applause, then looked at her and said, "Secretary Xiaoqin should thank you and write you a letter of commendation."
"A letter of commendation is acceptable, but there is an urgent issue that requires your decision."
Yu Li smiled modestly at his praise, but then became serious and asked, "With the integration and restructuring of the recycling station, Shunfeng Trading, and Dongfeng Shipping businesses, who will own the club?"
She emphasized: "In addition to its internal service department, restaurant, and guesthouse, the club also has service departments in prisons such as the First Prison and the Third Prison. To whom should these businesses be assigned?"
"The club will not make any allocations."
Li Xuewu frowned slightly and said, "This is a team project. We are only responsible for operation and management. The economic benefits generated should be used for the club's service quality and equipment maintenance."
He tapped his pen and said, "You're in charge of the club's projects, so you must keep the accounts in order. These accounts are not to be shared with our other projects; that's a red line."
"As for revenue streams outside the club," Li Xuewu asked Shen Guodong, "could they be integrated into Shunfeng Trading?"
“It’s possible…” Shen Guodong hesitated for a moment, glancing at Yu Li before explaining, “That would reduce the club’s revenue streams and profits…”
"Just enough is fine. Focus on resource integration first, and don't spread things out too haphazardly."
Li Xuewu made the final decision, telling Li, "There's certain that the club will generate new revenue streams in the future."
Yu Li listened attentively to his speech and was not dissatisfied with the separation of revenue streams outside the club, since it was not her business.
To put it bluntly, if Li Xuewu were to transfer her to another project one day, would she be able to take everything from the club with her?
Several projects that originated from the recycling station have started to operate independently, and have even divided up the original business of the recycling station. Is Shen Guodong dissatisfied with this?
Li Xuewu's name wasn't on the business license hanging on the wall of the recycling station, but Da Lao's name was listed first, indicating that she was also the group leader.
Strictly speaking, the person sitting here today giving them a meeting should be Grandma.
But everyone knows very well that the one who can decide the fate of the recycling center and other projects is Li Xuewu, the leader who has an even higher status than these projects.
"My opinion is that the club's walls are physical boundaries, but the value generated by the services is not limited by walls."
Li Xuewu looked at Yu Li and asked, "Do you understand what I mean?"
"Understood, I will complete the business division and handover according to the resolution just now."
Yu Li responded clearly and nodded to indicate that she understood.
What's so hard to understand? No matter how much money the club makes, it's just a platform for Li Xuewu to maintain his social connections.
Based on credibility and principles, Li Xuewu will not use the club's money, which is why he said, "Enough is enough."
Li Xuewu also said that the club's walls are only physical boundaries, while the value generated by the services has no boundaries.
This means that the club's future revenue-generating activities can only be conducted within the club's premises, but the value generated by services other than those restricted by the business location is not subject to this condition.
For example, a member might order a table from the club restaurant and request it be delivered to their home.
How are the costs incurred during the service process calculated, including shipping costs, service fees, and other expenses?
Of course, it's considered part of the club's revenue.
Yu Li has already seen the lines Li Xuewu drew for her, so she will follow those lines from now on.
Yu Li was already quite satisfied that she could confirm Li Xuewu wouldn't assign the club to any particular project.
Before the meeting, she wondered if Li Xuewu would transfer her away and relocate the club to a recycling center for operation and management, or even if Shen Guodong were to take over, it would still be a blow to her.
Stop digging. She's been working here since the club was founded. Except for the period when Lou Xiao'e was in charge of its creation, she's been responsible for all the other operations and management.
Including the office that was set up specifically for Li Xuewu at the end of the year before last, she was also the office director.
People need to learn to be content, right?
Apart from a few people whom Li Xuewu particularly trusted, it was rare for anyone in the recycling station system to work for one unit for an extended period of time.
The appointments of the Thirteen Protectors were adjusted this year. Will they be adjusted next year?
Should Xilin from Jicheng, Ding Wanqiu from the frontier, and Shen Guodong from the capital change?
Li Xuewu is not someone who can easily trust others; his caution is evident in every aspect of his life.
No one understood him better than Yu Li, and fully comprehended his caution.
Zhou Yamei and Wu Shuping, who were attending this kind of meeting for the first time, felt a little more confident as they watched Yu Li give her report.
"Let me talk about Dongfeng Shipping."
Wen San'er stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and said, "I took over Dongfeng Shipping in May of this year. Before that, it was managed by Li Wenbiao, and later Comrade Zhou Yamei took over the management."
"Of course, I used to be in charge of Dongfeng Shipping's business, but after I went to Gangcheng, I stopped managing this area."
He nodded and continued, "My biggest feeling about coming back to take charge of Dongfeng Shipping this time is the tremendous changes."
"This is not only a description of Dongfeng Shipping, but can also be seen from the business you are responsible for."
Wen San'er glanced at the notes in his hand, coughed, and reported to Li Xuewu: "Dongfeng Shipping currently has 43 cargo ships of 1,000 tons, one cargo ship of 5,000 tons, and one container ship of 15,000 tons..."
"Of course, as everyone knows, the 15,000-ton container ships are not operated by Dongfeng Shipping. I'm just mentioning it here."
He pressed the notebook in front of him and said, "In the past three years, Dongfeng Shipping has developed rapidly, growing from its original 27 thousand-ton cargo ships to its current strong and well-equipped fleet, capable of operating across the world. This is inseparable from..."
Listening to his report, Li Xuewu felt like he was back in a meeting at the group headquarters; this old guy was being sarcastic.
When discussing work and achievements, they also made sure to mention unity and gratitude.
"Tell me if there are any difficulties."
Li Xuewu still gave him face and only asked a question after he finished speaking.
Wen San'er was prepared and asked questions based on her notebook.
"The first issue is that Dongfeng Shipping needs to actively prepare for the opening of Yingcheng Port Area three years from now."
He looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "What standards should we use as our development goals?"
"The second question is whether Dongfeng Shipping's existing vessels can meet the operational needs of the current routes and whether it will continue to expand routes and purchase more vessels."
"The third question is, after the business is separated and operated independently, how should we raise funds if there is a funding gap for business such as ship procurement and route expansion?"
"The fourth question, and the most crucial one."
Wen San'er asked three questions in one breath. Seeing Li Xuewu looking at him and smiling, he quickly waved his hand and emphasized, "Now that I'm in charge of Dongfeng Shipping, should I continue to be in charge of the Steel City business?"
"Okay, Uncle has a lot of questions."
Li Xuewu smiled and nodded, teasingly saying, "In Steel City, we can't say we see each other every day, but we see each other at least once every ten days or half a month."
"Hehehe—" Everyone had already understood the meaning behind his words, and they all chuckled softly.
"He hasn't asked me about these things for so long, but he came here to ask them today."
He said something with a smile, which made everyone who had been looking serious laugh. After the atmosphere eased, he answered each question one by one.
"The first question is about development goals." Li Xuewu tapped the pencil in his hand and said, "This question is difficult to define, but it is easy to answer. I have clear standards in mind."
"The construction and operation of Yingcheng Port should be regarded by Dongfeng Shipping as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is a key issue that will not be missed if we miss this opportunity, and we will never have another chance to become the leading domestic transportation company."
He put down his pencil, pointed in Wen San's direction, and said, "You need to be mentally prepared. If you can't keep up with the operation of Yingcheng Port Area and can't get cargo quotas, Dongfeng Shipping's high-rise building will collapse instantly."
"If you think about it this way, you'll understand. The opening of Yingcheng Port will definitely attract the attention of shipping companies from all over the world. At that time, there will be no shortage of ships in the Bohai Bay, especially empty ships returning."
Li Xuewu shrugged and said, "These ships are all our competitors. We don't have the absolute strength to fight these companies."
"If we don't subdue them and squeeze them out, Dongfeng Shipping will not face a survival crisis, but a bankruptcy crisis."
"I can't give you a specific target, and I can't tell you how many boats you should buy."
He pointed at Wen San'er and said, "Because there are conditions for buying and operating a ship, you have to make the necessary judgments and calculations."
Do you understand what I'm saying?
Li Xuewu nodded to Wen San'er, then continued, "Now let's talk about the second question: whether to continue expanding shipping routes and purchasing ships..."
"This is easy to answer. Whether to expand shipping routes or to purchase ships, these are all operational needs of Dongfeng Shipping."
He looked at Wen San'er and said, "Do it if there's a need, don't do it if there isn't. If you have to ask me questions like this, then why did I put you in charge of Dongfeng Shipping? I can do it myself."
"The third question is the source of funding."
Li Xuewu paused for a moment, then said, "My opinion is that the accounts should be allocated independently and the operations should be independent."
He gestured to the others in the conference room and said, "Dongfeng Shipping needs funds for development, and other projects also need funds."
“It’s not fair to stop other projects just to develop shipping projects.”
Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, "If there is a funding gap, then we should follow the normal procedures and apply for a loan from the United Savings Bank."
"If all else fails, use the ship as collateral. How can such a large project be trapped by a lack of funds?"
"The last question is about personnel."
Li Xuewu looked at Zhou Yamei and asked, "President Zhou, President Wen gave you some advice. You can't just stay in Beijing all the time and never go back. There's only so much help they can offer, don't you think?"
"I didn't mean I wouldn't go back—"
Zhou Yamei felt very embarrassed by what he said, especially towards Wen San'er.
Before the business was segmented, everyone in the recycle bin system helped each other.
Now that the business has been divided, everyone's relationship seems to have changed after the "separation".
She felt even more embarrassed when Li Xuewu said it in a joking tone.
"I'll finish things up in Beijing and then head back to Gangcheng after a short rest."
Zhou Yamei glanced at him and said, "However, Shunfeng Trading's business is mostly in Tianjin and Beijing, so it's normal for me to come to Beijing on business."
"Nobody said you're abnormal. Actually, I don't care where you work. You all know what I care about."
Li Xuewu smiled, leaned back in his chair, and spread his palms, saying, "Even if you live on Hainan Island, as long as you can guarantee the project's development and management stability, I won't say anything against you."
"So, Third Uncle, you don't need to worry about the Steel City business anymore. Focus all your energy on Dongfeng Shipping."
He tapped the table and emphasized, "Like I said before, Dongfeng Shipping only has one chance. Whether you can seize it or not is up to you."
"I guarantee I'll complete the mission, don't worry."
Wen San agreed readily, full of confidence in the business he was to be responsible for.
Li Xuewu was naturally satisfied with his attitude, and turned to Shen Guodong to ask, "How did you talk to Sister Zhou and Teacher Wu?"
“I’m in charge of two aspects,” Shen Guodong explained: “the recycling station business and Shunfeng Trading’s business in Beijing.”
After the business was split, the recycling station only retained the most basic business of scrap metal collection and second-hand goods sales, which of course also included the steel city's factories.
At the end of last year, Zhou Yamei took charge of establishing a renewable energy recycling company in the Hongxing Steel City Industrial Zone, which is a large and professional recycling station.
This place accepts waste for sale and also provides waste collection and disposal services for businesses.
Previously, Li Xuewu had emphasized during his research and inspection work that enterprises should do a good job in hygiene and environmental protection, and should not allow garbage to pile up like mountains.
The businesses in the industrial park, seeing that their neighbors were in the waste collection and disposal business, naturally knew what to do.
Every day, garbage trucks transport industrial and domestic waste to the treatment plant for sorting and processing. Waste that cannot be recycled is restored to its original state.
Anything that's truly useless will be packaged up and sold to the neighboring coal-fired power plant for use in thermal power generation.
The recycling station's business in Beijing is also developing in this direction. However, doing business in the capital region is a very complicated matter. Shen Guodong is still seeking to use his identity to complete the organization's construction.
He cannot apply for a business license in his own name; he can only apply through a cooperative group. Other procedures are not discussed here.
Things like land, taxation, and sanitation all require approval step by step.
This is different from the waste processing plant in Gangcheng, which is located in Hongxing Industrial Zone. As long as Hongxing Steel Group agrees, the plant will pay taxes in accordance with relevant regulations, and there will be no other problems.
The same approach can be taken in Beijing, for example, by placing the treatment plant in the Liangmahe Industrial Zone.
Can this be done?
It's impossible, because Liangmahe Ecological Industrial Zone has its own waste treatment plant, and it's even less likely that a waste treatment station will be allowed within the industrial zone.
So while Shen Guodong was handling the paperwork, he was also looking for land that met his requirements.
He said he would be in charge of the recycling center's operations, which would be the entirety of the project.
He said that Shunfeng Trading's business in Beijing meant that it was responsible for the Beijing branch.
“Sister Zhou will still be in charge of the distribution and operations in Gangcheng and other cities in Northeast China.” Shen Guodong explained to Li Xuewu, “This includes the business in Jicheng and Bingcheng.”
"Okay, I have no objection."
When Li Xuewu saw that he wanted to ask for his opinion, he nodded in agreement.
This involves Xilin, after all, she was an "old comrade" who went to Jicheng to build the business when the project was first established. If Zhou Yamei is to be put in charge of the Northeast business, Xilin's feelings should be taken into consideration.
Li Xuewu, however, had more on his mind. Jicheng's business was basically at this point, and there was little point in Xilin staying there any longer. It was time to move her to a different position.
At this point, they hadn't figured out how to adjust things. If they were to move Xilin, they couldn't just move her alone; there would be a series of reactions.
"Teacher Wu's opinion is that Yang Zhao should be in charge of the work in Tianjin, and she should be responsible for overall coordination."
Shen Guodong glanced at Wu Shuping and Yu Li before telling Li Xuewu all this.
I looked at Wu Shuping because he voiced these opinions on her behalf, and I looked at Yu Li because she was in charge of the overall coordination work.
"Yang Zhao is perfectly capable of handling the business in Tianjin. What are your thoughts on this?"
Li Xuewu looked at Wu Shuping and asked, "Is the construction company too busy?"
We just discussed the recycling station, Dongfeng Shipping, and Shunfeng Trading. In fact, Li Xuewu controls another company, which is Dongfeng Construction.
Dongfeng Construction completed a change in management personnel last year, including changes in shareholders, with Dou Yaozu voluntarily stepping down.
Li Xuewu was only giving him face because of their past relationship; otherwise, he would have been furious long ago for such hypocritical and disloyal behavior.
At first, he really didn't want to get involved in the construction industry because he knew nothing about it.
Dou Yaozu recognized his influence and needed the business of the Red Star Factory to survive, so he insisted on a shareholding partnership, which led to Li Xuewu's guidance and support.
But later on, Dou Yaozu remained obstinate and coveted things beyond his status. The backlash from his greed almost cost him his life.
Li Xuewu didn't warn him anything; he figured it out himself and chose to retire gracefully.
This enterprise has now undergone fundamental reforms in its modern corporate management system.
In particular, after Wu Shuping took over the relevant business, she carried out sweeping reforms and adjustments to Dongfeng Construction.
As instructed by Li Xuewu, young people who had been recruited from the architecture school and had more than two years of experience were placed in management positions for training.
This was a measure that Li Xuewu had repeatedly instructed Dou Yaozu to take seriously, but Dou Yaozu had not followed through.
During Dou Yaozu's tenure at Dongfeng Construction, many of his family members were given positions.
Even worse, some distant relatives, relying on their engineering skills, interfered in the project.
Wu Shuping didn't care who they were. She used a ruler to decide who could stay and who could leave.
Some people were dissatisfied and, seeing that Dou Yaozu refused to leave his house, went to Li Huaide to complain.
If Dou Yaozu were to go to Lao Li, Lao Li might use him to scheme against Li Xuewu.
He didn't care about these small fry and had Liu Bin chase him out.
Li Huaide's attitude chilled these people to the bone, and United Construction completely ignored them.
Therefore, after taking over Dongfeng Construction and serving as the vice president of United Construction, Wu Shuping's authoritative side was clearly revealed.
She had never been this serious on the podium before; she was just a leader sitting in the office, and naturally needed a lot of authority to maintain her leadership image.
"I want to reorganize Dongfeng Construction and see if there's anything I can do."
Wu Shuping frankly stated, "The construction industry in Beijing and Tianjin has developed very rapidly in recent years, especially in the residential housing sector."
"Architecture is a lucrative industry, and it's good to have more young people joining in."
She was perhaps thinking of her own past experiences, the eccentricity and ruthlessness of those young people.
She still has the responsibility of a teacher, and she hopes that this generation of young people will make a difference.
She supports young people from the city going to the countryside to learn and grow, but it's a bit of a waste for young people with a certain level of education to waste their time in the countryside.
Is it really better to work in the construction industry than to go to the countryside to reclaim wasteland and farm?
Don't look down on the construction industry. Who is doing the construction work in cities these days?
Of course, it cannot be denied that housing management departments such as housing administration bureaus have their own construction teams, and cities also have their own construction companies.
However! Rural construction teams are also part of urban construction, and they have existed since the founding of the People's Republic of China.
During the off-season for farming, rural areas near cities would form labor teams in the form of cooperative groups, carrying their luggage to the city to find work.
These farmers often work in groups and do not work on a project alone.
Urban residents also know when they can hire labor teams, since it's cheaper than hiring construction companies or city construction teams.
Wu Shuping thought that if rural people can find jobs in the city, then why should young people in the city go to the countryside to find work?
One aspect is to help more young people, and another is to dilute the original worker source structure of Dongfeng Construction and improve the basic cultural level of the construction team.
The construction industry has great potential and needs more cultured and capable young people to join it.
Large projects can be contracted out by joint construction companies, while smaller projects can be subcontracted to Dongfeng Construction.
With Wu Shuping around and the resourceful United Construction Group around, Dongfeng Construction will never lack projects.
Li Xuewu understood her thoughts and, after careful consideration, nodded in agreement.
"The coordination work is still handled by Yu Li, while Teacher Wu is in charge of Dongfeng Construction."
He looked at the two of them and emphasized, "The division of labor we are currently facing fully demonstrates the necessity and importance of a talent development mechanism."
"Without a reserve of talent to support us, we'll still be at the same scale even if we work until retirement."
Li Xuewu concluded by saying, "Don't limit yourself to those thirteen lads. Anyone with potential can be carefully nurtured, and those who pass the assessment can be given important positions."
"As an important distributor of Hongxing Steel Group, we can guarantee sufficient business and survival conditions, but we also need to be aware of the crisis."
He looked at everyone and emphasized, "Every market has a natural elimination mechanism. If we can't do better and be more prepared, then we will be the ones facing elimination tomorrow."
-
"What went wrong?"
In Yu Li's office at the club, Li Xuewu looked at Shen Guodong and Yu Li and asked them a question.
The two men signaled to him at the end of the meeting that they still had things to discuss, and that's when he came to the office.
In fact, by today, Zhou Yamei and Wu Shuping are all in the same boat.
Zhou Yamei and her son still depend on him for their livelihood, and so does Wu Shuping.
However, Yu Li and Shen Guodong are different after all; one is a confidante, while the other is a sworn brother.
They said they had something to talk about, so Li Xuewu concluded that something must have gone wrong.
And the problem must be quite serious, otherwise the two of them wouldn't have needed to talk to him together.
"You should say it," Yu Li said, glancing at Shen Guodong. "After all, you received the news first."
"Is it that difficult?" Li Xuewu looked at the two of them, then found a chair and sat down.
"This news came from Fengcheng," Shen Guodong reported. "Xi Yongzhong has gone missing."
"Third brother?" Li Xuewu frowned slightly and asked, "What do you mean by 'missing'?"
“Just yesterday, Zhao Dezhu arranged for him to contact business, but he disappeared on the way.”
Shen Guodong, with a serious expression, said, "Zhou Changli and Zhao Dezhu are now mobilizing their connections to find him and determine how he disappeared."
"What you mean is—"
Li Xuewu glanced at the two of them. They hadn't mentioned it in the meeting, so what were they suspecting?
"We didn't mean anything by it, we just wanted to take precautions."
Shen Guodong and Yu Li exchanged a glance, then cautiously said, "These kids know too much about our business. Although it doesn't involve the core operations, if something goes wrong..."
"Find the person first."
Li Xuewu frowned and said, "Don't assume doubt; that's the most vicious way to destroy trust."
"This message is to be released tomorrow, requiring all distributors in Fengcheng to do their utmost to find Xi Yongzhong."
He said seriously, "I want to see the person alive or dead. That's my bottom line."
"Understood, I'll go and tell them right away."
Yu Li nodded and said, "Zhou Changli and Zhao Dezhu's concerns are not without reason."
"They don't need you to explain for them."
Li Xuewu tapped his fingers on the table and looked at Shen Guodong, saying, "Go tell your third uncle that you two are going to Fengcheng today."
"Yu Li, send a message to Ji Cheng and tell Ge Lin to take some men to Feng Cheng to provide support."
He squinted slightly and said, "I don't believe Xi Yongzhong would leave without saying goodbye."
The eldest brother, Huo Yongfang; the second brother, Meng Yongxiang; and the third brother, Xi Yongzhong, were the first thirteen bodyguards that Li Xuewu employed, and they served the longest.
Let's leave aside the time I spent living at the recycling station. We were well-fed, warmly clothed, and had access to education. By the time they were put to use, they were already being paid.
In this day and age, even setting aside Xi Yongzhong's honest and upright character, his working conditions and living environment wouldn't have made him leave without saying goodbye.
Given their upbringing within the recycling system, how much would outsiders need to offer to bribe them, and even just to hire them as employees?
Li Xuewu had two guesses in his mind: one was that Xi Yongzhong had gotten into trouble, and the other was that someone had kidnapped him and wanted to know something.
Xi Yongzhong must be found; whatever happened to him is an outcome Li Xuewu does not want to see.
Sending Shen Guodong and Wen San'er to Fengcheng was to ensure that Xi Yongzhong wouldn't say or do anything wrong, while sending Ge Lin with his men to Fengcheng was to ensure that if anything happened to him, someone would be there to handle it immediately.
If anyone dares to mess with the recycling station, Li Xuewu wouldn't mind replacing them with a new batch of local bullies.
"Second Master hasn't said anything yet."
Seeing Yu Li go out to make a phone call, Shen Guodong quietly explained to Li Xuewu, "She kept saying her back hurt a while ago, and she wouldn't go to the hospital for a checkup. So we went to your house and had Uncle Li take a look at her."
"Uncle Li said he's getting old and needs to rest more, and shouldn't overwork himself."
"What's wrong? Did my dad say anything?"
Li Xuewu frowned and asked, "He didn't tell me he was coming back this time."
"This is a chronic illness that can only be treated with rest and recuperation."
Shen Guodong explained, "It's already quite remarkable to be able to endure the loss of one's family and death without going insane or dying when you're young; it's impossible to expect to stay healthy."
“I’m worried that he won’t be able to handle it if I tell him about it, after all, he’s getting old.”
"Then let's wait until we find the person before we talk about it."
Li Xuewu nodded and asked, "Aren't you all old enough by now?"
“The youngest is already eighteen,” Shen Guodong explained. “The youngest, Zhu Yongtong, drives for Sister Zhou and is mostly doing other work.”
"Hmm, this time, let's give them more responsibility." Li Xuewu frowned and thought for a long time before saying, "We have to give them a chance."
"Well, I see."
Shen Guodong frowned deeply upon hearing this, not because he disagreed with Brother Wu's opinion, but because he sensed an ominous meaning in Brother Wu's words.
Even Brother Wu lacks confidence in Xi Yongzhong's condition, which means that something really has happened to Lao San.
If Xi Yongzhong gets into trouble in Fengcheng, then the recycling station will not be faced with a simple question, but rather a multiple-choice question.
Given Brother Wu's temper, he will definitely not let this go. If he can find out the situation, that will be fine, and even if he wants to retaliate, he will have a clear objective.
If the investigation fails, then out of anger, they will follow the clues and eliminate everyone who had connections with Xi Yongzhong before his downfall.
Think about it, Brother Wu just said who he'd let handle this matter.
If he and his third uncle had gone to Fengcheng to handle this matter, they wouldn't have gone so far as to kill him.
It was Ge Lin from Jicheng who brought people to provide support, which shows that Brother Wu was truly enraged.
Who is Green?
The ruthless man who returned to Beijing with Brother Wu was said to be a wolf raised in a caravan, and what he did in Jicheng was enough to intimidate the mountain people.
Green is only eighteen years old this year. He and Xilin secretly held a wedding and have been helping Xilin manage the recycling station business in Jicheng.
Xilin handles all the surface-level work, and few people notice this big guy.
Only when he actually takes action will people realize his ruthlessness.
What exactly happened in Fengcheng?
"I was going to talk to you about Yu Zhe, but I'm not in the mood now."
Li Xuewu instructed Shen Guodong to do something: find Wen San'er to buy the earliest train ticket for today to Fengcheng.
He sat in Yu Li's office, deep in thought.
It wasn't until Yu Li pushed open the door and walked in that he came back to his senses and said, "I've already talked to him. Keep a close eye on him."
"Where are you going?"
Seeing him get up, Yu Li quickly asked, "It's lunchtime, why don't you eat before you go?"
"No, I'm going to make a few phone calls."
Li Xuewu picked up the notebook on the table and gestured towards the door, then said to Li, "It's not convenient here, call from home."
"It's not a big deal if we take a little more time."
Yu Li did miss him a little; it had been so long since they'd seen each other, and she wished they could at least chat.
If it weren't for Xi Yongzhong's situation, he would definitely have stayed and talked to her.
His favorite flower hall, after a year of renovation, is now showing signs of being filled with flowers.
The teahouse remains, the flowers still bloom, but those who appreciate beauty and savor tea no longer have time to come back and sit down, which inevitably leaves many regrets.
"Get things done first, I'll come back next month." Li Xuewu said as he walked out, "I don't trust Zhou Changli and Zhao Laosi."
"I know, I have my doubts too."
Yu Li walked behind him out the door, then chased after him for a couple more steps.
"But I also doubt whether the two of them have the guts to plot against Xi Yongzhong."
"What if it's fueling the fire?"
Li Xuewu turned to look at her and asked, "Do you think it's possible that they knew someone wanted to harm Xi Yongzhong, but pretended not to know?"
"This...I don't know either."
Yu Li looked at him and said, "Didn't you just say that assumptions hurt people the most?"
"This is just preparation and precaution; it has nothing to do with suspicion or assumptions."
Li Xuewu walked along with a sense of dejection, muttering to himself, "This is the time I least want anything to happen, but trouble still came knocking."
"You mean the Sea Coachman Project?"
Yu Li was naturally familiar with this project; she had been guessing about it for a long time, but she was only saying it now.
She wouldn't easily talk about these things before meeting Li Xuewu, but she had reason to think so.
Li Wenbiao was in charge of importing parts and exporting electronics in Northeast China. Just in the shipbuilding sector alone, how many people must he have offended?
Especially in Fengcheng, Li Xuewu was still telling Wen San'er in the first half of this year that they should kick out the remaining forces of the black market as soon as possible and build a sales network.
Zhou Changli and Zhao Laosi have been busy with this recently, trying to straighten out the local relations.
Li Xuewu actually looked down on their actions and ideas, but he wanted to improve their skills.
Instead of improving their skills, they've messed things up.
"If the coachman plan really went wrong, then let their ships remain at sea forever."