MMB Chapter 1475 To Leave or Not to Leave?
Chapter 1475 To Leave or Not to Leave?
Chapter 1475 To Leave or Not to Leave?
"Didn't we just solve your car problem? Why do you need a car again?"
Li Xuewu glanced at Wang Yajuan and said with amusement, "You can't just take everything that's good."
"Of course I want good things!"
Wang Yajuan understood immediately and looked at Lu Yuanshen, the director of the steel and automobile plant, and asked in a sweet voice, "Is it Director Lu?"
"Hehehe—" Lu Yuanshen just laughed, afraid that he might lose his car if he said the wrong thing.
But Wang Yajuan had already obtained the imperial edict from Li Xuewu, so she wasn't going to let him go.
"I'm not just asking for things randomly."
She slightly raised her chin, her gaze seemingly casually drifting towards Lü Yuanshen as she spoke: "Our Liaodong TV station is preparing a program to introduce Red Star's product catalog to our listeners. We haven't decided yet whether the first product will be a car or an airplane—"
"Alright, alright—" Lü Yuanshen laughed and waved his hand, saying, "Consider this our factory's support for the group's publicity work, okay? Please forgive us!"
"Hahaha--"
Everyone burst into laughter, with Kuang Yusheng laughing the loudest. Pointing at Wang Yajuan, he joked, "If he doesn't agree, just say that the steel plant director, Lü Yuanshen, said their cars are faster than airplanes!"
"Hahaha—" People who knew the joke or not laughed again.
The entourage who had just echoed the leader's laughter now genuinely laughed, their eyes full of mockery and ridicule as they looked at Director Lü.
Isn't this just a threat and robbery?
But nobody took it seriously; it was a case of one willing to hit the other.
Wang Yajuan could understand the meaning behind Li Xuewu's words, but the cunning and calculating Lü Yuanshen could not.
Besides, with so many people around, Wang Yajuan was practically reaching out to snatch it; how could he possibly pretend to be serious?
Wang Yajuan, who also works in Liaodong, said she would do a product introduction and promotion video, and that would be enough.
What are grades?
Only what leaders and colleagues see counts as achievements. Who would believe you're building an atomic bomb while hiding under the covers?
Liaodong TV was willing to do a special interview and publicity for Gangqi, and with Li Xuewu's influence, how could it not be worth a Haishi bus?
Besides, this car wasn't given to any outsiders; it's just being transferred from one hand to the other, so it's still the group's asset.
Kuang Yusheng had already foreseen this, which is why he joined in the fun by joking with Lü Yuanshen.
Old Lu is a rather assertive and eccentric person. Before Li Xuewu came to Liaodong, he was someone who didn't even respect Dong Wenxue.
Li Xuewu is different from Dong Wenxue; his ruthlessness, which comes from within, is something most people can't withstand.
You say Lü Yuanshen is shrewd and calculating, but he can't compete with Li Xuewu, who is too young and holds a high position.
How do you say that old saying?
You can't fight city hall; Li Xuewu was the powerful and influential figure at Hongxing Steel Group.
Jokes can sometimes be a way to get closer to each other. Kuang Yusheng is a loyal follower of Li Xuewu, he's practically a fan, everyone knows that.
Previously, Li Huaide, who was promoted by Deputy Factory Director Nie and was at odds with Deputy Factory Director Nie, was promoted. Not only was he not implicated, but he also firmly held the position of head of the production management department in the conflict with Cheng Kaiyuan, the new deputy factory director in charge of production. Later, when the group's organizational structure was changed, he got the best position as a group of department heads were transferred to other places.
If you say there was no expert guidance and support, who the hell would believe that? Even Xu Sinian of Yingcheng didn't receive that kind of treatment.
Whether it was reciprocating kindness or following him wholeheartedly, Kuang Yusheng was the one who supported Li Xuewu's work the most in Liaodong.
Li Xuewu is a methodical person who has principles, so he really needs a buffer zone.
Now that Kuang Yusheng is willing to lead him on his horse and lift him off the bench, Lü Yuanshen can see through his intentions and understands the principle that when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.
Li Xuewu has led teams to conduct research at the steel and automobile factory several times this year, which shows how much respect he has received. If he still doesn't know how to behave properly, he won't have a chance to get anything done.
When Ji Jiuzheng from the Energy Corporation came down some time ago, many people were surprised.
What's the surprise?
No one spoke to him at the time of the incident, but Zhuang Cangshu from the sales headquarters managed to get through it smoothly.
Ji Jiuzheng still lacks the necessary work experience; he may have worked hard enough, but his emotional intelligence hasn't kept up.
How dangerous is it that the head of a subsidiary company in a group doesn't have any reliable connections within the group?
Even someone as proud and arrogant as Xu Sinian had to take the initiative to build a good relationship with Li Xuewu. What was Lu Yuanshen compared to him? Faced with an olive branch extended to him, no matter how hesitant he was, he had to climb up with a flushed face.
“Oh dear, we won’t take this car for nothing.” Wang Yajuan smiled and looked at Lü Yuanshen, saying reproachfully, “I’ll ask my boss for permission to do an exclusive interview with you later.”
"See? It was worth it this time!"
Kuang Yusheng chuckled and teased Lü Yuanshen, saying, "It's not an exclusive interview with Liaodong TV, it's from CCTV."
"You're envious? Why don't you send a car too?" Lu Yuanshen glanced at him and said, "I'm just afraid your factory doesn't produce these."
"Hehe—" Kuang Yusheng pointed at him with a smile and said, "You're trying to pull this on me, aren't you—"
"Hahaha--"
The crowd was naturally happy to watch the two of them bickering, but they were even more interested in watching Li Xuewu.
When the secretary-general smiled, they smiled too.
"Let's get in touch with the sales headquarters."
Li Xuewu, sitting in the middle seat of the Hiace, instructed Lü Yuanshen below: "We won't hold new car launch events in mainland China, but we will hold one in Hong Kong."
"Not only should we do it, we should do it on a massive scale!"
He pointed at Lü Yuanshen and emphasized, "Tell the International Business Division not to skimp on advertising."
"We'll bring all our existing export and non-export models to the exhibition. That's what it means to have a strong corporate foundation, and it'll also let those people see our strength."
"I'll contact Mr. Zhuang later."
Lu Yuanshen nodded in agreement. This was work, and there was no room for carelessness, especially since the secretary-general had spoken. The sales headquarters would definitely put in a lot of effort.
Currently, whether it's Steel Auto or Steel Flight, almost all industrial enterprises within the group rely on overseas markets for revenue and profits.
Of course, steel rolling mills and metallurgical plants are exceptions. Most of the products from these two plants are planned production orders. Any production exceeding the plan is prioritized to meet the supply and demand of the group or joint units.
"Should we bring the Tundra and cruisers too?"
Just as he thought of something, Lü Yuanshen asked in a low voice, "These two models have not yet been finalized for production."
“Pull it over, but pull it back.”
Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at him, emphasizing, "Good things are not afraid to be sold. These two models should be shown, so let's call them concept cars."
"Concept car?" Lü Yuanshen stared wide-eyed and asked in confusion, "What's a concept car?"
"A concept car is a model that is still in the design and development stage before it is finalized."
Li Xuewu briefly explained: "Gangqi has already taken the lead among car companies nationwide. As managers of Gangqi, you need to keep up with the times and pay attention to continuous learning. If you fall behind, you will be vulnerable to attack."
-
"Actually, the Hiace should be positioned and sold as a utility vehicle."
On the way back to the metallurgical plant, Kuang Yusheng, who was in the same car as Li Xuewu, said, "Ambulances, escort vehicles, police cars, etc., are very suitable."
He crossed his hands in front of his lower abdomen, turned to Li Xuewu and said, "When exporting overseas, we should pay more attention to the first impression of the vehicle model and its application classification."
"Yes, you're absolutely right."
Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Judging from the design and development concept of this vehicle alone, making it a utility vehicle is indeed the right choice."
“But have you considered environmental factors?” He turned to Kuang Yusheng and said, “Oranges grown south of the Huai River turn into trifoliate oranges north of it; how a vehicle is used depends on the person using it.”
"You may not be familiar with the automotive application market and environment in Southeast Asia. These small passenger cars that can carry a dozen or so people can be used for more than just commuting purposes."
He only went this far, without going into any further detail. Those who know, know.
Kuang Yusheng mentioned it casually; he wasn't a steel enthusiast, so he wouldn't care too much about it.
The topic quickly shifted to the metallurgical and steel rolling industries, and he mentioned the Panzhihua Iron and Steel Group base mentioned in today's newspaper.
"The Third Front construction was indeed vigorous."
Li Xuewu exclaimed in admiration, "When did Panzhihua Iron and Steel Company begin construction? In 1965?"
"Yes, construction began in 1965."
Kuang Yusheng nodded and explained, "The steel base actually started in the second half of 64."
Some people may not understand why, instead of developing existing steel plants in the Central Plains, they choose to build new steel plants in the mountains of Sichuan Province.
To put it simply, we are now surrounded by enemies, and even ungrateful wretches dare to bare their teeth at us.
Given the core role of the steel industry in national development and the potential threat of enemy bombing to the southeastern coastal and northern border regions, the state decided to build a new steel plant in Panzhihua, Sichuan Province, to mitigate the risks of this important industrial base.
It's important to know that this location wasn't chosen randomly. Panzhihua and its surrounding areas, including Miyi, Huili, Huidong, Dechang, Yanbian, Yanyuan, Mianning, and Xide in Xichang, are rich in vanadium-titanium magnetite resources.
This natural advantage, coupled with Panzhihua's unique geographical conditions, made the region an ideal location for the Third Front construction.
The location is close to the mountains, making it easy to disperse and hide, which perfectly fits the layout principle of the Third Front construction.
Ultimately, the steel plant site was chosen in the Nongnongping area on the north bank of the Jinsha River to ensure the safety and stability of the industrial base in the event of potential war risks.
"The vanadium and titanium resources there are extremely abundant."
Kuang Yusheng shook his head slightly and sighed, "It's no exaggeration to say that Panzhihua is a city situated on iron ore. I can't imagine how fortunate the steel industry must be to have access to local resources."
"The steel city still lacks resources."
Li Xuewu also largely agreed with his point of view, nodding slightly as he said, "Panzhihua is not only rich in iron ore, but also in other mineral resources."
"Oil and gas resources alone are enough to support an industrial system, plus the steel industry."
"You probably don't know, but when the project was launched in 1964, they even transferred people from our factory." Kuang Yusheng turned to look at him and said with a smile, "I even signed up back then, but unfortunately they thought I was too old."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu looked at him and teased, "Is it because you look too old?"
"There are age restrictions for cadres."
Kuang Yusheng shook his head slightly and said, "The notice didn't mention the specific arrangements, but I heard that as long as you go there, you'll basically be promoted by half a level on the spot, and many people will be promoted by one or two levels."
"So your stance isn't that firm, huh?" Li Xuewu teased him, amused. "You're willing to follow someone just because they offer you a tiny bit of benefit?"
"Now they say it's as trivial as sesame seeds or mung beans."
Kuang Yusheng chuckled as he recounted, "Back then, where did our steel rolling mill rank?"
"If it weren't for the upheavals of the past few years, how could the general heavy industrial enterprises under the Beijing Municipal Administration of Industry and Commerce dare to say that they can compare with others?"
He shook his head slightly and said, "Even now, I'm afraid we can't compare to them in terms of scale."
"With policy support and strategic significance, we are already very fortunate."
Li Xuewu turned around and looked ahead, saying, "If we don't move heavy industry from the quagmire of Beijing to the steel city, we can forget about ever getting close to corporatization. Any talk of it is just wishful thinking."
"I admire you for that."
Kuang Yusheng nodded at him and said, "He can see the company's crisis before most people do."
"At that time, I didn't understand why we chose to relocate, especially all the heavy industries."
He shook his head with emotion and said, "It wasn't until the Beijing Industrial Zone decided to rebuild the No. 1 Factory that I realized that the region's conservative attitude towards resources is hard to explain, but such rules really exist."
"Without policy support, I can't imagine how difficult it would be to gain a foothold in a region."
Kuang Yusheng looked at him and said, "Actually, you were considering resource-rich provinces back then, weren't you?"
"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu smiled without saying a word; what was the point of saying these things now?
Kuang Yusheng understood him well. He sighed slightly and said, "If it weren't for the metallurgical plant, we would have already established ourselves in the steel city. No matter where we moved, we wouldn't be enough to be eaten alive by them. Outsiders are bullied wherever they go."
"Actually, the Panzhihua Iron and Steel Base has also encountered management problems, which you may not know."
He explained, "At that time, the country mobilized professionals from all over the country in fields such as metallurgy, geology, coal, railways, machinery, transportation and urban construction to form a huge construction team of nearly 30,000 people."
"Think about it, 30,000 people."
Kuang Yusheng gestured with his fingers to emphasize, "It's not that 30,000 employees were transferred from Beijing, nor are they cadres and workers trained by ourselves. They were recruited from industrial enterprises all over the country."
"Just thinking about this number, and then about the sources of these personnel, is enough to give the person in charge a headache."
"The Third Front campaign was all about getting to know each other and coordinating, so we could stick together through thick and thin."
Li Xuewu turned to look at him and said, "Hongxing Steel Group really needs a battle like this to unite people and a campaign to rally their hearts and minds."
"People's hearts are fickle, and it's not so easy to unite them. Now, isn't there an opportunity?"
Kuang Yusheng pointed to the road closure construction site outside the car window, next to a huge sign that read "Fourth Engineering Branch of Hongxing Steel Group United Construction Engineering Corporation".
It's getting cold, but the soil hasn't frozen yet. In order to secure the construction conditions before the ground freezes, the Fourth Engineering Company had already made preparations and began earthwork excavation operations at the order to start work.
Construction has begun on an underground air defense project located in the Hongxing Industrial Zone, with a total investment exceeding 500 million yuan.
This portion of the project investment will be included in the annual settlement indicators. In other words, the group advances the project funds, and the superior will deduct it when writing off the company's production profits. Anyway, it's all the organization's money, so we should just do it.
Among the unified instructions issued from above was the requirement to build a cement plant. Li Xuewu later thought about it and realized that the steel city did not lack cement plants. Building one himself would be an overinvestment, so he did not do it.
They didn't do it, they couldn't get industrial construction quotas, and the cement plants in the steel city didn't have any surplus to sell to the industrial zone.
Even if there is inventory, it cannot be sold to the industrial zone.
What can we do? How can we construct underground engineering without cement? This is driving us crazy!
As Lu Xun once said, "Can a living person die from holding in their urine?"
Cement plants cannot sell cement directly to industrial zones, but it doesn't say they can't use it for resource exchange between enterprises. This is a policy directive based on the "five sevens".
The cement plant is under the jurisdiction of the municipal construction system. The cement plant has no shortage of steel resources, but the construction system does.
Besides, Hongxing Steel Group has more than just steel resources; it also has a wealth of other resources.
Most importantly, winter construction conditions are harsh, and there are few environments in Northeast China suitable for using cement.
In other words, these cement plants, which should have reduced production and shut down by April next year, no longer need to worry about the cement they produce absorbing moisture and deteriorating.
While other places lack the environment for using cement, industrial zones have no shortage of underground engineering.
As long as you dig deeper, the underground temperature will definitely be higher than the surface temperature, at least not lower than five degrees Celsius.
Five degrees Celsius is the minimum standard for normal setting of concrete; below this temperature, it's not good.
The reason Li Xuewu knows so much is because recently he is not only learning to fly helicopters, but also brushing up on his knowledge of engineering and construction.
He has a wide range of knowledge. When he worked in the group, he even learned about aircraft manufacturing from Shangguan Qi. Later, when he was transferred to Gangcheng, Shangguan Qi would often write to him to exchange ideas on learning topics.
Li Xuewu is not a diligent learner, but he has too many responsibilities.
To put it simply, if you don't understand a certain supervisory task, your subordinates will dare to deceive you.
Do you believe it or not?
As any reader who is in a leadership position knows, if you say one wrong thing in a business matter, they might think you're a Japanese person and try to fool you, but who knows how much they'll look down on you.
Li Xuewu learns this knowledge without seeking a deep understanding, much less becoming an expert. He only needs to understand the core applications and indicators, demonstrate professionalism in his speeches, and intimidate the technical personnel below.
What kind of people are most likely to lie?
Those who possess core technologies are incredibly arrogant and don't treat you like human beings at all.
Li Xuewu leaned closer to Kuang Yusheng and looked out the window, then smirked and said, "It's gotten too big."
"What's gone too far?" Kuang Yusheng asked, frowning. "Did the construction exceed the standards?"
He didn't believe that Li Xuewu could tell the project exceeded the limit just by glancing at it casually.
Li Xuewu doesn't really have that ability; he's just saying the brand has become too big.
"I've emphasized this before: third-level branches can omit the 'group company' designation when contacting external parties."
He muttered a dissatisfied remark, then sat up straight and said to Kuang Yusheng, "At the organizational restructuring meeting at the beginning of this year, Director Li clearly stated that we should not overemphasize the group company."
Hearing him say that, Kuang Yusheng looked back and saw that the number of words on the big sign had indeed increased.
Fourth Engineering Branch of Hongxing Steel Group Joint Construction Engineering Corporation
According to Li Xuewu, it should be called: Hongxing United Construction Fourth Engineering Branch.
"Perhaps they lack confidence."
Kuang Yusheng chuckled and said, "When we're out in the world, everyone likes to call us by our full names."
"That's the disease they're being treated for."
Li Xuewu frowned and emphasized, "If you don't even have confidence in yourself, what kind of confidence in your project are you talking about?"
"Why don't we learn from the construction and management standards of the Panzhihua Iron and Steel Base?"
Kuang Yusheng kept thinking about the news he had just learned from the newspaper about the accelerated construction of the Panzhihua steel base, mentioning it every few sentences.
“Pangang adopted a strict reporting responsibility system from the very beginning of its construction, which clearly defined the responsibilities and tasks of all parties.”
He explained to Li Xuewu, "Pangang's steel supply is handled by Steel-Steel and First Metallurgical Construction."
"Coal mining is handled by the Fuxin Mining Bureau of Liaoning Province and the Coal Management Bureau of Yunnan Province."
"Electricity demand is jointly guaranteed by the East China and North China Electric Power Administrations, while infrastructure materials are supplied by Tangcheng Cement Plant."
"In addition, the cargo ships were built by Shanghai Hudong Shipyard, and the timber was provided by the forestry bureaus of Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces."
"The construction of urban public facilities is jointly organized and undertaken by Shanghai, Tianjin, Beijing, as well as Sichuan Province, Yunnan Province, and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications."
Kuang Yusheng pointed out the window and said, "Not to mention our capital, just look at how many workers from Liaoning Province went to Yunnan Province to support the Third Front construction in the past two years."
"This is what you call a big project; the quality is guaranteed."
"Are you comparing yourself to Panzhihua Iron and Steel Group?" Li Xuewu chuckled. "If I had that many resources at my disposal, do you believe I could build a tunnel from here to the Liangmahe Industrial Zone?"
"Hahaha--"
Kuang Yusheng also found it amusing, slapping his thigh and saying, "If you had this kind of resource, you wouldn't need to be directing us in Liaodong; you'd be in heaven by now."
"You're the one who's gone to heaven—"
Li Xuewu patted his knee and said, "I have something to tell you. The Construction Engineering Corporation has its eye on a newly discovered coal mine on the frontier. You can come and take a look."
"What are you looking at? Steel supply is coordinated by the ministry. Why would I go all the way to sell steel?"
Kuang Yusheng looked at him with suspicion and asked, "Or do you want to build a new factory over there?"
"The conditions for building a new factory area are not yet ripe."
Li Xuewu shook his head slightly and said, "However, the development of coal resources will inevitably lead to the convergence of other resources. You should think of a way to set up a few joint ventures."
"It is in large-scale projects like these that core technologies and strengths are showcased; we must not fall behind."
Are we afraid that our technology will become outdated?
Kuang Yusheng confidently stated, "Even if we wait another ten years, we'll still be among the top in the country, not to mention the policies for technological iteration and updates."
"You've gotten too cocky, Lao Kuang."
Li Xuewu patted his knee again and said, "Listen to me, you can't go wrong. In the next two years, overseas iron ore and coal will not be able to come in."
-
On November 4, Li Xuewu officially finalized the site selection and construction plan for the Steel City Sanatorium.
In his report to the group, he emphasized the need and importance of seasonal recuperation for the group's employees.
The employee recuperation policy was a type of welfare benefit, but later generations of corporate employees may not have heard of this benefit, as it actually disappeared a long time ago.
The most famous one is Beidaihe, which is equivalent to Crimea in Russia. Li Xuewu wants to build a "Sochi" for the Hongxing Steel Group in the steel city.
why would you say so?
Because the steel city also has abundant hot spring resources, enjoying hot spring therapy in autumn and winter is a rare experience. Given the resources available for construction, the group is willing to spend this money.
Of course, Hongxing Steel Group is not the only industrial enterprise in the country that has built its own sanatorium. As long as there are enough employees and sufficient capital to build it, an application can be made to start construction.
Hongxing Steel Group has already built a resort area in Tianjin Binhai, but it is for commercial purposes, and passenger ships that go directly from the port to Tianjin dock there every year.
The hot spring sanatorium in the mountainous area of Gangcheng serves internal needs.
The "internal" aspect here does not refer to the group's internal operations, but rather, in principle, to services provided domestically.
When deciding to build the sanatorium, Li Xuewu, along with Li Huaide and others, visited the Qianshan area multiple times and even stayed on the mountain for several nights.
Whether to directly purchase historical sites with property rights or to reclaim wasteland and build new ones, Li Huaide left this question to Li Xuewu, who had come to take office in Gangcheng.
After arriving in Gangcheng, Li Xuewu couldn't focus on this job at all; he was too busy with everything else.
Only after the business operations were streamlined did I look at the inspection report submitted by the office.
Actually, it wasn't that the project team didn't have time, but that Li Xuewu didn't have time. While he was busy with other things, the project team had already done the groundwork.
Geological exploration, safety inspection, project planning, engineering design, traffic security, etc.
Li Xuewu saw a comprehensive plan that had been prepared for a long time, which is why it was able to be finalized so quickly.
As for his trip to the mountain a few days ago, who can say for sure that he was just there for fun?
Liu Hongmei, a reporter from the Northern Industry Daily, who was preparing to leave the steel city quietly, left with this kind of unwillingness.
She wrote in the newspaper that Li Xuewu was indulging in frivolous pursuits and wasting his life, but she never expected to be proven wrong.
However, to be honest, she still admired Li Xuewu's ability to handle interpersonal relationships.
She intended to leave quietly, but Wang Yajuan appeared in the lobby when she was checking out of the guesthouse.
"Are you here to find me?"
"No, I came to see you off."
Wang Yajuan answered her question frankly, smiling as she said, "The Secretary-General couldn't leave today, so he specifically asked me to take you to the train station."
She gestured to the luxury car parked at the door, nodded slightly, and said, "The car is ready."
"Is this pity for the losers?" Liu Hongmei asked, looking at her stubbornly. "Or is it the pride of the victors?"
"You may have misunderstood. The Secretary-General has never regarded you as an opponent, so there is no winner or loser."
Wang Yajuan is no longer the little girl who could only dance a few years ago; her language is sharp yet polite.
She glanced at the driver, and Yu Zhe took the luggage that Liu Hongmei had placed on the service counter.
"Thank you, I can take it myself."
Liu Hongmei wanted to refuse, but Yu Zhe had already taken her luggage and gone outside.
She looked at Wang Yajuan with some indignation, wanting to say something, but held back.
"Please thank Secretary-General Li for his kindness. I'm sorry to have troubled him by coming to Gangcheng this time."
These words, though spoken in a moderate tone, expressed her dissatisfaction and served as a verbal rebuttal.
Wang Yajuan didn't seem to care much. She smiled, raised her hand to indicate the doorway, and said, "I'll see you out."
Liu Hongmei glanced at her, then took her ID and change from the receptionist and walked towards the door.
Yu Zhe had already opened the car door for her, showing great attentive service.
"You're Secretary Li's driver, right?"
After stepping out of the car wearing a long trench coat, Liu Hongmei stopped at the car door. She looked at Yu Zhe standing outside the car, nodded slightly, and said, "Thank you."
"You're too kind, it's what I should do."
Yu Zhe was truly polite. After saying this, he saw her lower her head and get into the car, and then he closed the car door for her.
Wang Yajuan nodded at him and said, "Let's go to the train station."
Yu Zhe waited until she got into the back seat before getting into the car, starting the engine, and driving away.
Liu Hongmei sat in the car without saying a word, ignoring Wang Yajuan sitting next to her, and only turned her head to look at the scenery along the road outside the metallurgical plant area.
It wasn't until the car left the metallurgical plant area and passed a construction site that she turned back and asked Wang Yajuan, "When does your group plan to establish a Liaodong company, or a Northeast company?"
"What? I don't understand what you mean."
Wang Yajuan raised her eyebrows and asked in confusion, "Are you asking about the sales branch?"
"It is the general corporation that coordinates and manages industrial enterprises in Liaodong."
Liu Hongmei glanced at her, and seeing that she wasn't pretending to be stupid, she gave an explanation and then looked out the car window at the office building that was almost completed.
The building wasn't very tall, only four stories, but it occupied a large area and had a very imposing, square shape.
“Your Secretary-General Li is ambitious.” She pointed to the office building and said, “Look how imposing this office building is.”
"How come I didn't notice?"
Wang Yajuan followed her gesture and looked outside, then frowned and asked, "Is there any difference between this building and the buildings in the city?"
This means, "Haven't you ever seen a building before? Why is everything the group does wrong?"
Liu Hongmei didn't mean it that way. She curled her lip, turned around and looked at her, asking, "What do you think this office building looks like in this location?"
"What does it resemble?" Wang Yajuan asked, raising an eyebrow. "What else could a building resemble?"
“Look, that part is slightly higher, and this part is slightly lower.” Liu Hongmei leaned back and pointed to Wang Yajuan beside her, asking, “Doesn’t the building look like a coffin to you?”
"What!" Wang Yajuan stared at her with wide eyes, then looked out the window in disbelief.
Both of them felt a noticeable jolt in the car, which was probably because Yu Zhe accidentally stepped on the brake.
This is also the question that puzzled Wang Yajuan. It was clearly an ordinary office building, but Liu Hongmei interpreted it as a coffin.
"Reporter Liu, a kind word warms the heart for three winter months, while a harsh word chills the heart for six summer months. Please be careful with your words."
She looked at Liu Hongmei seriously and said, "I don't think we've done anything wrong in terms of hospitality when you came to Gangcheng. We didn't expect your gratitude, so there's no need to slander us like this."
"Do I call this defamation?" Liu Hongmei raised an eyebrow at her and said, "You don't understand what I mean, do you? What does this coffin mean?"
"What do you mean?" Wang Yajuan narrowed her eyes slightly, as if she was trying her best to control her emotions.
She was representing Li Xuewu and the group's Liaodong Industrial Leadership Team to see Liu Hongmei off. Now she represented the group's image, so no matter how rude the other party was, she had to maintain the necessary restraint.
However, the other party really went too far.
"Heh heh—a coffin—"
Liu Hongmei didn't pay much attention to her serious expression. Looking at the buildings passing by outside the window, she murmured, "Coffin, coffin, promotion and wealth."
"I'm afraid only you would interpret it that way."
Wang Yajuan suddenly felt it was absurd and ridiculous; what was all this about?
"The office building is higher on one side and lower on the other, which is a slope designed to cope with rain and snow."
She explained according to her own understanding: "In the Northeast region, the snow accumulation in winter is enough to crush residential houses, let alone office buildings with larger rooftop areas."
"If you look at us with prejudice, then we must be wrong in every way."
"Do you really think so?"
Liu Hongmei looked at her and said calmly, "How do you explain what happened at the entrance of the Dongfeng Renewable Energy Processing Plant? You're a journalist too, you should understand what I'm talking about."
What are you trying to say?
Wang Yajuan narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "The leaders of the treatment plant have also made their statements, and the industrial park's security department has also taken action against the relevant personnel. Do you still think this is a conspiracy?"
"Otherwise what? What a coincidence?"
Liu Hongmei gave her a half-smile, then looked out the car window at the bustling scene outside.
Modern construction machinery was deployed to the construction site, and the sides of the road were dug up deeply, with the initial excavation being carried out using open ditch operations.
“I’ve already said it, you’re looking at us with prejudice, so whatever we do is wrong.”
Wang Yajuan shook her head slightly, also avoiding looking at her, and instead looked ahead and said, "The Secretary-General doesn't want to be impolite, but I think he's still being too polite."
“He wasn’t just being polite; he was warning me,” Liu Hongmei said calmly, looking out the window. “If I’m politely escorted out of the country, I’ll never be able to come back.”
“You’re overthinking it. The Secretary-General didn’t say that.” Wang Yajuan chuckled at her overthinking and shook her head slightly, saying, “We welcome anyone to visit the industrial zone, but only if they are true friends.”
"Actually, you're quite good at swearing too."
Liu Hongmei suddenly turned to Wang Yajuan and said, "It's just not as vulgar as your secretary-general's insults."
"I don't want to explain anymore." Wang Yajuan shook her head slightly and said, "I don't even want to take out the local specialties he prepared for you from the trunk when I take you to the station later. I'm really afraid you'll overthink and write something."
She turned and stared directly into the other person's eyes without any hesitation, saying, "Our Secretary-General mentioned a mental illness in his book 'Criminal Psychology' called paranoia. You should really read his book; it might be helpful to you."
"Hehe—" Liu Hongmei was amused by her words and turned to look ahead, saying, "Do you think I have a mental illness or a psychological problem?"
“If I were really sick, why would I come to Steel City and be worth your Secretary-General’s painstaking scheming against me?”
"But I didn't come for nothing."
She turned to Wang Yajuan and said, "To be treated this way by Secretary-General Li, I feel it's all worth it."
"Do you really think so?"
Wang Yajuan looked at her with amusement and said, "Actually, the Secretary-General never really paid attention to your arrival or your comments in the newspapers."
“Do you know what he said to me?” Without waiting for the other person to think or answer, she bluntly said, “He quoted a famous saying of Voltaire: ‘I disagree with every word you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.’”
"He told me that journalists need independence, courage, and the right to speak."
Wang Yajuan narrowed her eyes slightly and said firmly, "I can guarantee you with my integrity that the Secretary-General has never issued any instructions that are detrimental to you, nor has he ever asked us to obstruct your investigation."
"He did say that your arrival is not a bad thing for the group or for the Steel City Industrial Zone."
"He really said that?" Liu Hongmei asked with amusement, "You haven't been brainwashed by him, have you?"
“You’ve experienced it firsthand, I don’t need to tell you,” Wang Yajuan said calmly. “He didn’t even stop you from going to the factory to investigate, so why would he stop you from going to a company outside the group? Do you think that’s possible?”
"Don't blame all problems on the problem itself; you should also examine whether you are the root cause of the problem."
She said bluntly, "I've met that driver too. He regrets what he did and wants to apologize to you in person."
"However, after careful consideration, the security department did not grant his request because it would contradict the very meaning of handling the incident."
Wang Yajuan tilted her head slightly and looked at her, emphasizing, "If it weren't for your remembered identity, and if the Secretary-General hadn't spoken up, the Security Department would never have let you leave so easily. That's what I'm saying."
"According to the Group's Security Management Regulations, any party involved in a conflict should voluntarily accept investigation and handling, cooperate with the security department before a conclusion is reached, and should not leave the designated area without authorization."
She shrugged and said, "Now that the Secretary-General's car is taking you to the train station, it's as if the Secretary-General is vouching for you."
"I don't know what he did to offend you that he's being treated so differently."
You'll never understand.
Liu Hongmei turned to look out the car window; they were almost at the train station. "It's a good thing they don't understand."
“Hehe—” Wang Yajuan suddenly sneered: “I really don’t understand you so-called reporters from major newspapers. Are you just being mysterious, or do you really have some unspeakable secrets? Why are you speaking so cryptically?”
"Hehe, just take it as me being mysterious, but I still want to thank you for coming to see me off."
When the car stopped in the square, Liu Hongmei looked at Wang Yajuan beside her and said, "Please thank Secretary-General Li again for me. He won this time, and I wish him continued success in the future."
After saying that, without waiting for Wang Yajuan to say anything more, she got off the bus, took the luggage bag that Yu Zhe handed her, and did not take the dried fruit gift box that Li Xuewu had prepared. She turned around, went up the steps, and walked towards the waiting hall.
Yu Zhe, holding the gift box in his hand, looked helplessly at the desolate figure, and then at Director Wang who was getting out of the car.
"Director Wang, this..."
"Take it back." Wang Yajuan said calmly, watching the departing figure. "Since they don't appreciate it, let's not be presumptuous."
Yu Zhe's brain was practically turning to mush from listening to their conversation the whole way. He never expected that Director Wang would start speaking in the same sharp and sarcastic style as that reporter Liu.
(End of this chapter)