MMB Chapter 1546 Trouble rises again
Chapter 1546 Trouble rises again
Chapter 1546 Trouble rises again
"Aren't you already a conglomerate?" Gu Ning asked Li Xuewu when she got home, seeing him sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper. Remembering her colleagues' discussions, she asked, "How come you've become a conglomerate again?"
"Yeah, last time it was just a joke, this time it's for real."
Li Xuewu answered casually, then looked up at her and asked, "Why are you back so early today?"
Gu Ning was already used to his serious nonsense. She hung up her coat and replied, "I'm having a study session today. I'll be back as soon as it's over."
Li Ning jogged over to hug her and clamored for some ginger.
What is "ga ga"?
Gu Ning really didn't know how to "baby talk," so she let her son pull her finger to the cabinet. Seeing that he was pointing to the biscuits in the tin box, she asked, "Didn't Auntie feed you?"
"Meiyou—" The rest of the sentences were all normal, but the accent was the strongest when she said "Meiyou."
"Where's Er Ya?" Gu Ning glanced at the kitchen when Li Ning asked. Usually, the house wasn't this quiet after get off work; the pots and pans would have been clattering by now.
"Your daughter wants to eat roast duck."
Li Xuewu turned a page, glanced at his son, and reminded him, "You're not hungry."
"Hungry—" Li Ning looked at her father and emphasized defiantly, "Ningning is hungry—"
"He ate three big cookies in one afternoon and still says he's hungry. Has he fallen into a bottomless pit?"
Li Xuewu pointed to the fruit plate on the coffee table and said, "Eat an apple if you're hungry."
"I want to eat gaga—" Li Ning ignored him and turned to look at his mother, his eyes full of stars. He was a master at playing the victim.
He often gets disciplined by his older sister at home, but he can get forgiveness as long as he apologizes in time. He always says "I was wrong" perfectly.
"My aunt came back and we ate dinner."
Gu Ning does not spoil children; she treats Li Shu the same way, and she treats Li Ning the same way.
She ignored the "little stars" in her son's eyes and turned to go into the kitchen.
"Er Ya cooked when she left."
Li Xuewu didn't know what Gu Ning was going to do, but he still reminded her, "She said you don't need to help."
"When did you come back?"
Gu Ning brought a basin of water out of the dining room, walked to the coffee table and washed the fruit on the plate again. When Li Ning saw her doing this, he ran upstairs.
Apples are no match for gaga. Once his belly is full of apples, he can't eat gaga anymore. He's not stupid.
Although Gu Ning is a doctor, she is not a germaphobe; she just pays great attention to hygiene.
These days, the most widely treated diseases are not viral infections, but rather bacterial diseases caused by poor hygiene.
What is the most effective way to avoid bacterial infections? Wash your hands frequently.
So what Li Shu and Li Ning found most annoying and troublesome in this family was their mother's constant reminders to wash their hands before meals...
"I went to the Second Automobile Works in the afternoon, and came back early when I saw that it was almost time."
Li Xuewu put down the newspaper, looked at her, and asked, "Not busy lately? Would you like to bring the kids and come with me to Steel City for a few days?"
"No, I don't have time." Gu Ning decisively rejected his suggestion. "Last time I went, it took me several days to recover."
Gu Ning handed him the washed apple and said calmly, "Take Li Ning with you; he's willing to go out."
"Where are we going?" After hiding somewhere, Li Ning's little head reappeared at the stairwell when he heard that they were going out.
"Come down and have an apple." Gu Ning's single sentence silenced everyone at the stairwell.
She didn't force him; she simply peeled the apple with a fruit knife and separated it into pieces. There was always a way to get her son hooked.
“If he goes with me alone, he'll really be herding sheep.” Li Xuewu glanced at the stairwell and asked, “When will Li Shu get her leave?”
"You want to take two more with you?" Gu Ning's tone didn't sound suspicious or annoyed; instead, it sounded like she was pleasantly surprised.
It's like saying... You're such a nice person!
"I want to take three with me—"
Li Xuewu smiled, stood up, tossed aside the apple core in his hand, and went to the bathroom to wash his hands.
"Didn't we give you time off for the big meeting? So you're on holiday all year round?"
“There’s no one left. The medical school is short-staffed.” Even Gu Ning, with her temper, couldn’t help but complain: “Last year, they didn’t leave us a single person. They were all sent to the border regions.”
Li Xuewu knew about this matter. The higher-ups were very annoyed by the actions of some college students. Except for those majoring in more specialized fields, most of the backlog of graduates from the third cohort went to the frontier.
If he hadn't made preparations in advance, Li Xuecai would probably be making house calls at a herdsman's home right now.
Perhaps the severe shortage of personnel in certain specialized professions has affected the normal functioning of society, such as medical students, which led to the creation of targeted training quotas for those outside the worker-peasant-soldier system.
Zhou Xiaobai followed this path, starting with an internship at a medical clinic, and once he gained some experience, he was sent to a medical university for targeted training.
If nothing else changes, she will return to her original unit after four years.
Of course, her situation was special, and Gu Ning's situation was even more special. She had experience supporting the border regions on the front lines, so her workplace had no intention of letting her go.
"Change careers?" Li Xuewu teased her, "How about coming to the United Hospital? The conditions are better, not to mention the benefits. There's absolutely no pressure to take leave, and the number of cases is no less than at the main hospital."
"No, I'm too lazy to move."
Gu Ning finished slicing the apple and stood up. Without deliberately looking at the stairs, she carried the basin of water towards the dining room and said, "When Li Shu gets out of school later, have her watch Li Ning eat the apple."
“I don’t want to eat apples—” Li Ning’s whimpering voice came through, as if it were the end of the world.
Li Xuewu glanced at the restaurant with a smile and shouted to his son, "It's better to have a short pain than a long one. Wouldn't it be unfair if your sister got another slap when she got back?"
"Dad," Li Ning said earnestly, standing at the corner of the stairs, "I suddenly don't feel hungry anymore, so I won't eat the apple, okay?"
“No way.” Li Xuewu teased him deliberately, shaking his head and sighing, “There’s a kind of hunger that only your mom thinks you’re hungry. Just surrender, Li Shu will be back soon.”
"Waaaah—" Even while sobbing, Li Ning still moved step by step to the coffee table and ate the apple as if swallowing medicine.
It wasn't that he was afraid his sister would hit him; like his father just said, he just felt cheated.
"The roast duck is back!"
Er Ya, wearing a thick cotton-padded coat, left the car and went inside. As soon as she entered, she saw Li Ning crying and thought he was starving.
"Dinner will be ready soon. We'll eat as soon as my sister gets out of school, and we'll have a good meal."
"Ah—" Hearing her aunt say this, Li Ning cried even louder.
After eating a piece of apple, he was no longer hungry.
Just then, Zhao Yaping, who had gone to pick up Li Shu, also entered the house, followed by the little devil Li Shu, who was carrying a small schoolbag and following along happily.
Wow—what smells so good!
She hadn't even changed her shoes, and was about to walk towards the living room with a sniffle, when Zhao Yafang grabbed her by the back of the collar and pulled her back.
"Change your shoes, are you going to mop the floor later?"
The Great Demon King turned his head and snorted, kicked off his shoes and ran towards the restaurant. As he passed Li Ning, he slapped him across the face and scolded, "What are you crying for? All you do is cry all day long."
"Ugh—" Li Ning covered her little face and looked at her sister in disbelief, biting her lip hard to keep herself from crying too loudly.
If I don't eat the apple and you hit me, and I eat the apple and you still hit me, then I ate the apple for nothing! The apple got the short end of the stick!
-
Li Xuewu was kept by Lao Li until the 30th before he was able to get away and return to the steel city. He also participated in the entire founding ceremony of Hongxing Steel Group.
The ceremony was, of course, full of ritual. Wow, it was a cacophony of gongs and drums, firecrackers, red flags waving, and a sea of people – that's no exaggeration.
Li Xuewu not only witnessed his self-satisfaction from an outsider's perspective, but also personally participated in witnessing his high spirits and rapid progress.
During this period, after three days of intensive negotiations, the negotiation team led by Gao Yaqin officially finalized the negotiations with Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and signed a cooperation agreement on the same day.
Before the Hongxing Factory used such cooperation agreements, they had virtually no use other than in foreign affairs cooperation or foreign economic cooperation.
The reason is simple: there is currently no complete contract law in China, so what use is an agreement without legal basis?
Yes, these days, there's still a sense of credibility and face between organizations when doing business.
In the past, collaborations usually involved leaders from both sides getting together for a drink, a song, and a call of brotherhood, and that's how collaborations started.
If the leadership doesn't change, things are fine; in two or three years, all kinds of projects can be completed. But if the leadership changes halfway through the cooperation, then it's all over.
If the project is good and the new leader is decent, the project can continue. But if the leader is incompetent and the previous leader wasn't progressive, then you've really fallen into a trap.
Honggang Group pioneered the use of agreements to bind both parties in cooperation, and clearly stipulated the conditions for the project to proceed in the agreement.
Even if the cooperation is terminated halfway through, there are conditions that require asset liquidation.
Even if there is coordination, don't expect to go to court. There's nowhere to handle it. This kind of thing is meant to cause a scene and be reported to the higher-ups.
Even so, written words are more effective than empty talk at the dinner table.
So far, no entity has dared to default on its debts to Honggang Group, and other related partners have followed suit, even learning the superficiality of Honggang Group's signing ceremony.
At the signing ceremony, not only did Honggang Group arrange for reporters, but Shen Fei also brought his own people.
The group's media outlets, including the United Industries News and United Broadcasting, secured exclusive coverage and recorded the entire event on video.
In those days, television wasn't widely available, so why spend so much money on recording videos?
On the one hand, it preserves the group's development data; on the other hand, it leaves behind traces and evidence.
With written records and video evidence, if things really escalate, you could be made famous nationwide and your reputation ruined—that's a kind of deterrent.
The cooperation framework with Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) includes engine industry cooperation and in-depth development projects. SAC will coordinate the production of new engines as well as existing diesel marine engines.
Honggang Group needs engines, not only Gangqi, but also Yingcheng Shipbuilding and Gangfei. Previously, Gangqi and Gangfei had established their own engine production plants in Gangcheng Industrial Zone, while Yingcheng Shipbuilding cooperated with Bincheng Shipbuilding and used a third-party ship power system.
This collaboration will change the source and composition of the power systems for the group's three major heavy industries.
The supply chain system will be further restructured and reshuffled. The production of the first-generation Hongxing engine will be cancelled, and the second-generation Hongxing engine will be manufactured by Liming Engine Plant, which will also supply the supply chain with the latest engine models.
The power system manufacturing plant originally established by SteelCar and SteelAir will be retained to experimentally produce special engine models for supply to Tundra, etc.
Similarly, the agreement also includes the replacement of Tadong Airport with the tertiary industry of Honggang Group, and Honggang Group will soon send a pre-prepared takeover team to Fengcheng to carry out the takeover mission.
Shenfei will also arrange for a corresponding financial liquidation team to be stationed at the Third Industry Management Office of Honggang Group to liquidate the industries that have been exchanged for equivalent assets.
Gao Yaqin, who came to see Li Xuewu off, also talked about this matter. It was on the boarding tarmac, under a dark and windy sky.
What if the assets of the tertiary industry are insufficient to cover the capital?
Gao Yaqin had her hands in the pockets of her long wool coat; she had brought back quite a few clothes from her trips to the port city.
To be honest, women really have no resistance to clothes. If she weren't interested in clothing and accessories, she wouldn't have thought of getting into clothing production and trade.
Of course, she wasn't only interested in clothing, but Zhang Songying had already beaten her to it in the cosmetics category.
If it weren't for Zhang Songying's precedent, she wouldn't have thought of consulting Li Xuewu on the garment trade project.
If you're wondering what the relationship is between Zhang Songying and Li Xuewu, how she managed to get such a great project?
She didn't care about that; she only cared about what Zhang Songying could do and what she couldn't.
Gao Yaqin wasn't so confident in her own judgment and insight on this point, but she trusted Li Xuewu.
Everyone in the group knows that Li Xuewu always does things methodically, strategically, and with a sharp eye; he has never made a mistake.
She felt both envious and somewhat jealous. Despite being older and more experienced than him, she was not as capable.
The two joined the management committee around the same time. Even though she has now surpassed Li Xuewu, in terms of influence, she is far inferior to Li Xuewu.
Li Xuewu's disadvantage lies in his age, which is why he had to go to Liaodong for training, lest he progress too quickly and end up like Jing Yunong, who was lame, when he reached the management committee level.
(Jing Yunong: You saw that I was limping? You don't know, I've already found a big, strong backer. Remember, a strong one!)
She knew very well that as long as Li Xuewu was given time, he would eventually surpass her and become a key leader in the group.
She also believes in the saying "if you can't beat someone, join them" in the workplace, and that you can't fight against fate, so she accepts her fate.
After the celebratory dinner, the other leaders of the group entertained their own networks, but she was the only one who came to the airport to see them off.
Li Xuewu's decision to fly back to Gangcheng overnight was, in Gao Yaqin's view, already a statement of principle.
How do you say that?
Watching him build tall buildings, watching him entertain guests...
Li Xuewu was not a narrow-minded person; on the contrary, she saw him as an outstanding cadre with lofty ambitions.
Coincidentally, she was confident that she was also that kind of person.
While other group leaders were preoccupied with socializing and networking, she hoped to be on Li Xuewu's side.
"Unless they've gone mad."
Zhang Enyuan carried the two of their luggage onto the plane first, while Zhou Xiaoling helped them up and down the stairs.
Li Xuewu wore a long black wool coat, paired with a white scarf knitted by Ran Qiuye inside the collar. His lightning-splashed hairstyle gave him a boss-like demeanor under the airport lights.
If it weren't for the severe scar on his face that obscured his handsome features, he could truly captivate countless young women.
Of course, even now, though he has lost half of his handsomeness, he has gained a unique charm and remains captivating.
Charm is such a damn thing, it's hard to explain and you can't escape it once you're in it.
Despite not wearing many layers of clothing, Zhou Xiaoling preferred to stand in the freezing cold waiting for him to say his first words rather than go back into the cabin to warm up.
“If Wang Xin is truly interested in making a difference in the tertiary sector, he will never offend you,” Li Xuewu said, looking at her with amusement. “He is the leader in the economic work of Honggang Group.”
Is this a compliment?
Gao Yaqin smiled slightly, not too presumptuous, but worthy of Li Xuewu's teasing.
She believed Li Xuewu, and naturally she believed his words. Li Xuewu said she had a limitless future, so his words naturally came true.
If she failed to take the lead in the group's economy, it must be Li Xuewu's problem, and has nothing to do with her.
"Besides wishing you a safe journey, I also want to say that the company doesn't belong to you alone."
She raised her eyebrows, revealing a rare genuine concern, and said with concern, "You don't need to work so hard, we're here for you."
"Of course, Deputy Director Jing said she's flying to Gangcheng the day after tomorrow."
Li Xuewu said meaningfully, "I hope she's here to support me, and it would be best if she could show some concern for me."
"Haha—" Gao Yaqin found his words hilarious. "Do you need me to put in a good word for you?"
"Forget it, the conflict between me and her is probably beyond even the UN Secretary-General's ability to resolve. Don't waste your energy."
Li Xuewu was really talking nonsense. He raised his hand to the plane behind him and said, "I'll drop you off here. I still welcome you to Steel City, and you're welcome anytime."
"I believe you mean it."
Gao Yaqin smiled and said, "Shouqi has decided to deploy 100 Aries taxis to Fengcheng after operating at Tadong Airport. This is a form of support for us."
"They're shrewd, haha."
Li Xuewu chuckled and said, "100 taxis. We can use them if they work, and if they don't, we can tow them back to Beijing. They're not fixed assets."
"They are not as reliable as the Second Automobile Works."
He stamped his foot; even in just leather shoes, he couldn't stand the airport night, which was probably around 25 degrees Celsius.
Of course, he meant below zero.
"Have you reached an agreement with Dongfeng Motor Corporation?"
Gao Yaqin also wanted to see him off at the airport as soon as possible, as she was also freezing, but she was more concerned about what Li Xuewu had discussed with the Second Automobile Works.
I'll talk to you about this later.
Li Xuewu glanced back at Zhou Xiaoling, patted her arm, and whispered, "Keep an eye on the movements of Sanhe Corporation for me."
“Sanhe Corporation?” Gao Yaqin was startled. Li Xuewu was so serious. Could it be that something had happened?
Sanhe Co., Ltd. failed to reach a cooperation agreement with Honggang Group during this visit, which is a huge loss of face for them. It is possible that they will retaliate in the future.
But Li Xuewu's meaning seems to go beyond that.
"Yes, Sanhe Co., Ltd."
Li Xuewu said in a lower voice, "I think they will make some unusual moves, which may be an opportunity for us."
"Strange activity?" Gao Yaqin was even more surprised, frowning as she looked at him and asked, "What kind of activity?"
"Sanhe Co., Ltd. Beijing Office"
Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes slightly and emphasized, "If nothing unexpected happens, Kenichi Nishida will definitely make some arrangements."
"What I received was that there seemed to be some problems within Sanhe's Beijing office, but I don't know the specifics yet."
He glanced around cautiously to make sure no one else could hear him before continuing, "I've already arranged for people to keep an eye on things. If anything goes wrong and I can't get back in time, you should seize the opportunity and act decisively."
"What you're talking about... it wouldn't be..." Gao Yaqin was completely shocked. This didn't seem to be the first time something like this had happened.
The first head of the Beijing office, who was also the secretary of so-and-so, got into trouble while staying in Beijing. It was Li Xuewu who handled it, and Sanhe paid for it by giving up a helicopter production line and two CNC machining centers.
No one knows what the person involved in the case that Li Xuewu handled received, but judging from the compensation provided by Sanhe, it was no small matter.
Is Sanhe's Beijing office up to something again?
Li Xuewu is the same; even when fleecing others, you shouldn't fleece just one sheep. Otherwise, you'll end up fleecing Old Li instead.
"I really don't know what happened."
Li Xuewu shook his head slightly and looked at her, saying, "My people are still trustworthy, but I can't tell you who he is."
"Just keep this to yourself, and I'll let you know."
He pointed at Gao Yaqin again and emphasized, "I'm telling you this because you're in charge of the group's financial work, understand?"
"Thank you for your appreciation and trust, Secretary-General Li—" Gao Yaqin feigned honor and performed a show of gratitude, but Li Xuewu didn't want to stand there and chatter with her any longer.
He would never have endured this cold if what he wanted to say hadn't been so confidential.
"Alright, if you need any help with the garment trade project, just give me a call. I'll do my best to help."
After discussing the classified information, Li Xuewu took the opportunity to state his own demands and conditions. Without waiting for Gao Yaqin's agreement, he turned around to shake hands with the captain and Zhou Xiaoling, and then waved goodbye before boarding the plane.
Gao Yaqin stood there watching him, inwardly complaining about his domineering attitude, but still acquiescing to the deal.
What do you mean by "contact him if needed"? It just means you want a piece of the pie in this project.
This was inevitable. Li Huaide repeatedly emphasized that the Honggang Group Management Committee was a united collective and a harmonious family. How could he allow her to fight alone?
Even Li Xuewu couldn't escape this kind of bond.
However, the advantage is that with Li Xuewu around, she can keep more of her share, which is one of the conditions she agreed to.
Some things don't need to be said too bluntly, and some things don't need to be explained too clearly; mutual understanding is enough.
Just like Zhou Xiaoling now, she still maintains a respectful and admiring attitude towards Li Xuewu, but what is the reality?
After returning home with Li Xuewu, the first thing he did was disarm himself and then follow him into the bathroom.
Hearing the noise upstairs, Banggeng couldn't help but open the door and peek towards the stairs, but he refrained from going up.
"Who is it?" A head peeked out from the doorway of his room, a short braid hanging over his shoulder. He leaned against the doorway and asked softly, "Has a thief broken in?"
"No, let's go inside first and talk about it later."
Bang Geng was only wearing underwear, not even a vest, so it seemed he had gotten off the bus halfway through the journey.
He pushed his girlfriend into the house, glanced upstairs once more, then followed her in and locked the door.
What a coincidence! Bang Geng didn't know Uncle Wu was coming back today. He had been holding back for a long time before deciding to bring his girlfriend back for the night, and look what happened! What a coincidence!
"Could it be—"
His girlfriend was only five years older than him, but only about 20 centimeters taller.
You'll have to leave early tomorrow.
Banggeng said helplessly, "Uncle Wu doesn't know I brought you back."
"Oh—" his girlfriend responded dejectedly, sitting on the edge of the bed, unsure whether to continue.
Bang Geng was also a little numb. Although Uncle Wu knew he had a girlfriend, he didn't know he had such a big... boldness.
This was certainly not the first time, but it could very well be the last. He was genuinely afraid that Uncle Wu would turn on him and kick him out.
This worry caused him, at such a young age, to waste a good night's sleep until the next morning.
"Have breakfast before you go."
Banggeng stared dumbfounded at the busy figures in the kitchen; this was truly unbelievable.
It's just getting light outside, Uncle Wu, what are you doing in the kitchen! That's your job!
"Is this the girlfriend you've been hiding?"
Li Xuewu casually gestured with the shovel in his hand to the two people awkwardly standing at the door of the room, and asked with a smile.
"Um... Hello, Uncle—"
Bang Geng's girlfriend is more mature than Bang Geng, but not by much.
This refers not to the body, but to the mind.
She's five years older than Banggeng, but only three years younger than Li Xuewu, so she calls him Uncle Ji Mao!
Given the occasion, shouldn't he call him "godfather"?
"Hehe, it's not even light outside yet."
Li Xuewu pointed to the stove in the kitchen and said, "I didn't eat enough last night, and I woke up hungry this morning, so I made some rice porridge."
He invited in a very gentle tone, "Let's have something to eat together. After breakfast, I'll have Bang Geng take you home."
Bang Geng's girlfriend looked at him, then at Bang Geng, but was at a loss.
Bang Geng was also embarrassed and hesitantly asked, "Uncle Wu..."
"Hmm, let's get some staple food, open two cans of food, and make some pickles."
Li Xuewu clapped his hands, took off his apron and handed it to him, saying, "It's good that you're awake. The rest is up to you. I'm going back upstairs for a nap."
As he said this, he actually went upstairs, giving Lu Lu a smile as he passed by.
Huh? It's Lu Lu, so that's not her name!
That's right, the one before was the original one, and the one now is the current one; he changed girlfriends.
The woman who was only three years older than him wasn't enough for him, so he started dating the woman he has now.
Of course, there's also the issue of her falling in love with someone else; she went to the countryside before the new year to be with her new boyfriend, who is also from Banggeng...
It's hard to explain. The relationships between young men and women are more complicated than the relationship diagram in Dream of the Red Chamber, and the story is comparable to Water Margin.
"Jia Geng, should I leave now?"
Seeing him standing there blankly, Lu Lu tentatively asked, "Should I leave, or..."
Since they've asked that question, they must not want to leave. Bang Geng is much smarter than before.
"Forget it, you can't leave anyway."
Banggeng sighed helplessly, numbly tied the apron around his waist, and walked towards the kitchen with his head down.
"Oh, right, let me remind you." He turned around and looked at Lu Lu seriously, reminding her, "Everything you see here should stay in your heart and never be told to anyone."
After saying that, she went to the kitchen to make breakfast without waiting for Lu Lu to understand.
He finally understood. If Uncle Wu hadn't sneaked out like that, he would have just had a bowl of plain porridge for breakfast. He had walked right into the trap, and now he had all this extra work for no reason.
While giving Lu Lu his instructions, he was also thinking that he couldn't keep his girlfriend.
Of course, he wasn't going to kill him to cover it up; he wasn't that depraved.
He's planning to find a more mature woman who can understand him.
Need it to be even more mature?
At breakfast time, Zhou Xiaoling, wearing her pajamas and munching on a steamed bun, kept glancing at Bang Geng, then at Lu Lu, then back at Bang Geng, making the two of them feel uneasy.
"How old are you?" She raised her chin, gesturing to her girlfriend, who looked rather reserved, and asked, "I mean, how old are you?"
Lu Lu: Who misunderstood you! What else could it be but asking about your age, how big are your feet?
Having spent a lot of time with his godfather, Banggeng naturally picked up his mischievous side, and he certainly knew what Zhou Xiaoling meant by asking that question.
He glared at her, annoyed, warning her not to go too far, or else...
"Me? Ah, I'm twenty."
Lu Lu was a little nervous. When answering the question, the first thing she looked at was not Zhou Xiaoling, but Li Xuewu, who was calmly eating.
She had heard a lot about this big shot from Bang Geng, and it was all positive stuff.
Of course, while boasting about himself, Bang Geng didn't forget to mention the big shot behind him.
"Oh! You're twenty now—"
Zhou Xiaoling said in surprise, biting her chopsticks, "What a coincidence, I'm also twenty this year."
“Yes… is that so…”
Lu Lu smiled awkwardly, thinking to herself, what's so surprising about this? We're both women, isn't this quite a coincidence?
But Zhou Xiaoling didn't mean it that way. Her surprised expression didn't follow; her face was full of a playful smile as she glanced in the direction of the stick.
Banggeng rolled his eyes at her, not wanting to see her smug look.
Zhou Xiaoling was deliberately making fun of him, but he just wanted to find a girl who understood him.
Lu Lu actually understood him very well, but unfortunately, love always dies when it's exposed to the light of day.
Have you gone to work yet?
Zhou Xiaoling is incredibly curious, to the point that Lu Lu once suspected she was her mother-in-law.
However, this "grandmother" is a bit young, the same age as me?
That guy's godfather... isn't that old, what kind of relationship is this?
"Yes, I work at a coal depot."
Lu Lu, holding her rice bowl and looking down, replied, but then, as if afraid that her godfather across from her didn't understand her, she emphasized, "I'm not involved in organized crime."
"Ah, I can tell."
Zhou Xiaoling had no intention of taking over someone else's place. Looking at her understandingly, she said, "I can tell you're a good girl."
Lu Lu stared at her speechlessly, holding her rice bowl, wondering how she had figured it out.
Li Xuewu also wanted to remind her to tone it down, as the stick was about to die.
Sleeping with someone before marriage, especially a man so much younger than herself, is that considered a good girl?
Of course, by this standard, Zhou Xiaoling, who said this, is also a good girl.
The meal ended in an atmosphere where Li Xuewu remained silent, Bang Geng didn't want to talk, Zhou Xiaoling kept talking, and Lu Lu had no choice but to speak.
"What a lovely girl!"
Watching Bang Geng leave to see his girlfriend off, Zhou Xiaoling, standing by the window with her hands on her hips, couldn't help but sigh.
Li Xuewu tidied himself up and reminded her, "If Bang Geng comes back and wants to kill you, I won't stop him. I hope you're still alive when I come back."
"Why would I be afraid of him?"
Zhou Xiaoling proudly raised her chin, but still came to his side and gently straightened his clothes, saying, "My flight is at noon today, it's just too rushed to come and go."
Li Xuewu glanced at her, wondering what she meant. Did she want more?
"I heard the group is preparing to take over Tadong Airport. If Red Star No. 1 is permanently stationed in Fengcheng, I..."
At this point, she suddenly blushed, and Li Xuewu had no idea what she was shy about.
Seeing that Li Xuewu remained silent for a long time, Zhou Xiaoling finally mustered up her courage, raised her head, looked at him, and asked, "When...when I move to Steel City...how about that?"
"Move to Steel City?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow, looking at her with amusement as he asked, "Are you sure?"
"Huh?" Zhou Xiaoling looked at him in confusion, not understanding what he suspected.
Could it be his own loyalty?
"Even if we send a team to take over now, it won't be until the end of the year before it's truly operational."
Li Xuewu glanced at her and reminded her, "This year, my work focus will gradually shift back to Beijing. Who knows what will happen next year? Don't cry then."
"Is that so?" Zhou Xiaoling was about to cry, so embarrassed she was about to cry.
I finally mustered up the courage to confess my feelings, only to get this result.
"It's okay. If you really want to come to Steel City, I will come to see you again when I have the chance."
Li Xuewu patted her arm, smiled, and went out the door.
Zhang Enyuan stood at the door waiting for him, while Yu Zhe was wiping the car in a very professional manner.
Washing a car in the dead of winter?
"What are you looking at?"
She glared at him, annoyed. This kid must be checking if Zhou Yamei was there.
His thoughts were written all over his face, and Li Xuewu was too embarrassed to call him out.
Are women who wear glasses really that attractive?
-
As soon as Li Xuewu returned to the steel city, a whole host of troubles followed.
First, the investigation team for Furnace No. 4 encountered obstacles again, and he had no idea how many times he had to step in to mediate between the two sides.
The people who resisted the investigation team were none other than those who had participated in the design and construction of Boiler No. 4; they strongly opposed the investigation team.
I don't know if it's related to the designer's death, but these people seem to feel a sense of shared sorrow.
Li Xuewu frowned and called Yang Zongfang over, instructing him to mediate.
Note that it's not "please," but "arrange."
As the executive deputy factory director, Yang Zongfang knew he couldn't avoid this trouble.
After discussing a few things and testing Li Xuewu's attitude, he went to the scene.
As soon as Yang Zongfang left, Zhang Enyuan came in and brought him an urgent directive document from the group.
He had left the document on his desk for a long time, only opening it after Zhang Enyuan's silent urging.
There's really nothing to see here. The reason Li Huaide rushed to handle this matter is quite clear.
But he didn't want Old Li to use the "heated oil" method. Given the current situation, water droplets could fall into the oil at any moment, and what if it exploded?
But he couldn't stop Lao Li. Lao Li wasn't arrogant; he was just overconfident.
After the group's official documents were issued, he was now officially recognized as the general manager and had gained the approval and support of his superiors.
Therefore, the first step after the group became formalized was to eliminate dissenting voices and unify opinions.
He certainly wouldn't allow any dissenting voices within the Honggang Group. In private, he even complained to Li Xuewu that the group's organizational structure was almost like a vegetable market, with everyone saying the same thing.
Old Li's favorite saying, which he repeats repeatedly, is "Unite!" How do we unite? Of course, by eliminating factors that cause disunity.
So who in the group's leadership team is not united? No need to think, whoever is not united will be eliminated.
Old Li had been holding back for the sake of the bigger picture, but now he's probably reached his limit and is about to take action.
If they really took action, it would affect the overall situation of the group. Li Xuewu disagreed with him just like he mocked Lao Chang's old saying that "to fight external enemies, we must first pacify internal ones."
The situation, which had finally stabilized, is on the verge of collapse again due to a formal document issued by the group.
Once trust is broken, it is difficult to repair; it will only deepen and widen.
Xu Sinian rushed over from Yingcheng to report the good news of the successful manufacturing of cylinder oil for ocean-going ships in Bincheng, and emphasized that all major indicators have reached the world's advanced level.
Li Xuewu was indeed quite pleased. The achievement of Bincheng Shipyard indirectly alleviated the production pressure on shipyards in both locations and also provided some confidence.
This is not an isolated incident; there will be more breakthroughs in the future, signifying that China's shipbuilding industry will definitely go global and influence the world.
Looking at his worried smile, Xu Sinian felt a pain in his heels.
"What happened?"
He sat across from Li Xuewu's desk, leaned forward, and asked, "Isn't everything coming from the group good news?"
"Good thing, of course it's a good thing."
Li Xuewu glanced at him, then pushed the documents Zhang Enyuan had brought to him, indicating that he should take a good look at them.
When Xu Sinian first picked up the document, he was a little puzzled. This was not the first time such an instruction document had been issued, so why was it being issued again?
He only realized something was wrong after reading half of it. He looked up at Li Xuewu and then understood why he was so worried.
"Won't this...affect the nascent economic recovery?"
One cannot judge a problem by its surface appearance; Xu Sinian possessed a certain economic vision.
Li Xuewu sighed, looked out the window, and said, "I'm afraid it's inevitable."
“This…this…” Xu Sinian looked at the document in his hand again and again, feeling flustered.
The fervor of university studies is almost over, and now we have to start it all over again?
"Then our group..."
He only dared to say half of what he wanted to say, and the other half made him feel extremely uncomfortable.
Even though he was in great pain, he dared not say it out loud, for fear of being struck by lightning.
Li Xuewu remained silent for a long time before turning to him and instructing, "I don't care about the group, the Yingcheng ships must not be allowed to be in disarray."
"Similarly, the group's Liaodong industrial sector must not experience any development problems."
He emphasized unequivocally: "Anyone who dares to undermine the group's development is an enemy of all the group's employees, and we will resolutely eliminate them."
Xu Sinian felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Li Xuewu dared to say and do such things; he was nothing compared to him.
But Li Xuewu was his supervisor, so since Li Xuewu had already said so, he had no choice but to do as he was told.
However, he was not optimistic that after this turmoil, there would be few senior employees left in the group.
Another question is, is the group truly indestructible and destined to stand forever?