MMB Chapter 1548 Definitely next time
Chapter 1548 Definitely next time
Chapter 1548 Definitely next time
The guesthouse of Fengcheng Machinery Factory was quite well-equipped; it was merged into Hongxing Factory along with Fengcheng No. 1 Machinery Factory.
Actually, at that time, the industrial enterprises in Northeast China all had some assets, so it wasn't difficult for them to accumulate wealth.
Of course, it depends on who you're comparing yourself to.
It is no match for advanced industrial enterprises abroad. This resource-rich province, which has always been a strategic location for military strategists, has been rich in the past few decades, but the people have not enjoyed the fruitful results of resource development.
It was only after the founding of the People's Republic of China that the people were liberated and became masters of their own destiny, which led to the current comfortable life that generally exceeds the welfare standards of industrial enterprises nationwide.
With increased population mobility in the 1990s, people from other regions often perceived Northeasterners as well-dressed, loud-voiced, fond of good food and entertainment, and pretentious.
Actually, not all of them are born this way; some have indeed been wealthy in one or two lifetimes, like the working class today.
Li Xuewu hadn't realized this before, but after he started working in Liaodong, he discovered that the purchasing power there was generally stronger than in the Guanzhong Plain. Trendy items that were not common in the South could be found in even the slightly larger county towns in Northeast China.
These days, it's not an exaggeration to say that Northeast China is a little richer than Hong Kong; the standard of living there is better than in any other region of the country.
If it weren't for policy adjustments, and if industrial development and economic development hadn't come together, how could the former few thousand Hongxing factories have had the strength and capabilities to qualify for a cross-provincial merger with a large enterprise like Fengcheng No. 1 Machinery Factory?
Even now, there are still voices within Fengcheng Machinery Factory opposing the merger at the time, arguing that Hongxing Factory lacks the capacity for cross-provincial management.
Of course, such voices are becoming fewer and fewer now; they are mostly just the resentment and complaints of certain vested interests.
Fengcheng No. 1 Machinery Factory was acquired by Hongxing under the guidance of the provincial industry department. To put it bluntly, it had little to do with the factory's assets and strength at the time. It was artificially controlled and was also a form of enterprise introduction and resource integration.
The provincial industrial sector hoped that Honggang Group, which was already showing signs of rising at the time, would take root and flourish in Liaodong, and that Honggang Group's technological innovation and advanced management would provide new management solutions for the heavy industry in Liaodong.
Fengcheng No. 1 Machinery Plant is highly representative and also meets the development needs of Honggang Group. It can be said that Honggang Group and the provincial industry hit it off immediately.
There were certainly dissenting voices within the First Machinery Plant, especially given the relatively tough and serious management style of the Honggang Group, which resulted in many employees being reassigned at the time.
To put it nicely, it's an adjustment; to put it bluntly, it's being removed from the employee recruitment list.
Honggang Group didn't want them, and the provincial industrial authorities coordinated to give them to other industrial enterprises, leaving them as unwanted by anyone.
Everyone has relatives; blood is thicker than water. These people also had relatives who stayed in the machinery factory. There was a period of fluctuation during the technological changes and management reforms, but it was quickly suppressed.
The management team assigned by Honggang Group was not composed of those who had been terrified during the intensive study campaign; they immediately adopted a multi-pronged approach and employed a variety of methods.
After Li Xuewu came to work in Liaodong, he visited Fengcheng Machinery Factory many times to conduct research, aiming to reassure the employees while also supervising its management and development.
The merger of Fengcheng No. 1 Machinery Plant was presided over by Jing Yunong, the deputy director in charge of economic work at the time. After the merger was completed, Honggang Group established a plant-level management team.
The Fengcheng No. 1 Machinery Plant, which originally had multiple branch factories and subsidiaries, was dismantled. Only the machinery manufacturing plant was retained in the Fengcheng area. The other branch factories were either functionally incorporated into the main plant area, transferred to the steel city industrial zone, or were laid off on-site or packaged and sold.
Therefore, the Fengcheng Machinery Manufacturing Plant now appears more streamlined and easier to manage than the original No. 1 Machinery Plant.
The land vacated after the branch factories were closed or restructured has given the main factory area more construction space.
Honggang Group is not here to integrate resources and repackage them for a fortune; it truly aims to establish an industrial enterprise.
With the backing of the provincial industrial sector, and millions invested, anyone who does the math will have to shut up.
The machinery factory has its original foundation, as well as advanced technologies and equipment injected and introduced by the group. At the same time, the management model and policies of the large-scale learning activities have been adjusted.
Now, the company has been revitalized and has new momentum for industrial research and development and production.
According to Xiao Zihong, the head of Fengcheng Machinery Manufacturing Plant, in the nearly three years he has been at the plant, provincial industrial leaders have visited him no less than ten times.
It wasn't just industry leaders who came; groups of people from technology research and development departments, industrial enterprises across the province, and local industrial management officials also came to visit and learn.
When other provincial units come to conduct inspections and research, the provincial industrial department always prioritizes Fengcheng Machinery Factory.
Transformation and development are the true actions taken by Fengcheng Machinery Factory to practice enterprise innovation and achieve the four modernizations.
The more the provincial industry attaches importance to Fengcheng Machinery Factory, the more outstanding the achievements of the machinery factory become. When Li Xuewu communicated with the competent department in the location of the machinery factory, he also heard them mention that because of the existence of the machinery factory, other brother enterprises in the industrial park are also making self-adjustments.
Learn from Fengcheng Machinery Factory's approach of using technological innovation to drive high-quality development, creating innovative achievements that enhance regional competitiveness, and achieving a dual improvement in technology and production capacity.
On the evening of his arrival in Fengcheng, Li Xuewu met with Jing Yunong, the group's financial director, who arrived later.
He had conducted preliminary research at Fengcheng Machinery Factory and listened to Xiao Zihong's work report.
They simply ate a meal, giving Xiao Zihong time to report to Jing Yunong.
"Sir, Comrade Zhou has arrived."
Zhang Enyuan knocked on the door and quietly reported, "Should I ask him to come over now?"
"Okay, make him a cup of tea."
Li Xuewu was reading documents and only nodded when he heard the report, his brows still furrowed.
The secretary dared not disturb him any further, turned around, gently closed the door halfway, and headed towards the reception room.
This was Zhou Changli's first time visiting the machinery factory's guesthouse, but he had heard Brother Biao mention its luxury, saying it used to be the official residence of a famous warlord.
Of course, he wasn't the most famous one, but this fertile land has never lacked heroes.
He drove himself there, and from the moment he entered the gate, the security guards thoroughly checked his identification and the details of his car.
Following the staff's directions, the car bypassed the guesthouse building and the dining hall before arriving at the independent villa area located further inside the guesthouse compound.
Even though there are only three French-style villas here, Zhou Changli thinks it's already incredibly luxurious.
The snow in the courtyard had not yet melted, and the low streetlights cast a unique glow on it.
If guesthouses these days have such scenery, how extravagant they must have been in the hands of wealthy families in the past!
Upon entering the villa, he obviously wouldn't see Brother Wu immediately; his secretary had arranged for him to stay in the reception room.
He didn't feel wronged at all for not being able to wait for Zhou Changli in the living room. He felt uneasy being alone in that large living room, and felt safer in a smaller space.
He didn't have to wait long. Shortly after the secretary left, she came to tell him that he could go upstairs, as his boss was waiting for him.
Zhang Enyuan had hardly met the other person and had no idea what the other person's relationship was with the leader.
But the fact that the leader was able to meet with him at this time speaks volumes.
Not overly polite, but not overly formal either. He didn't chat with the other person, but led them directly to the study on the second floor, knocked on the door again, made way for them, and invited them to go in first.
Zhou Changli was somewhat unaccustomed to these etiquettes and walked into the room, which was covered with a thick carpet, with an awkward smile.
"Wu..." He was about to call out to him, but seeing the imposing presence emanating from Li Xuewu behind the desk when he raised his head, he immediately changed his address, "Good morning, leader."
"You've learned to be polite? Please sit down."
Li Xuewu glanced at him, gestured casually towards the sofa, and then returned his gaze to the documents in his hand.
Zhou Changli pursed his lips and glanced back at the secretary who had escorted him up. Secretary Zhang also looked at him before going to the tea cabinet to make tea.
He didn't know what to do next. All the things he had prepared on the way here seemed to have vanished with the piss he had urinated on the way.
Zhang Enyuan brewed some hot tea and, seeing that he was still standing, placed the tea on the coffee table and gestured for him to sit down there.
"Thank you." He had to learn these polite phrases; he was now a figure of some importance in a certain field in Fengcheng.
Yes, he was referring to the distribution of goods.
The kind that's more privately owned...
Li Xuewu finished reading the documents in his hand before getting up and walking out from behind his desk.
"You came alone?"
Seeing that Zhou Changli was about to get up again, he waved his hand to indicate that he didn't need to be polite, walked to the three-seater sofa and sat down. Zhang Enyuan poured him more tea, put the teacup on the coffee table, and then turned to leave.
"Yes, I drove here myself."
Zhou Changli grinned and chuckled dryly, explaining, "Originally, the third brother was going to come with me, but Da Ku had something come up, so I sent him to keep an eye on things over there."
"Yeah, you're very busy before and after the New Year, right?"
Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then gestured for him to drink tea as well.
Zhou Changli nervously picked up the teacup and took a sip, but quickly put it down again when he saw that Zhou was looking at him.
"It's alright, I'll only be busy for a few months, it'll pass." He clenched his hands, waiting for Li Xuewu's test, as if he were entering an examination hall.
Li Xuewu did not make things difficult for him, but only inquired about his living conditions in Fengcheng and the actual difficulties he faced.
This made Zhou Changli relax a little. After chatting for a while, he remembered the report he had prepared on the way and took the initiative to report it to him.
"Brother Wu, today's main sales targets for the Fengcheng branch have increased compared to previous years..."
Before he could finish speaking, having only just begun, he was interrupted by Li Xuewu waving his hand.
"You don't need to report these tasks to me anymore."
Li Xuewu looked at him and said, "You must know who to report to, right?"
After saying that, he looked Zhou Changli up and down and asked, "You've been married for almost a year, haven't you? No children yet?"
“I was thinking about it, but her younger brothers are still too young and need someone to take care of them, and I…”
He scratched his head, smiled awkwardly, and explained, "We're all still young, it's okay to wait a little longer."
"How old is the youngest?" Li Xuewu knew about his girlfriend's family situation from what Zhao Laosi had mentioned.
“Old Gada is 13. I arranged for him to go to school in Fengcheng. How can he not go to school at this age?”
Zhou Changli rubbed his chin sheepishly and said, "The eldest and second eldest are learning how to do things from me."
"Wang Ya is a good older sister."
Li Xuewu smiled at him and teased him, "Don't you feel like you're losing out? She's only thinking about her brothers."
“Well… hey—” Zhou Changli smiled with his head down and said, “It’s already pretty good that someone like me is loved, what’s there to be picky about?”
"Besides, she's not that kind of person."
He offered an explanation for his partner: "The three boys are just too much to handle. We need the eldest and second eldest to be more settled so we can take care of ourselves."
“An elder sister is like a mother, so as her brother-in-law, I have to take care of her feelings.”
Fearing that Li Xuewu might misunderstand or look down on his family, Zhou Changli also told him about Wang Ya's situation.
After listening to him, Li Xuewu nodded and then asked, "Your father-in-law didn't come to Fengcheng to cause you any trouble?"
“I came here, but I didn’t even get to see them. Wang Ya and my brothers-in-law took them away.”
Zhou Changli smiled awkwardly and said, "I was thinking of giving him some money to get rid of him, but Wang Ya disagreed, saying that her father is a dog... that kind of person, he can't change."
He only got halfway through his sentence before realizing he shouldn't have said that to Li Xuewu.
How is things at home?
Li Xuewu stopped asking about Wang Ya's situation and instead inquired about her family's circumstances.
“It’s great. My dad’s job is stable, so he doesn’t have to worry about us siblings anymore. We’re much more comfortable.”
He smiled and said, "I received a letter last month telling me that I didn't need to send money home anymore, and that my second son had found a job in the neighborhood and was learning to drive."
"I know it was arranged by Brother Shen."
Zhou Changli is very smart; he knows exactly what kind of person his younger brother is.
Despite his snarling and boisterous behavior on the streets back then, his younger siblings were all honest and well-behaved kids.
His second brother was especially honest and never made a mistake; as the old saying goes, he was a simpleton.
Everyone says this kind of personality is good, but honest people get bullied, and it's even harder to find a job.
He originally planned to bring his second brother to Fengcheng for training when he was a little older, and he was willing to take the risk even if Brother Wu found out.
It's not right for the brother-in-law to take care of his sister while his own siblings are left to fend for themselves.
I never expected that my second brother would be recruited by the neighborhood committee last year, supposedly to learn to drive and become a truck driver.
Even a complete idiot could figure out what was going on here. Shen Guodong was extremely influential in Dongcheng, and taking care of his family was no problem at all.
When he talked to Zhao Laosi about this on the phone, Zhao Laosi also told him that Li Xuewu's arrangement for Shen Guodong to develop in Beijing was actually based on this plan and preparation.
Of these people who came from the capital, who among them brought their families and were completely uprooted?
They all have family in Beijing. If they didn't have connections to take care of them, who could work hard with peace of mind?
Zhou Changli's contributions were enough, so his family members naturally enjoyed the same treatment, as did Zhao Laosi.
He has younger brothers and sisters. Zhao Laosi also has two younger brothers. Even more powerful than him are Zhao Laowu and Zhao Laoliu, who were already arranged to join the family by the shameless Zhao Laosi.
Li Xuewu doesn't object to his siblings helping each other. It's fine when they're learning in the early stages, but once they take on leadership roles, they can't get together anymore.
So the three Zhao brothers went their separate ways.
Now Zhou Changli has also realized this, and his younger brother is doing better in Beijing than following him.
With Shen Guodong around, there's no need for him to worry about whether his younger brother will be bullied.
Of course, since he enjoys this treatment, he has to work even harder.
However, Li Xuewu wouldn't listen to his reports, which made him feel somewhat frustrated.
"Okay, as long as you're all doing well, that's fine."
Li Xuewu smiled and nodded, saying, "Work hard, settle down and start a family, that's what the old saying goes."
"I understand, thank you, Brother Wu."
Zhou Changli didn't understand why he had called him over at this time, without saying anything important, and only chatting about everyday things.
When Secretary Zhang saw him out, he was still a little confused. Was Brother Wu only concerned about him?
"I have a bit of a headache." Jing Yunong rubbed his temples and squinted at Li Xuewu across from him. "It seems like I caught a chill."
"The weather in Northeast China, especially at night, can easily cause you to catch a cold if you're not careful."
Li Xuewu stood up, walked over, and reached out to touch her forehead to check her temperature. Looking at her docile appearance, he teased her, "Actually, feeling the temperature isn't accurate. Do you know where to measure body temperature most accurately?"
"Do you have any sense of decency?" Jing Yunong rolled his eyes at him, then closed his eyes and said, "If it weren't for you, would I have come to Fengcheng to suffer like this?"
"Really?" Li Xuewu looked at her suspiciously and asked, "You didn't come here to lay low?"
"Can you tell if the temperature is high or low just by touching it?"
Jing Yunong opened his eyes, looked at him suspiciously, and glanced at the shameless man.
Li Xuewu smiled, turned around and went to the tea cabinet, saying, "You have a bit of a fever, drink more hot water, or should I give you an injection?"
"Get out of here—" Jing Yunong rolled over and lay face down on the bed, saying listlessly, "You'll get nowhere."
"This is my room."
Li Xuewu chuckled and emphasized, then picked up his teacup and walked back to the bedside, gesturing to her, "My suggestion is to drink more hot water."
As Jing Yunong rolled his eyes and took the water glass, he added, "If it doesn't work, give me another injection."
"I don't have the strength to go back now."
Jing Yunong was arranged to stay next door. He came alone, avoiding his secretary. She naturally wanted him when she came to Fengcheng, otherwise, it would have been a wasted trip.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. I caught a cold as soon as I landed, and it wasn't appropriate for me to do *that* in that state.
Li Xuewu was joking, of course; he wasn't crazy enough to want to experience what a body temperature of 38.5 degrees Celsius felt like.
"If only we had a heated kang (traditional Chinese bed)."
He reached out and touched Jing Yunong's lower body, saying, "A cold is actually the easiest to cure. Just cover yourself with a thick blanket and keep it moist. Sweating it out all night should be enough."
"Who could stand it? It's so uncomfortable."
Jing Yunong looked at him and said, "Why don't you take me back? I don't want to infect you."
"I'm fine, but I'm afraid you'll catch a cold if you go back now and then."
Li Xuewu left the room, went next door and brought back another quilt to cover her.
"No matter how uncomfortable you are, you have to endure it. Keep the hot water on and you'll feel better once the cold is released."
He reminded Jing Yunong, "It's best not to let it pass through the lungs, otherwise there's a risk of pneumonia."
"Got it, thank you."
Jing Yunong lay back down on the bed, watching him busy himself, and said calmly, "I didn't expect you to have this side to you?"
"Which side?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and asked, "You mean the ability to take care of people?"
“Heh—” Jing Yunong didn’t speak, but just smiled at him.
What kind of person am I in your heart?
Li Xuewu sat on the sofa by the bed, crossed his right leg, and looked at her, asking, "Handsome, dashing, elegant, and gentle as jade?"
"Hehehe, can you stop making me laugh?"
Jing Yunong was amused by him and tilted his head to look at him, saying, "What you're saying has nothing to do with you."
"No way?" Li Xuewu tilted his head, gesturing for her to look again. "Take a good look, or I'll go find you a mirror?"
He wasn't referring to a mirror as a reflection, but rather to eyeglasses, which earned him another eye roll from Jing Yunong.
"I'm so sure because I'm not blind."
Jing Yunong turned his head, squinted slightly at the pattern on the wallpaper, and said, "Men are all the same."
"Hey, I think I know."
Li Xuewu suddenly looked at her with a knowing expression and said, "When a woman says something like that, it means she's having relationship troubles or life troubles."
"Anyone can say something like 'one bad apple spoils the whole bunch,' but not often."
He teased her, pretending to be a psychologist, saying, "Why don't you share your troubles with me?"
"What? You want to have some fun?"
Jing Yunong turned to look at him and said, "Do you particularly enjoy hearing this kind of thing, and find it funny to laugh at my failure?"
"Look at you, you're overthinking it."
Li Xuewu leaned back on the sofa with a smile, raising an eyebrow and saying, "How about I share my failure with you first?"
"I don't want to hear it. Not a single word you said is true. It's all lies and nonsense."
Jing Yunong wouldn't fall for his tricks; that bastard is never serious.
Li Xuewu shrugged helplessly and said, "Actually, I really wanted to talk to you about this. I've had a lot of upsetting things going on lately."
"A steel and gas production accident?"
Jing Yunong, of course, knew this, and looked at him, saying, "Hesitation will only lead to trouble."
"You don't want to give Lao Su the opportunity to undermine the foundation of Liaodong's industry, do you?"
She earnestly reminded him, "Don't be overconfident and think that Liaodong Industry is a monolithic entity. Maybe the person you're trying to protect isn't even on your side."
"Whom am I supposed to protect?" Li Xuewu smirked and said, "I never said I was going to protect anyone."
He stood up, walked to the other side of the bed, lay down next to her, put his hands behind his head, looked at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, and said, "You weren't down there, so you don't know how difficult it is to weigh the pros and cons."
"It's not important whether Lü Yuanshen is mentioned or not; what's important is that we can't let it affect the development of the steel and gas industry."
Li Xuewu turned to look at her and emphasized, "Steel and Automobile has only been established for three years, and we haven't had the time and energy to develop a complete organizational structure yet."
"Actually, you should know this better than I do. Whether it's a branch office or a production unit, the management capabilities of the deputy positions are generally lacking."
He lay back down and explained helplessly, "It will take several years to shorten and make up for this deficiency."
"Moving any piece at this point would be a dangerous move for the entire game."
"It seems you really aren't soft-hearted."
Jing Yunong's voice was somewhat muffled, with a slight nasal tone, as he said, "The pressure from the group is also considerable, so your job is indeed not easy."
"I'm conflicted. I don't want Lao Li to throw a punch, nor do I want Lao Su to trip me up."
He turned around, looked at Jing Yunong's profile, and asked, "Do you think it's meaningful to keep going through all this trouble?"
"You're asking me this?" Jing Yunong suddenly found it amusing, glanced at him, and asked, "Have you forgotten how you got to where you are today?"
"It's all thanks to my work performance and hard work."
Li Xuewu curled his lip and emphasized, "Do you agree with this?"
“What if I don’t agree?” Jing Yunong retorted, “Are you going to retaliate against me?”
"I'll give you an injection, using the thickest needle."
Li Xuewu threatened menacingly, "You don't want your butt to get a bloody spanking, do you?"
Jing Yunong rolled his eyes at him and said, "That's all you've got. You can't even be threatened by Old Su."
"Actually, I don't have any negative emotions."
Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and looked at her, saying, "I would prefer to hear different voices within the group. If everyone speaks in unison, I'm afraid the higher-ups will take action before I even have a chance to worry."
He pointed to Jing Yunong's heart under the blanket and reminded her, "So you should also be careful not to follow the crowd and have your own temper."
"Isn't my temper enough right now?"
Jing Yunong narrowed his eyes and said, "Should I start by targeting you? It wouldn't be too much for me to kick you when you're down, would it? After all, we have a deep-seated conflict."
"Indeed, very deep."
Li Xuewu closed his eyes helplessly and said, "Yes, I should be in a more difficult situation at this time. How could you stand idly by? How can you vent your anger without kicking me a couple of times?"
"Then it's settled."
Jing Yunong said with a smile, "I will send back one-third of the applications that you submit from Liaodong in the next six months."
"Isn't this a bit too harsh?"
Li Xuewu opened his eyes, glared at her, and said, "This isn't just kicking someone when they're down, it's beating them to the punch. You're even more ruthless than Old Su."
"Isn't that perfect?" Jing Yunong smiled slyly and asked, "What do you think Old Su will think if I go this far?"
"Don't go too far. If Lao Su is finished, it won't do either of us any good, especially for you."
Li Xuewu nodded at her and reminded her, "Old Li is getting a bit arrogant; someone needs to trip him up."
"You're truly unwavering in your determination to keep Old Li in check," Jing Yunong said with admiration, looking at him. "If I ever reach that point, are you also planning to find someone to check me?"
“You don’t need checks and balances; you don’t have that ambition.” Li Xuewu said quite frankly, “Old Li’s ambition is something you’d never imagine.”
"Do you know what? The danger of his burgeoning ambition doesn't stem from ambition itself, but from his ignorance."
Li Xuewu emphasized very seriously: "It is his ignorance of the future situation, as well as his lack of key abilities and shortcomings in action."
"Running too fast might cause you to tear your balls."
"Your description is quite apt—" Jing Yunong shook his head with amusement and sighed, "I really don't understand you anymore. What exactly is your relationship with Old Li?"
She turned to look at Li Xuewu and asked suspiciously, "You must support his work; the entire group firmly believes that."
"But you were also the one who tripped him up the most, without even realizing it himself."
Jing Yunong turned around and faced him directly, asking, "So, are you his supporter or his nightmare?"
"All I can say is that I acted out of a sense of public duty."
Li Xuewu pursed his lips and said with a smile, "I don't want to see him suffer, and I can't bear to see him not suffer at all."
"You really are a complete... bastard!"
Jing Yunong perfectly captured what kind of person he is.
Li Xuewu did not object to this point, and said frankly: "Honggang Group needs Director Li, a Director Li who is humble and always striving, not an arrogant Director Li."
Jing Yunong could understand what he was saying, of course. He looked at him and asked, "Then what kind of financial director does Honggang Group need? Someone who listens to the secretary-general?"
"If you're being good, you should get the shot."
Li Xuewu smiled mischievously and said, "Actually, it heals faster this way because you sweat quickly."
-
Because CFO Jing Yunong's cold worsened, the research trip had to be postponed. Li Xuewu led a team to Tadong Airport to meet with the receiving team stationed there and held an on-site working meeting.
Jing Yunong's main tasks in Fengcheng were to visit the Fengcheng Machinery Factory and Tadong Airport, listen to Bu Qingfang's report from United Energy, and conduct research on the United Energy power plant project.
But in her current condition, she can neither go to the scene nor has the energy to listen to reports, so she can only rest.
She should have listened to Li Xuewu; perhaps one injection would have cured her, instead of her needing an IV drip now.
It did not develop into pneumonia, but Jing Yunong needed to recover as quickly as possible, so he used antibiotics.
These days, antibiotics really work for colds, and people recover very quickly, sometimes even recovering overnight, unlike in later years when it would take seven or eight days to get better.
Jing Yunong stayed at the guesthouse, while Li Xuewu met Wang Xin, who had specially waited for them at Tadong Airport.
"Your feelings must be quite different this time than last time you came here, right?" Wang Xin gestured towards the airport below the glass window and asked him, "Do you have the determination to make a big splash?"
“Not at all. I’m thinking about how to plug this hole.” Li Xuewu turned to look at him and said, “The head of the receiving team just told me that the annual number of passengers at Tadong Airport is less than one-tenth of the total number at Fengcheng Airport. What’s going on?”
"Sigh, is there even a need to say it?"
Wang Xin sighed helplessly and said, "Although the Third Ministry of Machinery Industry allocated the airport to us, it is mainly used for daily training, and the planes taking off and landing are all fighter jets. How could we possibly allocate so many passenger planes?"
That's why there's such a big hole.
Li Xuewu nodded knowingly, expressing the same conviction that left Wang Xin shaking his head in exasperation.
"What are you going to do?"
Looking at the empty airport runway, Wang Xin asked, "Are you trying to increase passenger volume, or are you planning to do something else?"
"I haven't decided yet. Let's talk about it when I do." Li Xuewu never gave a straight answer, no wonder Jing Yunong didn't want to listen to his nonsense.
Although Wang Xin didn't know as much about him as Jing Yunong, he had long since figured out what kind of person he was.
"We've already signed the cooperation agreement, and the airport procedures have begun. Are you still going to be wary of me?"
He said with a laugh, "You, Secretary-General Li, don't need to be so cautious. I'm not an enemy."
"But you're one of us too."
Li Xuewu first made a joke at him, but seeing that he was about to roll his eyes in anger, he said calmly, "I really haven't made up my mind what to do yet."
Without waiting for him to ask any further questions, he said, "Let's reopen the sea routes between the Northern Soviet Union and Japan first. It would be even better if we could open up the Northern Dynasty."
He walked to the sofa in the airport lounge, sat down, and looked out the window at the airport, saying, "Our ultimate ideal is to open a cargo route to East Germany, and we are confident that this route will be profitable."
"Of course! You certainly have confidence."
Wang Xin also became interested in his introduction, sat down next to him, and said earnestly, "If Tadon Airport can really open up a route to East Germany, then Fengcheng will definitely become a distribution center for advanced European goods."
“Shipping costs are still quite high.” Li Xuewu shook his head slightly and said with a smirk, “I’m not sure if we have the purchasing power for expensive goods here.”
"So you're planning to come back empty-handed?"
Wang Xin glanced at him and said, "Impossible, is it for transporting high-precision industrial equipment?"
“We have made that preparation, but not all of them.” Li Xuewu looked at him and said, “There are also people, engineers and technicians from East Germany.”
“We purchased a large number of industrial projects from East Germany, and they will provide technical support.”
He shrugged and explained, "We plan to apply for the route based on this reason. Whether it will be approved depends on what the higher-ups think."
"The group is working on this."
“I told you you must have a plan.”
Wang Xin nodded and readily said, "If you need anything from us, just let us know, don't hesitate to ask."
"Who's being polite with you—" Li Xuewu said with a smile, "I brought up the large cargo plane with you a long time ago, is there any progress now?"
"Um—this—it'll be soon."
Wang Xin didn't expect him to ask this so suddenly, and hesitantly gave a vague answer.
This answer is just like "I'll definitely do it next time," "Let's have dinner together sometime," or "I'm going back to China next week"—it's all nonsense.
Li Xuewu didn't make things difficult for him. Shen Fei also had many problems, and Li Xuewu was quite surprised that they were able to reach this series of collaborations.
"If you can't produce it, then we'll have to buy the Il-14 from international traders."
"Do you have a way to get your hands on an Il-14?"
Wang Xin was somewhat skeptical of his words and reminded him, "For now, forget about it domestically. Even the supply of spare parts for repairs is a problem."
"Yes, East Germany had such channels."
Li Xuewu explained casually, "They have the license to produce it there, or Czechoslovakia would also be fine."
“That’s true.” Wang Xin realized from his words that Honggang Group planned to import transport aircraft through these two channels, which were actually the only two possible channels.
Northern Sudan is unlikely to offer a procurement plan for this aircraft unless it is an OECD member state.
East Germany needed money, and Czechoslovakia had a rebellious streak, so neither side felt much pressure doing this.
However, sourcing from domestic suppliers and sourcing from overseas suppliers are two different things, at least in terms of cost.
"Let me think of another way for you."
Wang Xin thought for a moment and said, "If all else fails, we can lower the procurement standards. Actually, there are many types of transport aircraft. For example, there is no need to use the Il-7 for short-haul transport in Northeast Asia, right?"
"The reason we chose the Il-7 is not because we have money, but because we don't," Li Xuewu explained helplessly. "It's precisely because we don't have money that we have to be very careful with our spending. The maintenance costs of older models would consume our profits, so there would be no point in using them."
"I know, I understand, I get it."
Wang Xin pressed his palms together and said seriously, "Trust me, I'm the professional."
"Give me some time, I'll go back and ask around, just in case there are other resources."
He explained, "There are some aircraft that can't be used domestically. Although they are older models, they are definitely usable and durable."
“I know you want to open up trade routes with Japan and North Korea, and these types of aircraft are sufficient.”
"Then we'll wait for your good news." Li Xuewu smiled and patted his knee, saying, "After all, like you said, you're the real expert."
"If we can really purchase more aircraft with limited funds, wouldn't that be a good thing?"
He sighed as he said this, adding, "It's all because we don't have money. If we had money and there was a market in Liaodong, we would be willing to transport beef, mutton, and seafood by plane."
"So how much do you plan to sell your beef and seafood for per pound?" Wang Xin shook his head with amusement. He really couldn't imagine what spendthrift would use an airplane to transport these things. How could someone be so extravagant just for a bite to eat?
Li Xuewu smiled and didn't explain to him how crazy this world would be, or how it would become so crazy in the future that it would feel like a makeshift operation managing the world.
Don't say that people in later generations are becoming more and more selfish. In fact, it's clear why the belief in striving for all of humanity is becoming less and less common. In fact, striving for a good life is more in line with the pursuit standards of young people.
You can say that their laziness and shirking of work, wasting their youth, is a wrong life philosophy, but you can't say that it's wrong for them not to help elderly people who have fallen. It's not that young people have changed, it's that society has changed.
Li Xuewu spent less than two hours at Tadong Airport, which included his conversation with Wang Xin.
As Wang Xin saw him off, they were still talking about industrial cooperation, mainly in the tertiary sector.
"You have a new cooperative project with the Second Automobile Works? Could you include us in it as well?"
He said this without any pressure, much more assertive than before; being a major shareholder really makes a difference.
Li Xuewu glanced back at him and said, "Why don't you take the initiative to discuss cooperation? Go talk to Second Automobile Works."
"We've only just started doing this kind of work, we're still in the learning phase, so we can't be too impatient."
Wang Xin said with a smile, "We can't just start working on projects independently right away. It's more reliable to learn and develop alongside you."
"Okay, you haven't been blinded by money."
Li Xuewu glanced at him with a smile, extended his hand and said, "I'll ask around at the Second Automobile Works when I get back to Beijing. Of course, we can cooperate if there's an opportunity."
"Let's be more reliable."
Wang Xin gripped his hand tightly and pressed on, asking, "Can't you just go back today and call to ask? We can talk anytime."
"That depends on whether you guys are reliable or not."
Li Xuewu squeezed his hand and said, "You know what I want, hmm."
"I know, I know." Wang Xin reluctantly let go of his hand and nodded, saying, "You want a big plane."