MMB Chapter 1563 Jinling
Chapter 1563 Jinling
Chapter 1563 Jinling
"Secretary-General, this is a confidential document that the group just sent."
Zhang Enyuan led a young man into the office, escorted him to his desk, and then stepped aside.
"Hello, Secretary-General, I am Wang Tao."
The young man first greeted them and introduced himself, then opened his briefcase and took out a sealed document.
"As Director Li requested, it must be delivered before the 8th."
He placed the documents in front of Li Xuewu, pointed to the delivery time and seal on the sealed bag, and then straightened up.
"Okay, hard work."
Li Xuewu nodded, picked up his pen, unscrewed it, and wrote his name and the time on the confirmation form handed to him by the other party.
That's how confidential documents are transmitted; regardless of whether the content is important or not, the procedure must be followed.
Sign first, then look through it; whoever looks through it, signs it.
Li Xuewu's name was the last on the signature sheet, which means that all members of the group's management committee had seen it.
"Please sit here, let me pour you some water."
Seeing that the process was over, Zhang Enyuan gestured towards the sofa area and said with a smile, "It must be tiring to sit on a train all night."
"Thank you, Secretary Zhang. It's no trouble at all."
The confidential secretary nodded politely, and seeing that the secretary-general was reading documents, he sat down on the sofa.
This happens several times a month. Sometimes, when there are many important documents, their confidential department has to make more than ten trips.
There was no other way; even in later generations, such confidential documents were handled using manual labor, let alone in this era.
In the internet age, can't confidential documents be encrypted?
Some people say that it's best to use multiple layers of encryption, with the best R&D personnel, so that it can't be opened without specific instructions.
No, because any network technology can be cracked, while the most primitive technologies are relatively more reliable.
Zhang Enyuan poured hot water for Wang Tao and then went to change the tea for Li Xuewu. Inadvertently, he glanced at the document in the leader's hand and was startled.
Draft Notice on Delegating Management of Enterprises Directly Under the Ministry of Industry and Transportation of the State Council to Local Governments
What do you mean?
Li Xuewu's expression was calm; he didn't even frown as he looked at the heavy document in his hand.
It wasn't that he was quick-witted; rather, Old Li had already informed him of this information.
Old Li knew about it when the higher-ups were soliciting opinions, and after some guessing, he came to a conclusion that was pretty close to the truth.
The document was officially issued on the 5th, which was three days ago. Li Xuewu received the document relatively early.
According to the requirements of the document, the vast majority of enterprises and institutions directly under the State Council's ministries of industry and transportation were delegated to local management; a small number were under the dual leadership of the ministries and local governments, with local governments taking the lead; and a very small number of large or key enterprises were under the dual leadership of the ministries and local governments, with the ministries taking the lead.
The notice also requires that the decentralization work must be completed within this year.
This is the change that Lao Li was talking about.
It wasn't sudden, but it was somewhat unexpected.
When Li Xuewu returned to Beijing, he discussed the significance of doing so with Lao Li, and they concluded that the disadvantages outweighed the advantages.
Of course, the policy requirements were different at this time. They were the heads of Honggang Group and were more inclined to promote economic development.
Honggang Group was able to advance because of the brief favorable conditions of the previous two years, but that opportunity is no longer available.
Upon closer examination, this trend didn't just suddenly emerge. In hindsight, the Gangcheng Steel Company had already been transferred to Liaodong last year, which could be considered a harbinger of this.
Behind the document is a list, categorized into three levels: designated, divided, and retained.
More than 2600 key large-scale backbone enterprises, including Daqing Oilfield, Yiqi Automobile Manufacturing Plant, and Jicheng Chemical Industry Company, have been delegated to the management of their respective provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. Some of these have even been further delegated to special districts, cities, and counties.
Li Xuewu ran his fingers down the list, and unsurprisingly, Honggang Group was also on the list of companies being transferred.
However, whether it was due to Lao Li's efforts or the outstanding performance of Honggang Group during its recent trip to East Germany, the situation was not as Lao Li described, that it was completely transferred to Beijing.
Honggang Group is on the list of "a small number of companies under the dual leadership of the ministry and local authorities, with local authorities playing a leading role".
He was quite surprised by the result, because many companies with more strength than Honggang Group had been completely delegated to the provinces and cities. Could it be that the market-oriented experimental companies had gained an advantage?
Regardless, this result was enough to put Old Li at ease, but Li Xuewu had more to think about.
Just as the two had discussed, would such an excessive and aggressive release of a large number of key enterprises disrupt the existing cooperative relationships, affect the production order of enterprises, and impact economic development?
Leaving aside other companies, let's just talk about Honggang Group. After going through all that trouble, it has returned to its original position.
Previously, Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill was under the jurisdiction of Beijing Industry. It was formed by the merger of Beijing No. 1 and No. 3 Steel Rolling Mills, and during this period, it also merged with some smaller steel mills.
The fact that the Red Star Steel Plant could reach such a scale shows that Beijing's industry made a significant contribution.
Back then, the Red Star Factory was determined to form a group company and vigorously develop tertiary industries, which annoyed the industrial sector in Beijing.
There was no other reason than that from that time on, the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill also had the support of the ministry, and the industry in Beijing was hampered.
During the process of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill's group-level restructuring, its management level gradually broke away from the jurisdiction of Beijing's industries and became more subject to the arrangements of the First Ministry of Machine Building.
After being formally incorporated into the group this year, the ministry directly issued a document clarifying the management relationship.
However, this relationship only lasted for less than two months before a new change occurred, and Honggang Group gained another "mother-in-law".
And this mother-in-law is the same one from before. Can you imagine how chaotic this situation is?
In the eyes of Beijing's industrial sector, Honggang Group might be seen as an ungrateful wretch. Old Li was often criticized for his boastful nature.
Now it's back in the mother-in-law's hands. Can you believe how pathetic Honggang Group is?
Fortunately, they did not fall out with Beijing Industry at the time, and they cooperated tacitly when merging sixteen companies in Liangmahe Industrial Zone, as well as Beijing's Seventh and Twentieth Motorcycle Manufacturing Plants.
The year before last and last year, they also jointly built and established the new No. 1 steel rolling mill in Beijing, and many of the cadres were trained by Honggang Group.
Fortunately, there is still a bond between them, and they are still connected by blood, intertwined and inseparable.
The headquarters of Honggang Group is located in the Liangmahe Industrial Zone in Beijing, and the company is increasing its investment to create an eco-friendly industrial zone.
Li Xuewu had already mentioned this when he discussed the replacement of tertiary industries with Shenfei: the eco-industrial zone is not entirely for the benefit of Honggang Group itself, and the land reserved can be used to build factories at any time.
Of course, according to the original plan, no polluting enterprises could be set up in the eco-industrial zone, and light industry should be given priority.
This plan is fully in line with the needs and requirements of Beijing's industries for future urban development.
Despite the abundance of heavy industry and polluting enterprises around Beijing, very few new industrial projects are being built.
Even if Hongxing Steel Group hadn't been the first to propose the concept of eco-industry, higher authorities would have gradually paid attention to ecological environmental protection and governance projects.
Li Xuewu knew that the requirement for ecological protection had been put forward a long time ago, just in the last few years, by Mr. Z.
After returning from East Germany, Lao Li was busy making arrangements for this matter. On the one hand, he tried to secure better conditions to see if he could stay in the ministry; on the other hand, he contacted industrial partners in Beijing.
Despite the delicate relationship between Honggang Group and Beijing Industry in recent years, Lao Li actually has decent interpersonal skills.
He's good at navigating social situations; he hasn't been treating people to meals for nothing over the years, and given his current status, he still has some influence.
***
After seeing off his confidential secretary, Zhang Enyuan returned to his office, his gaze towards Li Xuewu hesitant.
"Director Zhu Xiaolin of Beijing Chemical Industry is retiring. Could you help me think of something and invite him to dinner when I go back to Beijing this month?"
Li Xuewu unscrewed his pen and began writing on the manuscript paper, outlining some recent arrangements and thoughts.
Zhang Enyuan walked to the side of the desk and asked softly, "Should we prepare in advance?"
“Hmm—” Li Xuewu pondered for a moment, then looked up at him and instructed, “Please call and ask Deputy Director Gu of the Second Automobile Works in Beijing when he has time to meet with me this month.”
"Okay, which aspect should I mention?"
Zhang Enyuan was very meticulous; he started taking notes as soon as he asked Li Xuewu his first question.
“If they ask, just say it’s about the supply chain,” Li Xuewu said casually. “If they don’t ask, then you don’t need to say anything.”
"Yes, sir." Zhang Enyuan took notes, repeated the request aloud, and then left.
A moment later, there was a knock on the door, and Wang Yajuan walked in.
"Anything alright today?" Li Xuewu glanced at her when he saw it was her, then continued writing.
"So I've been coming to work to play every day, haven't I?"
Wang Yajuan rolled her eyes at his tone and said, "You're the only one in the whole company who's busy! Okay?"
"Did you eat gunpowder?" Li Xuewu glanced at her and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Something's up." Wang Yajuan handed over a document and gestured, "Take a look at this."
"What is it?" Li Xuewu didn't take it, but tilted his head to look at it and then laughed out loud.
"Where did this document come from?" He looked up at Wang Yajuan and asked, "From the group?"
"It was issued by the publisher, didn't you receive it?"
Wang Yajuan looked at him suspiciously, opened the document, pointed to it, and gestured, "Haven't you heard about the TV station incident?"
"A TV station, at this hour?"
Li Xuewu didn't need to look at the contents; he could tell just by looking at the filename header. Otherwise, why would he be laughing?
"What are you laughing at?" Wang Yajuan looked at him, walked to the side of his desk, pointed to the documents and said, "You're already judging this project as unworkable without even taking a look?"
"First of all, I haven't seen this project before."
Li Xuewu pointed at the document, raised an eyebrow, and said, "In other words, this project was not approved by me."
"Secondly, I have no experience in publicity work, nor do I understand television and radio work, which you know more about than I do."
He leaned back in his chair, spread his hands, and said, "In the end, I have nothing to do with this project, do I?"
"Then what are you laughing at?" Wang Yajuan was very concerned about his attitude because she knew that Li Xuewu's judgment was very accurate.
"I'm laughing because the broadcasting work isn't even finished yet, and they're already starting a TV project?"
He pointed to the document and asked, "Our group is going to do a television project. Has anyone surveyed the television coverage rate in the homes of our group's employees?"
You always talk in circles.
Wang Yajuan glanced at him and said, "You could just say you don't think this project is promising."
"Then tell me, who's in charge of this project?" Li Xuewu sat up straight, glanced at the documents on his desk, and said, "The corporate publicity department?"
"The project application was submitted by the Literature and Art Publishing House, and the corporate publicity department is responsible for its management and supervision."
Wang Yajuan explained, "I heard that this project was supported by Deputy Director Gu, and it was a policy granted from above."
"Yeah, I saw it."
Li Xuewu pointed to the beginning of the document; these types of projects often require guidance or policy support from higher authorities.
"It was in January and February of this year that the China National Radio and Television Administration and the Fourth Ministry of Machinery Industry jointly convened a national television professional conference," Wang Yajuan explained. "The conference decided to concentrate the country's main technical resources on developing color television, while also developing black and white television."
She was referring to the policy statement in the document. Li Xuewu pointed to the following content and said, "Isn't this about developing the electronics industry? Why is it involving television stations?"
"Having a TV but not developing a TV station is just watching static," Wang Yajuan said, amused and exasperated. "The higher authorities have already approved the construction of TV stations in several border provinces and regions."
She explained, "I heard that the government is even encouraging key industrial enterprises to build their own television systems, just like the Beijing Hotel."
"Yes, yes, I understand."
Li Xuewu certainly knew about the television system at the Beijing Hotel, which was built in 64. However, the Beijing Hotel was special.
"Looks like this year's TV campaign is going to be launched nationwide?" After finishing reading the documents in his hand, he turned to Wang Yajuan and asked, "This is a group project, what are you so excited about?"
Why can't I be excited?
Wang Yajuan straightened her neck and said, "Our profession should be a comprehensive performance, not just about the voice."
"Let's get the broadcasting done first."
Li Xuewu closed the document and said, "Last January, the Ministry of Finance and China Radio International jointly issued a notice, which you should have studied."
"It's the 'Notice on Issues Concerning the Expenditure of Rural Broadcasting Networks,' I remember seeing it in the newspaper."
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "The 'Notice' stipulates that the daily operating expenses of county and city broadcasting stations should be included in the national budget, while the daily operating expenses of commune broadcasting stations should be included in the local budget. This decision has a profound impact on cable broadcasting."
"In the second half of last year, when the national economic plan was being formulated, the higher authorities conducted research on the broadcasting industry."
Li Xuewu put down his teacup and explained, "In the economic plan issued at the beginning of this year, running newspapers and radio well was listed as the first priority. Do you know what that means?"
"At present, radio and newspapers are the focus of propaganda work, while television has a promising future and can be promoted."
"But it didn't say it wasn't allowed—"
Wang Yajuan frowned and said, "I saw this notice last year. It said that television construction should also be taken seriously."
"Look, the policy documents cited in the project proposal even indicate that the number of TV stations will increase from 25 to 70 this year, and the qualification has already been approved."
"Yes, I saw it."
Li Xuewu reached out and pressed down on the document she had opened, looking at her as he said, "It says that the television signal of Beijing Television, located in the central hub, should basically cover all provincial capitals, autonomous region capitals, and major cities across the country."
“That’s right,” Wang Yajuan argued. “Our group is located in Beijing, so this opportunity is very rare.”
"Yes, that's right, it's very rare."
Li Xuewu looked at her anxious expression with amusement and asked, "But why should Beijing TV invite you to join them?"
This question stumped Wang Yajuan, leaving her frozen in place, unsure how to refute him.
Li Xuewu knew what she meant and what she was thinking; she simply valued the more direct communication capabilities of television.
Who doesn't like watching TV? His family, especially the little monster he left in the courtyard, loved it so much that they couldn't bear to watch it too much.
However, there were relatively few TV stations at that time, and the programs were very short, so you had to time your viewing carefully and wait to watch them.
The channel we watched most often at home was Beijing TV, but at that time it was not the Beijing TV of later years; it was the predecessor of CCTV.
Li Xuewu was able to get the little monster by chance and coincidence. How many families in Beijing can afford to watch TV?
Indeed, Honggang Group has given back to its employees in a great way during its development, providing support in terms of welfare and benefits.
Some employees even took out their savings to buy Jiayue TVs from the group's supply and marketing department, treating them like treasures.
At this time, the production capacity of the Beijing TV factory was already quite good, but it still could not meet the demand of the people across the country for TVs.
Moreover, the televisions produced at that time were all black and white; even the color television production line of the Honggang Group's Gangcheng Electronics Factory had not yet been completed.
They actually set up a color television production line, but the products were not affordable for most ordinary people in China.
Price is a huge barrier.
Of course, the development of television stations will be very rapid in the next few years, and he knew that without Wang Yajuan saying it.
There are only 25 television stations in the country now, but by 1976 there should be more than 30, and more than 100 relay stations. And that's not even a small television relay station.
Li Xuewu attaches great importance to the development of Gangcheng Electronics, especially the production and research and development of television sets.
He knew that the country would approve the import of color televisions in two years, which would be another blow to the domestic television industry. It was certainly safer to plan ahead.
Why did he then remind Wang Yajuan to pay more attention to broadcasting work?
The reason is simple: television penetration needs to be increased, while radio is developing much faster and is still a long way from being phased out.
If radio broadcasting is done well, then television broadcasting will also be useful; the only difference is whether there are images or not.
In recent years, the whole country has been setting up broadcasting networks. Newspapers say that the goal is to achieve nationwide network coverage within three years.
This goal is a bit too ambitious, but Li Xuewu estimates that it is not difficult to cover 90% of the regions.
Anyone who lived through that era remembers the loudspeakers used by the village's brigade and production teams.
"Don't worry about this project for now."
Li Xuewu pointed to the document and said to her, "Wait and see. It's not too late to apply for a transfer if it really works out."
He glanced at the somewhat dejected Wang Yajuan and said, "If you have the ability and the strength, why are you afraid of not having a place if you arrive late?"
"I did not mean that--"
Wang Yajuan thought for a moment and said, "I just feel that television is definitely easier to express than radio."
"Moreover, our group has its own television factory, and the publicity coverage also extends to employees, so it should be easier to do."
"Yes, that's not wrong."
Li Xuewu nodded in agreement and said, "However, it won't be possible within three to five years, especially for industrial enterprises."
"Don't believe everything you hear about the government supporting industrial enterprises in doing this."
He tapped the document with his pencil and emphasized, "Our regulation of the broadcasting and television industry is very strict, and our access review and inspection are the most stringent."
"Don't be fooled by the fact that local governments can obtain approval for television stations; it's different from industrial enterprises."
"Never mind then, what a waste of my excitement."
Wang Yajuan picked up the document and looked at it, then said somewhat dejectedly, "I was originally thinking about how to combine artistic performances with television programs."
"Mm-hmm." Li Xuewu smiled and encouraged, "The idea is good, but we can't take too big a step."
"You're talking about me, but I didn't do this project," Wang Yajuan said, looking at him. "Do you think Deputy Director Gu can get it?"
"What? A TV station qualification?"
Just as Li Xuewu was about to continue writing, he heard her say this and looked up, pursed his lips, thought for a moment, raised an eyebrow and said, "Let's wait and see. Wouldn't it be better if the application was approved?"
“Since you’ve said that, then the application definitely won’t be approved—” Wang Yajuan sighed, like a deflated balloon, and turned to walk out.
Since the project was hopeless, she lost interest in continuing to spout nonsense.
She preferred to believe Li Xuewu, who was an outsider, rather than believe that Deputy Director Gu, who was in charge of publicity, could succeed.
Li Xuewu also found it funny.
-
When are you going back to Beijing?
When Yu Li brought the foot-washing water into the room, she saw him leaning against the headboard reading a book, and casually asked him a question.
"Next Wednesday, let's go to Nanjing."
When Li Xuewu saw her moving his feet, he got up and let her do as she instructed, soaking his feet in hot water.
She started soaking her feet after she came to the steel city; even at home, she rarely did so.
Yu Li is the only one who takes such meticulous care of his health.
She goes back to the city to work every day, and sometimes she goes back to the dock. No matter how hard she works, she can't forget about this place.
Sometimes, when Li Xuewu didn't want to go for a sedation session, she would coax him.
Well, it was like coaxing a child, leaving Li Xuewu both amused and exasperated, and he could only go along with her.
Yu Li has that kind of patience. She knows exactly what he likes to eat, without even asking; she can remember just how much food he used.
I've only been here a month, but I've already had chicken soup twice, and even the corn cob has gotten a taste of it.
Li Xuewu could clearly tell that the kid had gained weight, and it had only been a month; Big Face Cat's diet had been for nothing.
He himself was the same; when he looked in the mirror in the morning, he could clearly feel that his cheeks were getting fleshy.
Actually, serving others is more tiring than going to work. Li Xuewu had never served anyone before, but he felt tired for Yu Li just from the way she took care of him.
"Next time I'll stand in the tub when I take a shower, so you won't have to bother anymore."
"Can that be the same?"
Yu Li rolled her eyes at him, then reached into the basin to rub his feet, kneading and massaging them.
"You have to use a separate basin for foot soaking. Besides, I've put some Chinese medicine in here, so you can soak your feet with the bath."
"You know more about health and wellness than I do."
Li Xuewu smiled, rested his hands on the edge of the bed, looked at her and said, "If I had known, I should have let you come last year, so I could have enjoyed my life sooner."
"Aren't you afraid I'll work hard?"
Yu Li glanced at him with a smile, her eyes filled with affection, and said, "A grown man like you can't even take care of himself."
"It's not that I can't take care of myself, it's just that I'm lazy."
Li Xuewu sat up straight and leaned back, resting his hands behind his back, and complained in a relaxed posture, "It's all that kid Banggeng's fault. I used to be so diligent."
Snapped--
Yu Li chuckled and patted his leg, scolding, "Do you think I'm someone I just met today?"
"You're lazy yourself, why blame other people's kids?"
“He’s not a child anymore,” Li Xuewu chuckled. “He has a girlfriend, so what kind of child is he? Last time I even advised Qin Huairu to start preparing early, so that she wouldn’t only start making quilts when her grandson arrives at home.”
"You're still scaring her, she's almost gone mad." Yu Li said irritably, "She came to talk to me specifically when I came here, asking me to take care of Bang Geng."
"This child, the older he gets, the more trouble he causes."
"Boys are all like that, it's in their nature."
Li Xuewu felt that this position was still not comfortable enough, so he simply lay down on the bed and let her wash his feet.
“Yu Zhe is the same way, and you’re criticizing him.”
"Yu Zhe is someone you spoiled too much—"
When Yu Li heard him mention his younger brother, she pinched his calf in displeasure and said reproachfully, "Do you really think of him as a child?"
Before Li Xuewu came to Gangcheng, he didn't have much interaction with Yu Zhe. At most, they would meet at the factory or the club.
Yu Zhe dared not greet him at the factory, and he kept his distance from him at the club.
He arranged for Yu Zhe to drive for him, which is how they started seeing each other more often.
When the two arrived in the steel city, Yu Li, who was in Beijing, didn't know much about her younger brother's life in front of her. She only knew that her brother lived in the dormitory and had a very easy job.
When she arrived in Gangcheng, she realized how much Li Xuewu had taken care of Zhe.
Leaving aside the alcohol, since Yu Zhe is a driver, he doesn't drink, but he often smokes Li Xuewu's cigarettes.
Li Xuewu doesn't smoke, but there are cigarettes in his office, car, and trunk.
Most of the gifts, such as local specialties and business gifts, were divided between Zhang Enyuan and Yu Zhe.
They're just short of giving me pocket money.
But if you take such good care of someone, what's the difference between that and giving them pocket money?
In Yu Li's view, Li Xuewu should bear half the responsibility for Yu Zhe's entanglement with those women.
Who made Yu Zhe so generous?
The leader's driver was well-dressed, generous, young and strong, and had a flirtatious way of speaking. What woman wouldn't like such a young man?
"Don't give him anything from now on!" Yu Li said, still emphasizing her tone when he didn't agree, "Did you hear me?"
"Sigh, those who serve me, how can I not take care of them?" Li Xuewu sat up, looking at her helplessly, and said, "Give it to the secretary but not to him?"
“If we don’t give it to him, he won’t need anything.”
Yu Li, the older sister, was ruthless, bluntly stating, "He gave away all the things you gave him."
"Sending it to the right place is fine, but you're just spouting nonsense."
She glanced at Li Xuewu and asked, "You know about his relationships with those women, right?"
"Which women?" At this point, Li Xuewu had to play dumb, otherwise Yu Li would take her anger out on him.
"Hmph—" Yu Li placed a towel down, gesturing for him to lift his foot and place it on her lap, and snorted, "No man is any good."
"Hey, I got yelled at like that—"
Li Xuewu chuckled and flicked her forehead, asking, "What did I do to offend you?"
"You're his boss, why aren't you doing anything about him?"
Yu Li said with dissatisfaction, "His reputation is ruined. What will his girlfriend think of him when she comes over?"
"It's alright, I'll transfer him back to the capital after he gets married," Li Xuewu said nonchalantly. "By then, no one will remember his reputation."
"You just think of his reputation in the capital?"
Yu Li pinched his foot hard in exasperation and said, "Are you doing this on purpose?"
"Ouch—" Li Xuewu winced as she pinched him, and said, "What did I do on purpose?"
"You know who he likes, right?"
Yu Li curled her lip and snorted, "You still think I'm wronging you?"
“How can I not be wronged?” Li Xuewu glanced at her and said, “What does it have to do with me who he likes?”
"When you sent him home for a blind date, Zhou Yamei came to the club to see me. He couldn't take his eyes off her, you know?"
Yu Li knew exactly what her brother was thinking, so she revealed it to Li Xuewu in front of him to see his reaction.
She was heartbroken because her younger brother had offended him.
She knew exactly how wicked Li Xuewu was; she wouldn't have physically assaulted Yu Zhe, but she still didn't get away with it.
“Zhou Yamei did it on purpose.” Li Xuewu’s answer surprised Yu Li. “What do you mean, on purpose?”
“I was just teasing him,” Li Xuewu said nonchalantly. “That’s what happened back in Steel City.”
He grinned mischievously at Yu Li and explained, "When Yu Zhe first saw her, his eyes were wandering, and she saw it."
"And then?" Yu Li was completely confused, not knowing how wicked these two psychologists were or how dirty their methods were.
"And then every time Yu Zhe came to pick me up, she would deliberately dress up a bit," Li Xuewu chuckled mischievously, "wearing wire-rimmed glasses, high heels, and styling her hair up..."
"..." Yu Li was speechless. She looked at him and asked, "Are you treating my brother like a fool?"
"What does this have to do with me?" Li Xuewu said with a laugh, "It was Zhou Yamei who did it."
"She's deliberately messing with Yu Zhe." Yu Li understood, rolled her eyes, slapped Li Xuewu's instep hard, and said, "The other foot."
Li Xuewu grimaced and switched feet, saying, "I swear, this has nothing to do with me."
"Then you're not a good person either."
Yu Li snorted and said, "You know perfectly well that she did it on purpose, yet you still stand by and watch the show."
"It's Yu Zhe's own lack of resolve."
Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said, "He likes older women who are intellectual."
“There’s no room for discussion on this, so don’t worry about it—” Yu Li raised her head and emphasized very seriously, “My dad has already paid the bride price and is now asking him when we’re getting married.”
"Then let's get married, let's get married this month."
Li Xuewu decisively betrayed Yu Zhe, saying, "It just so happens that I'm going to Jinling, and he'll have time then."
“Then I will go back to the capital with you.”
Yu Li didn't find his words abrupt at all; she just did whatever came to mind, because she was really afraid that her brother would get into trouble with romantic entanglements.
Even if those women are sensible, what if they actually bring a child home? The Yu family's reputation would be completely ruined.
“About a week,” Li Xuewu calculated in his mind, “enough time for him to get married. After the wedding, I’ll arrange for him to return to the capital.”
"Okay," Yu Li responded, then looked at Li Xuewu apologetically and said, "What will you do with the car after he leaves?"
“There are plenty of drivers,” Li Xuewu said with a smile. “We can just look for another one.”
At this point, he raised an eyebrow and asked Yu Li, "Should we arrange a partner for Yu Zhe?"
"Go to your group's school?" Yu Li certainly wanted to, but then shook her head and said, "No, let her teach in the village, so the two of them won't quarrel."
"Okay, whatever you want." Li Xuewu smiled, and seeing that she understood, he didn't say anything more.
When Li finished tidying up and came back, he patted the person next to him and said, "Come on, let me give you a massage too."
“No,” Yu Li resolutely refused. “You have no good way out.”
She rolled her eyes at Li Xuewu and scolded, "You're not yourself anymore after all this pressing. Where did you learn all these bad tricks?"
"Anyway, I didn't learn it from you."
Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said, "Want to give it a try..."
-
"Not home yet?" Li Xuewu encountered Gao Yaqin as soon as he stepped out of the elevator at the Honggang Group office building.
His itinerary was no secret, let alone Gao Yaqin's.
Going to Jinling means going with her.
"Come and take a look at the company first." Li Xuewu nodded, gesturing towards the office and inviting her to come along.
Gao Yaqin had nothing to do and was about to talk to him about going to Jinling, so she headed towards the office.
"The flight is at ten o'clock tomorrow morning."
She explained, "We'll leave for the airport at 8:30 and arrive around 3:00 PM."
"Hmm, it's not exactly close." Li Xuewu nodded and asked, "Is Deputy Director Jing going?"
“She’s not going, Deputy Director Gu will go.” Gao Yaqin glanced at him and emphasized, “It was arranged by Director Li.”
"Oh—" Li Xuewu smiled knowingly and said, "Last week I heard from the comrades in the publicity department that our group is going to start a TV station?"
"Are you playing dumb with me?" The two entered the office and began to speak casually.
Gao Yaqin looked at him meaningfully and said, "Even if you're far away in Steel City, I don't believe you know nothing about the group's affairs."
"Of course, of course." Li Xuewu smiled and gestured for her to sit on the sofa.
Zhang Enyuan tested the thermos with his hand and found it was hot, so he made two cups of tea and brought them over before going to his small office.
“When Deputy Director Gu goes to Nanjing this time, he might ask for your opinion.”
Gao Yaqin crossed her right leg, glanced at him, and said meaningfully, "You can ask her if you have any opinions."
"What opinions could I possibly have?" Li Xuewu said with a smile. "I support any project that benefits the group's development."
"..." Gao Yaqin grinned, her expression full of disbelief.
It would be a miracle if she believed Li Xuewu; he'd be lucky if half of what he said was true.
"The TV station probably won't be there that quickly."
After thinking for a moment, she said, "Deputy Director Gu means that we can start preparing now, such as talent training."
"Oh, that makes sense."
Li Xuewu nodded and asked, "Are we training them ourselves, or are we recruiting from universities?"
"Where are we going to recruit people now?" Gao Yaqin said calmly, "Deputy Director Gu's idea is to set up relevant disciplines in vocational and technical colleges and cultivate broadcasting talents independently."
"Sure, as long as you have the money, you can do it."
He picked up his teacup and took a sip; it was still hot. "What's that saying again? Nothing comes for free, right?"
“The way you phrased that—” Gao Yaqin glanced at him, skipping the topic, and said, “Director Li means that after the Jinling area is established, the branch of the sales headquarters will be assigned to management.”
"Yes, he mentioned it to me."
After putting down his teacup, Li Xuewu explained, "The area south of the Yangtze River is designated as the Jinling area, and the area north of the Yangtze River is designated as the Tianjin area."
"Eight branch offices in the south and eight in the north."
Gao Yaqin thought for a moment, then frowned slightly and asked, "Don't you think doing this will affect the coordination of trade work?"
"There will be, but only temporarily."
Li Xuewu nodded slowly and said, "Splitting the Tianjin Trade Management Center into separate entities, with the South managing the South and the North managing the North, is more beneficial than harmful in the long run."
“It was just too rushed.” Gao Yaqin agreed with Li Xuewu’s point of view, frowning as she emphasized, “The handover could have been done gradually.”
“After all, the Tianjin Trade Management Center has the most resources in the sales headquarters.” She tilted her head and looked at Li Xuewu as she said, “If we make a sweeping change now, it may take a year to recover, both in terms of organizational structure and staffing.”
“It’s not that bad.” Li Xuewu said thoughtfully, “The Jinling area has been in preparation for a year, they should know what to do.”
"Furthermore, because trade resources are more concentrated in Tianjin, even if the two are separated, it will not hinder the development of the Jinling area."
He nodded at Gao Yaqin and said, "However, you need to keep an eye on the Yuezhou branch. The construction of the dock there is synchronized with the city's development, and it will be operational in the next year or the year after."
The Trade Management Center was divided into two parts, with the Tianjin area comprising branches in Beijing, Tianjin, Liaodong, the border region, Jilin, Changshan, Harbin, and Quancheng.
The Jinling area includes branches in Quzhou, Chuncheng, Lincheng, Jincheng, Chang'an, Yangcheng, Lvcheng, and Yuezhou.
There are three branch companies that own ports or wharves: Yingcheng Branch, Yuezhou Branch, and Jinmen Branch, all under the Liaodong Branch.
The sales headquarters of Honggang Group specializes in trade, and the significance of docks or ports for trade is self-evident.
Li Xuewu selected Gao Yaqin and emphasized "safety" even more, emphasizing that Honggang Group should not be used as a stepping stone to allow others to steal its business.
Honggang Group has deep-rooted connections in Yingcheng. Because of the existence of the shipyard, it was able to acquire a wharf in Yuezhou, but it still lacked certain local connections.
"Who was the first general manager of the Jinling area company?" Li Xuewu asked, frowning.
He said he doesn't care about organizational and personnel matters, so he won't deliberately pay attention to it. Recently, Lao Li has been a bit sensitive, which has made Jing Yunong very tired of dealing with it.
Taking care of things in Liaodong is already exhausting enough; Li Xuewu can't add any more trouble for her.
Furthermore, he had no intention of getting involved in the sales headquarters' affairs, so it was best to keep a low profile at this time.
Since he has chosen to stay in the steel city, he shouldn't get too involved in the group's competition.
Even if he doesn't get involved now, some people are afraid of him getting involved and will cause him trouble. If he actively gets involved, who knows what kind of trouble it will cause.