MMB Chapter 1594 Sudden Bitter News
Chapter 1594 Sudden Bitter News
Chapter 1594 Sudden Bitter News
Wang Xin's arrival on June 18th was quite sudden.
Zhang Jing and Zhang Enyuan welcomed him to the reception room on the first floor. Li Xuewu came down ten minutes later.
"Secretary-General Li," Wang Xin stood up and shook hands with him, looking at him sharply, and said, "Is it so difficult to see you now?"
"That only means there's a problem in our relationship." Li Xuewu looked at him calmly and asked in return, "You should know the truth about this, right?"
Wang Xin did not respond, but simply let go of her hand.
"Sit down." Li Xuewu raised his hand, maintaining the last vestige of civility between them.
As Lu Xun once said, "Even if a deal falls through, goodwill should remain." He didn't feel he owed Li Xuewu anything, and Li Xuewu didn't feel he owed the other party anything either.
Business is business; there's no room for sentimentality.
A dowry of 20 yuan may not guarantee a lifelong commitment, but it can buy you a thousand "hello boss" and "goodbye boss" greetings.
This is business.
"Project financial settlement?" Wang Xin took the initiative to speak. His presence in Gangcheng indicated that they were on the defensive in this confrontation.
"Regarding this matter, Honggang Group, or you," he paused deliberately, looking at Li Xuewu and asking, "Is there any explanation?"
“Of course there are, whether it’s Honggang Group or me personally.” Li Xuewu glanced at him sideways and said calmly, “I have whatever reason you want.”
He picked up the hot tea his secretary brought him, took a sip, and said, "For example, the voluntary withdrawal of researchers means, according to the cooperation agreement, that means voluntarily giving up all rights."
"But that's an uncontrollable factor—"
Wang Xin took a document from his entourage and slammed it on the coffee table, frowning as he questioned, "Are you really acting in accordance with the contract?"
“Uncontrollable factors.” Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows slightly, put down his teacup, and sneered, “We acknowledge the clauses for suspending or terminating the contract under conditions of uncontrollable factors.”
“But—” he looked at the other party and reminded them, “First of all, you must fulfill your necessary obligations of consultation and communication.”
"We must abide by the contract."
Li Xuewu tapped the contract that the other party had thrown at him and emphasized very seriously: "Honggang Group is a group enterprise with import and export qualifications, not a makeshift organization that can do whatever it wants."
"So what?" Wang Xin narrowed his left eye slightly and stared at him as he asked, "Just because we didn't fulfill our obligation to inform you in advance, you're going to settle your differences?"
"Moreover, the notification we received states that Steelfly not only wants to possess all current research results, but also wants to pursue compensation for any subsequent research and development issues?"
He sized up Li Xuewu and asked angrily, "Is Honggang Group going to do the same thing in other cooperative projects next?"
“I refuse to answer any of your questions on issues that haven’t occurred,” Li Xuewu replied slowly. “A contract is a contract. If you breach the contract, you must bear the responsibility for compensation. That’s for sure.”
“If you refuse to pay compensation, I will notify the group’s legal department to freeze the assets involved in the transactions between the two parties and carry out reasonable liquidation and recovery.”
He bluntly reminded the other party: "Furthermore, we will send letters to all relevant partners regarding this matter and publish an explanation in the newspaper."
"You do not represent Honggang Group."
Wang Xin stared at him for a while with narrowed eyes, then turned around and reminded Li Xuewu with a hint of coldness, saying, "I can go to the capital to discuss this matter with Director Li."
“Of course, you certainly can.” Li Xuewu raised his hand in a gesture of invitation and said, “I fully respect any handling of this matter by your company.”
"Is that all?" Li Xuewu raised his wrist to check the time, nodded slightly to the others, and said politely, "I have another meeting, so I'll have to leave you all here. Please make yourselves at home."
After saying that, he stood up and instructed Zhang Jing, "Please take good care of Comrade Shen Fei."
Wang Xin just watched him come and go without any progress in communication between the two sides, and they only exchanged a few harsh words.
He had planned to go to the capital to meet with Li Huaide to explain the matter, but once he used this trump card, there would be no more opportunities for cooperation between the two sides.
To put it bluntly, Li Xuewu is in charge of Liaodong Industry of Honggang Group. As long as Li Xuewu is in this position, the cooperation between Shenfei and Gangfei cannot bypass him.
His willingness to bypass Li Xuewu and go to the capital shows that Shen Fei doesn't care about the cooperation between the two sides, and naturally there is no basis for continuing the cooperation.
Go see Li Huaide?
If any other person in charge of Shenyang Aircraft Corporation were here today, they might have stormed out in anger and gone directly to Beijing to confront Li Huaide in the face of Li Xuewu's cold attitude.
But today, it was Wang Xin who came. He is the only person Shenfei recognizes as having a good understanding of Honggang Group and who has been promoting cooperation between the two parties.
Shen Fei was neither a rule-breaker nor a schemer behind the scenes. They were simply assessing the situation and taking necessary precautions to avoid irreversible consequences.
They didn't believe these methods would damage their cooperative relationship with Honggang; it was Honggang Group, or simply that Li Xuewu was being overly sensitive.
At such a critical moment, it is necessary to maintain a cooperative distance between the two sides.
But Wang Xin knew what kind of person Li Xuewu was, and he also knew Li Xuewu's influence in Honggang Group and his influence on Li Huaide, the general manager of Honggang Group.
His understanding of Li Huaide was just as profound as his understanding of Li Xuewu.
Honggang Group does have a vice president in charge of industrial production, but Li Huaide still arranged for Li Xuewu to come to Liaodong to be in charge of related business. Why is that?
The reason is simple: Li Huaide doesn't understand the business and has no way to gain a management advantage over Cheng Kaiyuan in industrial production.
Therefore, Li Xuewu is a bridge for him to balance the main industrial management relationships. Now, is it feasible to ask him to go to the capital to find Li Huaide to dismantle this bridge?
He knew that Honggang Group was facing some problems, but he was not a member of Honggang Group and did not know whether Li Xuewu and Li Huaide would become enemies because of these problems.
Therefore, his threat to go to Li Huaide was merely a last resort.
The result shows that it had no deterrent effect whatsoever.
Li Xuewu had a solid foundation in Liaodong, supported by the industrial system and with good local relations. To Li Huaide, he was just an outsider. What right did he have to shake Li Xuewu's position?
How do you say that?
You say you have enough deterrent power, but you must actually have it in crucial moments.
-
"I've been in the steel city for a week now."
Gu An didn't press him too hard; he waited until the end of the workday bell rang before coming to find him.
"If it really doesn't work out, shall we go back first?"
"It's best not to." Li Xuewu signed the last document, put away his pen, and explained, "If you go back now, the blame will really fall on both of us."
He knew that Gu An was anxious, especially about his professional identity. Not being allowed to work for a week and just eating and sleeping all day would make him feel uneasy.
“You went back without receiving clear orders and without receiving the plane, which is definitely a dereliction of duty.”
Li Xuewu put the pen in the drawer, pointed at it, and emphasized, "Even if we don't hold you accountable for your dereliction of duty, this matter will become a hidden danger in your career."
"I was in the right to resist the pressure and not deliver the aircraft, but now that you've left, I'm in the wrong."
He shrugged and nodded, saying, "Either you find someone taller to put pressure on me, or someone taller will make the decisions for me."
"Otherwise, we can only drag this out until one side compromises first."
“You’re under a lot of pressure right now.” Gu An glanced at him calmly and said, “I heard some things from Secretary Zhang.”
“Work at the local level is inherently complicated.”
Li Xuewu stood up, packed his things, and gestured with his chin, saying, "Let's go, my second uncle is here. Let's have a meal together and I'll introduce you to him."
"About this plane..." Gu An hesitated, looking at him and asking, "Are we just going to leave it like this?"
"Are you sure you want to talk about work after get off work hours?" Li Xuewu looked at him suspiciously, then patted his arm with a smile and said, "Let's go, the sky isn't going to fall."
“But I heard that someone has put pressure on you.” Gu An followed him out of the office and downstairs. “Several collaborative projects have been affected.”
"Moreover, within your group..."
He hesitated for a moment, glanced at his brother-in-law, and only continued after making sure he wasn't angry at his loose tongue: "It seems he doesn't support you either."
“That’s what I was just saying.” Li Xuewu turned to look at him and smiled, saying casually, “The complexity of local work.”
"It's that simple?" Gu An looked at him suspiciously and asked, "What's your solution?"
“Simple? It can be simple or complicated.” Li Xuewu explained with a smile, “But no matter how complicated the situation, the first thing to do is to stay calm.”
After the two went down the stairs, he turned to Gu An and said, "Sometimes there is more than one way to solve a problem, and sometimes it seems like there is no way to solve these problems, but if you wait a little while, these problems will solve themselves."
"So you're just waiting now?"
Gu An raised an eyebrow and looked at him, asking, "So you'll solve the problems yourself?"
"Of course not." Li Xuewu smiled and raised his hand, gesturing for him to walk towards the foyer together, explaining, "You have to actively push the problem toward the result you want; that's the only way you'll get a result that will satisfy you the most."
"And then?" As the two walked out of the hall, Gu An looked at him and asked, "What result do you want to achieve?"
"You've now done some necessary work to move the issue toward the outcome you want?"
“Of course.” Li Xuewu smiled confidently and said, “Applying pressure in reverse is also a form of progress. After all, you can’t show that you want these results too much, right?”
They walked down the steps together, where their driver, Qi Yan, and secretary, Zhang Enyuan, had already opened the doors of the Volga sedan and were waiting for them.
"Because the more you want it, the more ashamed they are of their self-esteem, and they will not give it to you even if it costs them their lives. You have to use some psychological strategies for some necessary tasks."
“It’s so complicated…” Gu An stood by the car, looking at him and asked, “Are you sure they can’t figure out what you want?”
"Of course not." Li Xuewu looked at his brother-in-law and chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Of course they know what I want, because I've already told them."
“Although I didn’t show it, they have to understand, otherwise they are not qualified to be at this poker table, let alone to bet with me.”
"..." Looking at his brother-in-law's domineering demeanor and the complexity in his words, Gu An frowned and pondered for a moment before shaking his head and sighing, "I'm really not suited for working in local areas."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu patted his arm and asked him to get into the car first, comforting him, "Actually, these principles are very simple. It's just that people's hearts are complicated."
“But what I understand least about people is human nature.” After Li Xuewu got into the back seat from the other side, he turned to his brother-in-law and said, “Especially after hearing what you said, I feel like a primary school student.”
No profession is innate.
Li Xuewu reached out and patted Qi Yan's backrest, indicating that he could drive. Then he pointed to the cigarette Zhang Enyuan offered and asked, "I remember you smoke, right?"
"I'm not smoking anymore, my sister-in-law won't let me."
Gu An sighed deeply, looked out the window and said, "She heard it from Mom, that you quit smoking a long time ago, for Gu Ning and the child."
"I'm sorry, I didn't tell Mom about this," Li Xuewu explained somewhat embarrassedly. "I also didn't expect my sister-in-law to..."
"It's alright, smoking is indeed harmful to health." Gu An turned to look at his brother-in-law and said with a smile, "I heard you have a very high alcohol tolerance, and you can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk?"
"That's hardly an advantage, is it?"
Li Xuewu patted his knee with a smile and said, "I rarely drink now. I have few close friends to raise a glass to the moon with, and no drinking buddies to share my sorrows with."
"They're either relatives or family members."
He looked at his brother-in-law and said with a smile, "Perfect timing, my second uncle is here today, let's have a drink. The food was brought over by a friend, please don't mind."
"You live alone in Steel City?" Gu An had been here for a week but hadn't been able to visit his home. Firstly, it was inconvenient due to his status, and secondly, Li Xuewu hadn't invited him.
He had heard some things from Mu Hongyan; this cunning brother-in-law was no honest man, and he wasn't one or two of them.
How should a brother-in-law treat his sister's husband when he has this kind of relationship with his brother-in-law?
It's fair to say that her mindset is very complicated. What man could accept a brother-in-law like this? And what man wouldn't envy a brother-in-law like this?
He had a problem with Li Xuewu, and their relationship had remained distant since their marriage. Even during this trip to Gangcheng, when they spent a lot of time together, they didn't really talk about family matters.
Mu Hongyan had reminded him not to mention this matter in front of his parents, and especially not to talk about it in front of Gu Ning, because those who need to know already know.
At first, he couldn't understand why his sister liked such a jerk, and even took the initiative to protect him, have children with him, and maintain the marriage.
It wasn't until he saw Gu Ning and his mother's attitude towards Li Xuewu that he realized that it wasn't just Gu Ning who was protecting Li Xuewu, but also his mother.
So, given this mindset, how does the other party treat his brother-in-law?
"Uncle Wu, Second Master and Uncle have arrived."
Bang Geng has matured a lot since that training; at least he's started to use adult thinking to deal with problems.
Putting everything else aside, just look at this mouth of hers. It used to be so annoying, but now it's become so clever.
He didn't tell him to address his second uncle in any particular way, but now he's even calling him "Second Master."
"This is called your uncle, your aunt's older brother."
Li Xuewu introduced Banggeng to his brother-in-law, then turned to his brother-in-law and said, "He's the kid from the Jia family, our neighbors in the courtyard. He's running errands for me in the steel city now."
"You live in such a big house by yourself?"
Li Xuewu had already explained in the car that there were other people at home. He had been looking forward to meeting his brother-in-law's confidante, but it turned out to be a young boy.
He was a little embarrassed, glanced at the stick, and then fixed his gaze on the house.
“It’s a friend’s house. She went to Beijing and lent it to me.”
Li Xuewu patted Banggeng, whom he called his uncle, and asked, "Is the food ready?"
"Manager Niu arranged for someone to deliver it."
Banggeng offered to open the courtyard gate and introduced, "Six dishes and a soup, and I steamed the rice in a pot."
"Second Brother." Just as they entered the courtyard, Li Xueli appeared at the door, followed by his second uncle.
"Second Uncle, you've gotten fatter, haven't you?"
Li Xuewu stepped forward first to shake hands with his second uncle, made a small joke, and then patted Li Xueli's arm, "Why didn't my second aunt come?"
"It's not that she wanted to come or not, she just didn't get permission to take leave."
The second uncle chuckled and offered an explanation, but his gaze was fixed on the tall, strong young man who had returned with his nephew.
"Let me introduce you. This is my second uncle, and my cousin, Li Xueli." Li Xuewu smiled as he introduced them to each other: "This is Gu Ning's older brother, Gu An."
"Ah, hello, hello."
Uncle was taken aback for a moment, then very politely extended his hand and greeted her with a smile, "This is a real relative. No wonder you look familiar. Have we met before?"
"I think we've met before. You look familiar," Gu An said with a smile. "We seem to have had drinks together at the wedding banquet?"
"That was it, that one time."
Li Gan chuckled and shook his hand, saying, "Look how coincidental it is! What a wonderful coincidence to meet someone like this here."
He let go of her hand, looked at the people around him and said, "We live all over the country, and it's not easy for us relatives to meet."
“We’ve become familiar with each other now that we’ve met,” Gu An replied with a smile, a man of good manners. “Let’s keep in touch more often in the future.”
"Let's talk inside, we can eat and chat."
Li Xuewu couldn't very well let his guests stand in the courtyard exchanging pleasantries, so he took the initiative to invite them inside.
Second Uncle and Li Xueli were both wearing slippers, so they went into the house first. Li Xuewu went in with Gu An, and Bang Geng even helped find slippers for them.
"This place is quite nice." Walking into the living room and looking at the furnishings, Gu An nodded in praise, "It's even more spacious than our place in Xi'an."
"I had intended to stay at the guesthouse."
Li Xuewu took the cigarette box and offered cigarettes to his second uncle and Gu An, and Banggeng cleverly lit them for them.
Before he could finish his sentence, Gu An already understood the meaning of the second half.
It wasn't that no one knew about Dong Wenxue's situation back then; Han Shu's family knew, and the Gu family also knew.
Since Li Xuewu was able to handle this matter, it's impossible for Han Shu not to ask about the Gu family.
Gu An wasn't blind; he could tell the house was very well-organized, and it couldn't possibly be Li Xuewu or that boy who did the housework. But he was too lazy to investigate further.
Just as Mu Hongyan said, Li Xuewu is a deep thinker and knows better than them how to conduct himself. There's no need for him to affect Gu Ning over such a small matter.
If Gu Ning is unwilling to continue this relationship, it's not their place to uphold justice.
Now it seems like the young couple is living in perfect harmony, so why should they meddle and upset the whole family?
Another point is that he hadn't had much contact with Li Xuewu before, only heard Mu Hongyan talk about the complexities of local work. Now that he's met him, he seems to understand some of it.
As Li Xuewu explained, he originally wanted to stay at the guesthouse, which would have been more convenient for food, clothing, and lodging, but it would also have made it easier for something to go wrong.
During the years he and Mu Hongyan were separated, who would believe he had no ulterior motives? They were both men, so they should have understood each other.
Rather than causing a huge uproar, it's better to tolerate his skillful maneuvering.
The fact that he dared to bring me here as a guest means that he was prepared in advance and is not afraid of me bringing up embarrassing things. In the end, he might be the one who finds himself in a difficult situation.
My second uncle, Li Gan, is a very talkative person, especially when he meets relatives.
At the end of last year, Li Shun and his wife visited Jicheng, and Li Xuewu went there again this year. The awkward relationship between the two families caused by Li Juan has been greatly eased.
Even if bones are broken, the tendons still connect us; we're still family.
Li Xuewu was tolerant of his cousin, and his second uncle and aunt were not people who couldn't distinguish right from wrong, as evidenced by their subsequent actions.
Even killing someone is just a matter of beheading them. My second uncle and aunt have already done enough. Do you really expect two elders to bow and apologize to him?
He wasn't that aggressive, and he didn't lose anything. A harmonious family brings prosperity.
"Your younger brother is getting married, and I was thinking of not going to the capital. I just wanted to let you know."
My second uncle explained the reason for his trip. Perhaps he still had some concerns and said somewhat embarrassedly, "You can decide how to arrange things."
"What date is it set?" Li Xuewu took out a bottle of Five Star Moutai from the liquor cabinet, opened it, gestured for Bang Geng to find a glass, and said, "July or August?"
"Your second aunt and I have discussed it and decided on October 1st." The second uncle watched him pour the wine and explained, "We also discussed it with our in-laws."
"I haven't asked the woman what the situation is yet."
Li Xuewu poured wine for his brother-in-law, then looked at Li Xueli and asked with a smile, "Did you date her yourself or were you introduced by your family?"
“We work in the same company,” Li Xueli said somewhat shyly. “We met after we started working, but her dad and my dad have known each other for a long time.”
"Knowing them well is a good thing."
Li Xuewu poured himself a glass, sat down, and gestured to the table, saying, "We're all family, so let's not stand on ceremony and start eating."
"Our families are in similar situations, in-laws."
Li Gan took a bite of food and introduced, "My mother-in-law works at a bank, and my father-in-law is the director of the forest farm. We often deal with each other."
"Your children are all dating, and you still don't know?" Li Xuewu said with a smile, "Your intelligence work isn't very good either."
"Hey—who's thinking about them?"
Li Gan glanced at his son and said with a smile, "I wanted to introduce him to someone before, but he wouldn't even meet them. He insisted on finding someone on his own."
"It's still the same girl?" Gu An found it intriguing and looked at Li Xueli, saying, "After all this time, it's still her. You two are destined to be together."
"Hehehe—" Li Xueli said with a silly laugh, "I also think it's quite novel. She also told me that her family wanted to introduce someone to her before, but the other party didn't want to."
"You'll be in for a treat after you get married." Li Xuewu raised his glass and gestured, "Come on, let's toast to my little brother's upcoming good fortune and happiness."
"Say something!" The second uncle glared at his silly son, who was now just laughing.
"Thank you, Second Brother. Thank you, Eldest Brother."
Li Xueli isn't bad at social niceties; he's just a little intimidated in front of his family, especially his second brother and the eldest brother who was just introduced.
Goodness, he knew his second brother was not what he used to be, as he associated with big shots, but he never expected even his brother-in-law to be so powerful.
The squadron leader of the flight group—if this were in Jicheng, what would happen?
"Don't mention it, we're all relatives."
Gu An is actually quite interesting. He doesn't have much contact with people from Northeast China, so he's afraid of saying the wrong thing and always imitates his second uncle's way of speaking.
"Second Uncle, let me tell you," Li Xuewu said cautiously after finishing a glass of wine, looking at his second uncle. "If you're going to set the date for October 1st, then the whole family should go back to the capital."
Seeing his second uncle and Li Xueli looking over, he earnestly explained, "Firstly, it's to pay respects at my grandfather's grave, to add another member to the family, that's the idea."
"Secondly, it's because the new bride is entering the family, so we want the old lady to meet her first."
He then smiled and continued to explain, "Even if the old lady can't go, it will still fulfill our filial duty, right?"
"Furthermore, you haven't been back for quite a while. Going back would be a good way to have some fun and for our generation to communicate and exchange ideas more often. Over time, our relationships have really become distant."
“That’s true.” Gu An saw the father and son exchange a glance and nod to each other before speaking, “I rarely see Xue Wu, so this time I had a different impression of him.”
"Hehe—" Li Gan nodded with a smile and said, "Alright, your second brother is right about this etiquette. You should go back and visit the elders."
"I'll discuss it with Hongying, and we can ask for leave," Li Xueli replied to his second brother. "We'll prepare when we get back, and we'll try our best to go back."
“It’s okay to postpone it a little, there’s plenty of time.” Li Xuewu patted his arm and said, “The old lady actually really wants to go back to the Northeast for a visit. If you don’t mind the trouble, you can take advantage of the wedding to invite her to stay in Jicheng for a while.”
"But I didn't mean anything by it, Uncle." He said this, then reached out and pressed his hand in his uncle's direction, emphasizing with a smile, "Don't tell my dad that I said this."
"Hahaha—" Li Gan understood his nephew's meaning perfectly well and said with a smile, "She's still my mother, what's there to misunderstand?"
"You know my dad's temper."
Li Xuewu smiled and shook his head, saying, "Things have gotten a bit better in recent years, thanks to the children. They used to be the most rigid, not allowing anything out of line."
"Well, you've done your fair share of outrageous things too!" The second uncle knew his nephew wasn't exactly honest, and with a smile, he raised his glass and said, "Come on, let's have a drink, guys."
-
Accidents always happen so suddenly, catching people off guard.
The two uncles had both drunk too much and slept here that night. Gu An had to go back; as the team leader, he couldn't stay outside.
The phone rang in the living room for a while in the middle of the night. Banggeng ran out in a daze, only to find that Uncle Wu had already gone downstairs.
"Yes, I am Li Xuewu."
"Brother—Waaah—My dad's gone—" A heart-wrenching cry came from the other end of the phone, startling Li Xuewu. He frowned and asked, "Are you Xuehan?"
"Brother—" Li Xuehan called out, followed by an uncontrollable sob.
"Tell me slowly, what exactly happened?"
Li Xuewu pointed to the switch on the wall, signaling Banggeng to turn on the light.
Banggeng was startled by the sudden crying on the phone. Feeling lost, he ran over and pressed the switch. The lights in the living room came on, but the darkness outside the window seemed even greater.
"Waaah—Brother—" Li Xuehan was already overwhelmed with grief over the loss of her father and could not calm down. Calling him was like grasping at a straw, a helpless act.
Li Xuewu stayed by the phone, comforting him word by word, while also recovering from the shock and grief in his heart.
After a while, Li Xuehan finally managed to explain that his third uncle had died on the spot while on a mission.
"Where are you now?" Li Xuewu asked, frowning. "Have you gone home or are you in the army? Who told you this?"
Li Xuehan was sent to the army by his third uncle the year after he graduated from junior high school, which can be regarded as following in his father's footsteps.
Of course, in this era, joining the army is the best way out for young people, and also the best way to train themselves.
Thinking of his third uncle's care and love, Li Xuewu couldn't help but feel sad after calming down. The two brothers couldn't stop crying on the phone.
"Learn martial arts?" His second uncle's voice came from the stairs. He had come down after hearing the voice.
"Second Uncle." Li Xuewu stood up, wiped the tears from his face, and gestured to the sofa, asking him to sit down first.
Seeing his reaction, Li Gan's face changed drastically, and he asked in a trembling voice, "It's...it's the old lady..."
"No." Li Xuewu shook his head slightly, went to the tea cabinet to pour a glass of warm water, came back and helped him sit down on the sofa before slowly revealing the truth.
"Ah!" Li Gan's eyes were filled with disbelief. He gripped his hand tightly and asked in a trembling voice, "Your third uncle... your third uncle, he..."
Upon hearing the devastating news, Li Gan could hardly believe that his third brother had passed away so suddenly.
Thinking back, they hadn't seen each other many times over the years. Although the two brothers corresponded, it was difficult to express their care and concern for each other.
This meant they were now separated by death. He couldn't bear it any longer, and as Li Xuewu explained the situation, tears streamed down his face, and he sobbed uncontrollably.
"Brother." Li Xueli had already heard it. With red eyes, he walked over to his father and sat down. He said with deep sorrow, "Let's go to Guangzhou."
“Go, go to Guangzhou.” Li Gan was already heartbroken. Hearing his son’s suggestion, he forced back his excruciating pain and grasped Li Xuewu’s hand, saying, “Let’s get up now.”
"Wait for me to make arrangements." Li Xuewu gently patted his second uncle's hand and comforted him, "Xuehan is already at home and is handling the funeral arrangements with his third aunt."
"About your dad..." Li Gan sniffed, took a breath, and said, "Let's tell him, but keep it from the old lady."
"Okay, I'll call home again in the morning." Li Xuewu glanced at the time on the wall; it was already 1:30 a.m. "It's not very convenient to call back now."
He gently patted his second uncle's hand and comforted him, "Please accept my condolences. I will make arrangements as soon as possible. We can talk about anything else after we arrive in Guangzhou."
"Help your dad back upstairs to rest first."
Li Xuewu comforted his second uncle and then instructed his younger brother Li Xueli: "The matter has already happened, so we need to be prepared and get plenty of rest. After all, this is not something that can be resolved in a day or two."
"I understand, Second Brother." Li Xueli helped his father up, touching his cold hands and trembling arms, and couldn't help but turn his head away to secretly shed tears.
When the three Li brothers were young, they went their separate ways. The second brother's branch was in Jicheng, the third brother's branch was in Yangcheng, and only the eldest brother stayed in Beijing to carry on his father's business and take care of the elderly.
They all grew up in poverty, with no one to rely on or help them. They each started their own families, had children, and are the most representative urban families of this era.
Although they are separated by thousands of miles and rarely see each other, their feelings for each other are deep. They have never stopped writing to each other over the years. Whenever they mention their elderly mother, the two brothers lament the pain of being separated from their mother.
This affection has been passed on to the next generation. The Li family has only a few children across three generations. Although they didn't see each other often when they were young, the bond of kinship is unbreakable when they get together, and they cherish the friendship between their siblings very much.
Don't underestimate Li Juan just because she's confused. Even if she's really stubborn, what can Li Xuewu say to her? He's capable of beating up his brother-in-law behind his back, but he can't bring himself to criticize his sister, whether to her face or behind her back.
We're family after all; blood is thicker than water.
Today's pain is the pain of broken bones and tendons, and the grief for loved ones thousands of miles away.
After watching his second uncle and his son go upstairs, Li Xuewu began to arrange the itinerary for the next day. Although there was an organization responsible for his third uncle's funeral, the Li family still had to send someone.
Li Xuehan's words on the phone were also very unclear; he only gave a rough outline, but no matter how he listened, something felt off.
Li Xuehan was in the army. He received the news and rushed back. He called him again and asked why there had been no word from his aunt during this time.
Furthermore, he asked Li Xuehan whether his third uncle's sacrifice was an isolated incident or a collective one, and whether it was kept secret or made public. The difference between these two things was enormous.
Li Xuehan's reply here was somewhat vague. He only knew that his father had sacrificed his life, but he didn't know the specifics of his mission, nor had he heard his mother explain.
Moreover, according to his reply, a colleague from his workplace was in charge of this matter.
Who can stand up for Uncle San's family?
On the other hand, even if the third aunt was in unbearable pain, she should have asked the organization to call her hometown. Her father should have been the first to receive the call, not her.
However, he couldn't say anything more at this moment, especially in front of his second uncle. As a junior, he couldn't speculate about people's hearts with any malice.
He is a master at manipulating people's hearts, but he is also well aware of the dangers of Pandora's Box. He is used to looking at problems from a dark perspective, and sooner or later he will also be trapped in it.
This is the principle that when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.
I can only keep my doubts to myself and deal with everything after we meet.
-
"I have received orders to learn martial arts."
The next morning, just as Li Xuewu was about to set off, he received a call from Gu An.
"Gangfei must complete the delivery work immediately, otherwise Honggang Group will bear the consequences."
"Were the orders given directly to you?"
Li Xuewu frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "Was there any order that said Gangfei would send you back if he didn't complete the delivery mission?"
“No,” Gu An reminded him, “the wording of the order was more serious than what I said.”
"Okay, I understand." Li Xuewu nodded and said, "I will report this to the group level and also notify Liaodong Industry..."
“Learning martial arts—” Gu An interrupted, “You must be fully prepared.”
He earnestly reminded him, "You should know the meaning behind this order; there won't be a third order."
"I know." Li Xuewu waved his hand, gesturing for his second uncle and the others to go out and get in the car first, while he continued to explain, "But you have to give me time to report, right?"
“Time is running out,” Gu An said worriedly. “If we don’t get positive feedback, I think things will get very complicated.”
"We can't just give it to you like that!"
Li Xuewu's tone also became serious, and he frowned as he emphasized, "I can easily order Gangfei to open the door. The kind of trouble you mentioned is nothing more than resorting to force."
"Okay, I can accept this outcome completely, but can you handle it?"
He pointedly reminded him, "Now you and I must be on the same side. This is not my own business, it never was in the first place."
"Learn martial arts?" Gu An sensed the fluctuation in his emotions over the phone and frowned as he asked, "In what capacity do you need me to speak to you now? In a formal way?"
"I'm sorry, it's my fault." Li Xuewu let out a long breath, pinched the bridge of his nose, and said wearily, "My third uncle is gone, I have to rush over to deal with this."
"What? Your third uncle?" Gu An was stunned, and asked hesitantly, "Last night..."
"The call came in the middle of the night," Li Xuewu explained in a hoarse voice. "He sacrificed himself at the scene. My second uncle, Xueli, and I are about to head to Guangzhou."
"Going to Guangzhou... then this way..."
Gu An wanted to say something more, but stopped himself. As if he had made a decision, he said in a serious tone, "You go and deal with this matter first. I'll keep an eye on things here."
"Brother, this matter is complicated in some ways, and simple in others." Li Xuewu picked up the now-cold water from the small table and took a big gulp, saying bluntly, "You should remain calm and wait, and absolutely do not offer any suggestions or opinions."
"Neither of us can take a stand in this matter; it's a dead end."
He gritted his teeth and explained more bluntly: "The key to breaking the deadlock is not in Liaodong, but in Beijing, in Honggang Group. This time, someone must step forward and take responsibility for the consequences."
"Learn martial arts." After hearing him finish speaking, Gu An asked in a deep voice, "Can I bring the plane back this time?"
"The plane isn't the key, brother."
Li Xuewu sighed and explained, "What they want isn't the plane, but the noose around our necks."
"We've already exported over a hundred of these aircraft. If you really need them, there's absolutely no need to go through this method, do you understand?"
He emphasized very seriously: "You don't even need to be so proactive. As long as you express your intention to need it, we will send it over to you on our own initiative, even if it's just for free."
"This is a trap, a trap that will surely lead to certain death."
Li Xuewu gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "I'm going to return this trap to them, put it around their necks, and hang them myself."