MMB Chapter 1600 Idea King, Where Did the Plane Go?
Chapter 1600 Idea King, Where Did the Plane Go?
Chapter 1600 Idea King, Where Did the Plane Go?
A cruiser led the way, followed by a Volga M24 in the middle, and a Hongyun 7-seater bus at the rear. The convoy of three vehicles slowly drove into the capital's compound.
Hu Ke showed great sincerity by having the security guard track their entry time and waiting downstairs when the convoy arrived.
"Director Hu, you're too kind."
Li Xuewu got out of the car and grasped the other person's hand without taking an extra step. It has to be said that Qi Yan was the most worry-free driver he had ever used.
There's no need to rank the most troublesome ones; there are only a few. Aside from the most troublesome and the least troublesome, there's no need to rank the remaining two.
"Secretary-General Li, you're coming to Liaodong, how could I not come down to greet you?"
Hu Ke greeted him with a smile, "I was worried you wouldn't want to come because you thought our simple meal was too plain!"
"With you here, Director Hu, I'd come even if I had to starve." Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and smiled, "We're old friends, aren't we?"
"Hahaha—" Hu Ke laughed and gestured, "Please! Deputy Director Lu is already waiting for you upstairs."
"I told you not to be so polite—"
Li Xuewu straightened his neck and said with feigned modesty, "I was thinking it would just be the two of us talking."
"Hey, don't be so polite."
Hu Ke grabbed his arm and moved towards the entrance hall, saying, "I heard you were coming. He cleared out his entire morning just to wait for you."
"Look at this—" Li Xuewu glared at him helplessly before laughing and stepping up the steps to walk towards the foyer with Hu Ke.
The officials who came with him carried briefcases and followed in order of rank, creating an impressive convoy of three cars at the bottom of the steps.
White and black: white shirt, black belt, black trousers, and black leather shoes.
Without even looking at their name tags, the office staff in the capital building could recognize where these people came from.
In the entire Liaodong region, only Honggang Group is so generous as to order work clothes for its cadres and employees on a quarterly basis.
They even envy the work clothes, let alone the legendary welfare benefits system; they are green with envy just hearing about it.
“I’m telling you, you’ve come at the perfect time.”
As Hu Ke accompanied him upstairs, she introduced him to the local produce, saying, "July is the month of abundant harvests of fruits and vegetables, making it the perfect time to entertain a distinguished guest like yourself."
"Hey—" Li Xuewu raised his chin and said, "We can be considered family now, so why are you being so polite?"
"Hahaha—" Hu Ke was naturally happy. The fact that he had invited him to come to Fengcheng in person to discuss the project meant that the project was very likely to succeed.
He controlled the large ship of Liaodong Industry, so naturally he had a wide circle of friends. He had a harmonious relationship with Li Xuewu and helped him in critical moments, all so that he could receive a great return for his support and help when needed.
He had a pretty good understanding of the whole story of Gangfei's incident, and when he communicated with Deputy Director Lu, he was determined to lend Li Xuewu a hand.
In the words of Deputy Director Lu, they have more opportunities to use Honggang Group, while Li Xuewu has very few opportunities to use him.
It was a rare opportunity for Li Xuewu to owe someone a favor, especially since Deputy Director Lu was ruthless when it came to those despicable acts.
What happened to that person?
Unless it's an older person who steps forward, he has plenty of reasons to stand up for them.
This is Liaodong, and it's not their place to interfere in matters concerning industry. Besides, not everyone in this area likes to curry favor with them.
Unfortunately, Lu Qiming was the one who stood out the most.
"What did I tell you?"
The fact that Lu Qiming received Li Xuewu and his entourage in his own office demonstrates the importance Lu Qiming attaches to Honggang Group and Li Xuewu.
Of course, not many cadres were actually allowed to enter this office with Li Xuewu; only Zhang Jing was one of them.
Zhang Enyuan and his entourage were invited to a nearby reception room, where officials from the government office were responsible for receiving them and awaiting further negotiations.
In reality, everyone knew that the real negotiations had already begun in that office they couldn't enter. When it was their turn to take the stage, all that was left was to finalize compliance procedures and minor details.
When leaders meet, the first thing to discuss is the overall direction. Once this step is agreed upon, the outcome is basically set in stone.
"Originally, I had a pretty good plan."
Li Xuewu didn't hold back in front of Lu Qiming and Hu Ke, and said very frankly: "You see, the Beijing Chemical Industry needs to develop tertiary industries and promote technological and industrial transformation."
"In Liaodong, we strongly support the development of the chemical industry."
He clapped his hands and said, "Isn't this a perfect match, killing two birds with one stone!"
"What's wrong?" Hu Ke raised an eyebrow, sensing something amiss in his tone. "Is there a problem somewhere? Or is it that Beijing Chemical doesn't want to come?"
“Not here.” Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and shook his head slightly. “I didn’t even expect that.”
He looked up at Lu Qiming, who was sitting on the sofa diagonally opposite him, and explained, "When I went back a while ago, their deputy factory director invited me to visit their fertilizer plant. They are indeed very capable."
Lu Qiming nodded slightly. He could tell that Li Xuewu had other ideas behind all this buildup, unlike Hu Ke who seemed anxious. He calmly watched Li Xuewu and listened to him continue.
One more thing to add: don't be fooled by Hu Ke's anxious demeanor; he's just putting on an act.
Today, it's not him who's in charge, it's Lu Qiming.
Since he was the one who invited the person, he naturally had to do his best to push the project to the surface. From his perspective, he didn't mind playing the straight man for Li Xuewu.
The task was to both raise the leader's questions and elicit further information from Li Xuewu, so naturally, he needed to do a lot of talking in this office until a final conclusion was reached.
If he were in charge today, he would be as composed and steadfast as Deputy Director Lu.
This is the principle that you have to sing the mountain song of whichever mountain you stand on.
With Hu Ke's cooperation, Li Xuewu's presentation flowed much more smoothly, and he clearly explained Beijing Chemical's intentions in just a few words.
"Honggang Group has no plans to develop the chemical industry, and Director Hu should know this."
He explained sincerely, "I have emphasized this point to Director Hu before, and we have no such investment plan for the next five years."
"Yes, I can understand them."
Lu Qiming smiled kindly, put down his cup, and looked at Li Xuewu, saying, "With the Honggang Group as a shining example, it's only natural that they want to catch up."
He looked at Hu Ke, who was pretending to be troubled and frowning, and said, "If you, Director Hu, were in charge, wouldn't you think the same way?"
"That's what they say, but..."
Hu Ke hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Li Xuewu and asked, "They want to ask Honggang for help, what does that have to do with us?"
Li Xuewu did not answer immediately, but looked at Lu Qiming instead.
Lu Qiming understood, smiled slightly, and said, "Since we're going to borrow strength, of course the greater and more abundant the strength, the better."
He looked at Li Xuewu and nodded slowly, then asked, "I heard from Director Hu that you were involved in the entire process of Honggang's group-building work. You must be able to provide them with excellent and valuable experience in this regard."
"It's easy to understand why Beijing Chemicals would want to find you and hope you can offer valuable advice and share your experience in this area."
“I’m also hesitant.” Li Xuewu looked at him sincerely and said, “Things are different now. The process of Honggang’s group formation has taken three years and we have gone through a lot of trials and tribulations. You should know that without me telling you.”
He glanced at Hu Ke, then shook his head at her, and frankly said, "I can't guarantee that the advice and experience I provide will help them achieve corporatization. What if it causes a loss of collective property..."
At this point, Li Xuewu paused and said hesitantly, "To put it bluntly, I know my own limitations. Even if you sold me, I still couldn't pay it back."
"Hehehe—" Lu Qiming chuckled and looked at him, saying, "Are you really that insecure?"
He then looked at Hu Ke and joked, "This isn't the Secretary-General Li we know, is it?"
"Hehehe—" Hu Ke also smiled and looked at him, saying, "Or perhaps the bargaining chips provided by Beijing Chemical Industry are not enough?"
“Of course, if we’re going to sit down and play cards, I certainly won’t refuse more chips.” Li Xuewu looked at the other person, spread his hands and said, “We’re all honest people. To be honest, if we could achieve group formation just by relying on opinions and experience, wouldn’t Liaodong be able to form groups on a large scale?”
“Hey—” Lu Qiming pointed to a spot in the air and raised an eyebrow, saying, “I was going to bring up this idea even if you hadn’t said it.”
After glancing at Hu Ke, he said to Li Xuewu, "Since Beijing Chemical has the courage to transform into a modern company, and even to become a group enterprise in one step, why can't Liaodong Industry produce two exemplary models?"
"Hearing you mention the group-oriented goals of Beijing Chemical Industry, I'm also eager to try it out—" Hu Ke chimed in at this moment, "Your Secretary-General Li has the skill to turn stone into gold, you shouldn't forget about our Liaodong Industry."
"Look, the snowball is getting bigger and bigger."
Li Xuewu smiled wryly at the two of them and joked, "If I had the Midas touch, I wouldn't be doing anything else."
He gestured with his fingers and said, "We'll go from north to south, from east to west, and turn all the companies in the country into group companies."
"Hahaha—" Lu Qiming laughed heartily, waved his hand, and after slightly easing his laughter, said to him, "Of course I don't expect all the companies in the province to develop into group companies."
At this moment, he looked at Hu Ke and said, "But given the current scale of industrial enterprises in Liaodong, it should be possible to form several group-type enterprises."
"I am confident in this," Hu Ke said with a smile to Li Xuewu. "You should know the industrial strength of Liaodong without me having to tell you.
“Of course, I have no doubt about that.” Li Xuewu nodded and said, “The nation’s industry looks to the Northeast, and the Northeast’s industry looks to Liaodong.”
"When I suggested that the group establish a light and heavy industrial base in the steel city, it was precisely because of the city's strong industrial foundation."
He looked at the two men calmly and said, "But expanding the scope of business is not the same as becoming a group company. Becoming a group company does not mean building more buildings or opening more branch factories. You two should understand this principle."
"Hmm." Lu Qiming nodded slowly, looked at him and said, "It's what you call resource integration, right?"
"No matter how strong your five fingers are, they are no match for a clenched fist." Li Xuewu clenched his fist and said, "The process of clenching a fist is the process of forming a group."
He described it as: "During this period, we not only need to adjust the organizational structure, but also optimize the industrial structure, with technological innovation as the core driving force. This is a systematic project."
"Of course, when I say that technological innovation is the core driving force, I am referring to the direction that Honggang Group has chosen in this process, which may not be suitable for all companies."
"So, what about Beijing Chemical Industry?" Lu Qiming had truly listened and understood. He frowned slightly as he pondered, and asked, "Is it also driven by technological innovation?"
"I've only received some information from them so far, so I can't be sure yet," Li Xuewu explained cautiously. "I have some rough ideas, but they all need to be verified and discussed by the expert group."
"But in general, Beijing Chemical does not lack core technologies, because chemical production is an industrial category that requires technological optimization and its iteration is not very fast."
He crossed his right leg and looked at the two men, saying, "You should also know that the Dahua Chemical Plant, which was built by the Japanese in Tianjin, is still the mainstay of the chemical industry in North China."
"Yes, that's true."
Hu Ke reported to Lu Qiming: "The chemical industry relies more on technology and scale, and we also mentioned this point when we organized the expert demonstration."
“Hmm—” Lu Qiming pondered, then turned to Li Xuewu and asked, “You must have some thoughts on the concerns about Beijing Chemical Industry. Tell me about them.”
He gestured to himself and Hu Ke, saying, "In this respect, Director Hu and I are not as experienced as you are."
"Frankly speaking, I don't have a background in chemical engineering either." Li Xuewu used a joke to ease the atmosphere. Seeing everyone chuckle, he then said, "I consulted experts and combined my own experience to come up with some ideas."
In Hu Ke and Lu Qiming's eyes, Li Xuewu was confident and prepared.
In all my interactions with him, I've never seen Li Xuewu holding a notebook or documents while talking. He's knowledgeable, articulate, and speaks fluently and confidently.
"Chemical production has distinct industry characteristics," Li Xuewu explained, pinching his fingers, "including being technology-intensive, energy-intensive, and having high pollution risks."
"To address these risks, we need to balance efficiency and safety through comprehensive management and technological innovation."
He pointed to the horizon and emphasized, "Any industrial enterprise that does not prioritize efficiency and safety will fail."
"And I believe that the core of chemical production is diversity and complexity."
Li Xuewu casually placed his hand on his thigh and looked at Lu Qiming as he introduced, "As you know, chemical products cover tens of thousands of categories, including fertilizers, plastics, and pharmaceuticals, with vastly different reaction pathways and process conditions."
"It involves multiple disciplines such as catalysis, separation, and heat transfer. Modern industrial production requires more automated control and precision instrument support, which reflects its technology-intensive characteristics."
"The expert group specifically mentioned one point during their report: the industry's unique characteristics and challenges in terms of resource consumption and development potential."
Li Xuewu pointed firmly with his finger and said, "Chemical production relies on raw materials such as oil and ore, and the cost of treating pollutants is quite high."
"We all know that wastewater contains recalcitrant organic matter, and high-temperature, high-pressure reactions can easily cause explosions, etc."
He coughed lightly, sat up straight, and said, "This requires improving the recycling of by-products during the construction process, enhancing economic efficiency, designing explosion-proof and pollution-proof procedures, and formulating strict operating procedures, etc."
"If the core of developing the chemical industry is engineering process design, then the initial investment is a real obstacle."
At this point, both Lu Qiming and Hu Ke understood. They frowned slightly and looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
“Beijing has experience and established procedures for building chemical plants.”
Li Xuewu looked at the two of them for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Are there any preferential policies in Liaodong if we want to develop in-depth cooperation?"
Hu Ke and Lu Qiming exchanged a glance and frowned. Hu Ke took the initiative to ask, "I understand the policy, but what you mean by in-depth cooperation...?"
“If it were just a fertilizer plant, I wouldn’t need to go through all this trouble.”
Li Xuewu lowered his right leg, sat up straight, and said, "Santaya Group can help us make connections and introduce more advanced fertilizer production technology and equipment."
He raised an eyebrow and continued, "Buy as much as you need; it's simply a matter of money."
"If Liaodong is willing and there are policies to support the development of the chemical industry, just like Honggang built an integrated industrial cluster in Gangcheng, then it will be more than just a matter of money."
"So, the core issue is still conglomeration, right?"
Lu Qiming was the first to react, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked at him and asked, "Beijing Industry hopes to achieve conglomeration through the development of tertiary industries."
"But they prefer to build integrated industrial clusters, expand rapidly, shorten the time needed for group formation as much as possible, and increase the probability of success, is that what you mean?"
"You mean—" Hu Ke understood at this moment, frowned and looked at him, asking, "Beijing Chemical Industry wants to absorb chemical companies in Liaodong?"
“It’s not just about absorption.” Li Xuewu looked at him seriously and said, “You can also foresee the risks involved. This project requires a lot of resources and financial support.”
He nodded slowly and said, "What I'm considering is that Honggang Group can form an expert group to help them build the group's organizational structure and optimize its industrial structure..."
"What about technology and funding?" Hu Ke asked impatiently. "How much support can Honggang Group provide in this regard?"
"In terms of technology, we can make introductions," Li Xuewu said, spreading his hands. "But Beijing Chemical may not need our help. They have already reached several important chemical cooperation agreements with East Germany."
"Regarding funding, I have already reported the project to the management committee and asked United Savings Bank to conduct an investment assessment. It is hoped that we can reach an agreement on leading the investment in the project."
He shrugged pretentiously and said, "I believe Director Hu should know that we have investment cooperation with Hong Kong Times Bank, and we have sufficient funds in this regard."
Now that Li Xuewu has laid his cards on the table, it's Liaodong Industrial's turn to make a decision.
Hu Ke looked at Lu Qiming, and Lu Qiming looked at Hu Ke. After their eyes met, their gazes held not only surprise at the new project but also deep contemplation.
The logic is simple. As Li Xuewu said, it's not as simple as just investing money. If Beijing Chemical fails to integrate the chemical resources in Liaodong, who will clean up the mess left behind?
"A letter from Gangcheng. The Gu Brigade of Xijing wants to contact you." As Li Xuewu stepped out of the building and down the steps, Zhang Enyuan followed him and quietly reported this.
An entourage member had already opened the car door for them. Li Xuewu bent down slightly and climbed into the car, asking, "Did they say what it's about?"
Zhang Enyuan quickly got into the passenger seat, closed the door, and turned to report, "I don't know, but the office emphasized that the other party is in a great hurry."
"I understand. Follow the car in front and head to Liaodong Hotel."
Lu Qiming did not give an answer on the spot, but asked him to rest first. He specially instructed Hu Ke to arrange a dinner to entertain him and agreed to meet in the evening to catch up.
There wasn't much to reminisce about between the two. Aside from things that were inconvenient to say in the office during the day, they could easily and openly discuss them at the dinner table or in the break room.
Discussing projects is like that; it's not as simple as dating, where you chat a few times, meet once, hit it off, and then go to a hotel. Discussing projects requires a lot of research and planning.
Of course, while they wouldn't make a decision so quickly, Lu Qiming and Hu Ke wouldn't let him leave easily.
In their eyes, Li Xuewu was not a god of wealth, but he was a master of ideas.
Their original plan was to leverage the influence and credit of the Honggang Group to bring in some fertilizer plants from Beijing and other provinces.
This isn't because they're being cunning and always eyeing what others have; it's an implementation standard for developing agriculture and increasing grain production nationwide.
Not only in Liaodong, but the whole country is increasing its efforts to develop agriculture-related industries, including fertilizers, water conservancy, electricity, agricultural machinery, and so on.
They weren't greedy, nor did they put all their eggs in one basket; targeting Honggang Group was a targeted approach within a broader strategy.
We were certain that the success rate was high with Honggang Group, but we never considered getting into integrated chemical engineering.
When Li Xuewu first explained the problems he encountered and then elaborated on the purpose of his trip, the two men were somewhat caught off guard because they were unprepared.
How much industrial output can a single Honggang Group drive?
They had carefully calculated this. Although the headquarters of Honggang Group was in Beijing, its influence on Liaodong industry was enormous.
Of course, even if Beijing Chemical becomes a group company, its headquarters will still be in Beijing and will not be moved to Liaodong.
But as we just discussed at the meeting, if Hongxing Factory can achieve group-based operation and Beijing Chemical Industry is also ambitious, why can't the industry in Liaodong?
If Honggang Group can help Jingcheng Chemical complete its industrialization this time, then Lu Qiming has absolute confidence in supporting Honggang Group to lead Liaodong's industry towards conglomeration.
Or, as soon as they saw a glimmer of hope in the process of the Beijing Chemical Group's restructuring, they couldn't wait to catch this fast train and establish the first group-type enterprise in Liaodong.
Once there's a first, there will be a second, and then a continuous stream of industrial enterprises with excellent genes will emerge and transform into conglomerates.
Why should we actively develop towards group-based industrialization?
To put it simply, to achieve the grand goal of modern industrial development, we must increase the survival rate of enterprises, and group enterprises are undoubtedly the best way to integrate original resources.
Li Xuewu's explanation of group-type enterprises was cryptic, failing to reveal their core values, but Hu Ke and Lu Qiming both knew it.
So, Beijing Chemical quietly wants to become the sixth largest company, stepping out of the scope of Beijing's industry and moving its factory to Liaodong, where the industrial environment is more comfortable. Should they accept it or not?
Unlike Honggang Group, Beijing Industrial will no longer provide other companies with the opportunity to acquire smaller companies and facilitate resource integration.
This is an excellent opportunity for Beijing Chemical to quickly accumulate the initial capital for industrialization.
There is a nationwide shortage of chemical products. As long as they can build an integrated industrial cluster in Liaodong and rely on Honggang's nationwide marketing system and export channels, they will surely be able to open up the market.
What is the core competitiveness of the tertiary industry?
It's about price, and it's about distribution channels.
With the market supply of chemical products falling short of demand, and given the conditions of cost reduction and open supply markets, it's easy to foresee whether the high profit margins will quickly give rise to a chemical conglomerate.
Li Xuewu wasn't exactly a straightforward person. At least in their eyes, it would be an insult to call someone of his age honest and reliable, considering he had managed to stand firm and steadily advance within the Honggang Group.
But what he said today was relatively frank; at least Li Xuewu explained the potential risks of this project.
Risks come from within a company, including management, finances, and human resources; and from outside, including policies, circumstances, and unforeseen events.
Even the pressure came from the industries in the capital.
Li Xuewu made it very clear that the experience of Honggang Group may not be applicable to all enterprises, and Jingcheng Chemical will be the first test subject.
Once successful, Honggang Group will accumulate a wealth of experience, and companies across the country will look to it, with many flocking to it.
Despite the failure, Honggang Group remains a shining star in the national industrial sector; it was just a matter of bad luck. It still has the strength and potential to continue experimenting.
But what about Beijing Chemical Industry?
It has to be said how hard they fell; they didn't just leap over the dragon gate on their first try, they all did it.
What Liaodong needs to do now is to investigate the market, identify risks, offer suggestions, and carry out cooperation on the premise of significantly reducing risks.
The introduction of Beijing Chemical Industry Group to integrate the scattered chemical resources in Liaodong is definitely an opportunity for Liaodong's industry, just like the introduction of Honggang Group in the past.
This involves a whole host of issues, including fundraising, policy adjustments, profit sharing, industrial relocation, and employee resettlement.
Finalizing a partnership will never be the final step. The process of achieving group formation is fraught with difficulties that they need to overcome. Once they embark on this journey, there is no turning back.
Li Xuewu, caught in the middle, actually bears the least pressure. He has done his best, and whether a cooperation agreement can be reached depends on the willingness of both parties.
As for what Honggang Group can gain from this, it is too early to say now, but he also mentioned in the meeting that the significance of leading the investment lies in the shares and profits.
Whether Liaodong Industry transfers its resources to Jingcheng Chemical through a sale or an equity investment will determine its future returns.
In this project, the investor was not Honggang Group, but United Savings Bank.
The United Savings Bank has grown and fulfilled the original purpose of its formation: investment and holding.
Honggang Group's role in this project was primarily that of a supplier providing solutions for group operations.
At this point, Honggang's management model and experience can be transformed into value.
If you ask Li Xuewu how to achieve conglomeration, he can tell you for free. If you actually do what he says, then you're awesome.
However, in reality, even if you know how to achieve group-based operations, you still need to consult the experience and technology of professionals. Coincidentally, Honggang Group has such experience and technology.
Therefore, companies need to provide corresponding value during the consulting process.
The reason why Lu Qiming values Li Xuewu so much, and even sets aside a morning to meet with him, is not just to hear reports on related projects.
The transformation experience of Honggang Group is invaluable.
The tertiary industry provided Honggang Group with a large amount of cash flow, supporting the company's transformation and conglomerate structure. However, after achieving conglomerate structure, Honggang has continuously reduced its stake in the tertiary industry, and even sold most of its shares to Shenfei in the latest project cooperation.
Does Honggang Group no longer need the tertiary industry to provide it with sustenance?
No, it still needs funding to continue its development; it has simply transformed from a producer into an investor.
Honggang Group ostensibly holds the remaining 5% stake in most of the tertiary industry companies, which is a mandatory requirement for Shenfei to complete the acquisition.
What they didn't know was that Honggang Group had already pledged these shares to United Savings Bank in exchange for funds to invest in the project construction.
Some people say that United Savings Bank is just a subsidiary of Honggang Group, so isn't this just a transfer of funds between the left and right hands?
Yes, not right.
United Savings Bank is not entirely owned by Honggang Group. It has maintained absolute independence since its inception, and even personnel appointments require negotiation between the two shareholders.
In other words, the pledged shares and the money obtained in exchange do not belong entirely to Honggang Group; the credit union also bears the risks and reaps the profits.
However, Honggang Group also took on risks. This kind of operation does have certain risks and pressures, but they are insignificant compared to the benefits.
This is financial operation, a necessary means for a large conglomerate.
They either build their own financial system or cooperate with one; otherwise, they can't stand alone. Large groups don't have that much cash flow; they rely on debt to operate.
The more debt you have, the more secure you become.
If you calculate the credit union's investments in various projects in Honggang, the timid would have been scared to death long ago.
But it's nothing to Li Xuewu.
Despite his cautious demeanor in Lu Qiming's office, the reason he worked so hard to facilitate this project was to use Jingcheng Chemical to complete its group-building and resource integration process, and to test whether there was a suitable environment for capital operations in the mainland.
Debt, if managed well, can be more effective than loans.
Without the US subprime mortgage crisis, would you even know that the capital market has this definition?
Don't dismiss this financial model just because the subprime crisis occurred. All financial activities carry risks. A default is called a crisis, while making big profits is called a boom.
They mean the same thing, just different names for it.
-
Where did the plane go?
Li Xuewu also wanted to ask, but Gu An was even more confused than him. He was the one who escorted the planes to the Xijing Aircraft Manufacturing Plant, but he waited and waited and still did not receive the allocation of those ten planes.
He went to ask, but Xifei said the plane was gone.
Can you believe it? That's what they replied: The plane is gone.
On the phone, Gu An swore and cursed, "What the hell do you mean 'gone'? Did it disappear? Fly away? Or did it slip away through a hole?"
He complained bitterly, "Even if they made up a plausible reason, I wouldn't be waiting for a man like a stupid wife."
"A loss may turn out to be a blessing in disguise."
Li Xuewu sighed deeply; the situation he least wanted to see had still occurred.
It has to be said that the other party is really bold. He wasn't talking about that person, but rather the people caught in the middle.
Just like Liaodong Industry's investment in Jingcheng Chemical, knowing there were risks involved and needing further evaluation and research, they couldn't completely trust him as an intermediary.
But what about in practice?
The middleman knew perfectly well that this was a winner-takes-all situation, yet he wanted to shift the risks onto him and even involve Gu An.
What are you afraid of?
Are you afraid that if you bully him, his father-in-law will retaliate? Do you want to take them all down at once?
Li Xuewu would never do such despicable things while running his business in the group, and he still adhered to the bottom line of not letting his family suffer the consequences.
But the other party is determined to destroy him.
As an intermediary, if one side deceives the other, and the investigation is conducted in a clandestine manner, who would dare to conduct such open and aboveboard research and investigation as Liaodong Industry?
Therefore, Li Xuewu was certain that these middlemen had ill intentions; they were not merely acting under someone else's coattails, but rather harboring malicious intentions.
Li Xuewu reacted strongly this time because he had calculated that the other party would not dare to make a big fuss, otherwise they would be exposed and get burned.
Now that he had discovered the problem, the other party would not press the issue and would try to smooth things over, so Li Xuewu agreed.
This is called "casting a long line to catch a big fish".
They thought that if Li Xuewu simply raised his hand, they could slip away and disappear without a trace.
Gu An couldn't find those ten planes, but Li Xuewu could.
Airplanes fly out of steel, and installing signal transmitting devices during the production process for easy positioning is a normal safety measure.
So he wasn't sure if the planes would "disappear," but Gu An's call pushed his plan forward by a significant step.
Airplanes don't just disappear without a trace; all the tracks they leave behind will provide clear clues for the investigation team after the incident.
“Brother, good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished.” Li Xuewu said calmly, “It’s not that retribution won’t come, it’s just that the time hasn’t come yet.”
He sighed and comforted the other person, saying, "Think more about your sister-in-law and the children, and go back to see your parents more often when you have time."
"Learn martial arts." Gu An suddenly fell silent for a long while before asking, "Are you hiding something from me?"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled and said, "What plans could I possibly have? I've been passively taking hits from beginning to end."
He deliberately played the victim, saying, "You can still take your sister-in-law and child to Nanjing to complain, but who am I supposed to reason with?"
"I understand." Gu An seemed to have made a decision and said seriously, "I haven't been able to settle down and study properly all these years, so I'll take advantage of this time when I'm not busy."
Li Xuewu didn't speak, but listened to him. Some things really have to be figured out by yourself, which is more effective than a thousand or ten thousand words from others.
It seemed that this decision was very difficult for him, and it took him a while to say, "I plan to take a year or two off to study and recharge myself."
"It would be best if you could come back to the capital," Li Xuewu said with a smile. "Gu Ning misses you all very much, especially your sister-in-law and the children."
"Hehehe—" Having made his decision and choice, Gu An suddenly felt much more relaxed and said with a smile, "Even if I have the opportunity to study, I will choose Jinling first."
You could tell he was feeling complicated. After all, he had only been the brigade leader for a little over a year, a time when he was in his prime and full of ambition.
This sudden setback was inexplicable to him and what he found most frustrating.
But he did not complain about Li Xuewu, nor did he say anything discouraging. All he showed was a firm determination to never regret his moves and an understanding of his family.
“I could believe you if you said Xiaoning missed her sister-in-law,” he joked casually. “But if you said she missed me, I haven’t received a single call from her.”
"Even just write me a letter."
On the phone, Gu An actually complained about his sister in front of his brother-in-law. Li Xuewu could only smile awkwardly because he had tried to persuade Gu Ning, but to little avail.
Gu Ning would only reply to one letter if there were too many calls or letters from Jinling. Xijing?
Unless it's Mu Hongyan who writes, Gu Ning won't write to her older brother.
"Just like you said, I'm not only a soldier, but also the eldest son in my family."
After chatting for a while, he sincerely said, "Xue Wu, come to Jinling more often when you have time, let's get together more often."
This might be the gentlest thing a tough guy could say. Li Xuewu guessed he wouldn't be able to express his gratitude, much less be sentimental.
“Of course, whenever there’s an opportunity,” Li Xuewu replied with a smile. “I will also try to persuade Gu Ning more often. She’s a workaholic and doesn’t take leave easily.”
"Hehehe—" Gu An said with a self-deprecating laugh, "At least in this respect, my brother and I are quite similar."
Li Xuewu couldn't help but laugh out loud. After chatting for a couple more minutes, he hung up the phone.
Peter was taken away but was not tortured because his background was so transparent that it was easy to understand without even a thorough investigation.
Li Xuewu guessed that the reason Peter was taken away was to be used for the next step, that is, to give him an overseas connection.
But he didn't fall for it, and there were no contradictions about him that could be used to suspect him, so adding Peter's relationship to the mix would seem redundant.
But Peter's feedback mentioned that the other party had extended an invitation to him to continue his optoelectronic research at a research institution.
Peter naturally refused. His crush was working at Red Steel's research institute. Although he knew his chances of success were slim, at least he could work with his goddess.
Besides, he didn't believe the other party could offer the same treatment as Honggang, and he could tell how to choose based on the other party's unconventional style.
So, thanks to Peter's perseverance and Li Huaide's efforts, Peter returned to Honggang Group, leaving quietly and returning quietly.
He was instructed to keep his absence a secret and to remain silent about all conversations and locations.
Peter did indeed succeed; he simply revealed the truth to his goddess, and once she knew, Li Xuewu naturally found out as well.
Li Xuewu had no intention of using Peter, nor did he ever think of hurting him, so he felt no guilt. On the contrary, these contents confirmed his suspicions.
This also made him determined to teach those who started this a lesson they would never forget.