MMB Chapter 1601 Are Competitors Enemies? (Thank you to Feng Ling Chu Yu for being the Alliance Leader)
Chapter 1601 Are Competitors Enemies? (Thank you to Feng Ling Chu Yu for being the Alliance Leader)
Chapter 1601 Are Competitors Enemies? (Thank you to Feng Ling Chu Yu for being the Alliance Leader)
"Hello, boss, I'm bringing you hot water."
The young waitress was dressed in a white shirt, with a pretty face and a gentle voice, not at all like a girl from Northeast China.
Li Xuewu was sitting in a chair looking at the documents he had brought when he looked up and paused, then saw her standing apologetically in the doorway with a thermos in her hand. He then pointed towards the tea cabinet by the door and said, "You can put it there, thank you."
"You're welcome, it's my pleasure."
The waiter put down the thermos and then secretly glanced back at it, thinking he had just called the wrong person.
She was so young; if it weren't for her air of authority, she would have really thought the person sitting there was the boss's secretary.
Addressing someone incorrectly at a government guesthouse is a serious matter, but sometimes such misunderstandings can arise.
Li Xuewu didn't pay attention to her arrival, and didn't even know when she left, until Zhang Enyuan brought people into the house.
"Secretary-General, Director Xiao has arrived."
"Oh." Li Xuewu looked up at the door and saw Xiao Zihong leading his men in. He stood up and said with a smile, "Comrade Zihong, I hope I didn't disturb your work?"
"Don't mention it, Secretary-General." Xiao Zihong took a few quick steps to catch the outstretched right hand and said with a smile, "I was so happy to know you were coming to Fengcheng that I had to come see you even if it meant missing work."
"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu shook his hand and said with a smile, "Let's not stand on ceremony, we can't keep our guests waiting."
He released his grip on her hand, looked at the people standing behind him, and nodded, saying, "You must be comrades from the pharmaceutical factory?"
"Hello, Secretary-General Li, this is Fang Ai."
A middle-aged woman, wearing a women's shirt typical of that era, took the initiative to shake hands with Li Xuewu and introduced herself.
“Fengcheng Ninth Pharmaceutical Factory,” Xiao Zihong noted from the side, “is the chemical plant of our former Fengcheng Agricultural Machinery Bureau.”
“Our factory belongs to the category of small-scale industries. It can’t compare with a machinery factory, let alone Honggang Group.”
Fang Ai was very eloquent; the room was filled with laughter as they exchanged pleasantries, making it impossible to tell that it was their first meeting.
"Director Fang is a true heroine in Fengcheng, a very prominent figure." It seemed the two had a close relationship, as Xiao Zihong could even use a joking tone when introducing her.
Li Xuewu invited them to sit on the sofa, smiling as he looked them over, maintaining a gentle demeanor throughout.
"I've long heard of the Secretary-General's reputation and have always wanted to meet you, but I was afraid of appearing ignorant, so I asked Director Xiao to introduce me."
Fang Ai tidied her hair behind her ear, looked at him with a smile and said, "Today my wish has finally come true, it was definitely worth the trip."
"If you keep praising me like this, I'll get carried away."
Li Xuewu looked at Fang Ai, who was singing a celebratory song with Xiao Zihong's help, and nodded with a smile, saying, "We are all people of the martial world, so please speak your mind."
He pointed in Xiao Zihong's direction and said, "We've been colleagues for a while now, so I still have to give him face."
The fact that someone could bring another person to his room to meet him was enough to prove that the other person had a very close relationship with Xiao Zihong.
Of course, Xiao Zihong wasn't a fool who would bring someone over without prior notice. Li Xuewu was not someone to be trifled with.
He had already consulted with Li Xuewu by phone beforehand, and only after Li Xuewu nodded did he bring the person over. What to say and how to say it all depended on the other party's performance.
Li Xuewu was going to give Xiao Zihong face, a statement that even Xiao Zihong himself probably couldn't believe.
However, he also felt very honored to be in that position, since Li Xuewu was the leader of the group and also his boss.
Upon hearing this, Fang Ai first glanced at Xiao Zihong and saw encouragement in his eyes before she took the initiative to tell the truth.
"Secretary-General Li, I came here uninvited today, all for the sake of our factory's hundreds of employees, and for the sake of our factory's continued survival."
"Enyuan, pour tea for Director Fang."
Li Xuewu doesn't smoke, so he could only interrupt the other person's rhythm by asking for tea. A conversation is a conversation, but it can't start in this rhythm.
Is he a savior?
He doesn't expect you to worship him right away; he's not some kind of savior.
Zhang Enyuan and he had a tacit understanding. At this moment, Zhang Enyuan came over with a teapot and refilled the teacups with hot tea.
Fang Ai's pent-up emotions were interrupted, her rhythm was disrupted, and she felt a lump in her throat, unable to rise or fall.
After Zhang Enyuan poured the tea and left, she continued to explain her purpose, but that emotion had long since disappeared.
Xiao Zihong, an observer with a clearer perspective, had already witnessed this scene, but he dared not say anything, knowing that Li Xuewu had a bad temper.
In fact, leaders are also human beings. As long as they are in charge of work, they will inevitably encounter work-related matters that involve personal relationships.
As long as it doesn't violate any principles, it's easier and more convenient for everyone to communicate privately, which is why he brought Fang Ai to Li Xuewu's room to talk.
This is the same principle as Lu Qiming inviting Li Xuewu to dinner to talk more. No matter how "street-smart" Fang Ai is, she would not speak like this in a formal setting.
Li Xuewu held his teacup, listening intently to the other party's introduction about the Ninth Pharmaceutical Factory.
Actually, there was no need for an introduction. As soon as the other party walked in and introduced himself, he knew why Director Fang had come.
Pharmaceutical factories can be categorized under the chemical industry.
Of course, the pharmaceutical factories mentioned here are Western medicine factories. Traditional Chinese medicine factories do not belong to the chemical industry. In the future, both will be included in the category of bioengineering, but the essence of Western medicine manufacturing is the chemical industry.
So no matter how Fang Ai beats around the bush, she's essentially after the chemical industry, and Li Xuewu has to admit she has a keen sense of smell.
He wasn't sure if the other party's source was related to Xiao Zihong, but to be fair, Director Fang was indeed capable of developing a pharmaceutical factory with only 5 workers to one with hundreds of employees, and even capable of producing most of the Western medicines on the market.
"Our factory, including myself, was started by five people. Initially, it was just a small chemical plant that could produce more than ten kinds of products such as sublimed sulfuric acid, sodium nitrite, and sodium nitrate."
She explained, "It was our unit's medical station that gave us the suggestion to set up a pharmaceutical factory on the existing foundation."
"It was from that time that our factory began to transform and produce various common small pills."
"That's amazing!"
Li Xuewu nodded solemnly and said approvingly, "I don't have that ability. I might not even have the idea or the courage."
"Please don't laugh at us," Fang Ai said shyly. "I graduated from Liaodong Chemical Engineering Institute and learned some technical skills."
She tidied her hair behind her ear and explained, "But many of the problems we encountered in chemical production were only solved after I asked my former teacher for help."
“It’s normal, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Li Xuewu raised his hand to Xiao Zihong and said, “Comrade Zihong knows that I like to be pragmatic and not pretend to know what I don’t.”
"You may not know this, but the Secretary-General is the only leader in our group who has brought in an expert support team in his own office."
Xiao Zihong smiled and introduced, "Most of the experts are from the group's research institute. The industrial situation of our group in Liaodong today is entirely due to the secretary-general's leadership and guidance."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled and tapped him, saying, "Look, look, I was supposed to have Director Fang say it, why did you end up coming to me?"
"Hahaha—" Laughter rang out again in the room, completely shattering the atmosphere Fang Ai had just created.
When it comes to storytelling, Li Xuewu is better than his opponent; he could talk for three days and three nights without missing a beat. What he really wants to hear is the truth, the real story.
“This is not me flattering the leader.” Xiao Zihong smiled and looked at Fang Ai, saying, “The Secretary-General’s actions have set a precedent for our group’s leaders to consult the expert group before making any major decisions.”
"Even I unconsciously want to listen to the experts' opinions when managing the factory. Would you say that's a good habit?"
"So the Honggang Group's success today isn't just due to good luck!"
Fang Ai flattered Li Xuewu again, and when Xiao Zihong praised him, she followed up with her own words, making Li Xuewu want to laugh.
He could distinguish between flattery and insincerity, but everyone wanted to hear nice words, and that didn't stop him from laughing.
"Knowing your time is precious, I'll just give you a brief report on our factory's situation." Fang Ai wasn't oblivious to the subtle cues, and this time she deliberately skipped the preamble and reported directly: "Our factory is facing difficulties."
"At the beginning of the factory's construction, we had no factory buildings, no equipment, no technology, and no culture. We faced many difficulties."
She explained earnestly, “We fully embraced the spirit of self-reliance and hard work, found a large, dilapidated shed to use as a factory, and used four large vats and two large pots as equipment. If we didn’t know the technology, we learned as we went.”
"Over the years, they have been doing this themselves, making do with what they have, and developing the factory from scratch to its current size."
At this point, a sense of pride and self-satisfaction crept onto her face as she continued, "Today, our pharmaceutical factory has eleven workshops, more than 580 workers, and produces more than 70 kinds of medicines, generating more than 1.9 million yuan in revenue for the country every year."
"Really?" Li Xuewu looked at her in surprise and said, "Annual profit of over 1.9 million, that's more than many factories."
"That's true, our development has also encountered bottlenecks."
Fang Ai explained frankly, "Our medicines can only be sold in Fengcheng, through supply channels, which presents significant safety issues and conflicts."
She hesitated for a moment, gritted her teeth, and looked at Li Xuewu to explain, "The last time the leaders came to inspect, they said that there were problems with our production process and equipment, and that there were potential explosion and fire hazards, and they told us to rectify them."
"Oh." Li Xuewu frowned slightly and looked at her, asking, "What's the actual situation? Are these problems really true?"
"Yes, there are indeed problems, we admit that." Fang Ai frankly admitted, "Because we started from scratch, we lack management experience and foundation in this area, which has led to the hidden dangers we face today."
“We also want to make changes, but we are struggling with funding difficulties…” Fang Ai looked at him apologetically and said, “We are still dragging it out.”
"Annual profit of over 1.9 million."
Li Xuewu frowned, looked her over, and asked, "Didn't the higher authorities allocate funds for a special rectification campaign?"
"The higher-ups said other places urgently need money..." Fang Ai couldn't continue speaking at this point. Even in private, she couldn't say anything bad about her workplace.
Li Xuewu understood. This kind of thing was too common. He had never encountered it at the Red Star Factory because he had charged in with unstoppable momentum, and those who had tried to make things difficult for him had long been eliminated by him.
Looking at the problems Fang Ai encountered, isn't she caught in a vicious cycle?
"What are your thoughts?" Li Xuewu glanced at Xiao Zihong before saying, "It's alright, Zihong is here, let's speak frankly."
"Secretary-General Li, I know that Liaodong is going to introduce Beijing Chemical Industry Group, and I also know that Honggang Group is involved in this project."
Seeing that the conversation had already reached this point, Fang Ai simply said bluntly, "Do you think our factory has any chance to participate in this project, even if it's just being absorbed or receiving investment? If things continue like this, our factory will go out of business."
"Hmm—" Li Xuewu hesitated for a moment before not answering her immediately. Instead, he glanced at Xiao Zihong with a probing look in his eyes.
Xiao Zihong understood and quickly explained, "I just heard the news myself; Director Fang told me about it."
"Ah, please don't misunderstand." Fang Ai then realized that the atmosphere was not right and looked at Li Xuewu to explain, "I heard about your conversation with Deputy Director Lu from a friend."
“It’s alright, it will be announced sooner or later anyway.” Li Xuewu smiled and looked at her, saying, “But Director Fang, I can’t give you an answer right now, as you know this project is still under negotiation.”
He raised an eyebrow and said, "I can only say I'll try my best to help. After all, Comrade Zihong is here, and I can't refuse him."
"Thank you so much—" Fang Ai excitedly stood up to bow, but Li Xuewu was quick and stepped aside.
This kind of woman is a natural-born workplace tyrant; her social etiquette is full of aggression and initiative.
He smiled and nodded to Xiao Zihong, saying, "That's settled then. You're in Fengcheng, and this project can't bypass you. You two should communicate more."
"Secretary-General Li," Fang Ai asked hesitantly, "when can we participate in the project?"
"That depends on the time and procedures," Li Xuewu said with a smile, gesturing with his hand. "We can't just let you talk first, can we?"
"That's not what I meant..." Fang Ai realized she had been too hasty and apologized apologetically before looking at Xiao Zihong.
Xiao Zihong didn't seem to mind her rudeness and gestured towards the door, saying, "The leader has approved this, so you can go back and wait for good news."
"Thank you, Secretary-General Li." Fang Ai knew it was time, and politely said to Li Xuewu, "When do you have time? I'd like to treat you to a meal and give us a chance to express our gratitude."
"Let's skip the meal. We're all working for the organization." Li Xuewu smiled as he saw her off, saying, "You can talk to Zihong about any ideas you have. He'll contact you when this project is looking promising."
"Zihong, why don't you see Director Fang off first?"
Standing at the door, he instructed Xiao Zihong, "You'll come with me to meet the comrades from Linghe Automobile in a bit."
He's busy. He doesn't come to Fengcheng just to discuss one thing, nor does he only meet with one group of people. During his short two-day, one-night stay in Fengcheng, he has to meet with many people.
On the one hand, we need to promote the tertiary industry projects of Beijing Chemical Industry Group, and on the other hand, we need to expand the cooperative relationship of Honggang Group in Liaodong Industry.
Honggang Group's industries will no longer expand recklessly in the next few years, and may even be scaled back under certain conditions.
The contraction of industries has led to an expansion of investment, leveraging their own industrial advantages to develop more industrial clusters.
Honggang Group's strengths are not in metallurgy or steel rolling, because these two planned industries are not ranked highly in the country.
However, Honggang Group's tertiary industries, independent sales channels, and import/export resources make it a rare experimental industrial and commercial entity in the country.
It is precisely because of this advantage that Honggang Group has been able to break through constraints time and time again, stay at the forefront of economic development, and reap the best benefits.
Without changing the ownership structure, the management of Honggang Group must demonstrate how industrial enterprises can survive and develop in a market economy in the new era.
Financial investment is an unavoidable issue for industrial enterprises as they grow and expand, and Honggang Group is once again at the forefront of the economic pilot zone.
Li Xuewu set four goals for Liaodong industry: industry, economy, organization, and culture.
The industrial base must be solid, the financial economy must be innovative, the organizational structure must be robust, and cultural literacy must be enhanced.
In the past year and a half, he has completed the reconstruction and strengthening of the industrial base. As long as he proceeds step by step in the remaining two years, he will surely achieve his goal.
With a solid industrial foundation in place, he was ready to make his mark in the financial and economic spheres.
With financial expansion paving the way, Liaodong's industry will inevitably grow and become the leading industry in Northeast China; this is his ambition.
Driven by the two engines of finance and industry, the organization has grown and expanded, and its influence has continued to grow with the help of cultural promotion.
Only by achieving these four basic goals can Li Xuewu's work in Liaodong be considered successful, and only then will he be able to transcend the limitations of his rank.
So hard work was inevitable; he didn't even have time to rest.
After seeing Fang Ai off, Xiao Zihong returned and explained, "The Ninth Pharmaceutical Factory isn't very large, but Director Fang has a great reputation."
He explained, "Because they started from scratch, their factory's achievements have been frequently reported in newspapers, making them a shining example of industry in Liaodong."
"Yes, this is a good target."
Li Xuewu nodded slowly and said, "It's clear that she's determined to change the status quo."
"We were forced into it." Xiao Zihong sighed helplessly and said, "If we hadn't intervened, Fengcheng No. 1 Machinery Factory would have been finished long ago."
How did you two meet?
Li Xuewu looked at him with some curiosity and said, "Did she come to you on her own initiative?"
“How could that be?” Xiao Zihong smiled and said, “As I said, she is a star in the industrial system in Liaodong. My status is far from enough to make her eager to befriend me.”
"Are you really that bad?" Li Xuewu looked at him with amusement, picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"How should I put it?"
When Xiao Zihong returned, he didn't sit down but stood by the desk, arms crossed, and introduced himself: "We've always been an outsider in this factory, haven't we?"
"What do you mean?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow.
"That's exactly what I mean." Xiao Zihong shook his head with a wry smile and said, "Although it's based on the First Machinery Factory, although it employs many of the workers from the First Machinery Factory, and although it's still in Fengcheng, but..."
He spread his hands and said, "Our factory has been isolated from the industrial system in Liaodong. We are not on the same side."
"If, as you say, social circles exist, then I am not qualified to be part of their circle."
Xiao Zihong gestured with his hand to indicate, "They have the opportunity to move up, but I don't have that opportunity, and I don't need their resources."
“Oh—” Li Xuewu nodded knowingly and said, “You don’t have the resources they need either, so they are very arrogant.”
"Hahaha—" Xiao Zihong nodded with a smile and said, "If you put it that way, I am reminded of the book Pride and Prejudice."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled and shook his head slightly, saying, "Every place has its own rules."
“That’s right.” Xiao Zihong nodded slowly and said, “Following your instructions, I spread the word, and that’s how I caught this big fish.”
Zhang Enyuan came in to pour tea, and immediately understood what had happened. It turned out that the secretary-general and Director Xiao had been putting on an act. Those two were really something—
"Boss, Deputy Director Wang from Linghe Automobile Manufacturing Plant has arrived."
He reported softly, "Would you like to see him now, or..."
"Let's go now, to the meeting room."
Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "I have things to do tonight. I don't know what the Liaodong side is thinking. I hope this trip won't be in vain."
"With you in charge, success is guaranteed." Xiao Zihong smiled and flattered him as he stood up, "I've never seen anything you couldn't accomplish."
“We’ve made it!” Li Xuewu glanced at him with a smile, patted his shoulder, and gestured for them to walk outside together.
"You need to consider the next step if you succeed, and you also need to consider the next step if you fail." Li Xuewu said as he walked, "Keep this key to Ninth Pharmaceutical safe, don't lose it, it will be very useful if the deal goes through."
"The tactic of spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones has always been surprisingly effective, it never fails." Xiao Zihong shook his head slightly and sighed, "Human nature is just so strange."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu looked at him and jokingly reminded him, "You should stop studying that psychology stuff, it's not a good thing."
"Hahaha—" Xiao Zihong laughed heartily. The secretary-general was quite funny in private, the kind who even scolded himself.
Why should he be unhappy? He was involved in Li Xuewu's scheme in Liaodong, which proves that the two had a tacit understanding.
The two had worked together for a year, and he knew the secretary-general very well; he was both a smooth talker and a petty person.
If you treat him with respect, he will treat you with even greater respect.
She's not someone you can win over with sweet words; she's someone you need to genuinely connect with. She's someone who won't suffer losses but also won't take advantage of others.
***
Li Xuewu arrived in Fengcheng in the morning, talked with Lu Qiming for more than an hour, had a simple lunch at the guesthouse, and then got busy in the afternoon.
Accompanied by Xiao Zihong, the director of the machinery factory, and Cao Jihui, the deputy director, they first met with the person in charge of the Ninth Pharmaceutical Company, and then met with the deputy director of Linghe Automobile.
Ninth Pharmaceutical was there for a chemical project that was about to be discussed, while Linghe Automobile was there for cooperation in the automotive industry.
Linghe Automobile's factory is not far from the steel city, both located in Liaodong, and it is a bus manufacturing company.
As early as 66, this automobile manufacturer launched a medium-sized bus, the LK640.
Li Xuewu reviewed the materials brought by the other party and compared them with the Hongyun series buses from Tonggangqi. The differences were quite obvious.
According to the other party's standards, the Hongyun series should be considered small passenger vehicles.
The other type of bus produced by Steel & Automotive, the 46-seat Hon Hai bus, should be considered a large bus.
The other party seemed to have come prepared, as if they had anticipated that Steel Automotive did not have a product line for medium-sized buses, thus enabling the two sides to engage in embedded cooperation.
However, he did not finalize the matter on the spot, giving the reason that the steel and automobile industry needed to organize a professional team to conduct research.
Linghe Automobile was not in a hurry, and only expressed its admiration for Honggang Group's automotive industry at the end, hoping to join the joint industrial system.
Li Xuewu welcomes this, as both the auto parts supply chain and auto sales channels need more brands and resources to expand.
Having control over sales channels does not mean you are invincible and can only sell your own car brand.
Steel cannot produce all models, and Honggang does not have enough funds to invest.
A car company's success has little to do with the number of models it produces; it depends more on the success and influence of its products.
At least in the motorcycle and jeep sector, Honggang Group still dares to speak its mind.
Of course, they also produce passenger cars and buses, but they have an advantage in production capacity, but they don't have any groundbreaking technological advantages.
However, the development of the automotive industry cannot be rushed. Just like Linghe Automobile, it always needs to seize the right opportunities.
"You don't intend to cooperate with them?"
During a break, Xiao Zihong asked this question, seemingly having already discerned Li Xuewu's thoughts.
Li Xuewu rubbed his somewhat numb face and said with his eyes closed, "It's too small and has no special features."
"Hehe—" Xiao Zihong couldn't help but laugh, "A bus doesn't need an unconventional appearance, nor does it need a lot of features, right?"
“That depends on how you define a passenger vehicle.” Li Xuewu opened his eyes and looked at him, saying, “If it’s just for passenger transport, then a Jiefang truck will do.”
“Of course.” Xiao Zihong shrugged and said, “I just think all buses look the same.”
"Hmm, let me tell you something interesting."
Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip of hot tea, leaned back in his chair, and said, "Have you heard of the station wagon project that the Fengtai auto repair shop is currently working on?"
"A travel vehicle?" Xiao Zihong looked at him strangely and asked, "A vehicle for travel?"
"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu knew why his expression was so strange; it seemed that travel didn't exist in the mainland.
Because people's daily lives consist of nothing but work, they rarely have time for activities like travel.
A family taking the bus to the park on the weekend is considered an activity; there's no such thing as a car trip.
Without travel, where would the travel car come from?
"But this project is called a travel car."
Li Xuewu nodded with a smile and said, "They used the 620 station wagon produced by Tianjin Automobile as a prototype and adopted the BJ130 as the chassis."
He gestured with his hands to explain, "That's how they named this project 'Fengtai 630 Touring Car.' Isn't that an interesting project?"
"Of course, this project is not finished yet. It was Gu Litong from Beijing No. 2 Automobile Company who told me about it, and he also thought it was quite interesting."
"Then why bother with the 630?" Xiao Zihong asked, raising an eyebrow, his eyes full of confusion. "Since Tianjin Auto already has the 620 station wagon, what's the point of them doing this project?"
"Because they've started manufacturing cars," Li Xuewu said, flipping open his palm. "They used to be a car repair shop, but now they can manufacture cars."
"And then?" Xiao Zihong looked at him, still puzzled, and asked, "So what if you can build cars?"
"You still don't understand what I mean."
Li Xuewu stood up from his chair, looked at him, raised his chin, and explained, "A car repair shop that can build cars and a pure car repair shop are two different concepts, and their values are different."
"Hmm?" Xiao Zihong raised an eyebrow and asked, "They want to sell the factory... no, they're looking to merge with it?"
He only realized halfway through his sentence that not every company has the strength to conduct mergers and acquisitions like Honggang Group.
The actions of the Fengtai auto repair shop don't seem like they're selling the factory; rather, they seem like they're looking for a good partner.
“Beijing Automotive also has the idea of becoming a conglomerate.” Li Xuewu walked to the desk, put down the teacup in his hand, turned around and raised his eyebrows, and said, “They are seeking to merge with some powerful car manufacturers to complete their initial industrial accumulation.”
"What?" Xiao Zihong was so shocked by the news that his face turned into a meme. He looked at him with utter absurdity and asked, "Why is everyone thinking about... corporatization?"
"Because their managers, like our Director Li, all dream of becoming general managers." Li Xuewu smiled, poured himself some tea, and raised it up in a gesture of respect: "General Manager Li, huh?"
"Heh—" Xiao Zihong couldn't help but chuckle at his tone, shaking his head slightly as he said, "This is really—quite lively."
"The future will be even more exciting."
Li Xuewu returned with a teacup in his hand and said with certainty, "Believe it or not, if we help Beijing Chemical complete its group-building process, Beijing Industry will fall into a chaotic situation of industrial mergers and acquisitions."
“These signs are already emerging, aren’t they?” Xiao Zihong saw it clearly, spreading his hands and saying, “Is the temptation of being a general manager really that great?”
“Hey—” Li Xuewu tilted his head and said with a smile, “You’re not in that position, so you can’t really appreciate the charm of that title.”
"I really don't understand."
Xiao Zihong shook his head with a wry smile and said, "I've set a goal for myself: to become a department manager by the time I retire."
"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled and glanced at him, saying, "That's not a high goal. You're too conservative."
“Not at all.” Xiao Zihong explained very seriously, “I would never have thought about retirement if I hadn’t seen this year’s graduates.”
He sighed and said, "Graduates trained by a professional training-based education system can completely outperform the workers in the factory today."
"I'm referring to the workers who are already on duty."
He emphasized very seriously: "I heard that they had already started their internships while they were in school, and even had practical experience in factories in the Liangmahe Industrial Zone."
"Combined with theoretical knowledge, these graduates can be regarded as the future core of the machine factory's production."
Xiao Zihong nodded slowly and said, "If skilled workers are like this, what about the graduates assigned to government agencies?"
"Compared to them, and looking at the college students who came a few years ago, after a few years of training, where is our room for advancement in the future?"
He let out a sigh of relief, smiled with a sense of relief, and said, "But it's not too bad. They still need some time to grow, which at least gives us old guys some room."
"You're starting to call yourself an old man?"
Li Xuewu looked at him with amusement and said, "Then shouldn't the leaders of the group's management committee be laid to rest?"
"Hey! I didn't say that!"
Xiao Zihong was startled by him and waved his hands with a smile, saying, "You can't say it out loud through me."
"Hahaha—" Li Xuewu accepted his joke, thinking that it was indeed quite amusing.
"What are your thoughts on Lü Yuanshen returning to the capital?"
He put down his teacup, looked at the other person, and asked seemingly casually, "Do you want to work hard in the machine factory for a few more years, or change positions?"
Is this a prelude to an organized conversation?
Xiao Zihong smiled at him, raised an eyebrow slightly, and said, "Should I carefully consider my words to avoid missing a good opportunity?"
"Hahaha—" Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "It's just a private chat between us, you don't need to be so formal."
Let's chat? Who would believe that?
If the person sitting opposite him were his secretary, Xiao Zihong could chat casually, but the person sitting opposite him was his chief secretary!
It can be said that the management of Honggang Group is embodied in the form of a management committee, and the secretary-general is the key link between the management committee and the executive level.
Who would dare to casually listen to or chat about the questions he asks or the things he says?
"To be honest, I wasn't prepared at all."
Xiao Zihong thought for a moment before speaking, "I knew he was going to be transferred, and I knew he might go to the group's headquarters, but I never thought he could..."
At this point, he shrugged, meaning those who know, know.
"You didn't expect him to take over the Quality and Safety Department, did you?" Li Xuewu smiled and nodded, saying, "Everyone's saying he can only go back to being the deputy manager?"
"Hehe—" Xiao Zihong said with a smile, neither confirming nor denying, "Maybe he was just lucky."
"Heh," Li Xuewu snorted, "Perhaps."
"This is my third year working at the machinery factory," Xiao Zihong said after thinking for a moment. "Actually, I'd like to work here for a few more years."
He looked at Li Xuewu very seriously and explained, "Because I still have many ideas that I haven't been able to realize, and the goals I set at the beginning haven't been achieved."
"If possible, I hope to work for a few more years."
"Have you considered the impact your clinging to your position will have on the machine factory? And how it will affect your future career?"
Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes slightly and emphasized, "What would you think if I told the group I'd stay in Liaodong for another ten years?"
"Hehehe—" Xiao Zihong smiled knowingly and said, "Perhaps many people will hate you."
"Hehe." Li Xuewu looked at him meaningfully and said, "Work is work. It's good to have goals to strive for, but you can't get too caught up in them."
"So, you'll give me a chance?"
Xiao Zihong looked at him with amusement and asked, "Which factory will you be transferred to? Or will you return to the group headquarters like Lü Yuanshen?"
“If you also want to exile yourself,” Li Xuewu said with a smile, “then you can apply to be transferred back to the group headquarters right now.”
He raised his chin and said, "The position of department manager isn't too difficult, at least not for you."
"If that's the case," Xiao Zihong's face became more serious as he looked at him and asked, "Is Lü Yuanshen's professional career over?"
"What do you think?" Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said with his head bowed, "Going back to the group at this time, neither promoted nor demoted, you would feel unwilling even if you were at the machine factory, how could he be willing?"
"Sigh—" Xiao Zihong knew it would be like this. The position of department manager was just something the group offered to tempt them, but in reality, it was just a position to keep them in retirement.
Of course, it can't be entirely described as a retirement position, since that position requires experienced cadres to hold it.
In a typical office setting, there are plenty of people to get things done. Department managers only need to understand the direction set by management, convey it to their subordinates, and grasp the direction of the execution level.
If you can manage a factory from scratch to excellence, and can manage thousands of people, then managing a large department with a few dozen people is a piece of cake.
That position can either be filled by someone who transitions at a young age, fighting their way up like Li Xuewu, or by someone like them, retiring gracefully after achieving success.
"Think about it carefully." Li Xuewu smiled slightly and said, "I'm just having a casual chat with you."
“I’ve taken it all to heart—” Xiao Zihong smiled.
The two already had a tacit understanding; many things didn't need to be said too explicitly, as they both understood each other.
Before dinner, Li Xuewu also met with the person in charge of Siping Bus Factory, whose purpose was the same as that of Linghe Automobile Factory.
These people didn't come because of his reputation; they were in Fengcheng on business and, upon hearing of his arrival, asked Liaodong Industry for help, hoping to try their luck here.
This was also part of his visit to Liaodong Industrial Park. Hu Ke had already reminded him that he would introduce him to some of the best business leaders in Liaodong Industrial Park.
Li Xuewu wouldn't refuse Hu Ke's request, and since she didn't force him to cooperate, it could be considered a byproduct of their meeting.
Li Xuewu brought Xiao Zihong to the evening banquet, and Hu Ke also brought a guest who was quite unexpected to him.
"Secretary-General Li, hello. My name is Liu Gang, and I come from Changhe Machinery Factory."
"How was it? A pleasant surprise?"
Hu Ke chuckled and explained to him, "You should know that the aviation industry has decided to build a helicopter manufacturing plant in Jingdezhen."
He gestured to Liu Gang to introduce him, saying, "Director Zhang from Institute 602 introduced me to you. Director Liu, today you two are meeting as colleagues."
"Hello, Director Liu." Li Xuewu smiled and shook hands with the other party, saying, "I saw some news about your factory in the newspaper."
"Thank you, it's an honor to meet you." Liu Gang was genuinely polite, smiling as he said, "Gangfei is at the forefront of helicopter production nationwide, we should learn from them."
“Not at all,” Li Xuewu said modestly, “We’re just using a substitution technique; after all, we lack the technical expertise.”
“If we need to be humble about producing helicopters like the KH-4,” Liu Gang shook his hand again and said, “then we’d be ashamed.”
"Why don't you two have a fight?" Hu Ke, always eager for a good show, raised an eyebrow and said, "Isn't it said that competitors are enemies?"
"Hahaha--"
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PS: I always update every Lunar New Year's Eve. This year I'm updating a little earlier so I can spend more time with my family. I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year in advance.
Wishing everyone a prosperous Year of the Horse, with abundant blessings, wealth, and thriving careers! May everything go smoothly for you!