MMB Chapter 1654 The Punishment of Impulsiveness
Chapter 1654 The Punishment of Impulsiveness
Chapter 1654 The Punishment of Impulsiveness
As soon as Li Xuewu returned to the steel city after the Spring Festival holiday, he received a notification from the general manager's office.
"What do you mean?" He frowned slightly and looked at Zhang Enyuan, asking, "What do you mean that President Li can't come?"
“Well…” Zhang Enyuan hesitated before explaining, “Director Liu said that General Manager Li has important work to do and can’t leave…”
"Is there any work more important than attending the meeting in Fengcheng?"
Li Xuewu curled his lip, glanced at the phone, but didn't pick it up. Instead, he asked, "What else does Liu Bin have to say?"
"He said you could contact General Manager Li later, as he wasn't there at the time; he had gone to his department."
"Hmph," Li Xuewu snorted, "I know, you can go out now."
Zhang Enyuan carefully turned and left, feeling that the notice was eerie in every way.
Leaders' schedules are usually arranged a week in advance, and Liu Bin wouldn't make such a basic mistake.
The fact that the group's general manager was invited by Liaodong Industry to attend the group's club meeting held in Fengcheng was of great significance.
The Secretary-General had been coordinating this matter a month in advance, and the trip to Fengcheng was finalized half a month ago.
With only two days left until the meeting starts, the general manager suddenly says he's not coming.
Regardless of what others think, Zhang Enyuan has to consider things from Li Xuewu's perspective; the secretary-general can no longer save face.
Unless General Manager Li has a truly life-threatening reason that prevents him from leaving, he won't be able to explain it to Deputy Director Lu of Liaodong.
The atmosphere on the third floor of the metallurgical plant's main office building was extremely oppressive that day. The office clerks even walked on tiptoe, afraid of disturbing this deep pool of water and ending up dead.
Li Xuewu's office was eerily silent. Unless absolutely necessary, he would voluntarily postpone his reports and requests for instructions, or ask the office director, Zhang Jing, to handle them.
The get off work bell rang three times, and even the staff on duty had returned from dinner at the cafeteria, but Li Xuewu still didn't go out.
Zhang Enyuan stood at the door twice and saw that the leader did not get up, so he waited in his office.
He knew that the secretary-general was waiting for a call from the group headquarters, and even President Li would have to give a reasonable answer.
This was his third year serving as Li Xuewu's secretary, and he had a deep understanding of the secretary-general's influence on the group's management committee.
I can't say for sure that General Manager Li will adopt the Secretary-General's opinion, but General Manager Li's respect for the Secretary-General is well-known throughout the group.
Ring ring ring—
In the silence, the sudden ringing of the phone startled him, and he stopped himself just as he was about to reach for it.
This wasn't his call; the clock had already rung to signal the end of the workday. It couldn't possibly be a work-related call either; it could only be…
"Yes, I am Li Xuewu."
The office phone was answered; it was the call the secretary-general had been waiting for, and it must be from the group headquarters.
Zhang Enyuan got up and walked to the office door. He saw his boss on the phone, so he picked up the thermos and went over.
The office was quiet. The secretary-general listened most of the time, responding only occasionally. So he could tell that the voice coming from the phone was that of Li Huaide, the group's general manager.
The phone call lasted less than ten minutes, and the secretary-general didn't say much throughout.
"Well, I see."
After saying his last sentence, Li Xuewu hung up the phone, frowned and thought for a moment, then raised his wrist to check the time. It had been an hour since he was supposed to get off work.
"Let's go, it's time to get off work."
He pushed aside the documents in front of him, stood up, and said to Zhang Enyuan, who was pouring hot water, "The family must be getting impatient."
"Secretary-General, regarding the meeting the day after tomorrow..." Zhang Enyuan asked hesitantly, "Are you going alone?"
"Deputy Director Gu, General Manager Gao, and General Manager Cheng are here."
Li Xuewu picked up his coat and put it on, saying casually, "They will fly directly to Fengcheng tomorrow afternoon."
"Oh, is there anything we need to prepare?"
Zhang Enyuan quickly tidied up the documents on his desk and poured out the leftover tea from his teacup.
He held his briefcase in his hand and asked, "Should we arrange for a few cars to go over there? It would make travel easier."
"The machinery factory... never mind, you can arrange it."
Li Xuewu waved his hand, indicating, "Go put on your coat. We'll talk on the way. Your wife is getting impatient."
"She knows I have to work overtime."
Zhang Enyuan smiled, strode out the door, went back to his office to get his coat, and explained, "I already told her not to wait for me after lunchtime."
"You've been in the capital for so long, haven't I asked you if you've had a good time?" Li Xuewu walked ahead, teasing him on purpose.
Zhang Enyuan chuckled sheepishly and said, "I'm not Yu Zhe, what does she have to worry about?"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu still remembered that he had been frightened by Yu Zhe, and he found it amusing to think about it.
“Speaking of Yu Zhe, I even saw him during my trip back to Beijing,” Zhang Enyuan said, taking the initiative to start the conversation. “He was in the cafeteria on the second floor, and he looked much more well-behaved.”
“Yeah, I heard about it too,” Li Xuewu glanced back at him and joked, “They say someone’s disciplining him.”
"Hahaha—" Zhang Enyuan laughed heartily, shaking his head and saying, "He should be kept in check."
This refers to the period of more than half a month that Li Xuewu returned to Beijing to attend a meeting last month, not during the Spring Festival.
Li Xuewu's trip back to Beijing for the Chinese New Year was a vacation; he did not go to the group office and only attended two office meetings.
He treated Zhang Enyuan fairly well, not letting him cause any trouble during the Chinese New Year, which could be considered as giving him a holiday.
From the third to the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, the two of them didn't get a single day off in the entire year.
However, when they came back, it was clear that neither he nor Zhang Enyuan had been idle.
"My father-in-law is a real face-conscious man." As they went downstairs, Zhang Enyuan brought up his own topic after talking about Yu Zhe.
“He used to look down on me, and every time I went back to his house for Chinese New Year, I would be full of anger.”
"You've finally gotten your revenge in the last few years?"
Li Xuewu glanced at him and asked with a smile, "It can't be that bad, can it?"
"You have no idea, alas—"
Speaking of his experiences during the Spring Festival, Zhang Enyuan sighed deeply, filled with emotion.
“My wife has three sisters and five brothers. Every year on the third day of the Lunar New Year, we have lunch at my father-in-law’s house.”
He explained, "In the past, if I had arrived even a little late, there would have been no place for me at the table."
"But things have changed in recent years. My father-in-law said that I won't eat without him."
"Hahaha--"
Li Xuewu found it amusing and tapped him, saying, "Don't let your father-in-law down."
"He thinks I'm so powerful now, that I get a car to take me home, and that I'm even more arrogant than their workshop director."
Zhang Enyuan shook his head and said, "To be honest, I haven't felt any prestige following you these past two years; I've mostly been learning."
When the two arrived at the lobby downstairs, his tone became sincere, making Li Xuewu feel a little embarrassed.
"Learning is a two-way street."
Li Xuewu watched as he pushed open the hall door first before walking out, emphasizing, "Without your help, I wouldn't be able to work so easily, right?"
"How could that be? You're the one giving me the opportunity."
Zhang Enyuan replied modestly, "Director Zhang told me that as the group grows bigger and bigger, young talents are emerging in droves."
He opened the car door for Li Xuewu and joked, "It's really lucky that this old and clumsy catfish of mine has made it this far."
"Too modest, that's not good."
Li Xuewu first shook his head at him before getting into the car.
Zhang Enyuan closed the car door, walked around to the passenger side and got into the car, then explained, "I was just expressing my feelings."
"Yes, I understand how you feel."
Li Xuewu nodded, watched Qi Yan start the car, and then said, "You have indeed made great progress in the past two years."
At this point, he used the light from the streetlamp to examine Zhang Enyuan's profile as he turned around, and after thinking for a moment, asked, "Have you considered sending him down for training?"
"No, really no," Zhang Enyuan explained anxiously, "It was just a bit of a misunderstanding..."
"It's alright." Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "You should also consider your next steps."
"Boss, I—" Zhang Enyuan wanted to explain, but he stopped himself when he met the boss's gaze.
Do you have any thoughts of your own?
Li Xuewu looked at him and asked, "Do you want to go to the business department, the logistics department, or the organization department?"
"I haven't really thought about this carefully."
Zhang Enyuan looked distressed and explained, "It's because there have been rumors about me in the office lately, and I couldn't help but..."
"It's normal. You're not new to this job. Job transfers are the kind of thing that always gets a lot of discussion."
Li Xuewu didn't care and said calmly, "You've been in this position for more than two years, so it's inevitable that it will attract speculation."
"It was my oversight to overlook this issue."
He looked out the car window for a moment, then turned to the passenger seat and asked, "Do you want to stay in Steel City, or are you okay with living in another place?"
"Steel City is the best, isn't it?" Zhang Enyuan never expected that this topic would actually lead to his being transferred to a lower-level position.
It must be said that the leader is open-minded and magnanimous; otherwise, if his little scheme had been seen through, he would inevitably have been reprimanded.
There aren't many leaders who proactively plan for their secretaries' future, and even fewer who truly care about their secretaries' well-being.
Thinking about it carefully, if Gu Cheng hadn't had Li Xuewu's help, he might be stuck in a shady job at the frontier office right now.
Even if Su Weide still has some conscience, this incident will still have some impact on Gu Cheng.
Judging from the current situation, Gu Cheng took office smoothly without any setbacks, except for being asked to cooperate with the investigation.
He had served as Suweide's secretary for over two years, and it was normal procedure for him to cooperate with the investigation.
It had already spread throughout the organization that Gu Cheng had been staying in the latrine for the past two years without doing anything, and was basically ruled out as a suspect.
This can be considered a stroke of good luck for the secretary, much like his own good fortune; both of them were incredibly lucky.
"Yes, you have a family and your children are still young."
Li Xuewu nodded and said, "I'll give you a week to decide where you want to go. Tell me when you come back from Fengcheng."
“And also,” he paused and emphasized, “help me see if there are any promising candidates who could replace you.”
"This—" Zhang Enyuan hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Do you want a young man or..."
“It’s okay to be younger,” Li Xuewu said, and then didn’t say anything more about the topic.
As the car left the industrial area, the streetlights thinned out, plunging the car into darkness and silence.
Zhang Enyuan had already thought of this. Things were different now. When the secretary-general first came to Gangcheng, he didn't understand the situation here and needed a mature and prudent secretary.
Now that the secretary-general has less than a year left in his term in the steel city, it is natural that he will not be replaced by an older secretary.
This also presents the new secretary with the possibility of returning to Beijing to work with the Secretary-General.
If he had a family and children, who would be willing to leave their home and work in the capital city, thousands of miles away?
Even if the person agrees, the leader will not agree, as it violates organizational principles and is also emotionally unreasonable.
Unless it's someone like Yu Zhe.
In Zhang Enyuan's mind, no one in the world could surpass Yu Zhe in terms of being unreliable.
Sitting in the passenger seat, he pondered his own future while also thinking about where to find a promising candidate for his superior.
Unlike choosing a driver, leaders often take a long-term view when selecting a secretary.
It's not accurate to call it forming cliques, but secretaries inevitably learn with a student's mindset when serving their superiors.
In this process, the leader views the secretary from the same perspective as the student.
So it's more like selecting students than choosing a secretary.
Of course, not all students are good students, and not all teachers are good teachers; it all depends on individual circumstances.
Qi Yan was a man of few words and rarely spoke. He fell silent, but he also overlooked the silence of the leader in the back seat.
Li Xuewu was silent because he was thinking about Lao Li's phone call. He couldn't really blame Lao Li for his frustration today.
On the phone, Lao Li also felt wronged, because someone had used their connections to pass a message to him, warning him to keep quiet.
These were Old Li's exact words to him over the phone, his tone filled with grief, indignation, and resentment.
Li Xuewu could actually sense this feeling. Just think, what rank did Lao Li hold? Yet he was being warned.
What does "quiet" mean?
Old Li could understand, and so could Li Xuewu.
The problem is that Lao Li has been too active lately, and his methods are too direct. He really doesn't treat his colleagues in the team like human beings.
What could Li Xuewu say to his complaints? He had warned Lao Li not to be too arrogant, but Lao Li wouldn't listen.
The idea of pressing the enemy to their death requires overwhelming strength. To start mocking them with champagne before the Suwei case has even been settled is tantamount to self-destruction.
What should Lao Li do most right now?
It is about uniting the team's strength, working hard to manage Honggang Group, and striving for greater achievements.
Whether Lao Li makes progress or not depends not on competition within the group's organizational ecosystem, but on the group's overall performance.
On the contrary, only positions like Su Weide and Zhou Wanquan are valued as insurance within the organization's ecosystem.
It was Old Li who put the cart before the horse, mistaking tactics for strategy, and he truly deserved the blow he suffered today.
But he couldn't say such things now. Old Li was already a fat man, so he couldn't give him another beating.
How did Lao Li handle the pressure?
It has to be said that he made another foolish move, and Li Xuewu felt a headache just listening to it on the phone.
When Liu Bin notified him, he reminded him to contact him later, which meant that Li Huaide had indeed gone to the ministry.
Old Li did go; he went to the Ministry of Machine Building and met with Director Du, but Director Du told him to calm down and handle the matter properly.
Old Li completely failed to grasp the meaning behind Director Du's words, and kept complaining and emphasizing them.
He emphasized his work achievements, complained about the unfairness of this treatment, and even threatened to do this or that.
Would Director Du listen to him? He scolded him back in just a couple of sentences.
He was still on his way when the city called to summon him.
This is the first time the city has summoned him since Honggang Group was placed under the management of Beijing more than a year ago.
When Lao Li arrived in the city, he discovered that he wasn't the only one summoned by the group; Zhou Wanquan was also there.
He didn't say how the city had talked to them over the phone, but Old Li's words were full of grievance and helplessness.
The result Li Xuewu received was that Zhou Wanquan was in charge of the case from No. 4 furnace all the way to the Yingcheng ships and vessels.
Li Huaide couldn't handle the matter "properly," so the city government didn't tolerate him and directly appointed Zhou Wanquan as his general.
Looking back now, it seems that Director Du was annoyed by Lao Li's lack of tact and tacitly approved of the city's further actions.
One step at a time, things have come to a point where it's hard to turn things around. Old Li called so late after get off work, clearly regretting his decision.
What can he do now that he's regretting it? If he had listened to Li Xuewu earlier, or contacted Gangcheng immediately after the incident, would he have received such a harsh punishment for his impulsiveness?
What Li Xuewu needs to think about now is that with Zhou Wanquan taking over the joint investigation team, the case, which was already in a slump, has no room for further developments and should perhaps come to an end.
What else? Would they really dare to continue investigating?
-
Sure enough, on the very day Li Xuewu was about to set off for Fengcheng, the joint investigation team was suddenly replaced.
Fang Yuan was recalled and will be handed over to a new person in charge, which was within Li Xuewu's expectations.
"You spoke with Director Li on the phone?"
Gao Yaqin didn't hide anything; her first question upon meeting Li Xuewu left him speechless.
Cheng Kaiyuan patted his arm without saying anything, everything was understood without words.
They even said, "If you don't kill the snake, you'll suffer the consequences."
Look at what Old Li has been up to lately. Instead of cleaning up Su Weide's mess and completely locking down Zhou Wanquan, he's targeting them.
To use Li Xuewu's old words, he got carried away.
Although there was no open discussion within the leadership team during this period, everyone privately had a lot of opinions about Li Huaide.
The fact that the city made such a decisive decision based on his opinion is undoubtedly due to the attitudes of the leadership team.
Think about it, if the leadership of Honggang Group were of one mind, wouldn't the ministry and the city consider this when making decisions?
They should at least consider what the consequences would be if they provoked resistance from the entire group's leadership.
But now, Old Li is in trouble, and everyone has stopped applauding, preferring to watch Zhou Wanquan take off from where he is.
No one said it, but everyone knew perfectly well that Li Xuewu had dug such a big pit just to help Old Li.
Old Li, on the other hand, really messed things up!
So many cases, so much profit, and Zhou Wanquan is about to take it all. Do you think it's right or wrong?!
How are the meeting preparations going?
Gu Weijie is now detached from worldly affairs and seems to genuinely care about Lao Li's shameful deeds.
With the year-end over, her days at the company were numbered, and perhaps her superiors were considering her next move.
The fact that the rumors have been circulating for so long without a decision is also related to the current situation of Honggang Group.
Compared to her personal transfer, the stability of the group is more important, and the organization must take a comprehensive approach.
Think about it, in the past six months, three members of the Honggang Group leadership have been implicated in this matter. If she is transferred before the impact has been completely eliminated, will it cause negative changes?
Everything must be considered from the perspective of the group's organizational ecosystem. Not touching her for now doesn't mean not touching her at all, but rather that we need to find a suitable time to take action against her.
Gu Weijie naturally understood this principle, so she demonstrated high moral character in her work while also keeping a tight grip on organizational management.
If something goes wrong with the work she's in charge of at this critical juncture, then her transfer outcome will change.
"I have assigned someone to coordinate and communicate with Liaodong. I personally spoke with Hu Ke on the phone the day before yesterday."
Li Xuewu explained softly, "Fortunately, everyone understands. Deputy Director Lu attaches great importance to this project."
The fact that Lao Li was replaced by Gu Weijie and the other two shows how much importance Honggang Group attaches to this.
To date, there are very few projects in which four group leaders have participated simultaneously.
Unless it's discussed at Honggang Group, there's no other opportunity like this.
"Try to handle this crisis well. We all believe in your strong foundation in Liaodong."
Gu Weijie spoke very frankly, looking at him and saying, "We discussed it before we came, and we'll follow your arrangements."
“I wouldn’t dare,” Li Xuewu smiled and said, “We’re all on the same side, we should work together.”
Do you really think she's just being polite?
She really thought so, and Li Xuewu couldn't believe it.
"It's okay, you're more familiar with this place."
Cheng Kaiyuan's eyes darted around, and he said with a smile, "We fully support you."
"Actually, Deputy Director Lu has wanted to meet you for a long time."
Seeing that he dared to step into the fray, Li Xuewu turned to stare at him and said, "Especially in the area of industrial empowerment, you have a lot to say."
Seeing the three of them exchanging veiled insults, Gao Yaqin curled her lip and got into the car first; she had no intention of getting involved.
Actually, it's obvious when you think about it. Li Xuewu brought Lao Li here just to show his support; the main character is still Lao Li.
These kinds of words shouldn't be said; once they are, they lose their meaning and the meaning changes.
If something that everyone takes for granted is brought up, would you be willing or unwilling to do it? Would Li Xuewu have fallen into this trap?
He's smarter than a monkey when he's hairy; that's utter nonsense.
Hongtu Bus departed from the Machinery Factory Unity Hotel and headed straight for Liaodong Government Office, where the meeting was scheduled for today.
Unlike previous receptions, Liaodong Industry did not prepare a banquet this time because there were quite a few people coming.
Not only industrial enterprises from within the province, but also sister units from other provinces came to learn from our experience.
Li Xuewu and Hu Ke had discussed that the club would still focus on industrial enterprises, but the reply they received yesterday was that the scope would be expanded to include industry and commerce.
Well, industry is industry, and commerce is commerce. The concept of industry and commerce encompasses more than just industry and commerce.
This isn't a tongue twister; it's the complexity of how organizations define the concept of industry and commerce.
If classified by economic sector, industry and commerce include mining, manufacturing, electricity, heat, gas and water production and supply, supply and marketing, transportation, warehousing and postal services, and accommodation and catering.
"We've been waiting for you! Welcome, welcome!"
Hu Ke was wearing a navy blue Zhongshan suit today, looking quite energetic, and her polite demeanor showed no sign of being bothered by Li Huaide's absence.
Judging from the scale of the scene and the level of importance Liaodong showed, Li Xuewu and the others knew that Lao Li's absence might be the third wrong decision he had made in the past few days.
"I must apologize again." Gu Weijie shook hands with Hu Ke sincerely and explained, "Director Li couldn't come."
“We understand, everyone has their moments of urgency.”
Hu Ke nodded and said earnestly, "As Deputy Director Lu also said, although he regrets not being able to meet with General Manager Li this time, they are old friends."
He smiled as he said this, adding, "And I would also say that having four leaders from Honggang Group here today to provide guidance will definitely help this project develop even better."
"You're too kind—"
Gu Weijie smiled and shook his hand, glanced at Li Xuewu, and then said, "We're here to learn too."
"You see, it's not that I'm being polite."
Hu Ke smiled and shook hands with Gao Yaqin and Cheng Kaiyuan, exchanging a few pleasantries with each of them before finally shaking hands with Li Xuewu.
Unlike the polite greetings and pleasantries exchanged with Gu Weijie and the other two, he was noticeably more sincere when shaking hands with Li Xuewu.
Moreover, the small talk was abandoned, and they only talked about real things.
“Last time, Deputy Director Lu asked you to give a lecture, but you insisted on waiting.”
He tugged at Li Xuewu's arm and emphasized, "Don't say I'm heartless, you can't escape this time."
"Hehe, I don't have that ability."
Li Xuewu smiled and nudged him, saying, "What if you make me go up there and fool everyone, and end up making them crippled?"
"Look! You're being modest again—"
Hu Ke smiled and gestured for the group to go upstairs, while he pulled Li Xuewu along with him.
“I can’t help you. Deputy Director Lu specifically instructed that one of your research reports be added to the meeting agenda.”
He reminded Li Xuewu, "Don't take this lightly. We've brought all the top players from across the province. If you embarrass me, I'll have to apologize when I get back today."
"Hahaha—" Li Xuewu laughed and patted his arm, saying, "If I don't speak well, you can't make me apologize!"
Gao Yaqin glanced back at the two of them, her eyes filled with undisguised envy. Li Xuewu had spent two years in Liaodong, and his foundation there was truly solid.
Before the Lunar New Year, Li Xuewu transferred a group of experts from the research institute to Liaodong to conduct research, and also visited two other provinces in Northeast China.
This move almost certainly indicates that he intends to establish a Northeast branch in Liaodong.
This idea has been proposed before; the Secretary-General's work in Liaodong is to summarize and improve.
If Li Xuewu leaves like this, the group's industrial operations in Liaodong will once again be fragmented and unable to form a cohesive force.
But once the Northeast branch is established, the situation will be different. At least this year, Li Xuewu's influence will be stronger.
However, she could also see that Li Xuewu truly had the strength and confidence to establish a branch company, depending on his connections in Liaodong and the support he received from the joint investigation team in Liaodong this time.
Whether it's the Ministry of Machine Building or Beijing Industry Group, no one at the group level will oppose his opinion anymore.
On the morning of the 7th, Li Xuewu delivered a speech on "Prospect and Preparation for Enterprise Groupization in the New Era" at the Liaodong Auditorium.
Even Cheng Kaiyuan, sitting in the audience, had to admit that Li Xuewu had improved since he came to Liaodong three years ago.
-
When will the Secretary-General return?
Fang Yuan arrived in the steel city. She needed to hand over her work to Liu Wei. Her superiors were urging her urgently, and she didn't have time to wait for the new person in charge to come down and hand over the work.
As requested by Deputy Director Zhou, she handed over her work to Comrade Liu Wei.
As soon as she arrived at work in the morning, she went to the metallurgical plant's main office building and asked Zhang Jing, the office director, about Li Xuewu's return date.
Zhang Jing had been in contact with Fengcheng and was very familiar with Fang Yuan's situation, so he spoke the truth.
He first glanced at his watch before explaining, "The leader booked the train for this morning, but it's hard to say when it will arrive in Gangcheng. You know train schedules aren't always accurate."
"Yes, I'm going back tomorrow."
Fang Yuan nodded and said, "I just want to see Secretary-General Li before I leave."
“I understand how you feel.” Zhang Jing nodded in understanding and explained, “I have reported your request to the Secretary-General, and he said he will try his best to come back.”
"Thank you, I'll come back later."
Fang Yuan thanked Zhang Jing and then arrived at the joint investigation team's work site, which had long since changed beyond recognition.
Although only two months had passed, the joint investigation team was replaced due to a series of accidents.
Some of her comrades who remained committed recognized her and greeted her, but their politeness carried a hint of distance.
Everyone knows about the announcement that her mission is over, and they all feel sorry for her.
However, they could not refute or oppose the organization's requirements, and could only silently watch her hand over her work.
Liu Wei was already waiting for her in his office. When they met, instead of exchanging insincere pleasantries, they remained silent.
Fang Yuan looked at Liu Wei. She couldn't bring herself to accuse him of betrayal. She could only say that their respective demands and starting points were different, so she couldn't blame the other for betraying her.
After a long pause, Liu Wei finally spoke up, asking, "Did you arrive yesterday?"
"Yes, I arrived in the evening." Fang Yuan smiled faintly, nodded at her, and said, "It was too late, so I was too embarrassed to call you."
"Actually, I'm working overtime here."
Liu Wei shrugged, a bitter smile creeping onto his face, and explained, "My daughter said I don't want her anymore, and she hasn't come home for months."
"That's what my wife said too."
Fang Yuan raised her hand to tidy the hair behind her ear. When the topic came up, the awkwardness between the two seemed to lessen considerably.
"How's the progress in the capital?"
Liu Wei took the initiative to change the subject, asking, "Is there any further evidence?"
"No." Fang Yuan shook his head and explained with his head slightly lowered, "I lost control of the investigation team a week ago."
She looked up at the shock in Liu Wei's eyes and said with a wry smile, "To be honest, I don't even know what to hand over to you."
"How could this happen?" Liu Wei asked, frowning. "Did something happen?"
“It’s all in the past—” Fang Yuan sighed, smiled and said, “My mission is complete, now it’s your turn to work hard.”
Clearly, she didn't want to talk about her experiences in the capital, just as the tacit cooperation they once had had turned sour due to betrayal.
Liu Wei could tell that she didn't trust him; at least, there was already a rift between them.
Even this current composure feels more like mutual understanding and letting go.
She chose to let go, and Fang Yuan chose to understand. They were both women and colleagues, so why make things difficult for each other?
"You've come all this time..." Liu Wei looked at her and asked, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"It's nothing, I'm fine."
Fang Yuan explained casually, "This case is over for me."
"And I should also think about my family."
She looked at Liu Wei and shook her head slightly, saying, "After all, work isn't everything in my life. You can understand me, right?"
"Yes, of course I understand you."
Liu Wei sighed, suddenly feeling that the mountain of documents on his desk had become meaningless.
"I never expected you to be transferred back."
"It's nothing, it's normal."
Fang Yuan seemed to have come to terms with it, and said frankly, "My supervisor called me and said that I still have work to do when I get back, and it won't affect my next step of work."
"That's good..." Liu Wei thought for a moment, then asked directly, "Your efforts in this case..."
"It's really nothing, right?"
Fang Yuan pursed his lips and said, "The leader told me that rewards would be given after the case is closed, hehe—"
She smiled and shook her head slightly, saying, "I've thought about it these past few days, there's no need to dwell on it."
It depends on how you look at it. In Liu Wei's opinion, Fang Yuan wouldn't give up so easily.
The logic is simple: what merit is it to lead the joint investigation team from beginning to end, and what merit is it to abandon it halfway?
This allocation isn't based on time periods; the rule is that the survivor wins.
Why is she still persisting and refusing to let go, even though the case has reached a stalemate?
Even though I know the investigation is hopeless, I just can't bring myself to back down.
She was also waiting for instructions from above on how to close the case.
As long as she can hold out until the case is closed, she can enjoy the final credit calculation, and she will receive the same treatment as the team leader.
If it were Fang Yuan, all her efforts would have been in vain; the promises made by her superiors would have carried little weight or meaning.
Even if I get an internal commendation, what's the point? I've worked hard for several months, and it doesn't seem worth it at all.
"Actually, I've learned a lot during this time."
Fang Yuan seemed to see through her thoughts, smiled and said, "Especially with you, and with Secretary-General Li."
"You saw him?" Liu Wei asked. "He hasn't returned from Fengcheng yet, has he?"
"Yes, they said they'd be back today."
Fang Yuan pursed her lips and said with a look of relief, "I really want to see him again. I don't know when I'll see him again."
"He is indeed very worthy of respect."
After thinking about it, Liu Wei agreed with Fang Yuan's opinion, even though they both knew the other's role in the case.
To put it bluntly, if it weren't for Li Xuewu's scheme, they wouldn't have been able to pull off so many cases.
There wouldn't be nearly as much to gain.
They thought so much back then, but they didn't consider what Li Xuewu's plan meant for them.
To put it bluntly, Li Xuewu never harbored any ill intentions towards them in his plan, and they could sense that.
"That's why I said I wanted to see him before I left."
***
Li Xuewu arrived in Gangcheng that afternoon. He first met with Wang Lu, and then met with Fang Yuan in the office.
"Was the handover going smoothly?"
He didn't exchange pleasantries, nor did he offer any concern or comfort, because everyone here is an adult, not a child.
Who hasn't experienced this kind of job change? You're almost forty and you can't even adjust your emotions like this, then you really shouldn't be doing this job.
"It's alright, we're familiar with Liu Wei."
Fang Yuan looked at him and asked, "I heard you're very busy. I hope this hasn't disturbed your schedule or work?"
"Yes, our group has a project in Fengcheng, and three members of the group's leadership team have come here."
Li Xuewu gave a casual explanation, nodded, and asked, "Are you going back tomorrow?"
"Yes, I've booked the train ticket, but I was worried I wouldn't make it in time to see you."
Fang Yuan smiled and explained, "When I met with Liu Wei this morning, we talked about how we might not see each other for a long time."
I don't want to see you anytime soon.
Li Xuewu joked, "If I see you, it's either because something has happened to me, or something has happened to Honggang Group."
He shook his head and said, "Neither of these things is a good thing for me."
"Hehehe—" Fang Yuan chuckled, smoothing a strand of hair behind her ear, and said, "It's not that serious."
"It's better to be cautious."
Li Xuewu picked up his teacup and asked with a smile, "Who has taken over the work in the capital?"
"I didn't hand it over to anyone. As per Deputy Director Zhou's instructions, I was supposed to hand the work over to Liu Wei."
Fang Yuan explained very frankly: "But you may not know that I lost control of the investigation team a week ago."
She looked into Li Xuewu's eyes and said very seriously, "Even now, I don't know what to hand over."
"I have neither the latest information on the case nor access to the investigation materials, so what am I supposed to hand over?"
"Okay, I understand." Li Xuewu nodded and asked, "What are your thoughts on this?"
"It's over." Fang Yuan suddenly softened his anxious tone, sighed, and said, "At least for me, that's how it is. I've done my best."
“Yes, I know.” Li Xuewu nodded again and said, “Don’t overthink it, you did nothing wrong.”
"I just don't understand." Fang Yuan frowned slightly and looked at him, asking, "Why is this happening?"
She spoke frankly to Liu Wei and showed an attitude of letting go.
Even in the capital, after Zhou Wanquan spoke with her, she didn't say anything and easily handed over the reins.
Only after meeting Li Xuewu did she voice the question that had been nagging at her.
She dared not ask others, nor did she want to ask others, fearing that others would not tell the truth, and also fearing that others would not know.
But she was certain that Li Xuewu, who was familiar with everything and had arranged everything, must know the reason behind it all.
"Actually, you already knew the answer."
Li Xuewu nodded, looked at her and said, "The answer was already in your question the moment you asked it."
Fang Yuan was taken aback, and then fell silent.
Li Xuewu also sighed and said helplessly, "A former leader of mine once told me that in order to handle work problems well, you have to learn to solve them with a political mindset."
"I don't know how to advise or comfort you today, so I'll just give you this message."
He tapped his fingers on the table and said slowly, "Perhaps time will give you the answer you want, and it won't be long."
Fang Yuan looked up at him in surprise.
Is there any deeper meaning in this statement?