dognovel Chapter 1667 Taking Short-Term Jobs?
Chapter 1667 Taking Short-Term Jobs?
Chapter 1667 Taking Short-Term Jobs?
On April 15, the National Education Work Conference was held in Beijing, and Li Xuewu attended the conference as a representative, as required by the college.
This was his first time attending such a high-level conference as an educator, and he felt out of place sitting in the crowd.
"Comrade, are you a teacher?"
Inside the Great Hall of the People, ten minutes before the meeting began, Li Xuewu was organizing his meeting notes when he heard someone ask him this question.
"Hmm, doesn't it look like it?"
He glanced at the other person, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "Looks like a bad guy, doesn't he?"
"No, no, you've misunderstood."
It was a woman sitting to his left, wearing a white shirt and a gray jacket over it.
He looked to be only twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with a thin face and wearing large glasses.
Seeing Li Xuewu's answer, she waved her hand in a fluster and hurriedly explained, "I was just a little curious."
"Hmm, what are you curious about?"
Li Xuewu's smile widened as he asked, "Never seen such a tall teacher before?"
Several attendees around the seats were drawn to the conversation and couldn't help but chuckle.
"I've never seen such a strong teacher before."
"Um—I was just asking."
The woman gave an awkward grin and said, "Judging from your face..."
"What's wrong with their facial features?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do teachers also have fixed facial features?"
"It's alright, you just look kind."
The woman finally couldn't take it anymore, nodded, gave a firm explanation, and turned away.
At this moment, the people in the seats to the left and right finally burst out laughing.
Because it was a solemn and respectful venue, even if they laughed, they had to suppress it or cover their mouths to chuckle.
"You must be a leader?" A middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit sitting to Li Xuewu's left asked with a smile, "Such a young school leader?"
"Not a school leader, not a teacher."
Li Xuewu smiled faintly and opened the meeting minutes to read them.
Because there were still a few minutes before the meeting started, there was intermittent noise in the meeting room.
The sound wasn't loud; everyone was speaking in hushed tones, but with such a large venue and so many people gathered together, it still created a wave of noise.
The middle-aged man seemed a little bored sitting there, or perhaps he was trying to relax after the tension and wanted to find someone to talk to.
“I think you have more leadership qualities than our school leaders,” the middle-aged man said with a smile as he looked him up and down. “Young man, you have a bright future ahead of you.”
"Thank you for your kind words, I will try my best."
Li Xuewu didn't even look up at him, and said with a smile, "If I don't get the position, I'll cause you trouble again."
"Hehehe—" The middle-aged man found the young man's words amusing and couldn't help but chuckle a few times.
Seeing the woman in front of him secretly observing the young man, she whispered a reminder: "She's very interested in you."
“Is that so?” Li Xuewu looked up, glanced at the other person, and said, “Perhaps you’ve never seen a teacher with such a kind face before.”
"You're really good at making people laugh—"
The middle-aged man shook his head with amusement and asked curiously, "Where are you from? Which company are you from? Northeast China?"
"No, I'm from the capital."
After reading the meeting minutes, Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip of hot tea, glanced at him, and asked, "And you? Where are you from?"
"Funan is from the same hometown as her mentor."
The middle-aged man's self-introduction was tinged with pride; he even slightly raised his chin as he spoke.
Of course, he has every right to be proud; anyone whose hometown produces such a person should be proud.
"I work at Funan University."
The middle-aged man spoke with obvious pride about his workplace.
He picked up his teacup, glanced at Li Xuewu, and asked, "And you, young man?"
"Do you work at a university?" Li Xuewu asked instead of answering, "What do you teach? Are you a professor?"
"No, no, not a professor."
The middle-aged man emphasized rather reservedly, "Associate, Associate Professor, I teach political science."
"Ah—" Li Xuewu drawled, looked at him and nodded, saying, "Then we're quite destined to meet."
The middle-aged man didn't react immediately. When he saw the other man extend his hand, he instinctively reached out and shook hands with him. Only then did he hear the other man say, "I'm also an associate professor."
Li Xuewu clearly felt the other person's hand tighten, and seeing the other person's surprised and suspicious look, he smiled and said, "I work at Zhengzhi Academy."
"Huh? Which Zhengzhi Academy?"
The middle-aged man clearly still didn't believe him. He looked him up and down, and was even less convinced.
He's been a teacher for so many years and he's never seen a colleague like this before. That's so damn right.
"Who else could it be?" Li Xuewu smiled, withdrew his hand, sat up straight again, and waited for the meeting to begin.
Because of his answer, everyone around him cast the same glances, and some of the talkative middle-aged men fell silent.
Just like the woman in front of him, he kept stealing glances at Li Xuewu, as if he could tell from some angle that he wasn't an associate professor.
Today is only the first day of the meeting. The deputy director in charge of daily education management went on stage to read out the meeting agenda, content, and rules.
What's unusual is that this meeting isn't something that can be completed in just one or two days, but rather a rather lengthy process.
According to the deputy director, this meeting was to set the tone for education work in the coming period.
The purpose of calling them over for a meeting is to ask them to provide opinions and suggestions based on the content raised at the meeting.
Over the next few months, the organizing committee will organize group discussions, exchanges, and research among multiple groups.
Li Xuewu didn't have a clear memory of this matter, so he listened attentively to the deputy director's request.
Based on these requirements, he could roughly determine the purpose of the conference organizing committee.
It's very simple: the goal is to discuss and vote on the "two estimates," and to reaffirm and confirm the policy that the "Workers' Propaganda Team" will continue to manage the university.
However, unlike the policies of previous years, Huaqing and Yanjing have already conducted experimental classes for a year, so this means that the above has been agreed to expand the scope of resumption of classes.
It was from this conference that intellectuals across the country had the opportunity to receive re-education among workers, peasants and soldiers, and universities began to enroll worker, peasant and soldier students.
The meeting also included discussions on shortening university study periods and transferring most universities to local administration.
Li Xuewu had already reviewed the meeting outline once and could understand the logic and needs behind the meeting content.
In the coming years, this set of policies will be used to balance the gap in education access between urban and rural youth, thereby balancing the composition of social managers.
If Li Xuewu were to judge this policy, he would definitely support it, even though he is from the city.
From a historical perspective, education is the only standard that can distinguish social classes, and it is also the only channel for ordinary people to cross social classes.
This statement remains true even in later generations.
You say your family's house was demolished and you received a lot of apartments and millions in compensation, or that your father won the lottery and received tens of millions, making your family aristocracy.
That's bullshit, don't even think about it.
While you're fantasizing about owning several houses, millions, or tens of millions, do you know what a federation is, or what a new social class is?
Sometimes, even having money doesn't guarantee you'll reach that ceiling, and even if you do, you might not be able to break through it.
You can buy a bunch of diplomas, a room full of books, and a social status with money, but you can't buy the intrinsic knowledge that is passed down through generations.
There's a saying that comes out of nowhere: it takes three lifetimes to raise a nobleman.
That's nonsense. There's no such thing as an aristocrat in China except for the non-mainstream circle.
If you go back three generations, you've been a farmer; if you go back a few generations, you might not even be able to farm. Wealth and poverty are fluctuating processes.
Even the wealthiest people can't solve the problem of their wealth being permanently controlled by their families. Do you think you can solve it with just a few houses?
How do wealthy people abroad pass on their wealth?
It's very simple: cultivate yourself to acquire more knowledge and possess more acute judgment and survival skills than ordinary people.
This generation may not produce any outstanding individuals, but preserving wealth is a victory in itself. Perhaps the next generation will have more children, and eventually, one of them will be able to revitalize the family business.
But how many can actually achieve this goal?
When they make a lot of money, they all realize that the wealth they possess is not actually theirs, and they cannot take it with them when they die.
They simply gained the ability and power to control the wealth that rightfully belongs to society through their intelligence and hard work.
Wealth belongs to society, and people living in society have an equal opportunity to dispose of this wealth.
In other words, anyone could become the next billionaire.
The premise is that you want to and know how to do it, and this process requires the power of knowledge.
Ultimately, the accumulation and distribution of wealth in society are governed by knowledge.
Knowledge can be transformed into technology, into power, into medicine, and even into deadly weapons.
All of these factors can serve as a means of maintaining social balance.
Therefore, when knowledge is imparted equally to people at the bottom of society, and ordinary people are more widely represented in the social strata, society is in its most stable state, and conflicts are at their least severe.
That's all Li Xuewu could think of. When asked to evaluate this method again, he was hesitant to even consider it.
When interventions are used to regulate the education sector, no one can definitively say whether it brings good fortune or misfortune to an individual.
Take their family as an example. What if Li Xue, like her classmates, can't find a job after graduating from high school?
She went to the countryside to learn and train, planting crops, cutting grass, and doing farm work. After a few years, she either couldn't endure the physical labor and chose to marry a young man from the countryside.
She could either grit her teeth and write home, begging her family to find a way for her to return to the city.
Li Xue is lucky, but most "Li Xues" are unlucky.
Many people regretfully remained in the countryside, even though some of them created a broader life for themselves, but that was after times had changed.
Li Xuewu couldn't understand why the college had specifically chosen him to attend this meeting. After understanding the content of the meeting, he felt somewhat depressed.
Perhaps this was Vice Principal Zhang's reward for his article?
-
After attending the meeting, Li Xuewu went to the college to report the main content and situation of the meeting to the leaders.
He also had to write a conference report for the school, which sounded like a lot of trouble, and he didn't trust Ma Baosen to write it for him.
So, feeling quite depressed, he listened to some of Vice Principal Zhang's meaningful words before leaving the school.
"Brother Wu, over here—"
He heard someone greeting him from a distance, but he didn't recognize them at first. Only after taking a closer look did he realize it was Zhou Xiaobai.
She was sitting in the back seat of the antelope when the car turned around, and only then did he realize that the driver was actually Li Yuanchao.
"Brother Wu!" Zhou Xiaobai jumped out of the back door before the car had even come to a complete stop and ran over quickly.
Li Xuewu glanced at Li Yuanchao, who got out of the driver's seat, and Zhang Haiyang, who got out of the passenger seat, with surprise.
"I don't know what to call you anymore. Can I still call you Brother Li?"
Li Yuanchao was as eloquent as ever. He walked over with Zhang Haiyang, smiled, and gave him a salute.
You have to call him Teacher Li—
Zhou Xiaobai, with an inexplicable air of pride, raised his chin and reminded Li Yuanchao, "My brother is an associate professor now."
"Go away, are you trying to embarrass me?"
Li Xuewu chuckled and flicked her forehead before shaking hands with the two men who were saluting, asking, "When did you get back?"
"We just happened to run into each other the day before yesterday."
Li Yuanchao gestured to Zhang Haiyang beside him and said, "He's in the southeast, and I'm in the northeast. We just happened to choose this time to take a vacation."
"Where in Northeast China?" Li Xuewu waved his hand when he saw him offering him a cigarette, and said, "I'm in Northeast China too."
“I know you’re in Steel City.” Li Yuanchao lit a cigarette and said with a smile, “But we’re far apart. I’m in Heilongjiang.”
"Your dad is really willing to go so far."
Knowing that his father had regained his identity, Li Xuewu asked with a smile, "How many days can you stay after you come back? Are you going to Steel City for fun?"
“It’s only a few days left, and it’s so hard for us to get leave,” Li Yuanchao smiled and explained, “I still need to go see my parents.”
He gestured to Zhang Haiyang beside him and said, "Haiyang can stay a few more days; he'll be back later than me."
Where does Haiyang serve in the military?
After Li Yuanchao introduced Zhang Haiyang twice, Li Xuewu finally took a look at the other man.
Zhang Haiyang's eyes were glued to Zhou Xiaobai's arm around Li Xuewu. He felt a pang of sadness and his voice was heavy. "I'm in Jinling."
"Everything is fine, they don't seem to have suffered."
Li Xuewu didn't pay much attention to his attitude and turned to Li Yuanchao, saying, "You guys can go find Zuo Jie to play with; he should be free."
“Hey, I’ve looked for him. He was the one I drank with yesterday,” Li Yuanchao said with a smile and a shake of his head. “He’s busy now. He said he’s working at United Construction.”
"He's gotten busy again?" Li Xuewu asked, amused. "How come I didn't know?"
"Zuo Jie is dishonest; he's been dating recently."
Zhou Xiaobai grinned and dug up Zuo Jie's secrets, winking as he said, "He's the kind of guy you guys talk about who's all about women and no humanity."
“I knew it!” Li Yuanchao clapped his hands and said, “I noticed something was off about him at the dinner table yesterday. Turns out he’s dating someone.”
"Don't tell anyone I told you!"
Zhou Xiaobai knew he was up to no good, so he pointed at him and emphasized, "If you dare betray me, I'll drag you to shooting practice!"
Why didn't you remind him?
Whether intentionally or not, Li Yuanchao kept steering the conversation toward Zhang Haiyang, asking, "Am I a traitor in your eyes?"
"That's right! Haiyang isn't that kind of person!"
Zhou Xiaobai widened his eyes, then looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "Brother, are you busy later? We're going to the shooting range, are you coming?"
Do I look like a person with a lot of free time?
Li Xuewu pointed to Qi Yan, who was waiting by the car, and gave her a look that was amused before saying, "Let's have dinner together tonight, inviting Zuo Jie along."
He pointed at Li Yuanchao and said, "I'm giving you a task. I want to hear Zuo Jie voluntarily confess his problems at dinner."
"Hahaha! Great! Mission accomplished!"
Li Yuanchao already knew Li Xuewu's current identity and rank from Zhou Xiaobai, but seeing that he still treated him with such respect, he felt happy and honored.
Especially when it came to jokes, he could feel the sincerity in Li Xuewu's words, particularly when he arranged the dinner party that evening.
In his mind, someone of Li Xuewu's rank wouldn't have any time for himself in the evenings; he'd be attending dinner parties one after another.
"Alright, you guys go have fun."
Li Xuewu patted Zhou Xiaobai's arm and said, "I have to go back to the group company for a meeting. Let's talk again tonight."
"Goodbye, Teacher Li!" Li Yuanchao joked again, and Zhou Xiaobai walked him a few steps and whispered a few words to him.
Why aren't you saying anything?
Li Yuanchao glanced at Zhou Xiaobai over there before saying to Zhang Haiyang, "Still thinking about all that nonsense?"
He patted the other person on the shoulder understandingly, sighed, and said, "To be honest, even if she's willing to date you, can you afford to support her?"
"Hmm, it's nothing special." Zhang Haiyang stopped looking at Zhou Xiaobai and turned his head away, saying, "I won't go tonight, you guys go ahead."
"Don't be foolish, is it worth it?"
Li Yuanchao reminded him, "Are you planning to stay in the army for the rest of your life? Are you sure you can stay in the army for the rest of your life?"
"Think about it carefully. Besides the innate advantages we have from our parents, what have we accumulated through our own efforts?"
He gestured with his chin, saying, "You should learn from his magnanimity. We need to establish our own relationship in the future."
"Besides, even if you stay in the army, you can't rely on them? Think about it carefully."
Zhang Haiyang was somewhat unconvinced and didn't quite believe in Li Yuanchao's ideas, but he didn't want to make it too clear about his brotherhood.
He glanced at Zhou Xiaobai walking back and his figure getting into the car and leaving, and he was still somewhat disheartened.
He is still a long way from having a private car and driver, while Li Xuewu has already had all of that.
"Let's go, we agreed to have hot pot tonight." Zhou Xiaobai said happily, "I haven't had hot pot in a long time, I'm really craving it."
"You're still missing a pot?" Li Yuanchao smiled and gestured towards the car, saying, "I don't believe pots are that expensive anywhere."
"It's not that I'm short of money for the pot, it's that I'm short of people to eat with."
Zhou Xiaobai got into the back seat, crossed his arms, and explained, "It's more fun to eat hot pot with a group of people. What's the point of eating alone?"
"Where's Luo Yun? Isn't she in the same school as you?"
Li Yuanchao glanced at her in the rearview mirror and asked, "Aren't you two playing together anymore?"
"That was ages ago."
Zhou Xiaobai rolled her eyes at him with a cold smile and asked, "You just like listening to girls argue, don't you?"
"Hahaha—" Li Yuanchao didn't mind that his thoughts had been exposed, and said with a smile, "I like to hear this."
After saying that, he turned to Zhang Haiyang in the passenger seat and asked, "Haiyang, do you like it?"
How could he possibly say he doesn't like it when asked that?
He knew that Li Yuanchao was teasing him on purpose, deliberately asking such ambiguous questions, but he genuinely liked it, he just didn't want to talk about it.
"Just so you know, don't even try that!"
Zhou Xiaobai curled his lips and said, "We have different goals, but we haven't had any conflicts. That's a difference."
"Then ask her out tonight?"
Li Yuanchao looked at Zhang Haiyang and asked, "Do you like girls like Luo Yun? She'll be Dr. Luo soon."
He seemed to be doing it on purpose, teasing Zhang Haiyang, "If you want it, you'd better hurry, or someone else might snatch it away."
Why are you so talkative?
Zhang Haiyang glared at him, but somehow mustered up the courage to turn back to Zhou Xiaobai in the back seat and ask, "Do you think Luo Yun and I are a good match?"
This question brought Li Yuanchao's laughter to an abrupt halt, and he looked at Zhang Haiyang with surprise in his eyes.
Alright! Kid, you're playing hard to get, aren't you!
But you have to let people know you're going to capture them first; otherwise, what good is just letting them know?
“Sure!” Zhou Xiaobai said with a smile, “We just don’t get along, but we’re childhood friends after all, and she’s a really nice person.”
"How good is she?" Zhang Haiyang glanced at her reluctantly before turning back to sit down and said casually, "Let's meet up tonight."
"Are you serious?" Li Yuanchao's eyes widened as he asked while driving, "She's a feisty girl!"
"I've developed a liking for spicy food these past few years in the south."
Zhang Haiyang smiled and said, "Spicy makes it flavorful, I'm just worried it won't be spicy enough."
"That's going to be interesting tonight."
Li Yuanchao was about to return to his unit, and he didn't care how he would deal with the trouble he caused; anyway, those who wanted to watch the show were always eager for more drama.
He turned to Zhou Xiaobai and said, "You must know how to find her, right?"
"Just call their building number."
Zhou Xiaobai raised his wrist to look at his watch and said, "Let's do it later. She'll definitely be there."
"We can also go pick her up directly."
Li Yuanchao winked at Zhang Haiyang and said, "Don't back down at the last minute, or it won't be fun."
"Don't worry, I'm determined to catch up with Luo Yun."
Zhang Haiyang pointed ahead with apparent delight and said, "Tonight, I'll give you a show of striking right at the heart of the enemy!"
"Shut up!" Zhou Xiaobai scolded him as soon as he finished speaking, "Why are you all so flirtatious!"
"Hahaha—" Li Yuanchao's laughter was full of anticipation, and even his foot on the gas pedal felt stronger.
Zhang Haiyang, who was in the passenger seat, remained silent. Zhou Xiaobai, who was sitting behind him, gave him a deep look and then turned to look out the window.
She doesn't actually not understand; she's just pretending not to.
That's how feelings are; if you don't like someone, you just don't like them. At an age when material things can't dictate love, what girl would be willing to make a change?
Besides, Zhang Haiyang doesn't have any material possessions.
-
"Do you know Teacher Zhao?"
Ran Qiuye served him tea and asked curiously, "How did you meet?"
“I know his grandfather.”
Li Xuewu pointed to the coffee table, gesturing for her to put it down, then patted the sofa, "Stop fussing, sit down and talk."
"It happened the last time I came back. It's quite a coincidence."
He rubbed his forehead and explained, "I have a piece of calligraphy that needs to be framed, and I asked a friend to find someone to do it."
"Is that Teacher Zhao's grandfather?"
Ran Qiuye sat down next to him and asked, "How old is his grandfather?"
"Hmm, around sixty this year?"
Li Xuewu thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "He's over sixty, I think. He had already retired when I asked him for help."
"It does sound a bit sad."
Ran Qiuye turned to the side and looked at him, saying, "Recently, whenever the United School is mentioned, everyone asks about this."
"Yeah, it's normal for people to be curious." Li Xuewu smoothed his hair and said, "Did someone ask you?"
"Yes, the neighbors sometimes ask."
She lowered her head and fidgeted with her fingers, saying, "Everyone seems quite disappointed."
"What's there to regret? We're all adults, and we all have to take responsibility for our impulses."
Li Xuewu said calmly, "Jing Rong knows his own mistakes, so he deserves to be hit like this."
"Wang Hanlu went astray, and she knows it herself. So losing her lover and ruining her family is all her own doing. What is there to regret?"
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "As for Zhao Zhiqiang, he had countless ways to handle this matter, but he chose the most extreme one."
"Yeah, it sounds scary." Ran Qiuye nodded and said, "These days, schools check for dangerous items every few days."
"It's better to be serious, to avoid problems later."
Li Xuewu didn't think there was anything wrong with it; even if it was just a gust of wind, it was to be expected.
"This time it's a family conflict, what if next time it targets the children? What then?"
"I heard he was sentenced to a serious crime?"
Ran Qiuye asked curiously, "How come I heard that Principal Jing wrote a letter of understanding?"
"I don't know, I just got back the day before yesterday."
Li Xuewu glanced at her and asked, "Why are you asking this? Are you scared?"
"Hmm, I'm afraid impulsiveness is contagious."
Ran Qiuye sighed and said, "Teenagers are most prone to impulsiveness. This incident with Teacher Zhao has had a very bad influence."
"What can we do now that it's already happened?"
Li Xuewu leaned back on the sofa, patted her hand, and said, "If you're worried that your teachers will make the same mistake, go and let them see Wang Hanlu."
Ran Qiuye looked up, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "How did Teacher Wang handle it?"
"You were at school, and you didn't know?"
Li Xuewu explained with a laugh, "Isn't it all done? I saw the briefing in Steel City."
“Our school doesn’t allow us to discuss this, and I didn’t see it.”
Ran Qiuye thought for a moment and said, "I shouldn't be expelled, right?"
"Yes, they said he was transferred to a different position."
Li Xuewu patted her hand and said, "Zhao Zhiqiang's grandfather died, and it was Wang Hanlu who handled the funeral arrangements."
Ran Qiuye frowned at these words, wanting to ask something but not uttering it.
Li Xuewu knew what she wanted to say, nodded and said, "You can't judge a person by black and white standards; human nature is complex."
Ran Qiuye has been working at the school since she returned. She had only truly witnessed those dangers a few years ago, and now that she's back in her comfort zone, she couldn't possibly have imagined these things.
However, recalling the wickedness of human nature, she was deeply moved, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt.
In this matter, no one wins; it's a lose-lose-lose situation.
Even Jing Rong was sent back to Huaqing. It's estimated that even after he recovers, Huaqing won't welcome him back.
"Is this what educators think about?"
Li Xuewu teased her, saying, "Why don't you help me think of how to write a report on education reform?"
"I don't have your talent."
Ran Qiuye smiled, looked at him, and asked, "Do you think it would be alright if I wrote an article about educational methods and approaches?"
"What's wrong with that?"
Li Xuewu glanced at her amusedly and said, "As long as you don't go against the direction of the propaganda, it'll be fine."
"Then I'd better not write it."
Ran Qiuye smiled wryly and said, "I just don't understand those things, so it's better to keep life simple."
Li Xuewu also longed for a simple life, but a simple life is anything but simple.
After leaving Ran Qiuye, he went to the club to attend Zhou Xiaobai's small circle gathering.
Qi Yan escorted him to the main gate of the club, and Li Xuewu entered the courtyard through a side gate.
The flowers and plants in the flower room have been moved out, leaving only a few exquisite ones displayed on the flower stand.
Laughter emanated from the open window, a vibrant sound brimming with youthful energy, a world belonging to the young.
Li Xuewu didn't know if he was still a young man, after all, he was only in his twenties.
"Hey! Brother Li's here—"
Li Yuanchao, who was sitting at the very back, was the first to see him through the window. He jogged out to greet him, saying, "We've been waiting for you."
"Why are you being so polite?"
Li Xuewu smiled and stepped onto the stairs, where he saw Zuo Jie sitting awkwardly in the open doorway, as well as Luo Yun, who had matured considerably.
"Brother Li." Luo Yun stood up and greeted him when he came in.
Li Xuewu smiled and nodded, saying, "Good. I heard you've also returned to the capital to study? It's been a while since I've seen you."
"See, I told you you'd get criticized."
Li Yuanchao smiled and tapped her, saying, "You live so close by and you haven't even come to see Brother Li. You really shouldn't be like this."
"I'm just busy with my studies—"
Luo Yun reluctantly made up an excuse, turned to Li Xuewu and explained apologetically, "I'm sorry, brother."
"It's alright, you might not even see me if you come."
Li Xuewu smiled, sat down in the chair, and said, "I spend more time in Steel City than in my hometown."
"I heard you're in Steel City." Luo Yun glanced at Zhou Xiaobai, who had walked behind Li Xuewu, and said, "I was thinking of finding an opportunity to ask you about it."
"Isn't this our chance?"
Li Xuewu glanced at her and asked, "Do you notice any changes?"
"The main change is still with people."
Luo Yun replied in a low voice, "I don't recognize many of the people in the courtyard anymore."
"Am I not the same?" Li Yuanchao said with a smile. "I used to live here for a long time, but now I'm a stranger."
“Hahaha—” Zhou Xiaobai couldn’t help but laugh as he explained, “He was about to drive in, but the security guard at the gate reminded him that strangers were not allowed to enter.”
"Brother Zhao Si is gone, and Brother Zhao Laowu is gone too."
Li Yuanchao said helplessly, "Now there's only Lao Liu left, and I haven't even seen him yet."
"Who's gone?" Zhang Haiyang, who hadn't said much until now, paused and asked, "Is Zhao Laosi, the one who used to work at the gatehouse, dead?"
His surprise silenced everyone in the hall, and they all looked at Li Yuanchao and Li Xuewu.
Li Yuanchao reacted the fastest, covering his face and explaining, "What do you mean 'dead'? If 'left' means 'left the capital'?"
"Oh, oh, you should have said so earlier."
Zhang Haiyang smiled and said, "I thought Zhao Laoliu was the only one left of the three brothers."
"Ha ha ha ha--"
This was much better than a joke, and everyone laughed heartily.
Zuo Jie glanced at the people sitting in the room and was about to get up and leave while everyone was chatting and laughing when Li Yuanchao, who was watching him, caught him red-handed.
Why are you going to Zuojie?
He smiled and asked, "We've already arranged everything at the restaurant, so we don't need your help."
"Who said I was going to a restaurant?"
Zuo Jie glared at him irritably, knowing full well that this bastard was up to no good.
He pointed towards the door and said, "I'm going to the restroom."
"Go and come back quickly—" Li Yuanchao was afraid that he would run away, so he reminded him, "We're about to eat, don't keep Brother Li waiting for too long."
Well, he's using Li Xuewu to threaten Zuo Jie; he's really going all out just to watch the show.
Zhou Xiaobai glanced out the window, then looked at Zhang Haiyang, who was sitting there chatting and laughing with Luo Yun, and felt a little strange.
It wasn't that she felt regret or jealousy; she just felt that Luo Yun and Zuo Jie both seemed to be acting a bit deliberately.
If you've truly let go, why put on such a show? It doesn't have to involve cursing each other, nor does it require feigned friendliness.
The mutton hot pot dinner that evening was a mixed bag of emotions for everyone, with some finding it utterly tasteless.
Li Xuewu watched the excitement all night and experienced a rare moment of youthful atmosphere and time.
After dinner, everyone went home. He didn't give in to Zhou Xiaobai's persistent pestering and instead arranged for Zuo Jie to take her home.
I'm sure the two of them would have a lot to talk about on the way, including Zuo Jie's new relationship.
Li Xuewu also wanted to know who this girl, whom Zuo Jie was so closely guarding, was.
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After attending the first meeting, Li Xuewu returned to Gangcheng. He only rested for one day before rushing to Fengcheng.
To make up for missing the last meeting, Li Huaide specially chose a suitable time to come to Fengcheng to meet with Lu Qiming.
When Lao Li came to Liaodong on business, Li Xuewu naturally had to accompany him.
"I think that no matter how much theory you talk about, it's not as good as practice."
In a more private setting, Lu Qiming said to the two men, "Since some people think that corporate corporatization is a trend, why not put it out there and see?"
"I think Honggang Group is a good example."
He looked at Li Xuewu and emphasized, "I also believe that Honggang Group can create the same glory."
Li Xuewu glanced at Old Li before nodding in agreement with Lu Qiming's point of view.
"I don't know if what I said is right," Lu Qiming said with a smile, looking at the two of them. "You are both experts in business management."
He then pointed to Hu Ke and said, "We're all experts at talking, but whether it works or not depends on the opinions of you two experts."
"We're just feeling our way across the river, what kind of experts are we?"
Li Huaide chuckled and said, "Even if you had some insights, you didn't hide them from us, right, Secretary-General?"
"Hehe, Deputy Director Lu knows."
Li Xuewu smiled and nodded in response, "Whether we hold anything back in Liaodong is none of our business."
"Hahaha—" Lu Qiming knew Li Xuewu was cunning, so he smiled and pointed at him, saying, "Alright, then I'll beg you."
After glancing at Hu Ke, he said to Li Xuewu very seriously, "Although your article silenced the other party, its influence is still there."
"I can't say for sure which way the wind is blowing, so I want to give it a try."
"How do we test it?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and reminded him, "Group-level restructuring still requires prior approval; you can't test it out."
“I know, I didn’t intend to use those big companies as test subjects.”
Lu Qiming looked at Li Huaide and said, "We've discussed it internally, and instead of letting a foolish wife wait for a spineless man, we should take the initiative."
"Since Honggang Group has such qualifications, why not open the door and let you facilitate this matter?"
He earnestly explained, "If possible, we will proactively assist Honggang Group in its resource integration and merger efforts throughout the province."
These words made Li Huaide's eyes widen in surprise, and he even looked at Li Xuewu with suspicion.
He never imagined that he could actually put a pie in his mouth.
Li Xuewu was mentally prepared, but he still showed a surprised expression.
"Our requirements are also very simple."
Lu Qiming knew who was in charge of industrial development at Honggang Group, so he said this while looking at Li Xuewu.
"Honggang Group can acquire poorly managed factories, regardless of size, as long as they do not meet the standards, they will be put in front of you."
He tapped his fingers on the sofa armrest and emphasized, "Funding is not a problem, as long as we can revitalize the company and restore its competitiveness."
"The company is still in Liaodong. No matter how much we mess things up, the meat is still in the pot." Hu Ke said at this time, "We are more hopeful that the revitalized company can be integrated into a group company, and the headquarters must be in Fengcheng."
"You mean a joint venture?"
Li Xuewu understood, and he looked at Hu Ke and asked, "How do we determine control? We need to be upfront about the unpleasant aspects."
"Of course, otherwise we wouldn't have invited Director Li and you here."
Lu Qiming nodded slowly and said, "We don't need to do all that asset auditing and valuation. Just have a general idea in mind."
"We've given you the authority and the resources. You can create any kind of conglomerate from these poorly managed companies."
He raised a finger and said, "Let me be frank, the ownership of the company can be decided with money. We are willing to buy shares with real money."
"Hmm, so it means shrinking the big plate into a small plate, right?"
Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, "We need to spend money to acquire these companies. Before we integrate them into a group company, these companies belong to us."
“Yes, that’s right.” Lu Qiming nodded and said, “But we reserve the right to invest capital.”
“We can write it down in black and white, fully respecting the market economy. The value of the shares is what it is, and we won’t renege on our promise.”
"This does have a bit of a contract system feel to it," Li Xuewu chuckled, then looked at Li Huaide and said, "Should we do some short-term work for Liaodong?"
The conditions offered by Lu Qiming perfectly aligned with Honggang Group's goal of rapid expansion, and were even a healthy expansion that did not require high investment.
The newly established Northeast Industrial Development Corporation has ushered in a new era.