dognovel Chapter 1650 Drag them down
Chapter 1650 Drag them down
Chapter 1650 Drag them down
Liu Wei said on the phone that he would apologize profusely, but Li Xuewu just smiled and didn't take it seriously.
Will he watch Liu Wei apologize?
Yes, that's Liu Wei's right.
However, with today's act of making amends and redeeming himself, Liu Wei cannot be exonerated for any serious offense.
Judging from her performance at work and her attitude, which leader would really blame her?
Why did she feel so relieved on the phone? It wasn't her fault that Song Shiyun wasn't one of her own.
In such a complex team, while this situation cannot be said to be excusable, it is also unavoidable.
Li Xuewu was chasing after time, working hard all night just to give her a chance.
Any achievement is judged by its timeliness, and so is making amends for mistakes.
After hanging up the phone, he pinched the bridge of his nose, his relaxed nerves about to be defeated by drowsiness.
"Sir, shall I take you home?"
After tidying up the tableware, Zhang Enyuan hesitated and asked, "You can rest a little longer tomorrow, and I'll pick you up later."
"Forget it, there are only a few hours left."
Li Xuewu raised his wrist to check the time. It was already two o'clock when he spoke, and there were still six hours left before he had to go to work.
If he went home and made a trip, he might not have much time left to sleep, and he was a little worried about the metallurgical plant at that moment.
"Then I'll pack your luggage."
Seeing him yawn, Zhang Enyuan put down the rag in his hand and quickly walked to the lounge, where the leader's luggage was in the locker.
Even though it was just a temporary rest room, he put a lot of effort into its furnishings, taking into account the leader's other identity.
Putting everything else aside, just look at that wooden-framed bed in the lounge. The sheets are perfectly wrinkle-free, and the pillows are neatly arranged.
When he became Li Xuewu's secretary, Li Xuewu had already stopped working at the Third Guard Regiment and had no experience with these things.
However, he had seen the security brigade's dormitory during his research trip, and the neatly folded bedding left a deep impression on him.
So being a secretary wasn't easy. He even secretly sought out a colleague from the Steel City Security Department to learn housekeeping and organization skills.
Li Xuewu is not a picky person, nor is he one to deceive himself; in fact, he doesn't care about these details.
This lounge is rarely visited; the door is usually closed, so what can you possibly see?
Besides, even if we saw his slovenly side, how could it affect his image?
However, he did not remind Zhang Enyuan, because this was a kind of self-cultivation for the secretary.
He wouldn't teach Zhang Enyuan how to be a secretary, nor would he openly teach Zhang Enyuan how to be a leader.
That's the nature of the secretary position; you get to be in constant contact with your superiors, and there are plenty of opportunities to learn, but it all depends on your own aptitude.
Zhang Enyuan has high standards for himself; he is meticulous, patient, and disciplined. Naturally, his starting point is different from others.
"Alright, I'll handle the rest myself."
Li Xuewu unfastened his watch and gestured with his chin, saying, "You should get some rest too."
"Boss, please sleep in a little longer tomorrow morning."
Zhang Enyuan finished spreading out the blankets, stood up, looked at him, and asked, "Shall I call you at nine o'clock?"
"We'll see when the time comes." Li Xuewu put down his watch and raised his hand to indicate, "When you're awake."
"Okay, I'll prepare breakfast for you."
Zhang Enyuan smiled and said, "The case has made progress, and I believe they can all get a good night's sleep now."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled, sat on the bed, and said, "They're really lucky."
"That's right!" Zhang Enyuan said with a smile as he left, "If it weren't for your help, hehe."
Li Xuewu took off his outer shirt and pants and lay down on the bed. The newly laid-out quilt was a little cold.
However, there was a radiator underfoot, and although the lounge was small, the temperature was not low.
Zhang Enyuan had already helped draw the curtains, so he quickly fell asleep in the quiet and dark environment.
I didn't sleep very well that night, I don't know if it was because of the change of environment or because I stayed up all night.
When I woke up in the morning, I could still clearly remember the scene from my dream, a nightmare.
Because the metallurgical plant's office building faces the street, the sounds from the workshops can be heard at night, let alone during the day.
The underground project in Hongxing Steel City Industrial Park has entered its third phase, and construction will continue uninterrupted this winter.
The excavated soil from the underground passage has been piled up on the side of the power plant, forming a small hill.
This is because the park's annual construction projects consume this earthwork, which shows just how massive this project is.
Of course, the reason why this project is still not completed is also due to him. He ordered the allocation of manpower and resources to the project introduced from East Germany, so as to complete the construction of the factory area as soon as possible.
This year, when he reported to the Group's Management Committee, he mentioned that the main construction of the East German-introduced project had been completed, which received unanimous approval from the leadership team.
It's important to understand that supporting so many East German engineers was incredibly costly, requiring both salaries and benefits.
In the past year alone, countless East German engineers have been on passenger ships traveling between Yingcheng and Tianjin.
What are you going to Tianjin for?
Honggang Group has a club in Tianjin open to the public, where these East German engineers can receive some recuperation.
It was supposed to be a recuperation trip, but it was really just a way to spend money. One of Li Xuewu's demands of the club was to empty these people's wallets.
Red Steel makes money, Red Steel spends money, but don't even think about taking it home.
This club in Tianjin is bolder and has a wider range of services than any of the Honggang Group's other service units.
Aside from eating meat directly, they have everything.
If you ask who has such a wild approach to doing all this in Tianjin, then of course it has to be Tianjin Aquatic Products.
That land originally belonged to Jinmen Aquatic Products, and even the current general manager of the club is from Jinmen Aquatic Products.
Pei Jungang and Li Xuewu met as seafood buyers during a training program in Tianjin. Over the course of a few years, they rose rapidly through the ranks.
Old Li had a purpose in creating this enclave and having people from Tianjin Fisheries manage it.
Li Xuewu set up Shunfeng Trading, cleverly connecting the three parties to launch a project to bring Tianjin aquatic products to Beijing. Old Li knew that he was the person behind the scenes, making a fortune, so of course he was not willing to just accept a consulting fee.
Of course, Lao Li wasn't a greedy person. He didn't complain about the small amount of consulting fees, because it was essentially free.
He studied this resource integration model and discussed it with Han Qingwei, the head of Tianjin Aquatic Products, which led to the club we have today.
This club was initially established to accommodate foreign businessmen from Hong Kong who came to the mainland, serving as an anchor point echoing the Andrew Buyers Club.
Now that Tianjin aquatic products have taken over the business, it has become very successful and has gained a great reputation in the industry.
Pei Jungang was a nobody, but even nobody has the desire to turn their life around. Li Xuewu had heard about his extraordinary abilities several times.
However, because he had heard about some of the issues, he hadn't been to that club for the past few years.
If nothing unexpected happens, he probably won't have anything to do with Pei Jungang or the Seaside Club for the next few years, unless he ignites the powder keg under Old Li's butt.
Just as Li Xuewu got up, washed up, and was preparing to have breakfast, the phone on his desk rang.
Zhang Enyuan was setting out lunchboxes while reporting on his day's trip to investigate the underground engineering project.
The ringing of the phone startled him. Li Xuewu saw it, smiled, and waved his hand, indicating that he would answer the phone himself.
He walked up to his desk, not really paying attention. After all, it was already nine in the morning. What could be so urgent?
He casually set aside the towel he was using to wipe his face, answered the phone, and said, "This is Li Xuewu."
"Wait! Say it again!"
Li Xuewu's expression changed drastically after hearing only one sentence from the other party, and he shouted sharply, "What exploded?"
This shout startled Zhang Enyuan, who looked at his leader, who had never been so serious before, in surprise.
"Save lives first! As soon as possible!" Li Xuewu ordered into the phone. "Contact Dongfeng Freight and ask them for assistance. Tell them what I said: force can be used if necessary."
bang-
Li Xuewu hung up the phone a little loudly, which made Zhang Enyuan lower his voice to ask worried questions.
"Boss, what happened?"
“A passenger ship bound for Tianjin exploded,” Li Xuewu said, frowning. “There were seven East German engineers on board.”
"Huh?!" Zhang Enyuan was completely stunned by the news, his mouth agape and he couldn't react for a long time.
Li Xuewu forced himself to calm down and asked for the phone number of Li Huaide, the group's general manager.
However, at this time, it would be very difficult to get through to the capital city by calling from the steel city without a bit of luck.
He lost patience in less than three minutes and asked for the communications unit's dedicated line again, preparing to use radio communication.
Honggang Group has a solid foundation, and that's one of its strengths. Uninterrupted communication is a testament to a company's strength and capabilities.
Even today, Honggang Group has basically completed the establishment of a regional internal telephone network, and at the same time obtained the necessary permissions for long-distance calls.
However, the group has retained its radio communication organizational structure, especially in the transmission of confidential information, and the radio communication team has won the title of advanced collective every year.
Currently, Honggang Group has installed wireless communication terminals in all its headquarters and major branch cities across the country.
This not only serves Honggang Group itself, but also provides communication security measures for joint ventures.
Li Xuewu's mature management and technical skills enabled him to contact the group's general manager, Li Huaide, in the shortest possible time.
Li Huaide must have learned of this news first, and he remained somewhat silent, or rather, he was suppressing his panic.
When the ship sank, he wasn't worried about the people on board, but rather about the significance of the accident itself.
The ship didn't crash or sink; it exploded.
The ship departed from the seaside club, and its destination was not Yingcheng or Gangcheng, but the port city.
Do you know how Pei Jungang made money off these East German engineers? He took the service to an extreme.
Li Xuewu knew this guy was audacious and reckless, but he never imagined that someone would be even bolder than him, daring to do something like this.
"Who do you think did it?"
Li Huaide was about to lose his temper when he learned the latest situation from Li Xuewu's report via radio.
He only asked one question: "Don't hide anything. I don't need evidence. I just need you to judge based on your intuition."
"You suspect it's that person, right?"
Li Xuewu could see the forcefulness in his tone, but he still patiently reminded him, "At this time, even if that person wanted revenge, they wouldn't do it so openly."
Radio communication has a time lag, so the two people were chatting like they were on WeChat, which gave them time to think.
Judging from the length of time it took for Lao Li to react, he could tell that his words had worked. If it had been a phone call, he might have been able to hear Lao Li's sigh of relief after the pressure was suddenly released.
The ship being blown up is important, but what's even more important is who did it.
It doesn't matter who it is, as long as it's not that madman.
"Who do you think it is?" Old Li replied, but his tone was no longer so tense.
"I'm waiting for feedback from Tianjin and the port city." Li Xuewu reported frankly, but still somewhat reservedly, "Dongfeng Shipping has coordinated with ships in the nearby waters to go to the rescue."
"But this season, this kind of accident," he said bluntly in his report, "we should be prepared to communicate with East Germany on what grounds and with what attitude."
“Anything that can be solved with money isn’t a problem,” Li Huaide said bluntly. “I’ll put Comrade Wenxue in charge of this matter.”
Li Xuewu was speechless at his arrangement; hadn't Dong Wenxue already taken enough blame?
Does this mean they don't need to worry about having too many lice?
However, Li Huaide's arrangement had a deeper meaning, and he couldn't communicate this matter over the radio.
From his reply, Lao Li had already guessed who his suspect was.
-
"Kenichi Nishida is in the port city."
Ji Weidong knew the seriousness of the matter, so he replied quite quickly, right after Li Xuewu ended his communication with Li Huaide.
“Investigate him. I’m confident I can confirm that he’s the one causing trouble.” Li Xuewu demanded directly, “It’s more convenient for you in Gangcheng. I don’t care what method you use, just take care of him.”
"To die or to live?"
After so many years away, Ji Weidong's behavior has changed. He is no longer the reckless young man who used to brandish a pistol and shout "Charge with me!"
But Li Xuewu hadn't changed; he remained calm and knew how to use his mind to think and solve problems with rational thinking.
"How many cents can a corpse sell for in the port city?"
Li Xuewu calmly replied, "I want ten times the compensation for that ship and the people on board, and you can have ten percent of that."
"Isn't that too easy on him?" Ji Weidong asked in his reply, "How about we go big? I'm confident."
“No, this is the condition.” Li Xuewu stated firmly, “I need you to help us get Sanhe back to the negotiating table to resolve the issue.”
“Okay, so you like this position.” Ji Weidong’s reply was relaxed, even daring to joke in this communication that would inevitably leave a record. “Wait for my message.”
The ship exploded at sea, killing crew members of Dongfeng Shipping. It affected the business of Honggang Group, and the scapegoat was Pei Jungang of Jinmen Aquatic Products. The mastermind behind it was Kenichi Nishida.
If all the details of this matter were written on playing cards and presented to Li Xuewu with a bizarre set of rules, after consulting with Li Huaide, he would be required to play a combination of cards.
If you were Li Xuewu, what would you do?
The key to solving problems often lies not in superficial solutions, but in assessing the situation and the potential consequences.
What is Kenichi Nishida's purpose?
His outburst of anger was a warning to Honggang Group and also a manifestation of Guizai's rebellious and mad mindset.
Should we retaliate with swift and decisive measures at this point?
No, just like Li Xuewu doesn't need evidence to determine who did it.
Once he analyzes this logic clearly, he can confirm that the one who acted so hastily was that old dog, Kenichi Nishida.
Isn't Kenichi Nishida afraid of retaliation from the Red Steel Group?
If you try to understand it like a child playing house, thinking "you hit me, I'll punch you back," it's not that simple.
Some people might think that once the ship exploded and people died, the situation had already spiraled out of control.
But Li Xuewu didn't think so. He believed that forcing Sanhe back to the negotiating table and leaving them a way to compensate was the mature way to defeat them.
A head-on clash?
The three leaders of Sanhe must have differing opinions. Kenichi Nishida's purpose in staying in Gangcheng is to assess Honggang Group's attitude and test whether there is still a possibility of cooperation between the two sides.
If Honggang Group continues to demonstrate its willingness to cooperate, then the matter of Gu Cangping Er will not affect future cooperation.
To put it more bluntly, Kenichi Nishida and the other two shareholders of Sanwa Corporation are currently unable to determine the Honggang Group's reaction to what Kenichi Nishida instructed Heiji Taniguchi to do. They need to further amplify the impact of something to force the Honggang Group to make a quick statement.
As mentioned earlier, Guiza never considers an apology as repentance, but rather as a form of etiquette.
Li Huaide can say things like "a problem that can be solved with money isn't a problem," and people like Kenichi Nishida have long since memorized this theory and put it into practice.
They were willing to spend money to solve the problem if they wanted to determine a certain frequency, even if Honggang Group asked for an exorbitant price.
In fact, this incident and Kenichi Nishida's reckless attitude reveal their contempt for mainland Chinese companies.
Even though Honggang Group has the qualifications to cooperate with international traders, they still see it as a backward entity.
They were all convinced that as long as they gave Honggang Group enough benefits, they could settle anything.
The reason why Kenichi Nishida did not do this directly in the capital was because he was afraid that Li Xuewu would overreact.
He was not afraid of any decision-making level in the Honggang Group, but he was wary of Li Xuewu, whom he could never figure out.
So he went to the port city, but chose to target a passenger ship with East German engineers, knowing that Li Xuewu would definitely speak up.
This time, Li Xuewu truly harbored murderous intent, right the moment he received the call from Tianjin.
Reciprocal retaliation? Not a chance.
What he wants is for Sanhe to work hard for Honggang Group for a few more years. This conflicting relationship is not entirely a bad thing.
Only by binding Sanhe back to Honggang Group's chariot as it marches toward the international market can we have a chance to crush the opponent.
A head-on confrontation now would only drive the other party away, disrupt the group's economic plans, and lose the opportunity to retaliate.
In two days it will be 71, and in one year it will be 72. The Honggang Group, this warship, is less than two years away from sailing into the sea of the free market, and no one can stop its progress.
-
“You didn’t come home last night,” Yu Li greeted him at the entrance as he came home from work, reminding him, “Zhou Xiaoling is here.”
"I understand." Li Xuewu simply nodded, letting her help him take off his wool coat.
When did she leave?
“I had the driver take her this morning.”
Yu Li glanced at him and asked softly, "About that ship in the East China Sea..."
"Yes, I've already asked Ji Weidong to handle it."
Li Xuewu changed into slippers, stepped into the living room, took a deep breath, and sat down on the sofa.
Yu Li squatted down to tidy up his leather shoes before coming in to report, "Wen San'er is on his way to Gangcheng."
She raised her wrist to check the time and said, "He should arrive soon. I asked Lao Si to arrange for someone to pick him up."
"Okay, then let's wait for him to start eating together."
Li Xuewu picked up the hot tea she had prepared in advance from the coffee table and said casually, "I'm going to take a shower first."
"The hot water is ready."
Yu Li asked with some concern, "Should the ships in the Bohai Bay stop for a while?"
“Let’s wait until he arrives,” Li Xuewu said, taking a sip of hot tea and standing up. “A little more time won’t make a difference.”
“I didn’t sleep much last night, I was worried something might have happened to you,” Yu Li said as she came over to help him take off his clothes, frowning. “I didn’t expect that pressing this would cause another problem to pop up.”
"It's all the same thing." Li Xuewu raised his chin slightly, unbuttoned his shirt, glanced at her, and said, "It was done by Kenichi Nishida of Sanhe."
"Huh?!" Yu Li looked at him in surprise, forgetting what she was doing. "How could it be him?"
"Because Hideji Nakamura hasn't come to the mainland to see me yet."
Li Xuewu unbuttoned his shirt and said calmly, "Just wait. Once there's news from Hong Kong, Nakamura will show up."
"You can conclude that Nishida Kenichi did this just because Nakamura didn't come?"
Yu Li followed him into the bathroom and pressed him for an answer: "What if he doesn't admit it?"
"I didn't intend to question him either."
Li Xuewu glanced back at her, stepped into the bathtub, and lay down after getting used to the water temperature.
From yesterday afternoon until now, I can only describe it as a chaotic and frantic state. I finally breathed a sigh of relief after lying in the bathtub.
Yu Li looked at him, frowned, and said, "I'm afraid he'll be eyeing that ship at sea."
"What were you worried about before?" Li Xuewu asked lazily, his eyes slightly closed. "That person?"
How could I not worry?
Yu Li sighed, "Ever since you told me that, I've had this feeling stuck in my throat."
"You always say that others are dancing on the edge of a knife, but in my opinion, you are dancing on the blade, which is even more frightening."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu snorted lightly and said, "It's not that bad."
"But you were surprised too, weren't you?"
Yu Li tidied up his clothes, planning to wash them tomorrow. She glanced at him and went out to find clean clothes.
Li Xuewu soaked for more than ten minutes before he heard voices outside the door. It must be Wen San who had arrived.
Sure enough, a moment later Yu Li came into the bathroom with clothes in her arms and nudged his arm to remind him, "Third Uncle is here."
"Okay, I understand," Li Xuewu replied, opening his eyes and asking, "Did you come by yourself?"
"Yes, Bang Geng brought him over."
Yu Li took a bath towel from the shelf and stood aside waiting for him. When he stood up, she wrapped it around him.
"Don't catch a cold, I'll go set the table."
With guests present, she only gave one instruction before heading out to attend to other matters, despite Li Xuewu's promise to have dinner together.
"Learning martial arts." Wen San stood up from the sofa and greeted him as he came out of the bathroom.
Li Xuewu had already changed into his pajamas. He waved his hand and said, "Sit down. When did you set off?"
"A little after two in the afternoon," Wen San'er said, glancing at the time on his hand. "It took three hours to get there."
"Okay, the food is ready. Let's eat."
Li Xuewu didn't ask any questions right away, but waved his hand and said, "We've been waiting for you."
Although Banggeng has been gone for a long time, she is still very familiar with this place and is helping out in the kitchen right now.
Wen San'er glanced at him, and influenced by his composure, she also suppressed her own nervousness.
Yu Li prepared four dishes, two meat and two vegetable, and also specially heated a pot of wine for Wen San'er.
"It's been a long time since I've had a drink." Smelling the alcohol, Wen San'er said with a smile, "Shan Ying has to help me quit drinking."
"Why?" Li Xuewu glanced at him and asked, "Just to have a child?"
"Hehe—" Wen San'er laughed awkwardly, finally managing to get Fei Shanying under his thumb regarding her desire for a child.
Fei Shanying uncovered all of his past romantic escapades in Hong Kong, and his confession naturally earned him his lover's forgiveness.
But Fei Shanying was also a ruthless person; she didn't say a single harsh word, but her actions spoke volumes.
Zhang Xinmin wasn't the only one; when he went to Gangcheng, he also had Wen Yuan, and now he's added Wen Hao to the mix.
Do you think this is over?
In Fei Shanying's words, since he likes children, he should have as many as possible while he is still young.
Wen San'er knew that this was her revenge on her, because she was dissatisfied with what he had done in Hong Kong.
He tried to excuse himself by saying that people in the martial arts world have no choice in what they do, but he didn't have a good nephew.
Old Biao has been in Hong Kong for almost three years, and not a single romantic story has come back. He's really outdone by Old Biao.
He found it strange that, given the character of the uncle and nephew, it should have been Old Biao who was indulging in a life of debauchery!
Now the situation has reversed; every day the nephew persists, his days become more difficult in front of Fei Shanying.
Sometimes he even considered contacting the women in Hong Kong to seduce his nephew.
Even if it's just some rumors that come back, it will make him feel a little better.
"You've already smelled it all, do you want more?"
Yu Li invited Bang Geng to sit down and eat, while she poured them some wine.
Wen San'er thanked him politely, but explained with a wry smile, "This is not something I can decide."
He gestured with his chin and said, "Your third aunt thinks my life is too monotonous, so she's planning to have a whole litter of babies to bother me."
“What can’t a couple talk about?” Yu Li said after sitting down. “You should soften your stance. Childbirth is a huge ordeal for a woman, and her body can’t take it.”
"I tried to persuade them, but whether they listened is another matter."
Wen San'er shook his head and said, "Unless you castrate me, I have no other choice."
"Let's send them back to Beijing."
Li Xuewu suddenly spoke up: "Tell Guodong to tidy up the house in advance."
He picked up a piece of food, raised his wine glass, and said, "Just in time to go back for the New Year."
"This—" Wen San'er looked at him with some surprise, her heart pounding, afraid that he had other plans.
I was afraid you wouldn't trust me.
Li Xuewu clinked glasses with him and said, "Zhang Xinmin is of school age now, go back."
"Oh, okay, mmm," Wen San'er replied, downing the wine in his cup in one gulp.
He used this action to conceal his inner excitement, and wasn't this statement also a form of forgiveness?
Li Xuewu had never held the mistake he made in Gangcheng against him, but he was certain that he had only been forgiven by him today.
"This wine is warmed just right; it almost made my eyes water." Wen San'er smiled, wiped her face, and asked Yu Li with a smile, "Are you going back to Beijing for the New Year this year?"
"Let's see how things go." Yu Li picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, glanced at Li Xuewu, and said, "My sister-in-law is pregnant, and my mother wrote to me asking me to go back and check on her."
"Yu Zhe's wife?" Wen San'er raised an eyebrow, looking at Li Xuewu with amusement, and asked, "Do you still care about him now?"
"No matter, his sister is in charge."
Li Xuewu smirked and said, "Without a Buddha to keep him in check, he'd be even more unruly than a monkey."
"And you say that? If it weren't for you, would he have acted like this?"
Yu Li glared at him and said reproachfully, "You still expect me to put out the fire for you? Zhao Min even complained about me a lot."
"I just gave him a chance to act, but who told him to take it so seriously?" Li Xuewu raised his eyes and said, "He even got addicted to acting. I heard he was reluctant to leave."
"You're just messing with him—" Yu Li said irritably, "My dad said that after he went back from Gangcheng, he and his wife had a huge fight."
"Who won?" Wen San'er asked with a smile. "The good news must be that your sister-in-law won."
“A good teacher produces outstanding students,” Li Xuewu said with a smile. “She went back specifically to share her experience.”
Why don't you admit that you caused the trouble?
Yu Li curled her lips and looked at Wen San'er, saying, "Sometimes, what women need is just an emotion."
She earnestly advised, "You are one of the few intelligent people among us, and you understand this better than I do."
“Whatever your third aunt wants, you’ve been with her for so many years, there’s no need to hold a grudge over these things.”
"Okay, I understand." Wen San'er nodded and looked at her, saying, "We've agreed, you can't teach your third aunt those tricks."
"It depends on your performance," Yu Li said with a smile, teasingly. "What if I let it slip when I get back?"
"Hahaha—" Wen San'er seemed genuinely frightened and specially toasted her with a cup.
Bang Geng remained silent throughout the meal, simply eating in silence. Li Xuewu also took the opportunity to observe him.
This kid has grown even faster this year, probably because he's well-nourished and gets plenty of food; he's grown very tall.
As a result, his originally obese figure has been elongated, and he now looks much stronger.
Seeing that he was looking at Banggeng, Wen San'er changed the subject and asked Banggeng, "Are you going back to Beijing for the New Year this year?"
"Who? Me?" Banggeng didn't hear the others at the table answer, and looked up at him blankly.
"How many years have you been away?" Wen San'er said with a smile. "Don't you miss home?"
Banggeng first lowered his head, ate a mouthful of rice, and swallowed it before saying, "That's not my home."
"Where is your home?" Wen San'er said with a laugh. "They say a home is where your mother is. Don't you want your mother anymore?"
“My mom doesn’t want me anymore.” Banggeng looked up at him and said, “I told you when I left that I would never go back if I didn’t make it big.”
"Hehe, that sounds pretty bold." Wen San'er took a sip of wine, glanced at Li Xuewu first, and then said to Bang Geng, "There's an old saying: 'The child wishes to care for his parents, but they are no longer there.'"
"So you know that some of the neighbors in the compound have all disappeared? Aren't you afraid you won't be able to see your grandma again?"
He raised his eyebrows and said, "Besides, over the years, they haven't seen you grow up, and you haven't seen them get old. Won't you regret it when you grow up and look back?"
“They’re doing just fine,” Banggeng said in a low voice. “The earth keeps turning no matter who’s gone.”
“He’s upset.” Li Xuewu nodded to Wen San’er and said, “Don’t pay any attention to him. Let him figure it out himself.”
“Hehe,” Wen San’er just chuckled, put down his wine glass and said, “Biaozi’s mother wrote me a letter.”
"Huh? She knows your address?"
Li Xuewu asked in surprise, "When did this happen?"
"It was probably Guodong who gave it to me," Wen San'er sighed and said, "He said he was borrowing money from me to build a house."
“I didn’t lend it to her.” He looked up and said with a smile, “I gave her Mai Qinglan’s address and told her to contact Biaozi.”
"She actually just wanted to ask Biaozi for money, but she couldn't bring herself to ask and didn't know where Biaozi was, so she came to me to test the waters."
Wen San'er leaned back in his chair and looked at Bang Geng with emotion, saying, "Sometimes when family ties are gone, even your own mother can't be relied on."
Banggeng sensitively raised her head, glanced at him, and then pretended to be indifferent as she continued eating.
Li Xuewu noticed that he had slowed down the frequency of his chopstick swings and knew that he was paying attention.
However, this child is raised in a free-range manner in his care. He gives him some food when he has time, but otherwise he doesn't want to look at him at all.
How many children does Biaozi's brother have?
Li Xuewu had almost finished eating and looked at Wen San'er, asking, "Was I going to be the second child when I came to Steel City?"
“Three.” Wen San’er nodded and said, “Even if she asks Mai Qinglan and the child in her letter.”
He truly hated his sister. He snorted and said, "Even if I go back, I won't go to her house."
"You should be old enough to remember when your sister gave birth to Biaozi, right?" Li Xuewu asked, looking at him. "Are you sure he's her biological son?"
"Heh—hehe—" Wen San'er was amused by his question and covered her face, saying, "He is indeed my biological son."
"Then why the different treatment?" Yu Li asked curiously, "Just because Biaozi has been causing trouble since he was a child?"
“How could that be?” Wen San’er took a sip of wine and said, “If my sister and brother-in-law hadn’t raised the two brothers in different ways, how could Biaozi have developed this kind of personality?”
“I heard my mom mention it once.”
He rested his chin on his hand and explained, "Something bad happened the year Biaozi was born. Someone did a fortune telling and said it was Biaozi who brought it on, and that's how I started to hate him."
“But we raised him.” Li Xuewu picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and looked at Wen San’er, saying, “We didn’t kill him.”
"Well, if that's the case, then we have to commend them for being kind-hearted." Wen San'er smiled and said, "In those days, the death of a child was really nothing."
“Not yet.” Li Xuewu picked up the wine jug and poured him a cup of wine, saying, “The world is too complicated.”
"Well, you can't blame anyone else."
Wen San'er sighed and said, "Who told him to have such parents?"
"You think they won't regret it?" Yu Li asked, frowning. "They should know Biaozi has money, right?"
"Regret what?" Wen San'er looked at her and said, "If you really regretted it, you would have come to Gangcheng to see the children long ago."
"The second son's child is a grandson, but Biaozi's child isn't a granddaughter?"
He curled his lip and said, "I really can't be bothered with them now. If even relatives lose their affection, they're no better than strangers."
“Mai Qinglan is still kind-hearted.” Yu Li looked at Li Xuewu and explained, “She sends money home every year.”
"Old Biaozi doesn't know?" Li Xuewu really didn't know these things, but Yu Li and Mai Qinglan had a very good relationship.
“How could I not know?” Yu Li sighed and said, “He felt wronged, but he’s not a malicious person.”
“That’s true.” Wen San’er, his face flushed from drinking, nodded and said, “Biaozi has the softest heart.”
"Is it the same in the port city?"
Li Xuewu smiled, then shook his head as he recalled what Big-Chested Brother had done in Hong Kong.
Wen San'er laughed, waved his hand, and said, "That's called indecisiveness."
"But speaking of which, he's been getting very close to Ji Weidong, is that alright?"
Wen San'er said with some concern, "In those years, I saw that this kid was very bold and reckless, so I didn't dare to get too close."
"Ji Weidong said you're as timid as a mouse."
Li Xuewu looked at him and said with a smile, "Back then, he told me that you would die on a woman's belly sooner or later."
"I was just playing along—"
Wen San'er took a sip of baijiu somewhat awkwardly and said with a smile, "Why doesn't he say that he himself is a womanizer and has a good time?"
"None of you are any good people."
Li Xuewu curled his lip and said, "Old Biaozi is much more clear-headed than you. Ji Weidong wouldn't dare to pull him away."
"Let's hope so, these are turbulent times."
Wen San'er sighed and said, "When I heard about this incident in the East China Sea, my heart pounded with fear."
"You're worried about something happening to the big ship, right?"
Li Xuewu looked at him and asked, "Are the countermeasures you have still effective?"
"Of course there are, but this also served as a wake-up call for me." Wen San'er frowned and said, "You can't put all your eggs in one basket; the big ship must be set in motion."
"Let's try a different approach to solving the problem."
Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, "The middleman can be eliminated, or the number of middlemen can be increased."
"You mean to open the door?"
Wen San'er frowned and asked, "Isn't it a bit early? There aren't many people who can truly reach this level."
"How do you know it's not much if you haven't even let go?"
Li Xuewu said calmly, "Make it for Sanhe. How you contact them is up to you. It's time to drag them down with you."
(End of this chapter)