dognovel Chapter 1642 Why Not Give Him Three Feet?
Chapter 1642 Why Not Give Him Three Feet?
Chapter 1642 Why Not Give Him Three Feet?
Which is easier to do: a complete vehicle project or a parts supply chain project?
In terms of profit margin and management difficulty, the complete vehicle project is the preferred choice.
However, considering the industry leadership and competitive risks, and taking into account the advantages of Honggang Group itself, Li Xuewu naturally chose to continue working on the parts supply chain.
With its current scale and capital, Honggang Group can easily launch a truck project, but it will not be easy to make it bigger and stronger.
Although steel and automobiles already have mature production capabilities and have established their own distribution and service system nationwide.
However, considering the time, operational, and management costs, it is still not worthwhile.
With this time and money, what projects can't you do through the United Savings Bank?
Everyone knew Xu was rich and that his company was successful. His real estate company even started a mineral water business. That was impressive.
The results of it?
Blindly expanding capital will only lead to a decline in management and investment quality; once the fist is outstretched, it cannot be retracted, leading to self-destruction.
Can his failure be simply explained by changes in real estate policies and macro-control? The policies were not targeted at him alone, nor were they issued suddenly.
To put it bluntly, Honggang Group benefited from the information asymmetry of the times.
Li Xuewu originally intended to develop the automotive industry; otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to develop the machining industry in the steel city.
The idea is good, but in practice, it's not just a matter of funding.
Of the four major automobile manufacturers in China, including the current fifth largest steel and automobile manufacturer, which one has developed into a comprehensive automobile city?
Honggang Group's involvement in passenger vehicles and special-purpose vehicles was also a way of taking advantage of the fact that there was no industry monopoly in China.
If a monopoly is truly formed in the parts supply chain, it will not be so convenient to manufacture cars.
You heard Lei Jun boasting that Mishijie was discontinued in just 27 months, but that wasn't his achievement. It was the result of the industrial manufacturing capabilities that emerged in later generations and the integration of long-accumulated technologies.
Of course, you have to admire his ability to accomplish a lot with a little money.
Li Xuewu accepted today's dinner invitation with the intention of achieving great things with minimal expenditure.
This isn't the first time he's done something like using someone else's resources to achieve his goals; practice makes perfect.
Wang Xiansheng and Yang Aidong only worked with him once and didn't have a deep impression of him, but Gu Litong was a long-time victim.
So when Li Xuewu mentioned further establishing branch factories around the parts industry, he knew exactly what Li Xuewu was up to.
Honggang Group's industrial influence in the steel city is self-evident. If the truck parts industry is located in the steel city, Honggang Group's influence will be further enhanced.
This is, of course, only the surface. The deeper benefits lie in the momentum generated by the integration of the industrial chain and the influence of Honggang Group in the automotive manufacturing sector.
Why did Factory No. 17 choose to cooperate with Beijing Automobile Group instead of choosing to cooperate with Honggang Group, which is closer to the factory?
This is the third reason: the offensive power demonstrated by Honggang Group.
Knowing full well that Honggang Group's current industrial capabilities and development model represent modernization and the future, when they are not yet prepared, or when they realize their backwardness but are temporarily unable to adjust, would they choose to cooperate with robbers and seek help from tigers?
Only companies like Jiqi and Changzheng, which are not large in scale, are determined to face challenges, and have the opportunity to transform, dare to seek cost control and production transfer.
Factory No. 17 and Beijing Automotive could only passively combine and coordinate, slowly transforming within a relatively narrow space, and dared not pursue speed.
Given their size, turning too fast would only result in a rollover.
In fact, Beijing Automotive Group has been working on resource integration and production capacity transformation since the year before last.
Gu Litong of Beijing No. 2 Automobile Works seized the opportunity and gained a considerable advantage.
The processing plants that Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC) divested still had a certain competitive advantage in this era, at least in China.
Li Xuewu wasn't just feeling his way across the river; he was feeling his way across the river, so there was no question of him stumbling.
Although he did not formally become an apprentice, and Li Xuewu does not acknowledge having these disciples, he has had frequent contact with several "resource integration" masters who operate within his organization.
For example, Gu Litong, who was in charge of the Second Automobile Works, Bai Changmin of Beijing Chemical Industry, and even Hu Ke of Liaodong Industry—these individuals may not have said it, but they were actually doing the same things as Li Xuewu.
Why not say it?
In fact, Li Xuewu rarely talks about it, and he doesn't even say it in public.
The reason is simple: according to the policies and requirements of this era, his way of thinking, which combines theory and practice, is wrong. Even if it has been verified by later generations, it is not applicable now.
They can only do it experimentally, but they can't go around brazenly announcing it to the world.
At the dinner table, Li Xuewu once again displayed his "master of deception" nature and began to give the three of them a crisis education lesson.
From the history of the automotive industry to his overall predictions for the future of the automotive sector, he combined the development of the international automotive market with the domestic economic situation to make his predictions, leaving the three of them completely bewildered.
Even though Gu Litong kept telling himself that the kid was talking nonsense and not to listen to him, these strange temptations still crept into his mind and kept eroding his resistance.
Li Xuewu is a devil. His goal is to persuade these people to invest in the auto parts industry and vehicle assembly projects in the steel city. But he doesn't say it directly. Instead, he talks at length about the future competitive model.
The core message of his statement was that the domestic car market cannot remain in a state of supply shortage forever, the people cannot remain unable to afford cars forever, the highway network cannot remain so backward forever, and the transportation industry cannot rely on railways forever.
Li Xuewu predicted over drinks that the domestic transportation industry would definitely undergo changes within ten years, and whoever controls the means of transportation would control the wealth.
It's worth mentioning that in what year did the first batch of people in China buy large trucks for transportation?
Do you believe what he said?
After a hearty meal, Yang Aidong watched Li Xuewu's car drive away, then remained silent for a moment before looking at Wang Xiansheng standing to the side.
Wang Xiansheng frowned, sighed, and said, "I have no choice but to believe it."
With his hands in his pockets, he turned around and looked at Yang Aidong, asking, "Three years ago, would you have believed that Honggang Group could produce the kind of car he drives?"
"They're not much worse than imported ones now; they've developed too fast."
"If we follow his logic, the automotive industry abroad is developing at a similar pace—"
He hesitated for a moment, then sighed again, "It's terrifying to even think about."
Gu Litong wanted to see them off to their car, but he stayed late just to have a chat.
After listening to the two of them finish speaking, he cautiously said, "We can't completely disbelieve what he says, but we can't believe everything he says either."
Seeing the two looking at him, Gu Litong explained with a wry smile, "He's a notorious conman in Beijing's industrial circles."
-
"Did you drink tonight?"
Hearing the knock, Ran Qiuye knew it was him. She opened the door and smelled the alcohol.
"You didn't drink much, that's bullshit."
Li Xuewu handed her the bag, went inside to change into slippers, and asked, "Have you eaten dinner? I brought you a duck."
"Where did these ducks come from?" Ran Qiuye asked, somewhat surprised. "From the restaurant?"
"No, it's from the Second Automobile Works' small canteen."
Li Xuewu reached out and unbuttoned his coat, tossing it onto the sofa. He rubbed his face and said, "Gu Litong is treating, so I'll take advantage of him a little. I can't go for nothing anyway."
"What time is it? I've already eaten." Ran Qiuye took a roast duck out of her bag and walked into the kitchen, saying, "Are you full?"
She stood in the doorway and asked, "How about I cut it open for you while it's still hot?"
Li Xuewu waved his hand, plopped down on the sofa, and said, "I brought this for you."
"How much can I eat by myself?"
Ran Qiuye only said this one sentence before going to the kitchen.
Li Xuewu bought this room for her; he didn't care about the cost at the time, and it's the largest room available.
Even the renovation was handled by people from Dongfeng Construction, contacted by Shen Guodong. He only asked for her opinion when it came to choosing furniture.
So much money was being spent like water. Even though she hadn't handled it herself, hearing her colleagues' complaints made her feel the pain. She didn't even dare to ask Li Xuewu how much he had spent.
She'd been to other people's homes before, and the quality of their renovations was nowhere near as good as her own.
Even just looking at her furniture, its style is more novel and fashionable than other people's.
It was precisely because she was so satisfied with the house that she couldn't bear to refuse his kindness.
At first, she didn't know who was decorating her house and preparing the furniture, but after getting to know them, she found out that they were Li Xuewu's friends.
Li Xuewu had also told her that if she couldn't find him while he was away from Beijing, she could contact this man named Shen Guodong.
However, aside from contacting them a few times when they were helping with the house, she didn't bother them again after that.
She didn't know the specifics of Li Xuewu's relationship with that person, or whether there were any conflicts of interest involved, and she hadn't asked, as she was afraid of causing trouble for Li Xuewu.
She was a quiet and easy-going person by nature, and she was already very satisfied with having such a place to stay.
Li Xuewu chose the largest unit because she would be supporting her parents in the future.
"Don't the old man and woman want to come back yet?" Li Xuewu asked with amusement as she brought him tea. "Have they really gotten addicted to staying in the mountains?"
"I've said it twice, but they've stopped wanting to say it, and they won't listen anyway."
Ran Qiuye sat down beside him, looked him over, and asked, "Why have you lost weight?"
"Have you lost weight?" Li Xuewu was drinking tea when he looked at her and said, "I don't think so."
"You look thinner." Ran Qiuye pursed her lips and asked, "Have you been busy lately?"
"Yes, that's true." Li Xuewu took a sip of hot tea and said, "It's almost the end of the year."
He put down his teacup, leaned back on the sofa, looked at her, and asked, "When did you go up the mountain? Or did the old man and woman come back?"
"I went there at the end of last month."
Ran Qiuye sighed and said helplessly, "I told them it was windy up in the mountains and asked them to come back to stay, but they insisted that it wasn't cold and didn't want to come back."
She lowered her head, rubbing the fuzz on her pants with her fingers, and said, "Forget it, let them be. I won't try to persuade them anymore."
"Yeah, stay wherever you're comfortable, it's fine," Li Xuewu said lazily. "It's much better than being restricted in the city."
"They couldn't bear to part with those children."
Ran Qiuye glanced at him and explained, "As soon as I arrived, she kept talking to me about it and asked me to send some teaching aids over, saying they would be useful."
She chuckled and complained, "Does she really think she owns the school? She wants everything!"
"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled and said, "Old man, he's just like a child—"
He raised his chin and said, "Think about what they need and tell me, I'll buy it for them."
"I was just saying, and you actually took it seriously." Ran Qiuye glanced at him and said, "If you agree this time, what will you do if they ask me for things again next time? Can I keep bothering you?"
"Yes, I'll give it to you. If you agree, I'll give it to you."
Li Xuewu said with a smile, "I'll give you whatever you ask for. Just name a number."
He lay down on the sofa, resting his head on his arm, and said, "I donated my royalties twice before, but then I was afraid that my success would attract unwanted attention."
"If your elderly parents don't mind the trouble, I'm willing to do good deeds anonymously."
"Are you alright?" Ran Qiuye asked him, amused. "What are you doing not seeking fame or fortune? Do you have too much money and don't know what to do with it?"
"Heh—" Li Xuewu brushed her hand off his forehead and said, "I'm not at the point where my hands cramp from counting money."
He looked at Ran Qiuye and asked, "You have to have some ambitions in this life, right?"
These words weren't directed at her, but rather a self-answered question: "I just want my thoughts to be clear."
"This is getting more and more mystical," Ran Qiuye pursed her lips and said, "Cultivation?"
“I call this cultivating the mind, not judging by actions,” Li Xuewu smiled. “And you, what are your current pursuits? To be a good teacher, a good principal?”
"I'm not as ethereal as you—"
Ran Qiuye smiled, glanced at him, and said, "I knew I could only do my job well and never reach your level."
“How can that be!” Li Xuewu glared at her, feigning displeasure, and said, “Comrade, your awareness should be raised.”
He rolled over, lay flat on the sofa, and said with a affected tone, "If a person has no ideals or pursuits, what's the difference between them and a salted fish?"
"What do ideals and pursuits have to do with salted fish—" Ran Qiuye stood up, went to the bathroom to test the water temperature, and came out to remind her, "Do you want to take a shower? Or wait a while before showering."
"If there's enough water, can we shower together?" Li Xuewu propped himself up and sat up, scratching his head as he said, "It's been a long time since I had a back scrub, it's a little itchy."
"Did it get dry in the winter?" Ran Qiuye believed him and walked over with a slight frown, asking with concern, "Didn't you go to the hospital to get it checked out? Are you getting bumps?"
She had just walked over to lift Li Xuewu's clothes when he suddenly hugged her and hoisted her onto his shoulder.
"Put me down! You're so mean!"
She said this more than once tonight, over and over again, until Li Xuewu was willing.
She still remembered the bed they had broken while fooling around. This time, she dared not let him do as he pleased again. Last time, she didn't know how she ended up changing to a wooden bed with a red face. She couldn't stand it happening again.
-
"Should the Jingcheng Chemical project be reported by you, or by the United Savings Bank?"
The next day at work, Li Huaide called him in for a private talk, flipping through the documents in his hand while checking the meeting agenda with him.
Executive Deputy Secretary-General Chen Shuzhi is in charge of economic and technological cooperation in the port city and is unable to return to Beijing to take charge of the conference affairs, so he has to hand it over to Deputy Secretary-General Ji Jiuzheng.
Ji Jiuzheng had long been subdued by Li Xuewu's methods and dared not overstep his bounds in the slightest. He had to report everything, big or small, to Secretary-General Li Xuewu, regardless of whether he received a clear response.
This meeting was even more special and important, and since Li Xuewu was in the group's office, he specifically requested that the office follow the proper procedures for signing documents.
Li Huaide was dissatisfied with Li Xuewu's timid and cowardly behavior. Several attempts to criticize him in person were to no avail, so he had no choice but to call Li Xuewu over for a talk.
Ostensibly it was about coordinating work, but in reality it was a reminder to Li Xuewu to organize the work process properly.
When he executed Ma Su with tears in his eyes and exiled Chen Shuzhi, who disobeyed Li Xuewu, it was out of respect for Li Xuewu, but on the premise that it did not disrupt the normal working order of the office.
If all work requires Li Xuewu's signature and approval, then what's the point of having a deputy secretary-general like Ji Jiuzheng?
Furthermore, Li Xuewu currently serves concurrently as the Secretary-General of the Liaodong Industrial Leading Group Office, which is essentially a symbolic position.
During a job vacancy, isn't this a great opportunity to work hard and show your abilities? But Ji Jiuzheng, that donkey, is stubborn and won't move even when led, and will only back down when pushed.
Li Xuewu understood what Lao Li meant, but he still didn't spell it out.
“Let’s hand it over to the United Savings Bank,” he said, sitting across from Old Li’s desk and putting down his teacup. “After all, the work was done by the bank’s staff, so I won’t go into details.”
"Okay, whatever you two decide."
Li Huaide put down the materials in his hand, looked at him, and asked, "What do you plan to do with the Jingcheng Chemical project? Are we really not going to get involved?"
“Of course,” Li Xuewu looked at him and explained seriously, “it’s not some unmissable feast, just an appetizer.”
He closed the notebook that was on his lap and placed it on the desk, then crossed his hands in front of his lower abdomen and emphasized, "The best is yet to come."
“I saw the budget report from the United Savings Bank, it's 1700 million.”
Li Huaide picked up a pencil and tapped the materials, saying with some heartache, "Even if you peel off a layer of skin, it'll still be a hundred thousand or so."
"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu found it amusing, covered his face, and retorted, "Is it really necessary for us?"
"How could it not be—" Old Li sighed and complained, as if his grievances had been exposed, "You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household."
He casually picked up a document from a pile of files on the right side of his desk and tossed it in front of Li Xuewu, saying, "Next year's budget proposal."
Seeing Li Xuewu pick it up and open it, he didn't have the patience to wait for Li Xuewu to finish reading it, and sighed and said, "The annual budget has increased by 27%!"
“I have no idea what this money is going to be used for. Comrade Yu Nong is about to get angry.”
"What's the point of starting a fire?" Li Xuewu said, flipping through the budget in his hand. "We still need to start solving the practical problems."
“Money, the problem now is money.” Li Huaide tapped the table and said, “The scale of the tertiary industry is shrinking, the source of funds is decreasing, and other projects are gradually entering a bottleneck period, which will not be able to support the group’s rapid development next year.”
He spread his hands and said helplessly, "These are Comrade Yu Nong's exact words. What do you expect me to do or say them?"
"You can't skimp on the project budget."
Li Xuewu glanced at it, closed the plan, and explained to him, "The project investment of the United Savings Bank cannot be regarded as a way to obtain development funds for the group."
He frowned and emphasized, "Once this door is opened, it will be difficult to put on the brakes later."
Li Huaide's intention was not to take money directly from the United Savings Bank, but to use the United Savings Bank to get a share of the profits from the Jingcheng Chemical project.
Just like when the International Hotel project was initially established, a Unity Hotel and a Riverside Garden residential complex were crammed into the general contracting project.
That project saved the group at least 300 million yuan, which made Lao Li remember this good deal.
Whenever he starts a new project, he's always looking to rip people off; he could even be nicknamed "Li the Skinflint."
However, this is not how funds are managed. Li Xuewu was afraid that he would become addicted to it and even directly use the funds of the United Savings Bank for group management or expenditures, which was absolutely unacceptable.
The United Savings Bank should operate as an independent entity, and its funds should only be used for commercial investment.
This is also the foundation of trust between depositors and other partners. If Honggang Group dares to misappropriate funds, it would be destroying its own foundation.
What if the group needs funds?
Borrowing money from a bank for management and other expenses, and then repaying it when you have the money.
Moreover, you can't borrow money indefinitely.
"The purpose of Jingcheng Chemical's chemical industrial parks in Yingcheng and Gangcheng is to facilitate production transfer and technological upgrading."
Li Xuewu explained earnestly, "The fundamental purpose is to achieve conglomeration."
"This project, led by the United Savings Bank, is being watched by countless organizations and leaders. If any funding problems arise—"
He left half a sentence unsaid, but I'm sure Old Li understood.
Li Huaide understood, of course, but he still sighed with heartache.
In the past few years, in order to achieve conglomeration, they made money and spent money extravagantly, which has long since formed a habit of extravagance.
However, that period was for the purpose of adjusting the group's organizational structure and production model.
With the progress of the group-oriented process and the completion of adjustments to the organizational structure and production model, the next step should be to adjust the capital and industry.
Cutting off tertiary industries, transferring the management burden on employees, and fundamentally reducing enterprise management risks and expenditures is a form of industrial optimization.
The benefits of doing this are not yet apparent, but the employees will be in for a surprise when they retire and start claiming their pensions in ten years.
On the one hand, we have to cope with international competition from an open market, and on the other hand, we have to face tens of thousands of retired employees who need support. Even the God of Wealth can't help us.
"If we succeed in the Beijing Chemical project, the United Savings Bank will be able to secure at least two or three group-level projects next year."
Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "You can think about it. In this process, the group continuously uses these external forces to optimize its industrial structure, while using capital management and operation to obtain profit points. Isn't this better than direct participation?"
"Furthermore, we must attach importance to our cooperative relationships with local communities, which are crucial for the future development of our businesses."
He pointed to his notebook and emphasized, "We're trying to make a living on someone else's turf. Why should they take care of us instead of their own businesses?"
"Only when our influence continues to attract enterprises to set up factories and start businesses in Liaodong, and we make contributions to Liaodong's economic revitalization that go beyond profits and taxes, will people look at us with new respect."
"Liaodong industry..." Li Huaide seemed to have figured something out, and asked with a slight frown, "The loss of Liaodong's industry in the past two years..."
“It’s very serious.” Li Xuewu nodded and explained, “The Third Front construction relocated hundreds of factories, and there were countless counterpart assistance projects.”
"Every year, countless trainloads of industrial raw materials and resources are transported into the country."
He let out a sigh of relief and said, "At this time, they also need to adjust their industrial structure, integrate resources during the relocation of enterprises, and build industries with regional characteristics and integration."
"You think so highly of your neighbors?" Li Huaide asked, picking up his teacup. "Those hundreds of millions in aid are about to run out. Will they still be able to use their own money to buy our stuff?"
“They have no choice but to come.” Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said confidently, “If they don’t buy from us, where else can they buy from?”
“The north,” Old Li put down his teacup and said matter-of-factly, “isn’t the industrial strength in the north even stronger than ours?”
"No matter how strong it is, it is still a standout."
Li Xuewu shrugged and said with a smile, "How about our 'Hundred Flowers vie for Spring'?"
Actually, Li Huaide didn't quite understand the meaning of those words, but he didn't want to be looked down upon by Li Xuewu.
After giving Li Xuewu a deep look, he nodded and said, "It's good that you have confidence. Anyway, you're going to make something of yourself in Liaodong."
"That's it for this year, next year..."
"Next year's key task will be industrial optimization and adjustment." Li Xuewu said directly before he could finish, "All industrial enterprises must complete the relevant adjustment work."
"Economic development relies on integrated industries to form a scale of complementary advantages."
"The organizational structure has undergone further institutional adjustments, with corresponding adjustments to personnel work."
Li Xuewu paused here, sat up straight, and then said: "We will exchange ideas with the excellent industrial culture of Liaodong region to form a distinctive industrial corporate culture and further strengthen the group's industrial influence in Liaodong region."
Upon hearing his report on the work plans in four areas—industry, economy, organization, and culture—Li Huaide offered no comment. He was already very satisfied and nodded, saying, "I await your good news."
But then, in an unquestionable tone, he pointed at Li Xuewu and emphasized, "I can only give you one last year. If you succeed, great; if not, so be it."
This statement is quite straightforward: next year is a crucial period for Li Xuewu. No matter how Su Weide and Zhou Wanquan investigate, Li Huaide will definitely help where he can, but it still depends on Li Xuewu's performance.
If the results are good enough, then naturally one can return home in glory and rise rapidly in rank; if the results are not good enough, then one must return to continue serving as secretary-general until the time comes and the opportunity arises for promotion.
Actually, Li Xuewu was quite unlucky. If Su Weide hadn't intervened this year, Li Huaide would have been able to ensure Li Xuewu's advancement, no matter what.
However, given Su Weide's antics, even if he submitted an application for Li Xuewu, it would not be approved according to the established principles.
Once you miss this opportunity, you won't find another one.
This year, they were able to use the pretext of formal group formation to help Li Xuewu advance, but what about next year?
Li Xuewu also felt quite regretful and helpless at the time, and even resented Su Weide.
But then he thought about it and realized that every cloud has a silver lining.
Taking that step too early, aside from a change in job title and an extra ten yuan in salary, won't change anything else.
Would he be willing to return to Beijing this year?
To hand over the giant ship that has been painstakingly built and is about to set sail to someone else.
Since I can't return to the group and can't give up my position as secretary-general, what difference does it make whether I take it sooner or later?
Of course, looking back now, there are still differences, but it's a good thing for Li Xuewu.
Based on the timeline and the changing situation next year, there's no guarantee that the higher authorities won't investigate the Honggang Group for its involvement.
If Li Xuewu's progress cannot withstand investigation, it won't be as simple as just reverting to his previous state.
Rather than being unworthy of its name and attracting criticism, it's better to slow down and wait.
Now that he's standing below, Su Weide and Zhou Wanquan have to bend over to make a move, so they can't actually use their full strength.
If he suddenly grows taller, not only will he develop osteoporosis, but these two people will also benefit from it.
So why not give him some space?
At least no one has said he's afraid yet, and even if someone did, he wouldn't care.
Whether he was truly afraid or not, he knew it himself, and those who should know it also knew it.
Giving him another year is the limit of what Li Huaide can do to manage the current situation within the group.
In fact, Li Huaide himself knew that with his current abilities and achievements, it was not enough to take him any further.
Without Li Xuewu's support in Beijing, he always felt that his decisions were being hampered by them.
Without Li Xuewu's real-time advice, there was a lack of timely adjustments to each decision.
However, he had to take care of Li Xuewu's needs and could not sacrifice Li Xuewu's development simply for his own progress, so he endured it.
This year should have been a time of great success for him, a year in which he would have dominated the market with the power of a formally established group.
Unexpectedly, he encountered the Su Weide incident in April and the Zhou Wanquan incident in October.
Dong Wenxue is still too soft. He can't make up his mind or be ruthless in a direct confrontation. He has lost absolute trust in Dong Wenxue.
This was also Li Xuewu's premeditated plan. Of course, he knew that Old Li was suffering, but he couldn't say it.
One year is fine. With another year, he can ride that wave of momentum and sweep across the battlefield, stabilizing the group's entire situation in Liaodong.
When he returns to the capital, he won't lose control of the group's industrial operations in Liaodong.
At this stage, Li Huaide has basically acquiesced to his ambitions and plans, and no longer cares about his spying and scheming against Liaodong's industry.
Old Li had had enough of being the group's general manager. Feeling physically exhausted and in poor condition, he wanted to make a final push and reach even greater heights.
But will Li Xuewu agree to his request?
Having exiled Chen Shuzhi and crushed Ji Jiuzheng, Li Xuewu now has to give Old Li an explanation regarding the issue of the deputy secretary-general.
Should we send him to talk to Ji Jiuzheng?
This is impossible; he would never encourage Ji Jiuzheng to take initiative, as this is an absolutely unacceptable situation in management.
There's still time, so he needs to choose a capable person as compensation from Old Li.
This matter isn't urgent, let's put it aside for now. He has an important matter to attend to.
Back in his office, he picked up the phone and asked for the Red Star Literature and Art Publishing House.
"I am Li Xuewu from the group. I'm looking for your general manager."
He didn't mention Ding Zigui's name, but rather said something rather impolite.
How could the call center not know who he was? They could tell from the source of the call that it was the Secretary-General himself.
Since it was an internal phone call, Ding Zigui's voice was heard very quickly.
"Secretary-General, you wanted to see me?"
"Um, I have something to ask you."
Li Xuewu said casually, "Do you ride a bicycle or drive to and from work?"
"This—" Ding Zigui, still not quite understanding the situation, hesitated and asked, "Sir, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, just asking."
Li Xuewu picked up the phone from a different angle and said, "I was thinking that if you're going to get off work by bicycle every day, I'll have to allocate another car for you, so you don't have to borrow cars from other units for the management office to use."
"Boss, what are you saying?"
Ding Zigui was a little flustered. Li Xuewu's call was definitely not to show concern for him, but was clearly meant to cause trouble.
"Oh, then I misspoke?"
Li Xuewu flipped through the investigation report prepared by Zhang Enyuan in his hand, and said as he read, "Your publishing house has one general manager, one editor-in-chief, two deputy general managers, two deputy editors-in-chief, and one secretary, which is seven people."
He paused for a moment before asking, "But I see that your management office has been allocated seven official vehicles. Are you riding your bicycle to and from get off work every day to show off to the leaders, or to embarrass me for not doing my job well?"
"Secretary-General, please let me explain—"
"No need to explain, I understand you." Li Xuewu snorted and said, "You want to show off, huh? Fine, since you don't need that car, I'll give it to someone else."
He didn't need to give Ding Zigui any face, so he hung up the phone after speaking and casually tossed the report in his hand aside.
Zhang Enyuan's investigation revealed that the car that should have been assigned to Han Yating was lent to the radio station for use as a vehicle for experts and for receiving interviews.
Li Xuewu didn't say that Han Yating's car had been misappropriated, but pointed to Ding Zigui.
Moreover, without mentioning the matter of moving that car, he was convinced that Ding Zigui was behind it all.
He didn't need Ding Zigui's explanation, nor did he want to hear about the shady dealings involved.
Li Xuewu tacitly acknowledged that it was Ding Zigui's territory, and that his own people were being bullied there. He said, "If Ding Zigui doesn't give me an explanation, then all of you in management can just commute by bicycle."
We're all comrades, no distinction of rank. We'll ride together, sharing both good times and bad.
If Ding Zigui had any brains, he would know who he was making that call for.
If the problem can't be solved within half an hour, then Ding Zigui is the one who should be dealt with.
So, twenty minutes later, the phone on Li Xuewu's desk rang again.
Li Xuewu just sat there, showing no intention of answering the phone. Zhang Enyuan waited three times before walking over and picking up the phone.
"Hello, Mr. Ding, the leader has gone out." His ability to fabricate lies was unparalleled; it was so fake that it couldn't be more real, but anyone who heard it had to believe it was absolutely true.
If Li Xuewu leaves, can his secretary stay in the office to answer the phone?
This is why Li Xuewu didn't want to answer the phone. Did Ding Zigui not know that?
But he had to pretend he didn't know, even though he was very eager to talk to Li Xuewu.
"Okay, I understand." Zhang Enyuan replied after hearing his explanation, "I will report as soon as the leader returns, please rest assured."
"Okay, okay, goodbye."
He hung up the phone steadily, then looked at Li Xuewu and reported softly, "Vice President Han's car problem has been resolved. President Ding said it was a misunderstanding and he assured that this kind of problem will not happen again."
"What guarantees does he have?" Li Xuewu snorted, pointed to the budget he had brought back, and said, "Tell President Jing to cut the publishing house's management budget in half and not allow any new cars for five years."
Unlike factories and sales departments, even if the group loosens its financial management, publishing houses still rely on budgets to survive.
Li Huaide had long ago urged them to achieve a balance between income and expenditure as soon as possible and to operate their finances independently.
But everyone knows how good it feels to spend money, while everyone knows how unpleasant it feels to save money.
While the technology has been made open source, the issue of cost-cutting remains unresolved.
Li Xuewu's suggestion directly cut their management budget in half, so the publisher's bonuses for next year are practically nonexistent.
He didn't believe Ding Zigui was unaware of Han Yating's resume, and he didn't believe it was a misunderstanding.
Even if Ding Zigui was too busy to notice this issue, did Li Xuewu have any reason to forgive his oversight?
If they don't learn their lesson this time, they'll dare to do it again next time.
Li Xuewu never builds cliques within the group, but he also never shies away from taking care of his subordinates.
If a leader can't even handle this basic social etiquette, who would want to support him?
Just as things were settled here, there was a knock on the door. Li Xuewu looked up and saw Zhang Minghua, the newly appointed head of the technical department.
"Secretary-General."
"Come in." Li Xuewu didn't get up, and his attitude wasn't exactly friendly, but at least he didn't hide his surprise. He nodded, gesturing for him to come in.
Zhang Enyuan nodded in acknowledgment, turned and walked towards the door, the few steps giving him just enough time to decide whether or not to make tea for the other person.
This is entirely determined by the leader's attitude.
Zhang Minghua stood in front of Li Xuewu's desk and said with a smile, "I wanted to see you after Deputy Director Gu talked to me, but I was worried that things might change, so I waited until now."
"Yes, sit down, sit down and talk."
Li Xuewu pointed to the opposite side, smiled and nodded, and asked, "Has the handover begun?"
After hearing only two sentences of their conversation, Zhang Enyuan, who had already reached the door, turned around and started making tea. It seemed that the leader wanted to have a talk.
Zhang Minghua, with a very proper attitude, sat in his chair and reported: "Comrade Zhao Zhigang from the Production Management Department will take over my work. We are currently handling the handover procedures, and it is expected that all procedures will be completed in about three days."
“That’s good,” Li Xuewu smiled and said, “Comrade Yang Zongfang must be getting impatient waiting for you in Steel City.”
"I'll get there as soon as possible." Although Zhang Minghua knew his superior was joking, he still answered seriously, "I won't keep Yang Xing waiting."
"Yes, be mentally prepared."
Li Xuewu nodded and said, "The metallurgical plant has encountered many changes in the past two years. I believe your arrival will definitely improve the organization's ecosystem."
"Thank you for your trust, I will definitely work hard." Zhang Minghua first made a serious promise, then hesitated for a moment before saying, "Leader..."
"Hmm? Is something wrong? Or are you having concerns?"
Seeing that he seemed to have something to say, Li Xuewu frowned and asked, then said, "Speak your mind. From now on, we'll be brothers in the same trench."
“Secretary-General…” Zhang Minghua looked at him, hesitated, and explained, “My younger brother, Zhang Mingyuan, also works in Liaodong, he…”
I'm in Beijing now, and my coursework is quite demanding, but I'll try my best to keep updating.