dognovel Chapter 1603 Sneak Attack
Chapter 1603 Sneak Attack
Chapter 1603 Sneak Attack
"Are you really not staying another day?"
Hu Ke said with some self-reproach, "You've come all this way to Fengcheng, I should treat you well."
“Hypocritical—” Li Xuewu smiled and nodded at him, then turned and got into the car. Looking at him through the car window, he reminded him, “Come to Steel City next time.”
"Hehehe—" Hu Ke waved with a smile and saw off Li Xuewu and his party at 9 a.m.
There was an extra vehicle from Fengcheng Machinery Factory compared to when he arrived. Xiao Zihong came to pick him up this morning. Li Xuewu will be visiting the machinery factory for research this morning.
"Do you think Liaodong Industry is more or less sincere?" Xiao Zihong turned to look at him, pointed to the courtyard outside the car window and asked, "Regarding the cooperation with Beijing Chemical Industry."
“Yes, you know, cooperation needs a foundation.” Li Xuewu rubbed his nose and looked at him, asking, “What do you think is the foundation of cooperation?”
"It's definitely not a matter of personal favor."
Xiao Zihong first ruled out an answer that was definitely wrong, then smiled and looked out the window, saying, "Human relationships are worthless."
“Yes, favors and face are worth only a few cents a pound.” Li Xuewu nodded slowly and said, “Liaodong doesn’t want to do one-off deals.”
"What do you mean?" Xiao Zihong asked, looking at him in surprise, "Not doing one-off deals?"
“They want to equip Liaodong’s industry with a powerful engine,” Li Xuewu said, gesturing with his hands. “They want to fly.”
"Hehe—" Xiao Zihong was amused by his description and turned to ask, "How do you fly? Which way do you fly?"
"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu also laughed.
Fengcheng has a relatively high level of urban development. It was a heavy industrial city both before and after liberation.
One notable characteristic of industrial cities is that their economic conditions are generally good, because they have a large consumer base.
Strictly speaking, the location of Fengcheng Machinery Factory is not within the urban area, but with industrial development and urban construction, the urban-rural integration has become increasingly blurred, and after the roads were standardized, buildings were constructed.
"Fengcheng is still rich." Li Xuewu nodded and sighed as he looked out the car window at the city's buildings. "It can support urban development."
"Ranked first in the country in terms of total industrial output."
Xiao Zihong pointed out the buildings along the way through the car window and reminded him, "The three northeastern provinces rank among the top three in the country's industrial output value. They are truly wealthy."
"Yes, you can tell by looking at the people's spirits." Li Xuewu's gaze shifted from the buildings to the streets on both sides of the road.
Pedestrians thronged the streets, and shops lined the streets, creating a thriving scene.
In this era, the clothing of ordinary people could not be described as luxurious, but the proportion of bicycle ownership and the attire of young people could not conceal the city's renewed wealth and prosperity.
Three or two peach blossoms outside the bamboo, the spring river plumbing duck prophet.
Even the strictest rules cannot stop young people from pursuing fashion, especially since the rules of this era also advocate that young people should have excellent qualities such as self-confidence, independence, and self-reliance.
Therefore, white shirts, sailor shirts, floral skirts, and white sneakers—youthful spirits embellished the black, white, and gray of the era, adding a unique touch of color.
The passing convoy drew a lot of attention, but what sped by was not a part of their lives, and few people could retain this fleeting memory.
However, the staff and employees of Fengcheng Machinery Factory can still clearly feel the group's development and progress.
"Why is it called a cruiser?"
After getting out of the car, Xiao Zihong carefully examined the escort vehicle carrying the guards ahead, then turned to look at Li Xuewu.
He knew of Li Xuewu's outstanding contributions to car design; even the name of this imposing car was chosen by Li Xuewu.
"Self-esteem? Self-confidence? Or something else?"
“What you think is what you are.” Li Xuewu didn’t answer his question directly, but said with a smile, “What you see is what it is.”
“You see a mountain as a mountain, right?” Xiao Zihong was able to keep up with his pace of speech and nodded with a smile, saying, “It does look very imposing.”
"If you can't even like the car you build, how can you expect others to buy your design?"
Li Xuewu stood to the side with his hands in his pockets, looking at the exquisite car that had been tinkered with for three years and was hardly an accessory to the Tundra, his eyes filled with admiration.
"The International Business Division is working to take it to the international market."
At this moment, employees passing by the factory couldn't help but come over to take a closer look at the car, and even took the initiative to ask the security guards who got out of the car and were standing guard around it about it.
"The international market?" Xiao Zihong was repeatedly surprised by the information he inadvertently revealed, which exposed the disadvantage of his distance from the capital and the steel city, namely, geographical isolation.
"Yes, purely overseas markets."
Li Xuewu nodded confidently and said, "Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, and even East Germany."
He kicked the Cruiser's heavy tires and introduced, "This vehicle will be exhibited together with the Tundra; they are sister models."
"When will it be available in China?" Xiao Zihong shrugged and asked, "Is it still a strategy of dumping at low prices?"
“Hmm—” Li Xuewu shook his head slightly and said, “These two models are completely different from other conventional models.”
He reached out and opened the car door, gesturing to the interior decorations and explaining, "The materials and craftsmanship alone make it impossible to sell cheaply."
"How much does this car cost?" Xiao Zihong asked with a smile. "It depends on how many years I need to work before I can afford it."
"Hahaha—" Li Xuewu laughed and waved his hand, then looked at Zhang Enyuan standing to the side and asked, "Has the sales company finalized the price yet?"
"The initial marketing plan has been finalized."
Zhang Enyuan stepped forward and introduced, "The complete Tundra module is priced at 15, while the lowest configuration version of the Cruiser is priced at 4.6."
"Wow—" Xiao Zihong couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "The difference is quite large."
Everyone present knew that the difference he was referring to was the price of this car compared to the second-generation Antelope, which is also an off-road vehicle.
The cheapest Antelope 2nd generation is 7180 yuan, and the most expensive is 9980 yuan.
Even if we disregard the Tundra, a light infantry fighting vehicle used for strategic purposes, and simply compare it to a cruiser, the gap is indeed significant.
"Actually, there's no need for introductions or comparisons. Drivers who have driven the 212 can try this car and know that there is absolutely no comparison between the two."
Li Xuewu confidently introduced, "This car was not designed to be a direct competitor to the 212 from the very beginning; the second generation of the Antelope is."
"Hehehe—" Xiao Zihong chuckled, arms crossed, "There's a reason why the leaders of Beijing Automotive hate you."
Like the employees who had gathered around, he scanned the car with his eyes, shook his head slightly, and sighed, "It's a bit of an unfair victory."
"They don't need your pity."
Li Xuewu raised his hand, gesturing for him to walk towards the office building together, while emphasizing, "Times are changing, and everyone is making progress."
“I’ve heard about it.” Xiao Zihong walked beside him and nodded slowly. “They are looking to improve the 212 and also to make it more detailed in terms of styles.”
"It's a bit late," Li Xuewu said calmly. "I don't deny the success of the 212, otherwise I wouldn't have let Antelope Auto do this kind of marketing."
To be honest, Hongxing Factory's marketing strategy back then was really disgusting. Beijing Auto didn't want to work with their poor relatives from the countryside and even refused to cooperate. It was Hongxing Factory that shamelessly stuck to them and did the advertising.
212 is never mentioned in any sentence, but is compared to in every other sentence.
The new car exhibition hosted by Li Xuewu back then set a bad precedent for domestic car manufacturers.
With the existence of factories like Hongxing Factory that lacked any sense of martial ethics, many of their peers have since become shameless and openly engaged in imitation and counterfeiting.
They're so poor they can barely afford to eat, how can they still have any shame?
They'll set up the factory first; as long as they can support their workers, they're not afraid of complaints from others.
Who says that just because you designed it or manufactured it, it's yours? There's no patent law in China right now; whoever can manufacture it owns it.
This is how Hongxing Factory does things. Why aren't they afraid of the boomerang hitting them in the face when they act like thugs?
Because if they counterfeit the 212, they can sell it at a slightly lower price than the 212 and make a profit without losing money, but if they counterfeit the Antelope, they can't even recover the cost of the parts.
Currently, the price of the 212 in China is between 36,000 and 42,000 yuan, which is far higher than that of the Antelope 2nd generation.
Xiao Zihong said that there was a reason why the leaders of Beijing Automotive Group hated him: currently, automobiles account for half of the domestic sales of civilian vehicles.
The civilian market that originally belonged to the 212 has been basically replaced by the second generation of the Antelope. Although you don't have to spend your own money to buy a car, the company's budget is limited, and the leaders will vote with their feet.
The money to buy one 212 is enough to buy almost five Altos. The basic performance of the two is getting closer and closer. And when you compare other features, do you even need to think about which car to choose?
Beijing Automotive's decision to revamp the 212 model is not driven by a desire for excellence, but rather by market forces.
If it's not redesigned soon, the military market will be completely devoured.
The complete loss of the civilian Jeep market also affected the military market, especially with the emergence of the Tundra and Land Cruiser, which dealt a heavy blow to domestic Jeep manufacturers.
It can't compete with the Antelope on price, and it can't compete with the Cruiser on performance. It can choose either way and it's completely illogical in the market.
During his visit to Fengcheng Machinery Factory, Li Xuewu mainly toured and investigated the CNC machine tool production workshop and the CNC machining center experimental workshop.
Advances in production technology can directly affect the quality of industrial production. Compared with ordinary machine tools, CNC machine tools have greatly improved production efficiency and significantly reduced the management burden on enterprises in terms of production costs and labor input.
Although current CNC machine tools cannot be fully compared with those of later generations in terms of precision and quality, the direction of development is correct.
Every step forward represents new hope and a new beginning.
As Li Xuewu walked inside the workshop and listened to the workshop director's introduction, he could already foresee that Honggang Group was taking control of the future of industrial production.
When the group's Steel City Machining Plant put modern CNC machine tools into operation on a large scale, it marked the beginning of a new era.
-
"Secretary-General, Deputy Director Su is in the workshop."
Li Xuewu rushed back from Fengcheng by car, and Zhang Jing rushed over to open the car door for him the moment the car came to a stop.
"Which workshop?" Li Xuewu frowned and glanced at the convoy not far away, but it wasn't from Beijing.
"The bus assembly workshop." Zhang Jing led him along, reporting as he went, "I picked him up from the steel city station; he didn't have many people with him."
Li Xuewu didn't ask any further questions and went straight to the assembly workshop.
Actually, once you turn the corner, you can see a lot of people standing at the entrance of the assembly workshop, including cadres from the steel company and accompanying cadres from the group.
"Secretary-General—"
"Good morning, Secretary-General!"
……
Regardless of which unit the cadres were from, they all stood up straight and greeted him when they saw him walking over.
Li Xuewu nodded and looked at He Guiying, deputy manager of the group's comprehensive management department, and asked, "Where is Deputy Director Su?"
He knew the person must be inside the workshop, but he had to ask. Did he have to call out to them and ask them to come out?
No matter how high-profile someone is, if they come over without prior notice, it's already considered a complete breakdown in relations, so why should he give them any face?
Knowing the consequences of a fire at the city gate causing harm to the innocent, He Guiying reported very seriously: "Deputy Director Su is visiting the workshop. He doesn't allow us to follow him; it's Director Sun from the workshop who is accompanying us."
"I understand." Li Xuewu nodded slowly, looked her up and down, and asked, "Deputy Secretary-General Ji isn't here?"
"He's still busy. After Deputy Secretary-General Chen went to Gangcheng, Director Li put him in charge of the Comprehensive Management Department as acting manager."
He Guiying introduced the group's situation, but in the introduction, she also mentioned that she had been ordered to come to Gangcheng in a hurry and had not been notified in advance.
"I didn't even have time to pack my luggage, I didn't bring anything."
She glanced at Li Xuewu with feigned embarrassment, then looked at the others standing at the door.
"Not just you, I am too."
Liu Hongmei, the director of the Second Organization Division, shook her head with a wry smile and said, "I called my husband before I left and asked him to pick up the child."
Li Xuewu glanced at the expressions of the other cadres, unsure whether they were genuine or feigning embarrassment, but they all wore expressions of awkwardness.
"Hehe—" he chuckled and asked, "What's the rush to conscript you? Are you going to give me a long vacation?"
Upon hearing his words, everyone's expression changed. He had said it as a joke, but no one present dared to laugh, because the joke was not funny at all.
"...We are making final adjustments and are striving to normalize production before autumn..."
At this moment, the workshop director accompanied Su Weide out, followed by Gu Cheng, who rarely went out.
Having served as Deputy Director Su's secretary for over two years, this was one of the few opportunities Gu Cheng had to accompany his superiors on field research trips to other places.
Everyone says that Deputy Director Su is considerate of young people. Knowing that he is newly married, she can't bear to see him suffer the pain of separation, so she basically doesn't take him with her when she goes out.
Of course, we should say whatever sounds nice. We can't say that Deputy Director Su dislikes him but can't get rid of him, so he's just left hanging like this, right?
He may not care about saving face, but Deputy Director Su does.
"Oh, the Secretary General is back."
Upon seeing him, Suweide smiled and walked over, extending his right hand.
Li Xuewu smiled, shook his hand, and greeted him politely, "Deputy Director Su, you've arrived."
"Look, you didn't even give me a heads-up before you came. Anyone who didn't know better would think I hid away to avoid seeing you."
"Hahaha—" Suweid laughed heartily, shook his hand and said, "Coming here is like coming home, why be so polite?"
It was he who took the initiative to let go. It was already quite remarkable that he could maintain a friendly demeanor for even a few seconds. He couldn't very well give Li Xuewu another hug.
Even when exchanging pleasantries with smiles, it's all a veiled attack, a honeyed word masking a dagger in the heart.
Of course, Li Xuewu didn't tolerate him either, and was almost ready to tear off the mask and start cursing. The two of them were laughing, but the others looked tense.
"I heard you went to Fengcheng to discuss a project?"
Su Weide struck first, giving Li Xuewu no chance to retaliate. He knew that Li Xuewu was not someone to be trifled with, especially with his sharp tongue.
So he ignored the people standing at the door, raised his hand to indicate the front, and asked Li Xuewu to accompany him for a walk.
"The Beijing Chemical Project." Li Xuewu's smile vanished, and after taking only a few steps, he stopped at the edge of the shady area.
"You must have come in such a hurry because something's wrong, right?"
He took the initiative to lay it all out and asked, "Is there some new arrangement or development within the group?"
“The group’s activities will certainly not bypass you, the secretary-general.” Su Weide turned around and looked at him with his hands behind his back, and said, “They’re here to deliver people to Steel Auto.”
He said it so bluntly, "What? You don't welcome me?"
"Not at all—" Li Xuewu smiled faintly and said, "You're sending us talented people, why wouldn't I welcome them?"
“Hehehe—” Su Weide chuckled meaningfully and said, “The group has a set of procedures for selecting and appointing people.”
At this point, he glanced at the cadres not far behind Li Xuewu and said, "I do not agree with the practice of Mao Sui recommending himself."
Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow but didn't speak. He just looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
"Director Li likes to put young cadres in key positions, and I don't object to that, because young people have more ideas and more drive."
He withdrew his gaze, smiled at Li Xuewu, and said, "Speaking of young cadres, everyone in the group says that you, Secretary-General, are the best at cultivating people."
"What makes you say that?"
With his back to everyone, Li Xuewu, unafraid of making a fool of himself, asked with a cold laugh, "I don't even know what kind of talent I've cultivated."
“Hey—” Suweid raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, “Excessive modesty is arrogance. Your position as Secretary-General is completely unnecessary.”
He turned to look at the workers carrying parts into the workshop not far away, and said with a slight tilt of his head, "Honggang is developing very well in the industrial zone of the steel city, especially the steel and gas plant, which is taking a step up every year."
"Should we praise Lü Yuanshen's achievements at this time?" Li Xuewu put aside his doubts for the moment and looked into the distance, saying, "He is indeed bold in his thinking and actions, and he dares to take responsibility for his actions."
When Su Weide heard him say that, he felt disgusted, as if he had swallowed a fly. If it weren't for Li Xuewu's interference, he wouldn't have to face Lü Yuanshen, this stray dog.
To be honest, if Li Xuewu hadn't stirred things up, the accident at the steel plant back then wouldn't have been so serious.
This fool Lü Yuanshen not only didn't resent Li Xuewu, but instead held a grudge against him, the benefactor who had gone to great lengths to cover it up.
Lu Yuan deeply resented and hated him.
Judging from their behavior after returning to the group headquarters, it's clear that the rift between the two was already deep and irreconcilable.
This is not his fault at all; at least that's how he sees it. Li Xuewu is the one who started it all.
He is the person in charge of work safety. If he had contributed to the work safety accident at the end of the year, would Lü Yuanshen have been able to stay in office until today?
He still feels disgusted whenever he thinks about who it was that brought him gifts and said those irrelevant things.
It was thanks to his protection that Lü Yuanshen was able to gain a foothold in the steel company. How come this bastard changed his tune as soon as Li Xuewu arrived?
Work safety accidents can range from minor to major. It was because Li Xuewu kept pressing the issue that it gradually escalated, just like the accident in Workshop No. 4.
Anyone with eyes could see that Li Xuewu was up to something, but when he secretly sent someone to tell Lü Yuanshen, that fool didn't believe him.
why?
Lu Yuanshen said he didn't believe Li Xuewu would use the No. 4 furnace incident to trip up Dong Wenxue.
Listen to this, listen to this, is this even human language?
Why, why can't Li Xuewu cheat Dong Wenxue? Who made that rule? Just because of that bullshit teacher-student relationship that neither of them acknowledges?
Suweid really wanted to point his finger at him and yell at him for being too naive!
He doesn't believe the incident at Furnace No. 4, but shouldn't he reflect on the production accident at the steel plant? After so long, he still can't tell right from wrong?
But the result?
Lu Yuanshen only acknowledged one thing: after the incident, it was Li Xuewu who repeatedly mediated and coordinated on his behalf, which delayed the matter for four months.
In his view, it was precisely because of Li Xuewu's help that the matter was reduced from a major incident to a minor one, minimizing the impact of the accident.
In particular, Li Xuewu had already given him a hint about how he would be arranged this time, although he did not say what position he would hold in the Quality and Safety Department.
In Lü Yuanshen's view, he could be spared the death penalty, but he could not escape punishment; at most, he would only be a deputy manager.
The results of it?
A pleasant surprise came knocking on his door. On the day the appointment document was issued, he read it several times to make sure there was no "deputy" before "manager." Can you imagine how he felt at that moment?
To put it simply, the first sentence that popped into his mind was: "A scholar will die for one who understands him."
Who is his confidant?
Of course, it was Li Xuewu who kept his merits hidden, never boasting in front of him, but secretly giving him the best arrangements.
Upon hearing the messenger's feedback, Su Weide was furious. Even a dog could see that Li Xuewu's scheme was aimed at him.
He admitted that he did not support Lü Yuanshen at a crucial moment because he did not think Lü Yuanshen had any hope at that time.
According to his thinking, if Lü Yuanshen returned to the group, he could only go to the labor union or become the vice president of the sales company, in charge of car sales.
Even such an arrangement seemed like a luxury to him; how could a defeated general dare to boast of his bravery?
But Li Xuewu was really willing to go all out and pushed this good-for-nothing into the position of Quality and Safety Department Manager, right under his nose.
Tell me, how can he make Lü Yuanshen believe that this is his arrangement?
At the personnel meeting of the management committee, the name of the person he was going to recommend had already been known to everyone. Lu Yuanshen was willing to do anything for Li Xuewu, but he wanted to bring him down.
Absurd, foolish, ignorant—
Besides cursing behind people's backs, what else can he do? He can also trip up Li Xuewu, because it's only polite to retaliate.
This time he came prepared, carrying the dissatisfaction of the other members of the group's management committee with Li Xuewu, intending to teach Li Xuewu a lesson.
***
"Secretary-General." Xu Ning seemed a little flustered when she saw Li Xuewu, her eyes filled with confusion.
Li Xuewu instantly understood what Su Weide had said that afternoon; they had been lying in ambush waiting for him.
"Who sent you?"
Su Weide arrived in the morning and, knowing that Li Xuewu was on his way back, asked Zhang Jing to arrange a meeting of cadre representatives at the steel plant to read out the appointment documents for the person in charge of the steel plant.
Li Xuewu met Xu Ning before the meeting began. Su Weide was also there, and he had just finished a meeting with Xu Ning.
The content of the conversation goes without saying; Xu Ning's name will definitely be on the appointment document to be read out later.
This tactic is truly disgusting, even more disgusting than his use of Lü Yuanshen to disgust Su Weide.
Since they are both under the management of the Liaodong Industrial Leading Group and are located in the same industrial zone, Su Weide, the deputy director of the group's management committee, came to convene a meeting of cadre representatives. Other key personnel who were at home also came.
This includes Yang Zongfang, the executive deputy director of the metallurgical plant.
As they passed each other, Li Xuewu could even sense a faint sadness and loss emanating from the other person.
On one side was his former favorite general, and on the other side was a capable general he needed. Li Xuewu had been tricked by the other side this time and was forced into a corner.
This isn't Xu Ning's fault. He was called over from United Energy. The notification only asked him to attend a meeting, nothing else was said.
When he arrived at the steel plant, he was suddenly called to the office, where Su Weide appeared and spoke with him on behalf of the organization.
Xu Ning previously served as the vice president of United Energy Corporation, in charge of sales. He was one of the few cadres who rose through the ranks quickly under Li Xuewu's leadership.
Although the main business of United Energy Corporation is in Liaodong, the company headquarters is in Beijing, and he was in Liaodong in charge of the construction of sales sites.
He was also surprised to be suddenly called over, because United Energy was not under the management of the Liaodong Industrial Leading Group of the Group.
However, it was normal for Deputy Director Su to come down on behalf of the group to call him to a meeting, but he didn't expect this kind of arrangement.
Although he didn't know Li Xuewu's arrangements for the steel company, he was certain that Li Xuewu didn't intend for him to take over the steel company.
Even if he doesn't pay attention to the situation here, he works in Liaodong and often goes back to the group headquarters, so he can hear some things about it.
He's panicking now. He's already refused Deputy Director Su once in the office, but without success.
Deputy Director Su spoke with him on behalf of the group, so he didn't give him a chance to refuse to take over the steel and gas business, because the personnel appointment documents had already been brought.
In this era, sometimes you are allowed to refuse organizational appointments, and sometimes you are not. This is a matter of awareness and discipline.
Xu Ning never intended to cause trouble for Li Xuewu, but at this moment he already knew that he had been drawn into this vortex.
"I should have known better than to come."
Despite his complaints, Li Xuewu could only pat him on the shoulder when he saw his nervous look and said, "Since the organization trusts you, then do a good job."
"Secretary-General—" Xu Ning frowned and said, "Did you have this planned in advance? Or should I go find Director Li..."
“This is the group’s arrangement, the organization’s arrangement,” Li Xuewu said, frowning. “You must obey unconditionally.”
"Okay..." Xu Ning hesitated before agreeing.
"If you're going to do it, you should do it well."
Li Xuewu frowned and tapped his chest with his finger, emphasizing, "If you don't do a good job, you'll lose more than just your own reputation."
Is Xu Ning qualified to serve as the head of Steel Auto?
Strictly speaking, he wasn't qualified to serve as secretary-general, but he's been doing it for several years now.
Xu Ning was promoted to section chief in 67 and deputy director in 69. His several job transfers had nothing to do with Li Xuewu; it was Li Huaide who was using him.
Of course, he has to thank Li Huaide for getting to where he is today, and he is also very capable and reliable.
Xu Ning cleaned up the mess that Li Huaide's secretary, Jin Yaohui, made at the frontier office; otherwise, Li Huaide wouldn't have paid attention to him and given him such an important position.
It's perfectly reasonable for him to be promoted from section chief to deputy director after two years; it's what he deserves, especially since his rank is somewhat nominal in a joint-venture energy development company.
However, this appointment was somewhat forced upon him, testing not only Xu Ning's abilities but also his resilience.
If Xu Ning does a good job, it's because the group leaders have a keen eye for talent, promote capable individuals, and boldly use people, giving young cadres opportunities.
If Xu Ning is not doing a good job, it's because Li Xuewu is forming cliques and engaging in favoritism.
Some people see Xu Ning's move to the steel company as a sign of nepotism and domineering behavior.
It's hard to say what others think, but what about Yang Zongfang, whom he pushed forward, and Li Haiyang, whom he suppressed?
What do you think of Yao Huiying, who is supported by Cheng Kaiyuan and Xue Zhifu, and Gou Zirong, who is supported by Zhang Jingsong and Gao Yaqin?
Even Yu Decai, who was transferred to Yingcheng Port District, would wonder if he had deliberately arranged it this way to pave the way for Xu Ning.
After all, everyone knows that Xu Ning was promoted by him.
He's caught in the middle, caught between a rock and a hard place. Xu Ning is in a precarious position and can only try to do the best he can, but he won't get much benefit from it.
Can Li Xuewu allow Xu Ning to cause trouble at the company?
No, because that would be a slap in the face to himself, implying that the soldiers he led were incompetent.
So he sat on the main platform, watching the cadres below discuss in hushed tones, his face terribly serious.
He chaired the meeting, and Su Weide handed the appointment document to Liu Hongmei to read aloud. He then gave the final speech.
Li Xuewu didn't say much in his speech, but Wang Zhi, the executive deputy director of Gangqi, made a statement on behalf of Gangqi.
In his speech, he clearly expressed his respect for the group's arrangements, his firm support for the organization's decision, and his willingness to cooperate fully with Director Xu Ning's work...
Wang Zhi used to work in the design department of the steel rolling mill. He was a protégé of Xia Zhongquan, and the steel city has been very supportive of his work over the years.
Therefore, his speech salvaged the situation somewhat, at least stabilizing the situation within the steel company and preventing Xu Ning from being embarrassed.
If the steel and automobile executives were to give Xu Ning a hard time, it would be enough for the rest of the group to watch Li Xuewu make a fool of himself.
Even if Xu Ning is able to subdue these people in the end, it will be several months later, and the time lost in the meantime will be counted in his ability assessment.
Even if Xu Ning manages to stabilize the situation, the people in the group will think that his high-pressure tactics helped Xu Ning, which will not have any positive impact.
Therefore, it is not a good time for Xu Ning to come to Gangqi. Taking one less step is a mistake, and taking one more step is also a mistake.
But since Suweide lacked martial ethics and forced him to stay at the steel mill by holding his head down, the deed was done and no one could change it.
***
"Secretary-General."
There was a knock at the door. The workday bell had rung three times, but Li Xuewu was still standing by the window looking outside.
He turned around and saw Yang Zongfang and Li Haiyang standing at the door.
"Oh, it's you guys. Still not off work?"
Li Xuewu turned around, waved, and gestured for them to sit on the sofa.
"I was planning to leave work, but when I saw that there was no movement from your side, I came to check."
Yang Zongfang smiled and explained, taking out a cigarette from his pocket and offering one to Li Haiyang, then gesturing for him to explain, "I ran into Comrade Haiyang in the corridor."
Li Haiyang didn't stand on ceremony. He lit a cigarette, plopped down on the sofa, sniffed, and said, "Is this what you call telepathy?"
"Hehehe—" Yang Zongfang glanced at him with amusement and said, "You should go and be in sync with your wife."
"Hahaha—" Li Haiyang didn't care. He laughed, took a puff of his cigarette, exhaled a long smoke ring, and looked at Li Xuewu, who had just sat down, and said, "I bet this move wasn't Old Su's idea. He doesn't have it."
As he said this, he tapped his head with the finger holding the cigarette, and said with a mocking smile, "If we had had this earlier, we wouldn't have lost all face."
Li Xuewu didn't speak, but looked at Yang Zongfang and asked with a faint smile, "Did I embarrass you?"
“Not at all—” Yang Zongfang sat up straight, flicked the ash from his cigarette in the ashtray, and said frankly, “If I gain it, I am fortunate; if I lose it, it is my fate.”
"Besides, I never had this idea in the first place. If you hadn't encouraged me, I wouldn't have joined in this fun."
“Hehehe—” Li Haiyang raised an eyebrow and said with a wicked smile, “If I had known he was going to pull this stunt, I wouldn’t have listened to the secretary-general and would have really argued with you. Maybe he would have even supported you to attack me.”
"Hehehe—" Yang Zongfang could tell he was joking, but still smiled politely and said, "It's actually possible."
Li Xuewu let out a long breath and said, "I never expected them to be so shameless."
“It’s normal.” Li Haiyang blew out a puff of smoke and said with a smirk, “I was thinking the other day that it would be strange if Factory Director Yang really took over Steel and Gas so smoothly.”
He raised his chin and said, "You slapped so many people in the face at the company, it would be abnormal if they weren't furious when you came back."
"If you ask me, Yang Chang, don't be discouraged. This matter isn't over yet." He took the initiative to advise Yang Zongfang, saying, "Old Su is a rabbit whose tail won't grow long. He's a scoundrel who sells his head for a mark, a piece of clay chicken and a clay dog."
"Are you really that good at judging people?" Yang Zongfang teased him deliberately, saying, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Tell you? Would you believe me?" Li Haiyang really knew how to stir things up. Afterwards, Zhuge Liang was made to sound like he had made a brilliant plan. He curled his lip and said, "He just couldn't stand it and stood up to take the gun."
"This was my fault; I was careless."
Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said calmly, "Yao Huiying can't come down. She's too old. If she comes down, she won't be able to come up again."
“Gou Zirong has no production management experience, and Director Li plans to assign him to take over the sales headquarters next, so he won’t be moved.”
He put down his teacup and continued to explain, "As for the others, they are not worth mentioning. With those two backing you up, you have a 70% chance of success."
"Never mind, it's fine anyway." Yang Zongfang shook his head with a smile and said, "I wouldn't go now, it's pointless."
"There are still many things to be done at the metallurgical plant. Even if we hand them over, it won't be done properly in a short time. I'll just be the one who suffers."
He took a drag of his cigarette and said casually, "Especially looking at his face, I don't want to be used as a pawn."
This was the conclusion he reached after sitting at the cadre representative meeting, carefully observing the expressions of Li Xuewu and Xu Ning, and calmly and seriously considering the matter.
Li Xuewu would never feign an attack on such a matter, much less use him as a scapegoat for a joke.
Xu Ning had absolutely no need to get involved at this point; judging from the other party's expression, he knew he didn't want to take on this mess either.
Since it wasn't Li Xuewu and Xu Ning who were plotting against him, what was there for him to be resentful about? Did he really want to rush forward and be used as a pawn?
With Li Xuewu in Liaodong, what good is it if he takes control of the steel industry? He's just a puppet.
However, at the metallurgical plant, after Li Xuewu promoted him to executive deputy in the second half of last year, he gradually delegated authority to him.
Especially in the first half of this year, Li Xuewu moved his office here, and almost all the work at the metallurgical plant was handed over to him.
Although he is now the executive vice president, he does the work of a factory director.
Moreover, Li Xuewu is very supportive of his management style, and after another year or two of training, the probability of him taking over the metallurgical plant is still very high.
Is it difficult for him to choose between becoming a puppet a year or two earlier or taking real power a year or two later?
He has lost his key connections within the group, and Li Xuewu's support is the foundation for his continued presence in the group's industrial sector.
So after thinking it over, he came here anyway, wanting to take the initiative to talk to Li Xuewu. He couldn't just wait for Li Xuewu to explain things to him.
To broaden Li Xuewu's heart is also to broaden one's own path.
This time, failing to go up might seem like he lost face, but in reality, it was Li Xuewu who was humiliated. Li Xuewu wouldn't let it go so easily and would get his revenge sooner or later.
If he can take the initiative to understand Li Xuewu, then he will surely benefit from it in the future.
Besides, Xu Ning taking over the steel company might not necessarily weaken Li Xuewu; Xu Ning would never side with anyone.
So what's there for him to be arrogant about? Being obedient and taking the initiative to discuss the next steps is the mark of maturity.
So when Li Xuewu walked out of the office, followed by the relaxed Yang Zongfang and the somewhat roguish Li Haiyang, the cadres and staff who had been discussing it all afternoon were indeed taken aback for a moment, and then smiled knowingly.
The secretary-general is still the same shrewd and resourceful secretary-general. With the secretary-general in charge, the group's management structure in Liaodong Industry will not fall apart.
At the banquet arranged for Su Weide and others, the appearance of Li Xuewu and his two companions brought at least ten seconds of shock to the scene.
Even Suvid, whose smile was full of mischievousness, was stunned by the scene and then couldn't help but frown.
He knew Li Xuewu had some tricks up his sleeve, but he didn't expect that the other party could deal with Yang Zongfang and Li Haiyang so quickly.
Although Yang Zongfang may not seem particularly capable, he was trained by Yang Yuansong and still wielded considerable influence within the Hongxing Factory system.
Needless to say, Li Haiyang was Li Huaide's former secretary. If he were to cause trouble for Li Xuewu, it would be enough to make him a laughing stock for half a year.
The results of it?
Is it two hours?
His furrowed brows relaxed the moment he saw Li Xuewu, and he smiled and nodded, looking extremely kind.
But I just kept telling myself: No rush, no rush, the best is yet to come.