dognovel Chapter 1592 Fish on the Chopping Board
Chapter 1592 Fish on the Chopping Board
Chapter 1592 Fish on the Chopping Board
"Come here." Li Xuewu beckoned with his finger, and a look of fear visibly appeared on Bang Geng's face.
"Uncle Wu... Uncle Wu..."
Banggeng moved along with a sluggish, shrunken gait, even more so than when he was being led to the execution ground, mumbling incoherently.
"Backpack." Li Xuewu noticed that the kid deliberately didn't pick up his backpack, but instead came this way on his own.
Banggeng glanced at him, then at the backpack at his feet, and gave a smile that looked more like a grimace.
"There's nothing in my schoolbag... no books."
Li Xuewu didn't say anything, he just stared at him.
"Uncle Wu, it's so late..."
What could Bang Geng do? Once Uncle Wu set his sights on him, he knew he couldn't get past this hurdle.
"Open it." Li Xuewu raised his chin.
"There's nothing there..." Banggeng slowly opened his schoolbag, and Li Xuewu's gaze shifted downwards, revealing a pistol hidden inside.
"What is this thing?"
Li Xuewu glanced at him, reached out and pulled out his gun, and almost burst out laughing when he saw it.
"Where did it come from?"
"Found it..."
Banggeng hung his head, not daring to look at him.
Li Xuewu snorted and said, "You really know how to pick them up. Go pick up a few for me too."
"This is the only one left..." Banggeng was still arguing, "I just saw it and picked it up."
"There's dog poop on the road, why don't you pick it up?" Li Xuewu shook off the strips of cloth wrapped around the gun, finally revealing its full appearance.
"What would I do with dog poop..." Bang Geng mumbled. "I want a gun."
"I have a cannon, do you want it?"
Li Xuewu glanced at him, tossed the gun in his hand, and asked, "Can you explain where it came from? If you can't explain it clearly, or can't remember, I'll have your mother come over, and you can tell her yourself."
"Uncle Wu—" Bang Geng pleaded, "I'm just using it for self-defense."
"What dangers do you have to guard against?"
Li Xuewu disassembled the gun in his hand, counted the bullets inside, and found there were still seven left. It was really dangerous.
Although the gun body is a bit worn, its overall condition is still acceptable, and it is the kind that can actually fire.
The reason he wanted to laugh at first glance was because the gun was so famous; it often appeared in movies, especially by guerrilla or armed work team leaders.
Its official name is Mauser, but it has many nicknames, such as the Mirror Box, the Box Cannon, the Mauser C96, or the Mauser C96. It has many twins, a complex production source, and is quite famous.
"Who knows when danger will strike?" Banggeng muttered. "We should always be prepared."
"You're quite reasonable." Li Xuewu removed the bullets from the magazine and threw them, along with the gun, onto the coffee table, saying, "Let me load them and see."
"Alright!" Banggeng was stunned for a moment, then happily went to the coffee table, carefully loaded the bullet into the magazine, and even pulled the trigger after loading it, aiming at the light bulb as if to show off his shooting skills.
"Do you still say it was found?" Li Xuewu's lips twitched as he looked at him and said, "I'm giving you one last chance."
Bang Geng was dumbfounded. He looked at the gun in his hand, then at Uncle Wu, and realized that he had been tricked.
"Uncle Wu..." The joy on his face vanished, leaving him looking like a plucked rooster.
"three two……"
“I said—” Seeing Uncle Wu counting down, he couldn’t hold on any longer and explained in frustration, “I bought this gun.”
"Good, well done."
Li Xuewu shook his chin, looked at him and said, "You're way better than me."
"I didn't dare to do this when I was young, do you have a problem?"
"I really use it for self-defense."
Banggeng argued vehemently, "Uncle Wu, think about it. I come and go from the dock every day, and sometimes I even go out with my aunt. How can I manage without a proper tool?"
"You have no idea how shady this underworld is. If you don't have the guts to keep them in check, you're really out of luck."
"How do you ward off evil spirits? Are you trying to scare people with some old antique?" Li Xuewu looked at him with amusement and said, "Believe it or not, if you take this thing out, people will laugh their heads off."
"I don't believe it—"
Banggeng, with his neck tilted back, said in a daze, "If I pull this thing out, they'll all run away in fright."
Li Xuewu had to admit that those words were just to coax him, and what Bang Geng said was the truth.
Even a young boy like that, if he actually pulled out this thing, no one on the other side would dare to bet that his gun wasn't loaded. He was so hot-blooded that he was willing to fire. They didn't care about the consequences. The more people there were, the braver he became.
But if you actually pull out this thing, it's fine if you scare the other person, but what if they actually attack?
Li Xuewu never intended for the recycling station to be tainted with any color, especially something like this.
Don't be fooled by the fact that Ji Weidong is shipping ships of goods out of Ate; that's a different matter altogether.
Among those tough guys at the recycling center, how many of them use this thing? Not a single one, they're not allowed to use it.
He wouldn't care even if you were carrying a kitchen knife, because a kitchen knife is a tool, but a gun is not.
In such a complex environment as Hong Kong, very few organizations use this thing, and recycling centers are even less allowed to use it.
Once people get used to this kind of absolute force, it becomes difficult for them to think rationally again, and trouble is bound to happen sooner or later.
“You can scare them even without this thing.” Li Xuewu picked up a cup from the coffee table, took a sip of hot tea, and said, “Who’s going to argue with an idiot?”
“I’m not stupid—” Banggeng retorted, then lowered his head, his eyes full of resentment.
"I'm going to talk to you about how a gentleman wins people over with virtue. Do you understand that?"
Li Xuewu looked at him, and seeing that he remained silent, slowly nodded and said, "Then let me tell you, the recycling center will never need people who use this kind of thing. Do you understand?"
"Why?" Banggeng looked up, frowning as he asked, "You're carrying a gun."
"Me? Heh—" Li Xuewu chuckled and said, "You want to compete with me?"
"This is legal for me, but not for you."
He raised an eyebrow and said, "You'll never encounter a situation like this in your life that I need to deal with."
"To put it bluntly, your aunt doesn't need you to bring this thing to embolden her; they use their brains."
"I don't know..." Bang Geng pouted, still not understanding, and also unconvinced.
“You’ll understand in time. You can’t just read books; you also have to learn to follow the rules,” Li Xuewu said calmly. “The rules of the underworld.”
“You might use this thing once, and it might work, but they will never be afraid of you.”
He pointed to the Mauser C96 on the coffee table and said, "You expect it to be awesome forever?"
"What if you meet them a second time, and they bring out even more weapons?"
"Let's do it! Who's afraid of who!"
Bang Geng has really reached the age where he's acting like a brat; he speaks without thinking and says whatever comes to mind.
"Who are you going to mess with?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said, "I'll scare you to death."
"Don't even mention dead people, have you ever seen blood?"
He glanced at the stick with disdain and said, "If someone beats you to death, wouldn't you be at a disadvantage?"
"On the other hand, if you kill someone, can you really run away? In the end, you'll still get shot."
Banggeng stopped talking at this moment, standing there with his head down, it was impossible to tell whether he understood or not.
"You've been with me in Steel City for over a year now, have you learned anything?" Li Xuewu sniffed and looked at him, saying, "Have you thought about what you'll do when you grow up? You can't just become a scoundrel, can you?"
"If that's what you think, you should go home as soon as possible."
He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest and said, "Even your Uncle Biao and Uncle Guodong wouldn't dare to call themselves thugs. You want to do this?"
"I want to be like you..."
Banggeng stammered, "Always have money to spend, always have women..."
"Ahem—" Li Xuewu cleared his throat, gave him a disapproving look, and said, "Don't talk nonsense. Besides, is this all you aspire to?"
"That's a very high goal—"
Bang Geng was quite realistic, looking at him and saying, "I think this kind of life is the coolest."
“Hehe—” Li Xuewu chuckled and said, “Then you’d better make a clear distinction: whether you’re going to take my path or theirs.”
"What's the difference?" Banggeng looked up at him and said, "Aren't you guys in cahoots?"
"Who told you that?" Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "When did I become one of them?"
"Then..." Bang Geng was stunned; his understanding of things had become blurred at this moment.
"With your current understanding, it's hard for you to comprehend the complexities involved," Li Xuewu said, taking a deep breath. "Even if I explained it to you, you wouldn't understand."
"Your mother should have asked you: go to school, go to the factory, strive to become a cadre, and take it one step at a time."
"I'm not going to work in a factory—" Banggeng muttered, "Working in a factory is pointless."
"So she allowed you to come to Steel City."
Li Xuewu looked at him and said, "I asked you to learn from your Aunt Zhou so that you would have more options."
"You should be able to see that even in a recycling center, there are several different types of jobs."
He gestured to Banggeng with his fingers and said, "The first type is managers like your aunt and your Uncle Guodong. They are each in charge of a region."
"The second type is the kind of person you met in Yingcheng, like Xiaobai or Ergazi, who follows orders and works hard."
"The third option is to become a crew member. You go on a ship to do hard labor, but the wages are quite high, enough to support your family."
"Then I—" Banggeng thought for a moment and asked, "I'm thinking... what do you think I can do?"
"I want?" Li Xuewu looked him up and down and said, "I want you to study hard, train hard, and become Manager Jia, not Captain Jia."
"That's what they called..."
Bang Geng, still feeling embarrassed, glanced at the gun on the coffee table and asked, "Then... what should we do with this gun?"
“Go back and say you don’t need this anymore, that you can scare people just by bragging.”
Li Xuewu stood up, didn't even look at the gun, walked to Yu Li, picked her up, and carried her upstairs.
Banggeng saw his aunt looking at him sleepily and asking when he had returned. He stammered and sat down on the coffee table, giving a dry laugh in response.
-
The next day, Hu Ke from Liaodong Industry found him, having come all the way from Fengcheng.
"You've made quite a spectacle of this."
Hu Ke hadn't even gotten out of the car when she saw Li Xuewu standing at the door waiting for her.
The two were old acquaintances and had always gotten along well, so they didn't stand on ceremony when they met.
"As soon as I entered your industrial zone, I felt its vibrant vitality, especially in the engineering construction."
He glanced back at the street and asked, "How long until the underground project is completed?"
"I estimate," Li Xuewu loosened his grip, raised his chin, and said, "it will be at least by the end of next year."
"So long?" Hu Ke asked in surprise, "How big of a NBC (nuclear, biological, and chemical) defense project are you going to undertake?"
"All factory areas must be connected and integrated."
Li Xuewu led him to the main gate and gestured with his hands to explain: "The entire underground of this main road leading into the industrial zone has been excavated to serve as a cargo transport channel."
"Branch roads will be built to connect the various factory areas, and commercial areas will be developed to connect the residential areas."
He turned around, stomped his foot, raised his eyebrows, and introduced, "The basic construction under our feet has been completed. The entire project is expected to cost 980 million yuan."
"Wow, that's impressive—a real big spender!"
Hu Ke glanced at him, then looked around the industrial area again, nodded, and said, "In this way, you've really made good use of the NBC (nuclear, biological, and chemical) defense project."
"Just by focusing on transportation corridors, you can reduce a significant amount of redundant construction costs."
"There's nothing we can do about it. Our initial plans were too timid." Li Xuewu smiled and led him toward the office building, explaining as they walked, "We never imagined we would have so many tertiary industries."
"That's fine." Hu Ke nodded and said, "Given the size of your group and the estimated number of future employees, this project won't be a waste of time."
"That's what I think too, haha."
Li Xuewu gestured for them to go in, but instead of going upstairs to the office, they stayed in the meeting room on the first floor, which was both convenient and easy.
"There is no need to repeat the construction if the required number of people is matched with the required number of three-proof projects."
Without him even asking, the office clerk was already preparing tea. Hu Ke hadn't come alone; it seemed she really had something to discuss with him.
"Your Honggang team is truly powerful."
Sitting down on either side, Hu Ke looked at the cadres he had brought with him, then looked at him and said with emotion, "If it were really our Liaodong enterprises doing this, it's not that we couldn't come up with the money, it's just that we don't have the mindset."
"We also learn by doing and do by learning."
Li Xuewu had already gotten to know his entourage of officials during the handshake session. Now, he was nodding, exchanging pleasantries—it was just a business exchange, and he couldn't be too proud.
“Great! Your Honggang Group has settled in Liaodong, which is a perfect combination of timing, location, and people.”
He turned to look at the people he had brought, and said with a smile, "There's absolutely no way we can talk about this today, right? Hahaha—"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu also laughed and echoed, "I'm afraid it will be very difficult."
"Fortunately, you are a group company."
Hu Ke nodded understandingly and said, "The result is good, and there is still some room for autonomy."
"That's not much." Li Xuewu was afraid that he would make some high demands, so he quickly lowered his own status.
Perhaps sensing this, Hu Ke gave him a deep look, paused, and said, "I've come here to ask for your help; it's urgent."
"Industrial applications?" Li Xuewu asked tentatively, essentially drawing a line in the sand for him.
We must help, but we must do what we can. The main industries of Honggang Group are in Liaodong. When you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head.
Of course, Honggang Group's headquarters are in Beijing, its sales are in Tianjin, and it has branches all over the country, so it has finally separated the eggs.
The attitudes of Beijing, Liaodong, and Tianjin toward the group reveal the complex web of interests at stake.
If it weren't for that unexpected incident in March, Honggang Group would still have room to maneuver with Beijing.
Even now, while Li Huaide is passively taking a beating, he is not without a chance to fight back.
Hu Ke represents Liaodong Industry, and there's still a possibility that she might refuse privately, but not now.
It's not just about appearances, but also about substance.
"It falls under the industrial sector; otherwise, I wouldn't have shamelessly come to you for help."
Hu Ke nodded slowly and said, "As you know, there is a shortage of fertilizers all over the country right now."
"Liaodong is a major agricultural province and urgently needs agricultural chemical resources, especially fertilizers and pesticides."
He tapped his finger on the sofa armrest and emphasized, "Don't be fooled by the fact that our province's fertilizer plants are on par with the rest of the country; when compared vertically, we still lag far behind."
"You mean fertilizer plants and pesticide plants?"
Li Xuewu frowned, scratched his hair with a troubled expression, and said, "Our factory does have a chemical industry, but it's all plastics and sponges."
"What about Jingcheng Chemical?" Hu Ke looked at him and asked bluntly, "They're a sister company of your group, and you've also partnered with them on the plastics and sponge factories, right? Can you pull some strings?"
"As for building connections, that's no problem at all," Li Xuewu said frankly. "Since you said you wanted to get to know me today, I can accompany you to the capital right now, and we can meet anytime, anywhere."
Hearing him say that, Hu Ke understood and looked at him, asking, "You mean—"
“Even if you’re asking for a favor, you should at least be clear about what you need, right?” Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, “You need to think carefully about what you actually need.”
“Just say, I want a fertilizer plant, then we need to figure out how to build one.”
He tapped his fingers on the coffee table between them, the crisp sound of the wooden furniture echoing in Hu Ke's ears and bringing him back to his senses.
"What if it's like your integrated chemical industry?" Hu Ke, clearly prepared, looked him in the eye and asked, "Like yours, shouldn't their chemical plants also need this kind of industrial atmosphere?"
“Of course.” Li Xuewu straightened up and said, “Any industry can achieve the goal of reducing costs and increasing efficiency as long as they unite and shorten transportation distances. Cost is profit.”
"Then can you give us some advice?"
Hu Ke laughed and said, "If we can bring companies like Beijing Chemical to Liaodong and establish an integrated chemical industry, I can guarantee you that we'll give you whatever you want."
"Don't speak so soon."
Li Xuewu reached out and placed his hand on his arm, patting it gently, and said, "Let's get down to business first. What form do you plan to take to attract investment?"
The word "attract investment?" caused not only Hu Ke to pause in surprise, but everyone else also paused for a moment.
It's not that it was used incorrectly, but rather that it's too fitting.
“Formally…” Hu Ke understood, and looked at him, asking, “You want to ask if we should get involved, right?”
"Of course, anyone would have this concern."
Li Xuewu nodded and said, "As you just mentioned, times have changed."
"Yes, that is a crucial question."
Hu Ke nodded slowly, looked at him, and asked, "What's your opinion?"
"Stop asking me all the time—" Li Xuewu looked at him with amusement and said, "You are the leading figure in Liaodong's industry."
"Hahaha—" The meeting room instantly became lively after hearing Li Xuewu's witty words.
Honggang Group has no chemical resources, and Liaodong Industry is not forcing them to cooperate, so the two sides will continue to cooperate amicably and the atmosphere will not be too bad.
"You'd better think this through."
Li Xuewu pointed at him and reminded him, "We'll definitely have to ask you about this later."
What would happen if the restrictions were lifted?
Hu Ke narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at him, asking, "I mean, regardless of the form it takes, as long as a factory is built in Liaodong, we will support it?"
"Are you referring to support in terms of land or policy?" Li Xuewu replied earnestly, "Building a factory is not the goal; the goal is policy and sales."
"Let me make this clear to you: this kind of factory built in a different location must be a tertiary industry."
His expression grew even more serious as he emphasized, "Even if I were to connect you with Beijing Chemical Industry, it would definitely be a tertiary industry, outside of their planned production scope. Please consider this carefully."
“Of course.” Hu Ke understood what he meant and nodded, “We can’t take away other people’s resources, right?”
“That’s exactly what I mean.” Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, “You said it yourself, everyone is short of fertilizer and pesticides, so why don’t they build factories locally to expand production?”
Regarding distribution channels—
Hu Ke thought for a moment and said, "We will coordinate the purchase of agricultural supplies, so you can rest assured."
“It must be written in the contract.” Li Xuewu tapped the sofa armrest with his finger, reminding him, “Your Liaodong Industrial also needs to come up with the necessary guarantee measures, otherwise, if you invest millions and then can’t sell the fertilizers and pesticides you produce, that would be a real joke.”
"Furthermore, these tertiary industries are generally not operated independently."
"You mean a joint venture?" Hu Ke looked at him, glancing at the accompanying cadres, and after thinking for a moment, asked, "A joint venture with our company?"
"That would be best," Li Xuewu said bluntly. "Didn't you want an integrated chemical industrial park?"
"This will be taken care of—"
Hu Ke frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "Do we also need to invest some money?"
"Otherwise what?" Li Xuewu asked with a smile, "Do you think companies like Honggang are everywhere, and you can just pick any one and come to Liaodong?"
"Hehe—" Hu Ke laughed and nodded, saying, "Sure, we can put all of these on the negotiating table and coordinate them, no problem."
"Then I'm all set."
Li Xuewu spread his hands and said, "Beijing Chemical Industry acquired equipment from a chemical plant in East Germany. It's exactly the fertilizer plant you need, and it's quite large."
"Really!" Hu Ke's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she asked, "Can this work?"
"That depends on your sincerity."
Li Xuewu said with a smile, "Anyway, as far as I know, they want to develop tertiary industries."
"Think about it, building the factory in Beijing again seems inconvenient for them."
“That’s right—” Hu Ke said with a smile, “Will this be considered a tertiary industry or our main business?”
"I'll be back in Beijing in a few days and contact them there. If it's feasible, we can sit down and talk."
Li Xuewu looked at Hu Ke with a smile and said, "But I won't do this for nothing."
"Oh, no problem." Hu Ke smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Feel free to make any requests. You're thinking of jointly operating the chemical plant, right?"
"No, that's not it," Li Xuewu said with a smile. "We're not interested in agricultural chemicals. We'd like to ask if you're interested in aircraft manufacturing."
-
"There's no need to be so polite."
Gu An stared blankly at the convoy on the platform, then looked at his brother-in-law with some confusion.
Li Xuewu smiled and took the initiative to shake his hand, saying, "Welcome to Steel City."
"This is the person in charge of Honggang Group in Liaodong." Gu An glanced at him, stopped dwelling on the matter, and turned to introduce Li Xuewu to his entourage.
Li Xuewu shook hands with each of them politely, while also sizing them up.
After they introduced themselves, he invited the other person to board the waiting bus, while Gu An was invited to his own car.
The convoy slowly started moving, descending along the platform, and heading straight for the Hongxing Industrial Zone of the steel city after exiting the gate.
"You've been on the train for three days?"
Li Xuewu didn't look at his brother-in-law until they were outside the gate, and said, "You've worked hard."
"It's all work." Gu An glanced at the driver's seat, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Xiao Qi?"
"Captain Gu." Qi Yan turned around, smiled, responded, and continued driving.
There was no one in the passenger seat, so Zhang Enyuan was assigned to the back bus to be in charge of receiving guests.
That's when Gu An finally lowered his guard.
"It's hard to explain over the phone." He turned to Li Xuewu and said, "You know what's going on, right?"
"The information our group leaders obtained is that this order did not come from Beijing, nor from the Ministry of Machine Building."
Li Xuewu glanced at him and said calmly, "He told me to hand over the work according to procedure, so you have to give me the necessary materials."
“There are no materials.” Gu An frowned and reminded him, “I told you that on the phone.”
"So," Li Xuewu sighed, and said with a wry smile, "you can't take the plane away."
"What do you mean?" Gu An asked, looking at him. "Are you planning to let us leave empty-handed?"
"Then..." He didn't think his brother-in-law would play a trick on him, so he narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "What do you plan to do?"
"It's simple, just get all the materials."
Li Xuewu clenched his fist and looked at him, saying, "Gangfei is not only an industry of Honggang Group, but also an industry of Liaodong Industry."
"When—" Gu An stared wide-eyed at him and asked, "Liaodong Industry?"
"Yes, part of it, it's a joint venture."
Li Xuewu shrugged and said, "Honggang Group will take over twenty companies from Liaodong Industry in the second half of the year. This is considered a condition for the joint venture."
"I don't really understand this," Gu An said, looking at him. "Is this your makeshift solution?"
"There's no other way," Li Xuewu said frankly. "If we just hand over the plane to you without thinking, we'll both be finished if something goes wrong."
He looked at Gu An and said with concern, "I'm in charge of the group's industrial work in Liaodong. You're a distant relative in Xijing. Why should I let you take over?"
"Without the necessary documents and paperwork, how will the group's accounts be handled if I give them to you?"
Li Xuewu pointed at Gu An and asked, "You've brought the plane back. How are you going to report this?"
“Orders don’t work.” He knew what Gu An wanted to say, and glared at him, emphasizing, “Think about it carefully, can this kind of thing be explained by orders?”
"Then what can we do?" Gu An frowned. "If you don't give it to me, I have no choice but to report it?"
“That’s right.” Li Xuewu squinted and said, “The Honggang Group didn’t say it wouldn’t give it, but there must be some paperwork because Liaodong Industry needs it.”
"Are you sure?" Gu An asked, looking at him. "Will Liaodong Industrial Park take the blame for this?"
"So we showed our sincerity."
Li Xuewu sighed and explained, "There are more than 20 industrial enterprises on the verge of bankruptcy. I have to clean up their mess."
"I understand." Gu An nodded slowly and said, "It was a last resort, wasn't it?"
"Yes." Li Xuewu turned to look at him and said seriously, "Gu Ning went to Jinling. I asked her to pass on a message to Dad. If possible, transfer you from the flight squadron to logistics or the naval base."
"What do you mean?" Gu An frowned, staring at him as he asked, "What do you know?"
“I don’t know anything.” Li Xuewu tapped his knee lightly with his fist and said, “From this experience, I am even more convinced that you should not stand out too much. It would be best to adjust your behavior.”
"Why?" Gu An knew his brother-in-law wouldn't harm him, much less trick him, but he just didn't understand. "Do you think I'd be used as a pawn?"
“Very likely.” Li Xuewu knew that his brother-in-law was no good for getting to where he was today, and he emphasized seriously, “The energy you carry is too great.”
He stretched out his fist and opened it wide, gesturing as he said, "If danger arises, the consequences will be far-reaching."
Gu An fell silent. He was thinking that his brother-in-law's hint couldn't have been more direct, but he was unwilling to give up.
He has never offended anyone, nor has he ever thought of offending anyone, and he has never regarded his efforts as dangerous.
However, he could not ignore his brother-in-law's opinion, as Li Xuewu, who worked in a company, had an even more complicated work and living environment than he did.
It's fair to say that his father might not believe what he says, but his father is very likely to believe what Li Xuewu says.
The reason I haven't received any news about being transferred yet is perhaps because my father is currently verifying my brother-in-law's suggestion.
Li Xuewu bluntly told him this advice when danger was imminent.
The convoy drove directly to the former metallurgical plant's guesthouse, which is now the Unity Hotel.
Tuanjie Hotel is affiliated with the Hospitality Service Management Branch of Honggang Group Property Service Corporation.
The guesthouses belonging to the Fengcheng, Gangcheng, Yingcheng, and Jinling groups have all been renamed to a unified name.
Office Director Zhang Jing and his team had been waiting there for some time. As soon as the convoy arrived, they came over to greet them.
"Arrange for Captain Gu and his team to check in."
After Li Xuewu got out of the car, he gave him a brief explanation. After the people from the Hongtu No. 1 car got out, he said to Gu An, "I won't see you in. Let's have dinner together tonight. It's on me."
"There's no need for a treat," Gu An replied casually. "We brought our own money for food."
It seemed like the talks had broken down; that was the first impression given to the accompanying team, because the two men didn't seem to be getting along.
Li Xuewu showed no respect, and after saying goodbye, he got into his car and left, leaving everyone looking at each other in bewilderment.
-
"Isn't it unnecessary to complicate things?"
Gao Yaqin rushed to Gangcheng and glared at him as soon as she entered the office, saying, "Since Director Li has already agreed, why did you have to stop him?"
"Director Li agreed?" Li Xuewu looked at her, stood up, pointed towards the sofa, and asked, "When did he agree? Did you bring clear instructions? In black and white?"
"You—" Gao Yaqin was taken aback by his words, then frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"
“The literal meaning.” Li Xuewu gave her a deep look, then walked to the sofa and sat down first, saying frankly, “I don’t trust him.”
"You think this way because—"
Gao Yaqin walked over and sat down, squinting slightly as she looked at him and asked, "Or do you still think he played another role in this matter?"
"It is precisely because I do not know many things that I do not trust him."
Li Xuewu raised his head, looked directly into her eyes, and said bluntly, "It's the same for you."
"No need to be so polite. You've never trusted me." Gao Yaqin curled her lip, leaned back on the sofa, and crossed her arms. "What do we do now? What good is calling me here?"
"Also, everyone at the meeting was asking, what's the point of taking over Liaodong Industry for no reason?"
She looked at Li Xuewu suspiciously and asked, "What kind of deal did you make with them?"
“Yes, that’s right.” Li Xuewu nodded and said, “I need someone to endorse me.”
"Can they hold out?" Gao Yaqin sneered. "Don't sell you out later."
"Hehe, that's going to be interesting."
Li Xuewu calmly said, "Director Li sent you to clean up this mess? To replace me?"
"What do you think?" Gao Yaqin squinted at him and said, "Who would dare to come at a time like this?"
"That's me, I guess. I have no connections."
She snorted and said, "No one can replace you, especially at this time. Everyone is afraid of you."
“I have no doubt about it.” Li Xuewu shrugged indifferently and said, “Anyone who can walk into my office is either here to beg me or afraid of me.”
He looked sharply at Gao Yaqin and said, "If I give them a chance, it's like giving up the struggle and becoming fish on the chopping block."
"I really don't understand—"
Gao Yaqin sighed and said, "Why did you suddenly take a liking to me?"
“It couldn’t be simpler,” Li Xuewu said, unsurprised. “They’ve been watching me for a long time.”
"It always has been, from the very beginning."
He nodded seriously and emphasized, "As long as I am still in Liaodong, and as long as Deputy Director Dong is still in the group, this matter will not be over."
"Then what do you want to do?" Gao Yaqin looked at him questioningly and said, "Now you're just leaving the person there and making them provide the necessary paperwork."
"I heard that the person who came was your brother-in-law, right? Did you two plan this together?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Li Xuewu calmly said, "I can only tell you that what Director Li told me on the phone was to follow procedures, and I am following procedures as well."
"They gave me the temporary transfer paperwork, and I gave them the plane. It was that simple."
He sat up straight, looked at Gao Yaqin and emphasized, "Either I go back to the capital and you take over this place; you can handle the signing and handover."
"Why should I—" Gao Yaqin glared at him, her eyes wide with disapproval, and said, "Don't even think about it—"
"So?" Li Xuewu shrugged and looked at her, asking, "Which side are you on?"
"Do I even have a choice?" Gao Yaqin snorted irritably. "Even if it wasn't me, you'd give the same excuse to everyone, right?"
"That's not necessarily true," Li Xuewu said with a relaxed smile. "What if one of the comrades is brave enough to let me go back to Beijing while he stays here to handle this matter?"
"Do you think we're all complete idiots?" Gao Yaqin curled her lip, glared at him, and said, "How do you plan to clean this up?"
"You have to provide the temporary transfer paperwork."
Li Xuewu emphasized earnestly, "It must be clearly written down who borrowed it, and then transferred to me from the group."
"I don't care whether they pay it back or not, and I believe the group doesn't care about losses either, but!"
He tapped his finger on the sofa armrest, leaving the rest of his words unsaid, but Gao Yaqin surely understood.
"I'll report to Director Li." She sat there thinking for a while before standing up and walking towards the telephone.
"Li Xuewu, this is the only time."
She stood in front of the desk, turned around and looked at Li Xuewu with dissatisfaction, saying, "You should trust me."
Li Xuewu turned his palm over, indicating that she should make the call first, and whether she believed him or not, they would talk about it later.
"You're a real piece of trash—"
Gao Yaqin cursed under her breath, gritted her teeth, picked up the phone, and asked for the group's general manager's office.
Without any pretense, he directly reported Li Xuewu's opinions and attitude to Li Huaide, and explained the purpose of the cooperation reached between Li Xuewu, representing the group, and Liaodong Industry.
What could she say? She could only say that it was time for Fengcheng Machinery Factory to integrate more resources.
Li Xuewu never even said that, nor did he ever think about what Fengcheng Machinery Factory needed to integrate.
But now Gao Yaqin won't give him a chance to explain, and Li Huaide only needs a reason.
Now that the reasons are clear and the purpose is explained, the pressure has shifted back to Li Huaide.
Could Li Huaide be happy?
Of course I'm not satisfied. What did Gao Yaqin come here for? She's only been in Gangcheng for a short time, yet she's already investigated so thoroughly.
He would never believe it if you told him that Li Xuewu's opinion wasn't involved.
But what could they do? The group had arranged for a vice president to come down and stand with Li Xuewu; they couldn't very well let him come down on his own.
Li Huaide knew very well that if he dared to come to Gangcheng, he would receive news of Li Xuewu's return to Beijing halfway there.
The reason Gao Yaqin was able to make the call was because she wasn't tall enough to support Li Xuewu on the other side.
"Alright." She hung up the phone, turned to Li Xuewu, and said, "Now let's wait for their notification."
"Actually, I still have classes to attend."
Li Xuewu tentatively asked, "Since we're all waiting for news anyway, why don't I go back to Beijing to attend classes first..."
"You dare!" Gao Yaqin glared at her and said, "If you dare to leave, believe me, I'll follow you back. Anyway, this isn't my territory, so you can do whatever you want."
"Alright, tonight's on me."
Li Xuewu gave a thumbs-up and said, "Let me show you a Northeast specialty: Flying Dragon Stewed Mushrooms."
"Don't think you can heal the psychological trauma you've caused me with a meal." Gao Yaqin raised her eyebrows and looked at him, asking, "Can you tell me the truth? Right here in Honggang Group, among all of us comrades, is there anyone you trust?"
“Yes, I do.” Li Xuewu pointed at her matter-of-factly and said, “I trust you completely.”
"..." Gao Yaqin: "Get the hell out of here—"