dognovel Chapter 1577 Li Shu is in trouble
Chapter 1577 Li Shu is in trouble
Chapter 1577 Li Shu is in trouble
"Secretary-General—"
"Liu Bin?" Li Xuewu heard the commotion in the living room and was surprised to find that it was Liu Bin, Li Huaide's secretary, visiting late at night. "What brings you here?"
"I'm sorry, Secretary-General, I have no choice but to come to visit you at this time due to an urgent situation."
Liu Bin's flustered expression seemed genuine, and his travel-worn appearance suggested he had just gotten off a train.
Li Xuewu turned his head and glanced at the time on the wall; it was already 11:10.
"You're from the capital?" He stood up and asked the other person, "What time did you arrive in Steel City?"
"I came straight here as soon as I got off the train." He swallowed his dry throat and explained, "I didn't dare to waste a minute following the address Director Li gave me."
"Make a cup of tea." Li Xuewu's expression turned serious as he nodded and instructed Yu Li, who was standing at the study door. Seeing Liu Bin's expression soften, he then beckoned him to come into the study for a talk.
"Secretary-General, Director Li..."
"No rush, catch your breath first."
Li Xuewu raised his hand and pressed it down lightly, stopping the other party who was about to report right away. He then comforted them in a calm tone, saying, "Tell us what's going on slowly."
"Yes." Whether it was out of trust in him or influenced by his achievements in the group over the years, Liu Binzhen began to take deep breaths to calm himself down.
"Please have some tea." Yu Li walked in carrying a cup of brewed black tea and placed it on Liu Bin's left.
"Thank you, I'm sorry to bother you."
Liu Bin bowed slightly to express his gratitude; he had been mentally prepared when he rang the doorbell.
However, when he saw that it was a woman who opened the door, he felt a little uneasy.
He was afraid. He was afraid that the address given by Director Li was wrong, and he was also afraid that the other party would be shy and turn him away.
He was even more afraid that the secretary-general might have some reservations or feel uneasy about his late-night visit and refuse to see him.
When he nervously revealed his identity and explained the purpose of his visit, the other party invited him to enter the house first and told him that the secretary-general was there.
Either he has a special identity and isn't afraid of him finding out, or Li Xuewu is confident and isn't afraid of him talking nonsense.
He had no intention of guessing the identity of the person in front of him from the moment he entered the room, and dared not ask any questions.
After bowing slightly to express his gratitude, and seeing the other party raise their hand in acknowledgment before turning to leave, he finally felt relieved.
"Have some tea." Li Xuewu raised his hand.
"Thank you, Secretary-General." Liu Bin picked up his teacup and took a slow sip. The warm liquid flowed down his throat, and after exhaling a long breath, his tense nerves finally relaxed slightly.
"Secretary-General, Deputy Director Cheng has been taken away."
He put down his teacup, looked up at Li Xuewu, and earnestly reported, "Just last night, several department cadres from the group were also taken away."
"Deputy Director Cheng? Last night?"
Li Xuewu knew that Li Huaide's arrangement for his secretary to come to Liaodong to see him late at night must be no small matter, but he never expected the situation to be so serious.
"Who took it? What was their reason?"
He frowned, clenched his fist, and asked, "What's the group's reaction?"
"We haven't received any notification." Liu Bin pursed his lips and reported, "This morning, several key personnel from various departments were absent from work, so Director Li arranged for the office to inquire, only to find that Deputy Director Cheng was also absent."
"While the office and the security department were investigating in various places, a family member came to the group to report that someone claiming to be a cadre from the working group came to arrest people last night."
He paused here, and seeing that Li Xuewu's brows were furrowed more and more, he reported with an increasingly solemn tone: "Director Li has called the Ministry of Machine Building and the city, and they all said that there was no such operation."
“But…” Liu Bin hesitated for a moment, then said, “The person just disappeared.”
"So many living people, how could they just disappear for no reason?"
Li Xuewu clenched his fist and pounded the sofa armrest, asking, "What was the reaction of the other leaders in the group?"
"The leaders have been in their offices all day." He looked at Li Xuewu, his mouth dry again, a natural reaction to his tense expression.
Li Xuewu leaned against the back of the sofa, his fist tapping lightly on the armrest again, as if he were pondering the meaning behind the matter.
"Director Li arranged for me to report this situation to you. His idea is that if you feel it is necessary, you can set off for Beijing immediately."
Liu Bin looked at him, his heart pounding with each punch of his fist.
"We haven't been able to contact them all day," Li Xuewu said, pondering. "No one has contacted the group all day."
“That’s right.” Liu Bin nodded and said, “I left the group at nine o’clock in the morning, took a speedboat to Tianjin, and then transferred to Yingcheng to come to Gangcheng.”
He pursed his lips and said, "Director Li has one more thing to say. If you feel it's unnecessary, just pretend I was never here."
"Hmm?" Li Xuewu's slightly narrowed eyes suddenly opened, and he stared at the other person for a few seconds before lowering his eyelids and saying, "You're here, so how can you pretend you weren't here?"
“I understand about this.” He loosened his clenched fist and said, “Let me ask you one more question: how well has the group been implementing the policy documents issued by the higher authorities in the past few months?”
"You mean..." Liu Bin had been Li Huaide's secretary for almost two years, so he quickly understood what he meant and raised an eyebrow to report, "It seems... the effort wasn't enough?"
"Tell me, what's wrong with the intensity?" Li Xuewu picked up his teacup and took a sip, his furrowed brows relaxing as he seemed to have figured something out.
“This…” Liu Bin frowned, thinking as he spoke, “Director Li means to hold back, not to be too proactive… Could it be…”
Was this issue discussed at the meeting?
Before he could finish answering, Li Xuewu asked bluntly, "Or did Director Li consult with someone?"
"No, this topic was raised by Deputy Director Su, but it was not brought up at the meeting."
Liu Bin reported with wide eyes: "The leader's idea is to delay it, because he is afraid that implementing it within the group will cause a chain reaction."
"In recent years, the group has always been at the forefront of transformation. When faced with difficulties, it has found solutions, but it has also lost a large number of outstanding talents."
He relayed Li Huaide's words to Li Xuewu, conveying the original meaning: neither over-interpretation nor adding one's own interpretation.
"Regarding the crackdown on disruptive production activities and the fight against corruption, theft, speculation, and extravagance, although the group has actively deployed relevant work requirements and measures, there are no cases that have had a significant impact at the group level."
Following the line of thought given by Li Xuewu, he introduced the specific details of the main tasks that the group had assigned to its superiors in recent times while thinking about them.
Li Xuewu put down his teacup, casually resting his hand on the sofa armrest, his fingers twitching occasionally as if he were deep in thought.
"The group has made certain arrangements in accordance with the recently issued 'Investigation... Notice,' but the situation..."
He couldn't continue, because he seemed to know where Director Li was stuck, or rather, what the root of the problem was.
"Please convey to Director Li that this matter is of great importance, and we should unite all forces to stabilize the hard-won development of the group."
Seeing that he had figured it out, Li Xuewu curled his fingers slightly and looked at him, instructing, "Deputy Director Zhou has extensive connections in Beijing; he can take the lead in handling this matter."
“Deputy Director Su has a very deep background in the Ministry of Machine Building, so we also need to ask him to coordinate.”
He sat up straight, stared into Liu Bin's eyes, and said, "If Director Li feels that this is not feasible, then submit an application for additional cadres to the capital and the Ministry of Machine Building."
"This..." Liu Bin was taken aback when he heard him say this. He really couldn't understand why the secretary-general was so "ruthless".
Yes, Deputy Director Cheng and others have "disappeared," and instead of thinking about how to save them, he wants to apply to higher authorities for new cadres to fill the gaps. This is just too much...
Another point is about the two people he mentioned. One is Deputy Director Zhou, who was sent from the Beijing Industrial Bureau, and the other is Deputy Director Su, who has been causing trouble ever since he came down from the ministry.
If this matter is truly entrusted to the two of them, then Deputy Director Cheng and the others will indeed have no chance to return, and they should really submit an application for supplementary cadre positions.
However, he was sitting very close to Li Xuewu, and could clearly feel the meticulousness and calculation in the secretary-general's eyes.
What he revealed could not be the content on the surface. We must look beyond the surface to see the essence. So what is the essence?
***
"He just left like that?" Yu Li stood at the door watching him get into the car and drive away, until the car lights disappeared at the intersection, before turning around and going back inside.
Li Xuewu didn't come out; he stayed in the study, so she came to clean up the mess.
"Otherwise what?" Li Xuewu continued looking at the book in his hand and said indifferently, "It's the middle of the night, why keep him here for dinner?"
"You know that's not what I meant."
Yu Li cleaned up the half-finished cup of tea the other person had just drunk, and looked at Li Xuewu, saying, "Why did he come and go in such a hurry?"
"Even if there's an emergency, you can contact me by phone. You have a secure phone number, after all."
"A confidential phone number?" Li Xuewu chuckled and said, "No one is more trustworthy than a trusted confidant. That phone call was just a joke."
"Has something really serious happened?"
Yu Li tidied up his desk and turned to ask, "I overheard the gist of it; it seems like a group leader was taken away?"
"It's just a tactic, a rather clumsy one," Li Xuewu said without looking up. "He didn't dare come to Gangcheng, much less send anyone to Liaodong, and this is the result."
"You mean—" After Yu Li came to Gangcheng, she gained a better understanding of his work, all because she lived here and needed to cooperate with his work.
Moreover, the recycling station system is like a vine clinging to Honggang Group, and any slight disturbance requires careful handling.
Beside Li Xuewu, she was like the weather forecast for the recycling station, always conveying Li Xuewu's instructions and reminders.
"Is there something wrong with that new Deputy Director Zhou?" Yu Li asked, her eyes wide. "He even said he is..."
"What's wrong with you? Is there something wrong with your brain?" Li Xuewu looked up at her and smiled, saying, "There's nothing wrong with your brain, but there's something wrong with your thinking."
"Didn't you say he came with ill intentions?"
Yu Li sat down beside him, reached out and straightened the sweater draped over his shoulders, and said, "You haven't made a move for so long, are you going to pull something tough this time?"
“He’s targeting the wrong place and the wrong direction.” Li Xuewu put down the thick book in his hand and said calmly, “There are so many easy targets, but he insists on picking on a pile of stinking dog shit.”
"Don't swear, you're supposed to be a big boss—" Yu Li rolled her eyes at him and scolded, "You need to be more mindful of your image."
"Oh, have I reached the point where I need to be mindful of my image?" Li Xuewu asked her with amusement, "Or is this just how you perceive me?"
"You're just neglecting yourself too much—"
Yu Li reached out and nudged him, saying, "He's come all this way, you should at least show him some concern, even if it's just to let him rest at the guesthouse for one night."
"Does he dare?" Li Xuewu chuckled softly and said, "He wouldn't dare—"
Yu Li had also thought of this. After Li Xuewu finished giving instructions in the study, he practically told Liu Bin that he was going to pretend the other party had never been there.
He emphasized that he wouldn't pretend Liu Bin hadn't come, but the implied meaning was that he wanted to pretend he hadn't come. This wasn't hypocrisy; Liu Bin already understood what he meant.
It was he who was leaving overnight to return to Beijing. Even if Li Xuewu asked him to rest for another night, Liu Bin probably wouldn't dare to take the risk of his whereabouts being exposed.
Now that the crux of the problem has been found, there is no need for him to stay in the steel city any longer, nor is there any need to ask the secretary-general to return to Beijing.
Aren't you afraid he'll say something when he gets back?
Yu Li raised an eyebrow and said meaningfully, "He doesn't seem to be afraid of you at all."
"Afraid?" Li Xuewu said with a laugh, "Since when has the word 'afraid' been able to shut people up? Isn't it about submitting?"
He turned around and looked at her pretty face, then asked, "What do you think he'll say when he gets back?"
“He is Li Huaide’s secretary. He can tell you everything, in detail.” Yu Li was not afraid of his gaze and test, and said frankly, “This is also his test.”
“Of course, he will report everything in detail.” Li Xuewu lowered his eyelids and said, “He will even report the time he entered and left the hospital to Li Huaide.”
"Aren't you afraid?" She put her hand on Li Xuewu's shoulder and asked with a smile, "If he says you're keeping a mistress, that will be something Li Huaide can use against you, right?"
"Don't worry, he's even more nervous than you are."
Li Xuewu stood up and said with a smile, "There are no two grasshoppers on the same rope, and no one is indispensable to anyone else. It's just a matter of whether it's worth it or not."
He walked to the study door, glanced back at Yu Li standing there, raised an eyebrow and said, "Believe it or not, he knew you came to Liaodong a long time ago, and he might even be staying here."
"You did this on purpose?" Yu Li seemed to understand, gave him a suspicious look, and saw him leave with a smile, so she chased after him and asked, "Was it the same with Wu Shuping in Tianjin?"
She followed Li Xuewu up to the second floor, even onto the bed, and straddled him, demanding, "So, were you just playing along, or did you take it for real?"
“You should know what kind of person I am,” Li Xuewu said, looking at her seriously. “How could I possibly do such a thing?”
“Timid—” Yu Li had long since stopped believing him, and reached out to pull down his pants, saying, “You’re best at talking nonsense with a straight face.”
-
The wind seemed to have suddenly blown to Honggang Group, and it was showing a trend of intensifying.
Not only have Deputy Director Cheng and others who "disappeared" not returned to their posts, but even the group's leaders have been behaving strangely.
The wind was blowing fiercely, but everyone remained unmoved, resigned to their fate, as if it didn't matter who disappeared tonight.
This is the situation within the group's management, but there are some uncertainties and unclear points among the headquarters, production units, and branches.
No one can say for sure. Sometimes a few "traitors" might pop out of their minds, but their emotional stability makes the whole operation look more like a farce.
The lukewarm attitude of the "audience" left the director who orchestrated the farce in an awkward position, unsure of how to deal with the "actors" trapped behind the scenes.
Perhaps the director wanted to ignite the pent-up anger within the group's employees, hoping to connect these sparks and create a safe haven.
Unfortunately, he misjudged this indignation. The employees of Honggang Group seemed to lack the passion they should have, as if they were watching idiots dancing and gesticulating like clowns on stage.
The atmosphere suddenly became extremely tense, and the group's work progress almost came to a standstill. No one stepped forward to express anything, and this dead silence was unsettling.
At the Liaodong Industrial Management Office of Honggang Group, everyone seemed to have neither heard nor wanted to hear anything; they went to work as usual.
However, the atmosphere in the steel city headquarters was the same as in the group headquarters. Everyone quieted down and no one bothered to make a scene or treat such things as idle gossip.
The latest issue of the Northern Industry News devoted a large article to explaining the consequences of the wrong path taken by Honggang Group since its development, and also elaborated on how the management of Honggang Group deceived its superiors and created a false prosperity.
Of course, the article also included criticism and accusations against the main leaders of Honggang Group, even giving the impression that Honggang Group was finished.
Actually?
Honggang Group still exists, and its general manager, Li Huaide, even submitted a request to Beijing Industry and the First Ministry of Machine Building to supplement its cadre ranks.
The application frankly stated the difficulties and problems encountered by the group, mentioned the mysterious disappearance of several senior managers, and requested that higher authorities replace them with new managers.
This bizarre application completely disrupted a certain balance, and Lao Li even went to great lengths to forward the application through multiple layers of intermediaries.
The situation has become serious. Several managers have gone missing, including a group leader. Instead of requesting relevant departments to intervene in the investigation, Honggang Group has calmly accepted this reality and requested the replacement of its cadres.
Honggang Group was at peace, Li Huaide was laid down, but some people were left hanging in mid-air.
In early April, following the "disappearance" of Cheng Kaiyuan and others, several cadres were taken away from their workplaces by certain departments without any reason or basis for their removal.
They didn't even provide their identities.
Of course, no one asked them for their identification documents from beginning to end, and even those who were taken away seemed quite calm.
What? My turn? Let's go then, I've been waiting for you all—
With this mindset, the silent Honggang Group sent off its third batch of cadres and no one came back, as if the place could no longer accommodate these people.
Or perhaps the silence of Li Huaide and Honggang Group frightened some people, and after their anger subsided, they calmed down and knew how to think things through.
Li Xuewu received a phone call in Fengcheng from the group's general manager's office. During the call, the office director relayed the requirements of General Manager Li Huaide.
General Manager Li demanded that Honggang Group actively cooperate with the investigation, and that no one disobey orders, and that the facts and circumstances be truthfully disclosed.
Li Xuewu didn't ask what the situation was, because even Li Huaide didn't know what the other party wanted to know.
The current silence of Honggang Group has directly impacted its production and operations.
The group remained silent, some projects were quietly halted, some business activities were quietly cancelled, and some production activities were also brought to a standstill.
In the first month of the second quarter, the production and operating data reported by Honggang Group plummeted, leaving those who were waiting to see what would happen completely astonished.
The Northern Industry Daily continued its reporting, publishing extensive articles about everything concerning Honggang Group, exposing all its mistakes.
The silence of Honggang Group seems to confirm that their report is true, flawless, and irrefutable.
But the long silence made them perform a one-man show, which seemed so ridiculous.
Li Huaide was truly patient; he didn't respond to either the slander in the newspapers or the teasing and meaningful probing over the phone.
He didn't even arrange for anyone to go to the steel city to "seek divination," because he had already achieved enlightenment.
-
"Will this project be halted or not?"
Lu Yuanshen was afraid that he had done too much or too little, so he took the initiative to go to Li Xuewu's office, pointed to the location on the map, and asked for clarification.
Li Xuewu looked up at him and asked, "Have you received your transfer order?"
"Hmm? No, not at the moment."
Lu Yuanshen was taken aback, but still replied, "I've already completed the handover process, but I haven't received the transfer documents for me yet."
"Because I haven't spoken to you yet."
Li Xuewu tossed the documents aside and said indifferently, "Just do what you're supposed to do, and mind your own business."
"I understand, I'm not qualified yet."
Lu Yuanshen was not annoyed by his reprimand; on the contrary, he felt relieved, wiped the non-existent sweat from his brow, nodded, and said, "This project cannot be stopped; we must speed up the progress."
"Where is the equipment?" Li Xuewu asked without looking up. "Did Xu Sinian contact you?"
"Not yet, but it will be soon."
Lu Yuanshen reported, "I'll discuss it with United Construction. Now that we have some free time, we can speed up the construction of the factory area."
"Okay, go ahead and do your thing."
He simply nodded casually, not wanting to discuss the matter he had reported further, nor was he in the mood for it.
Even as the warm spring breeze stirred the white curtains in the office, his attention remained fixed on the documents in his hands, unmoved.
Lu Yuan gave him a deep look before nodding and leaving. Zhang Enyuan appeared at the door like a shadow and escorted him to the stairwell.
"I'm not afraid of anything else, I'm just afraid of affecting the Secretary-General's plans and arrangements." As if there were some things left unsaid, or things that were inconvenient or inappropriate to say in the office, just as Lü Yuanshen was about to go downstairs, he turned to Zhang Enyuan and said, "I trust the Secretary-General."
“We all trust our leaders.” Zhang Enyuan smiled slightly and nodded, saying, “The work at Steel & Gas is going very well. Director Li called yesterday to ask about your production.”
He only said a few nice things to appease the other party, and Lu Yuanshen didn't care whether it was a genuine evaluation of the steel industry or whether it wasn't actually said by Director Li.
Once these words come out of Zhang Enyuan's mouth, they are already a done deal.
Of course, Zhang Enyuan's words were both useful and useless; they were just a few words of evaluation and praise, not a reward or bonus.
Lu Yuanshen's situation is like this now; he is a person standing on the stairs, and he will fall down if he is not careful, unless he is at ease and walks down slowly.
Zhang Enyuan understood this perfectly, so he stood at the top of the stairs and watched the other person's figure disappear before returning to his office.
Spring winds are so changeable, just like a girl you've just met. On your first meeting, she looks down on you because you're wearing thick clothes and doesn't bother to give you a second glance.
But when you met for the second time, you showed off your new clothes and your impressive figure under the light clothing, and she seemed to become interested again, and her temperature rose.
When you only need to wear a shirt, with the muscles at the collar peeking out from under the fabric, she's like a passionate and unrestrained young girl, constantly stirring your heartstrings and making you want to wear even thinner and less clothing.
It has to be said, spring is truly captivating, and the words used to describe it are equally captivating.
"Mr. Z has already returned from North Korea."
Zhang Enyuan didn't know where to begin with the news, so he walked to the tea cabinet, picked up a thermos, and went to Li Xuewu's desk to add hot water for him.
Li Xuewu pointed to the newspaper and asked, "What's the news today?"
"No, it's too early. I'm afraid you've forgotten."
Zhang Enyuan picked up the newspaper on the table, glanced at it, and said, "Factory 346 has successfully designed and manufactured its first 1,000-kilogram universal testing machine for polymer materials. It's the headline on the side page."
"Furthermore, the hydrogen-resistant bricks, ultra-lightweight insulation bricks, and ultra-lightweight clay bricks trial-produced by Jicheng Insulation Materials Factory have reached or exceeded the world's advanced level."
“Every day, new industrial forces are advancing—” Li Xuewu said, turning the pages of the document in his hand. “Every day, there are new breakthroughs.”
Would you like to know about the group's news?
He put down the newspaper, picked up the "United Industries Daily," glanced at it, and said, "The Group's Sales Corporation's Automobile Sales Company has begun distributing IWL, a high-end East German brand of motorcycles..."
"It won't sell well; it looks ugly."
Before he could finish reading the title, Li Xuewu interrupted him, saying, "That car was everywhere in East Germany, but it couldn't compare to the agility of the Comet or the stability of the Venus."
"Isn't this a bit like a self-promoting vendor praising their own wares?" Zhang Enyuan said, trying to make him laugh, seeing that he had been working for too long.
Most of the documents on the table have been processed; the rest can be read in an afternoon.
To be honest, although Li Xuewu works in the steel city, he has a lot of tasks related to the group, and the long distance has even caused delays and backlogs.
Li Xuewu often has to work overtime to handle these matters, otherwise he won't have time to go out and conduct research.
“Not at all, you’ll see when you see it.” Li Xuewu looked up at his secretary Zhang Enyuan and said, “Like a clumsy goose.”
He designed the comet, which is why Zhang Enyuan said he was just bragging.
But he wasn't being arrogant. He had seen the models being introduced. It was equivalent to the Honggang Group's project of exporting motorcycles to East Germany. The Yifa Automobile Production Alliance was also exporting its own motorcycle brand to the internal channels owned by the Honggang Group.
What do you call this? Self-deception.
In fact, East Germany lacked both cars and motorcycles; otherwise, it wouldn't have imported cars from China from so far away. This is truly a ridiculous situation.
That's not all. To cover up this embarrassing situation caused by resource shortages, they created a reciprocal trade program.
As mentioned earlier, they sell motorcycles from Honggang Group, and Honggang Group also sells their motorcycles.
Of course, don't take it too seriously. Even if they can sell it, they can't provide more production capacity. On the contrary, they need Honggang Group's production capacity even more.
Therefore, this motorcycle is very expensive, and the pedals are not suitable for urban and rural roads, so it can only be ridden in the city.
Nowadays, the road conditions in mainland China are really not suitable for this kind of "delicate lady" to drive on the road. On the contrary, the sturdy, durable and simple-structured Comet is more suitable for the market.
If they encounter a muddy road, anyone with a bit of strength can carry the comet across.
Even two women riding bicycles together could lift the comet out of the muddy road.
Can't Li Xuewu draw a white rabbit?
Of course he could, he could draw even more exaggerated and cool motorcycles, but that wouldn't suit this era.
Even if he drew up a design for a motorcycle with wings, and Xia Zhongquan went crazy and started production, how could it possibly fly?
So when he heard that East German motorcycles were coming ashore, he knew that these cheap imitations would definitely drown in the inland market.
The market that BMW and Mercedes-Benz failed to penetrate was first tested by the Santana, because in the eyes of Chinese people, the Santana was like half a tank.
Therefore, durability is the top priority, and Li Xuewu has no interest in this car.
"The Aries is now officially on sale."
Zhang Enyuan wanted to talk about what he wanted to talk about, so the topics he brought up were all things that interested him.
Cars, electrical appliances, airplanes, metallurgy, and so on are all topics that Li Xuewu is particularly interested in, especially cars.
"According to SteelCars, the Cruiser and Tundra are also expected to be launched this year."
"It would be best if it wasn't just bragging."
Li Xuewu put down his pen, slowly stood up, strolled to the window, looked at the spring scenery outside, stretched out his arms, and said, "These cars are all precious gems."
Can Aries make money?
Zhang Enyuan wasn't worried about the Cruiser and Tundra, because those two vehicles weren't designed for ordinary people at all.
If you really want to buy one, that's fine, but neither the high-quality features of the cruiser nor the modularity of the Tundra are affordable for the average person.
In comparison, Aries is much more approachable, especially in terms of price.
"Aries only costs 8,600 yuan."
Li Xuewu turned around, letting the spring breeze ruffle his shirt, and looked at Zhang Enyuan, saying, "The reason Gemini is so popular is because it's small and affordable."
"But Gemini has one drawback, which is that it is a Gemini."
He pointed at Zhang Enyuan and said, "If we're looking for a car that's suitable inside and out and loved by young and old alike, I think the Aries is much more practical than the Gemini."
"Is it because Shouqi's adoption of the Aries model for taxis gave you confidence that you think the Aries model is more popular in the market?"
Zhang Enyuan smiled and reminded him, "Three thousand yuan is already a price that ordinary people consider an insurmountable barrier. I'm afraid there are very few people in the whole country who can afford eight thousand six hundred yuan."
"Just because it's not there now doesn't mean it won't be in the future."
Li Xuewu picked up the watering can from the corner of the wall, looked at the flowers and plants in the flowerpots, and slowly watered them, saying, "We need to open up the existing market first."
"County officials can only use the 212, and they envy the city officials who have both high-end and low-end models. Now that there's the Aries, they can buy three 212s for the price of one."
He glanced back at Zhang Enyuan and said with a smile, "This is called an open strategy. Aries wasn't originally in it for the money."
“I knew it would be like this.” Zhang Enyuan smiled, put down the newspaper in his hand, walked over and took the water bottle from him, and said, “On the contrary, Gemini and motorcycles are more profitable.”
“Of course.” Li Xuewu handed over the water bottle, wiped his hands on a towel, walked to the side and picked off the withered leaves, saying, “Management and trade are the same; you have to be strategic.”
"Selling well doesn't necessarily mean making money, and selling averagely doesn't necessarily mean losing money."
“If that’s the case, then Beijing Automotive might be the only company stirring things up in the newspapers.” Zhang Enyuan looked up at him and smiled, “I think it’s very likely.”
“People will say you’re judging others by your own petty standards.” Li Xuewu tapped him, shook his head, and said, “Market competition is just a game; you have to accept the consequences.”
“Not necessarily,” Zhang Enyuan said in a teasing tone. “When Mr. Z met with Kenzo Matsumura and others from the Japanese trading company on the 19th, he talked about four principles of Sino-Japanese trade.”
He put down the kettle in his hand, looked at Li Xuewu, and asked, "Do you think the international market will give us a fair chance to compete, where we are willing to accept the consequences of our gambles?"
"That depends on how you negotiate," Li Xuewu said calmly as he walked back behind his desk and sat down. "The Japanese businessmen won't run away; they're as tough as nails."
“President Gao is pessimistic about this matter.” Zhang Enyuan tidied up the mess, walked to the pile of documents, picked out a file, and handed it over, saying, “She said she’s heartbroken.”
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu took it and looked at it, only to see that Gao Yaqin had indeed commented in that day's newspaper, "My heart is sinking."
Sometimes it's interesting to see Gao Yaqin. She has a lively side, perhaps because she has worked in the field of foreign trade for a long time, and she is also more forward-thinking or sensitive to the times.
“It’s all temporary.” He finished reading the newspaper and put it aside, then pointed at Zhang Enyuan and said, “Believe it or not, in less than two years, a large number of Japanese merchants will flood into Liaodong.”
"Huh?" Zhang Enyuan clearly didn't believe it, his eyes widening as he exclaimed, "How is that possible!"
“Why not?” Li Xuewu said decisively. “Just look at the map and you’ll know that Japan lacks raw materials for production, yet it needs a huge market to consume its industrial capacity.”
"Where else can compare to the inland countries that are closer to them, have a larger market, and are richer in raw materials?"
“This…” Zhang Enyuan frowned, thinking of the unpleasant history, and asked, “Do they still harbor wolfish ambitions?”
“Yes, of course, it’s not just them—” Li Xuewu chuckled and shook his head, saying, “Even those Sami want it.”
Zhang Enyuan was confused by what he said. He didn't know where "Samida" represented, but it was in Northeast Asia.
***
April was relatively calm, but at the 27th Spring Guangzhou Trade Fair, Mr. Z put forward the instruction that "foreign trade should promote production and domestic trade, and promote the combination of production, use and scientific research," which is almost the working route of Honggang Group.
Suddenly, all the news about the Honggang Group's power line disappeared from the newspapers, and no one mentioned it again, as if it had vanished into thin air, or as if no one had ever mentioned it at all.
When Li Xuewu saw this report, he knew that the economic situation in mainland China was changing quietly, and it was a change that was inevitable.
The fact that Mr. [Name] stood up to defend Honggang Group shows that the economy needs diverse experiments and also needs companies like Honggang Group to be pioneers.
Therefore, the decline in production and business activities in April dealt a heavy blow to those previous accusations.
"You've written a new book?"
Gu Ning entered the study and saw him writing something. Curious, she leaned over to take a look and saw that it looked like a new book. She couldn't help but ask, "What is it about?"
"Peace." Li Xuewu didn't stop writing and answered directly, "The book will be called 'Defending Peace'."
"The third part?" Gu Ning remembered that he had written "Defend the People" and "Defend Industry", and now he was going to write "Defend Peace", so it was a defense trilogy.
"Are you trying to make me laugh?" Li Xuewu looked up at her and asked, "Are the children asleep?"
"Finally, I've got her to sleep." Gu Ning said casually, rubbing her hands with oil. "Do you know Li Shu got into trouble?"
"Huh? You've gotten into trouble?" Li Xuewu blinked in surprise and asked, "Weren't you fine?"
“You seem fine now, but the trouble started at the beginning of the month.” Gu Ning twitched the corner of her mouth and avoided his gaze as she said, “She took Li Tang and Li Ning to urinate in the medicinal wine sealed by their grandfather.”
"What the heck?!"
Li Xuewu was so shocked by the news she shared that his train of thought was completely disrupted, because after returning home, Old Li had specifically called to say that the medicinal wine he had sent over a few days ago was very effective.
"I only found out later; her grandmother told me not to tell anyone."
Gu Ning sighed helplessly and said, "She's incredibly mischievous, and she even drags her two younger brothers into it."
“Don’t let them go to the compound. The old ladies miss the children, but if we let them go, they’ll just get naughty.” She looked at Li Xuewu and reminded him, “Besides, the whole family spoils them.”
"That's too absolute." Li Xuewu gave up on continuing to write, tightened his pen, stood up, and said, "Their aunt won't spoil them."
“But Li Xue isn’t home.” Gu Ning rolled her eyes at him, wondering why he was still talking about this at a time like this. “That’s why this hiccup took so long.”
She sighed softly and said, "There's no point in fighting now."
“I shouldn’t have hit her then.” Li Xuewu nodded and said, “She listens to Li Shu. She’s just a child, it’s normal for her to be naughty.”
"You—" Gu Ning didn't expect that Li Xuewu would spoil the children even more than the old man. He could be strict in front of the children, but behind their backs, he was a slave to them.
"Anyway, I've already told you. Go apologize to Dad."
She rolled her eyes, turned around and went to the master bedroom. She really didn't want to talk about it; she was too embarrassed.
Li Xuewu scratched his chin and caught up with him, asking, "So much time has passed, is there still a need to apologize?"
"Besides, this was Li Shu's mistake, so let her grandfather beat her."