dognovel Chapter 1576 So Cunning
Chapter 1576 So Cunning
Chapter 1576 So Cunning
"This location is reserved for the bus factory, and the rest is just ahead," Lü Yuanshen said, pointing to the open space in the factory area. "The construction will begin now."
"The soil should have all dissolved by now, right?"
Li Xuewu stood with his hands behind his back in front of the open space, surveying the scale of the site, and asked, "When is the factory planned to be completed?"
“I asked United Construction, and they said it would take at least three months, and even then they would have to expedite the process.”
Lu Yuanshen stood beside him and reported earnestly, "We can mobilize our employees to do voluntary labor, but United Construction does not recommend doing so. They say that construction is now done by professionals."
“You might not know this,” Li Xuewu said, taking a few steps forward and waving his hand. “United Construction has developed very rapidly in recent years.”
As he said this, he arrived at the plot of land where the foundation was to be excavated. He squatted down and looked at the unpaved parts, saying, "I never would have imagined this."
“I know that Santayar Group has provided United Construction with a lot of standardized construction theories.”
When Lü Yuanshen saw him get up, he offered to help him up, but it was just for show.
Li Xuewu held a higher position than him, but was much younger and didn't have any issues with aging arms or legs, so he didn't need his help at all.
“That’s one reason.” Li Xuewu nodded at him, then looked at the other cadres accompanying Steel & Automobile and explained, “United Construction also has its own set of development goals and standards, which is the main reason why they can achieve this level of construction speed and standards today.”
"We need to define the process, set the standards, and also develop the construction procedures and specific plans."
He patted the dirt off his hands and said with a smile, "I don't know the specifics, but I know they listened to the requirements of the group's management committee."
"One is standards, and the other is management."
Li Xuewu held up two fingers and emphasized, "Standards govern technology, equipment, and even all construction processes, big and small."
"Once there are work standards, management becomes much easier and processes are simplified considerably."
He pointed to the construction site of the metallurgical plant not far away and said, "Now they don't need voluntary labor support because they are going to implement mechanized construction, and it is easy for accidents to occur if they are not professionals."
"Furthermore, our group's construction workers are currently in a state of abundance."
"This is probably the main reason."
Lu Yuanshen said with a smile, "Anyway, United Construction's reply to me was that unrelated personnel are prohibited from entering the construction site, and they will not be responsible for any accidents that may occur."
"You need to pay attention to this. They are serious about engineering, so you need to be serious too."
Li Xuewu pointed at him and said, "Accidents like this happen every year, there's no need for it."
"I understand, I've already told the security department." Lu Yuanshen still vividly remembers the work safety accident he suffered before the Lunar New Year, so he dared not relax.
"On the one hand, we focus on security and supervision, and on the other hand, we strengthen publicity." He reported, "Employees' family members are not allowed to enter the factory area; our factory's management is very strict."
“The construction site may involve the behavior of employees and their families after get off work.”
Lu Yuanshen carefully chose his words, trying not to be too direct, "United Construction also has its own security force, so let's coordinate and communicate more between the two sides."
"Yes, you need to be prepared for that yourself."
Li Xuewu didn't want to keep emphasizing such trivial matters; he found it annoying.
What do grassroots employees find most annoying when their superiors say?
It's these kinds of small things that we talk about repeatedly, and everyone knows they're serious when we bring them up, but we don't take them seriously until they happen.
Anyway, he's not a talkative or nagging person, and he doesn't mince words when something goes wrong.
"The bus manufacturing production line, auxiliary production equipment, and parts production equipment shipped from East Germany are about to arrive at Yingcheng Port."
He glanced back at the steel and gas company's cadres and said, "At most, it will take a month to deliver it to your factory. There will be a lot of rain in the spring, so you should consider the consequences."
"The foundation of the main production workshop was almost completed during the winter. It should be ready around the same time as the equipment arrives at the factory and the preparation and installation takes place."
Lu Yuanshen thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "I have already discussed this with the team members. Each person will be responsible for one area to ensure a smooth transition."
"But I just don't know..."
He gave a wry smile when he got to this point. He didn't say the rest, but Li Xuewu understood, as did the other steel and gas company cadres.
The atmosphere at the scene was somewhat somber, perhaps because the group's handling of Factory Director Lü Yuanshen gave them a sense of shared sorrow.
Li Xuewu did not comfort him, but turned around and looked at the rumbling production workshop with a deep gaze.
Starting with only one production line, Gangcheng Automobile has gone through an extremely difficult journey over the past three years to become a comprehensive automobile manufacturing plant with four complete automobile production lines.
Four independent production lines for motorcycles, cars, off-road vehicles, and buses support all mass-produced vehicles in Honggang Group's automotive industry, laying a solid economic foundation for the group's development.
The first thing that should be written on this record of achievements is the contribution of the first factory director, Lü Yuanshen.
But this is an era that values dedication over merit, and his achievements were only part of the overall considerations of the group's management committee leaders.
His contributions are significant and his abilities are strong; this is evident to the group's leaders without him needing to say it.
But he wasn't the only one in the entire group who made great contributions and was highly capable. With so many production units and branches, which person in charge didn't shoulder the burden?
The steel and automobile industries are developing rapidly, but are the steel and electricity industries not developing as fast? What about the steel and aviation industries? What about the metallurgical plants?
Compared to other companies, the steel and automobile industry is incredibly powerful, but within the group, even a pat on the shoulder isn't the most impressive; the earliest-starting metallurgical plant is the truly powerful one.
With the earliest technology transfer agreement signed by Santay Group, Honggang Group has a development foundation comparable to Japan's 20 years ago. In addition, with the introduction and cooperation of the latest technologies, it will lag behind Japan by at most ten years.
Ten years is a critical period in the long history of industrial development, but it is nothing for Honggang Group, which has accumulated technological and productive strength.
Li Xuewu set a goal for the metallurgical plant to catch up with Japan's steel metallurgical technology within ten years.
Whether this goal is difficult or not depends on whether Honggang Group can unleash its full potential in the metallurgical industry and whether its cooperation with the international market can achieve stable growth.
Honggang Group's industrial base in Liaodong is entirely built on the high-quality development of its metallurgical plant. It was the continuous supply of higher-quality production materials from the metallurgical plant that made Honggang Group determined to establish an integrated light and heavy industrial base in Liaodong.
In terms of technological innovation, the steel and gas plant has only been around for four years, while the metallurgical plant is already in its fifth year. Dong Wenxue started working on related projects as soon as he arrived in the steel city.
Therefore, Lü Yuanshen only dared to talk about hard work, not merit, and he was not ranked among the merits.
"Is it not New Year's just because we hear the dragon's roar?"
Li Xuewu glanced at him, then strode towards the production workshop, saying, "The training for Trabet's technical staff is about to end."
"We are ready to receive you."
After calming himself down, Lü Yuanshen reported very seriously, "As long as the technical personnel are in place, we can start working immediately."
"The people from the Automotive Engineering Research Institute of the research institute will follow up." Li Xuewu pointed with his finger and said, "We must thoroughly understand the technology they bring."
"I don't care what methods you use, you have to make sure they fully master the knowledge in their minds and the skills in their hands."
He stopped and looked back at the steel company's cadres, emphasizing, "Even if it means cheating and deceiving, we will not hesitate."
These words were so blunt that everyone was taken aback.
But what Li Xuewu said next made them understand why he emphasized it so absolutely.
"This kind of opportunity only comes once."
He nodded to everyone and said, "But we don't have much time left."
Everyone could hear the seriousness and urgency in his words. Whether it was a task given by the times or stemmed from the leader's own understanding of the international market, they didn't know.
They were not decision-makers; in front of Li Xuewu, they were all executors and had to strictly follow the tasks assigned by the group.
Is Li Xuewu exaggerating or making a fuss about something?
Not at all. This is the spring of 70 years ago, and two years later, the country will also usher in a true spring of economic and industrial development.
Taking the automotive industry as an example, if advanced automotive production technology were truly introduced, would it be the turn of Honggang Group to take over?
In Li Xuewu's view, it was wishful thinking and absolutely impossible.
Looking at the future, FAW, SAIC, and even Beijing Automotive Group can all get opportunities for technology introduction or even joint ventures. What about Honggang Group?
Steel and automobiles are the tertiary industries of Honggang Group. To this day, they have not been integrated into the domestic planned production economy. How can they obtain such policies?
You might say that the first joint venture in China's automotive industry was finalized in the 1980s, but the basic cooperation didn't start that late.
Old Ni's trip was not in vain. Back then, he relaxed some export controls to the mainland, and then the restrictions became looser year by year. He was even closer to the mainland than the North.
Great power rivalry—that's a honeymoon period.
North America is a powerhouse in the automotive industry, and if Honggang Group develops even a little slower, it will lose the opportunity to compete with them.
That's right, Li Xuewu envisions the future of Steel Auto as one of competition.
Li Huaide had emphasized at a Honggang Group office meeting that the group's tertiary industry would never be included in the planned production sequence.
This is the foundation upon which Honggang Group stands, and it is also the standard for a market-oriented experimental enterprise: we must adhere to a development strategy based on product competition.
Even excluding the technology introduction that will begin the year after next, the question remains: will Honggang Group's automotive industry be able to withstand the market impact of imported cars ten years from now?
Li Xuewu's competitive attitude towards this issue is both cautious and shows his strong determination.
How will you know it won't work if you don't try?
Honggang Group's automotive industry is redefining domestic automotive production standards while building a supply chain that aligns with the development direction of the global automotive industry.
Even if we can't match the production capacity of our domestic supply chain with those of countries with developed automotive industries, we should still be able to put up a fight.
A comprehensive automotive industrial enterprise that covers motorcycles, cars, off-road vehicles, buses, and special vehicles must be ruthless to itself in order to compete.
Li Xuewu agrees with the comments made by some domestic automobile manufacturers regarding Honggang Group's acquisition of a large amount of automobile production technology from East Germany last year.
What did they say? They said Li Huaide from Honggang Group went to East Germany to collect scrap.
It was indeed dilapidated. Compared to the rapidly developing international automotive industry, East Germany was still living off its past achievements, and was even running out of resources.
However, for the mainland, and for Honggang Group, whose automobile industry has only been developing for less than three years, the technologies introduced from East Germany at least filled the gaps in technological accumulation.
Without the collaboration with Trabet, how could SteelCar have acquired independent suspension system technology, thermosetting plastic material technology, and a complete set of engine technology?
Moreover, it also boasts technologies such as a front double wishbone and rear trailing arm, and a high-revving naturally aspirated engine, which are among the best in the world.
Without the cooperation with the Ludwigsfeld plant, how could Honggang Group have achieved further cooperation with Shenyang Aircraft Corporation?
Both parties have made ample preparations for the production technologies of aircraft jet engines and marine diesel engines jointly developed and established.
Whether in terms of engines or body structure, Honggang Group's automotive industry has made more than one step forward.
Given the current environment and with so little capital at hand, what more could you want after buying so much from East Germany?
Li Xuewu is here today to inspect the steel and automobile industry, and his main focus is on the implementation of the Fritz Fleischer bus manufacturing plant project, which was entirely relocated from East Germany.
Medium and large buses have always been an area that Steel & Automobile has not fully explored. Even though Steel & Automobile has successively produced the 45-seat Honghai and the 12-seat Hongtu buses, it is not yet a leader in the domestic bus manufacturing industry.
Once the Fritz Fleischer bus manufacturing plant project is completed, Honggang Group will have complete production capacity for medium and large buses.
Only automotive companies can understand the significance of a complete production plant being established.
Honggang Group took three years to operate the off-road vehicle and sedan production projects, but the medium and large bus project could be put into production immediately upon its launch.
Including transportation and installation, and trial operation, it will take at most half a year.
The bus manufacturing plant project brings not only the production capacity of one model, but also comprehensive technological improvements.
Li Xuewu didn't care about Lü Yuanshen's ulterior motives, nor did he want to hear his complaints and grievances. Even if the group transferred him away tomorrow, he still had to do the preparations.
***
"Secretary-General, you know me."
Lu Yuanshen placed the teacup in front of Li Xuewu and said humbly, "I don't want to think about all that nonsense. I just want to know how many more days I can work at the steel mill."
After putting down his teacup, he sat down in front of Li Xuewu, nodded and said, "If there's still time, I'll lead my comrades to make another effort."
"If there isn't enough time, then I'll prepare for the handover and make arrangements for the work I have on hand."
Haven't you made any arrangements yet?
Li Xuewu glanced at the teacup he brought over, then looked at him and said, "I heard you even sent a batch of luggage back?"
"You can't keep me here until the end of the year."
Lu Yuanshen said with a wry smile, "My wife just happened to be visiting me, so I had her take them all back with her. I kept this season's clothes."
"I won't lie to you," Li Xuewu said, putting down his right leg which was folded up, and looking at him. "Director Li has already asked for my opinion on how to handle and arrange things for you."
Upon hearing this, Lü Yuanshen sat up straight, his expression tense, like a prisoner awaiting sentencing.
Li Xuewu, however, did not tease him with his mischievousness. Instead, he explained frankly, "But Director Li did not give me a definite answer, nor did he reveal his attitude towards arranging your next steps."
"However, there is one thing I can tell you."
He tapped the coffee table in front of him and said, "What I say doesn't count. Director Li fully affirmed your work and contributions at the steel company on the phone."
"Secretary-General..." Perhaps due to the recent pressure, Lu Yuanshen was moved to tears upon hearing this.
Li Xuewu looked at him with amusement and said, "Is that all you aspire to?"
“No—” Lu Yuanshen shook his head with tears streaming down his face, wiped his eyes and said, “To receive such affirmation from the leader means that I haven’t worked for nothing for three years at the steel company.”
“Have some self-respect—” Li Xuewu glanced at him, picked up his teacup and said, “Dealing with you after such a long time is already a sign of our attitude.”
"I know, I know what happened."
Lu Yuan took a deep sniff and, suppressing his excitement, said, "If it weren't for your help to calm me down, I would have become a prime example long ago."
“I told you, what I say doesn’t count.” Li Xuewu took a sip of hot tea, put down the teacup, and said calmly, “You also know about the personnel situation in the group.”
"But at this time, only you can help me."
Lu Yuanshen nodded with a slight smile and said sincerely, "They say that time will tell, and only now have I truly learned that."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu looked him up and down with amusement and said, "You're quite knowledgeable."
"Don't laugh at me, I only graduated from junior high school."
Lu Yuanshen picked up his teacup and took a big gulp, suppressing his emotions, and said with a wry smile, "The skills I have are all things I learned later on at work."
“Yes, most of the middle-level managers in the group are like that.” Li Xuewu nodded slowly, looking at him and saying, “This is a common phenomenon.”
"I know the group is pushing for younger managers," Lü Yuanshen said, putting down his teacup and tentatively asking, "Won't the educational requirements for managers also become higher and stricter?"
"Well, how should I put it—" Li Xuewu pondered for a moment, then looked up at him and said, "Do you know how many college graduates the group has recruited since 66?"
“This…” Lu Yuanshen had never paid attention to this data before, but Li Xuewu remembered it very clearly. He raised his eyebrows and said, “In four years, the total number of people exceeded three thousand.”
"Ah!" Lu Yuanshen had never paid attention before, and when he heard the number of people mentioned, his mouth dropped open in surprise.
Do you know what this means?
Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "In four years, Deputy Director Gu has spent more than two million on this talent introduction project."
"This huge sum of money is a cost, and it must be returned. What kind of return do you think these three thousand college graduates from all over the country can bring to the group?"
He didn't wait for Lü Yuanshen to guess or think, and tapped the coffee table with his finger, saying, "I won't explain the technical accumulation, the main thing is management talent."
Do you think that today's corporate finance professionals are still high school graduates working as accountants?
Li Xuewu chuckled and shook his head slightly, saying, "Three of the team members brought by Li Xue are graduates of the Central University of Finance and Economics. She herself said that she is under a lot of pressure."
"Director Li has repeatedly emphasized the importance of younger cadres at personnel work meetings. Let me tell you a fact: the proportion of college graduates among grassroots cadres is particularly high."
He raised his finger and pointed at Lü Yuanshen sitting opposite him, saying, "In less than ten years, if you people don't study hard, you'll have to make way for them."
"I am forty years old this year, Secretary-General."
Lu Yuanshen suddenly felt exhausted and said with a wry smile, "Even if you asked me to go to the workshop now, I might not be able to handle it. I don't know how to operate a CNC lathe, so how am I supposed to learn?"
"Even if I study hard, I'll be fifty in ten years, an age that's neither here nor there. How can I compete with these young people?"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled, picked up his teacup, and said, "There's endless joy in competing with others."
"We can't afford to compete, and we can't win."
Lu Yuanshen suddenly felt that the past few months of anxiety and fear had been utterly pointless. Even if he managed to achieve a good result now, what about the future?
Li Xuewu had already said that they would have to give up their positions before the deadline, but in his opinion, that was still too much time.
Before 66, the factory would get two or three college graduates a year, sometimes as many as seven or eight. But in that year, more than twenty college graduates entered the factory.
Those outstanding individuals from that batch, like Zhou Yao, have already taken up positions as heads of the security department within the group. Even though the head position has become somewhat less prestigious after the major departmental restructuring, the drive and ambition of this group of university graduates are still evident.
The best arrangement for him to return to the group would be as the deputy manager of a major department, only one level higher than Zhou Yao. Is that a difference of ten years?
Zhou Yao, who joined the factory in 1966, is 26 years old this year. In ten years, she will be 36 years old and will definitely be the main force of the group. Where will these old guys go?
A fifty-year-old trying to compete with a thirty-six-year-old?
Even without Li Xuewu saying anything about studying hard, he had already accepted this failure.
It wasn't that he was afraid of Zhou Yao at thirty-six years later, but rather that he knew that Zhou Yao wouldn't be the only one to rise to that level ten years from now.
These days, college graduates are so sought after that Honggang Group is willing to spend over two million yuan to snatch them up, providing them with work and research opportunities.
If this is the case with university graduates, how many professors must have been poached?
There's a reason why Honggang Group was able to take over the technology introduced by Santay Group and the technology brought back from East Germany.
Even if only one out of ten out of three thousand people can be selected, three hundred will still make it into the middle management ranks, and if only one out of ten is selected again, thirty will still get middle and senior management positions.
That's still ten years from now!
Do you think Lü Yuanshen's sense of powerlessness is real or not? How many middle and senior management positions are there in the entire group?
With over three hundred people rushing up, where would these old guys like Deng have a place?
These three thousand people are the current number. This year, the group's own vocational and technical college will welcome its first batch of graduates, and that will be many more.
As people surge upwards, a large influx of new talent with higher levels of cultural awareness and stronger work capabilities will squeeze their living space.
He doesn't disagree at all that the future belongs to young people, but he'll only be fifty years old in ten years, in his prime.
Faced with these young and energetic cadres, he retired?
***
"How did you talk to him?"
Bu Qingfang picked up her coffee, took a sip, and asked with a smile, "Why don't I see any more of a dejected look on Lao Lü's face?"
"What's that expression?" Li Xuewu, who was looking at the documents in his hand, looked up, scratched his eyebrows, and asked, "Is he dejected?"
“Of course not now.” Bu Qingfang grinned. “From what I heard in his words, it seemed like he… had figured it out.”
"Ha—" Li Xuewu couldn't help but laugh out loud at her nonsense. His eyes fell on the documents in his hand, and he picked up his teacup and said, "What are you talking about? He has no intention of becoming a monk."
“I never said he would become a monk; he’s living the high life.” Bu Qingfang curled her lip and said, “I meant that he’s come to terms with advancement and doesn’t want to compete anymore.”
“Is that so—” Li Xuewu took a sip of hot tea, shook his head slightly, put down the teacup and said, “I didn’t see it.”
"He even advised me to do more practical things and waste less time." Bu Qingfang rubbed her neck with a look of utter disgust and asked, "What did you say to him?"
“If a single conversation could achieve this effect, I would have talked to you long ago.”
Li Xuewu put down the documents in his hand, looked at her with amusement, and said, "You're just too eager to improve."
"Who doesn't want to? Don't you want to?"
Bu Qingfang rolled her eyes and said, "When you're caught in the middle, you can't help it."
"That's called idealism—"
Li Xuewu smiled and tapped her, saying, "I want to do more practical things and waste less time."
“You must have said something to him,” Bu Qingfang couldn’t help but laugh. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said something like that to me.”
dong dong——
There was a knock at the door, and the two looked over at the same time, only to see two women standing there.
"Come on in." Li Xuewu nodded and said with a smile, "I hope I didn't disturb your work."
"Secretary-General, General Manager Bu."
The two nodded in unison to greet each other, and then smiled and shook their heads at the same time to indicate that they hadn't disturbed them.
"Feng Xiaolin, Deputy Director of the Personnel Department."
Li Xuewu raised his hand to introduce Bu Qingfang, saying, "Li Xue, the head of the finance department, you know her."
“We know each other, how could we not know each other?” Bu Qingfang nodded with a smile, looked the two of them up and down and said, “They are both outstanding female colleagues in the group.”
"The most outstanding ones are sitting right in front of you." Li Xuewu stood up with a smile, gestured for them to sit on the sofa, and eased their tension with a joke.
Feng Xiaolin and Li Xue were summoned together for some reason. Secretary Zhang only said that the Secretary-General had invited them over, but did not mention the team leader, Zhao Yong.
When he arrived at the office door and saw Bu Qingfang, the general manager of United Energy Development Corporation, there, his doubts only grew.
Sitting in front of them was the group's current secretary-general, who also headed the group's Liaodong industry, and the former deputy secretary-general, who is now the head of an important shareholding cooperative enterprise at the group's headquarters level.
Not to mention Li Xue, who has only been working for four years, even Feng Xiaolin, who has been working for ten years, felt nervous when facing the two of them.
Unless it's something important, they wouldn't meet with them alone, bypassing Zhao Yong.
"The Secretary-General really knows how to have a good conversation."
Bu Qingfang felt no pressure around Li Xuewu, and smiled as she looked at the two of them, saying, "Don't be nervous, we're just talking about work."
She didn't need Li Xuewu to act as a go-between, nor did she need him to lay the groundwork. She stated very directly, "Comrade Li Xue is going to join the group's investigation team stationed at United Energy Corporation, right?"
"Yes, Mr. Bu." Li Xue glanced at her second brother. With him here, she wasn't flustered. She could guess what was going on from the question.
Bu Qingfang nodded, then looked at Feng Xiaolin, who hadn't spoken, and asked, "I heard you'll be working at the Discipline Inspection Commission after you go back?"
"I haven't received any official notification yet." Feng Xiaolin smiled, but her answer was perfectly confidential.
"But before I left, he always talked to me about my future prospects, and Deputy Director Gu also talked to me."
She was ultimately facing someone no better than You Ning, and dared not play tricks on Bu Qingfang.
It would be too superficial to judge Bu Qingfang solely by her current position; her solid foundation built over many years in the publicity department is something she should definitely pay attention to.
So when answering the question, I still gave the actual situation. How the leader interprets it is their business.
Bu Qingfang didn't care about her attitude and said frankly, "It was I who took the initiative to propose to the Secretary-General that the group form a joint investigation team to be stationed in United Energy Corporation."
The news was shocking enough; at least judging from the blank expressions on their faces, they didn't know why she did this or why she told them these things.
"I understand that the joint investigation team dispatched by the group will move on to the next phase of the work plan, and I also know that more forces will join in."
She looked at the two of them, paused slightly at this point, giving them time to think and react.
At this moment, Li Xuewu put down his teacup and looked at Li Xue in a calm tone, saying, "Financial auditing will be the focus of the working group stationed at United Energy. President Bu means that he hopes you will work hard."
Li Xue's reaction was more direct; she stared wide-eyed at Bu Qingfang as if she were an idiot, while Bu Qingfang gave her a smirk.
This girl is a bit too naive.
"Your assignment to the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Department has been basically finalized." Li Xuewu turned to Feng Xiaolin and said, "Next, you will be in charge of establishing the Second Discipline Inspection and Supervision Division."
"You will soon receive orders to reinforce the joint investigation team stationed at United Energy after you return."
He noticed the doubt and confusion in the other person's eyes, and slowly nodded, saying, "I have already communicated with Deputy Director Zhou, and he shares the same opinion."
"Your first task in the Second Division is to take down the tough nut of United Energy, which is also a valuable opportunity for you to train and grow."
"Secretary-General, I..."
Feng Xiaolin was still in a daze. She hadn't even officially taken office yet, and now she was already being given work assignments, especially in front of Bu Qingfang.
"Don't feel pressured. The fact that President Bu is here is the strongest support you can give us."
Li Xuewu smiled faintly and said, "This is a process of scraping the bone to remove poison. She has an impatient temper and won't give you much time, so she came to see you in advance to give you some mental preparation."
Li Xue and the other woman looked at each other in surprise; they had never seen anyone anticipate such a thing before.
"Time is tight and the task is heavy." Bu Qingfang nodded slightly and introduced, "I have brought a summary of the basic situation of United Energy. You can take a copy back with you later."
Her gaze swept over the two of them, and she emphasized very seriously, "Investigate and prosecute them one by one. The breakthrough for United Energy lies with you."
"I came to see you ahead of time and even asked the secretary-general for help because I didn't want to meet you again later and put more pressure on you."
"Another one is to ask the Secretary-General to act as guarantor."
She looked at the two of them and solemnly promised, "As long as you can help United Energy cleanse itself of its filth and purify its atmosphere, I will definitely report your merits to the Group's Management Committee."
These words, spoken with a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry), left Feng Xiaolin and Li Xue momentarily speechless.
With Li Xuewu there, Li Xue felt more confident and, encouraged by her second brother, nodded and replied, "I will definitely do my best to complete my duties."
Upon hearing her answer, Bu Qingfang raised an eyebrow slightly. This was not the answer she wanted, but in her heart she had to admit that Li Xuewu had done a good job of teaching his sister.
Looking at Feng Xiaolin, she followed suit and earnestly stated that she would work hard if given the opportunity, but also thanked her for the opportunity.
Bu Qingfang wasn't entirely satisfied with their answers, but she knew that with Li Xuewu present, the two wouldn't give a vague answer.
Whether they trust their own promises or not is no longer important.
***
"Huaqing is really going to resume classes this time."
Li Xue sat to the left of her second brother. After Bu Qingfang left and he finished talking with Feng Xiaolin, Secretary Zhang saw them off. Only then did the two brothers start talking about family matters.
"Did your sister-in-law call you?" Li Xuewu looked his sister up and down, raising an eyebrow as he asked, "Worried about you coming to Gangcheng?"
"She's not worried at all with you here."
Li Xue, holding her teacup, said calmly, "She told me that there was news from above that universities might resume enrollment."
"And then? You want to go to university?" Li Xuewu smiled and asked, "Are you willing to give up your current job and position?"
"You need to understand that even if you retake the college entrance exam, you might not be able to get the same job as you do now after graduation."
"But they will definitely be stronger than me in the future."
Li Xue raised her head, looked at him intently, and said, "Whether it's work ability or theoretical knowledge, you are far superior to me by a whole level."
"Pressure is a good thing, but there's no need to be so paranoid and see threats everywhere." Li Xuewu leaned back on the sofa and tapped the armrest lightly with his fingers. "You don't even know the requirements for re-enrollment yet, how can you be so flustered?"
Li Xue kept her head down and didn't speak, and her silence showed that she was in a state of turmoil.
Li Xuewu was well aware of his sister's obsession. Even he, the "uneducated" second brother, could "get" a university degree, so why couldn't she?
Back then, she was the most confident person in the whole school to get into a top university, and she had her sights set on Tsinghua University ever since her older brother got into college. And what happened?
Her sister-in-law tutored her for over a year, but she still didn't get a chance.
She was unwilling to accept it. Sometimes she would dream that she had been admitted to university and was sitting in the classroom studying hard.
What others may not know, Li Xuewu does know that his younger sister has not given up her studies and is still studying diligently.
Even though the work was tough, she persevered. Her family didn't dare mention it, afraid of touching on her wounds and ruining her hopes and dreams.
"If you trust me, then work hard. If such an opportunity comes along, I won't let you regret it for the rest of your life."
Li Xuewu couldn't bear to see her sad, so he made a promise to her, which was unprecedented for him.
Li Xue was quite surprised. She looked up into her second brother's eyes, knowing all too well the strength of his ability to keep his promises.
If he says something, it can be done.
"real?!"
Do you believe me or not?
Li Xuewu smiled and nodded at her, saying, "Keep working hard. They've only just started organizing the resumption of classes; there's still a long way to go."
"Mmm—" Li Xue's voice was as gentle as a kitten's footsteps on snow. It was ultimately a regret in her life, and she couldn't let it go.
"Sister-in-law went back to work, but where's brother?"
Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, blew on it, and asked, "Aren't you afraid of being disappointed again?"
“My sister-in-law said she would see how things went, but this time it seems to be true.” Li Xue nodded and explained, “Even the back wages have been paid, including my brother’s.”
"Let's wait a bit longer. Their debts won't be paid off so quickly," Li Xuewu said calmly. "The owed wages are easy to pay, but there are still many other debts to repay."
Li Xue didn't quite understand what her second brother was saying, but she trusted his judgment.
"The headquarters of United Energy Corporation is in Beijing, but it has branches in major mines and cities in Liaodong. You will be traveling frequently from now on."
Li Xuewu thought for a moment and reminded her, "I won't arrange any backup plans for you, but you have to promise me that you won't act alone, and you certainly won't act rashly."
“I know, Second Brother.” Li Xue nodded seriously and said, “I only check the accounts; the actions are left to the leaders to judge.”
“Consider this a learning experience.” Li Xuewu looked at her and nodded slowly, saying, “Don’t take Bu Qingfang’s promises too seriously; even if they come true, it’s not guaranteed.”
"I'm afraid even Deputy Director Feng wouldn't believe it."
Li Xue chuckled and said, "She was still thinking of using you as a guarantor, but her words were so flimsy."
Having worked for several years, she had gained some experience. Looking into her second brother's eyes, she asked, "Even she herself is in a predicament after undergoing this 'scraping the bone to remove the poison' procedure; she can barely save herself, can she?"
“Not necessarily—” Li Xuewu squinted at his sister and said, “Everyone has their own plans. You don’t know what tricks she has up her sleeve, right?”
"Of course I know." Li Xue said with a smirk, "She says she can rely on the two of us, but she actually trusts her own arrangements more."
"That's normal. How could I keep those people in check without some tricks up my sleeve?" Li Xuewu said calmly. "They're all people who crawled out of the mines. If they get angry, they can kill you."
"So I won't be the one to stick my neck out. She wants to scrape the bone to remove the poison, but I'm not a knife in her hand that she can scrape however she wants."
Li Xue had a very clear mind. She took a sip of warm tea and said, "If something really happens, whoever is taller should take the lead."
"In your current state, can you still adapt to school life?"
Li Xuewu looked at his younger sister with amusement, feeling that she was growing up too fast and he was a little caught off guard.
At her age, shouldn't she be someone who rushes forward at the first sign of passion from her leader, risking her life? Why is she so calculating?
"What's wrong with me?" Li Xue looked up at him and asked in return, "What does this have to do with going to school? You're in college now too."
"Yes, well said." Li Xuewu nodded and smiled. "I hope you also have the ability to get a university degree like me."