dognovel Chapter 1524 Zhanggang City
Chapter 1524 Zhanggang City
Chapter 1524 Return to Steel City
"Are you sure you don't need me to take you?"
Li Xuewu wrapped his coat tighter around himself and looked at Shangguan Qi standing beside him, asking, "What should we say when we call home?"
"My second brother will come to pick me up."
Shangguan Qi smiled, looked him up and down curiously, and asked, "You really haven't had too much to drink?"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled as he walked down the steps and said, "Even if you bring twenty more, they still won't be able to outdrink me."
"Huh!" Shangguan Qi grinned in surprise, then stuck out his tongue as he recalled how he had dominated the dinner table.
Just as the secretary-general said, she came here to freeload, but it wasn't a wasted trip, as several leaders in the automotive industry gave her their contact information.
Of course, the other party also left her contact information.
Business cards have existed for a long time, but they have been given a new lease on life and have been further developed and promoted by Li Huaide of Honggang Group.
Old Li's business card is very special. It is made of special steel rolled by a steel rolling mill. It is ultra-thin, textured, neither too soft nor too hard, and features a dot-engraving process.
This was still Li Xuewu's suggestion.
But don't get me wrong, this isn't flattery. The business cards of the group's prominent leaders and the main persons in charge of the branches are all in the same style.
This small business card showcases the technical expertise and excellent craftsmanship of Honggang Group. You can't make something like this without real strength.
Since Li Huaide started using these business cards for social purposes within the industrial sector and industrial system of Beijing, this trend has started again.
So the business cards Shangguan Qi received were really diverse, including those made of cardboard, leather, plastic, and even those made of ironed silk paper.
In fact, these days, cadres prefer to write notes when doing things and communicating. They can write down what needs to be done or what needs to be entrusted to them on sticky notes and hand them over to the clerk for processing.
Business cards play an irreplaceable role compared to notes; they cannot write down the contents of a document, but they do contain personal information.
Sometimes when Liu Bin goes out on business, it's more convenient for him to carry Lao Li's business card; that's what makes it special.
What can I do with a business card?
At the dinner table, the secretary-general gave her the opportunity to speak, and she was given the task of answering any technical or scientific research questions.
It was precisely because of her professional attitude that she gained the recognition of a group of leaders. And considering that she was a young woman who became the project leader, no one underestimated her.
Shangguan Qi knew very well that it was the secretary-general who took care of her and nurtured her; without this relationship, how could she have made such connections?
Previously, she focused solely on scientific research and never paid attention to interpersonal relationships, believing that as long as she worked hard, she could earn respect.
But the reality was different. Her experiences after returning to China completely changed her outlook on life and values.
When I saw Peter again, it was the same both at home and abroad. No organization doesn't need personal connections. Even crematoriums have people asking for favors. You can't avoid it.
So when the secretary-general asked her if she was coming today, she agreed without hesitation, and more importantly, he was there too.
"If you have enough time, you can participate in the preparation of the optoelectronic research institute, after all, you brought the people back with you."
Li Xuewu rolled down the car window and looked at Shangguan Qi, saying, "I've already spoken to President Xia. Just tell him what you need."
"Thank you, Secretary-General—"
Shangguan Qi smiled and flashed the diamond watch on her wrist, saying, "And this too."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu looked at her, who was like a little girl, chuckled, shook his head, stepped on the gas, and drove away from the restaurant.
Shangguan Qi watched his car disappear from sight before looking down at the watch on her wrist, which she had been looking at all afternoon, and couldn't put it down.
-
"Housing allocation? That depends on contributions!"
Sha Zhu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and mumbled, "Everyone knows living in an apartment building is good, but with tens of thousands of people queuing up for housing, there has to be some rules and fairness, right?"
"Second brother, it seems like my second brother has returned."
Li Xuecai turned around and peered through the window into the west courtyard, where he saw lights on at the main gate.
"I'll go open the gate."
Grandma sat by the kang (a heated brick bed), got up, put on a coat, and went out. The children in the west room were still playing and chattering away.
Is it going to snow heavily tonight?
Li Xuewu wasn't sure if he could stay any longer, so he drove the car into the garage. When he came out, he saw that his grandmother had closed the gate, so he asked her a question.
"The sky looks terribly overcast." The old woman, holding her pipe, looked him over and asked, "Have you been drinking?"
"It's alright, I'm not drunk at all." Li Xuewu smiled, reached out and touched his coat, and said, "Is the east room cold? If you're cold, you can go to the backyard to stay."
"What's so cold? Xue Cai was burning coal so hard that my throat was dry when I got up in the middle of the night," the grandmother explained with a light laugh, knowing her grandson was concerned about her.
"I was just worried you'd get cold—"
Li Xuewu walked into the courtyard with his grandmother and said with concern, "It's snowing, and the roads are difficult to walk on. Let's not go to the warehouse. Let Guodong take care of things."
"Sure, there's nothing much to do at home anyway."
The old woman nodded and asked him, "I heard from your wife that you're leaving again tomorrow?"
"Yes, I have to go to the steel city. I've been away for almost half a month, and I'm really worried about my work," Li Xuewu explained. "I'll be back in a few days."
Will I be able to spend Chinese New Year at home this year?
Grandma let Li Xuewu open the door and went inside first, still wondering if he could come home for the New Year.
"We'll have to wait and see."
Li Xuewu said with a smile, "I'll try my best to arrange things wherever we can."
"Has he been drinking?" Liu Yin stood in the yard, looking her son up and down, and said reproachfully, "Didn't you say we were just going to sit down for a bit? Why have you been drinking again?"
"At a drinking party, is it possible to not drink at all?"
Li Xuewu tugged at his mother's hand, nodded at Sha Zhu, and asked, "You're not on duty today?"
"I'm on my day off, I'm exhausted."
Sha Zhu chuckled and complained, then raised an eyebrow and asked, "I heard it was eaten at Qinyuanchun?"
"Old Tang and his team from Sichuan Automobile said they were going to get into auto parts manufacturing," Li Xuewu casually mentioned, then looked at his father and asked, "Weren't they supposed to go up the mountain? Why was the plan canceled?"
"I didn't go in the afternoon because it was snowing."
Li Shun picked up his teacup, took a sip of hot tea, glanced at his son, and said, "Drinking and driving?"
"It's really nothing, I can't joke around with myself," Li Xuewu explained with a smile. "If it weren't for the snow, I could have come back a little earlier."
How many snowfalls have there been this year?
Sha Zhu sat by the kang cabinet, counting on his fingers, and said, "It's snowed six or seven times already, looks like next year will be another good year."
With consecutive years of bumper harvests and the recovery of economic development, the urban population base has been greatly reduced due to the decrease in rural activities, resulting in a certain improvement in the quality of life.
The quality of life can be fully reflected in the meals people eat.
Whether you are full or not is one difference, and whether you eat well or not is another. At least now everyone can eat their fill.
Eggs used to be hard to find in the market, but now supply and marketing cooperatives have started to supply them in small quantities, though not many families can afford them.
“You don’t even grow crops, yet you’re hoping for a good year,” Delia mocked him. “You can’t even use a hoe, yet you pretend to know everything.”
"That's called anticipating the situation, do you understand?"
Sha Zhu retorted defiantly, then turned to Li Xuewu, who was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and said, "Hey, we were just talking about room allocation."
"Housing allocation? What does that have to do with you?"
Li Xuewu accepted the tea that Ji Yuxiu offered him, smiled, and looked at Sha Zhu, saying, "What, are you moving upstairs?"
"I'm never going to move in my life. Anyone who does will regret it!"
Sha Zhu chuckled, pursed his lips, and said, "Didn't you hear what Uncle Yi and the others said when they came back? Living in this apartment building isn't very convenient."
"If you're picky about living in an apartment building, what kind of house would you consider good?" Liu Yin asked with a smile. "Does an old man like to live in a villa?"
"Hahaha—" Sha Zhu laughed heartlessly, waved his hand and said, "If you ask me, it's still more comfortable to live in this compound."
He waved his hand and emphasized, "I'm not just saying this because I can't have the grapes, it's just that I can't stand running up and down the stairs like this."
"But just because we don't like it doesn't mean there aren't any conflicts involved."
Sha Zhu looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "Haven't you been paying attention to the logistics housing allocation lately?"
"I don't have time," Li Xuewu said, taking a sip of hot tea. "What's wrong?"
"What happened?" Sha Zhu glared and said, "We almost got into a fight. If the security department hadn't arrived quickly, the desk in the logistics housing office would have been smashed."
"Everyone is eagerly anticipating the completion of the workers' new village housing so they can move into their new homes; they are very impatient."
He described it to Li Xuewu as follows: "The housing allocation conditions given by the Housing Office were exactly what we needed to know."
“All workers are assessed based on factors such as whether they currently have housing, their labor contributions, awards, seniority, technical level, number of employees in the factory, and number of family members…” Sha Zhu couldn’t even count them all on his fingers, and finally said, “Anyway, this comprehensive score is very complicated to determine.”
"Those who understand the material feel that their scores in certain sub-items are too low, while those who don't understand it can only groan and complain."
Sha Zhu shrugged and said, "As far as I know, single, unmarried employees can only stay in the dormitory building; they definitely won't get a room number."
“Married single employees without children live in a one-bedroom apartment; those with one child live in a one-and-a-half-bedroom apartment; and those with two children and elderly parents live in a two-bedroom apartment.”
He pointed to his other palm and calculated, "Three generations, and they have to be said to have never been punished, and they all need to have a high enough total score to be allocated a three-bedroom apartment. This will ruin the dream of owning an apartment for so many people."
“There’s never enough to satisfy,” Li Xuewu said casually. “I managed to get by even when I lived in a dormitory with twelve other people.”
"Do these allocated houses also have property rights?" Liu Yin asked curiously. "Do you cadres participate in the housing allocation?"
"The houses allocated only grant the right to use them, not even the right to rent them out," Sha Zhu explained. "Anyone who dares to rent to relatives or friends can expect the factory to take the houses back."
"But the cadres don't need to worry about this. They don't participate in the housing allocation in the workers' new village, and they're not even allowed to buy one."
He smiled and nodded, saying, "Once the Riverside Garden is completed, it will be their turn to pay for it; the houses there are bigger."
"Will we be able to get a villa?" Li Xuecai asked curiously. "I heard there are several detached villas on the planning map. Is that true?"
“Of course it’s true—” Sha Zhu glanced at him and said, “But the detached villas are for the group’s leaders to live in, and they can’t be bought or sold.”
He raised his chin, gesturing in Li Xuewu's direction, and said, "Your second brother is entitled to a detached villa."
"Currently, the group guarantees housing allocation, but in a few years the group will stop taking over, and we'll just have to wait for the factories below to solve the problem themselves."
Li Xuewu added, following his words, "There is no absolute fairness; fairness is always relative."
"If a policy can guarantee the housing needs of the majority of people, then it's a good policy. It's better than living in a dilapidated house, right?"
"That depends on how you look at it."
Sha Zhu argued, "If young employees could get a one-bedroom apartment as soon as they get married, that would certainly be a good policy."
"The worst thing is when people have one baby after another, but they don't have the means to apply for a more spacious house. That's when they give up."
"Family planning is being promoted now."
Li Xuecai interjected, "Those who are open-minded know that having fewer children means less running around, and having a good child means one child is worth three."
"Our unit is different from others; the policies are somewhat special." Sha Zhu said he was thirsty, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and explained, "In other units, when the older employees retire, the younger ones can take over, but not here."
"They are either veterans or graduates of vocational colleges, so in the end, only open recruitment is left."
He pointed to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and said, "For cases like your second brother's, the factory has a certain number of openings, depending on how the location is allocated."
"But there are only so many quotas each year, and most of them end up in the security department or the driver's team. They rarely get to work in front-line production units."
“This is actually better,” Li Xue chimed in. “It’s better than hiring some clueless people who just loaf around and do nothing.”
"That's why the current policy is special." Sha Zhu patted the kang mat and said, "For the past three years, we've left some openings for people with excellent professional skills, but starting next year, there really won't be any more openings."
"Open recruitment seeks genuine skills and techniques; these positions are reserved for research institutes, or for us."
He chuckled and gestured to himself, saying, "I don't think the factory intends to train its own chefs yet. When vocational colleges start offering chef classes, you won't be able to get into our company without some real skills."
"Rainwater bought a house himself?" Liu Yin asked curiously when he mentioned the house. "Where did he buy it?"
"It's Riverside Garden, it's registered."
Sha Zhu smiled helplessly and said, "I offered her money, but she refused, saying she had enough saved up herself."
"Are the houses in that riverside garden expensive?" Zhao Yafang asked curiously. "Being near the river, the environment must be nice, right?"
"She didn't tell me how much it cost, but it must have been expensive."
Sha Zhu shook his head, holding his teacup, and said, "I can't control her. I tell her what to do, but she won't listen to me."
"He's such a grown man, why are you still bossing him around?" Liu Yin smiled and said to him, "He's an official now, he's not as capable as you."
"Hehehe—" Sha Zhu chuckled and nodded. After taking a sip of tea, he looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "Is the propaganda team project going to fall through?"
"Who said that?" Li Xuewu glanced at him and said, "Did Yushui tell you?"
"I just mentioned it briefly, saying that there are basically no people left in the propaganda teams stationed at the colleges and universities."
Sha Zhu raised an eyebrow and asked, "After this storm passes, is it going to get windy again?"
"Why does a cook care about this kind of thing?" Li Xuewu glanced at him with amusement and said, "No matter how strong the wind blows, it won't affect your cooking, will it?"
“Look, even my positive attitude isn’t working anymore—” Sha Zhu chuckled and said, “Anyway, I can tell that the winds of change are still blowing this year.”
-
Why did He Yuzhu bring up the Workers' Propaganda Team?
On the way home, Gu Ning asked out of curiosity.
Li Xuewu looked at her and asked, "Does your hospital still have working teams from above working there?"
"I haven't paid attention to that." Gu Ning frowned and looked at him, asking, "What does that have to do with anything?"
"There's high tide and low tide, and now it's low tide," Li Xuewu explained with a smile as he drove. "Right now, those who were swimming naked are looking for places to cover themselves, waiting for the tide to come in so they can dance on the crest of the wave."
"You're making it sound so complicated—"
Gu Ning pursed her lips and looked at Li Ning in her arms, saying, "Just don't let it affect the children."
"Who can escape the tides of the times?" Li Xuewu explained calmly, "Just go with the flow, what else can you do?"
He glanced at the snow piled up by the roadside, wondering if it would delay his trip tomorrow. It was snowing in the capital, but it was even colder in the steel city.
Gu Ning patted Li Shu's head as she dozed off against her and said, "If we can't even let the children read books, what future do they have?"
"If you have any questions, you can talk to me about it, but please don't talk about this with anyone else."
Li Xuewu cautiously reminded her, "There are quite a few people watching you now. Didn't your director remind you?"
"I know, I won't talk to anyone."
With her two children in her arms, Gu Ning turned to look out the car window. The snow had painted the whole world into a sparkling white.
From the courtyard house all the way to the sea freight warehouse, the two stopped talking about such heavy topics and instead began discussing everyday family matters.
But this wasn't Gu Ning's area of expertise, so she only responded to his words.
"Are both kids asleep?"
Er Ya heard the car and came out to open the front door. She had been waiting in the living room and hadn't rested even after tidying up the house.
"She got tired from playing at her grandma's house."
Li Xuewu picked up Li Shu and handed her over, then helped Gu Ning out of the car before parking it in the garage.
When he entered the house, the two had already settled the child.
"You've really had a blast, you're all sweaty from playing." Gu Ning said softly as she came downstairs, "Keep an eye on me tonight, you might wake up in the middle of the night."
Kids are like that; they have so much fun during the day that they might still remember that excitement when they wake up in the middle of the night.
"Are you still reading? You should get some rest."
Li Xuewu glanced at the time on the wall; it was almost eleven o'clock.
If it weren't for Sha Zhu nagging him, they would have been back long ago.
"I'm not going to see any more doctors. I have surgery tomorrow morning."
Gu Ning poured herself a glass of warm water, looked at him, and asked, "When will you be able to come back?"
"There's an awards ceremony next Wednesday."
Li Xuewu tidied his briefcase, picked it up, and went upstairs, saying, "I'll wash up first. Wait for me in bed."
Hearing this, Gu Ning couldn't help but grin. She glanced at Er Ya's room and saw that the door was closed, but she still blushed a little.
Although the two have been married for a long time, they can't say such things so openly, what if Er Ya and the others hear them?
In fact, the two of them had already heard it. Zhao Yaping had just finished packing her schoolbag when she heard the conversation outside and couldn't help but glance at Er Ya.
It would have been better if they hadn't looked at each other, but when they did, both of them blushed.
-
"Good morning, Secretary-General. Welcome aboard this flight."
Zhou Xiaoling stood at the cabin door and greeted Li Xuewu, who was boarding the plane, with a smile.
When Li Xuewu saw that she was the one piloting the plane, he smiled and nodded.
"Aren't you coming to Fengcheng with me?" Gao Yaqin, who was on the same plane as Li Xuewu, said with a smile, "Actually, Wang Xin wants to see you more."
"Just because he wants to see me, does that mean I have to see him?"
Li Xuewu casually found a seat and sat down, then looked at her and said, "Go and meet him first, and see what he really means."
"What if Shenfei really wants the drone project?" Gao Yaqin sat opposite him, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow as she asked, "Should we give it to them?"
“If there are really any areas where we can share technology and cooperate, why not?” Li Xuewu shrugged and said, “But I don’t think they’ll mention drones this time.”
"What? Are you going straight to jet engine technology?" Gao Yaqin asked with amusement. "You're not in such a hurry, are you?"
"That's not necessarily true," Li Xuewu said, flipping through his notebook. "I'll have to arrange the technical coordination when I get back next week."
After finding the relevant itinerary, he looked up and explained to Gao Yaqin, "At least a highly professional working group should be arranged to go there."
Are you worried they might be up to something?
Gao Yaqin frowned slightly and said, "International cooperation still has official backing. Would they dare to act recklessly?"
"Haven't they caused enough trouble already?"
Li Xuewu glanced at her, shook his head slightly, and said, "Anyway, I don't trust them. Whether it's technology import or equipment dismantling and transportation, we must have our own engineers and teams."
He made a new note in his notebook, saying, "When you go to Nanjing, keep an eye on things in Hong Kong for me and improve work efficiency."
"No matter how urgent it is, we won't see the equipment until after March." Gao Yaqin thought for a moment and asked, "When will the East German engineers arrive?"
"We'll decide based on the results of the collaboration." Li Xuewu tapped the small table and emphasized, "If all goes smoothly, all projects should be finalized in the first half of the year."
"You said it yourself, under the premise of everything going smoothly."
Gao Yaqin pursed her lips, shrugged, and said, "I don't really understand the German way of doing things. Do you think there might be a problem?"
“I only went for 7 days. If you take away the time spent traveling, I spent less than 5 days there in total. What could I possibly know?”
Li Xuewu said with a laugh, "If something really goes wrong, we'll just be sitting at home worrying. So it's better to have a team there to coordinate the work."
"Don't count on me." Gao Yaqin glanced at him, turned to look out of the cabin, and said indifferently, "How could I possibly get involved in such an important task?"
"You seem to care about this a lot?"
Li Xuewu smiled, put away his notebook, nodded to Zhou Xiaoling who was walking over, and said, "If you're ready, we can take off."
"Yes, Secretary-General." Zhou Xiaoling had come to ask for permission to take off. Knowing that the two leaders had something to discuss, she agreed and went back.
“You don’t care? Of course you don’t care.” Gao Yaqin turned to look at him and said, “You were the one who negotiated all the projects. Even if you don’t participate in the follow-up work, who can forget your contributions?”
"I can't compare to you; I can't even get a sip of soup."
“If I were to offer you advice, you’d probably say I’m a well-fed man who doesn’t understand the hunger of a starving man,” Li Xuewu chuckled and said. “You might even start to wonder if I’m just being hypocritical.”
"You're just pretending to be high-minded, you're like a well-fed man who doesn't know the hunger of a starving man." Gao Yaqin glared at him and said, "The formal group formation is just around the corner, and it's time to reward those who have made contributions this year."
"Tell me, what should I think?"
She tilted her head and said, "Right now, everyone in the team is aiming for this goal."
"You think I'm going to jump over the dragon gate?" Li Xuewu shook his head with a laugh and said, "Would you believe me if I said I have nothing to do with this year?"
“I don’t believe you—” Gao Yaqin stared into his eyes and said seriously, “I don’t know what you did in Germany, but I can see clearly the briefings sent back, and I can also see from the newspapers that you are extremely popular.”
"Even Old Li is paving the way for you, and you're telling me you have nothing to do this year? Do you think I'd believe that?"
Believe it or not, I've put my words here.
Li Xuewu pursed his lips and said, "The matter in Liaodong is not finished, not done well, so how can I be qualified to reward you for your contributions?"
He patted the notebook beside him and said, "No matter how much credit you have, you have to keep it to yourself. You feel wronged, but I feel even more wronged than you."
"Director Li has spoken with you?" Hearing him say this, Gao Yaqin frowned, as if she had no choice but to believe him.
"Is there even a need to discuss this?" Li Xuewu chuckled and said, "I know my place and what I should and shouldn't do. Even what I'm doing now is just to cooperate with Director Li."
"You're his right-hand man."
Gao Yaqin glanced at him. While the plane was taking off, she didn't say anything more, but was thinking about whether Li Xuewu's words were true or false.
For the people of Hongxing Factory, the transformation from factory to group had three hurdles. Overcoming each hurdle was like leaping over a dragon gate; once they succeeded, they were done.
Li Xuewu's journey may seem fortunate, but everyone has witnessed how much he has contributed to the group's development.
Despite Gao Yaqin's sour tone now, if Li Xuewu were actually promoted this year, she wouldn't have anything to say.
"If I said that the companies in Jinling are also very important, you wouldn't think I'm just trying to fool you, would you?"
After the plane took off smoothly, Li Xuewu broke the silence and said to her, "Actually, you should be able to sense that Deputy Director Dong is also being put on the hot seat and is quite uncomfortable."
Gao Yaqin turned to look at him, but didn't speak. Instead, she frowned and pondered his words, as if she had taken them to heart.
"You have to fulfill your own dreams. I still stand by what I say: different paths lead to different goals."
Li Xuewu looked at her and said, "The case of Steel City No. 4 Furnace has had a significant impact. Is it possible to say that he has nothing to do with it?"
"Some people say that because I'm in Liaodong, in the steel city, this case will never be solved. Do you think that's true?"
He raised his eyebrows and said, "It's not easy, it's very difficult. I've never managed such a large operation before, and I never imagined that a case could involve so many people and have such a complex impact."
"The case of Furnace No. 4 isn't that it will never be solved, but even if it is, people still won't accept the result. Isn't that strange?"
"Is this why you're in such a hurry to return to Steel City?" Gao Yaqin squinted at him and said, "Is there any progress in the case?"
"Whether the case can be solved is no longer up to me." Li Xuewu shook his head with a wry smile and said, "All I can do is try my best to gather clues and handle the matter properly."
“No one in your position could have handled it better.” Gao Yaqin nodded understandingly and said, “Until you have a complete grasp of the overall situation of Liaodong’s industry, this case will always be a thorn in your side, preventing you from returning to Beijing.”
"And I can't guarantee that such things won't happen again in the future." Li Xuewu sighed and said, "In these turbulent times, it might be a good thing if we can really withdraw from the world."
"Is that all you're going to do to comfort me?" Gao Yaqin looked at him with amusement and said, "It will take at least three to five years for the Jinling division to become truly effective, and it's uncertain whether I'll even be able to work for the group for three to five years."
Later, she smiled helplessly, feeling that all this arguing was pointless.
"Opportunities are for those who are prepared." Li Xuewu waved his hand, signaling Zhou Xiaoling to bring him a cup of tea. "Who can guarantee what the situation will be like in three to five years?"
"Let alone three to five years, can you really grasp the changes in the situation in just one or six months?"
He tapped his fingers on the table and said, "If you still have a passion for the company's work, then put aside your so-called pursuits."
"Secretary-General, here's your tea." Zhou Xiaoling handed a teacup to Li Xuewu, and then another to Gao Yaqin, "Deputy Director Gao."
"Thank you—" Gao Yaqin smiled and nodded, expressing her gratitude.
"You're welcome, please enjoy your meal." Zhou Xiaoling gestured with her hand before smiling and leaving.
Working on the plane, she could hear everything, including her superiors joking and talking about work.
Sometimes a leader's words can be worth a fortune, but unfortunately, she didn't understand the value of those words at the time, and by the time she realized it, it was too late.
"I have enthusiasm, but I'm afraid I won't have time." Gao Yaqin put down her teacup, looked at the white sea of clouds outside the window, and said, "After the group is established, the leadership team will definitely be adjusted within one or two years."
"To be honest, isn't it like we're celebrating the New Year just because we hear the dragon's roar?" Li Xuewu smiled nonchalantly and said, "Are you discouraged just because the leadership team is going to be reshuffled?"
"Is that what I meant?" Gao Yaqin glared at him and said, "I meant that the work we're doing now won't have any continuity."
"You'll only know once you try." Li Xuewu looked at her and said calmly, "Doing something and failing is one thing, not doing it at all is another."
"Once you arrive in Steel City, you can take a look around. I don't know if you can get a share of other people's pie, but you're not an outsider here."
He picked up his teacup, smiled, and said readily, "How about you take charge of the city's ships, and the port over there will be allocated to you as well?"
"Are you playing house when you think about working for the company?" Gao Yaqin's worries lessened by his words. She glanced at him and chuckled, "You think you can just give it to me like that? You think you can just give it to me like that?"
"It's pretty boring, isn't it?"
Li Xuewu put down his teacup and said, "It's all for the sake of the organization, it's all for serving the people. Is it worth making such a fuss over trivial matters, causing so much chaos and affecting our work?"
"I wish you were the head of the group."
Gao Yaqin smiled, looked at him and said, "I don't know about others, but I know you have this potential."
"Thank you for thinking so highly of me. I will continue to work hard." Li Xuewu raised his teacup in a toasting gesture, and the two of them laughed.
-
"Second brother, I'll come to your place tonight."
As they were getting off the plane, Zhou Xiaoling found a moment to quietly ask Li Xuewu, "My dorm is full."
Li Xuewu glanced back at her. Whether the dormitory was full or not was up to her. He asked, "Wang Yajuan didn't ask you out?"
"She went home, she's not in Steel City."
Zhou Xiaoling stuck out her tongue and laughed like a little mouse stealing oil.
Li Xuewu nodded, not paying attention to his little scheme.
The plane that Zhang Enyuan and Yu Zhe came to pick them up wasn't just in one car, because Gao Yaqin and her secretary were also there.
When Gao Yaqin got off the plane, she didn't get in his car, saying she would go directly to the guesthouse.
"Secretary-General, would you like to go home first or go to the factory first?"
After putting his luggage away, Zhang Enyuan returned to the passenger seat and turned to ask Li Xuewu in the back seat.
"Let's go to work first."
Li Xuewu rubbed his temples. His work had been a bit chaotic lately, disrupting his work rhythm.
"Director Kong from Gangfei wants to discuss the project's implementation with you. How would you like to schedule a time for that?"
When Zhang Enyuan heard from his superior that he was to go to the office, he began to report on his upcoming work.
He had access to the leader's schedule, so naturally he was in charge of arranging these meetings.
"When you get to his workplace, ask him if it's convenient for him to come over and talk."
Li Xuewu opened his eyes, took the documents Zhang Enyuan handed him, and began to read them.
It's not that we're starting to work right now; this is just a briefing on our work over the next period.
The briefing was very concise, basically summarizing a task in just one or two sentences.
This was also Zhang Enyuan helping him to sort out his recent work progress so that he wouldn't fall behind when he returned to his unit.
"Secretary-General, I heard that quite a few good projects were negotiated this time." Zhang Enyuan asked while the leader was looking at the briefing, "How many of them will be located in our Liaodong Industrial Zone?"
"Most of it is heavy industry," Li Xuewu said casually. "The automobile and aircraft industries account for a large proportion, and they have both technology and equipment."
He pointed to the presentation and asked, "Has this year's budget been finalized?"
"Yes, it was Deputy Factory Director Wang who led the report, and we're just waiting for you to come back and review it."
Zhang Enyuan can give a very detailed report without even looking at his notebook; that's part of his job.
Li Xuewu frowned slightly and said, "I'm afraid we'll have to redo it. The group has cut a lot of money from the financial budget to pave the way for the projects that have already been negotiated."
"How much has been cut?" Zhang Enyuan stared in surprise, "Won't this affect industrial construction and development?"
“It’s just that the budget has been reduced, not that the project has been cut.” Li Xuewu looked up at him and emphasized, “It depends on the specific implementation plan.”
“When we were making the budget this year, Deputy Factory Director Wang brought up this topic.”
Zhang Enyuan reported: "She was worried that there might be some changes to the group's financial budget, so she specifically asked the group's leaders, who said there were no changes."
"Plans can't keep up with changes."
Li Xuewu scratched his head and said helplessly, "A lot of the funds that the group had prepared in advance were used up in East Germany."
"Is it the money from the savings account in Gangcheng? Can it be retrieved?"
Zhang Enyuan said softly, "Does this mean that all projects from the first half of the year have to make way for the implementation of new projects?"
"It's certain that the investment will be postponed. Let's see if the finance department can coordinate something."
Li Xuewu tapped the briefing in his hand, pondering a solution.
After a brief silence in the carriage, Yu Zhe, who was focused on driving, suddenly heard his superior behind him ask, "Yu Zhe, how's your relationship going? When are you getting married?"
"ah?--"
Yu Zhe was so surprised he almost drove the car into a ditch. Wasn't the boss just discussing the financial budget? When did his wedding become so important that it was compared to this kind of work?
"What do you mean, 'huh'?" Li Xuewu glared at him in the rearview mirror and said, "Don't tell me there's no progress at all. Are you using being busy with work as an excuse again?"
"Um...no..." Yu Zhe explained guiltily, "I've been helping out with the car crew lately, so I haven't had time to go home."
"You have time to help others, but no time to handle your own wedding?"
Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and asked, "You don't mean you're still thinking about some shady practices and don't want to get married, do you?"
"No, I really don't have time."
Yu Zhe felt flustered by his question, afraid of losing face in front of Secretary Zhang.
In reality, he could keep his secrets from others, and he could also keep them from Zhang Enyuan.
In Beijing and within the group, Zhang Enyuan had no connections. He knew perfectly well which uniformed woman he went with and where in Steel City, but he was too lazy to mention it.
"Don't give me that nonsense. Your sister has given you an ultimatum." Li Xuewu said, looking ahead, "She wants you to settle things before the new year and get married after the Spring Festival."
"Um... Boss... I'm not ready yet—" Yu Zhe said with a pained expression, "Why the rush to get married—"
"Prepare what? Where did you lose your stuff?"
Li Xuewu reminded him impatiently, "You only have one month. You can decide what to do yourself. Anyway, I've conveyed your sister's message."
“If you don’t care about me, she can’t care about me either. She can’t possibly come all the way to Steel City.”
Yu Zhe smiled and said, "It's up to you."
"Watch me?" Li Xuewu chuckled and said, "Just you wait."