dognovel Chapter 1465 Rules of the Martial World
Chapter 1465 Rules of the Martial World
Chapter 1465 Rules of the Martial World
"Just tell me how many people you can accept."
Li Xuewu, too lazy to waste any more time arguing with Xu Sinian, called him out by name and emphasized, "This is not a bargain."
"How much can you receive? You tell me."
Xu Sinian said with a wry smile, "Would you believe me if I said I could accept 20,000?"
"If we really take in 20,000 people, we'll be starving for the rest of the year."
"Stop talking nonsense. Can you even settle three thousand people?"
Li Xuewu tapped the table with his finger, glanced at Ji Jiuzheng sitting opposite him, and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Ji Jiuzheng hadn't worked with him much, and even when he was in charge of the United Energy Corporation and often worked in Liaodong, he didn't have much contact with Li Xuewu.
The energy corporation is under the leadership of the group, and the person in charge is Zhang Jingsong, so Li Xuewu is just a local leader.
However, he knew Li Xuewu's way of doing things very well; when Li Xuewu frowned, it meant he was serious and cared.
Xu Sinian, on the other end of the phone, didn't need to look at Li Xuewu's expression; he could sense Li Xuewu's increasingly impatient tone.
“We can’t accommodate 3,000 people, at most 2,300.” He was also telling the truth. “I have to reserve 700 places for vocational colleges next year.”
"Dream on, 700 people."
Li Xuewu sneered and said, "I'll give you 2,800 people. You don't need to keep that many quotas. I'll consider you quick if you can snatch 200 people."
What if we don't have enough quotas?
Xu Sinian replied casually, "I urgently need talent related to shipbuilding."
"If you don't have enough quotas next year, I'll ask you for some."
Li Xuewu snorted, "You're short of people? Everyone's short of people. How many graduates do we get in a year?"
"Alright, stop messing with me."
He didn't want to listen to Xu Sinian's nagging anymore, and urged, "I'll give you a week to prepare. Next Monday, the group will contact you directly to arrange for the laid-off and reassigned personnel."
"Just a reminder, the leader's opinion and requirement is to make proper arrangements, don't try to be sloppy."
"The dock construction site needs people."
Xu Sinian's voice was a little weak as he rubbed his face and said, "I was thinking of trying to squeeze into a position over there."
"Do you think I need your space at the dock construction site?"
Li Xuewu frowned and emphasized, "There are only so many tasks, and no one has been left behind. Don't talk nonsense."
"Don't worry, don't worry, it's landed on my head, I'll make sure it's settled properly."
Xu Sinian nodded resignedly, then bargained, "Then next year you can get me a few more college students."
"Hello? Hello? Damn, you hung up really fast!"
***
Li Xuewu was faster than Xu Sinian was at talking; he hung up the phone before Xu could continue haggling.
He picked up his teacup, took a big gulp, and then looked at Ji Jiuzheng across from him, saying, "You're lucky you ran fast, otherwise you would have been in trouble too."
"Hehe, just sharing the burden for the organization."
Ji Jiuzheng seemed to have adjusted his work mood and smiled calmly.
This time, I came to Gangcheng as the deputy secretary-general of the group to assist Li Xuewu in his work on personnel appointments.
While it was said to be assistance, he was actually sent by the group to express his commitment and urge the Liaodong Industrial Management Team to resolutely implement the reassignment and resettlement of laid-off workers.
Tens of thousands of people who were laid off from their current jobs refused to leave Beijing and instead coordinated with others to continue working at the Xinjing No. 1 Factory or other factories in Beijing.
Some employees cherish the benefits and compensation offered by Hongxing Steel Group and choose to compete for positions or voluntarily transfer to other positions.
Whether the candidate fails to secure a position or voluntarily applies for a transfer, the group will be responsible for covering the losses.
The three major employers of labor—Construction Engineering Corporation, Logistics Development Corporation, and United Energy Development Corporation—accepted the vast majority of reassigned and transferred workers.
Other tertiary industries and manufacturing sectors receive relatively few, or even none, the number of people they employ.
Because these people were eliminated from the manufacturing and industrial systems, they have no chance to return.
A job transfer means there will be no chance to return to the workshop and be reassigned to another job.
Changing jobs also means changes in the company and compensation, which workers are naturally unwilling to do, but they have no choice.
Some people consider logistics and labor service companies to be major employers of laid-off workers, but this is not the case at Hongxing Steel Group.
Whether it's a labor service company or a property management company that is being established, the requirements for professional personnel are very high; at the very least, they must obtain a professional skill level.
For operations involving heights, hazardous operations, and hot work, the group must fundamentally improve its management system to achieve comprehensive transformation.
The system is gradually improved as personnel move around, and we cannot allow the return of employees to their original positions to affect units that have already completed personnel changes.
Therefore, the existing generation of young people with university degrees is squeezing out the living space of young cadres with lower educational backgrounds.
Meanwhile, graduating secondary vocational school and junior college students with vocational skills training experience are now competing with the factory workers.
Thinking about it this way, every year the group will have young, educated, and more promising graduates with technical standards who are carefully cultivated and trained to enter the workshop. However, the positions in the workshop are fixed, and inevitably some workers who cannot keep up with the production pace will be eliminated.
Workers who are laid off before reaching retirement age can only be transferred to other positions.
Year after year, outstanding graduates come to Hongxing Steel Group and enter the production workshop. Unless they have real skills, the future truly belongs to the young.
Are shipyards considered manufacturing enterprises?
Yes, but there are many jobs in shipyards that only require physical labor, especially in the last two years, as Yingcheng Shipbuilding has been continuously investing in new shipbuilding and manufacturing, which requires more staff.
Xu Sinian planned to gradually ask the group for people, or recruit workers from the local area.
However, the group is undergoing organizational and personnel changes, so local recruitment is impossible. We'll have to wait until we can absorb the group's existing workers.
Ji Jiuzheng was sent to Liaodong at Li Huaide's request to convey the group's requirements for related work to Li Xuewu, and also to check on the personnel reassignment and solicit opinions from the staff below.
That's all for now.
Li Xuewu glanced at the list in his hand, took a sip of tea, and said, "We also need to resettle demobilized and transferred personnel, which is also a target for the group."
"We will do as you say." Ji Jiuzheng nodded and said, "The development of industry in Liaodong this year cannot be halted because of personnel resettlement."
"On the one hand, there is industrial development. At this time, the group's various industries in Liaodong are still in a critical period of transformation."
Li Xuewu shook his head slightly and said, "It is also a need to meet the opportunities presented by changes in policies and circumstances."
"Yes, I can sense that."
Ji Jiuzheng nodded and said in agreement, "The management committee's opinion is that at least 50,000 cadres, workers and their families across the entire group should be mobilized to actively participate in the war preparedness system starting at the end of the year."
"According to Director Li, the excavation and construction should be carried out based on the existing emergency air defense system, with day and night shifts as the basic conditions."
He lowered his head slightly and stated the group's target requirements for the preparation work: "According to the target allocation, Liaodong Industry needs to excavate 2,300 meters and 5,600 square meters of underground space."
Li Xuewu listened to his words and did not rush to emphasize the importance of production work. Li Huaide was not stupid and of course knew that war preparations would affect industrial production.
The group only issued the task targets, without specifying what he should do or how he should do it.
Just like the underground space that the group excavated in the Liangmahe Industrial Zone, it has already met most of the air defense needs.
Some people say this is just scaring themselves, a waste of time and money, and a futile effort.
Actually, that's not the case. In this day and age, the vigilance and precautions against fried eggs are comprehensive.
It is precisely because we possess such an indestructible weapon that we have come to understand its danger and destructive power.
Air defense preparedness emphasizes not conditions, but capabilities and mindset; these are the key aspects of this operation.
"To reinforce and support this activity, the Group's Party Committee and Management Committee decided to select a group of cadres and employees from various departments to participate in production labor in various industrial enterprises, receive re-education from the working class, and explore experiences in reform..."
***
"Isn't this just a case of having too much time on one's hands?"
Kuang Yusheng said irritably, "Let the employees and their families participate in the excavation of air-raid shelters, and then transfer cadres and employees from the group to participate in labor production work."
With an absurd expression, he said, "Then why not just assign cadres and workers to dig air-raid shelters?"
"This way, we can avoid delaying industrial production and also achieve re-education and experience exploration."
"Complaining is allowed."
Li Xuewu glanced at him, nodded, and then looked at the others present, emphasizing, "But what needs to be done still needs to be done. Too much complaining will only break your heart."
"Hehehe——"
The crowd found humor in their misery, their laughter tinged with resignation, as they were indeed unwilling to relax their demands on industrial production at this time.
Kuang Yusheng was the most nervous and under the most pressure, because the steel rolling mill in Gangcheng was not yet fully operational, and some workshops were still waiting for workers.
"For a cement plant, we should simplify things."
Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, "We have a power plant and a mining company, let's combine them."
"Let's coordinate with the local authorities again to see if we can replace capital with production and achieve land resource exchange."
His idea was to exchange production capacity for resources. Regardless of whether these air-raid shelters could be used in the future, now that the policy had been issued, they had to be built.
How were the locations for air-raid shelters chosen?
Knowing he couldn't avoid it, Kuang Yusheng frowned and asked, "Going into the mountains?"
"What's the point of going to the mountains?"
Lu Yuanshen smoked a cigarette, puffs of smoke coming out of his nostrils like a furnace.
"If the shells really came down, by the time we ran up the mountain, it would be too late."
"Shall we dig on the spot?" Kuang Yusheng glanced at him, also weighing the pros and cons.
"It would be great if we could build a warehouse."
Xiao Zihong participated in the planning work of the group, namely Liangmahe Industrial Zone, as a representative of the Security Department.
Because of similar thinking, I suggested in this direction: "It would be best to make use of it."
"Where can you find a suitable place to excavate a warehouse area in a flat plain?"
Kuang Yusheng lit a cigarette for himself, chuckled, and said, "This is completely different from the group company building an underground parking lot."
"This experience can be learned from, but it cannot be copied because it is too expensive."
Bi Yuding emphasized: "The underground projects in Liangmahe Industrial Zone took more than a year to complete. If we include the later supplementary excavations, it took two years."
"Even with the support of machinery, it would still take two years. We are now..."
"Mechanical equipment, you know—"
Xiao Zihong thought for a moment and said, "Our factory can coordinate some excavators and loaders."
"However, these are all equipment that the construction engineering company has sent back to the factory for repair. Whether they can be used or how long they can be used is still uncertain. It depends on the actual situation."
He turned his gaze to Li Xuewu and asked, "Does the group intend to allocate funds or mobilize construction machinery to support this project?"
"There are only tasks and targets."
Li Xuewu pointed to the documents Ji Jiuzheng had brought in front of him, passively inhaling secondhand smoke, and said, "How to do it, what to do, we have to figure it out ourselves."
“The civil engineering work for all the industrial plants has been completed. If we start digging air-raid shelters now, we’re just destroying the foundation.” Kong Xiaobo, who was also smoking, said in a muffled tone, “If it doesn’t work, we can dig down from the streets.”
"Dig down from the street?"
Li Xuewu's brow twitched, and a rough map of the Hongxing Steel City Industrial Zone automatically appeared in his mind.
I considered the location and direction of several streets, their specific length and area, and weighed the details of this suggestion in my mind.
Kong Xiaobo's action was unintentional; he didn't expect that his casual remark would make Li Xuewu think.
"What's the point of digging up the streets?"
Lu Yuanshen was also curious about Li Xuewu's thoughts. He looked at Kong Xiaobo and saw that the other party was also confused. He felt that it was both funny and absurd.
Digging up existing factory areas is self-destructive, but digging up streets doesn't count as destroying the roadbed?
How far is it from the industrial zone to the city center?
Li Xuewu stood up and walked to the steel city map hanging on the wall. His secretary, Zhang Enyuan, handed him a ruler.
In the days before electronic maps, calculating distances using maps of varying scales was a routine procedure.
As Li Xuewu gestured, he said, "How about building an underground passage from the industrial zone to the city?"
? ? ? ——
A row of question marks appeared on everyone's foreheads in the meeting room, not understanding what Li Xuewu meant by those words.
From the industrial zone to the city center? An underground passage?
Why would someone choose to go underground when there are main roads available?
"It's a bit far—"
Kong Xiaobo also thought of something, and took the initiative to stand up and walk to Li Xuewu's side to look at the map on the wall.
"This calculation exceeds the limit, and the amount of work is simply too large."
"Then think about it the other way around." Li Xuewu lightly drew a line with the ruler in his hand, pointing to the distance between the main road of the industrial zone and the residential area.
"This—" Kong Xiaobo was stunned. If what Li Xuewu just said was true, it should be building a subway.
After all, the only way for an underground passage to reach the city center is via the subway, and that's the idea he was questioning.
But when Li Xuewu looked at it from a different angle, he wondered if they were going to build a subway in the industrial zone.
In this era, subways were not considered a high-tech product; Beijing had already had a subway system long ago.
What's the point of building a subway inside an industrial zone? Are they hollowing out the underground to build a railway in a roundabout way?
"If we take the main road as the direction of travel, and consider the surrounding construction projects, what do you think about building underground warehouses, parking lots, and commercial facilities?"
Li Xuewu turned around and introduced to the people in the meeting room: "Underground air defense projects can be combined with the needs of daily life, or they can be combined with the needs of cargo transportation of various industrial enterprises to strengthen the foundation."
He walked to the blackboard at one end of the conference room, picked up the chalk, and quickly drew a diagram.
“Construct underground-to-ground transport ramps or large lifting cranes in the work area.”
"Underground transportation network?"
Kuang Yusheng frowned and asked, "What's the difference between this and digging within the factory area?"
“This is regional planning excavation, while the factory area is fixed-point excavation. How can they be the same?”
Kong Xiaobo seemed to have figured it out, and staring at the blackboard, he said, "Have you seen the Tunnel Warfare series? This is like going beyond a single tunnel and upgrading directly to a connected tunnel system, which also has commercial functions."
"Urban planning is a very complex subject, and we can only grasp a little bit of the basics."
Li Xuewu put down the chalk, walked behind Xiao Zihong, stood still, and looked at everyone while holding onto the back of his chair, saying, "The development plan for the Steel City Industrial Zone is still too compact. The residential area also needs a certain commercial service area."
"If we can combine it with necessary facilities such as the comprehensive service center, I believe our civil defense projects will have a new impetus."
He stopped pressuring everyone to rack their brains, patted the back of his chair, and walked back to his seat, saying, "Alright, that's enough for today's meeting. Everyone go back and submit a feasibility report based on your ideas and experience, as a way of giving the group an explanation."
As Li Xuewu walked past, he pointed to Ji Jiuzheng, who had been sitting at the conference table without saying a word, and emphasized, "Our deputy secretary-general has to be able to explain himself."
"Hehehe—" Everyone understood the attitude in Li Xuewu's voice, and instantly felt much more relaxed.
Well, if the higher-ups want to dig, then dig slowly, in a planned and organized manner.
As the investigation progressed, this issue was no longer emphasized; the activities, like the policies, were just a passing fad.
By then, these civil defense projects will have become the logistical support projects that each of us needs. I really need to think about this when I get back.
-
"Zhang San is still not found."
Old Zhao's face was wrinkled, and he sat on the sofa with a worried look on his face, his legs feeling weak.
Li Xuewu's expression wasn't good either. He leaned back on the sofa, crossed his right leg, and asked, "Can people grow wings and fly?"
"He can't fly, I suspect he ran away."
Zhao Laosi explained, "He can't hide on the ground; we've scraped the ground clean."
"Even if he was playing the 'blind spot' trick, we would have found him long ago."
He thought for a moment, then looked up at Li Xuewu and said, "Based on the confessions of his accomplices who have been arrested one after another, he either went north or east."
"Russians? Koreans?"
Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "How did he get out?"
There must be some unknown relationship between them.
Zhao Laosi analyzed, "Zhang San has been operating in Fengcheng and the Northeast region for so many years, his network of connections is already everywhere."
"A cunning rabbit has three burrows; perhaps it had already arranged this escape route long ago, otherwise how could it have disappeared into thin air?"
"Where could he go if he disappeared?"
Li Xuewu raised his head slightly, looked at him, and asked, "What about Zhang San's assets and family?"
"That's why I said he was well-prepared."
Zhao Laosi's expression grew increasingly bitter as he said, "My family is long gone, and all that's left of my family property is what I can't take with me."
“Distant relatives can be found, but it’s not very meaningful. Making a big move could easily cause trouble.”
He let out a sigh of relief, glanced at Li Xuewu, and asked softly, "Should we ask the people in the investigation department for help to find out where they went?"
"Would it be of any use? If it were, they would have already offered their help."
Li Xuewu really looked down on those old-timers at the dock, reminding Zhao Laosi, "Those people are either people with connections or just coasting along; there's no use in talking to them."
“Send a message to Ji Weidong, saying that his chance to redeem himself has come, and that the organization has not given him a chance.”
"Can he help?" Zhao Laosi asked hesitantly, "He has some experience in Northeast Asia..."
"Don't worry, he's fine."
Li Xuewu nodded and said, "He can handle things well in Southeast Asia, so Northeast Asia will be no problem."
"Southeast Asia is not as crucial as Northeast Asia."
He just muttered something and didn't continue the conversation on that topic.
Bang Geng came out of his room at this moment, glanced at them, and then silently walked over to the sofa and sat down.
Li Xuewu thought for a moment before looking at Banggeng and asking, "Did you sleep well?"
"I wasn't asleep," Banggeng replied casually, his head still slightly lowered, his personality becoming much quieter.
Li Xuewu didn't really care. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and turned to Zhao Laosi, saying, "It's alright that Zhang San ran away. The world is only so big. Where can he run to unless he changes his appearance and surname?"
"We don't need to wait for those existing henchmen. Deal with them as they should, according to the rules of the underworld."
What are the rules of the underworld?
Murder pays off lives, debts pay off.
"Understood, I'll go back and make the arrangements right away."
Zhao Laosi nodded seriously, stood up and responded, and patted Banggeng's head as he left.
Bang Geng just endured it, no longer showing the mischief and playfulness of before; it seemed like a different person when it came back this time.
Growth always comes at a price.
He sat quietly with Li Xuewu on the sofa for about half an hour before responding to Li Xuewu's question.
“Gelin led his men north, saying he wanted to see the person alive or dead.”
When Li Xuewu asked about Yingcheng, Banggeng recounted the things that impressed him most.
In the end, he only knew a little about Green and the others' whereabouts and could not say anything more.
Li Xuewu listened and thought, only truly examining him after he finished speaking.
How was your trip to Yingcheng?
How do I feel? I feel terrible.
Bang Geng's lips were pursed into a thin line, and he remained silent with his head down. Clearly, this trip to Yingcheng was not so joyful and relaxing.
“You’re not a child anymore. You chose your own path. I’m only giving you one chance.”
Li Xuewu stood up and said as he walked towards the study, "You decide which path you want to take."
Bang Geng looked up at Uncle Wu's back, his heart filled with the same turmoil as his brows, tightly furrowed together.
"what--"
Just as Bang Geng was frowning in worry, a girl came down the stairs from the second floor. She was wearing a simple silk nightgown and looked very well-proportioned.
She looked like she had just woken up, and she even let out a long yawn as she came down.
Banggeng turned to look at her, his brows furrowing even deeper.
"What are you looking at? Don't you recognize me?"
Zhou Xiaoling straightened her clothes, covering up her accidentally exposed cleavage, and casually scolded the boy who was looking at her with that kind of gaze.
Bang Geng, however, showed no interest in her and asked indifferently, "Why are you here again?"
"Why can't I come?"
Zhou Xiaoling glanced at him and said, "This isn't your home. If you're so sure, why can't I do it?"
"I'm here to work."
Banggeng frowned, looked her up and down, and said listlessly, "You're here to work too?"
"I'm here as a guest, is that not allowed?"
Zhou Xiaoling seemed to find amusement in arguing with him, so she plopped down on the sofa, deliberately trying to provoke him, and asked, "You're so young, what do you do for a living?"
"Is it any of your business?" Banggeng glanced at her sideways and said, "Don't pry into other people's business."
"Wow—you're quite the socialite, aren't you?"
Zhou Xiaoling chuckled, pursed her lips, shook her head, and looked at him, saying, "I really didn't realize."
"A true master doesn't reveal their abilities; a master who reveals their abilities isn't a true master."
Banggeng turned his head and said, "If you really saw through me, would you still call yourself a socialite?"
"Oh, so that's it."
Zhou Xiaoling nodded knowingly, then asked, "So which area are you in, and how many brothers do you have?"
"I've already told you not to pry into other people's business—"
Can Bang Geng answer this? Does he mean he's doing terribly, with only a handful of brothers?
"Bang Geng, go order dinner."
Li Xuewu's voice came from the study; tonight, it was still "ordering takeout."
I have no choice but to order takeout; I can't go hungry.
Banggeng arrived home this afternoon and hasn't quite recovered yet. Zhou Xiaoling arrived last night and seems to be someone who never lifts a finger. What should we eat for dinner?
"Uncle, what are we having for dinner?"
Upon hearing the greeting, Banggeng immediately transformed from the mischievous young man into the proper demeanor of a disciple.
He strode to the study door and asked respectfully, "Should I go to the hotel to fetch it?"
"Let them deliver it; it gets dark early."
Li Xuewu looked up at the window and said, "Order two more dishes, your Sister Zhou is here."
"Okay, I'll make the call right away."
Banggeng didn't respond to Sister Zhou's comment, but instead quietly agreed, as if afraid of disturbing her godfather's writing, and turned to make a phone call.
Zhou Xiaoling stood up from the sofa, slipped on her white cotton slippers, and walked into the study.
"Second brother, aren't you going to rest?"
"Hmm, I'll write something." Li Xuewu's mind wasn't on her, and he didn't even pay attention to what she asked; he just answered out of habit.
His pen flew across the paper, leaving behind a neat string of words—an idea he had only had in the last few days.
"Public security management?" Zhou Xiaoling read aloud the title on the manuscript paper placed to the side.
She knew that Li Xuewu had written several books, and even bought and read them herself in order to get closer to him.
She knew that Xiaoxiao had also secretly read his books, but she just couldn't get into them.
Well, it's too professional, especially the concepts and applications of psychology, and the case analysis for criminal investigation work, which left her, a layman, completely confused.
The same applies to "Criminal Psychology" and later works such as "Defending the People" and "Defending Industry." The latter two are more theoretical and more vague to read, making her want to fall asleep.
If you want to win a man's heart, you can't win his stomach, so you have to win his mind.
If you don't even understand what the other person is thinking or doing, how can you talk about getting to know them?
Did you sleep all day?
After Li Xuewu finished writing this paragraph, he looked up at her, his gaze lingering on her pajamas for a few seconds.
Around 8 p.m. last night, he suddenly received a call from Zhou Xiaoling at the airport.
They said the metallurgical plant's guesthouse was full and the airport guesthouse was also full, so they wanted to stay at his place.
What could Li Xuewu say? Could he ask the metallurgical plant's guesthouse to make room for him?
He called the driver's team and arranged for a car to pick her up and bring her home.
He knew exactly what the girl was thinking; she wanted to compete with him in fishing skills and techniques.
"No, I went out this morning."
Zhou Xiaoling deliberately straightened the loose nightgown on her shoulders, concealing her fair skin.
Her face flushed slightly, but her gaze remained fixed on the manuscript, as if she were very interested in his writing.
"Second brother, what are you writing here?"
Having found a topic to start a conversation, she looked up at Li Xuewu and asked, "Didn't you stop being in charge of security work?"
"On a whim, I suddenly felt like writing."
Li Xuewu got tired of writing, put down his pen, stood up, walked to the window and looked out. The October wind blew down the last stubbornly growing leaves in the yard, which were from the vegetable garden that Zhou Yamei had cleaned up with Zhao Laosi and Zhou Changli.
"You are so talented."
As Zhou Xiaoling read his manuscript aloud, she praised him, saying, "Why do you have such good writing skills and ideas? Is it because you've written a lot?"
"I write a lot, and I read a lot."
Li Xuewu crossed his arms and didn't turn around. Looking at the sparrows hopping on the wall, he said, "If you are interested in writing, you can also try to read and write more."
"I don't have your talent."
Zhou Xiaoling awkwardly put down the manuscript in her hand, looked at his back and said in an admiring tone, "If only I had your vision and mind."
"There are people who envy this?"
Li Xuewu watched the sparrow fly away before turning around to ask her, "Don't you have work today?"
Are you trying to get rid of me?
Zhou Xiaoling adopted a look of drooling anticipation and asked, feigning grievance, "Did I disturb your writing?"
"Just asking about your job."
Li Xuewu walked back to his desk, picked up a pen, and said as he unscrewed the cap, "Don't linger."
Hehe—no way—
Zhou Xiaoling waited until he sat down before standing behind his chair and reaching out to massage his shoulders.
"I'm eating and staying here for free, you won't be annoyed with me, will you? Or should I pay for my meals?"
Are you planning to stay here long-term?
Banggeng suddenly appeared at the study door, looked at her and said, "You can have my room, the rent is 15 yuan per month."
"Who wants your room—"
Zhou Xiaoling turned around and glared at him, scolding, "Didn't I tell you to order food?"
"We've already ordered, and we don't have anything you like."
Banggeng seemed to be deliberately targeting her, ignoring her eye signals and standing at the door with his arms crossed.
Zhou Xiaoling could tell he was doing it on purpose, but she still couldn't bear to leave Li Xuewu's side.
Li Xuewu couldn't stand their arguing, so he turned to her and said, "Go on, find a book to read, or take another nap. When dinner is ready, Banggeng will call you."
"Yes, you look so sleepy. Go take another nap. I'll call you when dinner is ready."
Banggeng raised his eyebrows and mimicked Uncle Wu's words, making no attempt to hide the teasing and sarcasm behind his words.
"Understood, Second Brother—"
Zhou Xiaoling glared at the stick, then responded gently, pinched it a couple more times, and left the study.
"You ruined my plans—"
As she left, she tapped Banggeng on the forehead and whispered a threat, "You just wait!"
"What am I waiting for?" Banggeng crossed his arms, turned around, glared at her, and said without giving an inch, "Waiting for you to come and deal with me?"
I'm so eager to get close to you—
Zhou Xiaoling replied fiercely in the same gentle tone, and then reached out and rubbed his face hard with both hands.
Bang Geng had never experienced anything like this before; this was completely different from when his mother teased him.
How would you feel if a simply dressed girl gently rubbed your face with her hand and breathed on it playfully?
This naughty girl is actually quite pretty!
"Second brother, shall I have a drink with you?"
Zhou Xiaoling, unwilling to let Li Xuewu go, went upstairs with a wine bottle and a wine glass in her hand.
Li Xuewu sat on the second-floor balcony, gazing at the night view outside the window during his leisure time after dinner.
Guanshan Road is not adjacent to a main road; both sides of the street are lined with such independent buildings, with very few densely packed residential areas.
It is precisely because of this layout that a tranquil environment exists, especially with the surrounding greenery.
These days, workers' residential areas don't pay much attention to greenery and the environment; they just plant a few trees and call it a day.
Zhou Yamei's house is in a great location; sitting on the second-floor balcony, you can see the woods on the slope not far away.
Lush and verdant, dark and glossy.
Several autumn rains have already passed, and the only vegetation left besides the big trees is the tenacious little grass.
What are you looking at?
Zhou Xiaoling placed the wine bottle and glasses on the small table, and looking into the distance following his gaze, all she could see was darkness.
It's October, and it gets dark early. It's completely dark before six o'clock. How far can she see?
"Mountains, distant mountains."
Li Xuewu turned to look at her and asked, "Why did you suddenly decide to drink? And where did you find this?"
"If you want to drink, then drink it!"
Zhou Xiaoling poured some wine into his and her own glasses, and joked, "Anyway, you don't charge me for my meals."
"Where did you find this wine hidden?"
Li Xuewu glanced at the wine bottle on the small table with amusement; it was clearly Zhou Yamei's private collection.
If he drinks this today, what will he say when Zhou Yamei comes looking for him later? That the mouse stole it?
You would never guess.
Zhou Xiaoling pursed her lips and said with a smile, "It's in the closet in my room."
"Oh, where did you hide it?"
Li Xuewu shook his head slightly. He hadn't looked carefully; he had only reminded Zhou Yamei not to drink excessively.
Zhou Yamei seemed to care a lot about his opinion and didn't want him to see her drinking.
So, does she still drink heavily?
Almost none. I'm too busy with work to have time for sentimentality.
This kind of red wine is only for those with leisure time to savor slowly, and it also needs to be paired with an interesting soul and story.
"If you hadn't become a group leader, you would definitely have been an excellent writer."
Zhou Xiaoling raised her glass and complimented, "There's a saying that goes, 'Gold shines wherever it is.'"
"No, you can't see gold at night."
Li Xuewu glanced at her, raised his glass and clinked it with hers, emphasizing, "Gold also needs a light source to discover it and to highlight it."
"Just like me? Heh—"
Zhou Xiaoling glanced at him tentatively, then excitedly drank the wine in her glass.
Red wine doesn't actually have a particularly mellow or pleasant taste; that's all based on the sommelier's personal emotional interpretation.
If Li Xuewu were to say, the only advantage of drinking red wine is that it has a strong aftereffect and can easily make you drunk.
Zhou Xiaoling was clearly trying to get him drunk so she could give him a chance. No matter how much she was blinded by love, she wouldn't think she could get her second brother drunk, would she?
Gold doesn't shine on its own.
Li Xuewu gave her a meaningful look, then looked out the window; the evening breeze was a bit chilly.
It seems another autumn rain is brewing, and it looks like it could fall at any moment.
(End of this chapter)