dognovel Chapter 1457 The King of War
Chapter 1457 The King of War
Chapter 1457 The King of War
"Hey! We meet again, Lee."
Art smiled憨厚ly, walked quickly forward, and hugged Li Xuewu, who was waiting for him in the office.
To be honest, Li Xuewu really didn't want to hug him; there was a strange smell that could be detected from a distance.
However, his status limited him; he had to respect international friends and, even more so, foreign businessmen.
"Was the journey smooth?"
After releasing the other person, Li Xuewu took the initiative to shake hands with Ate and greeted him with a smile: "I am very happy to hear that you have come to the mainland."
“I’m also very happy. I wasn’t lonely along the way because Ji was with me.”
Art sat down on the sofa with a grin, chattering away.
At this time, Zhang Enyuan served hot tea to the two of them, took special care of At, and even asked him if he wanted to drink coffee.
Art waved his hand to refuse his offer, looked at Li Xuewu and said in Chinese: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Well, foreigners find it a bit difficult to learn Chinese, but they can definitely speak dialects perfectly.
I don't know where Art found him, but his strong Northeastern accent almost knocked him out.
"How have you been lately?" Li Xuewu took a sip of his tea and then looked at Art and asked, "I heard you couldn't attend the club's spring reception this year."
"It's not that I don't want to, it's that I don't have the time."
Art shook his head slightly and said with emotion, "You should be grateful that your motherland is united and cohesive. Although it is surrounded by foreign enemies, it also has a powerful iron fist."
"If you go to Africa and see for yourself, you'll know that living is worse than being dead; it's just too hard."
He sighed and said very seriously, "There is war all over Africa, and I estimate that more than two million civilians have starved to death."
"This is just my estimate; the actual number should be much higher."
"That serious?" Li Xuewu frowned and asked, "Is it war or a natural disaster?"
"Where there are natural disasters, there are man-made disasters, and man-made disasters are worse than natural disasters." Art sighed deeply. "You didn't see it—the visual shock of a one- or two-year-old baby crawling on the ground with a huge belly is unbearable to look at. It's hell!"
"Such a tall, such a small child, yet he owns a Type 56 rifle and dares to shoot and kill people."
Art raised his hand to indicate a position slightly above his waist, and stared at Li Xuewu, saying, "I can't see any innocence or humanity in their eyes at all; they're like madmen."
"Type 56? You sent it over?"
Li Xuewu always managed to grasp the key points of the conversation, looking at Ate and asking in return, "Are you repenting?"
“I…I am telling a story.”
Art suddenly ran out of words, awkwardly shrugged, and said, "This is what I saw and heard from a third-person perspective. You should understand how tragic it was."
"What does it have to do with me?"
Li Xuewu frowned and said, "It wasn't a long time ago, just thirty or forty years ago, on this very land beneath our feet, the same tragic events you just described occurred."
"Our peaceful life today is not due to sympathy and pity, but to the sacrifice and resistance of tens of millions of compatriots."
“This…” Art hesitated before speaking, “I’ve heard about that history before, but I’ve never seen anything so shocking.”
"So you've come here to resolve this chaos and devastation?"
Li Xuewu nodded slowly and said, "Do you need food or medical supplies? We may need some time to prepare them."
“Well… we also need food and medicine.” Art looked at Li Xuewu somewhat awkwardly and asked, “After hearing my explanation, don’t you feel any empathy or a heartfelt desire to do something?”
"Why?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and asked in return, "Was it because I brought war to Africa? Or is it because of me that children are displaced?"
"If neither of these apply, then why should I bear this guilt and responsibility?"
He shrugged and said, "If you've come here for help, I can only say that my country is still struggling to achieve basic food and clothing security."
"If you're here to do business, then I'll welcome you with open arms."
Li Xuewu tapped the table one last time, reminding Ate, "If you're here to scam people, then I can only send you back to your hometown."
"Of course not, of course not—"
When Art saw Li Xuewu baring his fangs, he waved his hands repeatedly in denial, saying, "I'm here to do business."
"That would be perfect. Hongxing Steel Group is actively expanding its overseas trade, and you've come at just the right time."
Upon hearing Art's words, Li Xuewu immediately changed his attitude, like a dog.
Even Art thought his change of expression was too swift and couldn't help but twitch his lips.
When doing business in Europe and America, he loved to play the sympathy card. As long as he vividly described the disasters and tragedies caused by regional conflicts, he would often get unexpected preferential policies.
Old money people love to condescendingly bestow pity, feign charity, or adopt a godlike demeanor while spouting insincere concern and love.
Who cares?
At least Art knew very well that Africa was in complete disarray, and no one would believe it without the encouragement of the old money.
France, Italy, Britain, the Soviet Union...
To put it simply, any country with even a little international influence wants to poop on that land.
France, in particular, known as a troublemaker in Europe, has been the most proactive and frequent in getting involved in related activities.
France was involved in eight out of ten upheavals, a period when its international influence was rapidly declining and it was entangled with traditional British powers.
The rise of emerging powers and the bipolar world have caused Africa to suffer undeserved pain.
It is precisely because dozens of countries are locked in a fierce battle that war vultures and hyenas like Att have found a golden opportunity to display their power.
“You haven’t been to the Red Star Factory for a year.”
Li Xuewu smiled and spread his hands, saying, "Our development will definitely surprise you."
"Of course, the Red Star Factory can now produce helicopters, that's why I came here."
"No, no, no, Art, my friend, you should be patient. The best is yet to come."
Li Xuewu wagged his index finger and said to Art with a smile, "We have more than just helicopters."
“Tundra Motors, right? I know all about it.” Art nodded knowingly and said, “Your competition with the North is really fierce.”
His quick answer was meant to remind Li Xuewu that his concern for Hongxing Steel Group far exceeded Li Xuewu's understanding.
But what Li Xuewu wanted him to know was far beyond his imagination.
“Art, I don’t mean any harm by speculating about my friends’ business, but I have a suggestion.”
Li Xuewu stood up seriously and looked at Art, saying, "If you want to become the King of War, you must first understand what war is."
***
"What is war? War..."
At the Steel City Metallurgical Plant Guesthouse, Art scratched his head and flipped through the copy of "The Art of War" in front of him.
Ji Weidong, who happened to be looking for him, could only shake his head helplessly upon seeing this situation.
He had already said that international swindlers like Art were nothing more than kindergarten graduates in Li Xuewu's eyes, completely powerless to resist.
After talking with Li Xuewu in the morning, he was assigned to the dock, which was the base of the investigation department.
Before he left, he reminded Art to be careful of Li Xuewu and not to be too frank in negotiations.
The results of it?
Art clearly showed his cunning side to him, even confidently promising that he would make Li Xuewu sympathize with him, pity him, and support him.
Looking at Art, who was holding a book and rambling on in the room, and the desk with other books scattered around, he knew that Art must have fallen into a trap.
This is quite obvious; when Li Xuewu is trying to trick someone, he often tries to confuse them first.
Just like now, when Art saw him enter the room, he excitedly stood up and took the initiative to ask about the contents of the book "The Art of War" in his hand.
Why should we read this book?
Although he already knew the result, Ji Weidong still wanted to know the process; he wanted to know how Ate fell into the pit.
Art's concentration was much better than he had expected. Seeing his question, he happily explained, "This book is truly a treasure!"
Ji Weidong didn't say anything, but slightly raised his chin, looking at Ate, waiting for his answer.
"The Art of War" has been translated into many languages and published in countless copies worldwide.
Art held the book as if it were a priceless treasure, acting like a madman. It can only be said that he was ignorant and had never experienced the finer things in life.
If you get this excited over a book like "The Art of War," you'd be ecstatic if you saw "On Protracted War."
"It was Li, it was Li who recommended it to me."
Art clapped the book in his hand excitedly and said, "He told me that to become the king of war, you must first understand what war is."
"I must admit that my understanding of war was too one-sided before."
He shook his head with regret and sighed, "If I had learned about this book earlier, perhaps Art would be different today."
"The King of War?" Ji Weidong's eyelids twitched, and the corners of his mouth twitched as he looked at Art with suspicion. Did this guy have no self-awareness at all?
Sure enough, it's the same old recipe, just a different name for the same thing.
Li Xuewu had such high expectations for At, a mere regional arms dealer, and even elevated those expectations in terms of ideology and values.
All he could say was that Art was doomed; he had fallen into Li Xuewu's trap and couldn't get out.
You want to persuade him? Don't be ridiculous.
“Yes, that’s right, Li Zhen is an extraordinary person!” Art said, looking at him intently. “If he had been born in Africa, he would definitely have been able to unify Africa.”
See? It's hopeless.
Li Xuewu had given this kid a kind of mind-altering drug called cognitive reconstruction. No matter how you tried to persuade him, you would argue with him about values and intentions based on his reconstructed cognition.
This is equivalent to playing a game with Li Xuewu according to the game rules he set; isn't that just asking for trouble?
"Did he recommend a new weapon to you?"
Ji Weidong looked at Ate suspiciously, wondering if the other party had bought a lot of junk.
Don't actually buy a sea cucumber Poseidon dung fork, okay?
"No, Li is sincere."
Art shook his head slightly, seeing that he seemed to doubt his mentor's intentions, and emphasized very seriously, "He wants my career to be worthwhile."
"Damn it—" Ji Weidong plopped down on the sofa and scratched his forehead helplessly.
He advised Art in Hong Kong not to come to the mainland, saying he could buy whatever Art wanted for him.
Ji Weidong even assured Art that he would get a price that would surprise him.
However, Art didn't trust him, believing that he was capable and could thrive in the mainland.
Just like before, they placed orders worth millions of US dollars and became a VIP at the Red Star Factory.
Well, Ji Weidong didn't explain it too directly to him, only telling him that the current Hongxing Factory was different and had developed into the Hongxing Steel Group.
Art didn't care at all, thinking that whether it was Hongxing Factory or Hongxing Steel Group, as long as Li Xuewu was still there, he could thrive in the mainland.
Ji Weidong really didn't know what to say about him. Without Li Xuewu, Hongxing Steel Group would be a soft bread; otherwise, it would be a penny-pincher.
Trying to take advantage of Hongxing Steel Group?
What was this kid thinking? Hongxing Steel Group has established a buyer's club in the port city, and international trade has become the norm. Foreign businessmen are a treasure for other companies in the mainland, but they are no longer a rare species for Hongxing Steel Group.
At this point, the status and treatment that Art could obtain if he went to the mainland would certainly not be as good as before.
Of course, if he can provide orders worth tens of millions, he will still be a guest of honor at Hongxing Steel Group.
But does Art have tens of millions?
"Why don't you just call him Li Zhencheng?"
Ji Weidong curled his lip and said to At, "Before he recommends any weapons to you, you'd better figure out what you need."
He tapped the sofa armrest and emphasized, "Don't listen to his boasting about how good this or that is. Ignore any weapons that haven't been tested in war."
Does Ji Weidong have a grudge against Li Xuewu? Why is he siding with outsiders?
The two were good friends and naturally had no enmity, but Art was his key protégé. Although he wasn't as exaggerated as Li Xuewu described, such as being called the "King of War," he was still in that sense.
He was really afraid that Li Xuewu would fool Ate into buying a bunch of junk and leaving him with nothing but a bad reputation.
"You suspect that Li will deceive me?"
Art looked at him suspiciously and asked, "Or have you heard something?"
"I'm doing this for your own good!"
Ji Weidong glared at him, amused and annoyed, and said, "Don't be ungrateful. I warned you long ago that even ten of you tied together couldn't outmaneuver him. He's the most cunning person I've ever met."
"I didn't feel that way at all—"
Art waved the book in his hand and said, "He didn't deceive me; he even encouraged me to study more."
"Can you learn it?"
Ji Weidong pointed to the book in his hand and said, "I've read this book more than you have, but I've only truly understood and grasped less than a tenth of its contents."
"What can a foreigner like you possibly learn?"
He raised his eyebrows and said, "I'm not belittling your knowledge, I just want to tell you that only those who have a superficial understanding and pretend to know what they don't will harm you."
Some people are like that; they won't be fooled when they don't understand a certain field at all. Because they don't understand it, they won't easily get involved, and they even lack trust in it.
I only gained a superficial understanding after reading a few books and listening to a few discussions.
Take the antique trade, for example. Can you say that the "national treasure craze" are all complete fools? They know in their hearts that they've been deceived, but they remain stubbornly ignorant, afraid of being exposed and shattering their dream of pretending to know what they don't.
Ji Weidong meant the same thing. Li Xuewu was definitely going to give Ate a big surprise this time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone through such a long and complicated process, even going so far as to teach Ate what war is. Was he going to give Ate a lesson?
Li Xuewu did it on purpose, wanting At to understand China's cultural heritage, including its interpretation and understanding of war, so as to shatter At's previous perceptions.
The cognitive system reconstructed under his guidance and influence is nothing more than the game rules that Li Xuewu wants to set.
Anyone who tries to outsmart Li Xuewu within his rules will be outmaneuvered; Ate will definitely be fooled.
Ji Weidong had already thought it through. If At was truly stubborn and unrepentant, then he would have to suggest to his superiors that they find a different person to train, and that they should stay away from scoundrels like Li Xuewu.
Art wasn't being stubborn, he just couldn't understand why he was reminding him like that.
According to his understanding, Li Xuewu did not impose any ideological constraints on him, nor did he require him to understand the war in any way.
He read all the books recommended to him, although some of them were in Chinese characters and he still couldn't understand them.
However! He did understand this French version of "The Art of War," and even gained some insights from it.
That's right, in just a short time at noon, he only read a few chapters, but he already had profound insights.
He was so eager for it that he felt incredibly foolish for never having eaten refined grains before.
He had never understood such a simple and easy-to-understand principle before, and he couldn't even find a way to break the deadlock.
Things are different now. With insights and summaries of past experiences, he is better able to understand the philosophy and meaning in this book.
From this perspective, Li Xuewu did nothing wrong; in fact, he should thank the other party.
Now Ji Weidong denied Li Xuewu's purpose and said some seemingly plausible but ultimately false things.
At this moment, Art was like a directionally challenged person standing at a crossroads, looking left and right, not knowing which way to go.
On one side is the King of War, and on the other is an ambush from all sides. He really regrets not learning this book sooner.
"I can't wait until I've completely mastered this book before I come back to him, can I?"
Art carefully put away the book in his hand, looked at Ji Weidong and asked, "Do you have a way to help me buy helicopters and other weapons?"
“If you hadn’t come to the mainland,” Ji Weidong sighed helplessly, looking at Art and saying, “Now that you’ve offered yourself up, how could they possibly let you off easily without taking a good bite out of you?”
"Don't tell me you've already told Li Xuewu you want to buy their helicopter."
Ji Weidong glared at him and said, "You wouldn't be so honest, would you?"
"Of course...no, no."
Art's answer was somewhat weak, and his attitude was not very firm. He lowered his head as if he was thinking about something.
When Ji Weidong saw him like this, how could he not know that this kid had revealed everything?
That's it! If Li Xuewu doesn't tear him apart alive, he'll dare to perform a handstand while eating shit!
"Good luck, Art."
What else could Ji Weidong say? He couldn't very well tell Ate to run away, or Li Xuewu would kill him.
The debt from Gangcheng hasn't been settled yet. If new debts are incurred, Li Xuewu can make him swim back to Gangcheng.
-
"Have you seen the book I gave you?"
At 2:30 p.m., accompanied by Sun Jia, the office director, Art arrived at the industrial exhibition hall.
The scale here is not very large, especially given the crowded display of various industrial products.
When he arrived at the exhibition hall, Li Xuewu was already standing there waiting for him.
"Thank you, Li. I am deeply moved."
Art shook his hand earnestly and thanked him, saying, "Chinese culture is truly amazing."
"Learn slowly, don't rush."
Li Xuewu smiled and nodded, then said, "There's a saying I don't know if you've heard before, it's also related to war."
"Before the troops move, the food and fodder must go first."
Seeing that Art was listening attentively, he raised his hand and gestured for the other person to walk into the industrial exhibition hall together.
The industrial exhibition hall in Hongxing Steel City Industrial Zone is still under construction, but Li Xuewu has already asked the leading group office to prepare and set up a temporary exhibition hall.
The temporary exhibition hall is located in the group's office building complex in Gangcheng, spanning a full six floors.
"The meaning is very simple: before the war begins, the necessary supplies for the operation must be prepared."
Li Xuewu turned to look at Art and said with a smile, "I don't know if you understand."
"Of course, I understand what you mean."
Art nodded knowingly and said, "Before going to war, you always have to raise funds to buy equipment and weapons, as well as supplies for the battle."
"Have you ever thought about the significance of professionalizing logistics and supply?"
Li Xuewu led him to the display table, took out the compressed rations from his shoulder strap, and handed them to At, gesturing, "Want to try some?"
"What is this? A cookie?"
Art had seen and experienced a lot. Although his working environment was harsh, it didn't mean he was poor.
Imagine how much profit you'd make in a business that puts you at risk of your life. And how much profit could you make if you could travel by cargo ship to the interior to purchase weapons at this time?
In this world, as long as there is profit to be made, there will always be people willing to take risks, and Art is one such person.
Therefore, he wouldn't be surprised by anything Li Xuewu brought out; he only showed slight astonishment.
"You can call it a compressed biscuit."
Li Xuewu smiled and gestured to him how to tear open the vacuum packaging, which was very simple.
Art was quite surprised this time. Looking at the compressed rations in Li Xuewu's hand, he asked, "I didn't expect you to have mastered vacuum packaging technology as well."
"You are in China now, my friend."
Li Xuewu earnestly reminded him, "This isn't Africa, you should wake up."
"Hehehe—" Art realized he had said the wrong thing and chuckled.
Is vacuum packaging technology difficult?
The technology itself wasn't difficult; the challenge lay in the materials. Art was surprised by the plastic packaging of the compressed rations.
In fact, Li Xuewu was also pretending. This set of equipment was transported from the Southeast Asian market by the Santayar Group and is still very rare in mainland China.
Santayar Group already dumps machinery and equipment, including food production equipment, in Southeast Asia.
Vacuum packaging is a revolutionary invention that changes the way food is stored, especially due to advancements in materials science.
If Santayar Group had recommended this equipment to Hongxing Steel Group three years ago for use in its food processing plant, the group would not have accepted the suggestion.
why?
Three years ago, North China was unable to produce food-grade plastics. It wasn't until 67, when plastic production technology was introduced from Japan, that the packaging problem was solved.
The dry rations that Li Xuewu gave to At were not standard issue products; the General Assembly inspected them but did not purchase them.
There could be many reasons, one of which is the current entrenched situation.
Li Xuewu could accept this stagnation, as neither the production technology nor the packaging technology of this product had yet reached the minimum cost.
Current production can only define this type of ration as an emergency need, and cannot meet the needs of regular reserves.
"Hmm, it's a bit dry—"
Art was really bold, not afraid that Li Xuewu would poison him to death, and stuffed the dry food into his mouth.
"It tastes pretty good, a little sweet and a little salty. What is it made of?"
"Soybeans, wheat, oil, salt, and sugar." Li Xuewu pursed his lips and pointed to the description on the packaging, saying, "It's all written here."
"I can't taste what it is at all."
Art chewed carefully, savoring the taste. "Is this the rations you just mentioned?"
"That's right, it's a very high-calorie food."
Li Xuewu pointed to the packaged and canned foods on the exhibition shelves and introduced them: "These are tactical rations that are convenient for individual soldiers to carry."
"The bag of rations you have is enough to replenish a soldier's combat supplies for a day."
He then picked up a can of braised pork and said with a smile, "Eating this will keep you full all night; it's amazing."
Is this pork?
Art carefully read the instructions on the packaging and was surprised to find that there were also English and French labels.
Clearly, this is what we're going to sell to them, so of course we'll label it with text they can understand.
Chinese cooking methods for pork.
Li Xuewu gave a brief introduction, and then introduced At to canned beef and mutton.
"Trust me, you can find the world's most delicious tactical rations here."
He nodded confidently and said, "If you need to purchase this, I can supply it to you at a friendly price."
"Friendship price? How much is that?"
Art asked curiously, "I never imagined that our friendship would still have value."
"This is our understanding of human relationships and social customs."
Li Xuewu looked at him and nodded, saying, "We always take care of old friends."
"Thank you so much!"
Art asked with great interest, "But how much is our friendship worth?"
"You're the only one getting a 5% discount."
Li Xuewu emphasized very seriously: "No other buyer has ever been able to get even a single penny of discount from me, except for you."
"Thank you, Li. We're good friends."
When Art heard him say that, he excitedly reached out and shook hands with him.
Li Xuewu smiled and raised his hand, gesturing to the display stand in front of him, saying, "Let's continue looking."
"Ethiopia is in civil war, Somalia is in civil war, Syria is in rebellion, and Nigeria is suppressing rebellion..."
Art walked forward with Li Xuewu, describing the current situation in Africa.
Contrary to what he learned from the newspapers, he presented his observations and experiences to Li Xuewu from a unique perspective.
Li Xuewu did not doubt that he was lying or exaggerating; information cocoons have always existed in this world.
The world you know is not comprehensive; it may even be a world created for you by others.
It is true that Art spoke of the massive famine in Biafarah, the complete economic and military collapse, and the large-scale humanitarian disaster that occurred there.
It cannot be said that all of these are related to Art. Even without Art's involvement, other weapons manufacturers would have entered this market.
The market creates merchants, not the other way around; the arms market is a prime example.
Art only appears when there is demand; he is the battlefield vulture and hyena.
-
"Can I come to Steel City to see you?"
Wu Shuping's voice was a little hoarse on the phone, but she remained strong and showed no weakness.
This is not a request, it is a need.
"Okay, I'll wait for you in Steel City."
Li Xuewu's answer was concise and clear, putting no pressure on Wu Shuping or making things difficult for her.
He didn't ask Wu Shuping if she had seen Lai Jiasheng, nor did he ask what the two had talked about.
Since Wu Shuping called, it means she was already prepared.
There are two travel options from Tianjin to Gangcheng. One is to take the commuter ferry operated by Hongxing Steel Group, which departs from Tianjin and goes all the way to Gangcheng.
But this route would take at least two days, and Wu Shuping couldn't wait, so she chose to take the train.
She was completely unaware of what had happened in the port city, and was likely the last person to find out.
Yu Li didn't deliberately hide it from her, but she didn't have the authority to control the communication channels with Gangcheng.
Li Wenbiao went to Gangcheng to act on behalf of Li Xuewu, and almost never sent any messages home.
Yu Li was able to learn about the changes in Gangcheng through other channels; at least Li Wenbiao did not report it.
Li Xuewu suddenly brought Lai Jiasheng to her, to his villa in Tianjin.
Honestly, when she first saw Lai Jiasheng, she almost shouted out in surprise.
She eventually cried, but not as loudly, because she was afraid of scaring the child.
Lai Jiasheng, just like always, was dressed in a well-fitting suit, his hair neatly combed.
When I saw her, my gaze didn't show the surprise and longing I had imagined; it was complicated.
She could understand; after four years apart, even the closest lovers would grow distant.
But as long as the feelings remain unchanged and the mutual understanding remains the same, then love will not change.
Moreover, they had a child together.
The first time, she cried as she pulled her son aside to teach him to call her "Dad," but Li Xin's hesitation deeply hurt Lai Jiasheng's heart and brought the atmosphere of the family reunion to a freezing point.
“You should know our situation on the mainland. Without Li Xuewu’s help…”
Wu Shuping looked at him and explained earnestly, "Ah Xin must have a respectable identity."
"Is he/she an illegitimate child?"
Lai Jiasheng had no doubt that his son was his biological son. Li Xin looked exactly like him in his childhood photos, as if they were made from the same mold.
Blood is thicker than water, but the son no longer seems like his son.
It was only at this moment that Wu Shuping noticed that Yang Zhao had also returned with Lai Jiasheng.
After Yang Zhao and two others "escorted" him into the house, they did not leave but instead stood in the corner.
But no matter how silent she is, she is not invisible, and she can still see her.
This gesture doesn't seem like they're sending Lai Jiasheng back for a family reunion; it's more like they're escorting him.
Especially the tone of voice of your loved one.
Yang Zhao didn't explain anything, but simply handed her a letter, a letter from Hong Kong.
The letter was written by Li Wenbiao. It didn't contain much personal emotion; it was simply a narrative that detailed what happened in the port city and was related to Lai Jiasheng.
When Wu Shuping learned of Lai Ka-sing's actions in Hong Kong, she was struck dumb.
She suspected Li Wenbiao was wrong, and even suspected Li Xuewu was wrong, but she never suspected Lai Jiasheng first.
But when she put down the letter and looked at Lai Jiasheng, he remained silent.
"This is where my child and I have lived for the past four years."
Wu Shuping was ultimately a strong and wise woman. She calmly put away the letter and described her and her child's life to Lai Jiasheng in a complicated tone.
“This house has two floors. The upper floor is my and my child’s room, and the lower floor is Sister Lu’s room, as well as the kitchen and dining room.”
Her voice trembled slightly, and she even forgot to ask Sister Lu to come out and take the child away.
Li Xin could see his mother's sadness, so he obediently hugged her leg, offering her support.
Wu Shuping picked up the child and brought him to the sofa, handing him to Yang Zhao.
Yang Zhaolai had come here quite a few times, so Li Xin was naturally familiar with him and was willing to follow him.
“A year ago, a girl named Zhou Xiaobai lived here. She was the daughter of Vice President Zhou of ****.”
She wiped away a tear as she spoke, let out a long sigh, and said, "Every letter I write to you will be mailed to you through Yang Zhao."
Lai Jiasheng looked at her silently, without following her gesture to look at the person comforting the child.
He didn't know Yang Zhao; the other party picked him up from the port and brought him directly here.
There were no greetings, no conversations, not even eye contact on the way; he knew his situation.
From the port city to the mainland, he felt neither the joy of revisiting familiar places nor the fear of standing on the edge of an abyss.
It is a feeling of utter despair, a regret of failing at the last hurdle.
It wasn't until he saw his wife and children that he realized what he had been doing all this crazy.
Wu Shuping's situation infuriated him, but he felt more self-blame and resentment.
He thought his wife and children were living a miserable life in mainland China, so he worked hard in the hope of getting Li Xuewu's help to take care of them.
In her initial letter to him, Wu Shuping wrote that Li Xuewu had placed her in a prison.
He harbored no resentment towards Li Xuewu; on the contrary, he felt it was a form of protection.
Wu Shuping wrote to him, describing her life in Tianjin and saying that she needed to cooperate with Li Xuewu in acting so that the child could have an identity.
Lai Jiasheng completely trusted his lover and Li Xuewu's character.
Because of Li Xuewen and Zhao Yafang, even if Li Xuewu is bad, he won't be this bad.
If he could save Wu Shuping, he wouldn't ruin his reputation; he could trust both of them.
After his son was born, he treasured all the photos that Wu Shuping mailed to him and would look at them every day.
He looked forward to the reunion of his family and longed for his wife and children to come to the port city to reunite with him.
Lai Jiasheng has been paying close attention to the policies at the port and hopes to leverage his influence in the financial sector to obtain some resources.
Starting last year, he discussed in his letters to Wu Shuping how to welcome her and her son to Hong Kong.
In her reply, Wu Shuping also expressed her hopes, especially looking forward to reuniting with her lover.
However, plans can change quickly. Problems arose at Dongfeng Sany Construction, and in order to resolve the conflict with Li Huaide, Li Xuewu transferred her to Beijing to take on this important task.
With Li Huaide's tacit approval, the danger brought about by her previous identity was unexpectedly resolved.
With the protection of Hongxing Steel Group and the complex shareholding structure of United Construction, the news of her appointment as the company's vice president did not cause the slightest disturbance.
She shared this news with Lai Jiasheng, hoping to resolve the issue of her identity through normal channels.
It would be even better if children could have a good learning and living environment.
Especially with her position as the vice president of a construction company and her control over the channels of the restructured Tianjin Shunfeng Trading Co., Ltd., she truly lived a life of comfort and security in the mainland.
With Li Xuewu's support, her career progressed rapidly, especially as she applied her knowledge to her work, earning the respect and recognition of her colleagues.
If she didn't deeply love this land, why would she have traveled thousands of miles to come here?
If she could be accepted by this land, why would she be so tearful and complain every day?
It was from that time onward that Wu Shuping began to express more of her joy in her career success and more of her happy stories about her son's growth in her letters to Lai Jiasheng.
She even described the joy of her son interacting with his kindergarten friends. Her words no longer contained any fear or worry about the situation, but were filled with happiness and contentment in her life.
This rendered Lai Jiasheng's preparations futile, and he even felt a sense of betrayal and anger.
He began discussing the possibility of a family reunion with Wu Shuping in their letters, and in Wu Shuping's reply, which affirmed the idea while also considering the overall situation, the discussion escalated to a debate and critique of the current situation and policies.
Wu Shuping didn't want to discuss these things with him, but only emphasized Li Xuewu's care and help for her and the child, and also advised Lai Jiasheng to give Li Xuewu some time, and that he would help them get out of this situation at the right time.
Lai Jiasheng, however, said that she was getting more and more involved and couldn't even leave her current life and her identity.
The two had a fight in their letters and didn't correspond for a month. It was Wu Shuping who took the initiative to write to him, only talking about her life and the children's situation.
Lai Jiasheng's replies became less and less frequent, mostly consisting of greetings to the children, with no further discussion of family reunion.
The more urgent the hope, the more likely it is that when that hope is shattered, or even delayed, disappointment can cause a person to lose their reason and faith.
Lai Jiasheng's achievements today are entirely supported by a strong belief.
Once that string loosened, he relaxed his self-discipline amidst the dazzling, decadent world of Hong Kong.
After his period of despair, he couldn't help but recall what Wu Shuping had once told him about his acting with Li Xuewu, and he began to have doubts.
If you're not clean yourself, you can't tolerate others being clean.
Therefore, he transformed his resentment towards Wu Shuping and hatred towards Li Xuewu into revenge against the Oriental Era Group.
He knew that the Oriental Group was Li Xuewu's scheme in Hong Kong, and he didn't have the guts to uncover it, but he was determined to move things little by little.
The collapse of a building can begin with the details.
If there are no problems in his work, then there will only be problems for others.
Internal strife is undoubtedly the most direct and ruthless way to bring down a company.
Li Xuewu trusted Lou Xiao'e; otherwise, he wouldn't have entrusted such a large company to her for operation.
Li Xuewu also trusted Wen Hanze, knowing that the two were childhood friends and brothers who had suffered together.
Li Xuewu trusted Ji Weidong more, and Port-au-Prince was as stable as Mount Tai; he certainly knew whose credit it was.
Dealing with one person alone is too difficult; only by sowing discord can we make them fight amongst themselves.
He knew that Ji Weidong had long been dissatisfied with Wen Hanze's work style and personal behavior, and he was also aware of Lou Xiao'e's growing confidence and ideas.
He simply gave a gentle push, allowing the conflict between the group to escalate gradually, and then sat back and watched the two fight it out.
To everyone's surprise, he was exposed.
(End of this chapter)