dognovel Chapter 1406 Hot Spring Travel
Chapter 1406 Hot Spring Travel
Chapter 1406 Hot Spring Travel
Just three days after Zhou Yamei relayed Li Xuewu's instructions and arranged for Yu Li to communicate with Gangcheng via radio, Gao Yaqin set off from Beijing to Gangcheng to meet with Li Xuewu.
"Director Li entrusted me to come and talk to you about this matter in person, and it is of great importance."
On the 20th, Gao Yaqin sat in Li Xuewu's office, accompanied by Sun Jian, the director of the general manager's office.
After serving tea to the two men, Zhang Enyuan went out and instructed Ma Baosen to keep an eye on things, telling the leader not to see anyone at this time. He himself was to arrange for the leader's schedule to be postponed.
"Director Li has received confirmation that there may be changes in Hong Kong, and he wants to ask for your opinion."
Gao Yaqin spoke these words very cautiously, her gaze towards Li Xuewu filled with solemnity.
Sun Jian, sitting to the side, also looked serious, holding his notebook but not daring to utter a single word.
What did Gao Yaqin say?
This ambiguous statement might be incomprehensible to the average person, or even nonsensical. What exactly is she trying to say?
Li Xuewu didn't need her to explain further; he already understood everything, and his brows furrowed.
Having learned from the lesson of forgetting what happened in the north, Li Xuewu has been very cautious lately, taking stock of everything he can think of.
What Gao Yaqin is going to talk about today was actually transmitted to Lou Xiao'e via radio waves three days ago.
What Li Xuewu didn't expect was why Old Li would step forward and get involved at this time.
Does he think his wings have grown so strong?
Well, now Li Xuewu finally admits that he underestimated Lao Li. He never expected Lao Li to be so audacious.
Just yesterday, the 19th, the Hong Kong issue-related department under the British Cabinet drafted a top-secret report. Note that this is a top-secret report.
The report states that "any approach to resolving the port city issue is untenable if we do not consider our sovereignty over the port city."
Therefore, the report believes the best approach is to convey to the mainland that Britain will completely leave Hong Kong when the time is right.
The report also recommended that informal contacts with the mainland be initiated quickly, and that a consensus on the Hong Kong issue be reached with Beijing no later than the early 80s.
One more point to note is that the definition of time in this report is very precise.
Then some people might ask, if it's a top-secret report, why is it that even Li Xuewu knows about it today, even though it was submitted on the 19th?
Don't ask, this is something that can't be talked about.
So, to put it more simply, why was the British Empire in such a hurry to reach an informal agreement with the capital?
Don't think this is some kind of sudden pang of conscience; it's entirely driven by the British Empire's self-interest.
The British Empire made this report and made this recommendation based on the anti-colonial stance of the capital, and it was impossible to extend the lease of the port city after the lease expired.
The purpose of the British Empire was to strive to maintain the economic development and social stability of the port city, so as to increase its bargaining power with the capital when the port city was returned in the future, and to strive for more benefits for the British Empire.
Another important point of this report is that if the situation changes drastically and pressure from the mainland continues to increase, the British Empire should consider withdrawing from Hong Kong this year.
As mentioned earlier, the report submitted by the relevant departments of the British Empire was a top-secret report, but given the current situation, it is definitely not a secret anymore.
Even Li Huaide knew about it, and could even pass it on to Li Xuewu, so Hong Kong City, which was closely related to this matter, knew even more.
Encouraged by this, the situation in the port city fluctuated somewhat, which also indirectly confirmed the authenticity of the report.
The department explained, with great sympathy, that they had no choice but to make the recommendations based on the current situation.
In their statements, the relevant departments of the British Empire used the phrase "seriously considering" the situation, expressing their concern that the capital city had the ability to use "economic means" to undermine their management in the port city, such as cutting off work, water, and food supplies.
The report even made baseless speculations that the capital would take some "special actions," without any real evidence or facts.
The report states that if this situation occurs, the British Empire will be unable to maintain control of the port city and will have to withdraw.
From an international perspective, this is not the most appropriate time to implement management of the port city.
Of course, most people can't see that far, and this situation can even cause them great excitement.
Isn't it a good thing that the other party is willing to give up management rights?
This is when you can see the organization's long-term vision and keen judgment; Hong Kong City can't accept this outcome.
They went to great lengths to ensure their safe extrication from the port city at critical moments and to avoid taking any responsibility.
When it came to the issue of how to settle the "meritorious" people who had helped the royal family maintain order, Yingyingying started to have wicked ideas.
During this period, the port city had approximately 20,000 to 30,000 security personnel, and including their families, there were 90,000 to 130,000. For the Royal British Empire, accommodating them was a considerable burden.
The report therefore recommended that, apart from helping them find a place to settle overseas, no "responsibility" be assumed. The report also questioned the loyalty of these security personnel during the Royal British withdrawal, since they were not, after all, their own people.
The report also exposed the hypocrisy of the government regarding the management of Hong Kong. It showed that the government strongly opposed allowing free selection of managers in Hong Kong because they feared certain individuals would win the election.
This is in stark contrast to the previous stance on the Hong Kong issue. Old MacLeod of Hong Kong has absolutely no confidence in ensuring that the public support for Royal Day in Hong Kong is strong enough.
Old Li had just seen through the other party's guilty and hypocritical mindset and wanted to use the same trick again, thinking that the economy of Hong Kong, that is, the stock market, would react strongly at this time.
He's never had enough of getting a bargain. Two years ago, he made a killing in the capital market with Oriental Times Bank, and he thinks he can get another piece of the pie this time. He can't hide his ambitions anymore.
Li Xuewu knew about this, but he didn't react at all, and didn't even make any arrangements within the Hongxing Steel Group. Why was that?
It's very simple. History has proven that the Royal Family's various concerns were nothing more than "judging others by one's own standards." The mother never thought of slapping her son in the face, nor would she cut off Hong Kong's water and food supplies. The mainland has always hoped that Hong Kong could prosper and remain stable, and return to the embrace of the motherland step by step.
Therefore, Li Xuewu concluded that the failure of the Royal British Empire's plans was likely due to certain individuals with ulterior motives deliberately stirring up trouble to enhance their own value.
Therefore, when something happens, it will certainly cause some ripples, but it will definitely not create a huge upheaval.
There's no need to think about it. As long as the mother doesn't make the first move and remains inactive, there won't be any problems.
On the contrary, those who orchestrate and misbehave will lose the support of the people and damage their own prestige.
Gao Yaqin kept staring at Li Xuewu's expression, but unfortunately she couldn't detect even the slightest change in his expression.
She was initially surprised by Li Xuewu's excellent information network, as he was able to obtain such information almost simultaneously with Director Li.
Then, as Li Xuewu remained silent, she gradually cooled down her radical thoughts and also fell silent.
This silence proves that she is now more surprised than when she first realized that Li Xuewu had access to these information channels.
She couldn't remain calm and composed during such a critical period.
The news was revealed to her by Director Li, and she was naturally extremely excited. Then she thought about how Hongxing Steel Group should break through this predicament, and many ideas came to mind.
Based on these ideas, she gathered a team overnight, reviewed some previous materials, prepared a detailed economic work plan and methods, and submitted the plan to Director Li.
After reviewing her report, Director Li did not give an immediate response. Instead, he asked her if she could make a trip to Gangcheng, because her proposed plan was based on a summary of her previous collaboration with Gangcheng Oriental Times Bank.
Gao Yaqin wasn't quite sure what Director Li meant. Did he doubt her abilities compared to Li Xuewu, or was he unsure of his own decision and asked her to bring this document to consult Li Xuewu?
Following this line of thought, both the former and the latter prove that she is inferior to Li Xuewu.
This feeling was so frustrating that she only came to the steel city with the documents after Director Li insisted.
Upon arriving in the steel city, she and Sun Jian rushed to the metallurgical plant and found Li Xuewu at work.
After they were both seated, she only said one sentence!
Yes, that's right. She only said one sentence, and before she could even hand over the report, she had completely calmed down in the face of Li Xuewu's silence, and had completely lost the confidence to take out the report and start a discussion with Li Xuewu.
What else can we offer? This obvious statement clearly shows that Li Xuewu doesn't approve of this matter.
As for why Li Xuewu was not optimistic, did he really have more foresight than her and Director Li?
No, that's not right. It should be said that Li Xuewu had a longer-term vision and foresight than her.
Compared to Director Li? Not necessarily.
Why do she say that? Because now, recalling Director Li's expression and attitude at the time, she has a third guess.
That is: when Director Li first heard the news, he was just as excited as she was, but when he saw the report she submitted, he thought of Li Xuewu, who was far away in Hong Kong.
After confirming that he could also receive the same message, Li Xuewu showed no reaction whatsoever, a stark contrast to his usual wisdom.
Gao Yaqin had long heard that Director Li's trust in Li Xuewu in certain matters was beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
She hadn't believed it before, especially after what happened before and after the New Year, which made her scoff at such remarks.
But now she realizes that Director Li's trust in Li Xuewu is far beyond what ordinary people can imagine; it's as if Director Li treats Li Xuewu like a god.
Ah, he was the one who first pointed out that this was a rare opportunity, and everyone jumped up and down with excitement. But when he noticed that some people hadn't jumped up, he immediately stopped, without giving them any warning.
So, Director Li traveled all that way just to bring her to Li Xuewu to sober up?
So, does Director Li trust Li Xuewu, or does he not trust Li Xuewu and want her to come and find out the truth?
This is not a question. Although it is thousands of miles away, and even if there are concerns that telephone communication might compromise confidentiality, there is a secure radio communication between the key factories of Hongxing Steel Group.
In other words, if Director Li had received this information and wanted to take action, he should have contacted Li Xuewu immediately, rather than approaching her directly.
Therefore, Director Li himself didn't have much confidence in this matter and was simply pushing her out to test the waters.
Yes, now she's the one testing the waters.
“President Sha contacted me a few days ago.” Li Xuewu finally spoke, but he didn’t talk about the previous topic, which ended with Gao Yaqin’s first sentence.
Gao Yaqin's face instantly turned ashen, but she forced herself to stay alert and listen carefully to Li Xuewu's words.
"I don't know your plans yet," Li Xuewu asked Gao Yaqin. "Are you planning to establish a corresponding foreign trade service and management mechanism this year?"
“If that’s possible, the sooner the better.” Gao Yaqin nodded and replied, “In fact, the conditions for establishing regular foreign trade services and guidance in Tianjin and actively promoting communication and exchanges between foreign businesses and joint trade are already very mature. I think we should take a step forward.”
“I completely agree with your point of view.” Li Xuewu first fully affirmed Gao Yaqin’s opinion and ideas, but in the following conversation, he also raised questions about the specific implementation plan and details, “How do you plan to deal with the difficulties of foreign businesses entering and leaving the border, and further achieve normalized communication?”
He raised his eyebrows and said, "You must have communicated with the import and export corporation, right? What did they say? Would they allow us to build a foreign trade service bridge from the port city to Tianjin? Even if we promise to only do high-end foreign trade."
"I can't answer your questions right now because I'm also overwhelmed with related work myself." She first looked at Li Xuewu apologetically and gave a wry smile, then raised an eyebrow and asked, "Perhaps you can give me some advice and help me sort out my thoughts?"
"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled and raised his hand to offer the tea, teasingly saying, "You're not here to see me off to the exam, but to learn from my experience."
"If the Buddha has the true scriptures, why should I hesitate to travel three thousand miles?" Gao Yaqin spread her hands frankly and said with a smile, "I am full of sincerity and have complete confidence in you."
“I am not Buddha, and you have not traveled three thousand miles.” Li Xuewu smiled, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, “As the saying goes, the one who tied the knot must untie it.”
He looked at Gao Yaqin sitting opposite him with amusement and said, "In the end, the solution to this problem still rests on your shoulders."
"Me?" Gao Yaqin never expected that Li Xuewu's football skills would improve so quickly after he came to Steel City. He kicked the ball better and better, and it was impossible to defend against him.
"Yes, it must be you." Li Xuewu put down his teacup, nodded and said, "To achieve a new breakthrough in the group's foreign trade and truly connect the Andrew Buyers Club with the Tianjin Binhai Business Club, we need a special pass."
He raised his eyebrows and looked at Gao Yaqin seriously, emphasizing, "I have given a detailed report to Director Li on why we abandoned the idea of achieving rapid operation in Hong Kong and stopped at the situation of mutual cooperation between banks and capital. He should know about it."
This sentence unexpectedly explained to Gao Yaqin why Li Xuewu hadn't given her a direct answer after she only said one sentence when she arrived at the office.
After going around in circles, Gao Yaqin seemed to understand that the main risk of Hongxing Steel Group's foreign cooperation came from its operational standards and rationality. Without this foundation, the group lacked the necessary confidence when carrying out any foreign trade activities.
To put it bluntly, it's not legitimate and its actions are not in accordance with the law.
She sat opposite Li Xuewu, pondered for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Is this... the right time?"
"What do you think?" Li Xuewu smiled and asked in return, "When do you think would be more appropriate?"
"You're a fake monk, aren't you?" Gao Yaqin said with dissatisfaction. "Is this some kind of Little Thunder Temple?"
"Hahaha—" Li Xuewu laughed and leaned back in his chair, saying, "If you believe, it exists; if you don't believe, it doesn't. If you're sincere, it exists; if you're not sincere, it doesn't. Whether I'm a fake monk or not is irrelevant; whether you're the real Sun Wukong or not still needs to be tested by the demon-revealing mirror—"
"You've just been exposed by the demon-revealing mirror—"
Gao Yaqin glared at him with displeasure, then turned to Sun Jian and asked, "Director Sun, aren't you going to say anything?"
"Me? Me? What should I say?"
Sun Jian hadn't even reacted yet; he never expected Deputy Director Gao to launch a surprise attack. He hadn't uttered a single unnecessary word since entering the office, so why would he be ambushed?
Gao Yaqin glared at him, feeling utterly exasperated. Was she the only one who had fallen headlong into greed?
“The hot springs on the mountain are nice. How about we go relax together tonight?” Li Xuewu said with a smile to Sun Jian. “Although it’s already March and the weather isn’t so cold anymore, it’s still a good time to soak in hot springs in Gangcheng.”
"You're too kind. This little devil of mine has to listen to the King of Hell." Sun Jian had also figured out something, and replied to Li Xuewu with a smile, but his eyes were glancing at the Deputy Director Gao beside him.
"Am I that fierce? Why are you so scared?" Gao Yaqin glared at him, then turned to Li Xuewu and complained, "With such a great place, why did you only tell me now? You've had your fill of fun in the mountains since you came to Steel City, haven't you?"
"I'm not exaggerating at all. I haven't even had a chance to go up the mountain yet. I've been really tired lately."
Li Xuewu sat up straight, stretched his shoulders, and said, "If you hadn't come, I wouldn't have wanted to leave."
"Look, we should be grateful." Gao Yaqin turned her head and glanced at Sun Jian, saying, "Let's make this clear beforehand, I'm penniless and have no way to repay the leader's hospitality. How about we let you work here for three years to pay off the debt?"
“I would be willing, but I’m afraid the leaders won’t think much of me.” Sun Jian smiled and looked at Li Xuewu, saying, “With Comrade Haiyang’s excellent example before me, I shouldn’t be delusional.”
"They're all the same, they're all good comrades."
Li Xuewu stood up with a smile, straightened his wool sweater, and said to the two men, "You must be tired from your journey. Go to the guesthouse to rest first, and give me a chance to show you some hospitality tonight."
“Then I shall respectfully accept your offer—” Gao Yaqin stood up, shook hands with him, and said, “Thank you for your trouble.”
"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled and nodded, saying, "Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar?"
He looked at Zhang Enyuan, who appeared at the door, and instructed him, "Send Deputy Director Gao and Director Sun to the guesthouse to rest."
A characteristic of this era is that titles are all over the place; it's hard to tell whether a deputy director or a director is a higher or lower rank.
Of course, for people in the workplace, this is not something to worry about; no fool would confuse such titles and corresponding relationships.
Zhang Enyuan politely saw the two off, and Zhang Jing then went to Li Xuewu's office.
"Help me make some arrangements." Li Xuewu's lips twitched as he thought for a moment and then instructed, "Ask Director Kuang, Director Lü, Director Bi, and Director Kong if they are free tonight. The hot spring pool on the mountain is still open, so you can relax."
"Are we going to inspect the Qianshan Hot Spring Mining Area?"
Zhang Jing has been in the steel city for several years and is very familiar with its environment, especially since Dong Wenxue likes it.
That year, Li Xuewu accompanied Li Huaide to Gangcheng, and they spent the whole day playing in the hot spring area of Qianshan.
Dong Wenxue was also present at the time, as was Zhang Jing, who was Dong Wenxue's secretary. Therefore, Li Xuewu immediately thought of him when he mentioned him.
"Hmm, let's go take a look first."
Li Xuewu turned to him and said, "Could you make an appointment for me with the Qianshan Hot Spring Park Management Office? It should be about ten people. If your department is free tonight, you can come along too. It's on me. You can add the number of people yourself."
"How could I possibly accept that?"
Zhang Jing smiled and said, "There are only seven people in our department, including Comrade Enyuan. We can't let you spend money like that."
"You're welcome. You've really worked hard lately."
Li Xuewu could tell that he was being polite but also joking. Since he had said it, he was willing to spend the money.
One point needs to be emphasized here: Li Xuewu never contributed a single penny of his own money to any public event in Gangcheng, nor did he use a single penny of public funds for any private social activities.
Even when entertaining guests from the group or other organizations at the guesthouse, Zhang Enyuan would always pay the bill outside of working hours.
Li Xuewu is meticulous; every expense must be documented with a list and the signature of the relevant person in charge.
Zhang Enyuan understood Li Xuewu's temperament and arranged the appropriate settlement method for each occasion.
Zhang Jing and the others were already familiar with his principle, so when Li Xuewu offered to treat them, he wasn't surprised at all; he was already used to Li Xuewu's way of doing things.
Some people gossiped, saying that Li Xuewu was a villain who appeared loyal, saying one thing to his face and another behind his back, and that it was impossible for him to be so honest.
The person who said this probably doesn't know much about Li Xuewu's daily life, and has never witnessed his strict self-discipline.
Anyone who is truly familiar with Li Xuewu's life can see that he is not short of money; he is the kind of person who is genuinely not short of money.
Li Xuewu's salary is no secret; it's clearly stated on the payroll and cannot be faked.
It's no secret that Li Xuewu receives double pay.
Furthermore, since both Li Xuewu and his wife work, and his wife is a chief surgeon at the hospital, it's perfectly normal for them to be financially well-off.
There is also a theory that Li Xuewu is not short of money because someone gives him money, but after so many ups and downs in the group, no one has been able to produce relevant evidence, and most of it is just hearsay.
Even some group leaders have fallen from grace, but Li Xuewu's character remains steadfast, and no amount of gossip can bring him down.
It is said that Li Xuewu is not short of money. The people in the department admire and respect him not because of his "wealth" but because of his generosity.
Even though he earns a high salary, the loyalty and social skills he demonstrates in his interactions with others are truly textbook examples. That's why it's said that young people who have learned from or interacted with him all possess a magnanimous character.
Of course, Li Xuewu's magnanimity and sense of justice are not something he can show to just anyone; at least, it must be something that Li Xuewu can see and appreciate.
Zhang Jing has been performing exceptionally well lately, especially in leading his team, which is full of fresh talent.
Although the four college students had been interning for two years, they were still greenhorns and couldn't handle things on their own.
Zhang Enyuan was a seasoned veteran, but he could hardly help Zhang Jing at all, and often "borrowed" Ma Baosen.
Although the department also has several big names such as Liu Yao, the deputy director in charge of steel and steam technology, and Shangguan Qi from the aircraft research institute, these people are mostly just nominal figures. They are only listed in the department for Li Xuewu's convenience, and they are not usually seen in person.
Therefore, Zhang Jing is now the only one in the leading group office to take on the main responsibility, and he also has to be in charge of the preparation work for the audit.
Li Xuewu said that inviting them to relax was a reward and a great favor, because the cattle and horses under his command couldn't just plow the fields without being fed grass.
Besides, hot springs are mostly for men, so Gao Yaqin wouldn't feel comfortable doing that. She'd need a woman to accompany her.
-
"What is this?" Gao Yaqin picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and asked curiously, "Is it chicken?"
“Flying Dragon, that’s hazel grouse,” Kuang Yusheng explained to her. “The scientific name should be Hazel Grouse with Flower Tail.” He gestured to the dish in front of Gao Yaqin and said, “This is an authentic Northeastern dish, Monkey Head Flying Dragon, it’s very famous.”
"It seems the leader really went to great lengths." Gao Yaqin put down her chopsticks and said with a smile, "This makes me feel quite embarrassed."
"It's alright. It's a wonderful thing that so many talented people have gathered here, young and old alike." Li Xuewu raised his wine glass and looked at everyone, saying, "I also thank you all for giving me this opportunity to relax."
"Hahaha--"
It's rare to get out and have fun, especially with work colleagues; it feels a bit like a team-building event in modern times.
As Li Xuewu said, those sitting at the table were indeed a gathering of wise men and women, young and old, but there was no middle layer.
None of the deputy directors of the metallurgical plant were invited, nor were any deputy directors from other plants.
This isn't Li Xuewu being stingy; it's an attitude.
“The more you eat Northeastern cuisine, the more you learn,” Li Xuewu said with a smile to Gao Yaqin. “You can see animals in Northeastern dishes that you could never see in the zoo before.”
“I’ve heard of it—” Gao Yaqin nodded with a smile and said, “but I haven’t seen it much.”
"I'm just showing off my knowledge to you. Actually, I've never eaten this before. I'm only doing this because of you."
Li Xuewu gestured to the food on the table and said, "I dare to eat this flying dragon, but I don't even dare to look at the rest of the menu."
"To be honest, apart from the pheasant being the main dish, the rest of the dishes on this table are just wild delicacies from the mountains and are not worth mentioning."
He turned to Zhang Jing and said, "We can't afford dishes like orchid bear paw, braised camel paw in wine, or boiled hashima oil."
“I’ve never seen one before.” Zhang Jing smiled and pointed to the flying dragon, saying, “There are plenty of these things in the mountains.”
"What a wonderful place with outstanding people and beautiful scenery!" Gao Yaqin looked out the window of the guesthouse and said with emotion, "No wonder the leaders are so eager to come here."
"Ah, I love this land, I love it deeply."
Li Xuewu raised his glass and offered Gao Yaqin another drink. Gao Yaqin was the deputy director and also a guest, so he had to show his appreciation.
Everyone joined in for a drink, and the atmosphere gradually warmed up. Some, like Wang Min, whispered among themselves under the table, while Bi Yuding and Sun Jian reminisced about old times. Everyone ate and chatted, creating a lively atmosphere.
Kong Xiaobo from Gangfei seemed somewhat lonely. Although he had been at Hongxing Factory for a short time, longer than Gao Yaqin, he had never been able to integrate well into the factory's system.
Even though Shangguan Qi's family, who came with him, were living well within the Hongxing Steel Group, he still felt uneasy, even though he was already the head of the steel plant.
Will the first helicopter be mass-produced this year?
Gao Yaqin suddenly looked at him, who had been silent for a long time, and asked this question.
Kong Xiaobo was startled, then replied, "Yes, Deputy Director Gao, we can achieve mass production of the KH-4 helicopter this year."
"What about the other two helicopters?" Gao Yaqin asked Li Xuewu, who was standing beside her. "Next year? Or the year after?"
"You'll have to ask Director Kong about that."
Li Xuewu smiled and drank his wine, saying, "I do hope that the other two helicopters can be mass-produced this year."
"That's impossible." Kong Xiaobo shook his head with a wry smile. Seeing everyone at the table stop talking and look at him, he felt a little nervous and embarrassed.
He thought for a moment before answering seriously, "The end of next year, or the beginning of the year after."
"Let me emphasize this first: I'm not in a hurry."
Li Xuewu gestured to him with the wine glass he had just filled, and said, "I know the principle that slow and steady wins the race, but Deputy Director Gao is a bit anxious, you have to understand."
"The leader will always pretend to be a good person."
Gao Yaqin glared at Li Xuewu with displeasure, then raised her glass to Kong Xiaobo and said, "I was just asking, not urging you. Keep up the good work."
"Thank you, leader, and thank you for your understanding, Deputy Director Gao." Kong Xiaobo raised his glass in return, "We will definitely do our best."
As he spoke, he downed the drink in his glass.
Kong Xiaobo is an engineer by training and has extensive experience in project and team management, so Li Xuewu initially suggested to Li Huaide that he be placed in the position of head of Gangfei.
As it turns out, Kong Xiaobo did a great job, putting in his best efforts, and Gangfei is developing very well.
The group received the KH-4 helicopter production line transferred and installed by Sanhe Co., Ltd. Although it was second-hand, it was invaluable to Hongxing Steel Group.
Furthermore, the production lines for the Jaguar transport helicopters and Lark 3 helicopters, which were procured with the assistance of the Santay Group, have been installed for six months and are still under construction.
If we include the training, debugging, and trial operation process, Kong Xiaobo said it's really hard to say whether mass production can be achieved next year.
Actually, Gao Yaqin didn't mean to make things difficult for Kong Xiaobo by asking him a question out of the blue. She just saw him sitting there without saying anything and thought he was a bit unsociable, so she took the initiative to help him.
As for where to pull him, that depends on Kong Xiaobo's own understanding and performance; he is a clear-headed person.
Dinner lasted a full two and a half hours. As the moon rose high in the sky, everyone, dressed in thick cotton-padded clothes with bath towels wrapped inside, arrived at the indoor hot spring bath, with men and women going to separate sides.
Currently, domestically, they really can't pull off those fancy things like mixed bathing, which is considered immoral and indecent behavior.
Otherwise, why would Li Xuewu have Zhang Jing bring people along? At least Zhou Peilan could accompany Gao Yaqin to the bath.
If you're wondering why Deputy Director Gao's secretary doesn't accompany the leader,
The answer is simple: Gao Yaqin's secretary is a man named Wang Qiang, who is currently with Li Xuewu and the others.
Why would a female comrade like Gao Yaqin choose a young man as her secretary? There's more to it than meets the eye.
There's no need to go into anything too complicated, as you wouldn't understand anyway. I'll just explain something simpler.
Male leaders are not suitable to have female secretaries, as it may appear frivolous. Female leaders, on the other hand, do not need to avoid having male secretaries, as it may make them appear resolute, serious about their work, and unconcerned about any difficulties.
If a female leader employs a female secretary, she will generally demonstrate meticulousness, diligence, and even a strong sense of responsibility towards her work.
Even though there was a wall between them, Li Xuewu and his friends could hear the conversations next door, which was quite a unique feature.
Actually, the Qianshan Hot Spring Park wasn't built after liberation; it existed long before Xiaogui came, but it wasn't something ordinary people could afford.
You might ask, in the early days, there were no nobles or important towns in the steel city, so why was it so precious?
This has to do with the Qing Dynasty's policy of locking the pass. Shanhaiguan was not easily crossed; it was the Manchus' private territory.
Manchus were also divided into different classes, and this was the villa outside the mountains of a certain Manchu elder, a place for enjoyment.
Later generations talked about villas, distinguishing between upper and lower units, or even townhouses, but that's all a joke. A villa is a villa; it's a unique entity. How could they possibly be stacked together?
The stones in this hot spring pool all look old-fashioned; sitting on them doesn't feel rough, but rather oily.
The result of being frank with each other was that everyone who was just polite to each other at the dinner table and whose conversations revolved around work suddenly went quiet. They stopped talking about serious matters and started talking about strange and interesting stories.
Now that we're in the mountains, of course we have to say some things that can't be said.
Among these people, Kuang Yusheng was an older comrade who had seen and experienced much, so he talked about some of his experiences working in his early years.
Lu Yuanshen was a little younger than him, but he knew about these things and didn't find them strange.
On the contrary, Wang Min, Li Muqin and a few other young people listened with great interest, as if they were listening to a storytelling performance.
In fact, Kuang Yusheng told a story about a weasel stopping a carriage, which surprised the group of people, who exclaimed in amazement and found it very exciting.
"Sir, have you encountered any similar strange occurrences in the south?" Wang Min asked Li Xuewu curiously. "Could you tell us about it?"
"Hehe—" Bi Yuding and Kuang Yusheng exchanged a glance and laughed together.
Lu Yuanshen, who had also thought of something, smiled, while Kong Xiaobo, like the other young people, was still confused.
"How could that be? The leader held the truth in his hands back then, and no monster or demon dared to bully him."
Kuang Yusheng raised his hand and rubbed his face, then said with a smile, "Even the murderous aura emanating from a leader can make one fearless and cause all gods to flee."
"Huh?" Not only Wang Min, but Zhou Linghua and the others also looked at Li Xuewu with strange eyes, very curious.
Li Xuewu smiled and glanced at Kuang Yusheng, then turned to the others and said, "Director Kuang is joking."
“I don’t believe it either.” Ma Baosen pouted and said, “The leader doesn’t look fierce or scary at all. He speaks very kindly and treats everyone the same.”
"Hehehe—" After he finished speaking, Wang Min and the others agreed wholeheartedly, except for Kuang Yusheng and a few others who tried their best to suppress their laughter.
Li Xuewu was somewhat amused and exasperated by Ma Baosen's assessment of him. "This kid really knows how to talk, but he doesn't know when to say it. He should have said it behind his back."
Zhang Enyuan glared at his apprentice, warning him not to spout nonsense in this kind of situation.
Ma Baosen was startled by his master, and seeing the expressions of the leaders, he felt wronged.
He was clearly telling the truth.
"Boss, I heard you're planning to build our group's sanatorium here?"
Gao Yaqin, who was next door, raised her voice and asked the question, apparently having learned it from Zhou Peilan.
The men's bathhouse fell silent as everyone turned to look at Li Xuewu, awaiting his answer.
"I'd like to, but unfortunately I don't have the money."
Li Xuewu answered quickly, but he also asked for money quickly: "Why don't you go back and discuss it with Deputy Director Jing, and get some special funds approved for us?"
“Approving special funds is not guaranteed. I need to bring this up with Deputy Director Jing. She might fire someone.”
Gao Yaqin laughed from next door, saying, "The other day at the meeting, Deputy Director Jing declared that no one should ever mention money to her again, or she'd get angry with anyone who did, hahaha—"
"Hehehe—" Everyone in the men's bathhouse laughed along with Deputy Director Gao as he told jokes.
Kong Xiaobo said with a wry smile, "At the beginning of the month, Deputy Director Jing called me and said that if Gangfei's experimental workshop doesn't produce any babies soon, she will cut off our experimental funding."
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "She said this isn't experimental funding, it's a waste of experimental resources."
"Hey, I think that's a good idea."
Li Xuewu turned to the group and said, "From now on, all of us in the industrial sector will have an extra constraint on our heads."
Everyone remained silent, only offering wry smiles. Deputy Director Jing had called not only Kong Xiaobo this year, but also them.
Even Kong Xiaobo dared to say it, and they all felt embarrassed. Even Li Xuewu had been scolded by Deputy Director Jing over the phone.
The reason is simple: Li Xuewu not only wants to build a sanatorium for the group in Qianshan, but also to invest in the construction of the group's second joint hospital in the Gangcheng Industrial Zone, with a scale comparable to that in Beijing.
The First United Hospital of Beijing took a full ten months to complete under the conditions of rushing to meet the construction schedule. How long will it take for the one in the steel city to be completed?
It will take no matter how long it takes to build; the number of people in Liangmahe Industrial Zone will be the same as the number of people in Gangcheng Industrial Zone.
Where there are people, there must be hospitals; this is an essential condition for a logistical support system.
On the other hand, with hospitals come people, and with people come money. Including this sanatorium of the future conglomerate they're in—this isn't just any ordinary sanatorium; it's the future…
(End of this chapter)