fictionpage Chapter 1400 Old cow eats young grass
Chapter 1400 Old cow eats young grass
Chapter 1400 Old cow eats young grass
"Boss, wake up—"
Li Xuewu was half asleep when he heard someone calling him. His habitual alertness made him grab the gun handle under his pillow before he even opened his eyes.
"Boss, it's a call from the city."
It was Zhang Enyuan's voice, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Zhang Enyuan's slightly anxious face.
The lounge was not lit, but a faint light could be seen from the open door; it was the desk lamp on his desk.
"Well, what time is it?"
Li Xuewu didn't rush to sit up, but instead closed his eyes again and asked a question.
Seeing that he was awake, Zhang Enyuan was no longer in a hurry. He calmed himself down and replied, "3:40 a.m.
He was resting in the duty room when Zhou Linghua, who was on night duty, answered the phone and woke him and Zhang Jing up.
While Zhang Jing was still talking to the other party, he asked the leader to make a call, as requested by the other party.
The other party was also a secretary, who called to inquire whether it was possible to speak with the person in charge of Hongxing Steel Group in Liaodong.
What's there to hesitate about? Li Xuewu had already given instructions, and he even postponed his schedule for tomorrow, staying up all night in the office, just in case he received this call.
"Director Zhang is on the phone. It's Wang Lu from the Steel City Industrial Administration Bureau who wants to speak with you."
"Well, I see."
Li Xuewu lay flat on the bed for about two or three minutes before propping himself up to sit up, putting on the slippers Zhou Yamei had prepared, and walking to the office.
Zhang Enyuan acted swiftly. Just as Li Xuewu sat down behind his desk, he went next door to call Zhang Jing and informed him that the leader was awake and could be spoken to at any time.
Seeing that he said that, Zhang Jing then relayed the message to the other end. After confirming that Director Wang Lu was available to speak, the call was transferred to the leader's office.
Zhang Jing and Zhang Enyuan came out of the office together and went to Li Xuewu's side, ready to receive orders at any time.
Perhaps the noise from the duty room disturbed the quiet corridor in the dead of night, because the lights in the direction of Deputy Factory Director Yang's office also came on, indicating that there was movement coming from there.
"Hello, Director Wang, I am Li Xuewu."
Li Xuewu's voice was as calm and composed as ever, showing no signs of being troubled by the news from earlier in the day, nor any panic, which made Wang Lu's tone on the other end of the line also become a bit more peaceful.
"Hello, sorry to bother you so late at night."
Wang Lu met Li Xuewu in Fengcheng. On that occasion, Li Xuewu accompanied Li Huaide on a visit to Liaodong, and Wang Lu also participated in the symposium.
The two returned to the steel city together. After several meetings, Li Xuewu had a very good impression of the female cadre in charge of industrial work in the steel city. She was a very talented person with excellent management skills and professional qualities.
Wang Lu also held Li Xuewu in the same high regard. After Li Xuewu came to work in Liaodong, she called to greet him and invited him to visit the Steel City Industrial Bureau.
Li Xuewu was not surprised at all when he heard Wang Lu's call. He had also told Yang Zongfang and others that they should actively cooperate with the local work, and it had long been determined that these tasks would be arranged by the local authorities.
After all, the industrial level and resources of each region are different, and it is inevitable that there will be omissions if the ministry directly notifies the group.
The result of Li Xuewu's communication with the group in the afternoon was that Li Huaide agreed with his opinion, and the group's various branches should take local coordination and management as the standard and actively cooperate in carrying out emergency work.
No matter how large Hongxing Steel Group is, or how much influence Li Xuewu has in Liaodong's industry, the group's industrial enterprises in the steel city are essentially under his jurisdiction.
Therefore, Li Xuewu's tone showed no surprise or impatience, and Wang Lu's tone was also straightforward and frank.
"In accordance with the unified plan above, we need to conduct a statistical survey on enterprises with the potential for weapons production in the steel industry."
Wang Lu said very sincerely, "I know that Hongxing Steel Group has an arms factory in Steel City. Could you please report on the actual situation of the factory? We might need it."
"No problem. I will arrange for someone to send the information about the group's strategic production capabilities in various industrial enterprises in the steel city to the Industrial Bureau later. Please arrange for someone to receive it."
Li Xuewu's reply was firm and resolute: "Please rest assured, organization. The situation is difficult. Hongxing Steel Group has only one attitude in all its enterprises in Liaodong: full-scale production and unconditional, open supply."
He stated firmly, "Including but not limited to weapons, cars, food, etc., they are readily available."
"Thank you, I'm relieved to hear that." Wang Lu said with delight and gratitude, "I'll arrange for someone to handle the relevant matters later."
"That's it, bye."
"Goodbye."
Li Xuewu hung up the phone and looked up at the group of people illuminated by the desk lamp.
Zhang Jing, whose eyes were a little red, Zhang Enyuan, who looked nervous, and Yang Zongfang, who walked into the office halfway through wearing a coat, were all looking at Li Xuewu, waiting for him to speak.
Li Xuewu nodded slowly and instructed, "Zhang Jing, take some people and deliver the materials you compiled this afternoon."
He didn't rush to greet Yang Zongfang or inform him of the situation from the phone call. Instead, he immediately made arrangements based on the agreement made on the phone.
"Remember, aside from the normal handover, don't say much. Remember to get a receipt and remind the other party to keep it confidential."
After giving this instruction, he waved his hand, indicating that Zhang Jing could go and take care of the matter.
Zhang Jing straightened up and nodded in response, "Yes, sir, I'll go right now. I'll leave the duty room to Comrade Enyuan."
Zhang Enyuan didn't say anything, but looked at him seriously and nodded, indicating that he understood his instructions.
Zhang Jing glanced at him, and seeing that Li Xuewu had no further instructions, he turned and left.
While Li Xuewu was on the phone, Zhang Enyuan had already prepared hot tea for Li Xuewu and Yang Zongfang, who came in later.
Seeing that his boss hadn't given him any instructions, he was about to go out with him when his boss stopped him again.
"Enyuan, stay for a moment." Li Xuewu first called out to him, then looked at Yang Zongfang sitting opposite him and said, "The arrangements from above have been made. Currently, we are investigating and compiling statistics on the combat readiness of various steel industrial enterprises. The next steps will depend on how the specific situation develops."
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued, "I have already spoken with Director Wang Lu of Steel City Industry. Hongxing Steel Group will unconditionally cooperate with the organization's arrangements, with full-scale production and open supply."
"It's better to be prepared than not, so let's start making preparations now."
"Will the situation worsen?" Yang Zongfang frowned slightly and said with some concern, "While further emphasizing ensuring supply and production, we must also keep up with the publicity work for workers, including emergency preparedness work."
"Yes, Zhang Jing and his team have already developed the relevant emergency plans, and they will be distributed to all industrial enterprises in the group soon."
Li Xuewu, of course, understood Yang Zongfang's concerns and nodded, saying, "Publicity and prevention work should be carried out simultaneously, but appropriate leeway should be left to avoid causing panic."
He tapped the table lightly with his finger, emphasizing, "Especially at this stage, we must be prepared for infiltration and interference."
"Yes, I understand what you mean."
Seeing Li Xuewu's gaze deepen, Yang Zongfang nodded cautiously and said, "I will convene a safety work meeting first thing tomorrow morning to emphasize and deploy related work."
"Don't go too slow, and don't overdo it either."
Li Xuewu lowered his eyebrows, picked up his teacup, and said, "Too much of a good thing is bad; you can't take it back."
"You mean—" Yang Zongfang looked at him expectantly, then knew that Li Xuewu wouldn't explain it clearly, but he already had a slight idea in his mind.
We must raise our awareness of security and emergency management, and be prepared for a long-term commitment.
Li Xuewu took a sip of hot tea, put down the teacup, and then continued, "The next three years are crucial for the group. Whether it develops well or not, whether it is stable or not, depends on this period."
He raised his eyebrows and looked across at the other side, emphasizing very seriously, "Director Li and other leaders also attach great importance to safety and emergency management, and you should be able to feel that."
Yang Zongfang did not answer, but nodded in agreement. In fact, he appreciated Li Xuewu's emphasis on security and emergency management even more.
Rather than saying that the group attaches great importance to the two tasks under his supervision, it would be more accurate to say that Li Xuewu has always been at the forefront of safety-related work at the group level, ensuring that no major accidents occur.
Previously, he was in charge of all aspects of safety management at the metallurgical plant, including production safety. Li Xuewu also emphasized this point in meetings after he came to work at the metallurgical plant.
The safety production standardization and emergency management system of Hongxing Steel Group was established under the leadership of Li Xuewu. Li Xuewu is very qualified to emphasize these points to him, and it is something he must take seriously.
What Li Xuewu likes most is still a mystery to everyone at the metallurgical plant, but they already know exactly what he hates most.
It's very simple, just one point: workplace safety accidents.
He dealt with almost everyone he came into contact with or managed who had been responsible for workplace accidents.
It is handled very seriously, more strictly than the handling of ordinary work errors, especially accidents that cause casualties.
It was precisely because of his strict management and scientific control that the industrial enterprises and production units of Hongxing Steel Group were praised and publicized by the Ministry of Industry for three consecutive years as typical examples and role models.
The training base of Hongxing Steel Group in the Miyun mountain area is called the Emergency Management Work Training Demonstration Base. In the first year, almost all the key personnel in emergency management from across the country came here for training, participating in theoretical and skills training and examinations.
Hongxing Factory has also supplied emergency management professionals to other industrial enterprises and sister units. Even in the south, there are training institutions whose teachers are graduates of Hongxing Factory.
***
It was a coincidence that this incident happened today, which gave the two of them the opportunity to talk. Otherwise, he could have sensed that Li Xuewu had explained the details of the reforms at the meeting and was about to talk to the relevant person in charge.
He hadn't expected to be the first, because he felt his relationship with Li Xuewu was rather awkward, and his responsibilities had been expanded after the division of labor was readjusted. He hadn't yet figured out how to approach Li Xuewu.
To be honest, he and Li Xuewu had no personal grudges, and there were no disagreements or conflicts at work.
There is only one: his stance when Dong Wenxue made a mistake, and his attitude when Yang Yuansong had problems.
At the time, Li Xuewu had given him a serious warning in private, and his attitude was quite firm.
Especially later in Gangcheng, Li Xuewu took the opportunity to reprimand him and deal with some cadres related to him.
Time has passed, and Li Xuewu has also come to work in the steel city, where all the cadres are now his subordinates.
Of course, including himself.
Li Xuewu's work attitude is impeccable; if asked to give a fair assessment, he is a qualified manager.
From many perspectives, it is fortunate that the metallurgical plant and the group have him at the helm of their various industrial enterprises in Liaodong.
Yesterday morning's meeting was followed by rumors circulating in the afternoon that Yang Zongfang had already backed down.
He spoke so convincingly that if he hadn't been sober, he would have doubted when he had said or done such things.
The main reason for the gossip within the workplace was that his responsibilities had expanded in this organizational restructuring plan.
It's normal for other deputy directors to have expanded management authority, but it's not normal for him.
Upon returning from Beijing, he was prepared to be marginalized by Li Xuewu. In fact, he had been marginalized ever since Dong Wenxue regained control of the Steel City Metallurgical Plant.
Originally, with the support of Dong Wenxue and Li Xuewu, he still held the supervisory and inspection authority over the metallurgical plant, even though Li Huaide distrusted and disliked him.
What now?
He had already been removed from the list when Dong Wenxue left, and he could sense that Li Xuewu's arrival would exacerbate the situation. He just never expected the changes to catch him off guard.
Why would Li Xuewu give him more responsibilities?
If it were someone else, he would suspect that the other person had ulterior motives and was deliberately trying to sabotage him in some way.
But Li Xuewu wouldn't do that, and the other members of the team also knew that Li Xuewu had been doing things very honorably since he came to Liaodong.
To put it simply, if Li Xuewu wanted to play dirty tricks, they would have been reassigned or dismissed long ago; it definitely wouldn't have dragged on for this long.
But the brighter Li Xuewu's performance was, the more uncertain he felt. He wondered what Li Xuewu really wanted him to do.
The work meeting just finished, and it was almost four o'clock. The sky outside the window was pitch black, but this was the darkness before dawn, which proved that it wouldn't be long before daybreak.
Li Xuewu couldn't sleep, and Yang Zongfang was also preoccupied. Even after drinking the hot tea prepared by Zhang Enyuan, she couldn't go back to sleep, so the two started talking.
The conversation touched on matters concerning the north, including security and emergency management, the group's future goals and development strategies, Li Xuewu's vision and objectives for Liaodong industry and the metallurgical industry, and finally...
-
"I heard someone cursing yesterday."
At noon, several meetings were held in succession to deploy a series of tasks, and the actual situation was also communicated to the team members, and relevant work arrangements were made.
Members of the Liaodong Industrial Leading Group Office take turns resting, and continue to be on duty and work for half a day.
Li Xuewu spoke by phone with the heads of the group's various industrial enterprises in Liaodong, and also explained his attitude and arrangements.
Apart from Xu Sinian, who was furthest away, who chatted with him for a while, everyone else remained calm. After all, they were all veterans who had experienced ups and downs and were already mentally prepared.
Xu Sinian spoke a lot because the work he was responsible for was quite complex, and the shipbuilding industry was a sensitive area.
He told Li Xuewu over the phone that he had reported the situation of the shipbuilding industry in accordance with Yingcheng's unified arrangements.
Li Xuewu didn't emphasize it too much to him, nor did he need to. He also needed to keep things confidential over the phone.
After all the related work was completed, Yu Zhe drove him home so he could take a shower and change his clothes.
I need to squeeze in some time today to make up for the trip that was postponed yesterday, and try to set off for Fengcheng tomorrow.
He wanted to meet with Hu Ke and Lu Qiming. He needed to coordinate with Liaodong to see how he planned to lead the group in Liaodong over the next three years and see if any ideas could be sparked.
A single tree cannot make a forest, and a single thread cannot make a line. No matter how powerful Hongxing Steel Group is, it cannot change the fact that it is a company.
If we can establish comprehensive cooperation with local governments, industrial enterprises in Liaodong, and related companies, it will be an opportunity for industrial enterprises in Liaodong, and also an important choice and a rare opportunity for Hongxing Steel Group.
In the past, it was normal for Hongxing Factory, a steel plant in the steel city, to not receive much attention from Liaodong industry because it lacked historical foundation and prestige. But things are different now.
A person's size determines their level of responsibility and commitment, and their capabilities determine the kind of friends they make.
Li Xuewu understood why Hu Ke wanted to see him, and he also wanted to take advantage of Hu Ke's presence to talk to Lu Qiming.
If the talks go well and the other party's demands are reasonable, then he will need to negotiate terms with Hu Ke.
While working to boost his own industrial and economic development, he also wants to actively cooperate with enterprises in Liaodong.
Now, let alone whether industrial enterprises in Liaodong look up to or look down on Hongxing Steel Group, an outsider, with Lu Qiming and Hu Ke standing up to endorse him, he has great confidence.
In this day and age, who dares to underestimate the industrial production capacity reserves of Northeast China?
It is no exaggeration to say that Northeast China has the largest industrial production capacity in the country, especially in terms of the distribution of heavy industry enterprises.
The geographical location here is excellent, and the mineral resources are evenly distributed, making it very suitable for the development of heavy industry.
It would be impossible for Hongxing Steel Group to gradually penetrate the upstream and downstream industries of the steel industry with just one steelmaking plant as its foundation, without the support of the industrial base in Northeast China.
The hardware industry that initially supported the development of the Hongxing Factory's tertiary industrial base was precisely because the steel city had a complete hardware industrial production base.
Later, Hongxing Steel Group expanded into the automotive and electronics industries in steel cities and other cities in Liaodong. However, this approach proved unsuitable in Beijing and Tianjin.
Therefore, Hongxing Steel Group should draw on the nourishment and resources of Northeast China's industry, develop in this land, and actively carry out cooperation to return the benefits of development to Liaodong industry.
Fallen petals are not heartless things; they turn into spring mud to protect the spring.
He didn't get a good rest last night, so he ate lunch in the cafeteria and then came out to rest with his eyes closed.
Zhang Enyuan didn't come back; he had other work to do. So Yu Zhe was alone, and that's when the conversation really started.
Actually, Yu Zhe is very talkative. He's the most talkative of Li Xuewu's drivers, the kind who would suffocate if he didn't talk.
But after becoming a driver, he suffered several losses and learned his lesson, so he rarely dared to speak carelessly.
In addition, his sister had reminded him before he came to Liaodong that he would keep quiet as long as there was a third person on the bus.
It's the kind of person who keeps their lips tightly pursed, constantly reminding themselves not to speak.
Li Xuewu was quite satisfied with him; apart from his eagerness to find a partner, the young man was alright.
Do you think Yu Zhe changed his personality after coming to the steel city?
Then you'll have to get the dog to stop eating shit.
He also flirted with girls in the steel city, but his excessive desire to get married scared away many people with his eagerness and greasy attitude.
If it weren't for Li Xuewu, a leader with a positive image, everyone would be shouting to catch the hooligan.
Did Yu Zhe really act like a scoundrel?
No, if this kid lived in the future, he would never lack wives. He would dare to date anyone.
Think about it, how can someone who dares to take the initiative to talk to, joke with, give gifts to, and ask for WeChat from strange girls lack female admirers?
This is not acceptable in this day and age; it's considered frivolous. It's more appropriate among young people, like veteran table tennis players or hardcore gamers, who wouldn't see it as a big deal.
However, in the workplace, in a respectable company, such frivolous behavior will only drive people away. They are afraid that associating with him will lead to others labeling them as frivolous as well.
Yu Zhe had gotten into trouble in the capital, and after coming to Gangcheng, he knew he couldn't go too far and embarrass Li Xuewu.
But the trembling in his heart still made him show too much enthusiasm for the unmarried young women in his workplace.
At first, everyone wasn't used to it, but now they all know him. This is Yi Mao Rabbit.
Li Xuewu was also observing Yu Zhe. If he really dared to provoke Huo Zi, he would have to send him back without caring about Yu Li's feelings.
Hearing Yu Zhe gossiping about work, he didn't respond, because he knew Yu Zhe wouldn't be able to hold it in; he knew Yu Zhe would continue talking even without him saying anything.
“They were really nasty with their insults—” Yu Zhe glanced at the rearview mirror and, seeing that his leader didn’t react, continued, “From what I heard, the Industrial Leading Group Office was reorganizing discipline and changing personnel, and those who were purged were feeling resentful and were cursing Director Liao Jinhui.”
"They had heard two years ago that the Liaodong Industrial Leading Group Office was going to be established, and they thought that Director Dong was going to make a big splash, so they all asked people to find connections to get in."
"I heard from them that most of those who got in were through Director Liao's connections."
Yu Zhe said gloatingly, "But who would have thought that Director Dong would be as steady as a mountain? Although he set up the corresponding office according to the group's plan, he did not make use of the office due to the circumstances at the time."
"Those who got in through connections were dumbfounded. They were all hoping for a hot meal, but instead they were left sitting on the sidelines. They became the laughing stock in the unit at the time."
"I don't know how the others were handled, but I do know that those who got in through Director Liao's connections all took on additional office positions, so they didn't lose too much."
“In the past two years, everyone has lost hope, and their gratitude towards Director Liao has faded. They are all thinking about being transferred away.”
He glanced at Li Xuewu in the rearview mirror again; the leader still had the same expression, as if he were asleep.
In fact, Yu Zhe knew that the leader was not asleep, because the leader would snore if he were asleep.
Another reason is that he knows his superiors don't have the habit of sleeping in the car and feel insecure.
It would be easy for him to test whether Li Xuewu was asleep or not; he could verify it with a sudden stop.
But by doing so, he died.
So Li Xuewu's silence at this moment meant he was allowing him to continue.
"Just when many people in this temporary organization were trying to use their connections to transfer away, and some were staying behind, you arrived and decided to put this organization into operation."
He said with a grin, "That's exactly what those people who are cursing are complaining about. They say they were implicated by Director Liao, otherwise they would have seized the opportunity long ago."
"I sat on the sidelines for more than two years, wasting my youth and hindering my career development."
"Just when they thought there was hope after the change of leadership, Director Liao made a series of mistakes, ruining their hopes."
At this point, Yu Zhe lost interest in watching the spectacle and said seriously, "Human greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. The more they criticize Director Liao, the more it shows their expectations for this position."
"The fact that they have such high expectations for this position also shows that even if they stay in the office, they will still have ulterior motives."
He looked up at Li Xuewu in the rearview mirror and asked, "Boss, do you think what I said is right?"
"They were cursing while also being envious, saying that the group's Liaodong Industrial Leading Group Office was the most important and crucial office for the future of Liaodong Industrial, and could be called the group's military intelligence office in Liaodong."
Yu Zhe raised his eyebrows and said, "The Grand Council, huh? I've heard them described in storytelling as incredibly powerful—"
“You’re pretty awesome too.” Li Xuewu opened his eyes, glanced at him, and said, “It’s a waste of your talent to make you a driver. You should be assigned to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”
"Hehehe—" Yu Zhe said with a smile, "After lunch, I was smoking in a sheltered spot behind the cafeteria when I overheard a couple of sentences."
"Unintentionally?" Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and looked at him, saying, "How do you know it was unintentional? And how do you know it wasn't intentional?"
"Really? This could have been intentional?"
Yu Zhe stared at him in disbelief and said, "Then they are really too bad."
"Who's a good person?" Li Xuewu glanced at him and asked, "Which good person has those two words written on their face for you to see? Does having 'good person' written on your face necessarily mean you're a good person?"
You've really confused me—
Yu Zhe raised his hand and scratched his face, saying, "I really didn't notice. I just went to have a smoke, and I didn't see them looking this way."
"Hmm, I wouldn't have noticed you if I hadn't looked at you, would I?" Li Xuewu said casually. "Have you heard of anything like this before in the company?"
"Even if you have a lot of resentment in your heart, you would never get together and openly speak ill of your leader like this."
Li Xuewu explained to him, "This is taboo, and it's easy for people to take advantage of it. You mentioned it's right behind the cafeteria, where people often go to smoke. Would they dare to do this?"
"Damn it—they're so mean!"
Yu Zhe slammed his fist on the steering wheel in anger and cursed, "You've got your hands on me now?"
"Oh wait, something's not right—"
He still didn't understand, and after looking at Li Xuewu in the rearview mirror, he asked, "What do they mean by this?"
"What do you mean?" Li Xuewu smirked and said, "It means you need to convey these words to me."
"So, I was used by them?"
Yu Zhe said in frustration, "These bastards are really something..."
He didn't know what to say, and whatever he said made him feel incompetent and brainless.
At this moment, he earnestly said to Li Xuewu in the rearview mirror, "Boss, just forget what I just said, pretend I didn't say anything. We can't let these bastards scheme against me and take advantage of me."
"Sigh—" Li Xuewu sighed as he watched the car come to a steady stop at the gate of the yard. Before getting out of the car, he said to Yu Zhe, "You should just stick to being a driver and not get involved in other things."
He actually wanted to say something more, but then he thought it was pointless and decided to leave it at that.
After all, he can accept being told to work hard, but he'll be upset if you say he doesn't have the brains.
This kid seems mature, but he's actually simple-minded. He's just a simple-minded, honest person who insists on learning to be cunning.
He doesn't have any of his sister's cleverness, but he's still fine as a driver.
Yu Zhe turned off the car, got out with Li Xuewu, and asked, "Do you need me to take you inside?"
"Afraid I'll fall?" Li Xuewu glanced at him and said, "No one's home. If you're cold, come in and wait."
"Oh, oh, I'll wait for you in the car if you don't need it." The expectation in Yu Zhe's eyes vanished instantly. He responded to Li Xuewu's words with nonsensical words, but his eyes were looking at the courtyard with regret.
This bastard hasn't forgotten those gold-rimmed glasses from that day. Li Xuewu really didn't know what to say to him.
Why does this perfectly fine young man, who doesn't like older women, keep craving those gold-rimmed glasses?
Even the best wire-rimmed glasses can't compare to a beautiful young girl, can they?
"You didn't go out?"
Li Xuewu was somewhat surprised to see the gold-rimmed glasses in the living room, and he looked embarrassed.
I should have let Yu Zhe come in and sit for a while.
"Didn't you say you were coming back at noon?"
Zhou Yamei looked like she had just woken up, perhaps because she was awakened by the sound of him entering the courtyard.
Li Xuewu glanced at the direction of the sofa and reminded him, "Why don't you go upstairs to rest? Be careful not to catch a cold."
"I lay down for a while after lunch. I didn't sleep well last night, but I feel much better now."
Zhou Yamei helped him take off his coat and then went to the bathroom to run hot water, busying herself for quite a while.
Li Xuewu was also a bit out of sorts. He went upstairs to get his clothes and came down. Zhou Yamei had already prepared everything, so he didn't say anything more.
While he was taking a bath, Zhou Yamei came in and asked him about his work situation.
This was the first time Zhou Yamei had asked him this on her own initiative; she was genuinely worried.
It seems there are no secrets in this world. Given Zhou Yamei's influence in the steel city, it's not surprising that she knew about this.
"Has something really happened?"
Didn't you listen to the radio this morning?
Li Xuewu lay in the bathtub with his eyes closed, resting, and replied, "It's just like what was said in the news."
"That place in Northeast China—"
Zhou Yamei frowned slightly and asked with some concern, "Is there anything we need to prepare?"
"No need, and there's no need for it."
Li Xuewu raised his hand to wipe his face and calmly said, "Things are far from reaching the point you're worried about."
"Besides, Steel City is far away from there, so any problems here won't affect us for a while."
It's no wonder Zhou Yamei was worried; in this day and age, the other side still harbors ill intentions towards us and poses a great threat.
They even put forward the slogan of eliminating hidden dangers. This is not the first time such a test and conflict has occurred.
Li Xuewu knew a bit about it and was somewhat prepared. He couldn't appear too relaxed at work, but there was no need to scare Zhou Yamei.
Zhou Yamei wasn't timid or afraid of trouble; rather, she had something on her mind, which Li Xuewu fully understood.
This concern was also Zhou Yamei's leverage in their relationship, and he respected Zhou Yamei's ideas very much.
Have you seen Li Xuewu make any unreasonable demands? Or have you seen him make any promises to Zhou Yamei?
Why would he waste his efforts on something that even Dorgon couldn't do back then?
Growing flowers is too difficult and tiring; it's better to just water them and loosen the soil.
Leaving aside Dorgon, even considering Bang Geng, given his mother Qin Huairu's personality, he still managed to suffer grievances. Even Liu Guoyou wouldn't dare to make him feel bad.
Why can't Liu Guoyou's two daughters be integrated into their family? It's just that having a stepmother means having a stepfather.
Liu Guoyou did make a mistake, but he didn't treat Banggeng badly. But did you see Banggeng give him a nice look?
Li Xuewu knew perfectly well that this applied to Bang Geng and to Fu Zhidong.
The reason why Fu Zhidong was close to him was because he had been a part of Fu Zhidong's life since he was a child.
Furthermore, his father had a significant impact on him, which could be described as a psychological trauma. If it weren't for his mother, Zhou Yamei, who is a psychologist, this child would have been even more extreme than Bang Geng.
Fu Zhidong initially agreed with Li Xuewu at least 40%, and after seeing how Li Xuewu cared for his father, it's normal for him to agree with him by another 10%.
Then there was Li Xuewu's care for him and his mother, and Li Xuewu's sincerity towards him.
Especially the last point, children are the most sensitive, and they can distinguish between good and bad.
Li Xuewu never showed any insincerity towards him, so Fu Zhidong was very mature in this regard and even understood his mother's behavior very well.
As for whether he can understand it when he grows up, that depends on his upbringing, the abilities of his godfather Li Xuewu, and finally, Zhou Yamei's performance.
Given that Zhou Yamei is only worried about her son's performance at this point, Fu Zhidong probably won't hurt his mother's feelings, as his educational environment wouldn't allow it anyway.
Hearing Li Xuewu say this and seeing how calm he was, Zhou Yamei relaxed a little.
When she heard that Li Xuewu was going to continue his journey in Fengcheng, she felt even more relieved.
It's very simple. If the situation becomes critical, Li Xuewu will absolutely not leave Gangcheng. Even if he wanted to, the group wouldn't allow it, as he is the group's person in charge in Liaodong.
"And you're one to talk, why is it so quiet at home today?" Li Xuewu turned to look at her and asked, "Where are Zhidong and Banggeng?"
"Zhidong went to play with his classmate."
Zhou Yamei tidied her hair behind her ear and said, "I was worried, so I sent Banggeng along."
"Are you sure?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said, "Bang Geng isn't exactly an honest kid."
“If you treat him like a child, he will be a child.” Zhou Yamei said, looking at him. “If you treat him like an adult, he will learn to respond to you with an adult mindset.”
"Yes, you're the teacher in this area."
Li Xuewu nodded in agreement and said, "It seems I should tell Qin Huairu to prepare a generous gift to thank you."
Am I looking at her?
Zhou Yamei glanced at him indifferently, then got up and went to the living room. She heard the phone ringing.
Li Xuewu glanced at her retreating figure with amusement. This clever woman was not to be trifled with; she was too difficult to fool.
Especially since she studies psychology, and speaks with such eloquence, wouldn't those who can't understand her be completely outmaneuvered?
What do you think Zhou Yamei meant just now?
She wasn't asking Li Xuewu for a favor, nor was she arrogantly expressing that she didn't care about Qin Huairu's gratitude. She was subtly pointing out to Li Xuewu that she knew Qin Huairu was one of her own.
See, Li Xuewu was quite prescient; he didn't even tell Zhou Yamei that Qin Huairu was no longer "one of their own," but was still trustworthy.
"It's a call from Beijing." Zhou Yamei finished her call in the living room and hung up. She then returned to report to Li Xuewu, "It's Yu Li calling. She said that Ms. Ding has returned to Beijing and is staying at your house."
"Yes, I understand." Li Xuewu nodded and explained, "It's for Gu Yan's marriage."
He pointed to the bath towels on the rack and said, "I introduced Zhou Yao to Gu Yan. The wedding is scheduled for March. It was arranged during my last trip to Jinling."
"Zhou Yao? The head of security at your company?" Zhou Yamei handed him a bath towel, teasingly saying, "You really are keeping the good stuff in the family, aren't you? Addicted to matchmaking?"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu dried himself off, looked at her with a smile, and asked, "What? Are you jealous?"
He walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a bath towel and said, "Would you like me to help you find a suitable one?"
"Sure, if you can do it, so can I."
Zhou Yamei curled her lip and said, "It would be best if you could find me someone young, promising, and successful in his career."
She followed Li Xuewu upstairs, muttering, "Ideally, he could give me a sense of security, so I could live at home without having to go to work."
"Hey, I'm not kidding."
Li Xuewu said he wasn't joking, but he smiled and pointed out the window, saying, "There's a young man right outside who's captivated by your beauty and charm."
"You're really young, and your job is very stable. Supporting you is definitely not a problem." He raised his eyebrows and said, "He was just feeling sad because he didn't get to run into you. If I call him in now, do you believe me? He'll come running to the yard like a puppy."
"You really are—" Zhou Yamei gritted her teeth, turned her gaze away from the window, glared at him, and said, "Even if I could bring myself to do it, would you really be willing to go for it?"
"One is willing to hit, and the other is willing to be hit—"
Li Xuewu chuckled as he stepped up the stairs, saying irresistibly, "If this leads to a happy marriage, it would be a good deed for me."
"You're so shameless—" Zhou Yamei twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "Even if you're willing to give it to me, I'm not willing to eat it. I'm not like you, an old cow eating young grass."
"Hey! Who are you calling old—"
(End of this chapter)