fictionpage Chapter 1399 The Most Painful Thing in Life
Chapter 1399 The Most Painful Thing in Life
Chapter 1399 The Most Painful Thing in Life
Did you go home for the Spring Festival?
Li Xuewu casually placed his lunchbox on the side cabinet and asked Han Zhan, who was following behind him.
Han Zhan smiled and said, "I took a shortcut and went back before the New Year, thinking I'd check back after the New Year."
"Yeah, you're on duty during the Chinese New Year holiday, right?"
Li Xuewu walked over to the sofa and sat down, then gestured to the single seat next to him, indicating that he should sit down and talk.
"Your family isn't pressuring you to go on blind dates or get married. Xu Ning has already found someone, so you should hurry up too."
"Hehe—" Han Zhan chuckled as he sat down, nodded to Zhang Enyuan who had served him tea to express his gratitude, and then replied, "Xu Ning is two years older than me, so it's normal for him to be in a hurry."
"So you guys are having a competition, huh?" Li Xuewu said with amusement. "Is it that you can't find it, or that you don't want to look for it?"
He picked up the teacup that Zhang Enyuan had brought over and placed in front of him, took a small sip, and said with a smile, "If you can't find one, I can talk to the union. There are plenty of good girls out there."
"Especially the girls from Steel City, I've heard they're all very good at managing a household. You've been in Steel City for a few years and haven't found anyone you like?"
"We're just focused on the public good and have no time for anything else."
Han Zhan joked, "The girls in Steel City are nice, but I haven't met the right one yet. I'll wait until I do."
"Nonsense—" Li Xuewu glanced at him and said, "Looks like you have high standards. What kind of girl are you looking for?"
He put down his teacup and said, "When choosing a wife, you can't just look at her appearance and family background; her personality is also very important."
"No matter how good your appearance is, you will grow old. No matter how good your family is, it will be good for ten or eight years, but not for several decades."
Li Xuewu pointed at Han Zhan with his finger and said, "Living together is a lifelong matter, you need to think about this carefully."
"Yes, I will definitely think about it carefully."
Han Zhan smiled and agreed, his attitude very serious; he never took Li Xuewu's words to heart.
“I had no hope before, but now that you’ve come to the steel city, I’m not worried about finding a partner anymore.”
He said earnestly, "With you thinking of me and helping me make the right choices, I'm just waiting to prepare for the wedding."
"Heh—" Li Xuewu glanced at him and chuckled, without commenting on his double entendre.
"Even the girls in the steel city can't keep your heart, it seems you must be very dedicated to your work."
He crossed his right leg, nodded, and said, "Is there something you want to tell me?"
"Yes, I wanted to report to you about my work." Han Zhan didn't hide anything and spoke frankly, "After all, I've been in Steel City for three years now."
“Okay, I’m just looking forward to hearing about your experiences in Steel City.” Li Xuewu raised his head, indicating that he could speak.
Han Zhan's expression turned serious, and he began to talk about the security work at the Steel City Metallurgical Plant, starting from when he took over Xu Ning's post three years ago.
Li Xuewu listened very attentively, mentally comparing Han Zhan's report with his own understanding.
One spoke, the other listened. Zhang Enyuan quietly refilled their teacups with hot water and then went to organize the documents.
Han Zhan came to work in Gangcheng and had no connection with him. The other party was the manager of the security department, and he was the office secretary.
We're not exactly unrelated, but we don't have any business dealings; we're just acquaintances.
We wouldn't even call ourselves nodding acquaintances. Although we work in the same unit, we've hardly ever spoken to each other.
What could he possibly have to say to the other party? And what right did he have to speak to the person who was favored by Director Dong?
Even this current relationship only began after he took the initiative to contact Li Xuewu after becoming Li Xuewu's secretary.
Speaking of Han Zhan, Zhang Enyuan felt that he was a very honest and cunning man, and that most people couldn't handle him.
During his time working in Gangcheng, Director Dong's work style was somewhat soft, just as Li Xuewu had observed.
However, Director Dong's authority and methods were not to be underestimated. It was only with the strong support of security managers like Xu Ning and Han Zhan that the security of the metallurgical plant was guaranteed.
No one talks about the situation these past few years, but everyone knows it. The metallurgical plant's stable development today is truly thanks to the support of the group's security department, and also thanks to the plant's security department for its courage and responsibility.
Don't be fooled by Han Zhan's seemingly carefree and easygoing demeanor in front of Li Xuewu; he's a ruthless man when he's behind the scenes.
When Xu Ning came to Gangcheng, he worked under Yang Zongfang. At that time, they had a harmonious relationship and he got the hang of his job very quickly.
When the Korean War arrived in Steel City, Yang Zongfang, who was in charge of security, had a disagreement with Director Dong Wenxue.
Most people might not be able to handle this situation, but Han Zhan managed to pull through using his skills.
In terms of fighting ability, the Steel City Security Department has no rivals; in terms of management, he brought advanced systems and budgetary support from the Group Security Department; in terms of capability, he has too many means and methods for team building and security management. Everyone says he is both fierce and ruthless.
Looking at it now, it's clear that Han Zhan was able to take over Xu Ning's position, establish himself in the steel city, and gain support from the main factory. This strong working relationship has been established, and that person is Li Xuewu, who is sitting on the sofa listening to Han Zhan's report.
***
How big is Li Xuewu's office?
The room has cabinets on three sides and a painting on one side; the inner room is not as big as the outer room.
When Li Xuewu arrived in the steel city from Beijing, he used the office left by Dong Wenxue, which had a rest room.
Don't think that having an office lounge makes you superior. Even the best lounge can't be as good as a guesthouse, can it? And even the best lounge can't be as comfortable as home.
This rest room is for preparing for shifts, which is the responsibility and obligation of the factory's main person in charge.
Are you asking if other department heads aren't on duty?
No, they do work shifts, but they rarely work through the night, and there's no need for them to work tirelessly day and night.
During critical periods, the factory's main person in charge is often required to be on duty continuously, and the entire factory must follow his orders.
Similarly, it is almost only the main person in charge who works overtime late, while the supervisors in charge rarely work overtime.
This is not just a difference between a factory director and a deputy director, but also a difference between the heads of departments and sections.
You'll see a simple single bed behind the desk of the head of a department or section; that's for when they're on duty.
So sometimes deputy positions envy the head position, and sometimes they don't. It depends on whether you can accept it or not.
Li Xuewu is young and energetic, and has high standards for his work, so his office was renovated after he came to Gangcheng.
It wasn't that they disliked Dong Wenxue's office furniture for being old, but rather that they felt the furniture in the room wasn't enough.
You said Li Xuewu only works alone, why does he need so much furniture? Isn't that a waste?
Actually, that's not the case. Li Xuewu has a lot of work to do, and a lot of work-related documents and materials.
His desk needs to serve multiple purposes, including work, study, and communication, so it can't hold too many documents and materials.
Li Xuewu was in charge of the group's industrial enterprises in Liaodong, which involved many aspects, resulting in even more materials.
He needs to look at blueprints, listen to reports, and check documents. One desk isn't enough, so we set up a conference table.
Indeed, Li Xuewu's office has a large conference table covered with various documents that he needs to review at any time.
Sometimes Li Xuewu would sit at the conference table to review and approve documents, while Zhang Enyuan would assist him.
The blueprints for several of the group's engineering construction projects in Liaodong were laid out in one place. Leaders from the Engineering Construction Corporation, the Group's Engineering Department, and the branch factory would hold meetings here in his office.
Three of the four walls in the room are filing cabinets, and one wall is decorated with paintings, not landscapes, but data charts of various companies.
This is also a task that Zhang Enyuan must do every day. He used to be extremely busy because the data was difficult to organize.
However, after the Liaodong Industrial Leading Group Office was reorganized, this task became much easier.
The apprentice, Ma Baosen, has already mastered the skill of posting daily data reports on the wall, and he does this every morning as soon as he arrives at work.
Therefore, the first thing Li Xuewu does when he arrives at work in the morning is to review yesterday's work and look at yesterday's daily report.
In Zhang Enyuan's opinion, the leader was a bit too serious; Director Dong only read the weekly reports, but he demanded daily reports.
He not only reads the daily newspaper himself, but also requires other members of the leadership team and heads of various units to develop this habit.
I need to read the daily reports, the weekly reports, and the monthly reports as well.
The only advantage of going from weekly reports to daily reports is that work progress and the division of responsibilities become clearer.
There's no room for ambiguity or piling up of work this week; if the day's plan isn't completed, a warning should be issued.
If the progress is not completed for three consecutive days, an explanation must be submitted. If the progress is not caught up for a whole week, the department and unit leaders will be summoned for a meeting and will have to report to their supervisors.
Li Xuewu has been in the steel city for over a month. Everyone in his unit is trying to figure out the new leader's work habits and style. Have they figured it out in the past month? And what have they figured out?
You know what, Zhang Enyuan had a keen ear and actually heard some interesting things.
Some say that Li Xuewu's heavy sword has no edge, and his great skill is like that of a craftsman.
What do you say?
It means that Li Xuewu's coming to Liaodong and working in Gangcheng was not aimed at anyone, nor did he immediately target anyone.
That's quite true. Li Xuewu didn't make any big moves; his actions were rather subtle and gradual.
But judging from the changes in the metallurgical plant and the unit during this period, can you say that Li Xuewu did nothing?
Just kidding, so many things have changed!
The reforms to the management system and personnel structure, which were being pushed down from the group level, had been stalled at the metallurgical plant level for over a year, but now things are finally starting to move.
No, it's not so much a loosening as a premonition and sign of a sudden, unstoppable collapse; everyone is waiting for their chance to act.
Leaving aside the previous work style in the unit, everyone's mentality has changed since Li Xuewu came to Gangcheng.
Li Xuewu didn't emphasize the regulatory role of supervision, so why is everyone less gossiping and more proactive?
There's just one thing: nobody wants to be a scapegoat.
Sometimes it's like that; if everyone focuses their attention and puts more energy into their work, the overall work environment will undergo a qualitative change.
After Li Xuewu arrived in Liaodong, everyone wanted to gauge the political climate so they could make a good impression.
This psychological effect further promoted a change in the overall work atmosphere, and also gave Li Xuewu the motivation to immediately implement policies such as organizational restructuring and personnel changes after conducting research and visits.
After the meeting this morning, the whole unit was in an uproar. Everyone had finally gotten this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Looking at Li Xuewu from another perspective, he actually did not have any contact with the heads or staff of the various departments.
He went to the workshop to conduct research and talk with the workers and workshop leaders. That was enough, but he hadn't been transferred to another unit yet.
Li Xuewu did not show much affection for the staff members of his unit; in fact, he was somewhat distant.
But the more distant he became, the more people in his workplace respected and revered him.
Li Xuewu only put forward a three-tiered reform plan for the factory, department, and section, which in turn shook the status quo previously maintained by a group of deputy factory directors.
No one cared about past relationships and order anymore; everyone looked at the newly established departments and offices.
Who doesn't want to improve? But the ladder to improvement is in Li Xuewu's hands, so Li Xuewu is the direction they work hard to follow.
Therefore, some people say that Li Xuewu hasn't made any big moves, but the work he's going to do has already begun.
This is what is meant by "a heavy sword has no edge, and great skill appears as craftsmanship."
See how it goes. The meeting just ended this morning, and Han Zhan came over at noon. Isn't that an effective result?
Li Xuewu has been in Gangcheng for over a month, but Han Zhan has never come to report on his work.
Yes, it's understandable that Han Zhan was considering Li Xuewu's feelings and wanted to wait until Li Xuewu had truly mastered the work of the metallurgical plant before reporting back. But his eagerness to come over now also reflects a change in mindset.
Even Zhang Enyuan could understand the implications of Han Zhan's words, let alone what he was planning to do.
"We still need to focus on building a strong cadre team."
After listening to Han Zhan finish speaking, Li Xuewu put down his teacup and said, "No matter how well you do your job, if there are no successors, who will be willing to promote you or trust you?"
"Yes, I understand what you mean."
Han Zhan nodded and said, "I have been focusing on the organizational development of the Security Department, especially in the last two years."
He said very seriously, "Under the guidance of the Group's Security Department, the work on public security management and the development of security personnel has undergone a series of reforms, including management systems and working methods."
“That’s not enough. You know what I’m trying to emphasize.” Li Xuewu tapped him and said, “The Liangmahe Industrial Zone paid special attention to multi-dimensional management during its construction. You should learn more about that.”
He tapped the armrest of the sofa and said, "Don't think that just because Liangmahe Industrial Zone and Hongxing Steel City Industrial Zone are very different, you can be negligent in management."
"I have always emphasized that security and public order management should be done proactively; the word 'proactive' is very important."
Li Xuewu put down his right leg and sat up straight. He looked at Han Zhan and counted on his fingers, saying, "There are employee residential areas in Liangmahe Industrial Zone and employee residential areas in Hongxing Steel City Industrial Zone."
"Your participation is needed for the security of the residential area from construction to the official move-in, and this is just the beginning."
He said, "The group's security department has established exclusion zones in residential areas and commercial streets. Did you think of that?"
"The professionalization of the Security Brigade and related documents have been provided to the branch factories and branches. Have you implemented them?"
"Don't talk about your merits and hard work yet. I want to hear your thoughts and solutions before you start to boast and complain."
This made Han Zhan blush slightly. He had heard that the metallurgical plant was going to undergo organizational restructuring. As Li Xuewu's former subordinate and having worked in the steel city for more than three years, he felt that he was qualified to compete for a position in the security department.
Unexpectedly, Li Xuewu listened to him very seriously, but his criticisms were also very hurtful.
The old leader is still so straightforward. He's very kind when talking about life, but his face changes as soon as work comes up.
-
"Boss, I have something to report to you."
Liao Jinhui appeared at the office door with a very tense and serious expression, forgetting to even knock.
Li Xuewu looked up from behind his desk and frowned slightly. "Come in and talk."
"Yes," Liao Jinhui replied, but quickly walked to Li Xuewu's side and gave a brief report.
Li Xuewu's brows furrowed deeper as he listened, until the report was finished, at which point he turned to him and asked, "Is the information accurate?"
"It's news from the city." Liao Jinhui nodded seriously and said, "Do you think our factory should...?"
"Do not make any moves for now, and do not let the news get out."
While giving instructions, Li Xuewu picked up the phone and called Yang Zongfang. After the call was connected and he confirmed that it was Yang Zongfang answering, he said, "Comrade Zongfang, come to my office. We have something to discuss."
After saying that, he hung up the phone and turned to Liao Jinhui, instructing, "Go to the city and get a detailed explanation of the situation. Also, ask the city if there are any special arrangements. Hurry up."
"Understood, I'll go right away." Liao Jinhui agreed readily, and seeing that Li Xuewu had no other requests, he turned and left quickly.
As she was leaving, she ran into Zhang Enyuan coming in. The two almost bumped into each other, but Liao Jinhui didn't have time to be polite with him. She slipped past him and jogged down the stairs, looking very anxious.
When Zhang Enyuan walked into the office and saw his boss's serious expression, his heart started pounding. He hoped nothing bad would happen.
"Call Fengcheng Machinery Factory and tell them that my trip to Fengcheng has been postponed. Please ask Director Xiao to explain to Director Hu Ke on my behalf."
Li Xuewu tapped his fingers lightly on his desk while instructing Zhang Enyuan, "Contact the weapons factory and get a detailed list of weapons products, along with their production capacity."
"Boss—" Zhang Enyuan stared wide-eyed in surprise, completely bewildered as to what his boss was up to.
It was already frightening that Director Liao ran out, but now the instructions from his superiors made him even more nervous.
"Notify all members of the Security Section to cancel their leave and be on standby for combat readiness." Li Xuewu ignored his panic and continued to instruct, "Notify the Fire Department, the Flood Control Office, and the Militia Office to be on standby at Level 1."
After explaining all this, he looked at Zhang Enyuan and emphasized, "Do as I say first, then call Zhang Jing over."
"Yes—" Zhang Enyuan's voice trembled slightly in response, a fear of unknown danger.
News didn't spread as quickly or transparently as it does in later generations, and people weren't as confident.
It's no exaggeration to say that it's surrounded by formidable enemies, especially the Northeast, a place of constant warfare, which can be called the "monster house" of East Asia.
Just as Zhang Enyuan was about to leave after responding, there was a knock at the door. It was Yang Zongfang.
Zhang Enyuan turned around stiffly, and when he saw it was him, he greeted him with a somewhat numb expression.
Yang Zongfang, however, was quick-witted. It was suspicious that Li Xuewu had taken the initiative to call him. He must have been invited to come over to discuss the work he was in charge of.
If there were other related work, he shouldn't be the only one coming to Li Xuewu's office.
Looking at the performance of Li Xuewu's secretary Zhang Enyuan, it was quite different from his usual standard. What happened?
"Comrade Zongfang, come here—"
Li Xuewu gave a shout, but instead of getting up from behind his desk, he pointed to the opposite side of the desk.
Given the difference in their ranks and positions, he didn't really need to get up, but he still needed to observe workplace etiquette.
Yang Zongfang now realized that Li Xuewu was definitely not looking down on him, nor was he deliberately humiliating him by being so rude.
He nodded to Zhang Enyuan, watching him walk out quickly and close the door behind him. He could no longer hide his suspicions and sat down opposite Li Xuewu.
However, Li Xuewu was faster than him. Before he could even sit down, he recounted the situation that Liao Jin Club had just reported.
Well, Yang Zongfang was stunned for a moment, lost her balance, and fell down on the chair.
He completely disregarded his decorum and his bottom, staring at Li Xuewu with wide eyes and asking, "This—this is real?"
Li Xuewu nodded, looked into his eyes and said, "I have already arranged for Liao Jinhui to go to the city to hear the city's opinion and obey the unified arrangements of the local government."
"In addition, I have instructed him not to leak this information and to do his best to ensure the stability of production and work."
His fingers were still tapping on the table, making Yang Zongfang's heart pound as if it were about to jump out of her throat.
He didn't know that his face was very pale and his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, making him look rather disheveled.
Li Xuewu understood his performance well. Although he was in charge of security at the metallurgical plant, he had no relevant work experience.
"My opinion is to first control the situation, make preparations, obey unified arrangements, and act only after careful consideration."
"Uh—yes—" Yang Zongfang only realized what Li Xuewu meant after he finished speaking. Her face regained some color, and she nodded and said, "I agree with your opinion."
"Then let's take charge of this for now and not let it escalate further. We'll see what happens after the news is released." Seeing his attitude, Li Xuewu nodded and instructed, "I've already asked the security, fire, and other relevant departments to make preparations. Could you please go down and check on the actual preparedness of each department?"
"No matter what happens, the entire metallurgical plant must be of one mind and prioritize production."
"Understood!" Yang Zongfang responded readily, but as she stood up, she seemed to remember something and asked, "Should we report this situation to the group?"
"It shouldn't be necessary." Li Xuewu sighed softly and said, "The group should have known about it before we did."
He looked at Yang Zongfang and said, "Let's wait for news from the city first, then for news from the group."
"There's one thing you need to remember: I don't care what happens outside, but we absolutely must not let ourselves get into trouble."
Li Xuewu emphasized very seriously: "Especially the disciplinary department, I will deal with whoever causes problems at this time."
“Okay, I understand.” Yang Zongfang stood up, nodded and said, “I’ll make the arrangements now. I’ll be on duty tonight.”
"Okay, go ahead, I'll be there tonight too."
Li Xuewu raised his wrist to check the time; this matter wouldn't be resolved anytime soon.
Not long after Yang Zongfang left, Zhang Jing came in.
"Leader, you are looking for me."
"Yes, sit down and let's talk." Li Xuewu gestured to the seat opposite Yang Zongfang, where Yang Zongfang had just been sitting.
After the other party sat down, he briefly reported the situation and, without waiting for Zhang Jing to express his surprise, instructed, "Go to the Steel City Aircraft Manufacturing Plant in a while and check on the working condition of the helicopter that is currently undergoing test flights."
"Sir, this is—"
Zhang Jing asked in surprise, "You mean send a plane north..."
"I didn't mean anything by it." Li Xuewu tapped the table and said, "Being prepared is better than being unprepared."
"What if the higher-ups ask?"
He looked at Zhang Jing and said, "I'm not comfortable asking you about this over the phone. Why don't you go and check it out yourself?"
"Furthermore, other industrial enterprises should have already received the relevant early warning information by now. Just reply as I instructed, and at the same time ensure that there are enough staff on duty to ensure smooth communication."
"Understood—" Zhang Jing nodded, looked at the notebook in his hand and repeated the instructions Li Xuewu had just given him, then looked up and said, "I'll go back to the office first, and after I've explained everything, I'll go to Gangfei. I'll contact the office by phone and report to you at any time."
"Okay, go ahead—"
Li Xuewu nodded, closed his eyes slightly, and pondered, thinking about what aspects of this matter had not yet been arranged.
He's really confused; he's been too busy lately to have forgotten something so important.
Yes, today is March 2nd. He didn't think there was anything special about today. Even though there was a metallurgical plant work meeting to be held, and even though there were many work arrangements and changes to be made, he didn't take today's work seriously.
I never expected this!
Some people say, how could Li Xuewu possibly remember all the things in his mind? Why doesn't he write them down in a notebook?
Just kidding?
The memory in his mind was correct, but writing it down in a notebook was wrong, and he didn't want to cause trouble for himself.
He used to mark five-pointed stars on the calendar a few years ago, but he gradually stopped doing so.
The key is to leave no trace. Everyone knows where his office is, so how could they not see those signs?
Not to mention the staff in the unit, even those who do sanitation and cleaning work can come and go in his office.
It wasn't until they arrived in the steel city that Zhang Enyuan explicitly emphasized to the sanitation workers that he would be responsible for cleaning Li Xuewu's office, which is why he maintained the habit of locking the door after get off work.
You're asking Li Xuewu to mark things up on the calendar under his desk, or even make notes? Wouldn't that scare everyone to death?
On the surface, the metallurgical plant appeared unchanged, except that several disciplinary departments received notices to be on duty.
While such incidents were not frequent in our previous work, they were not uncommon either, due to the unique circumstances of the times.
They did whatever the higher-ups said. It wasn't that they didn't have their own doubts and speculations about Li Xuewu's decision, but the information they had access to was too limited, so they couldn't really guess the truth.
There are no secrets in this world. By the time people were leaving get off work in the afternoon, rumors had begun to circulate, but since they had not been confirmed by the relevant departments, everyone just took it as speculation.
However, judging from the actions of the security department, fire department, and other departments, everyone seemed to have become more certain.
The words Li Xuewu spoke to Yang Zongfang weren't a sentimental remark; he really was going to have to work overtime that night.
After returning from the weapons factory, Zhang Enyuan went to the guesthouse to order dinner for Li Xuewu, Deputy Director Yang, and the duty room, as he wouldn't be able to go home that night.
Actually, the situation is not too bad. Liao Jinhui was unable to bring any more news or instructions from the city, and the city is also waiting.
No news is good news. Li Xuewu knew that the situation was not as ordinary and simple as everyone thought, but he could not appear too nervous, otherwise the people below would become nervous.
Being on duty is an attitude. As long as he is on duty at the unit, all the employees of the metallurgical plant and the group's various industrial enterprises in Liaodong can go home to eat well and sleep well.
Zhang Jing rushed back from the Hongxing Steel City Aircraft Manufacturing Plant before leaving get off work, but the news he brought back wasn't good.
SteelAircraft's existing aircraft production line has indeed been assembled, but it will take some time before it can actually start production.
There are a few "Little Dragonfly" machines in the experimental workshop now, but these things are only assembled manually for experimental purposes.
Not to mention that the technicians and engineers in the lab couldn't guarantee whether it could complete the task, Li Xuewu didn't dare to send the non-compliant product over like that. What if something went wrong?
What a coincidence! If the aircraft had already been produced, or even just in trial production, at this point...
Li Xuewu's goal was to make the "Little Dragonfly" a household name and establish its influence in China. More importantly, he wanted to demonstrate the aircraft's capabilities to buyers, thereby boosting domestic sales.
What a pity, the timing was wrong.
***
"Yes, it's me. I'm not going home tonight," Li Xuewu said into the phone. "I have to be on duty at the unit."
"Do you need me to send some bedding over?"
Although Zhou Yamei didn't know why Li Xuewu suddenly wanted to stay at the unit to be on duty, she didn't doubt or question Li Xuewu's qualifications.
All she could think of was that Li Xuewu had never been on duty at his workplace. She knew there was a rest room in his office, but there were no bedding or changes of clothes.
It's not too late yet, so she asked Li Xuewu if she meant for him to arrange for someone to come to her house to pick it up.
"Should I prepare dinner?"
"No need, I lack nothing."
Li Xuewu's tone remained calm and normal: "The plan to go to Fengcheng has been cancelled. If I'm free tomorrow noon, I'll go home again. That's all."
“Okay—” Zhou Yamei said on the phone, “Then you should get some rest too.”
Li Xuewu hung up the phone without giving a reply.
Resting doesn't interfere with rest; he's aware of the situation and can sleep well, unlike others who are filled with anxiety.
Zhang Enyuan was probably really scared. He didn't dare tell his family, fearing that something bad would happen to him and the whole family would evaporate.
It would be better if you didn't say anything, then you wouldn't have any regrets later. But if you really did say something, not only would it be against the rules, but if you started crying and making a scene, it would really make you look like you're clinging to life, and that wouldn't be a good look.
What's that saying again? If the sky falls, there's always someone taller to hold it up. He might be scared, but he can still hold back.
Before Zhang Jing returned, he kept an eye on things in the office. Only after Zhang Jing returned did he go to the guesthouse canteen.
He returned to the office building and the duty room with his food half an hour after the get off work bell rang.
"Go and deliver it to Deputy Factory Director Yang."
Zhang Enyuan handed several prepared boxed lunches to Ma Baosen and instructed, "Don't forget that Secretary Liu has one here."
"Master, is this the money you spent?"
Ma Baosen took the lunchbox his master handed him and asked softly, "How will it be calculated then? What about the finance department..."
"What time is it? Still talking about money?" Zhang Enyuan glared at his apprentice and said, "Do you know what the most painful thing in life is?"
Before his apprentice could answer, he said calmly, "The person died, but the money wasn't all spent."
“Uh—” Ma Baosen twitched the corner of his mouth. He had sensed the tension in his master’s words, so he deliberately teased him by saying, “I think the most painful thing in life is running out of money but not dying.”
"Get the hell out of here!"
In a fit of anger, Zhang Enyuan jokingly scolded his apprentice, saying, "You can't do serious things well, but you're good at talking nonsense!"
"Hehe—" Ma Baosen chuckled, comforting his master, "The Northeast is a big place, why should we be afraid?"
He only wanted to comfort his master, but seeing that his master was glaring at him, he quickly shut up and slunk out the door.
His master gave him a chance; he went to deliver food to Deputy Factory Director Yang, and he was bound to get a thank you.
He just didn't know how to repay his master, and accidentally revealed his master's thoughts.
These kinds of things are better left unsaid; it's embarrassing to talk about them.
You'd think that no one in the duty room was afraid except his master, but that's impossible. He couldn't say that his master was afraid, because his master never said he was afraid; he was just trying to appear strong.
“I think Baosen is right, the Northeast is really big.”
Zhang Jing came out of the office and called the others on duty to come over for dinner. He smiled and comforted them, saying, "Besides, we still need to have confidence. An iron will is invincible."
"You're absolutely right."
Zhang Enyuan smiled and gestured to the boxed lunch in his hand, saying, "We can't let the leaders go hungry. I'll deliver the lunch first, and we'll talk when I get back."
"You go about your business. We've had the chance to get together for a tea party today, so we have plenty of time to chat."
Zhang Jing smiled and waved to him, took out a lunchbox from the box, opened it and looked at it, raising an eyebrow and saying, "Great, braised pork and eggplant stew, Deputy Director Zhang really went all out!"
"Really?! Let me see!"
Zhou Linghua leaned over in surprise and opened the lunchbox, only to find yet another dish: "Braised pork with vermicelli and cabbage!"
He turned to look at the departing Deputy Director Zhang, then looked at the others and said, "Deputy Director Zhang is no longer in office!"
"Hmm, it seems so—"
Zhang Jing watched as the lunchboxes in the box were opened one by one. Indeed, there was more than one dish, but four different dishes in eight boxes, along with several boxes of steamed buns and rice, indicating that it was for a group meal.
He smiled and gestured for the group to set up a desk, then placed chairs on it, saying, "Don't forget the source of your blessings. Know your place. Let's wait for Deputy Director Zhang to return."
"Hehe, I agree with the director's suggestion!"
Wang Min smiled as he arranged the chairs, adding jokingly, "If I weren't on duty, it would be even more lively with some wine."
"Beautiful you, still want to drink—"
Zhang Jing smiled and tapped him, saying, "The first rule of office management is that it's forbidden to be drunk or sleep on duty. How did you learn that?"
"Isn't this hope!" Wang Min looked at the others and said, "No matter what tomorrow brings, the fact that we're all together tonight is an incredible stroke of luck. Even if... well, it's worth it."
"I don't—I'm not worthy—"
Zhang Jing chuckled and emphasized, "I have a wife and kids, what do I have to offer you young people!"
As he spoke, he glanced at the very beautiful Zhou Peilan and smiled at the other young men.
Youth is wonderful; it's a time of boundless energy, and being carefree and happy is a great mindset.
All four were university graduates, and they were among the first batch of people to arrive at the Hongxing Factory. Some of them were even classmates from the same university.
The group has close cooperation with only two universities: Tsinghua University and the Iron and Steel Institute. As a result, there are a lot of students from these two universities in the group.
Last year, Deputy Director Gu Weijie presided over the talent introduction plan, which greatly expanded the group's pool of highly educated personnel. Even branch factories were able to assign college graduates, demonstrating the strength of this initiative.
When it comes to whether college students are useful or not, Zhang Jing is the most qualified to speak. As the director of the leading group office, he was a complete novice when he first started working, while these four young people had already begun learning and training under Li Xuewu's requirements.
He was much quicker to get into work mode than her, more enthusiastic, more capable, and had a positive attitude. He didn't have to think about those messy, petty things. To be honest, he really envied her.
"I can smell the aroma of the food."
Ma Baosen returned from outside, gesturing to the box he was carrying, and explained with a smile, "These are drinks from Deputy Factory Director Yang. Today has been a very fruitful and happy day!"
"Look, here comes the drink!"
Zhang Jing smiled and looked at Wang Min, saying, "Hurry up and help. We'll have tea instead of wine today."
Indeed, tea was used instead of wine, and the product that Deputy Factory Director Yang gave them was a product from the group's food processing plant that he brought back from Beijing.
They had also heard that the food company produced several kinds of beverages for export. Not to mention the various soft drinks, the cold drinks made with tea and the flavored tea drinks were very appealing.
These days, what drinks are there to choose from? Orange soda is sold out, so it's good enough if you can even get something to drink.
However, the beverages produced by the food company were not sold domestically; they were all used for export trade.
Such drinks are not available to the average person, but they are easy for Deputy Factory Director Yang.
It's just a matter of spending money. You buy from the group's supply service department. I heard that the group has set up several supply and sales service departments in Liangmahe Industrial Zone, and the goods there are particularly comprehensive.
The supply is open to company employees, who can purchase related products simply by showing their work ID; no supply tickets are required.
This is a unique benefit for the group's employees, but it hasn't been rolled out in Liaodong yet; the sales headquarters is working on it.
"Go and deliver two bottles to the leader."
Zhang Jing instructed Ma Baosen, "Tell your master to come back for dinner; we'll be waiting for him."
"Alright, I'll go right now—"
Ma Baosen dragged out two bottles of tea and went next door, where he happened to see his master talking to Li Xuewu.
“Boss, this was given to us by Deputy Factory Director Yang. I said I didn’t want it, but he insisted on giving it to us.”
He was good at playing the innocent card, seemingly explaining to Li Xuewu, but actually afraid of being scolded by his master.
Zhang Enyuan was in no mood to talk to him. He set out the lunchboxes and was about to call him out when Li Xuewu took out two boxes of Daqianmen cigarettes from the drawer and tossed them to Ma Baosen, saying, "Go ahead and smoke."
"Thank you, boss! I knew it wouldn't be a wasted trip!"
(End of this chapter)