fictionpage Chapter 1379 Go for it!
Chapter 1379 Go for it!
Chapter 1379 Go for it!
How did you resolve that case?
The urbanization process in the steel city is much slower than that in Beijing. The road from the metallurgical plant is full of potholes until it gets better on the main roads in the city.
Because of latitude, it gets dark earlier in Northeast China than in Beijing. Especially in winter, the days are even shorter, and the sun is already setting by 3 PM. As the sunlight grows colder, the light and shadows inside the car flicker and dapple, and Li Xuewu's profile appears and disappears through the car window.
He turned his head away, also looking out the car window at this city he had visited many times, but had never stayed for long.
He was both unfamiliar with and familiar with this city. He was familiar with the metallurgical plant, the hardware factory, and the Hongxing Steel Group in the steel city, and even with all the industrial zones in Liaodong.
Apart from that, he was only familiar with the two-story villa that held many pleasant memories for him, and nothing else. Therefore, he was also a stranger to this city.
Perhaps he was just a passerby, a stranger, to this city.
Yu Zhe didn't see it that way. His sister told him that a good man should have ambitions beyond his hometown and that to bring honor to his family, he should make a name for himself. Although she didn't expect him to achieve great things or bring glory to the family, she thought that running away was a skill in itself.
That's right, he's still carrying a case on his shoulders.
She said I was shameless—
Yu Zhe's voice came from the front, and it sounded a little unconvinced.
Li Xuewu smirked and looked at the driver's seat, asking, "And then?"
“I told her that from the day I fell for her, I never intended to care about my reputation.”
Yu Zhe has the mindset and emotions of a Casanova, and he always says things that make Li Xuewu feel like his brain is out of touch with the trendy young people.
"Facing the choice between saving face and having her, I unhesitatingly chose to give her everything I had. I gave her everything I had and everything she wanted."
"And then?" Li Xuewu had heard countless melodramatic love stories, but this was the first time he had ever heard someone be so refreshingly unconventional in their lewd behavior.
If it were just melodramatic, he wouldn't have asked anymore. But with such a vulgar and melodramatic love story, he really wanted to ask again.
Yu Zhe wasn't deliberately keeping us in suspense; that's just how he talks and acts. In Yu Li's words, he's immature and acts like a child.
Yes, it has a childlike innocence and simplicity, but wouldn't it be more appropriate to use another word to describe an adult? Like, silly...
"Sigh—" he said with some pain, "She has ultimately missed her chance with me. She is still stubborn now, and may regret it for the rest of her life."
“If that’s the case, then the security department’s arrest of you is truly justified.” Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow, looked out the window, and said, “I almost thought you wouldn’t be able to come to Steel City.”
"That was close—" Yu Zhe couldn't help but feel relieved when he thought about it, and said with a chuckle, "I heard that after I was transferred to the car team to drive for the leaders, her mother's attitude changed."
"Hey! Boss, what do you mean..."
"Watch the car—!"
When Li Xuewu saw the young man suddenly turn around and look at him, he quickly pointed ahead. "Don't let him die in a car accident so soon after taking office; that would be such a waste."
"It's okay, I know what I'm doing."
Yu Zhe, skilled and daring, turned around, sat up straight, and explained with a smile, "I even dared to drive the cart up the wall in the main cart team. I practiced this skill specifically on the mountain."
This kind of person is generally hard to talk to. He can take your criticism as a compliment and won't care about your cold face or annoyance.
What is this called?
Calling him a tough nut to crack is an understatement.
"Boss, do you think her mother has taken a liking to me?" Yu Zhe hadn't forgotten the previous topic and continued to ask, "Why did you persuade her daughter not to pursue this matter?"
"Hmm, what else could it be?" Li Xuewu glanced at him, rolled his eyes, and said, "Maybe he hadn't seen you before, and now he's captivated by your handsome face."
"Really?! Hahaha—"
Yu Zhe truly believed it. He felt that Brother Li had no reason to deceive him; if even Brother Li had confirmed it, why should he not believe himself?
"I told you, she'd regret it sooner or later."
"Okay, you should focus on your work." Li Xuewu was at his wit's end with this kid, so he could only try to coax him by saying, "She'll regret it even more once you achieve something."
"Okay, I got it, bro, that's what I think!"
Yu Zhe was deeply moved by his words and even blurted out the name his sister forbade him to use, showing that he truly regarded Li Xuewu as his boss.
This is somewhat similar to Nie Xiaoguang; neither of them seems to be very smart.
"Boss, just give me a call if you need anything." Yu Zhe grinned and said, "I'll do my best to get things done for you."
"Okay, I believe in you."
Li Xuewu twitched the corner of his mouth, nodded as he looked out the window at the street scene, and responded to his chatterbox. Of all his drivers, this guy was the most talkative.
Nie Xiaoguang is actually quite talkative, but Han Jiankun has already put a stop to it, so he won't waste his breath arguing with him.
Furthermore, Nie Xiaoguang is scheming and has a hard time, like an artificially ripened watermelon; his words are never sweet.
Look at this guy again. His eyes light up when he sees a woman, and he greets people by calling them "brother" or "sister." He's clearly a simpleton, but he insists on pretending to be a wise man.
Li Xuewu really didn't know what to say to him. If it weren't for Yu Li's connection, he would never have used this kid.
However, since he had already used it, he didn't regret it. Having it by his side would always be of some use; at least the guys in the office were a bit confused.
They may not have seen the upper limit of the basic quality of office staff in a group company, but this time they finally saw the lower limit.
"Boss, that Director Liao doesn't seem like a good person." Yu Zhe suddenly said, as if he had just remembered something. "He's sarcastic and his smile seems fake."
"You can even judge people now?" Li Xuewu said calmly, "This place is different from the rest of the group. Be careful, or I won't be responsible if something goes wrong."
"Don't worry," Yu Zhe grinned and said, "The person who can outsmart me hasn't been born yet. How could I possibly lose in a shamelessness contest? Unless he's even more shameless than me."
“That’s all you’re good for—” Li Xuewu sat up straight and looked ahead, saying, “Your sister brought up the matter of your boyfriend with me, so don’t make any more mistakes in this area.”
"Boss—" Yu Zhe said with some difficulty, "Actually, I can do it myself. I still yearn for free love."
"Who's going to arrange a marriage for you?"
Li Xuewu said, both amused and annoyed, "If you had that kind of ability, you wouldn't still be single. Can't you look for the reasons within yourself?"
"What problems could I possibly have?" Yu Zhe wasn't unconvinced, but he'd never really considered the issue. "Isn't it all because they're blind?"
"Let's drive." Li Xuewu closed his eyes and said helplessly, "I'll find you someone who wears glasses later, that'll definitely be a good fit."
"Wearing glasses?" Yu Zhe hadn't quite grasped what his superior meant, and muttered, "They say people who wear glasses all burn..."
-
"uncle--"
As instructed by his superior, Yu Zhe drove to a cluster of small Western-style houses. As soon as he got out of the car, a little boy came running from the yard.
Are all people from Northeast China this polite?
"Mmm, here's some candy for you."
He was really kind-hearted; when he heard someone call him "uncle," he immediately took out candy from his pocket to give it to them. But when the child ran up to him, he avoided him, giving him a strange look.
"Uncle." Fu Zhidong had never seen anyone so stunned before. This man was so old, how could he take advantage of him?
"Hmm, you've grown quite a bit taller again."
Li Xuewu got out of the car and saw his godson standing beside him, so he smiled and nodded. Then, looking at Yu Zhe, who looked embarrassed, he said, "Help me take my luggage down."
"Okay—okay, boss."
Yu Zhe's face turned bright red after being tricked by that unlucky kid. Now that he had a way out, he quickly stuffed the candy into his pocket and headed towards the trunk.
"Uncle, Mom said you're coming to work in Steel City!" Fu Zhidong glanced at the driver again before looking up at his uncle, his eyes filled with joy, and asked, "Is it true?"
"Yes, it's true." Li Xuewu smiled and nodded, saying, "I'll be relying on you to take good care of me from now on."
"No problem, hahaha—"
Fu Zhidong was overjoyed and couldn't help but laugh out loud. When he turned around and saw his mother walking over from the yard, he shouted, "Mom, Uncle is here!"
"Zhidong, be polite."
Seeing her son shouting, Zhou Yamei gave him a knowing look. Seeing that her son's mouth, though tightly shut, still held a smile, she then looked at the man she had been longing for.
"You're here."
"Sir, should we take the luggage inside?"
At this moment, Yu Zhe walked over carrying two suitcases. His gaze swept over the young woman standing at the gate of the courtyard, and he couldn't take his eyes off her.
A woman wearing glasses... wearing wire-rimmed glasses... a young woman wearing wire-rimmed glasses...
His heart was pounding, and the blush that had just faded from his face suddenly returned. He muttered to himself: Is this the person the boss wants to introduce to me?
Wait a minute, this child is already so big!
Actually... if it's like this... it's not necessarily a bad thing...
"Just give it to me, thank you."
Zhou Yamei didn't know if the driver who brought Li Xuewu here was from the metallurgical plant or had come from Beijing. Being cautious, she didn't want him to be admitted to the hospital.
Li Xuewu nodded to her and introduced him, saying, "This is Yu Zhe, my driver from Beijing."
He then looked at Yu Zhe and introduced him, saying, "You can call me Sister Zhou. I'll be living here from now on. Come pick me up at 8 a.m. every morning. Just leave your luggage in the entryway."
"Sister Zhou... Sister Zhou..." Yu Zhe had never seen such a charming woman before, and he was immediately captivated, unable to even speak properly.
His infatuated look made Zhou Yamei raise an eyebrow, and her gaze toward Li Xuewu became somewhat probing, as if she doubted his ability to judge people.
What could Li Xuewu say? He couldn't say anything here. He put his left arm around his godson's shoulder and pointed to the yard with his right hand, telling Yu Zhe to put his luggage away.
Yu Zhe blushed and walked past Sister Zhou with his head down, looking like a teenage boy, a little lost and clumsy.
No wonder Yu Zhe was shocked by Zhou Yamei's appearance after her ordeal; even Li Xuewu was impressed when he saw her – this woman was wearing makeup!
A woman with an oval face who puts her hair up, wears gold-rimmed glasses, and has slightly red lips can significantly increase her attractiveness to men.
Anyone with a decent figure would be considered a goddess in later generations. Moreover, her figure was even more attractive than her face; can you really blame Yu Zhe for that?
Li Xuewu looked her over carefully and said with a smile, "You're beautiful."
"You don't need to say it—" Zhou Yamei scolded him playfully with a smile in her eyes. She only followed him back after he put his arm around Fu Zhidong and walked into the courtyard.
Yu Zhe obediently placed his luggage in the entrance hall, greeted Li Xuewu, and then called out "Sister Zhou" with his head down before fleeing as if running away.
Zhou Yamei watched the hasty young man leave without even closing the courtyard gate, then glared at Li Xuewu's retreating figure before finally bursting into laughter.
***
"Just so you know, I didn't buy you anything."
At the entrance, Fu Zhidong eagerly helped his godfather find slippers, and then took his godfather's briefcase and coat, looking very enthusiastic.
"I'm eight years old—"
Seeing his godfather say this, he raised his head and emphasized, "I just miss you. As long as you can come, I don't want anything else."
"Good son." Li Xuewu patted his head, smiled, and glanced back at Zhou Yamei who had just entered the room.
"What are you so proud of?" Zhou Yamei couldn't stand his smug grin, so she deliberately picked a fight and scolded him, "You even brought it from Jingli, you're so clumsy."
"He is Yu Li's younger brother." Li Xuewu didn't explain further, only saying this before leading his godson to the living room.
“Yu Li’s younger brother, that’s what I was talking about.”
Zhou Yamei arranged Li Xuewu's leather shoes neatly, then used a coat hanger to prop up her son's wool coat that hadn't been hung up properly, and re-hung it in the wardrobe in the entryway.
With a slight touch of obsessive-compulsive disorder, she waited until she had finished tidying up before walking into the living room. Looking at Li Xuewu, who was whispering to his son, she said, "Did Yu Li force this on you?"
Without waiting for Li Xuewu's reply, she continued, "It can't be. She's such a cautious person; she always does things according to your mood."
"Am I as heartless as you say?" Li Xuewu looked up after hearing his godson's report and said, "If the original driver wants to stay in Beijing, it doesn't matter who we use."
"Aren't you afraid he'll cause you trouble?"
Zhou Yamei picked up her apron from the shelf and tied it on. As she walked into the kitchen, she said, "It's better to be cautious about finding a husband. It's better to find someone older, preferably with a family to support you."
"I'm here to work, not to be a spy." Li Xuewu couldn't help but laugh and said, "There's no need to be so cautious, and there's no need to investigate someone's family history."
"I don't care—" Hearing Li Xuewu's ungrateful attitude, Zhou Yamei felt that she had been meddling in other people's business and couldn't help but scold him.
Li Xuewu heard the cold snort from the kitchen, looked down at his precocious godson, and couldn't help but find it amusing.
"Hehe—" Fu Zhidong covered his mouth and chuckled, gently reminding him, "Mom isn't angry."
"Ah—is that so—" Li Xuewu also lowered his voice and asked, "What's Mom like when she's really angry?"
"I just won't say anything, I'll just stare at you."
As Fu Zhidong said this, he mimicked the expression his mother made when she was really angry, and pursed his lips while glaring at Li Xuewu.
After learning it for a bit, he found it amusing and couldn't help but chuckle.
Listening to the whispers and occasional laughter from the father and son in the living room, Zhou Yamei couldn't help but laugh in the kitchen.
-
"I've been looking forward to it every day ever since I heard you were coming."
Zhou Yamei stood at the door of her son's room, looking at Li Xuewu lying next to her sleeping son, and whispered an explanation.
After dinner, the father and son sat on the sofa and chatted as they had before dinner, while Zhou Yamei went to the kitchen to clean up.
When it was almost time, she prepared a bath for Li Xuewu. Her son looked reluctant to let him go, as if he was afraid that his uncle would use the bath as an excuse to jump out of the bathroom window and never come back.
Zhou Yamei wanted to say something to him, but thinking of how he had lacked a father's love since childhood, she couldn't bear to. Before she could even think of what to say, Li Xuewu waved to her.
The son, like a happy little bird, ran off to the bathroom laughing, completely ignoring his mother's opinion.
The father and son had so much to talk about that they didn't give her a chance to interject. Li Xuewu spoiled the child and treated him like a little adult.
Zhou Yamei admitted that her approach to educating her child was biased, that she was too anxious and cared too much, and that she put a lot of pressure on her child.
However, this was her first time being a mother. Although she had studied a lot of psychological theories, she always lost her professional demeanor in front of her own child.
Li Xuewu was very patient. After taking a shower, the two of them went upstairs to continue chatting in Fu Zhidong's bedroom, where they squeezed onto a small bed.
Fu Zhidong matured earlier than other children. Last year, he stopped pestering her to tell him bedtime stories. The two of them would read downstairs until it was time to go back upstairs to rest.
But seeing her son so close to Li Xuewu today, and his sleeping face nestled beside him, Zhou Yamei couldn't help but shed tears; her heart melted.
"Pull me up." Li Xuewu carefully moved his arm, which was being pressed down by his godson's hand, but the crib was too small, and he was afraid that any movement would wake the child.
Zhou Yamei pouted and said in a soft, feigned annoyance, "Since you two are so close, you can just sleep here."
***
"Hello, sir, I'm here to pick you up."
Despite barely sleeping all night, Zhang Enyuan still looked radiant, as if he had been rejuvenated, standing at the entrance of the villa courtyard like a young man.
Li Xuewu glanced at him; the secretary he had chosen looked much more energetic than Zhou Yamei had that morning.
"No need for that. Just wait for me in the car."
Li Xuewu took the briefcase from Zhou Yamei, who had seen him off, and then casually handed it to Zhang Enyuan, saying indifferently, "Don't wait for me tonight, you guys eat first."
"Okay, pay attention to safety on the road."
Zhou Yamei was still wearing an apron, so it was impossible to tell whether she had a good or bad figure, but from her appearance and voice, Zhang Enyuan could tell with his toes that she was a great beauty.
He should never have speculated about the relationship between his superior and this person. He simply lowered his head, took the briefcase from his superior, and turned to wait by the car.
Yesterday afternoon, when Director Liao talked to him and mentioned that the new head of the metallurgical plant, who was also a leader of the group, wanted to appoint him as his secretary, his mind started buzzing.
It's not that my brain is lacking oxygen, it's just that there's a sense of unreality, an illusion, like a dream.
He couldn't remember how he got out of Director Liao's office, let alone what Director Liao said afterward.
He returned to his office and sat there blankly until the end-of-get off work bell rang, and his apprentice, Ma Baosen, came back and woke him up.
He wasn't asleep, but it felt like he was dreaming.
I opened the drawer again and looked at the key to the boss's office inside, and then I was sure I wasn't dreaming.
He was no longer a greenhorn, but the passage of time had long since worn down his edges and exhausted the vigor of his youth. Where was the ecstatic energy he once possessed?
Faced with his apprentice's question, he only sighed and then packed his things to go home.
Everything was as usual. The daughter-in-law promptly set the table and quickly stir-fried the dishes, while urging her son, who was doing his homework, to bring him some warm wine.
At home, he might not be treated like an emperor, but he was at least a lord, because his whole family depended on him for a living. That's how powerful he was—earning money to support his entire family.
The first time, when his son impatiently brought over the wine cup and pot, he said to his wife, who was serving dishes, "Starting tomorrow, don't warm the wine anymore."
His wife thought she was hallucinating and stared at him blankly, almost reaching out to touch his forehead to see if he had gone crazy from the high fever.
He started drinking this wine when he failed to become the deputy manager. After all these years, why is he saying he's stopping? Does he think the wine doesn't taste good?
His wife was about to ask him if he had switched the wine when he looked up, his eyes brimming with tears, and said with a slightly agitated smile, "I won't drink anymore, I won't drink anymore from now on."
"What's wrong with you!" His wife's face turned pale instantly, and she couldn't even hold the spatula in her hand, almost falling to the ground.
Old Zhang's appearance doesn't resemble Fan Jin passing the imperial examination; rather, it looks like he's terminally ill and about to make his final arrangements. How could it not be frightening?
Realizing he had gone too far, Old Zhang quickly grabbed his wife's hand and recounted his day's events. He couldn't help but shed tears by the end.
He hadn't made any progress; he was still an office secretary, still a deputy supervisor. But from today onward, he was the secretary to the group's leaders, an employee even the deputy director couldn't boss around.
Let alone the deputy director, even the office director would address him as "brother" when they talked, talking about past loyalty and future friendship.
The diverse lives within an organization are a vivid reflection of society. When you first graduate, you're full of dreams and aspirations; after three years working here, you've become someone who speaks to everyone, neither human nor monster.
The meal at Old Zhang's house lasted a full two hours. He cried, then his wife cried, then he cried again. The couple wanted to cry out all the bitterness they had endured for the past twenty years before they were done.
He dared not assume that once he held power, he would be surrounded by the arrogance of dogs. Old Zhang knew full well that he had no merits in being chosen as a secretary. The only explanation was his age and his knowledge of the metallurgical plant and the steel city; there was nothing else.
He arrived at work early this morning, and the news had already spread. People greeted him warmly along the way, but he could no longer hear the usual "Old Zhang" address.
Many people call him Director Zhang, and those who are somewhat acquainted with him even call him Brother Zhang; he's gotten tired of hearing it.
It wasn't that he was numb from hearing so many greetings, but rather that he had heard so many nauseatingly sweet words that his ears were completely numb. This was the day he had heard the most compliments in his entire life.
Of course, he also knew that he was just taking advantage of others' power. If he hadn't been chosen as a secretary, who would respect him or consider him someone important?
So when I arrived at the office, I didn't dare to be careless at all. First, I changed the hot water in the leader's office, then I cleaned the room carefully and made hot tea before calling driver Yu.
When he came downstairs, Yu Zhe was already waiting for him. The two were quite awkward when they met, as yesterday's confrontation was still fresh in their minds.
Yu Zhe, however, got into the mood faster than him, greeting him with a smile and not uttering a single unnecessary word the rest of the way. He remained silent, and so did Yu Zhe.
The two only discussed the initial details of their upcoming collaboration and then had no further conversation.
Upon arriving at the villa, Yu Zhe didn't even get out of the car. He just honked the horn twice and waited inside, which was the proper behavior expected of a company driver.
Zhang Enyuan had already gone through all the details of the secretary's work last night, and had mentally simulated the scenarios countless times.
He even considered special situations such as people asking him for favors, sending gifts to leaders through him, and fieldwork. He had gone through all the advantages and disadvantages of the secretaries he had met in his life.
Therefore, what Li Xuewu saw was the image of a humble, polite, and cautious secretary, which was exactly the kind of secretary he needed after coming to Liaodong.
Just as he told Dong Wenxue, he was there to get things done, not to chat. The education secretary position would no longer offer the same level of free time as when he was working for the group.
Within the group, the decisions he can make do are limited to the General Management Department, and even the General Management Department cannot completely obey his orders.
The group leaders didn't even mention the pen; it was only when they arrived in Liaodong and the steel city that they truly received this treatment.
Without his signature in the General Management Department, urgent documents could simply be reviewed by Bu Qingfang, then forwarded to the supervisor in charge, and a word would be given later.
But in Liaodong, in the steel city, no matter how urgent the matter, it had to wait for his approval; nothing could be done without his signature.
What does "a pen" mean?
The phrase following "a pen" is "a one-man show," meaning a place where one person has the final say.
At the group level, the documents he could approve were worth a maximum of one or two thousand yuan; anything more would require approval from the deputy finance director. But here, the documents he could decide on could be worth thirty to fifty thousand, three to five hundred thousand, or even three to five million.
This is not a privilege, it is a responsibility; it is the pressure and power that decision-makers bear when exercising the rights granted by the organization and the collective.
Only with this pressure and right can he do his job, pursue his career, and do the work and career he believes he should do.
Therefore, the Li Xuewu that Zhang Enyuan saw today was different from the one he saw yesterday. It was like a sword being drawn from its sheath, with its sharpness concealed yet exuding a murderous aura.
From the moment he got in the car, the leader neither smiled nor showed any anger; he simply stared at the documents on his lap with drooping eyelids, listening to his report on the day's itinerary.
After he finished his report, Li Xuewu said calmly, "Keep the schedule as streamlined as possible. Don't schedule any fieldwork this week. I'll take a look at the documents first."
"Yes, boss." Old Zhang was already in the zone.
Choosing an older, more mature secretary from the office has this advantage: you don't need to say anything; they understand everything you want.
***
"I'm confident in entrusting Liaodong's industry to you." Li Huaide nodded, holding Li Xuewu's hand, and said sincerely, "Go ahead and do it boldly."
"Thank you for your support, Director Li." Li Xuewu shook his hand and said, "Have a safe journey."
"Okay, take care." Li Huaide nodded, then reluctantly let go of his hand and stepped onto the train.
Yes, Li Huaide still traveled in his special train carriage to Gangcheng to see Li Xuewu off to his new post, and still dared not use a business jet. Even though many people in the group had used them, he simply refused to. He didn't say he was afraid of it crashing; he just wouldn't use it.
Unfortunately, since Old Li didn't need to go, the others traveling together had to take the train. Shantal had originally intended to flatter Old Li, but Old Li dodged him, and Shantal missed his chance.
"Goodbye, Comrade Xuewu."
Gu Weijie's farewell was much more concise than Lao Li's; after shaking hands, she boarded the train.
Next was Dong Wenxue. The two hugged and shook hands firmly. At that moment, they didn't care whether others would be wary of their relationship.
Li Xuewu, who came on this train, stayed; Dong Wenxue, who left on the same train, departed. With one leaving and one staying, the handover was officially completed.
Standing on the platform, Li Xuewu watched the train slowly pull away and disappear into the distance. A surge of emotion welled up inside him, which was hard to describe as either joy or excitement.
From this day forward, he has a vast and boundless future ahead of him, and this land and sky will be a testament to his realization of his ideals and ambitions.
Zhang Enyuan stood slightly behind, half a step behind Liao Jinhui, level with Zhang Jing. He was neither arrogant nor discouraged, which was also his attitude and vow upon taking office today.
Xu Sinian, Kuang Yusheng, Lü Yuanshen, and others who were also seeing him off on the platform turned their gazes away from the departing train and looked at Li Xuewu standing there.
Yes, the group's leaders have left, and some have stayed.
None of them were at the group's leadership level, nor did any of them hold a concurrent position in the group's leadership team office, so they inevitably felt somewhat inferior to Li Xuewu.
But looking at his excessively young face, he felt a bit resentful and couldn't help but mutter a few words to himself, waiting to see how Li Xuewu would start his three fires.
As Lu Xun once said, "A young man with no experience is unreliable." He also said, "Let's see if they're real mules or horses by taking them out for a spin." This reflects the mentality of some people.
If Li Xuewu wants to integrate resources and lead them, he must at least demonstrate real ability to gain their trust; otherwise, no one will submit to him.
Dong Wenxue is at least the deputy director of the group's management committee, so he has enough influence to command respect. Li Xuewu, on the other hand, is still just a manager.
Which of these people isn't a veteran, a senior executive, and a manager? They're all waiting for the day they're formally incorporated into the group to get their hats on.
These thoughts were on their minds, but they naturally wouldn't show on their faces. Everyone was standing there waiting for Li Xuewu to make the next arrangements.
The nail that sticks out gets hammered down; they're all seasoned veterans, they wouldn't make such a mistake.
Besides, I'm not unfamiliar with Li Xuewu. That guy is ruthless and vicious; it's not just one or two people who have fallen into his hands.
They're not afraid of a business battle, but if it comes to a physical fight, even if all of them were stacked up, they wouldn't be enough for him to beat up.
It was their ability to win Li Xuewu's respect; it wouldn't be worth it to be beaten to a pulp by him. Therefore, everyone on the platform was very well-behaved.
"Director Xu, would you like to stay a while?" Li Xuewu asked Xu Sinian with a smile, "Would you like to have a drink together tonight?"
"Comrade Zihong, aren't you in a hurry to go back?"
He then looked at Xiao Zihong and said with a smile, "Yesterday, Director Li and the others were so busy talking that none of us had a proper drink."
"If you want to drink well, we'll all get drunk," Xu Sinian said with a smile. "If you're going to cheat us, don't cheat our own people. There are plenty of people in Steel City who don't know your reputation."
"Hahaha—" Everyone burst into laughter.
Of the factory managers here today, only Xu Sinian and Xiao Zihong are not in the steel city. Xu Sinian is the manager of Yingcheng Shipbuilding, and Xiao Zihong is the manager of Fengcheng Machinery.
As the saying goes, "Guests from afar are guests," so Li Xuewu first asked the two of them, which naturally carried a polite connotation, but also a sense of closeness.
Xu Sinian and he were old friends; everyone in the workplace knew they were sworn brothers. Yes, the whole company knew this, except for the two of them.
Xiao Zihong was his partner in the security department. Although there were some minor disagreements between them, they had all passed.
If it weren't for Li Xuewu's recommendation, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to come to Fengcheng and take charge of a region.
So when Li Xuewu called on them, their response was much more enthusiastic and affectionate, giving today's farewell a unique flavor.
Lu Yuanshen and Bi Yuding exchanged a glance, their inner turmoil and bitterness beyond words. When Li Xuewu first joined the Hongxing Factory, he and Bi Yuding were already the factory managers.
He's in the finance department, and Bi Yuding is in the dispatch department. The two of them are doing quite well now, having become Li Xuewu's subordinates. Where can you even begin to reason with them?
They felt they had been taken advantage of, but Kuang Yusheng, standing to the side, remained calm and showed no resentment. His gaze towards Li Xuewu was also indifferent.
"So, Director Kuang is hosting today?" Li Xuewu smiled and looked at Kuang Yusheng, then said to Kong Xiaobo and Ji Jiuzheng, "This is our gathering place."
"Are you really going to become an outlaw?"
Lu Yuanshen smiled and said something, then looked at Ji Jiuzheng and asked, "Old Ji, are you busy? If you're not busy, stay another night."
"Are you going to the mine?" Li Xuewu didn't mind Lü Yuanshen's overstepping of the bounds and followed his words to Ji Jiuzheng, saying, "If you're really busy, we can do it another day. There's plenty of time."
"It's alright, a day or two won't make a difference."
Although Ji Jiuzheng is not as experienced as these veterans, he is not a novice either. He will not be a chopping block for Lü Yuanshen, much less a scapegoat.
He smiled and looked at Li Xuewu, replying, "But it shouldn't be Director Kuang treating us; you're the host, so you should be the one treating, right?"
"Hahaha--"
Instead of responding to Lü Yuanshen's "concern" and "politeness," he jokingly spoke "good words" for Kuang Yusheng, as if the two were very close.
Zhang Enyuan listened carefully from a distance. Li Xuewu called him Factory Director Kuang, while General Manager Ji called him Director Kuang. Was there a difference?
Today on the platform, only a few people could speak; others like Yang Zongfang and Dou Changfang could only stand aside, listening in the cold wind. This is what they mean by "a higher-ranking official can crush you"—they didn't even have the right to speak.
The leaders of the industrial leadership group were joking around. Yang Zongfang lit a cigarette, silently took a few steps away, and Yang Shuxing glanced at him, then looked at Yin Zhongyao.
When Dong Wenxue was around, the two of them had a battle, but as the situation changed, they developed a better understanding of each other.
With Li Xuewu keeping an eye on the group and Yang Zongfang eyeing the steel city, it was wishful thinking for either of them to compete for the position, so they gave up any thoughts of advancement.
Hearing the leaders bickering, he smiled on the surface but sneered inwardly.
Yes, not everyone in the Industrial Leading Group is a leader. It's one leader who leads all of them; otherwise, it should be called the Industrial Leading Group Office.
The platform wasn't their own home, nor was it the company's reception room. After exchanging a few jokes and agreeing to have drinks at the guesthouse that evening, they boarded Hongtu No. 1 together.
The train station platform wouldn't allow so many cars to come up, and Li Huaide wouldn't be so ostentatious about selling his wares; three Hongtu No. 1 cars would be enough.
Zhang Enyuan followed Li Xuewu into the first car, while Liao Jinhui glanced at him and then consciously got into the second car.
Several leaders from the metallurgical plant were also on the vehicle. He glanced at them, and each of their faces was etched with indifference.
What? Nobody wants to talk?
That's right. They didn't even have a chance to speak on the platform, so there's no point in them talking now that they're on the train.
He was very perceptive and had already memorized the changes in these people's expressions.
Being an office director is tough. You can't be a fence-sitter, and you can't be a creeper either. If he hadn't done something terrible in his past life, he wouldn't be suffering like this.
I saw one of them off, but received no comfort or explanation. Who can understand my anxiety? Now, let alone suffering, I might even lose my own life.
Judging from the way things are going today, things won't be peaceful from now on.
(End of this chapter)